The Ten Most Likely Targets of Golden Globes Host Ricky Gervais

Ricky Gervais at the 2011 Globes

The 69th Golden Globe Awards will be held this Sunday, and with them comes returning host Ricky Gervais and the looming spectre of his extremely controversial appearance last year.

If you want to talk about likely wins and snubs, you should head over here to our Look Down the Red Carpet instead. Because this year the actual winners and losers at the Globes have already been overshadowed by anticipation of Gervais' giggly live-broadcast antics.

So we thought in lieu of a Golden Globes Pool we'd try to guess the ten most likely targets for Gervais' barbed tongue. Check them out, and add any of your own predictions in the comments!

10. Margaret Thatcher

Sure, she won't be there. And even if she were, by all accounts she'd be none the wiser. But while I doubt Gervais would take a potshot at longtime critical darling (and umpteenth-time awards also-ran) Meryl Streep, I don't think he'd hesitate a moment to throw some poo at his former Prime Minister. Let's hope Lady MT isn't tuning in.

9. Robert Downey, Jr.

One of Gervais' most widely-criticized jabs last year was an easy dig at Robert Downey, Jr.'s history of drug problems. Gervais has defended the joke, saying that is was misinterpreted and that he honestly thought Downey would find it funny. Given Gervais' tendency to not let a gag rest until it's hit its mark (see also: everything he's ever done), I wouldn't be surprised if he tried again this year. If it doesn't work and Ricky is asked to host again next year, Downey could officially become the Golden Globes equivalent of Lindsey Buckingham on the "What's up with That?" SNL skits.

Brett Ratfacener

8. Brett Ratner/Eddie Murphy/Billy Crystal/The Oscars

I can't recall an instance where the looming 500-pound Actually Respected Awards Show in the Room - the Academy Awards - was mentioned in a Globes telecast, but the crapstorm that surrounded the upcoming Oscars after Ratner's boneheaded "Rehearsal's for fags" comment might make for a first.

7. J. Edgar

Come on, a movie about an alleged cross-dresser filled with bad old-age makeup directed by a bona fide Hollywood relic? Leonardo Di Caprio's pancake makeup doesn't stand a chance.

Michael Fassbender

6. Michael Fassbender

Do a shot every time Ricky says "willy".

5. Kate Winslet

Kate was hilarious on Gervais' show Extras and he picked on her during the 2009 telecast for "doing a Holocaust movie" (like his Extras character recommended to her, if memory serves), so chances are he'll give her at least a nudge thanks to her double nomination for Carnage and Mildred Pierce. Maybe he'll even pair it with a Polanski joke?

Glenn Close in Albert Knobs Nobbs

4. Albert Nobbs

Glenn Close and Janet McTeer in old-timey drag in a movie with "Nobbs" in the title? The joke pretty much wrote itself.

3. Alec Baldwin

Oh hey - I totally forgot about TV! (Although Ricky was pretty easy on television stars last year.) But the 30 Rock star (and nominee) will likely take some ribbing due to his recent airplane expulsion.

2. Game of Thrones

Considering that the show employs half of the actors in the UK, I can't imagine that the dragon-happy, incest-laden epic drama will escape Gervais' wit.

Mel Gibson

1. Mel Gibson

One of the few takedowns that pretty much everyone could get behind from the last few years was Gervais' 2010 introduction of Mel Gibson ("I like a drink as much as the next man ... unless the next man is Mel Gibson!"). Even though Gibson isn't in the awards spotlight this year, his recent wallet-shattering divorce settlement may make him an easy target once again.

So those are my calls - make a BINGO card and play along at home! Any likely targets you think I've missed?