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The new Netflix comedy special for Ricky Gervais has been seeing backlash due to the comedian’s jokes about the trans community. From the moment the show opens, the comedian takes aim at trans women, laughing at their struggles.
He first jokes about their genitals, calling them “new women” with “beards and c*cks.” It only gets worse from there, with Gervais punching down every chance he gets.
But worse for a comedian than his attempts to shock through bigotry as a replacement for humor, the special is being reviewed as boring and unfunny.
\u201cSo, I wrote an article about Ricky Gervais and how his latest stand up perpetuates discriminatory, false stereotypes about trans people. \n\nHis desire to be \u2018cancelled\u2019 moves the conversation away from actual issues affecting the trans community \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f\n\nhttps://t.co/NJDSJ2DmjQ\u201d— Esme (@Esme) 1653490091
\u201cWe watched the Ricky Gervais "comedy" special on Netflix so you don\u2019t have to. It\u2019s full of graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes. He also spouts anti-gay rhetoric & spreads inaccurate information about HIV. 1/4\u201d— GLAAD (@GLAAD) 1653414970
\u201c@Independent\u201d— The Independent (@The Independent) 1653371600
\u201cricky gervais being utterly predictable and mocking transgender people in his latest special. it\u2019s fucking insane to me how we take some of the most vulnerable, marginalised people in society\u2026 and tear them apart to hundreds of millions on netflix like that\u2019s okay\u201d— David Farrier (@David Farrier) 1653421909
Gervais even reiterated the old transphobic talking points about trans women being a threat to cis women.
He imitates a conversation between hypothetical versions of the two:
“‘[Trans women] are ladies — look at their pronouns! What about this person isn’t a lady?’ ‘Well, his penis.’ ‘Her penis, you f–king bigot!’”
“‘What if he rapes me?’ ‘What if she rapes you, you f**king TERF whore?’”Ricky Gervais' new special was criticized for spreading trans hate and being incredibly unfunny for a $40 million special.
Gervais’s jokes were called tired, hackneyed and contributing to trans hate around the world.
In 2021, violence against trans people reached record highs. This is on the back of comedians making unfunny jokes and certain popular authors voicing their hate.
The general consensus is the special isn’t even good.
Netflix paid $40 million to Gervais to make outdated jokes about trans people, prop up a bigoted outlook, and he couldn’t even be funny while doing it.
\u201cRicky Gervais just called trans women rapists & told us to cut off our genitals for his personal comfort on yet another hate-filled Netflix "comedy" special\n\nFuck you @netflix, SO glad I cancelled my subscription to your hate service months ago\n\nYou're gonna get more of us killed\u201d— Strewth \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f (@Strewth \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f) 1653449655
\u201cRicky Gervais\u201d— Katy's Shit Cartoons (@Katy's Shit Cartoons) 1653465601
\u201c@davidfarrier I think some people think any attention is good attention , he's floundering\u201d— David Farrier (@David Farrier) 1653421909
\u201c@StrewthQueen @netflix Surgery and hormones are not what make trans identities valid, but a lot of us want and need them. Not to 'fit in with social norms' or so as not to be queer but so we don't feel like shit in our skins all the time.\u201d— Strewth \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f (@Strewth \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\u26a7\ufe0f) 1653449655
\u201cnothing to say about ricky gervais that james acaster hasn\u2019t already said\u201d— ruth (@ruth) 1653398182
\u201cRicky Gervais Starves to Death After Massive Fire Destroys All Low-Hanging Fruit\n\nhttps://t.co/Faj2FogMSm\u201d— Hard Drive (@Hard Drive) 1653397211
Later in the routine, Gervais says:
“In real life of course I support trans rights. I support all human rights, and trans rights are human rights.”
“Live your best life. Use your preferred pronouns. Be the gender that you feel that you are.”
Immediately after, he tells trans women they should “lose the c*ck” and meet him halfway.