Ricky Gervais is a Talented Guy, But Seriously...

Although I bow to almost no one in my appreciation of "Extras" and the original U.K. version of "The Office," some of the response to Ricky Gervais being tapped to host the Golden Globes has left me scratching my head.

First, the Los Angeles Times' Patrick Goldstein acted as if some massive gantlet has been tossed down to the Oscars because of the Gervais choice, stating that his presence gave the show "instant event status" while simultaneously acknowledging that Gervais is "by no means a movie star" and "won't necessarily make the Globes an instantly credible show."

So a not-necessarily-credible instant event hosted by a not-quite star who even NBC's Paul Telegdy said (in a related Times story) probably won't bring a lot of extra viewers to the table. Gotcha.

Gervais has a well-deserved following, but it's difficult to sell the argument that his presence alone will get "a host of people to tune in," as Goldstein suggests.

Equally bizarre, though, was a Vanity Fair post by Julian Sanction contending that with Gervais emceeing "whatever scrap of legitimacy the awards have left will be eviscerated."

Why? Because Gervais will poke fun at celebrities. Oh, the horror.

Look, I get that everybody needs to be provocative to gain attention (and traffic) in this day and age, but somewhere between each of these hysterical, hyperventilating responses resides the truth -- that Gervais will almost inevitably make the Globes more entertaining and less stuffy, but his rapier wit might also produce some uncomfortable moments.

As for ratings, if he does produce big, memorable flourishes, like most everything else these days, those will likely be watched and passed around by people on Hulu or YouTube in the show's aftermath.

Somehow, when the smoke clears I suspect the republic -- and even the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. -- will survive.