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March 28, 2024, 10:43:35 PM

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Ricky Gervais's After Life series 3 [split topic]

Started by Cursus, July 23, 2020, 09:33:21 PM

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idunnosomename

The music drop for the first "joke" really shows how shit it all is

Dickie_Anders

From the sick, twisted, psychotic mind of Ricky Gervais

JamesTC

I haven't cried this much since I got my bellend caught in a motorised pencil sharpener. You've done it again, Ricky!

Ferris

Haven't cried this much since I listened to the song he wrote last month.

The Mollusk

The way the fans react to this show really is baffling. I've been trying to figure it out and I think it's got something to do with the mass consumption of front page Netflix trash. I get the feeling big streaming companies basically want to corner the market for a handful of styles of content - action, comedy, KINDNESS - and push one particular show at a time as this week's best new thing you have to watch. Since channel hopping barely exists any more, unless you're watching old favourites a lot of people are just mindlessly whacking on whatever comes up first.

Gervais has managed to create the pathos soaked comedy equivalent of a hallmark Christmas film, Netflix have gone "fucking YES KINDNESS, that sells" and the reason a third series of this exists against his original intentions is because it's easy money for everyone. People online are brainwashed into thinking this is now literally the only show about kindness that ever existed. Netflix is contributing heavily to keeping the boomer mentality of "they don't make 'em like this any more" alive in its viewers and it's the death knell for artistic diversity and independence. There's a reason they don't make 'em like this any more and it has nothing to do with people not being kind any more. Vile consumer capitalism. Cancel your Netflix subscriptions.

I came to this realisation at a friend's house over Xmas. He showed me School of Chocolate (basically a crappy OTT American Bake Off for chocolate sculptures) and was eager to show me just how empathetic and understanding the host/main chef was, just because he offered some words of encouragement and support every now and then. This is because the market for POPULAR ANGRY CHEF content on Netflix was obviously getting stale after god knows how many years so WHOA they're switching it up! This guy's quite kind! NO, HE IS THE LIVING EMBODIMENT OF KINDNESS.

This is why so many people seem to think Adele is the greatest pop star in the world. Mate. She's quite good at best. Neo-soul isn't just one person. Stop consuming what's shoved in your face for five minutes.

God it's so depressing.

Ferris

Quote from: The Mollusk on January 02, 2022, 06:14:18 PMGervais has managed to create the pathos soaked comedy equivalent of a hallmark Christmas film

Yeah, it's Detectorists for people who read the Sun. Nothing too challenging, spell it out for me, and if I ever get too worried I'm straying into "feelings" territory he can mock an overweight person and I'm back on board. Brilliant, how does he do it.

The fact that it's also just there, on the front bit of Netflix so I don't have to think about it before putting it on is icing on the cake. There's good money in that market, how many records did the cynical cunts behind X Factor sell?

QuoteGod it's so depressing.

Also yes.

checkoutgirl

Quote from: The Mollusk on January 02, 2022, 06:14:18 PMPeople online are brainwashed into thinking this is now literally the only show about kindness that ever existed. Netflix is contributing heavily to keeping the boomer mentality of "they don't make 'em like this any more" alive in its viewers and it's the death knell for artistic diversity and independence.

That's all very debatable. Citation needed.

The reaction you're seeing is the type of people that write trash and memes and crap online. People who think Facebook is great. Millions of other unknown people think Gervais is laughable and shit, they just aren't as vocal about it.

I get the impression from 40 year old Gervais that he valued well written, personal work but 60 year old Gervais will basically just fart in  jar and sell it to Netflix for 10 million. Maybe that's the way he always was. The "songs" in Afterlife are so close to Gervais's earlier parody songs like Freelove Freeway that it's hard not to think he's having us all on. Gervais is into music so he must know how catastrophically shit these Afterlife songs are.

I can't quite shake the feeling that 40 year old Gervais would be embarrassed at what he has become. An artistic husk flogging garbage to a streaming service for yet more piles of cash that he doesn't really need, lauded on Twitter by clueless berks with no taste and even less sense. Or maybe he'd just be impressed that 60 year old him had ready access to warm water and plenty of clean, dry underwear.

As for Gervais's past acquaintances no longer speaking to him, he only bullies people who will put up with it (not excusing it, obviously) like Karl and that but anyone he respects rarely say a bad word about working with him. I get the feeling Merchant just wanted to do other things and they never really liked each other that much anyway. Karl probably wanted to move on as well, being farted on was the push he needed.

