Ricky Gervais' Laugh / Everything about Karl Pilkington

Is annoying, right?

No normal person laughs like that, do they?
He isn't really that dumb is he?

 

rick gervias' laugh is bloody annoying

karl pilkington puts it on now, but if you listen to the early stuff, none of the stuff he says is massively stupid, they just rip into him, constantly taking the piss, its mostly just fairly mundane.

steve merchant is clearly the best one there. shame rick gets all the credit.

 

I think Ricky is trying to make the mundane seem hilariously funny, when it's not really. I was prompted to start this thread because of the New Sky1 show they are doing...in the preview, like you say, none of the stuff he says is massively stupid, they just rip into him, constantly taking the piss, its mostly just fairly mundane.
It would be more believable he was really naive/dumb etc if he wasn't head of production at a radio station. Isn't the joke over now? Karl says some daft things sometimes. Great. And?

 

I like Karl. I think he's funny.

 

I found him funny for about a month. But the routine has been done and now overdone.
Enjoy his travels around the globe telling Chinese people they dress a bit funny etc .
:smilielol5::beatdeadhorse5::frown:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpePyoqbtJ0"]YouTube - Karl Pilkington in An Idiot Abroad: First Look Sneak Peek Trailer

 

ricky gervais and the art of lookin' nervously self concious until people laugh..... pass

 

I think Ricky Gervais was rather good when he first did the Office but after the first season that one had also had it's best run, other than the Christmas special, it was tired then.

No one can appear to be such and idiot without it being at least part of who they are.

 

I do believe he has the thoughts he has, we all have strange thoughts from time to time. I'm sure the forum is littered with stupid thoughts
I remember having one about were there too many black people on American TV But, I also have some more thoughtful thoughts.
The premise is Karl left school with 1 GCSE...so therefore a little dumb.
I just don't believe he is.
He has a responsible job, where he would have had to have gone through a interview process...I do not think he sat there like he had just smoked 10 spliffs and riffed with the future employee about the strange things he has observed...do you?

 

No I do not. I do think though that it becomes very tired very quickly. The humour or satire is very fleeting as it borders on ignorance and intolerance. People watch for a short period of time and then it ceases to amuse.

I do not think any of them are mentally impaired but I do think that they think they are more entertaining than they are.

 

I'm going to wait and see what the viewing figures are for the new show. If they are good, I'm going to think that people are still not grasping the only people that should be laughing is Ricky and co. But, to be fair, I'll watch the first episode of their new show and see if it is still basically the same one trick as it was a few years ago.

No, I don't either. I do not think they would play on that if any of them were really mentally impaired. There too smart for that.

 

Fair enough!

 

is Ricky Gervais supposed to be funny? can someone please quote something funny by him so we can see what the point of him is?

 

Ricky's laugh is really annoying. That being said, I really like the program, and find it funny. I did feel bad for the family Karl was eating with though. I hope they explain the program to people they meet along the way, as that woman had made him a lovely meal and he was really disrespectful.

I do think someone can be educated and yet ignorant. If his only interest is radio production, I think it would be possible to focus on that and still hold very ignorant viewpoints about the rest of the world. I've seen people who were very educated and intelligent that acted completely stupid and ignorant in certain situations, as they never had exposure to those situations.

My impression from watching the first episode, is that all Karl knew in advance is that he'd be going over and filming as he did activities. So everything else is new and unknown. I personally think it's believable. But maybe I've just had too many experiences with educated idiots.

 

My bloody cable box decided it would break down, so I have not had the opportunity to watch it yet.
Virgin Media should be sorting the issue out on Friday (Just thought you might like to know that ).

ice-nine, isn't the premise he is NOT educated that is why he holds ignorant, and some would say disrespectful views?

Imho, I think he knew precisely where he would be going as you need visas and all manner of paper-work to go to certain countries.
Unless the production company set it all up for him and he had no input in his travel documentation, I'd say he knew where he was going.

I can buy into the notion he was just a bit ignorant when he first came onto the scene, but now? Nagh.
I said I'll be fair and watch it first, and if his comments are funny, just because they are, regardless of his so-called lack of cosmopolitan views, I'll be honest and say I was a little unfair.
But, the clip I have seen about a bungalow on the top of a hill (Mayan temple), makes me think my sides will not be splitting .
To be fair, again, I'm sure they have picked the "worst" clips for the trailers...

Thanks for the review ice-nine.

 

Thanks for sharing.

I got the impression the concept is based around him being simple in his viewpoint of the world. He can't seem to understand why people wouldn't want to live as it is here in good ol' England. He is culturally insensitive. A person can be like that and still be intelligent in other ways. I only say this, as it was implied (I think by you?) that if he held these sort of views and was this simple he surely wouldn't have been able to excel in his career and be where he is today.

It is "an idiot abroad" but I saw the "idiot" part reflecting his simple viewpoints on things and not seeming to grasp cultural differences, rather than that being a reflection that if he were that dim he wouldn't be able to work a sound board. I really have a hard time believing someone could say the things he does and put on the act that well. Maybe he is though.

