Despite the media speculation about what Ricky Gervais would do as host at this year's Golden Globes, the British comedian's performance at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's annual awards was a very sedate affair.

Gervais, who hosted last year's Golden Globes, failed to live up to expectations and played it safe at this Sunday's awards night. Gervais' jokes were far too predictable; Kim Kardashian and Justin Bieber were easy targets; insider jokes about NBC and the HFPA's reputation; and tired jokes that no self-respecting comedian should make (i.e. jokes about Madonna's virginity in 2012 is beyond tired).

Gervais started off with roasting the awards ceremony he was hosting.

"The Golden Globes are to the Oscars what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton," he said. "Bit louder. Bit trashier. Bit drunker. And more easily bought... allegedly." Not exactly the height of wit and even the audience looked bored. He then went on to take jibes at the network showing the Golden Globes.

"Tonight, you get Britain's biggest comedian, hosting the second biggest awards show, on America's third biggest network... sorry, fourth."

Moving on to the requisite Justin Bieber joke.

"The only way that he could have impregnated a girl is if he borrowed one of Martha Stewart's turkey basters."

He even took some potshots at Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster, who took the jokes with good spirits even after Gervais poked fun at Foster's film "Beaver".

"I musn't mention Mel Gibson this year. Not his private life, not his politics, not his recent films, and especially not Jodie Foster's 'Beaver.' I haven't seen it myself," at which point the camera showed Foster giving a thumbs up. After a beat, he said: "I've spoken for a lot of guys here, they haven't seen it either. But that doesn't mean it's not any good."

Much of Gervais' routine failed to push buttons and stir controversy and disappointed fans took to Twitter to complain about the dull performance.

"I know 2 Globes that didn't show up: Ricky Gervais' BALLS!" one tweeter fumed. "Not rude enough!"

Vanity Fair asked: "Can it be considered 'hosting' when Ricky Gervais only appears every 30 minutes during the #goldenglobes?"

"If Ricky Gervais was watching at home he'd have a ball clowning this host that keeps playing up how "dangerous" his mild insider jokes are..," one tweeter commented.

Another tweeter, this one from Britain, wished him well but maybe for entirely different reasons.

"Glad Ricky Gervais is a success in USA," he wrote. "He might stay there."

Gervais wasn't the only subject of the Twitter-verse's ire. Some people took jabs at the boring awards show. Mike Byhoff, produces of Yahoo's Trending Now, tweeted that this Golden Globe show was upstaged by Uggie, the dog from the film "The Artist".

"This Golden Globes was so riveting it will go down as "the one with the dog on stage."