Someone made an interesting comment on Pol that it was a "Cremation of Care" ritual.  The Cremation of Care is an annual theatrical production written, produced, and performed by and for members of the Bohemian Club and staged at the Bohemian Grove near Monte Rio, California at a small artificial lake amid a private old-growth grove of Redwood trees.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremation_of_Care  The ceremony involves the poling across a lake of a small boat containing an effigy of Care (called "Dull Care"). Dark, hooded figures receive from the ferryman the effigy which is placed on an altar, and, at the end of the ceremony, set on fire. This "cremation" symbolizes that members are banishing the "dull cares" of conscience.[13] At the time the script was developed, the primary meaning of the word 'care' (< O.E. cearu, "anxiety, anguish") was synonymous with 'worry', having more negative connotations than in modern times when it tends to be associated more positively with compassion.[14]  It was about banishing worry or anxiety so they could settle down and enjoy celebrating themselves with a ceremonially cleared conscience.  So most likely Gervais was making light of it all. The guy has had an unnatural level of success by any metric and regularly shrugs off these sort of "Ooh I can't believe he said that!" scandals. 100% he's one of them. Another weird no-children atheist who's besties with a guy called MERCHANT. Regularly makes fun of (and financially exploits) an autistic white guy who doesn't repeat status quo basic bitch cultural narratives like he should (essentially the proverbial New Clothes "Emperor" spotting the truthful child in the crowd before anyone else and jumping on him and mocking him before he can wake everyone up from the great spell of willful blindness - "Look at this kid everyone! He says the craziest things!! Head like a fucking orange!").