RIcky Gervais Defends His Fat Jokes

Comedian Ricky Gervais has caught flack over comments he made about overweight people in an audio, and has taken to his blog to defend himself.

In a new audiobook, The Ricky Gervais Guide To Medicine, the 47-year-old calls (via The Telegraph) people who get stomach surgery to lose weight "lazy fucking fat pigs" who should go for a run instead:

"I really don't know why a doctor under a hippocratic oath takes the risk of something going badly wrong, sometimes with general anaesthetic, because someone can't be bothered to go for a fucking run.

"They have bits sliced off and tied up and sucked out. I want to say to them, 'You lazy f---ing fat pig. Just go for a run and stop eating burgers. You might fucking die'.

"Some things are not worth the risk. When someone's facial surgery goes wrong because they wanted plumper lips or a little nose, I think they're a fucking idiot.

"If your arse is too fucking fat, stop eating and go for a run."

Gervais as now blogged about his comments, citing how The Telegraph claimed he is in an "attack" on fat people:

I heard someone on the radio once say that they were tired of the prejudice aimed at the overweight. They said something like "you're not allowed to make fun of gay people, so why are you allowed to make fun of fat people? It's the same thing."

It's not the same thing though, is it? Gay people are born that way. They didn't work at becoming gay. Fat people became fat because they would rather be that way than stop eating so much. They had to eat and eat to get fat. Then, when they were fat they had to keep up the eating to stay fat. For gayness to be the same as fatness, gay people would have to start off straight but then ween themselves onto cock. Soon they're noshing all day getting gayer and gayer. They've had more than enough cock... they're full... they're just sucking for the sake of it. Now they're overgay, and frowned upon by people who can have the occasional cock but not over indulge.

When a doctor tells me that that's how you become gay, I'll stop making jokes about fat people.

Gervias has joked about his own weight in the past. Here are some self-deprecation on Letterman from July.

Here is preview clip, via YouTube, of the audiobook:

Comments

[Thundrsong]

Wow... mention homosexuality in the article and look at the crazies who come out.
OK - article first. If Ricky Gervais were a scrawny or muscle bound actor - that would be one thing, but he's a bit round too - he's made a lot of money off of it too. It kind of follows a rule: if you are one, you can poke fun at it - if you aren't, hands off. He is - he can. Whatever. I think he's talking about people who don't even make an attempt to lose weight naturally but go straight for the surgery. YES - there are those for whom surgery IS the best option, but I think it's safe to say it's better to lose it naturally than changing the flow of your digestive track!

Now on to the gay issue - I am gay so... there's that. There is a ton of speculation about what causes homosexuality. There was a study which pointed to 2nd or 3rd sons being more likely to be gay (I first saw it in Time) but guess what - only child here. Who knows what causes it. Just be thankful we're around or you straights would be an unholy mess.

[LMPE]

People should only have to defend jokes if they were obviously hostile towards certain groups. Ricky Gervais was merely identifying a problem.

[Lisette]

So, who put him in charge????
Do you know what cruel means?
Ricky is cruel!!!

[FZliveson]

Doctors need to eat too. If people are lazy and want to get the sympathy and conversational yaya's for going under the knife, well...If they are willing to sign all the disclaimers, start cutting. But no complaints or law suits if something goes south. Personal responsibility, remember it still can exist.

[coopersmom]

Gay males are caused by the mother's immune system being so worked over by previous pregnancy's, that it over-reacts to the release of testosterone when the male fetus hits 2 months, suppressing the testosterone levels. Check it out. The more sons a woman has, the more likely each successive son's chance of being gay. Now, for lesbians, I truly believe that is caused by alcohol abuse on the part of the mother. Alcohol is confused by the body with estrogen. The more a woman drinks, the less estrogen her body produces. I believe this impacts female fetuses with a higher androgen influence, while in utero, hence masculanizing the child.

[harriettubman]

I don't think anyone can determine what causes these gender issues at birth yet. I do believe something happens in utero but what, I don't know. What confuses me are the flamboyant gay males who try to imitate women. I've never seen a female act like that. Those are the ones I feel sorriest for.

I read where some of the IVF medication can cause gender issues too.

[jamesmac10]

i have heard this once before about the cause of homosexuality of men. it is interesting. where can
i read more about it?

