Ricky Gervais has complicated feelings on cancel culture, says he finds comfort in The Office haters

The New York Times

"If people don’t accept a person’s apology for a mistake, there’s no value in that person trying to improve,” Gervais says in a New York Times Magazine profile, addressing the Kevin Hart and Louis CK controversies. "And I hate virtue-signaling. I’ll tell you why it’s bad. Because the more pathetic people’s accusation is, the more these people are saying they’re not like the accused. They’re saying, 'Look how good I am.' They’re saying, “I hate that thing because I would never do it.” Why are you telling us?" He adds of CK: "The Louis C.K. thing — is he allowed to gig? Yeah, he is. Are people allowed to protest? Yeah, they are. But you can’t change history." Meanwhile, when told that "everyone agrees" The Office is great TV, Gervais responds: "No, they don’t. Some people hate it, which is comforting. It reminds me that everyone is different, and opinions are subjective and it doesn’t matter."