Ricky Gervais Takes On Scoville Chicken-Wing Hell On Hot Ones
If acclaimed British comedian Ricky Gervais wanted some timely YouTube hype for his upcoming Netflix-original movie “David Brent: Life on the Road,” Old Spice and First We Feast host Sean Evans were hell-bent on making him earn every word the acerbic Anglo could get in edgewise.
If you’ve ever seen the sadistically entertaining reviews featured on Hot Pepper Gaming, you pretty well know the drill behind “Hot Ones”: guests pit their fortitude to deliver cogent thoughts against the sensory assault of monumentally spicy chicken wings. To mark the return of Gervais to his role as the blockhead boss of the U.K.’s original rendition of “The Office” and inspiration for Steve Carell’s own iconic Dunder Mifflin dunderhead Michael Scott in the American adaptation, he and Evans had a little chat over some orally abusive appetizers.
The two gents carried out their interview over some thoughtfully provided vegan wings, since Gervais is famously passionate about his support for animal-rights causes worldwide. That was also where consideration for the multiple-time Golden Globe and Emmy honoree’s pansy English palate cut off sharply.
“This is like a cross between Charlie Rose and f***ing ‘Jackass’,” Gervais moaned before nibbling a non-poultry wing dabbed with ordinary Sriracha sauce registering an amateur-friendly 2,200 Scovilles of heat – a tasty, tolerable bite.
Stepping up to 4,000 Scovilles of old-fashioned Tabasco sauce a few bites later? He’s feeling the burn, but David Brent still stands tall.
What happens when he stares down six-figure Scovilles and still has a conversation to finish? Well, that would be telling.
