Ricky Gervais defends new comedy series
Ricky Gervais Ricky Gervais has defended his new comedy series against accusations it is offensive to little people.
His upcoming sitcom 'Life's Too Short' stars diminutive actor Warwick Davis as a fictionalised version of himself and Ricky said people shouldn't automatically assume it will mock short people just because it features a dwarf in the lead role.
He said: "It's so funny because people are already saying 'Controversial new comedy,' or, 'Cruel comedy,' why do they say that? Is it because there’s a dwarf involved, in which case the prejudice is theirs, they’re thinking it has to be cruel because there’s a dwarf, so we have to be making jokes about dwarves? Couldn’t be further from the truth. Comedy comes from a good or a bad place, and I think as soon as … you know, for everyone that says, ‘I find this offensive,' someone else doesn’t, someone else finds something else offensive. You know, it comes down to feelings, and feelings are personal and they’re quite selfish. I think you’ve got to just follow your own instincts really."
The show documents the life of the ego-maniac actor Warwick who runs a talent agency for other vertically-challenged actors and singers, and Ricky revealed the only exploitation is done by Warwick's character.
Speaking to Christian O’Connell on his Absolute Radio Breakfast Show, he said: "It's showing the exploitation, and those things really do happen, but he’s the worst of it, and he thinks he’s the Martin Luther King of little people, you know, he has these ridiculous speeches, but really, deep down, you know, and it’s about the blind spot again, it’s about the difference between how he sees himself and how the world sees him."