Ricky Gervais has said he believes fewer people understand sarcasm and irony than they did a decade ago.
The comedian made the comments during a question-and-answer session on X after a fan recalled having to explain that a clip showing Gervais shouting at a child was actually a scene from his hit Netflix series After Life rather than real life.
The fan wrote: "Someone I know told me they'd seen a clip of you shouting at a child, I had to tell them it was from After Life and it was not real life."
Responding, Gervais suggested that some people either fail to recognise jokes or deliberately choose to interpret them literally.
"They don't know me so they have to make assumptions on things they've seen. Even now I'm mucking around and saying things I don't mean - jokes!" he said.
"Some people take jokes seriously. There seems to be a drop off of people who understand sarcasm and irony in the last five to ten years."
Best fans in the world ❤️ https://t.co/0ChfiKWJqm
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) December 26, 2024
The comedian went on to argue that some critics understand the humour but object to it for other reasons.
"It's a joke. Some people are just thick. Wilfully as well. They know it's a joke but they don't like you so they say 'Oh he's nasty!'"
"Who cares? They're idiots. I like it when they don't get the joke because most people get it."
Gervais has built much of his career around pushing boundaries and provoking debate, from his breakthrough role in The Office to his stand-up specials and high-profile hosting appearances at the Golden Globe Awards.
His comments come as discussions continue around comedy, online culture and whether satire, sarcasm and irony are becoming harder to interpret in an era dominated by short video clips and social media posts that are often viewed without wider context.
Despite the controversy that sometimes surrounds his work, Gervais remains one of Netflix's biggest comedy stars.
According to the streaming giant, After Life has been watched by more than 100 million people worldwide, making it one of the platform's most successful original comedy series.
