Ricky Gervais says that if “The Office” were made today, the British comedy would “suffer” from more criticism than it did when the show premiered almost 20 years ago, due to the rise of online “outrage mobs who take things out of context.”
“I think now it would suffer because people take things literally,” Gervais, who created and starred on the BBC mockumentary, as David Brent, an office manager who is incredibly politically incorrect, told Times Radio Thursday.
“There’s these outrage mobs who take things out of context. This was a show about everything. It was about difference, it was about sex, race, all the things that people fear to even be discussed or talked about now in case they say the wrong thing and they’re ‘canceled,'” Gervais added. “And the BBC have gotten more and more careful and people just want to keep their jobs. So people would worry about some of the subjects and some of the jokes, even though they were clearly ironic and we were laughing at this buffoon being uncomfortable around difference.”
Geravis’ “The Office” ran for two seasons, from 2001 to 2003, and was the inspiration for the U.S. version led by Steve Carell, which aired on NBC for nine seasons from 2005 to 2013.
“I think if [‘The Office’] was put out now, I think that some people have lost that sense of irony and context. And so, I think it would be– usually, this is what happens, right? It isn’t a case of what’s right or what’s wrong, it’s a case of how many letters do we have to write? I’ve talked people down off the ledge before,” Gervais told Times Radio. “Throughout my career I’ve said, ‘Listen, I’ll write the letter.’ I’ve explained it to people and gone, ‘No, no, it’s OK, ’cause this…’ and they go, ‘Oh, OK.’ Sometimes they’re just scared, and they’re even more scared now because people don’t take an explanation for an answer, they just say, ‘Well, I don’t want to see it, so let’s ban it.'”
The British comedian says he’s “not cancel-proof, I just don’t care.”
“I genuinely don’t think I do anything that deserves to be canceled. I can justify everything. I think some people think they can do anything. Some people think freedom of speech means, ‘I should be able to say anything without consequences.’ And it doesn’t mean that, we are responsible people,” he said. “What I’m saying is, ‘I’m saying this thing, and I don’t believe there is anything wrong with it and I can explain it if you want.’ Because there is the other side of the coin and some people now, they don’t care about the argument or the issue, they just want to own someone, they want to win the argument, they want to get to the other side. There is no nuance or discussion anymore, it’s just formed into two tribes of people screaming at each other. So I keep out of that. I don’t think I do anything that is that bad or contentious that can’t be justified. And that’s always been my point.”
Gervais added: “I’ve never been this person that says, ‘I can say anything as offensive as I want and ruin people’s day and you can’t touch me.’ I don’t do that, I listen. But this is the difference, 10 years ago when someone said ‘I’m offended by that,’ I’d look into it. I’d go, ‘How can I change that? What can I do?’ Now I go, ‘I am good. Good. Everyone is, so what?’ I think that’s the difference, people have gone too far, they’ve blown their argument.”
47 Best TV Couples of All Time, From Lucy and Ricky to Jim and Pam (Photos)
With Valentine's Day right here, love is in the air yet again. And to mark the most romantic of occasions, TheWrap has rounded up the 47 best TV couples of all time. And while "best" is certainly a subjective term -- meaning we've probably left at least one of your favorite sets of lovers off this list -- we're sure readers who click through this gallery will find many a pairing that makes their hearts go pitter-patter. And just to be *extra* clear here, these couples are listed in no particular order.
NBC/NBC/CBS/Sony Pictures TV/ABC
Lily and Marshall, "How I Met Your Mother": Forget Ted and how he met his kids' mother, the true love story at the heart of this comedy was Marshmallow and his Lilypad.
CBS
Buffy and Angel, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer": Theirs is a forever love. (Shut your mouths, Spuffy shippers.)
20th Century Fox TV
Randall and Beth, "This Is Us": Listen, Jack and Rebecca are great -- and they are on this list, too -- but R&B are the real #CoupleGoals in this NBC family drama.
NBC
Jim and Pam, "The Office": "To waiting."
NBC
Lucy and Ricky, "I Love Lucy": We love Lucy -- and Ricky.
Eleanor and Chidi, "The Good Place": The definition of soulmates.
NBC
Archie and Edith, "All in the Family": Back when these two were on our screens, those were the days.
Sony Pictures TV
Snow White and Prince Charming, "Once Upon a Time": He will always find her -- and we will always stan.
ABC
Dwight and Angela, "The Office": Monkey and D were always meant to be, even if it took them until the series finale to finally tie the knot.
NBC
Jin and Sun, "Lost": Jin and Sun drowned us with their love. (Sorry, sorry, sorry.)
ABC
Kevin and Winnie, "The Wonder Years": What would we do if we didn't have these two?
ABC
Leslie and Ben, "Parks and Recreation": We love them and we like them.
NBC
George and Louise, "The Jeffersons": This married couple moved on up into our hearts in the '70s and have lived there ever since.
CBS
Homer and Marge, "The Simpsons": The only cartoon couple on this list, Marge and Homer have 31 seasons' worth of animated love under their belts and are still going strong.
Fox
Monica and Chandler, "Friends": Ross and Rachel may have kept us entertained with their drama, but Monica and Chandler taught us what a healthy, stable, loving relationship should look like.