[Thundrsong]

I first saw it in an article in Time about siblings - I want to say it was about a year and a half back. I don't think it said anything about the size of the study sample or anything - just a passing mention. I can't say as I put a lot of weight in it. I know many gay men who are first borns - and lots of straight men who have 4 or more older brothers.

[MIKEinNYC]

Interesting observation about gay males. Most gay males that I know fit either the pattern that you described or they are from families headed by a mom and no dad or they have older sisters or both.

The first pattern would suggest biology. The other suggests psychology.

[originalprice]

Er, I've heard of this theory but I have serious reservations about it. When you say "gay males are caused by the mother's immune system being worked over by PREVIOUS pregnancies" you are omitting one very common scenario:

First born males who are gay. My older brother (who is the oldest of my siblings) is gay.

Also, when you say female fetuses are "masculinized" aren't you inferring that gay women are really just men in women's bodies? Isn't that (and forgive me for saying this) pure nonsense? Gays and lesbians are NOT physical incarnations of inverted gender. I know plenty of gay men who are as masculine as any heterosexual male and lesbians who are as feminine as heterosexual women.

Also, many women do not drink AT ALL and still end up giving birth to lesbians. Too many blind spots, it seems to me . . .

[INTP]

Here's a brilliant idea. Stop speculating on where gay people come from like we're fracking biological errors. We're human beings, and we're gay because we say we're gay. That's all you need to know!

[Bitsko]

Look folks, we're talking about a comedian from a country that thinks men dressing in drag is hilarious.

[powertothepeople]

Yeah this guy is a real class act. I saw him on the VIew the other day and I am thinking he is an embarrassment to society. What has our world come to. This guy what he writes...h­e wants to be mainstream? Not likely. Reason No. 312 gays are not accepted.

[rigormrtis]

Dude, we gave the world Dane Cook.

No room to speak whatsoever.

[c1ee]

Mate, speaking as an Australian so I have no bias when I say this, but American comedy sucks compared to British comedy. It is so much more sophisticated and clever. I can name two or three American comedies that I like, compared to about 10 British ones, and I don't even like The Office!

[Hirnlego]

Less puritan then? Good!

[JosieInMS]

As a devoted fan of Ricky Gervais for many years, I am deeply saddened and disappointed by his comments. I would love to remind Mr. Gervais of something he said in an interview with Terry Gross in 2004: "I think the important thing is the joke's always got to be me, however subtle that is or obvious. I think, at the end of the day, a comedian's got to be the target. Otherwise, he's cold and he's vain and he's less funny." I'm always at a loss as to the mindset of people who make such insensitive comments. Is it that there are now so few portions of the population that can be singled out and humiliated without fear of reprisal? I'm not a supporter of censorship or political correctness, but I do question the psychology of people who feel the need to humiliate, discriminate against, or shame others. I'm not saying that obesity is not a serious problem; however, I would say that is often a complicated one. I would encourage Mr. Gervais and all like-minded individuals to be more compassionate and sensitive to fat people and everyone else; question their reason(s) for making such comments; and to read, among other books, "The Obsession" and anything else by Kim Chernin and "The Beauty Myth" by Naomi Wolf. Stay strong and hold your head up, my fat brothers and sisters. Shame, discrimination, ignorance, and arrogance are mighty foes, but love and kindness will triumph in the end.

[coopersmom]

What does it take to get a comment published? I don't get it.

[Navy26Yrs]

A computer, internet connection and a few brain cells. That's all it takes.

[coopersmom]

Check out what the Asian community eats. They are all thin as rails. Traditional Western diet means we are all addicted and nothing can save us. The surgery is nothing but a temporary fix.

[IUAlumna]

I agree with him about the risks of weight loss surgery. They are so high I wonder how doctors defend offering the surgery to any but those whose weight puts them at an equal risk of death from obesity as from the surgery -- not in the far future, but now. Then I remind myself that there's nothing doctors like less than a patient whose illness cannot be cured. On the other hand, only someone who has never studied bariatric issues thinks the solution rests in increased exercise. It's not simply a matter of taking a 10-minute walk or a run. Extremely obese people cannot start running -- too much stress on their joints, if nothing else. And for those who want to label obese people lazy, I offer you a challenge. Multiply your weight by 10 if you are female and 11 if you are male. Subtract at least 500 calories from this total, and eat no more than this amount every day for a week. If you succeed, you will lose only one pound. Don't want to track your food intake? Dislike being hungry every day? Imagine how much fun this is if you have over a hundred pounds to lose. (An alternative exercise is to go out for dinner and really pay attention to how many calories are in your meal. Weigh and measure everything if you can. The total often makes a big mac look like a caloric bargain.)

