Ricky Gervais: Humanity May 2026

Gervais "doubles down" on his controversial Golden Globes monologue, deconstructing the joke to argue that the target was Jenner's legal history rather than her gender identity.

Gervais spends a significant portion of the set addressing the backlash to his jokes (particularly from his Golden Globes hosting stints) and arguing that "you can laugh at bad things without being a bad person".

The special was heavily criticized by LGBTQ+ groups and some reviewers for segments they described as "anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes" and for "punching down" at marginalized communities. You can watch the full special on Netflix . Ricky Gervais: Humanity (TV Special 2018) - IMDb Ricky Gervais: Humanity

Fans and some critics praised the special for its sharp wit, immaculate timing, and the "evolution" of his stand-up style, with many considering it his most personal work to date.

Despite the title and his cynical persona, he clarifies that while people aren't his favorite animal—that would be dogs —he actually finds humanity "alright" after seeing the world on tour. Notable Segments Gervais "doubles down" on his controversial Golden Globes

The special is structured less like a traditional joke-set and more like a series of on the state of the world.

A surreal flight of fancy involving "species reassignment surgery" to become a chimp named Bobo, used to satirize arguments around identity. You can watch the full special on Netflix

He dissects the absurdity of online interactions, sharing stories of "Twitter wars" with "ordinary punters" to illustrate how opinions are often valued as highly as truths.