08 December 2023 , 11:44
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A petition to remove an offensive Ricky Gervais skit from Netflix has been signed by more than 4,000 backers in the wake of comments the comedian made about terminally-ill children.
Speaking in his new stand-up show special, Armageddon, Gervais jokes that he refers to kids battling serious conditions in hospital as "baldies" and asks why those granted a wish by the Make-A-Wish Foundation don't simply "wish to get better". It prompted the parent of a child with cancer to take action over the 62-year old's "hurtful" and "disrespectful" remarks.
Petition starter Sess Cova said: "I am writing this petition as a parent whose child, Katy, bravely battled cancer. The recent skit by Ricky Gervais on Netflix, where he refers to terminally ill children as "baldy", is not just disrespectful but also deeply hurtful. It mocks the courage and resilience of these young fighters who face their illness with grace and beauty despite their baldness."
Gervais' Netflix show, Armageddon, has been slammed over its distasteful jokes (Getty Images)
Ashley Cain slammed the comic over the jokes (Instagram)Sess continued: "Ricky Gervais's jokes were not only distasteful but also heartless. They are a slap in the face to not only the children battling these serious illnesses but also their parents and families who stand by them through this difficult journey. His words have offended an entire community - those dealing with childhood cancer."
The hurt parent, whose initial goal is to receive the support of 5,000 others, then laid out her "sheer disgust" in The Office star's "infuriating derogatory language" in respect of his "Wish" gag. Sess explained: "This is not only unfunny but deeply offensive. I can't comprehend how a writer or anyone at Netflix could greenlight such appalling content. We must demand the removal of this skit. Gervais has provoked the anger of parents living with their child diagnosed with cancer, and we won't back down in fiercely advocating for them. He completely crossed the line. Our children are not a punchline, their lives aren’t a joke."
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Writing in support of the petition, one user commented: "Signing because my cancer warrior went through hell. She isn’t a punch line and neither are all of these other warriors that had their childhood ripped away from them. I’m signing this for the families that witnessed this torture and suffered along side their babies."
An another said: "I am a childhood cancer survivor. I have fought many ugly battles to save my life. This man has NO right using our stories as jokes. Using children who are dying, as a comedy skit. Calling terminally ill children, "baldy" and “retarded” is just disgusting. The fact that Netflix is allowing this skit to be aired is even more disheartening. Childhood cancer is not a joke and not meant to have comedy skits use our pain and suffering for views/content. We don’t get enough funding and research as it is, and now we’re getting made fun of for dying. What is this world we’re living in."
Earlier this month, meanwhile, Gervais was slammed by Ashley Cain, who lost his eight-month old daughter Azaylia to leukemia in April 2021. The 33-year old and his partner Safiyya Vorajee have since been raising funds to help other children battle cancer through a charity they established in tiny Azaylia’s name.
Taking to social media, the former footballer made his feelings about the comic very clear. He wrote via Instagram Stories: "I was actually a fan of Ricky Gervais but I had to turn off his stand-up the other day as I was watching it with family and there were multiple jokes about terminally ill children and especially kids with cancer.
"Some things are just not funny. Especially to those parents who are left behind. You can get cancelled for so many things these days but it’s ok to make a mockery of dying children. I’m actually so mad about this."
If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at childbereavementuk.org or you can call them on 0800 02 888 40.