Golden Globes 2012: Ricky Gervais’ Best Bits (Madonna Bites Back)

Golden Globes 2012: Ricky Gervais Opening Monologue

Tweet Of The Week: Ricky Gervais 

Golden Globes Nomiate LGBT Films, Madonna, Chris Colfer

The Advocate reports:

LGBT-themed films such asAlbert Nobbs, Beginners,The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and J. Edgar will compete for top honors at the 69th annual Golden Globes next month.

The nominees for best performance by an actress in a motion picture, drama include Glenn Close as the cross-dressing butler in Albert Nobbs and Rooney Mara as the bisexual computer hacker in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Viola Davis is also nominated in this category for her performance as the stoic maid in The Help, from gay director Tate Taylor, and Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady by out director Phyllida Lloyd.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s acclaimed turn as the founder of the F.B.I. in J. Edgar is among the nominees for best performance by an actor in a motion picture, drama. Also nominated in this category is Michael Fassbender as the reckless sex addict who indulges in a same-sex encounter in Shame.

Janet McTeer, Close’s costar in Albert Nobbs, will compete for best performance by an actress in a supporting role in a motion picture. Among her competitors is Octavia Spencer as the spirited maid in Taylor’s The Help.

Veteran actor Christopher Plummer’s performance as an elderly man coming out as gay in Beginners is among the nominees for best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a motion picture.

Madonna’s latest directorial effort, the sweeping romance W.E., scored two nominations — one for best original score for composer Abel Korzeniowski and another for the song “Masterpiece,” written by Madonna, Julie Frost, and Jimmy Harry. Also competing for best song in a motion picture is Elton John, who, with Bernie Taupin, cowrote “Hello, Hello” for the animated Gnomeo and Juliet.

Nominees for best foreign language film include Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut, the harrowing war drama In the Land of Blood and Honey, and Pedro Almodovar’s haunting The Skin I Live In.

Both of Ryan Murphy’s hit series received nominations. American Horror Story is in the running for best television series - drama, and standout star Jessica Lange is up for best performance by an actress in a series - drama. Glee will compete for best television series - comedy or musical opposite another LGBT-inclusive sitcom Modern Family, which also scored a nomination for Eric Stonestreet as best performance by an actor in a supporting role. Notable inclusions this year are Glee stars Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch.

Competing for best miniseries or motion picture made for television are HBO’s Cinema Verite, a true story that documented Lance Loud’s coming out to his parents on camera in the early 1970s, and the Todd Haynes-directed Mildred Pierce.

The Golden Globes are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The ceremony will be broadcast live on January 15 and will again be hosted by Ricky Gervais, who shocked many last year with his no-holds-barred humor.

Today In Blasphemy: Ricky Gervais 

Joe.My.God. reports:

Ricky Gervais’ cover shot for New Humanist magazine will undoubtedly draw many death threats from God’s Gentle People. Gervais tells the magazine: “You have the right to be offended, and I have the right to offend you. But no one has the right to never be offended.” 

I’m loving it!

Ricky Gervais’ Easter Card

Joan Rivers Defends Ricky Gervais

Did Ricky Gervais Go Too Far?

The Advocate reports: 

Comic entertainer Ricky Gervais made a memorable Golden Globes host last night, but some feel he went too far with jokes about closeted actors and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s accepting bribes in exchange for nominations.While many were gratified that openly gay actors such as Chris Colfer and Jane Lynch were popular winners for their performances inGlee and films with LGBT content, such as The Kids Are All Right and Black Swan won major awards, Gervais was definitely the most polarizing element of the awards show that is frequently referred to as “the party of the year.”
Gervais made light of the controversial nominations for the widely-panned film The Tourist and the implication that the HFPA, which presents the Globes, accepts gifts in exchange for nominations.“I’d like to quash this ridiculous rumor going around that the only reason The Tourist was nominated was so the HFPA could hang out with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. That is rubbish. That is not the only reason. They also accepted bribes.” 
The Gervais crack that caused most gasps involved the overlooked gem I Love You Phillip Morris, which the host linked to closeted actors and the Church of Scientology. Gervais joked, “Also not nominated, I Love You Phillip Morris, with Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey, two heterosexual actors pretending to be gay — the complete opposite of some famous Scientologists then.” He quickly added, “My lawyers helped me with the wording of that joke.”On her website Deadline, astute Hollywood insider Nicki Finke assessed the damage at the halfway point, writing, “It’s official: the room has turned against Gervais. Which is why I’m liking him more and more as the night drags on. But trust me, tomorrow the phones at NBC and Dick Clark Prods will be ringing off the hook with angry agents and managers complaining how this was the meanest awards show in Hollywood history and explaining why their clients won’t attend next year’s Golden Globes because of it. Maybe that will convince the powers-that-be to clean up the most corrupt awards-giving group in Hollywood history. More likely, NBC and Dick Clark Prods will follow the path of least resistance and just fire Gervais and all the writers.”The question everyone in Hollywood is asking this morning is “Did Ricky Gervais go too far?”
On Monday afternoon the HFPA released a statement to Entertainment Weekly that read: 
“We loved the show. It was a lot of fun and obviously has a lot of people talking. When you hire a comedian like Ricky Gervais, one expects in your face, sometimes outrageous material. Certainly, in this case, he pushed the envelope and occasionally went too far. The HFPA would never condone some of his personal remarks. Overall, however, the show was among the best we’ve ever had and we were pleased.”

He only went too far with the Cher jokes. Son of a bitch. I still love him.

Ricky Gervais On Ellen

Talking about Ricky’s gig as the host of the Golden Globes in a second year in a row. And little surprise as well. 

Ricky Gervais On Creationism

Ricky Gervais On Atheism

“As an atheist, I see nothing ‘wrong’ in believing in a god. I don’t think there is a god, but belief in him does no harm. If it helps you in any way, then that’s fine with me. It’s when belief starts infringing on other people’s rights when it worries me. I would never deny your right to believe in a god. I would just rather you didn’t kill people who believe in a different god, say. Or stone someone to death because your rulebook says their sexuality is immoral.

“It’s strange that anyone who believes that an all-powerful all-knowing, omniscient power responsible for everything that happens, would also want to judge and punish people for what they are. From what I can gather, pretty much the worst type of person you can be is an atheist. The first four commandments hammer this point home. There is a god, I’m him, no one else is, you’re not as good and don’t forget it. (Don’t murder anyone, doesn’t get a mention till number 6.) When confronted with anyone who holds my lack of religious faith in such contempt, I say, ‘It’s the way God made me.’”

- British comedian Ricky Gervais, writing for the Wall Street Journal.