James Franco Remains a Good Sport as Ricky Gervais Suggests Oscars Jokes

By Christine Fenno Posted Feb 26th 2011 05:02PM

Ricky Gervais isn't letting any lingering controversy over his inflammatory Golden Globes material stop him from suggesting some new jokes for Sunday's Academy Awards.

Kidding around with readers of his official website, Gervais posted a sample monologue he wrote for Oscar hosts James Franco and Anne Hathaway, including a wisecrack he'd have Franco make about his own nominated performance: "You probably know me from '127 Hours,' where I play a man trapped in an enclosed space who decides he would rather cut his own arm off than stay where he was. Now that sounds 'way out,' but wait till half way through this f---ing ceremony and you'll start to identify with him."

Meanwhile, as Franco chatted with E! at a pre-Oscars event, the busy actor gave his gut reaction to news of Gervais' stunt, seeming more irked than amused. "He did his award show and he bombed," Franco said. "Why is he trying to get in on ours?"

But after he read Gervais' faux-script on a reporter's mobile device, the smiling Oscars co-host began to backpedal on the spot, enjoying some of the material, after all.

"I'll use some of these lines. Thanks, Ricky," Franco said.

Gervais, meanwhile, has updated his site to clarify what he assumed was obvious: "Amazingly some people thought that I wrote that intro to The Oscars, in the hope it might actually be used. Hilarious. I am still shocked by the existence of such stupidity in the world. As if I seriously thought if would ever be considered. It's not like I sent it to the academy or even imagined they would read it. I did it for a laugh on my blog."

For her part, Hathaway has a good-girl reputation in Hollywood and insists that she's not planning to insult any of her peers in the industry.

"I can guarantee that if you're looking for someone to call people out, we're not your hosts," she told the press last week. "I think that humor is really difficult to pull off, and I'm not particularly adept at it. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it. Also, I don't mean to sound overly serious, but I am the youngest host in history and I have no business being cynical or calling anyone out. I certainly haven't earned the right to do that."

The Academy Awards are Sun., Feb. 27 and PopEater will cover all the winners, hosting highlights, red carpet fashions and big surprises. To warm up for the ceremony, see PopEater's John Mitchell chat Oscar predictions with E! star Ben Lyons:

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Tags: Academy Awards, James Franco, oscars, ricky gervais

Comments

(17)

Saturday 26 February

By Polar Patrol

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It's called a joke Franco, good grief - and the one about cutting off your arm to get out of the ceremony was quite funny! I'm sure it's better than what the Hollywood tool who wrote your jokes for Sunday came up with. I'm sure they're standard, safe jokes. Probably written by someone who writes for Everybody Loves Raymond or some garbage like that.

By stu

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kiss butt talk & award show hosts=yawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwn!

By New York

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Ricky Gervais can be very funny or very over the top insulting. I did not enjoy his Golden Globes performance as emcee. He pushed it too far. Very disrespectful to his peers. After all it wasn't a Friars Roast it was an Awards show.

By pnpru

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

For her part, Hathaway has a good-girl reputation in Hollywood and insists that she's not planning to insult any of her peers in the industry.I love reading this , So does My boyfriend .he is almost 11year older than me .i met him via agelessc'upid.c'om a nice place for seeking age le ss love.which gives you a chance to make your life better and open opportunities for you to meet the attractive young girls and treat you like a king. Maybe you wanna check it out or tell your friends..

By Tyler

It's all out of fun and also true. These award shows can get so long and boring that you just want to cut off your arm to get out of that trap.

By cj

I glad to hear Franco has a sense of humor after reading Gervais' faux script

Gervais is Bloody Genius, Hilarious....

By mtlvr53

gervais is totally NOT funny...what a JERK. If ya don't like the shows, don't watch em.....

By Homer

Sorry. You are incorrect. Ricky Gervais 'IS' funny.. You, apparently.., are the exception. RG is a very successful writer, producer, director and overall performer. He has legions of fans on both sides of the 'pond.' If you do not appreciate his humor... let it go at that. Why the name calling?

By ftwin24

rg makes me want to vomit....ugly, ugly, ugly

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I don't think its RG making you vomit.. It may be gorging oneself on 'crow' doing the trick.

By rvegas7

I think Charlie Sheen should host the Oscars lol !

By Jay

RG, like most brits is not funny, and full of his own self to the point of being sickening! I never appreciated his humor the little I have seen of it.

Sunday 27 February

By Onno

Jay, like some Americans, has no sense of humor.

By geraldr5

I'd watch Anne Hathaway if she just read the phone book!

By perryrants

read it. he's still NOT funny.

By Ted Bundy

James Franco is an arrogant douche, Ricky is hilarious.

By the yapper

I thought I loved Franko...and Gervais didn't boom...he was a hit...Franko can't take a joke...wow...too bad i thought he was an artist who didn't take himself too seriously....

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