Ricky Gervais Armageddon review: Provocative comedian dusts off dated material in latest Netflix standup | Web Series News
Is it even a joke or do I need to explain? But what is this? Ricky Gervais Does more than once in his new Netflix special, Armageddon. Essentially a cover version of his greatest hits, the one-hour special finds the comedian taking particular delight in setting the stage on fire. Gervais tackles everything from dying babies to dwarf actors, from China to chimpanzees. “You’ll realize it’s a great satire when I’m dead,” he says at the end of a particularly hilarious segment about ordering Tracksuit bottoms on Amazon.
His recurring sticking point in Armageddon is that he keeps telling the audience that he’s still working on the material, which means some of the jokes aren’t perfect yet. It’s all part of the action, an extended breakdown of course. The bigger question is why? Why, after all these years, does Gervais feel the need to emphasize every point he makes? The simplest answer is that, in trying to get the word out, it satirizes the audience’s diminished appetite for risque humor.
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But very often, the effect can be quite protective. It’s like he’s holding back the outrage and directly addressing the invisible hordes complaining about his material months after they stumbled upon it on Reels or whatever. “Before you insult me,” he seems to say, “let me tell you that you haven’t heard anything.” But in doing so, he chooses to ignore the people in front of him and the people who willingly clicked on a thumbnail of his face on Netflix. But making these assumptions is its own form of arrogance, isn’t it?
Gervais’ observations on the world are as nihilistic as ever, and despite his claims that he chooses to keep his politics private, he’s really only referring to the kind that concern prime ministers and presidents. His worldview and belief system are clearly visible. For example, without using the words “cancellation culture”, he makes his feelings about simple outrage absolutely clear. And when he calls himself “woke,” he’s not mocking liberals—he’s clearly a progressive—but actually pointing out the transitory nature of language. A word once worn as a badge of honor is now reduced to an insult; And tired at the same time. There is humor in this idea.
To enjoy Gervais’ comedy, one must first understand that it is not Gervais on stage. He plays a character; In fact, he plays a revolving door of characters, and if a joke calls for it, he won’t bat an eyelid before turning big or racist. He jokes about the AIDS babies in Africa, but they’re not the point. In this excellent piece, Gervais highlights the enormous social inequality in the world that we often observe and, more ambitiously, calls God himself into question. Pointing out that a comedian is under no obligation to be factually honest on stage feels almost as absurd as a comedian having to explain his jokes, but there you have it. After all, we live in a world where Hasan Minhaj could be prosecuted for “falsifying” certain details in his autobiographical comedy.
Has there been a more pointless confrontation this year? Probably not. But it’s clear that audiences no longer consider the spirit and sensibility of comics. Criticism is one thing Dave Chappelle, for example. He deserves it because he really believes the regressive nonsense he buys for millions of dollars. It is also fair to criticize Bill Burr, whose last film, old fathers, revealed all that man would ever need to know about the world in his view. But there is a difference between what they do and what Gervais does.
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Here’s a comic that works at cruising altitude, but more importantly, doesn’t break barriers. Armageddon isn’t his best work by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s a delivery of effort, a confidence in his ability to push the right buttons that only comes with experience. However, those who tune into his style of comedy will be left wanting. The issues he chooses to tackle are often timely, but his observations can’t be a little dated.
Ricky Gervais: Armageddon
Director – John L. Spencer
rating – 3/5
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First uploaded by: 28-12-2023 08:03 IST
