Ricky Gervais defends Chris Rock’s Oscars joke

nme.com:

Will Smith‘s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, during last month’s Oscars ceremony.The comedian and actor said that it wasn’t a “bad” joke as he appeared to poke fun at the gravity that people have applied to Pinkett Smith’s alopecia condition, the apparent subject of which was what offended her and her husband, who slapped Rock in response.Despite Rock’s joke, in which he said that Pinkett Smith’s cropped haircut made her look like “GI Jane”, Rock had “no idea” about her alopecia, according to a source.Now, responding to fans on a Twitter live after being asked for his thoughts about the incident, Gervais said: “You don’t hit someone over a joke, however bad it is – and it wasn’t bad” [via The Independent].“That was like the tamest joke I would’ve ever told,” the comedian added.Gervais had previously said during a stand-up show in London last week that he would have joked about Pinkett Smith’s “boyfriend” August Alsina instead of her appearance.“People were going, ‘What would have happened if Ricky Gervais had been doing it [hosting the Oscars]?’” Gervais continued.“Well, nothing, as I would not have made a joke about his wife’s hair.

I would have made a joke about her boyfriend.”Pinket Smit and US singer Alsina have been involved in an “entanglement”, which she has discussed on her Red Table Talk show.Gervais also mocked people criticising Rock for “joking about [Pinkett-Smith’s] disability”.“Well, I’m going a bit thin – I’m disabled,” Gervais said, pointing to his head. “That means that I can park right up next to Tescos now.”He continued: “And I’m fat, that’s a disease.