Ah, no, you misunderstood me. He knew he was going to the seven wonders of the World. But once he was there, he seems to think there will be McDonald's on every corner, and he doesn't realize what activities there are lined up for him to do. Basically it is explained that this is just to torture him, as they know he'll hate it.

Some people though, no matter how many times they are told things are different than they think. Never change their viewpoints. I've sadly met people like this. But neither of us would know unless we met the geezer ourselves.

You might not find it funny; but the scenery is amazing (i'm a bit of a sucker though for any show that goes to places i have not been able to go myself). I enjoyed it, but I enjoyed it because I thought it was funny he was being tortured. Honestly, despite my thinking that he really is like he is. It is hard to believe that someone would be like that in this day and age. But again, I know someone that has the same sorts of ideas. I wish I could drop the person I know into culturally rich situations and film the reaction. But the difference is, even if I had the money to do that, I first wouldn't spend it that way (I'd rather go myself). Secondly I wouldn't do it as I'd not want people around the person to be upset or insulted. But that's just me.
Unfortunately, I'm not some rich bastard like Ricky Gervais so can't afford to send my humorous mates off to various parts of the world "for a laugh".

 

No worries. I'll make sure I'm in.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZaHKgGuNOw&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - China: Deleted Scenes An Idiot Abroad

That's the general idea.

I just think he is just a little too self-aware at this point, or always was.
The clip makes me think he is just thinking about what a person like him is supposed to be like, and would say in such circumstances.

It's win/win really, because people that ignorant will laugh and people that are not that ignorant will laugh...they'll be chortling away over a bottle of wine and laughing with their 4x4 friends about the post-modern irony of it all...har har har...Yawn.
The worst people, though, are people too stupid to question it one way or another.
Ok, that was too harsh, I probably should laugh if it is funny and not worry too much.

Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are probably culturally and intellectually superior to him, but to a vast degree? I'm not so sure.
They do seem to laugh at pretty much anything he says and don't dig too deep into it. I do think they have over-egged it all too much even if he is an idiot for real.

It doesn't help or helps (depending on how you look at it) he looks like a bit of an idiot. ...but that gormless look (he does) does look like he puts it on.
That's why I think anybody that gormless and apparently stoned, would not achieve what they have.
People would not hire him...his business is very competitive.

I implied it.
I don't think he is an idiot.
I just think he has a funny way of looking at things.
I bit of an iconoclast. Nothing more.

I can understand the point of not wishing to get out of your comfort zone, and being put into such predicaments might be a little awkward...but I just don't think he is that culturally naive.
I do genuinely think he thinks that way, but more for the comedic value.
It would be interesting to see what would happen if he went to English speaking countries, where there was less of a language barrier and they could understand what he is saying.
If he had the balls to say the same things in front of them, he really is an idiot and I take all of this back.

I see, fair enough.

True. I've seen people play along. I've only seen a few challenge them about it. Karl hasn't said anything, I don't think, to answer the critics.

If I don't find it funny I won't watch it.
If I think I am right I won't watch it any further.
I know people that are like that too.
I'd rather go too, it would be a waste for them to go and not gain anything from it.
Some people just don't want to broaden their minds.
I don't get that feeling here...I do think he got a lot out of it, and probably had his girlfriend stashed away to do some private sight-seeing.

Btw, 800,000 people watched

 

Seriously, at the end of the day. It's a programme on telly. Ultimately designed to be entertaining to some people, and not everyone. I understand what you are saying; but this is not something I'm going to waste my brain power over. The implication that someone who doesn't question if it is an act as being "ignorant" or "too stupid". I guess, cheers for that. You must think I'm a right dim-wit. As personally, I didn't think that it could be something that he just puts on as an act, and didn't really question that.

Really, so far as life goes, the one thing I wouldn't waste my brain power on trying to suss out is whether or not Karl Pilkington is really an idiot or not, in such cultural situations. If he were running for some sort of government office, I'd pay more attention.

If I could summon up the energy to answer all your points again, I would. But really I can't be arsed.

 

I was just askin'...jeez.

I have not been thinking about this 24/7 for the last two weeks.

 

I'd hope you hadn't. I do hope your life is more interesting, than that.

Sorry, I was just a bit pissed off with the implication that I'm some ignoramous because I didn't question if this guy was truly an idiot or not. And really on my scale of things to give a shit about at the moment. It's pretty low on the list.

 

This week I have been mostly thinking about:
Football Hooligans
Tilt Shift Photography
PTSD
In 40 years Africa might have a population of nearly 2 billion people.
Tony Curtis.

Actually, that was in the last 24 hours.

"The worst people, though, are people too stupid to question it one way or another.
Ok, that was too harsh, I probably should laugh if it is funny and not worry too much."

I thought that was a good indication I should not think about it too much, and just laugh if I find it funny.