Ricky Gervais talks about Atheism

[Atheist-Lite]

My wife wants him executed arrested for hate speech. She's read all about his latest and decided he's public enemy number one. I've seldom seen her this vindictively angry since she caught me having an affair a number of years ago. If she's anything to go by he's lost quite a large part of the regular female support....the mong wanker.

[Audley Strange]

Is this regarding his repugnant bit about the obese woman at the concert he was at from his last show Crump?

[Atheist-Lite]

Is this regarding his repugnant bit about the obese woman at the concert he was at from his last show Crump?

Don't know. I don't read the papers my self.

[Audley Strange]

Nor I, I saw the show. I quited liked his work, but thought that an hour of him saying how great he is, mocking a section of his fan base and then going on a rant about someone who was clearly mentally disabled, to decreasing laughter was quite painful. He's went from using comedy of manners, recognising the discomfort some people have with political correctness (where he or his characters are the butt of the jokes) to being akin to Simon Cowell, pouring scorn on the weak for the entertainment of the questionable.

Pity.

[Rum]

Makes a change from him prattling on about how rich and famous he is and stealing a career from the antics of the witless Karl Pilkington.

True enough, especially as in my view he derived much of his approach to comedy from Steve Coogan. Alan Partridge is a far better creation in my view than David Brent - in terms of anti-heroes.

My point though is this - why is it that the media think that because someone is famous for being a comedian, musician or film-star, their views on the existential circumstances of humanity are suddenly of more value than the average person on the street!?

[Jason]

I tend to err and umm when looking for the words .. probably more than I'm aware of. I envy those who can effortlessly speak off the cuff

In public speaking its understandable. It's a whole different game speaking in front of hundreds or thousands of people. I wonder if it's different doing a television show. Sure the cameras are there, but there aren't that many people in the studio. I think it would be easier to relax and not think about the viewing audience.

[Atheist-Lite]

Makes a change from him prattling on about how rich and famous he is and stealing a career from the antics of the witless Karl Pilkington.

True enough, especially as in my view he derived much of his approach to comedy from Steve Coogan. Alan Partridge is a far better creation in my view than David Brent - in terms of anti-heroes.

My point though is this - why is it that the media think that because someone is famous for being a comedian, musician or film-star, their views on the existential circumstances of humanity are suddenly of more value than the average person on the street!?

People are dumb.

[Audley Strange]

Makes a change from him prattling on about how rich and famous he is and stealing a career from the antics of the witless Karl Pilkington.

True enough, especially as in my view he derived much of his approach to comedy from Steve Coogan. Alan Partridge is a far better creation in my view than David Brent - in terms of anti-heroes.

My point though is this - why is it that the media think that because someone is famous for being a comedian, musician or film-star, their views on the existential circumstances of humanity are suddenly of more value than the average person on the street!?

They have achieved Apotheosis. No longer are they mortal and bound to this corrosive plane of existence, but they have become immortal beings of light that can be in many places at once and transcend time. You may think this is elaborate rhetoric, but look up the original meaning of celebrity sometime. Think about why certain cultures thought their ancient heros had become stars.

We've been around a loooong time and I think I have underwear older than popular rationalism.

[Rum]

Perhaps so, but I think it stems from the fact that most human beings feel small, inferior and at a bit of a loss and to begin with they think other people know something they don't and they are dumb not to know it too. We have a tendency to put people on pedestals, hero worship them and think they have answers, which of course usually they don't.

As you get older you realise everyone is just as dumb as everyone else (though some are smarter of course).

[Atheist-Lite]

Perhaps so, but I think it stems from the fact that most human beings feel small, inferior and at a bit of a loss and to begin with they think other people know something they don't and they are dumb not to know it too. We have a tendency to put people on pedestals, hero worship them and think they have answers, which of course usually they don't.

As you get older you realise everyone is just as dumb as everyone else (though some are smarter of course).

Also the elites who own the means of production also own the media and they benefit from a dumbed down populace. Fed a diet of empty soundbites from the mouths of pampered fools the great mass of people seldom think to ask why those who govern them also live so much better lives than them.