This reporter spends four a nights a week sparring multiple rounds with various Los Angeles-area riffraff in a Burbank ring to work out the frustrations of the writing life. But, I learned today not to mix it up with ultra-tough U.K. comedians.
Ricky Gervais, who's currently enjoying the success of Ghost Town and a fifth series of Karl Pilkington-led podcasts, has trashed the status of the British motion picture industry frequently over recent years. Simon Pegg (above) took notice and umbrage -- in that order. Now, it's two 5-foot piles of British rage going at it, mano-a-mano -- or boca-a-boca.
Gervais has claimed on multiple occasions that there hasn't been a good film made in England since 1950. Readers are welcome to remind Gervais of movies he's overlooked in the comments section below.
It's possible Gervais was being controversial to get a laugh, but since Pegg and partner Edgar Wright are two folks born after 1950 who are making successful movies in the United Kingdom (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), Pegg stood up for himself recently and took the opportunity to call Gervais "fat," "an idiot," and an L.A. sell-out, The Telegraph reports.
Not since the Lincoln/Douglas debates has there been such brittle gambols between public speakers. We'll see if they smug and make up.
Hit the jump for an update.
UPDATED
On Simon Pegg's MySpace blog (Yeah, I think he can do better than a MySpace blog, but whatever he likes...), the two British comedy superstars seem to kiss and make up after this week's flare-up.
So, yes, Britain's days-long mega-comic war is at an end.
Image courtesy BBC
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