I saw this last night on living.  (An edited, shorter version,) and TBH it was a storm in a teacup.  What Gervais said was rather tepid and I feel that the Americans are perhaps a little over sensitive.  I also think that they don't like it when foreigners take the piss out of them....... if it had been a fellow yank, then they would have been a bit more receptive to the humour. 

No offence to the Yanks meant,   I mean, I am the same: if someone takes the piss out of the Brits and they are British, I laugh, but if its a foreigner, I am like 'how dare you?!'  I really didn't think that Gervais was particularly offensive though. 

I think Gervais has talent and is capable of being funny, but he is not as funny as he thinks he is and believes his own hype.