Ricky Gervais has used one of the most offensive words in the English language to silence an animal welfare detractor and simultaneously draw attention to a cause close to his heart, in an act of comedy gold.
The comedian and animal-lover on Sunday urged his followers to sign a petition against China's Yulin Dog Meat Festival and to tweet a pet selfie in support, which dozens of people did.
According to Humane Society International, thousands of dogs - many of them stolen pets - are captured and transported over long distances under horrific conditions to Yulin, a city in China’s Guangxi Autonomous Region for the festival that takes place in June. They are then held in crowded cages before being tortured and killed.
Last year, international pressure led Yulin authorities to withdraw their support for the festival, but it went ahead anyway in what was said to be a less subdued way. Authorities have said the festival won't go ahead this year, but the Humane Society suggests dog meat traders will continue to stage the event.
Gervais' subdued tone on the topic changed on Wednesday after a man called Adam Busby tweeted at him, asking why people thought it was okay to eat one type of animal, but not another?
The question prompted a stream of explanations about animal torture from other Twitter users, before Gervais put him in his place.
Gervais' use of the c-word then changed the debate from animal rights to community standards. So Gervias used it a bunch more times to re-make his original point.