Warner Bros TV
Stef and Lena, "The Fosters": Inspiring mothers, inspiring lovers.
Freeform
Coach Eric and Tami, "Friday Night Lights": Clear eyes, full hearts, these two can't lose.
NBCU
Tara and Willow, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer": An important couple both in-universe and for the LGBTQ community in general, as Tara and Willow famously shared their first kiss in one of the most heartfelt and yet casual of ways, a moment that helped normalize same-sex relationships on television.
20th Century Fox TV
Cory and Topanga, "Boy Meets World": From childhood best friends to high school sweethearts to happily married, Cory and Topanga taught us the meaning of commitment. Like, serious commitment.
Disney/ABC
Mitch and Cam, "Modern Family": Mitch and Cam's love gave us so many beautiful moments, and a few cringeworthy situations, sure. But mainly beautiful moments, yes.
ABC
Rory and Jess, "Gilmore Girls": Reading is sexy.
Warner Bros TV
April and Andy, "Parks and Recreation": He's an adorable goofball, she could not be more cynical if she tried -- and we couldn't be more obsessed.
NBC
Fran and Maxwell, "The Nanny": Marrying your nanny probably wouldn't be seen as adorable in this day and age -- but it definitely was for viewers of "The Nanny," who shipped these two hard for years.
CBS
Sam and Diane, "Cheers": TV writers owe a debt of gratitude to the couple that started the "will they or won't they?" dynamic that has been used time and again by so many shows since.
CBS TV Studios
Paul and Jamie, "Mad About You": We're still mad about them -- in an endearing way, of course.
Sony Pictures TV
Cece and Schmidt, "New Girl": Nick and Jess are cute for sure -- but Cece and Schmidt are the real alpha couple from Fox's "Friends"-esque sitcom.
20th Century Fox TV
Veronica and Logan, "Veronica Mars": We still hear the bells.
Warner Bros TV
Mike and Carol, "The Brady Bunch": Here's the story of a quintessential married couple whose biggest problems could be resolved in under 30 minutes.
CBS TV Studios
Martin and Gina, "Martin": On-set drama between the actors aside, Martin and Gina gave broadcast viewers something they desperately needed in the '90s and still don't have enough today: an African-American relationship at the center of a show.
Warner Bros TV
Piper and Leo, "Charmed": Obstacles both supernatural and everyday got in this couple's way throughout the show's entire eight-season run. But in the end, there was nothing they could not overcome.
CBS TV Studios
Seth and Summer, "The O.C.": Complete opposites that completely complemented each other in the cutest of ways.
Warner Bros TV
Mulder and Scully, "The X-Files": Proof that the truth is out there -- and that if you write enough fan fiction about a potential couple then they will eventually get together on screen.
20th Century Fox TV
Elaine and Puddy, "Seinfeld": We can't do this couple justice by summing them up in a few words -- so here's a video compilation that we think accurately sums up their charm and dysfunction.
Sony Pictures TV
Dre and Rainbow, "Black-ish": We got the very definition of "ride or die" right here.
ABC
Zack and Kelly, "Saved by the Bell": Arguably the most iconic high school sweethearts in the history of TV.
NBC
J.D. and Elliot, "Scrubs": What's meant to be will always find a way -- even if it takes many, many seasons.
ABC
Joey and Pacey, "Dawson's Creek": If you're a Joey-Dawson shipper, you definitely don't know chemistry when you see it, because these two had it bad for each other and deserved the happy ending they got.
Sony Pictures TV
Meredith and Derek, "Grey's Anatomy": He may have never been her person -- and isn't even alive anymore -- but Derek will forever be Meredith's one true love.
ABC
Carrie and Mr. Big, "Sex and the City": While you could say that Carrie and Mr. Big are far from a perfect -- or even healthy -- couple, they are clearly a perfect match.
HBO
Kurt and Blaine, "Glee": A stunning small-screen example of not just lovely young love -- but of a same-sex couple experiencing all the same firsts as any heterosexual first loves.
20th Century Fox
Nick and Jess, "New Girl": These roommates-turned-lovers turned us into mush when they finally got together.
20th Century Fox
Ross and Rachel, "Friends": There were a lot of problems with this pairing over the years, for sure -- but he *is* her lobster.
Warner Bros TV
Roseanne and Dan, "Roseanne": In this particular case, we're gonna ignore the behind-the-scenes drama that ended this on-screen couple's relationship in the revival and focus on the joy they brought us during the sitcom's original run.
ABC/Viacom
Jack and Rebecca, "This Is Us": An everlasting love that only a slow cooker could kill. (Too soon?)
NBC
Booth and Brennan, "Bones": A woman of science, a man of faith, but make no bones about it, this couple belonged together from the start.
20th Century Fox TV
Niles and Daphne, "Frasier": Sometimes pining pays off.
CBS TV Studios
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In honor of Valentine’s Day, TheWrap rounds up the most iconic small-screen lovers
With Valentine's Day right here, love is in the air yet again. And to mark the most romantic of occasions, TheWrap has rounded up the 47 best TV couples of all time. And while "best" is certainly a subjective term -- meaning we've probably left at least one of your favorite sets of lovers off this list -- we're sure readers who click through this gallery will find many a pairing that makes their hearts go pitter-patter. And just to be *extra* clear here, these couples are listed in no particular order.