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Ricky Gervais is set to debut his new Netflix comedy special Armeggedon on Christmas Day, but it is already surrounded by controversy.
A petition was started after Gervais after the outrage began over his joke about making videos for the Make-A-Wish foundation. Gervais is accused of using ableist language.
The controversial joke is:
“Why didn’t you wish to get better? What, you f *cking retarded as well? I didn’t do that either. These are all jokes, all right? … I don’t burst into hospitals and go ‘Wake up baldy. Look at me twerking on TikTok.'”
However, Gervais is not backing down and said the joke will remain in the special in during a radio appearance to promote the show.
In this show, I talk about sex, death, paedophilia, race, religion, disability, free speech, global warming, the holocaust, and Elton John. If you don’t approve of jokes about any of these things, then please don’t watch. You wont enjoy it and you’ll get upset. pic.twitter.com/kYXBlZRggW
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) December 19, 2023
“In the actual skit, I say, ‘I’ve been doing a lot of video messages recently for terminally ill children. Only if they request it. I don’t burst into hospitals and go, ‘Wake up, baldy,’” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I’m even saying I don’t do that. Literally saying in the joke I don’t do that.”
It will be interesting to see if there is further backlash once the special is released and the video begins to spread more on social media, but Gervais isn’t concerned and Netflix has a history of allowing controversial jokes to remain in the specials.
After all, it is the comedian’s work of art.
Gervais’ Armageddon will be available at 3:00 a.m. on Monday, December 25.
