Offense is the Lesser of Two Evils

This past New Year's Day marked the beginning of a new decade and many were looking forward to how these next ten years will affect our society. One of the first nationally watched events to take place were the Golden Globes, an awards event that opens the opportunity for celebrities to voice their concerns regarding political issues in our country. Ricky Gervais, the host for these 77th Golden Globes Ceremony, wanted to use his time on stage to not raise awareness for nation-wide issues but instead mock and poke fun at the "Hollywood Elites".

Gervais took his time at the start of the show to rip into the celebrities and expose the lies that cover the audience. Claiming that it was his last time he'd be hosting, he did not hold back as the comedian explicitly gave the diss track of the new decade. After the monologue, some took to twitter to lash out at Gervais for preventing the freedom of speech, but most people were a fan of Gervais's opener and praised him for shutting out the Hollywood Elite. Personally, this speech made me respect the comedian even more. A part of Hollywood himself, he probably burned a few bridges after that speech and lost some respect from peers, but he was willing to take that chance to gain more fans and be truthful about some of these celebrities.

After the Golden Globes, Gervais spoke with The Hollywood Reporter to defend the freedom of speech. When asked about those offended by his monologue, he said:

"I think offense is the collateral damage of free speech, and it's no reason not to have free speech...That's what I'd say -- it's the lesser of two evils. Having free speech and some people getting upset by it is the lesser of two evils because not having free speech is horrendous."

Gervais went on to say how society supports the freedom of speech but when they hear something they don't like, they want to stop it. He doesn't understand how we can have our own views on racism, sexuality, and other political topics, but we aren't allowed to joke about these issues.

This article helps support Gervais's speech he made this prior month at the Golden Globes and shines light on an issue that affects all societal issues. He is a comedian that was asked to host an awards show and as comedian was expected to make people laugh, so it's no surprise that the outcome was a success for him. He believes that you can still be passionate about any current topics as long as you are truthful about your campaign and not be offended by others' remarks. To close, Gervais is also aware of the ethical line and shares that "When people say, 'He crossed the line,' I say, 'I didn't draw a line, you did.' It's relative. It's subjective."

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/ricky-gervais-free-speech-golden-globes

Watch Ricky Gervais's Golden Globes Speech here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCNdTLHZAeo