Live and let live

Oscar time (like Hammer time, except with more gold, less baggy trousers and junk that you can touch) is approaching and all the self-publicists are gearing up to give Narcissus a run for his money.  Ricky Gervais is labelling anyone who thanks God in their acceptance speech as ‘arrogant’.  For Gervias to pronounce on hubris is akin to stone throwing to be going on in a glass courthouse where the pot is accusing the kettle of blacking-up.  Indeed, his line of attack is so predictable, it’s a wonder that he doesn’t believe in a deterministic universe.  He’s like the National Secular Society which, whenever it appears on a news item, is always moaning – I’d like to see the day when they have something unabashedly positive to say, especially that which doesn’t offend anyone (allegedly their biggest concern).

Gervais’ whines that people should have speeches written previously, targeting Sandra Bullock for praising the Divine.  Seriously?  Given that anyone who prepares a victory speech is seen as overweening in their conceitedness, this is the solution for Gervais?  Maybe he sees no contradiction.  Is the answer for everyone nominee to prepare a set of notes to which a lawyer (this is LA) makes a deposition that said text will be said should an award come the way of the talent and so everyone can be suitably bland to cope with the strictures of the thought police?

Matthew Norman yesterday in The Telegraph declared (of another high-profile personality) that arrogance usually manifests itself in someone with an extremely thin skin to make up for supposed deficiencies.  Though admitting himself no psychoanalyst (curious for a Spurs supporter, who would have had, until recently, years of introspection), it is an interesting take.  The way out for Gervais is to affect tolerance for the outlooks of those at the Kodak Theatre, as Hollywood (being a largely liberal lot) does for his belief system when he expresses it.  Winning friends is not always a noble pursuit but neither is fundamentalism in alienating people.