Ricky Gervais Says Liberals Only Claim He’s “Alt-Right” Because His Jokes Have a “Target They Defend”

Ricky Gervais has some thoughts about his newly-acquired “alt-right” label. In a new episode of The Daily Beast’s The Last Laugh podcast, Gervais sounded off on his steadfast commitment to free speech, which has earned him praise from right-wing pundits and Twitter users. While the After Life star appreciates his new fans, he admitted that it’s only left-leaning users who consider him a “fascist,” as he’s making jokes about things they love. “People love the idea of free speech until they hear something they don’t like,” said Gervais.

Gervais is the first to admit that he’s a liberal, but in recent months, his takedown of the Hollywood elite and “woke” stars has made him a popular figure within right-wing circles. After his controversial Golden Globes monologue, Fox News host Greg Gutfield praised Gervais for “saying everything you’ve ever wanted to say to that self-obsessed pile of pulsating flesh known as Hollywood” and applauded his commitment to “freedom from the hypocrisy of the intolerant woke.”

When asked about his viral tweets about free speech and his embrace by the alt-right community, Gervais said that only left-wing Twitter users actually believe he’s conservative. “What’s weird about that is it was actually the left on social media that once again said, ‘Oh, he’s alt-right now,'” he told The Last Laugh host Matt Wilstein. “What could be less right-wing than going after the biggest, richest corporations in the world?”

Gervais went on to say that it’s interesting that people consider him “alt-right” for endorsing free speech, when “the alt-right were the ones, the fascists were the ones that were closing down free speech” in the past. He insisted that people advocate for free speech until someone says something they dislike, therefore turning it into a “selfish” thing. “People try and justify it, as well,” said Gervais. “They go, ‘I’m all for freedom of speech, but you know, that’s the one thing you shouldn’t joke about.’ Oh, you mean the one thing that you care about?”

“It’s odd,” he added, noting that “even the right” knows he’s a liberal. “People pretend they don’t like a joke, for some reason. But you know what? They just don’t like the joke having the target that they defend. That’s the bottom line.”

“You liked it when I made the joke about the thing you don’t like. You didn’t like it when I made the joke about the thing you do like. Just admit it,” he continued. “I don’t care if people like all the jokes. But don’t pretend you’ve weighed it up and you’re being the fair one. You just don’t like that joke and that’s fine.”

Listen to Ricky Gervais’ entire interview on The Last Laugh podcast on Apple Podcasts.