Ricky Gervais Fires Back About Being Called Transphobic

On Sunday night, Ricky Gervais opened the Golden Globes with an off-color quip about Caitlyn Jenner. After calling the reality star a trans role model, the British comedian pointed out that she didn't set any high standards for "women drivers." (Jenner was involved in a fatal car crash earlier in 2015 that resulted in a lawsuit, which she settled for an undisclosed sum this month.) The general response was somewhere between a groan and a giggle. But while Gervais's joke may have been a bit in poor taste, it was also just that: a joke. Plenty of viewers are unhappy about the comedian's choice to light up Jenner off the bat though, and since Sunday Gervais has been fielding criticism about that particular comment. Well, he's done taking it lying down. "Suggesting a joke about Caitlyn Jenner is automatically transphobic is like suggesting a joke about Bill Cosby is automatically racist," Gervais tweeted early on Tuesday. This one missive quickly became a mini-rant.

Fair point on all fronts — especially the one where Gervais points out that calling out a trans icon doesn't necessarily translate to transphobia. Still, we could have done without that particular callout, or the c-word for that matter. We know that's his brand of humor. But some things are better left unsaid.