Ricky Gervais at Avicii Arena Review – Stockholm
Here’s a summary of the Aftonbladet article about Ricky Gervais’s “Mortality” show, broken down into key points:
* Repetitive Material: The reviewer finds the show largely unoriginal, feeling like a rehash of Gervais’s past work. He references jokes being similar to those from his Golden Globe hosting gigs.
* Hitler Joke & moral Point: Gervais uses a (unpublished) joke about Adolf Hitler to illustrate a point about judging people solely on their worst actions, suggesting there might be redeeming qualities.
* Shift in Political Landscape: The article notes how the political climate has changed since gervais first hosted the Golden Globes (Obama presidency vs. Trump era). He’s no longer in the same political habitat,and time has seemingly elevated his position. He focuses more on criticizing “goodness signaling” from the left than the rise of the right.
* Loss of Shock Value: the reviewer argues that Gervais’s edgy jokes have lost their impact as reality itself has become so shocking and disturbing (referencing live-streamed events and social media). He’s become “cozy pants” compared to the content on X (formerly Twitter).
* Focus on Grumpiness: Despite the title “Mortality,” the show is more about Gervais acknowledging his own increasing grumpiness.
* Still Funny, at Times: Despite the criticisms, the reviewer admits Gervais is funny, especially when he abandons his usual themes and delivers more direct, crude humor (specifically mentioning a “cock joke” as being particularly effective).
In essence,the review suggests that while Gervais is still capable of being funny,his new show feels stale and lacks the impact it once had due to a changing world and his reliance on familiar material.