Ricky Gervais has become somewhat divisive in recent years. He was beloved for many years, but his schtick has sort of grown tired to some. However, he has recently turned his attention back to his most beloved character, David Brent. Brent was the main character from The Office, the show that turned Gervais into a star. Now, Gervais has a new David Brent project, and he has released a music video from it that is just as awkward, uncomfortable, and funny as ever.
Gervais has made a movie called David Brent: Life on the Road, which follows Brent as he tries to make himself a rock star during a concert tour of the United Kingdom. In the movie, David Brent and his band, Foregone Conclusion, have a single called “Lady Gypsy,” and now you can watch the music video for that song.
The song tells the tale of Brent falling in love with, well, a lady gypsy, and the romance that followed. Given that it is David Brent we are talking about here, naturally at a point of the song the romance involves him trying to make sure the woman isn’t a prostitute. The video begins with Brent, his sleeves rolled up and a kerchief around his neck, resting against a tree strumming his guitar. It just gets more pretentious from there.
It’s a tricky situation. On the one hand, it has been a long time, in pop culture terms, since The Office, and so going back to David Brent now feels a little fan service-y, a little sweaty. On the other hand, it’s a beloved character, and he seems to have new stuff to do with it, so why not? If Steve Coogan gets to keep busting out Alan Partridge, why not let Gervais trot out David Brent whenever he wants?
(via Variety)