[ouroborous]

Shh. This goes against the accepted wisdom that fat people are "lazy," IUAlumna.

The truth is that many/most fat people work extremely hard to try to lose any weight (or just prevent more gain). Far, far harder than the genetically thin.

But people ignore all that because hey, it's fun to have someone to mock, right?

[Gib]

How much work is involved in not putting food in your mouth?

[harriettubman]

Most doctors do prescreen. I have a morbidly obese relative and she's been told that she's a huge risk for the surgery and no doctor will touch her.

[adamsmith3]

Yeah, but people aren't born 300 pounds. It comes from a constant dedication to overeating and a sedentary lifestyle. And they don't have to run. And you don't need to eat 500 less calories/day to lose one pound of fat per week. You can exercise everyday to lose those 500 calories and eat your needed caloric intake. They don't have to run. They can walk five miles or swim or do an elliptical machine. None of those things are hard on your joints. No need to make excuses for people remaining unhealthy.

[alphabet99]

we all have our issues. for some people, their issues may lead them to use alcohol, others food, etc. don't judge.
at the same time, keep it real. homosexuality is not a disease, unlike obesity.
from a gervais fan.

[Angelaaaa]

I agree completely. The lazy face-stuffers who blither on about glands and genetic propensities while wearing a trench between the fridge and the TV, are an insult to the minority who suffer from genuine medical conditions.

[mheister]

I wouldn't agree that homosexuals are born gay - the science isn't conclusive on that one - but RG's comparison of getting fat to becoming gay was funny.

[dizmo4]

Wow...... its a joke. He's a comedian. Its funny.

lighten up.

[CaraKS]

I love Ricky Gervais. He is hilarious, and in this case, spot on. If you like The Office, thank Ricky. He is the creator, and the star of the British version, which was first.

[powertothepeople]

That's why I hate that dumb ass show.

[thoth]

Ricky sadly misunderstands obesity. Willpower is only one part of the equation. Genetics is part, the overabundance of food is part, social pressures are part. Focusing blame on the obese for their obesity is just perpetuating a stupid and stereotypical myth that is just as harmful as racist or homophobic jokes.

Ricky is obviously overweight himself. I detect a considerable amount of self-hate in his words. Unfortunately, he is externalizing that and focusing all that venom on others who don't deserve it any more than he does.

Being overweight is a tough problem. At some point you have to ask yourself if you really want to solve the problem or if you want to pump up your phony self-image of having enough mental strength to just will your way to thinness. I say drop the BS self-image and do whatever it takes to overcome the weight issue in your own life -- whether that's willpower or surgery.

[Temsi]

You're missing one important ingredient: bad food being the most easily accessible.
The cheapest (and often tastiest) food you can get is lousy, over-processed food with bad nutritional value, huge portions and a delicious taste.

If you're broke, a 99 cent double cheeseburger sounds pretty good.
But the nutritional value is crap. Sure it has everything (protein, fat, carbs) but the ratio is totally out of whack...
Add to that the additives your body cannot process and wind up clogging the area between your intestinal villi (look it up) so they are unable to process nutrition properly, so you don't get the needed nutrients and your body has one only way to tell you... hunger. Therefore, you're forced to eat bigger portions to get the required amount of nutrition.
So, you eat more, which provides more crap that clogs the villi even more, so you need bigger portions. It's a vicious cycle.

Gervais is a typical "soft in the middle" man in his 40's who got fat by eating crap and exercising less. He's made plenty of jokes about his own weight and he fully admits why he got fat.
Unfortunately, his experience limits his perception on how people gain weight.
He's still the funniest guy in the world, if you ask me.

[c1ee]

Well that argument can be made for a lot of other things. Genes determine intelligence, looks, physique. Genes determine laziness as well. Should lazy people start making excuses about how their genes are developed in a way that deprives them of the chemical highs that more hard working people experience when they work hard at something? The vast majority of people will think you're a lazy bum that's making excuses. It's as simple as that.