Don't be surprised if Godliman, Earl and Basden are suddenly no longer working with Gervais after their career gets a sufficient boost from working with the chubby funster.

The Mollusk

Quote from: checkoutgirl on January 02, 2022, 06:42:53 PMThat's all very debatable. Citation needed.

I was obviously being hyperbolic and speaking in not too distant future tense but it is nevertheless true. Watch it happen. Anything with life in it will fester and rot away if it's not preserved.

The Mollusk

Quote from: checkoutgirl on January 02, 2022, 06:42:53 PMThe reaction you're seeing is the type of people that write trash and memes and crap online. People who think Facebook is great. Millions of other unknown people think Gervais is laughable and shit, they just aren't as vocal about it.

I'm sure they are being as vocal about it but you don't see that stuff because that's not how algorithms of comment sections work, least of all on YouTube whose dislike button has zero function.

Armin Meiwes

The sub-reddit set up in his honour absolutely hates everything he's done in the last decade or so, which says a lot. The highest rated comment under someone posting the afterlife trailer was "Pop that in the bin", lol.

madhair60

In the first series of this, didn't the main character give drug money to his addict friend who then overdosed and died, and absolutely nothing came of it?

The Mollusk

Quote from: madhair60 on January 02, 2022, 08:10:55 PMIn the first series of this, didn't the main character give drug money to his addict friend who then overdosed and died, and absolutely nothing came of it?

He was doing the man a kind favour. The rocket man.

MrsWarboysLover

Quote from: checkoutgirl on January 02, 2022, 06:42:53 PMI can't quite shake the feeling that 40 year old Gervais would be embarrassed at what he has become. An artistic husk flogging garbage to a streaming service for yet more piles of cash that he doesn't really need, lauded on Twitter by clueless berks with no taste and even less sense.


It's funny how it's exactly what happened to Andy Millman.
I think that's not an accident either. Gervais was self aware enough to incorporate his own negative tendencies into Brent, because he recognised they were funny.
In a similar vein, I think his obsession with people selling out for awards and popularity is probably because he saw the potential for those tendencies in himself, even if he wasn't necessarily conscious of it. So it came out in his work.

QuoteI get the feeling Merchant just wanted to do other things and they never really liked each other that much anyway.

I think that's true. But he was still a bully towards Steve in a low key way, and I think that'd be tiring to be around too. In the XFM shows he's constantly stirring Karl to attack Steve, or just doing it himself, and he's happy to scream and rant to Steve in a way that I doubt he'd do to someone he respects more. It's probably not THE reason Steve won't work with him but I doubt it would help.

checkoutgirl

Quote from: MrsWarboysLover on January 02, 2022, 08:50:35 PMhe's happy to scream and rant to Steve in a way that I doubt he'd do to someone he respects more

Oh there's no way he would even look sideways at someone like Samuel L Jackson or Robert DeNiro. Ricky met Steve when Ricky was the star of the show and Steve was just an entry level guy in his early twenties so I'm sure there's a power dynamic there. I wouldn't be surprised if Ricky is convinced he made Steve the way he's sure he made Karl.

You could probably write a book about Ricky's various different dealings with people who he perceives to be on different social and economic levels.

Armin Meiwes

Quote from: checkoutgirl on January 02, 2022, 08:59:05 PMOh there's no way he would even look sideways at someone like Samuel L Jackson or Robert DeNiro. Ricky met Steve when Ricky was the star of the show and Steve was just an entry level guy in his early twenties so I'm sure there's a power dynamic there. I wouldn't be surprised if Ricky is convinced he made Steve the way he's sure he made Karl.

You could probably write a book about Ricky's various different dealings with people who he perceives to be on different social and economic levels.

Yeah I think it's more that - I don't think Ricky was ever being nasty or bullying to Steve on the XFM shows (not to my ears anyway) but I do get the sense he felt he brought more to the party than Steve.. also I suspect they did have genuine creative differences, I mean when you look at the sort of shit RG churns out now compared to what Steve is doing.. I mean I would put neither Hello Ladies nor The Outlaws down as the very best of TV but they are absolutely head and shoulders (and torso and legs) above anything that RG has done since they stopped working together. They were clearly moving in v different directions.

poodlefaker

Fuck me, it's like Call the Midwife but then somebody says "cunt".

dead-ced-dead

Quote from: Armin Meiwes on January 02, 2022, 09:21:33 PMYeah I think it's more that - I don't think Ricky was ever being nasty or bullying to Steve on the XFM shows (not to my ears anyway) but I do get the sense he felt he brought more to the party than Steve.. also I suspect they did have genuine creative differences, I mean when you look at the sort of shit RG churns out now compared to what Steve is doing.. I mean I would put neither Hello Ladies nor The Outlaws down as the very best of TV but they are absolutely head and shoulders (and torso and legs) above anything that RG has done since they stopped working together. They were clearly moving in v different directions.

