Ricky Gervais Used A Clip From ‘The Office’ To Comment On Will Smith’s Slap At The Oscars

Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globes four times, but never the Academy Awards. At least not yet. The star of such fine films as Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb would consider it, but only if he “could write my own jokes and say what I wanted, no rehearsals… but that would never happen. I’d be canceled halfway through.”

Gervais shared one of his “cancelable” jokes in response to a Twitter follower wishing that he had hosted the 2022 Oscars on Sunday instead of Wanda Sykes, Amy Schumer, and Regina Hall. “Hello. I hope this show helps cheer up the ordinary people watching at home. If you’re unemployed for example, take some comfort in the fact that even if you had a job, your salary probably wouldn’t be as much as the goody bag all the actors have just been given,” he tweeted. “I’m proud to announce that this is the most diverse and progressive Oscars ever. Looking out I see people from all walks of life. Every demographic under the sun. Except poor people, obviously. F*ck them.”

Gervais also weighed in on the discourse surrounding Will Smith and Chris Rock by retweeting a clip from the British version of The Office. In it, David Brent, the character he played (who absolutely made a G.I. Jane 2 joke to no laughs), says, “Particularly for his wife. And she’s got alopecia. So… not a happy homelife.”