They always say not to meet your heroes but the rise of social media has given us a direct line to the creators of things we love whether we want one or not.
Over the years, this has given people some pretty complicated para-social relationships with the artists they admire. And writer, actor and comedian Ricky Gervais has been doing his part to make fans unsure of how to feel about him for years.
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Because in between the moments when it feels good to watch him make the rich and powerful squirm , there are also moments where it’s hard not to wish he had never discovered social media.
However, while Gervais’ most recent tweet doesn’t really fit into either category, it was nonetheless a welcome sight that also revealed how highly a lot of his fans think of him.
Last year, Gervais replied to a trivia account dedicated to him that named him Britain’s most successful comedian.
And as this person detailed the ticket sales to his shows as well as his Emmy, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations, Gervais responded with, “And still no [expletive] knighthood.”
In the time since, this tweet has apparently led a lot of his followers to believe he’s seriously vying to be knighted.
So on December 28, he clarified in another tweet that he was kidding and believes that knighthoods should actually go to the health care workers and charity workers that have found themselves on the front lines of each nation’s response to the pernicious threat of COVID-19.
And as we can see here, he’s not convinced that he deserves such an honor for himself.
Though I suppose it would always be tempting to accept one if they gave you the goodies he lists here.
That said, they’d both likely be for decorative purposes since medieval armor was so notoriously hard to put on that it was someone’s job to help just one knight suit up.
Nonetheless, that apparently didn’t stop fans from making the case that Gervais does deserve to be knighted.
As we can see, this is based on his history of animal activism that — as AP News reported — saw him make charitable contributions to international missions to protect animals and remain an outspoken champion of animal rights.
Additionally, his work in writing the acclaimed dramedy series *After Life* was highlighted for the way it’s helped people cope with loss.
Based on the way that users have shown their appreciation for this show, it appears to hit particularly hard for families who have had to see a loved one pass from cancer.
With this in mind, it perhaps shouldn’t be too surprising that someone decided to make Gervais a virtual suit of armor.
This probably isn’t quite what the Queen’s staff gives out to those who achieve knighthood but it’s probably closer to what Gervais would be comfortable receiving.
