Ricky Gervais' Most Controversial Jokes From the Golden Globes

Ricky Gervais is a rude dude with a 'tude, and he brought his signature caustic wit and hyenaic laugh to 77th Golden Globes on Sunday night. Hosting for the first time since 2016 and fifth time overall, the comedian and After Life star told some pretty mean jokes about some very pretty people, and maybe a few of them went a little too far. There were a lot of unimpressed faces in the audience.

Gervais -- who came under fire recently for tweets many people found transphobic -- was unapologetic in his opening monologue, taking no prisoners as he mocked Felicity Huffman, Cats, and Hollywood hypocrisy. Here's a rundown of the jokes that got tongues a-wagging, although he definitely didn't go as hard as he could have or teased he would. It was pretty tame by Gervais standards, though he did land some stingers. For the most part, he didn't target individuals, but his best jokes were about corruption in Hollywood as an institution.

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"You'll be pleased to know this is the last time I'm hosting the awards. I don't care anymore." he began, after setting his trademark glass of beer on the podium. "I'm joking. I never did." Whoa, watch out, my man is edgy!

He addressed his recent Twitter imbroglio by joking about the organization that hosts the show, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, caring even less than he does. "Kevin Hart was fired from the Oscars for some offensive tweets -- hello," he said, gesturing at himself. "Lucky for me, the Hollywood Foreign Press can barely speak English, and they've no idea what Twitter is. I got offered this gig by fax."

As he launched into the roast section of the monologue, he reassured the crowd. "Remember, they're just jokes, we're all gonna die soon, and there's no sequel."

His first joke elicited groans from the crowd. "I came here in a limo tonight, and the license plate was made by Felicity Huffman," Gervais said, referencing the Golden Globe-winning actress who recently served prison time for fraud in the college admissions scandal.

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A joke about Hollywood executives being afraid of Ronan Farrow -- the journalist who helped bring down Harvey Weinstein and Les Moonves for sexual misconduct -- didn't go over well. "He's coming for you," Gervais said, to silence.

"Talking to all you perverts," he continued, "it was a big year for pedophile movies. Surviving R. Kelly, Leaving Neverland, The Two Popes." Jonathan Pryce -- who plays Pope Francis in the movie -- was unimpressed with that one.

"Many talented people of color were snubbed in major categories," Gervais said. "Unfortunately there's nothing we can do about that. The Hollywood Foreign Press are all very racist."

He got off a good "Epstein didn't kill himself" joke. While talking about his own Netflix show After Life, which is about a man who wants to kill himself, Gervais said that since there's a second season in the works, his character didn't kill himself, "just like Jeffrey Epstein." When the crowd groaned, Gervais said, "Shut up, I know he's your friend, but I don't care," referencing the billionaire sex criminal's well-documented Hollywood connections.

Gervais made another joke about something that people in Hollywood really don't talk about, and that's actors taking steroids to bulk up for superhero roles. "Have we got an award for Most Ripped Junkie?" he joked, miming injecting a syringe into his arm.

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The joke that went over best in the room did so due to an assist from Martin Scorsese. Referencing the diminutive director's dismissal of superhero movies as "theme parks," Gervais said "I don't know what he's doing hanging around theme parks, he's not big enough to go on the rides." Scorsese reacted with a big laugh, mouthing "It's true."

Gervais made a solid joke about the length of Once Upon a Time in Hollywoodand star Leonardo DiCaprio's proclivity for dating much younger women, quipping "Leonardo DiCaprio attended the premiere, and by the end, his date was too old for him." He then made a second Epstein joke, saying "Even Prince Andrew is like, 'come on, Leo, mate, you're nearly 50, son.'" Prince Andrew, the son of Queen Elizabeth, was one of the late pedophile's closest associates.

Gervais got bleeped while making a graphic joke about Judi Dench licking her nether regions like her character in Cats. It was in poor taste, but that was the point!

His best, most pointed joke came late in the monologue, pointing out Hollywood's hypocrisy by preaching about doing the right thing while taking money from companies responsible for misery in the world, like Apple, which "runs sweatshops in China."

"You say you're woke, but the companies you work for, unbelievable. Apple, Amazon, Disney," he said. "If ISIS started a streaming service, you'd call your agent, wouldn't you?"

He advised winners to not talk politics in their speeches, as they're in no position to lecture the public about anything. ("Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.")

"If you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent and your God, and f--- off," he said to end his monologue, to cheers, which may have been because he was finished.

All in all, it was a fairly lackluster monologue, without hilarious highlights or offensive lowlights. It wasn't particularly edgy, nor was it particularly funny. Tom Hanks' face says it all:

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