Ricky Gervais has once again taken aim at Hollywood’s propensity for political podium moments, firing a satirical shot across the bow following a Grammy Awards ceremony filled with pointed protests. In response to winners like Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish using their stage time to denounce former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, the acerbic comedian offered a simple, telling review: “They’re still not listening.”
The After Life star took to X, posting a pivotal snippet from his now-legendary 2020 Golden Globes hosting monologue—a blistering takedown of celebrity activism. The clip served as his unimpressed commentary on the Grammy speeches. In it, he instructs the A-list audience: “If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a political 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.”
Gervais’s original speech, praised for its bluntness, didn’t stop there. He famously capped the advice by telling winners: “So if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent, and your God and f*** off, OK? It’s already three hours long.”
His latest critique targets a Grammy night where political statements were both visual and vocal. Amid ongoing national demonstrations, numerous artists, including Eilish, Finneas, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Justin Bieber, arrived wearing “ICE Out” pins, calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The most pronounced moments came during acceptance speeches. Rapper Bad Bunny, who is already facing MAGA backlash for his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show, received a massive standing ovation when he opened his speech for Best Música Urbana Album with, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say ICE out.” He continued, emphasizing, “We’re not savages, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans… The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love.”
Later, Billie Eilish, accepting the award for Song of the Year, stated, “no one is illegal on stolen land,” before concluding with a forceful, “F*** ICE.”
The sentiment extended to the red carpet. Singer Kehlani told The Hollywood Reporter, “I wanted to say f*** ICE… I think everybody – we’re too powerful of a group to all be in a room at the same time and not make some kind of statement in our country, so it’s brainless to me.” Even nominees like Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon participated subtly, wearing a whistle to honour activists documenting ICE operations.
Gervais’s reaction underscores a persistent cultural divide: the view of awards shows as platforms for advocacy versus his insistence that they are not arenas for political lecturing from an insulated elite. By reposting his own viral monologue, he frames the latest celebrity statements not as courageous acts, but as a tone-deaf repeat of a behavior he lambasted years ago—proof that the Hollywood crowd, in his view, is still not heeding his advice to simply accept their award and “f*** off.” The debate over the role of celebrities in political discourse, it seems, is far from over.
