Ricky Gervais Responds to Petition Asking Netflix to Remove Jokes From His New Special: ‘It’s Quite Meaningless’

variety.com:

Ethan Shanfeld Ricky Gervais has stirred up another controversy with a joke in his new Netflix special “Armageddon,” which hasn’t even come out yet.

In a teaser clip released by the comedian, Gervais jokes about terminally ill children, calling them “baldy” and the R-slur.

Now, more than 12,000 people have signed a Change.org petition demanding Netflix remove the joke from Gervais’ upcoming stand-up special, which hits the platform on Dec.

25. Immediately after the controversial “Armageddon” joke, Gervais says to the audience, “These are all jokes, all right? I don’t even use that word in real life, the R-word. … I’m playing a role.” In an interview with Nihal Arthanayake on BBC Radio 5 Live’s “Headliners” podcast, Gervais called out “faux” outrage against him, and compared the petitioners to “hecklers.” “I can play to a million people, I won’t get a complaint,” Gervais said. “As soon as it goes on Netflix or as soon as someone writes up a joke that says this is offensive, people go, ‘Oh, that’s offensive.’ They haven’t even heard the joke.