Ricky Gervais might’ve taken home the first ever Golden Globe for best stand-up comedy on television on Sunday night, but if audience reactions are any indication, the award might not have been the most popular choice.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan presented the award, and he got the crowd laughing with his introductory joke: “This is the first time stand-up comedians have been acknowledged at a major awards show. For 80 years, good-looking people threw a party, and now you’ve finally decided to invite the talented people.”
Nominees for the award included Amy Schumer for Emergency Contact, Sarah Silverman for Someone You Love, Chris Rock for Selective Outrage, Trevor Noah for Where Was I, and Wanda Sykes for I’m an Entertainer. Gervais was not on-hand to accept the award for his own special, Armageddon, so Gaffigan accepted on his behalf.
Gervais’ name began trending during the show as some users tweeted about his superior hosting skills as compared to this year’s host Jo Koy, but others did not seem thrilled by his win; look at the trending category for his name, and you’ll also find other users groaning over his victory. As critics observed upon its release, Armageddon (like the rest of the comedian’s recent material) is mostly a smug, desperate attempt to be “edgy.”
Knowing Ricky Gervais, however, the criticism will be a double-edged sword; if anything, he’ll probably bring it up in his next special as proof he’s simply too provocative for all of us.