The difference between Steve and Ricky as writers is that Steve understands the mechanical functions of storytelling and screenwriting - often to a fault (there's a scene in The Outlaws where two characters spell out each character's "type", which should be more organic and less mechanical. This can also be said to be a flaw with Fighting With My Family - every story beat of the sports/coming of age story is hit exactly at the point the rule books say it should be hit). So if Merchant has a flaw is that he's OVERLY aware of screenwriting fundamentals, which for me prevents his work from hitting greatness, but I've at least overall enjoyed all his solo work, if not loved it. He understands the basics of rising and falling actions, three act structures, character arcs etc etc etc.

Any working screenwriter should know these fundamentals.

The problem with Gervais is that he doesn't. Supporting characters exist only to praise or be the straw man for Gervais. His leading character is untouchable up until the point when something has to happen for the climax, at which point ALL THE DRAMA happens. There are no arcs or any evidence that Gervais is even aware how to write a screenplay. The are no three-acts, there's just stuff that happens until it's time for the indie rock song is ready to play over the credits.

For all my gripes about Merchant, I'd take someone who has done too much homework over someone who just doesn't care.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: checkoutgirl on January 02, 2022, 08:59:05 PMOh there's no way he would even look sideways at someone like Samuel L Jackson or Robert DeNiro. Ricky met Steve when Ricky was the star of the show and Steve was just an entry level guy in his early twenties so I'm sure there's a power dynamic there. I wouldn't be surprised if Ricky is convinced he made Steve the way he's sure he made Karl.

Although deep down inside, Gervais must be fully aware of how much Merchant brought to the table. Hence why he no longer acknowledges his erstwhile partner's pivotal involvement in The Office, he just cannot allow himself to admit that his one truly great piece of work was partly shaped by someone else. That doesn't fit with the genius auteur narrative he's built around himself.

Cold Meat Platter

Everything I've read of what he's said in interviews sounds like a spoiled twelve year-old and his solo sitcoms seem to have a similar level of emotional maturity (from the literal minutes I could stand watching them).

phes

is he still burbling on about that just because you're offended crap or has he shut the fuck up since actual beserk cunt Linehan strode in and said hold my beer

Noodle Lizard

Ironically, Pilkington's unexpected foray into narrative drama/comedy has been the most interesting. Sick Of It was far more interesting than Hello Ladies, I thought, and miles beyond the likes of Derek or After Life.

Of course, it got nowhere near the same attention as any of those, despite being objectively better. If you haven't watched it yet, I highly recommend doing so.

Dickie_Anders

Gervais desperately wants his comedy to be "about something", and all he can muster is platitudes. Pilkington doesn't even have to try, he can say stuff off-the-cuff as a joke and it'll be 10X more original and thought provoking than anything in Derek or After Life

MrsWarboysLover

Sick of It was brilliant.
It's funny Gervais and merchant berated him for being an idiot but he's got the most funny, subtle and thought provoking solo work of them all.

Cold Meat Platter

No but he's an idiot! It's not an act! I know someone who thinks this.

An idiot who managed to become a senior producer at a radio station eh.

MrsWarboysLover

When I've dipped back into the xfm shows I'm struck by how quick Karl is and how intentionally funny he is. I think he's not the idiot the others make him out to be.
Having said that I do think his brain works in a weird way and that's broadly not an act,but maybe I'm being naive

Bowie's song in Extras was meant as a joke.  It's turned out prescient.


Ballad of Ballard Berkley

A spot-on assessment of Merchant, dead-ced-dead.

Cold Meat Platter

Quote from: MrsWarboysLover on January 02, 2022, 10:41:24 PMWhen I've dipped back into the xfm shows I'm struck by how quick Karl is and how intentionally funny he is. I think he's not the idiot the others make him out to be.
Having said that I do think his brain works in a weird way and that's broadly not an act,but maybe I'm being naive

The reason he's telling us these thoughts is precisely because he knows they are unusual, I think.
That's not 'weird' to me, that's imagination.