Ricky Gervais' new comedy special includes transphobic opening monologue

In the monologue, Gervais dead-names Caitlyn Jenner and compares trans people to chimpanzees, saying: "If I say I’m a chimp, I am a chimp. And don't ever 'dead-name' me, from now on you call me Bobo."

Ricky Gervais, Humanity

Source: Netflix

Comedian Ricky Gervais is being slammed for derogatory comments made in his new Netflix comedy special, Humanity.

The show, which Netflix is promoting to people who "aren't easily offended", begins with a 20-minute transphobic opening monologue in which Gervais dead-names Caitlyn Jenner, repeatedly misgenders her, and discusses her genitals and possible surgeries, imagining conversations between Jenner and her doctors.

From there, Gervais goes on to compare the trans community to chimpanzees, joking about wanting to self-identify and transition to a life as a "chimp".
"If I say I’m a chimp, I am a chimp," Gervais says. "And don't ever 'dead-name' me, from now on you call me Bobo."
Gervais appears to be unapologetic about the content of the special, telling one viewer on Twitter that if they didn't like the transphobic content, they could always "just watch it for the jokes about AIDS, cancer, famine and pedophilia".
This isn't the first time Gervais has taken aim at Jenner, as his 2016 Golden Globes monologue also dead-named the reality star and former Olympian.

At the time, Gervais said that Jenner had “[become] a role model for trans people everywhere [but] didn’t do a lot for women drivers,” referencing Jenner’s  in which a woman died.
While many have expressed anger at the humour used throughout the special, which is Gervais' first in seven years, others have labelled it "brilliant".
Netflix has previously faced similar criticism following  in his latest comedy special. 


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Published 14 March 2018 2:35pm
Updated 14 March 2018 2:39pm
By Samuel Leighton-Dore


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