Ricky Gervais Golden Globes 2016: Mel Gibson and More Scared of Comedian's Comeback?

Now that the age of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler is over, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association enlisted an old favorite to host the 2016 Golden Globes: Ricky Gervais. Still, though crowds love him for his upfront humor, celebrities like Mel Gibson are probably less than thrilled of his return – but why?

Gervais' style of comedy is not for the faint of heart. While he'll usually stay away from generally offensive jokes in the form of racism or sexism, he's certainly not afraid to roast every celebrity present. Of course, while certain audiences love that brand of humor, it did get him banned from the broadcast for years.

Some of Gervais' past antics have included a wide variety of jokes at his own expense and, as Newsweek reports, even insulting the award show. In his last time hosting, Gervais said that the Globes were to the Oscars what Kim Kardashian was to Kate Middleton:

"A bit louder, a bit trashier, a bit drunker and more easily bought."

According to the Los Angeles Times, some of the most (in)famous jokes in Gervais' Golden Globes past include slamming Charlie Sheen before the meltdown that led to his Two and a Half Men departure, introducing Bruce Willis as "Ashton Kutcher's dad" while the latter was still married to Demi Moore and even messing with Hollywood's favorite bad boy turned success story, Robert Downey Jr.

Introducing Downey as an actor best known "from such facilities as the Betty Ford Clinic and Los Angeles County jail," the Iron Man star quickly snapped back.

"Aside from the fact that it's been unusually mean-spirited with mildly sinister undertones, I'd say the vibe of the show is pretty good."

Other stars have similarly responded to Gervais' antics during Golden Globes night, including Toy Story voices Tom Hanks and Tim Allen commenting that Gervais had once been a "slightly chubby and kindly comedian" but not anymore on either account.

However, as Cinema Blend reported a while later, it appears that Downey, Hanks and Allen were all in on the joke, and the rest was just media speculation. Still, Gervais' words towards the Hollywood Foreign Press were pretty mean-spirited in a "biting the hand that feeds you" sort of way, so it wouldn't be surprising if that's what got him partially banned from the show.

Well, that and the many critics who panned his performance as too mean.

Possibly Gervais' most jabbing remark was directed at disgraced movie star Mel Gibson. In his first time hosting the Globes, the comedian said he liked to drink "as much as the next man, unless the next man is Mel Gibson," referencing the actor's past with alcohol abuse. This Sunday, Gibson's set to make his big Hollywood comeback as a presenter at the award show, so it wouldn't be surprising if Gibson's more than a little nervous to go back to the Globes this year.