I gave up on Life's Too Short pretty quickly. There's a limit on how often I can watch someone embarrass themselves and then stand silently in a room full of staring people.
Life's Too Short Page 48
Quote: Matistuta @ January 30 2012, 6:42 PM GMTI gave up on Life's Too Short pretty quickly. There's a limit on how often I can watch someone embarrass themselves and then stand silently in a room full of staring people.
Like you, I'm afraid that I struggle to understand why that's become the epitome of funny. "The comedy of embarrassment" or "the comedy of awkwardness" both strike me as being antithetical to actual humour: the person's being awkward/embarrassing, and I don't see why it's funny to laugh at their discomfiture. I don't think it's any accident that Gervais ended up offending people over "mong" --- laughing at the socially inept and laughing at those with disabilities are not actually that far apart.
I often wonder if all people are actually aware that he claims he does not use the word mong in relation to disabled people at all. But that to him the word mong means something totally different.
If people are aware of that and choose not to believe him, that's fine. But from what people say, I'm not always sure they are.
Quote: Tokyo Nambu @ January 30 2012, 7:26 PM GMTLike you, I'm afraid that I struggle to understand why that's become the epitome of funny. "The comedy of embarrassment" or "the comedy of awkwardness" both strike me as being antithetical to actual humour: the person's being awkward/embarrassing, and I don't see why it's funny to laugh at their discomfiture.
Like with anything, it depends how it's done.
Quote: zooo @ January 30 2012, 7:32 PM GMTI often wonder if all people are actually aware that he claims he does not use the word mong in relation to disabled people at all. But that to him the word mong means something totally different.
If people are aware of that and choose not to believe him, that's fine. But from what people say, I'm not always sure they are.
Why do you care, zooo? Mmm? You seem to take criticism of Gervais almost personally. There are surely more deserving things in the world to defend.
Quote: zooo @ January 30 2012, 7:32 PM GMTI often wonder if all people are actually aware that he claims he does not use the word mong in relation to disabled people at all. But that to him the word mong means something totally different.
If people are aware of that and choose not to believe him, that's fine. But from what people say, I'm not always sure they are.
Well I'm not a failed writer whose hair's falling out, huzzah BBC contract and no more receding hairline here I come.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3880230/Storm-over-mong-jibes-by-TVs-Ricky-Gervais.html
So he refers to a woman with learning disabilities as looking like a mong.
I guess he can claim astonishing ignorance as an excuse.
I've never met your mum Zooo, so I guess I should let rip?
I just think it's a bit unfair that the whole world thinks he hates disabled people.
And when pretty much EVERY thread gets a mention of mong-gate, (even the non Ricky ones) it also gets a bit repetitive.
Anyway, surely someone not slagging him off throws a bit of variety into things. 
Quote: sootyj @ January 30 2012, 7:42 PM GMTI've never met your mum Zooo, so I guess I should let rip?
If that's what makes you feel better, sooty... 
Anyway, I was literally just wondering this...
Quote: zooo @ January 30 2012, 7:32 PM GMTI often wonder if all people are actually aware that he claims he does not use the word mong in relation to disabled people at all. But that to him the word mong means something totally different.
Not asking to open the UNBELIEVABLY boring issue itself up yet again.
Nah I'd never pick on your mum, she made you so she must be alright.
And fine lay off the issue, fine with me.
I just think it's shame that a guy of his talents can't find a better target. NB with the Idiot Abroad stuff I ended up watching it for Karl Pilkington who unlike Ricky, is quite charming and engaging.
Quote: sootyj @ January 30 2012, 7:49 PM GMTI just think it's shame that a guy of his talents can't find a better target. NB with the Idiot Abroad stuff I ended up watching it for Karl Pilkington who unlike Ricky, is quite charming and engaging.
That we can agree on. He's very entertaining.
Quote: zooo @ January 30 2012, 7:32 PM GMTI often wonder if all people are actually aware that he claims he does not use the word mong in relation to disabled people at all.
But he's rather more than just self-deluding. It's unimaginable how describing Susan Boyle as "looking like a mong" can be intended as anything other than a use of it in its old, offensive, sense. If not, could someone explain precisely --- or even vaguely --- what the phrase could possibly mean? If, as he claims (farcically), he's using "mong" in some other sense, what does "looking like a mong" mean?
Like a weird person/weirdo.
Which to be fair, she does. You cannot tell that she has learning difficulties by looking at her. She's not got Down's Syndrome or anything. She just looks like an eccentric oddball.
This is clearly also an insult! And not very nice and all that. But nothing to do with disability. And as far as I've read, that's what he says he meant.
Quote: zooo @ January 30 2012, 9:12 PM GMTLike a weird person/weirdo.
Which to be fair, she does. You cannot tell that she has learning difficulties by looking at her. She's not got Down's Syndrome or anything. She just looks like an eccentric oddball.This is clearly also an insult! And not very nice and all that. But nothing to do with disability. And as far as I've read, that's what he says he meant.
So you shouldn't call someone a mong who has pronounced physical features related to various chromosonal disorders?
Well that's progress.
Quote: Tokyo Nambu @ January 30 2012, 9:10 PM GMTBut he's rather more than just self-deluding. It's unimaginable how describing Susan Boyle as "looking like a mong" can be intended as anything other than a use of it in its old, offensive, sense.
I don't get it either, if anyone looks like a mongo then it's Matt LeBlanc from Friends. They even did an episode where Phoebe told a theatre director he had special needs.
People give Gervais stick, but in terms of giving quality work to those with 'differening abilities', he's come up spades. The Office - girl in a wheelchair, Extras - girl with cerebral palsy and LTS - dwarf dude. Plus he's worked loads with Ash Attala, who is leg mental but not head mental.
Again, LTS was one of the few sitcoms that made me laugh last year - so even at his most lazy and derivative, Gervais is still funnier than most full time comedy writers working at the moment.
Quote: zooo @ January 30 2012, 9:12 PM GMTLike a weird person/weirdo.
Which to be fair, she does. You cannot tell that she has learning difficulties by looking at her. She's not got Down's Syndrome or anything.
Coming next: it's OK to call people Pakis just so long as they don't actually have Pakistani passports.
Gervais's defence in this is essentially "I'm not being offensive, I'm just so thick I don't realise the effect that what I say might have". Which for someone who earns their living as writer and director is a pretty shocking excuse. At least Frankie Boyle just abuses people with disabilities and revels in it, rather than spinning preposterous "dog ate my homework" stories.
Sigh.
Not what I said. But if people are determined to find offence they will. 
As you were.