Did Ricky Gervais Kill His Career at Last Night's Golden Globes?

After last night's Golden Globe Awards, where host Ricky Gervais made many people in the ballroom at the Beverly Hills Hilton more than a little uncomfortable, the buzz all day has been, "Did he go too far? Is his career over?" The Brit comic took jabs at Scientology, Mel Gibson, Angelina Jolie, Robert Downey Jr. and others in his hosting turned roasting duties Sunday night.

Is it a career killer for Gervais? Well, yes and no. He's not exactly mainstream in the States for this exact reason. People don't really get him. Sure there's the whole "British Humor" thing, but Gervais has an exceptionally dry and acerbic delivery that tends to come off mean, before you realize it's funny. To me, only two jokes completely crossed the line.

1. The Robert Downey Jr. LA County Jail, Betty Ford Clinic riff. It was kind of funny because of the shock value of actually going there, but it was more like "Yikes" because not only is it a ten year old story, but it was a tragic rock bottom in someone's real life. Is that funny? Robert Downey Jr. kind of didn't think so calling the night, "mean spirited with vicious undertones."

2. The joke about the President of the Hollywood Foreign Press was ill planned. Later he called Gervais' jokes "Unacceptable" so I think Ricky can call it a day before wanting to host the Globes again.

Other than those two, who cares about the others. It's not like these shows aren't written and producers didn't have to load the teleprompter with what Ricky Gervais was going to say. Mostly I think the uncomfortable shifting in seats was more of Gervais openly joking about widely rumored things in Hollywood.

But then again this is the Hollywood Foreign Press...a group of people that thought it was a good idea to have Dame Judi Dench and Jennifer Love Hewitt on the same ballot. Which...well..kind of makes them have it coming. And you have to know after Gervais' previous hosting gigs, what you're going to get. If you want vanilla non-offensive or funny fare, hire Jay Leno.

No publicity is bad publicity and no one's talked about the Golden Globes this much or been this entertained in years. So it accomplished something.