In the video clip featuring the joke, Ricky Gervais – who is well known for making offensive jokes – goes on to say: “These are all jokes, right? I don't even use that word in real life, the R word. 'You just used it, Rick'. Yeah. In a joke. That's not real life, is it? I'm playing a role."

Jokes are not real life now? Is that the excuse for being offensive for fun?