Ricky Gervais
Role at time of quote: Comedian and actor, host of the 77th Golden Globe Awards
"You say you're woke but the companies you work for — Apple, Amazon, Disney — if ISIS started a streaming service, you'd call your agent. So if you do win an award tonight, don't use it as a platform to make a political speech. You're in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg. So if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your God, and fuck off."
Context
Before — what was asked or happening
Gervais was hosting the Golden Globes for the fifth and final time. He opened by announcing it would be his last time and that he no longer cared about the consequences of his jokes. The monologue targeted Hollywood celebrities specifically for what he characterised as performative political activism combined with financial relationships with companies accused of poor labour practices. The remark about Apple, Amazon, and Disney came after a section about Martin Scorsese's comments on Marvel films and a joke about Leonardo DiCaprio's dating history. The monologue as a whole ran approximately eight minutes.
After — what followed or was clarified
The monologue generated enormous online debate, with reactions divided sharply between those who praised it as honest and those who condemned it as punching down or hypocritical given Gervais's own wealth. The closing line about winning and fucking off became the most shared clip — almost always without the preceding Apple/Amazon/Disney section that provided its specific target and argument. Gervais subsequently defended the monologue on social media, arguing his point was specifically about celebrities using awards shows as political platforms while working for ethically compromised companies, not a general anti-liberal statement.
Primary source Video
Video starts at timestamp 6:34. Embed uses youtube-nocookie.com.
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Added to End Of Quote: 8 May 2026