Ricky Gervais has doubled down on his stance that celebrities should not use awards shows as a platform to speak out on political and social issues, reminding people of his iconic 2020 Golden Globes speech.
The British comedian, 64, took to X following the 68th Grammy Awards on Sunday, to inadvertently call out celebrities such as Billie Eilish and Justin and Hailey Bieber, who attended the star-studded event in Los Angeles.
Music’s biggest night saw A-listers speak out against Immigration and Customs Enforcement across the United States.
Mr and Mrs Bieber, along with Kehlani and Joni Mitchell, were among those who wore pins reading “Ice Out”, a gesture which was widely interpreted as showing solidarity with anti-Ice protests taking place across the country, particularly in Minneapolis following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Ricky Gervais called out Grammy Award winners
|
GETTYRapper Bad Bunny used his acceptance speech for the Best Música Urbana Album to declare: “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ICE OUT.”
He continued: “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.
“The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love. If we fight, we have to do it with love. We don’t hate them. We love our people, we love our family, and that’s the way to do it, with love. Don’t forget that, please.”
The rapper was met with a standing ovation for his declaration.
Billie Eilish used her acceptance speech to speak out against Ice
|
GETTY
That same evening, Ocean Eyes singer Billie Eilish also used her acceptance speech to make a political point as she accepted the Song of the Year award for her track Wildflower.
The speech came mere days after the singer took to her Instagram story to call out “fellow celebrities” who had remained silent during a period of civil unrest and fatal shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
During her speech, she told the audience: “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
She concluded with the words: “f*** Ice.”
Mr Gervais, who was not present at the awards, took to X to write “They’re still not listening” followed by a photo of one of his famous quotes, which read: “If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.”
Fans of the comedian were quick to voice their approval of his message.
“Still waiting for folks to lead the way instead of lecturing everyone else,” one fan wrote, while another penned: “They should play your clip before every awards show. Why don’t they listen to you?”
A third said: “A lot of celebrities forget that award shows honor escapism from the reality of politics.” Another called Ricky’s Golden Globes moment “The best speech ever.”
A fifth viewer penned sarcastically: “Ricky, as a millennial, the two things that matter the most to me are Harry Potter and The Office. I felt stabbed in the heart when JK Rowling became transphobic. This tweet feels just as bad. I need to take the week off.”
Ms Eilish’s speech was not without criticism.
The clip of the star went viral, prompting harsh critique from those who called her out for “virtue signalling” and being “out of touch” due to the lavish lifestyle that comes with her celebrity status.
An Australian influencer called Netizen went viral after he poked fun at the musician’s speech, declaring that he had made the decision to move into her Malibu home that day, as he took Ms Eilish’ speech as permission to do so.
Justin Bieber and wife Hailey Bieber wore ICE OUT pins to the Grammys
|
GETTY
He said: “Exciting news: I’ve decided to move into Billie Eilish’s $6 Malibu beachfront mansion because no human being is illegal on stolen land. Thank you Billie, for your generosity.”
The influencer went one step further by setting up a GoFundMe to assist him with finances to make the move into her home.
“I was inspired by Billie Eilish’s recent statement at the Grammys that ‘no human being is illegal’ and now intend to fly to America to move into her beachside house in Malibu,” he said.
X account ‘End Wokeness’ posted a clip of the singer’s speech with the caption: “Ok, Billie. Your $14,000,000 mansion in LA is built where the Tongva tribes once lived. Any plans on returning it?”
Even outside of award ceremonies, Mr Gervais has built a reputation for delivering sharp critiques of so-called “woke” culture and what he sees as celebrity hypocrisy.
Across his Netflix stand-up specials, the comedian challenges the concept of “taboo” topics, relying on irony to comment on trans activism and the perceived oversensitivity of “woke” audiences.
He frequently presents these jokes as a defence of free speech, positioning himself in opposition to what he characterises as online “outrage mobs”.
He has also publically dismissed petitions to remove his content, labelling the backlash as “just noise” and comparing online critics to theatre hecklers. He argues that being offended doesn’t mean you are right.
