By Ekin Karasin
Copyright standard
Ricky Gervais has removed several posts that mock political speeches at the Emmys – after a slew of stars shared their support for Palestine at the awards ceremony.
The Office star shared a snippet from his 2020 Golden Globes monologue on X in apparent response to some of the acceptance speeches and red carpet interviews on Sunday night.
“If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech,” Gervais said in the clip.
“You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.”
The 64-year-old quoted the post with a laughing emoji and the caption: “They’re still not listening.”
Per Deadline, Gervais also re-shared a post from a user who had quoted the 2020 monologue with the caption: “If ISIS started a streaming service, you’d call your agent, wouldn’t you?”
The quote was posted in response to Hacks star Hannah Einbinder saying, “F**k ICE and free Palestine,” during her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy.
She added in a backstage interview later that evening: “I feel like it is my obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the State of Israel, because our religion and our culture is such an important and long-standing institution that is really separate to this sort of ethno-nationalist state.”
Dune star Javier Bardem, who wore a keffiyeh scarf at the ceremony, also expressed his support for Palestine and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
He told Variety on the red carpet that he “cannot work with someone who justifies or supports the genocide”.
Other actors, including Aimee Lou Wood, Ruth Negga, and Natasha Rothwell, wore a red Artists4Ceasefire pin.
Gervais has since removed both posts from his X account. The Standard has contacted his representative for comment.
The After Life actor hosted the Golden Globes fives times between 2010 and 2020 and was known for making controversial jokes about celebrities during his monologues.
Einbinder and Bardem are among the 3,9000 people who work in the entertainment industry who recently signed an open letter saying they refuse to work with Israeli institutions and film companies that are “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people”.
In May, stars like Dua Lipa, Gary Lineker and Benedict Cumberbatch urged Sir Keir Starmer to suspend arms sales to Israel.
More than 300 actors, musicians, activists and others used an open letter to call on the Prime Minister to “take immediate action to end the UK’s complicity in the horrors of Gaza”.
