Ricky Gervais, the British comedian and creator of “The Office,” has been a formidable animal-rights activist on Twitter for years. Now he’s turned his famously prominent fangs to an untamed pack: President Trump fans. And he’s on the offensive.
This week, he asked Twitter to pick the best and worst presidents in history. Barack Obama won “best” by a landslide. And for “worst:” Trump claimed a yuge victory.
He then took on two major controversies: Comedian Kathy Griffin posing with an effigy of Trump’s severed head, and the recent viral video of Trump punching a man, who had a CNN logo superimposed on his head, during a WWE match. “The same people that said Kathy Griffin’s stunt was inciting violence say that Trump’s stunt wasn’t,” he wrote.
Trump supporters sent up the bat signal and descended on Gervais’ account.
“You cannot physically body slam a corporation,” Twitter user @defense tweeted. “You can however physically behead a person. The. Two. Are. Different.”
Said Gervais: “Can you shoot someone on 5th Avenue?”
“You say controversial things all the time!!” offered another Trump fan. “And then you criticize Trump for doing the same thing. There is a word for that. Hippocrate! [sic]”
Said Gervais: “No, that’s the word for the things they transport large African water mammals in.”
He then turned to another controversy: “Should I stop doing fair and democratic Twitter polls in case the results upset anyone?”
43 percent: “There is no God.”
37 percent: “No, they are scientific.”
10 percent: “I’m a kiddy fiddler.”
10 percent: “I’m very racist.”
He finished with the rainbow fly of baiting: “Come on Trump supporters! Let’s show the rest of the world. Who’s the worst person ever?”
Donald Trump won with 70 percent of the vote.
Come on Trump supporters! Let’s show the rest of the world. Who’s the worst person ever?
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) July 5, 2017
At least one racist critic promptly surfaced, bearing slurs but no grammar:
There is literally no punctuation in that tweet. It’s a work of art. https://t.co/FZttjCyWL4
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) July 5, 2017
And more critics appeared:
?Could be Barry Soetoro won because of your Regressive Liberal Audience. Outside of this re-tweeted poll, I’d never heard of you.
— Juliet?Winning (@pjcobbrocks5) July 5, 2017
if you’re going to be such a obama cock sucker then i hope more animals are poached around the world equal to the # of people obama bombed
— Pillzze (@Pillzze) July 5, 2017
But overall, according to the repliers, Gervais won the day. Wrote @MineCartMayhem: “Savage. The 2017 internet ownage award goes to……….. Ricky Gervais. Genius.”
Savage? The 2017 internet ownage award goes to……….. Ricky Gervais. Genius.
?
— Mini Matt Smith (@MineCartMayhem) July 2, 2017