Media Attacks on Gervais' 'SuperNature' Are More of the Same

The usual suspects are saying all the usual things about Ricky Gervais’ “SuperNature.”

The Netflix special, released May 24, finds the British comic doing what he does best – targeting taboo subjects and eviscerating them with humor.

This time, Gervais may have outdone himself.

He surely saw how the Cancel Culture mob came for Dave Chappelle following the release of his Netflix special, “The Closer,” last year.

Chappelle told jokes about the trans community early in the hour-plus set. Later, the Chappelle’s Show alum shared a heartbreaking story of his bond with a trans comic. That didn’t shield him from far-Left naysayers and journalists.

Both groups savaged Chappelle for the gags, but both he and Netflix, Inc. refused to bend.

Now, Gervais is doubling down on that sentiment, spinning jokes far tougher than anything Chappelle uttered. Here’s a sample:

“Women … not all women, I mean the old-fashioned women, the ones with wombs … those f***ing dinosaurs … I love the new women, they’re great … the ones with beards and .”

Select members of the trans community raged against the routine on Twitter. Entertainment journalists did the same.

Variety rushed to share the early outrage aimed at Gervais. Later, the site huffed that Netflix only cares about its own self-interest following the double shot of Chappelle and Gervais.

Of course. It’s a business trying to attract as many eyeballs as possible.

One recurring theme with Gervais’s critics? He’s just too boring now, as if causing a maelstrom with every new special was something any ol’ comic could do.

Gervais, since the end of his British comedy series “The Office,” has lived his life in public as an escalating series of bids for attention, often mistaking a substantial portion of the audience’s boredom with his routine as a sign that he was shocking the right people

Variety also slammed Netflix for supporting free speech and, by extension, “hate speech.”

It’s worth noting Gervais gently mocked people of faith and called a photograph of a baby Adolf Hitler adorable during "SuperNature."

Meanwhile, Netflix already produces material aimed at the Left, from twin specials from the queen of woke humor, Hannah Gadsby, to hiring trans actor Elliot Page to co-star in “The Umbrella Academy.”

The Independent called Gervais’ special “cancel culture porn,” while Esquire piled on the “boring” bandwagon, but with a twist.

The far-Left men’s magazine blamed his “spiraling” comedy on his pop star roots. 

To get there, Esquire employs some pretzel-like logic.

Gervais has no fresh ideas about any of the things he was doing material on 15 years ago. He has new targets. That’s not the same thing. 

Paste Magazine digs up a review trope aimed at preventing people from consuming content.

“I Watched the New Ricky Gervais Stand-up Special So You Don’t Have To,” the headline reads.

This critic attacks Gervais for being rich, which could easily apply to the overpaid late-night partisans who work for the DNC free of charge.

The reviewer does give the game away, though.

Gervais also willfully ignores the fact that stand-up specials and pop culture in general shape our world views, establish norms, and affect people. In short: his words matter. 

Really? Did that apply to Sam Kinison? Howie Mandel? Did Gallagher boost sledgehammers sales during the heights of his splatter comedy?

If a thousand comedy specials ignore the trans community entirely, but two target it for mockery, does that outweigh the others? If so, why?

Had Gervais spent an hour slamming blue-collar MAGA types, trampled on across the media landscape, this Paste scribe would have giggled sans complaint. That’s how you know the outrage is performative.

Reviewers ultimately exist to serve the public. Will Joe or Jane Sixpack enjoy this concert, stand-up special or movie? Art is subjective, but the goal is to be of service to the reader.

To that end, “SuperNature” has a 14% “rotten” rating at RottenTomatoes.com from professional critics. The public’s verdict? A robust 91% “fresh” rating as of May 27.

Mission: Far from Accomplished?