Hours before the 92nd Academy Awards, comedian Ricky Gervais poked some fun of hypocritical celebrities and their reliance on cheap migrant labor.
A Twitter user asked Gervais what his “best joke” would be if he were hosting the Oscars show.
Responding to the question, Gervais poked fun at the elite group of actors by saying they will give “inspirational speeches” while their “badly paid migrant house staff” take the special opportunity to get some sleep.
“I can’t wait to hear all your inspirational speeches about equality, and it’s great that the 3 hours you’re here tonight is the only time your badly paid migrant house staff will get some time off to sleep this week,” Gervais tweeted Sunday morning.
“I can’t wait to hear all your inspirational speeches about equality, and it’s great that the 3 hours you’re here tonight is the only time your badly paid migrant house staff will get some time off to sleep this week” https://t.co/fsFbdDkv6u
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) February 9, 2020
The comedian’s recent performance at the Golden Globes where he poked fun at “woke” culture was celebrated for its honesty and unflattering stance towards Hollywood’s high society.
“Apple roared into the TV game with ‘The Morning Show,’ a superb drama about the importance of dignity and doing the right thing made by a company that runs sweatshops in China. So you say you’re ‘woke’, but the companies you work for, Apple, Amazon, Disney … If ISIS had a streaming service you would be calling your agent,” said Gervais at the Golden Globes ceremony.
When it was announced the Oscars would go without a host for the second year in a row, Gervais posted a laughing emoji.
Last year, the Academy called would-be host Kevin Hart off after it was revealed that the comedian made decades-old homophobic jokes.
After his Golden Globes comments, some criticized Gervais for allegedly utilizing “right-wing” talking points.
Gervais, however, responded that “teasing huge corporations, and the richest, most privileged people” was obviously not conservative.
Oscar-winners are known for lengthy and sometimes political speeches, and this year was no different.
Last night, during the Oscars, Brad Pitt’s speech garnered headlines after he made a jab at President Donald Trump’s impeachment process. Phoenix also made another speech about animal right during the ceremony.
“I think whether we’re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights, we’re talking about the fight against the belief, one nation, one race, one gender, or one species has the right to dominate, control and use and exploit another with impunity,” Phoenix said.
Phoenix also slammed the “systemic racism” of the film industry during his speech for winning best actor at the British Academy Film Awards show last week.
Many have indicated that migrants serve as a cheap and exploitable labor pool, which both big business and elites use to drive down wages and create a more flexible workforce.
