Monty Python's 50th Anniversary Celebrated With 'Extremely Silly' Event (reuters.com) 51
The Monty Python character known as the Gumby would often be found saying "My brain hurts". Now Reuters reports:
In what is billed as an "extremely silly" event, hordes of Monty Python fans will gather in full Gumby attire in London on Saturday to celebrate the British comedy troupe's 50th anniversary. Kitted out in rubber boots, sleeveless sweaters, rolled-up trousers and with knotted handkerchiefs on their heads, they will attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Gumbys. "It's all so excitingly pointless," said Python Terry Gilliam, who will host the event.
Meanwhile, the Guardian reports on recently-rediscovered documents from the BBC's archives about the show's launch in 1969: The BBC response, the archives make clear, was far less positive. At the weekly meeting where senior managers discussed the output, the head of factual had found Python "disgusting", arts had thought it "nihilistic and cruel", while religion objected to a Gilliam animation in which "Jesus... had swung his arm". The BBC One controller sensed the makers "continually going over the edge of what is acceptable".
The Guardian also tracked down 69-year-old Doug Holman who remembers John Cleese giving him tickets to watch a filming of the show when he was 19. ("Doug, boldly, writes back, saying he is part of a large group of friends who want to go. Cleese contacts the BBC to request a further 14 tickets...")
50 years later, Holman seems to remember the filming as being wonderfully chaotic. "There was a restaurant scene but I think the producer abandoned it when Cleese -- seemingly unhappy about having no lines -- disrupted each take by performing random Tourette-like impressions of a mouse being strangled by a psychotic cat. I remember it being total anarchy yet excruciatingly funny, in the literal sense. We all experienced genuine pain from extended bouts of uncontrollable laughter."
Meanwhile, the Guardian reports on recently-rediscovered documents from the BBC's archives about the show's launch in 1969: The BBC response, the archives make clear, was far less positive. At the weekly meeting where senior managers discussed the output, the head of factual had found Python "disgusting", arts had thought it "nihilistic and cruel", while religion objected to a Gilliam animation in which "Jesus... had swung his arm". The BBC One controller sensed the makers "continually going over the edge of what is acceptable".
The Guardian also tracked down 69-year-old Doug Holman who remembers John Cleese giving him tickets to watch a filming of the show when he was 19. ("Doug, boldly, writes back, saying he is part of a large group of friends who want to go. Cleese contacts the BBC to request a further 14 tickets...")
50 years later, Holman seems to remember the filming as being wonderfully chaotic. "There was a restaurant scene but I think the producer abandoned it when Cleese -- seemingly unhappy about having no lines -- disrupted each take by performing random Tourette-like impressions of a mouse being strangled by a psychotic cat. I remember it being total anarchy yet excruciatingly funny, in the literal sense. We all experienced genuine pain from extended bouts of uncontrollable laughter."
Re: (Score:2, Offtopic)
Because Slashdot hasn't banned him yet, unlike the rest of the internet.
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Why are you here? Seriously, why? Not in a metaphysical sense. Why, just why, in the fuck are you here on Slashdot?
He came here for an argument!
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"they always lock me out with the dreaded "verify with phone" screen. Yes, no matter what country/"alternate e-mail" I pick, no matter which proxy, etc. And those "SMS inbox" services are all banned. Seriously. I've tried countless of them. Paid ones. They never work anymore."
Just buy a dozen empty prepaid cards on eBay for a buck or so.
Put one in, register with the SMS received and throw it away.
Beware of false prophets! (Score:2)
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The Life of Brian was a great movie. Malcolm Muggeridge decided that it was lampooning Christ himself because he missed the first part of the movie that showed how Brian was mistaken as the messiah and ended up being pursued as a consequence. It was all a very unfair attack on a brilliant piece of satire.
Re:Beware of false prophets! (Score:5, Insightful)
It was all a very unfair attack on a brilliant piece of satire.
Not that unfair... The movie wasn't so much a dig at Christ, but at christianity or religion in general. Pretty controversial stuff back then... and again so today. Can you imagine "The Life of Achmed" being filmed or screened in today's society?
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Do you want to start World War 3? Because this is how you start World War 3!
Re:Beware of false prophets! (Score:5, Interesting)
Can you imagine "The Life of Achmed" being filmed or screened in today's society?
Do you want to start World War 3? Because this is how you start World War 3!
If white Christians poked fun at Islam and Mohammed then yes maybe, it's like us mocking them. But Monthy Python was solidly established as native British comedy long before they made Life of Brian, they had been on BBC for years. To have the equivalent effect it'd have to be an Arab group popular in Arab countries poking fun at Arab culture, they'd probably get accused of having been corrupted by our hedonistic and godless ways but it would be more of an internal strife.
I'm not saying the situation is great but the mainstream Muslim culture is under a lot of pressure from the inside too, far from everyone agrees with the stuff coming out from Riyadh and Tehran, much less Taliban and IS. The focus is often on Yazidis or Kurds because they're treated the worst, but a lot of it is Muslim-on-Muslim hate and violence like when they tried to assassinate Malala. I hope we're making progress but I agree it'll be a long time before we see "The life of Achmed" in Saudi theaters.
Re: Beware of false prophets! (Score:1)
Re: Beware of false prophets! (Score:2)
The gourd! Follow the gourd!
No, we should all follow his example and wear one shoe!
(unison) Heresy! (... melee ...)
http://www.matchpredicts.com/ (Score:1)
WTF? (Score:2)
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Yup, it was awesome sature, so much so that clips are still being used to parody today's idiots when they pop up with some identity politic al ideology. My favourite is still "Loretta"
But it hasn't been a message many have understood - hence we now have Saint Greta of the Shrubbery being paraded around like a new messiah (for only $1m per speaking engagement, contact her agent)
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Well, it was funny, because it was ridiculous to have to feel obligated to address someone's pronouns based on how they "felt" at the moment.
Somehow in past couple years....people actually take that seriously and I read someone got fired over it.
I mean, WTF....what has long been thought silly and funny and we can laugh at o
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My preferred pronoun is "Master God Lord Buttfuck Me". (as I identify as a cis-gender strongly masculine male)(despite being a bit weedy). :-)
Re: Beware of false prophets! (Score:2)
âoeOh.... piss off!â
Python-athon (Score:1)
And now (Score:4, Funny)
For something completely different.
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cricleads.com (Score:1)
Which One is Monty Python? (Score:2)
Re: Which One is Monty Python? (Score:2)
Smh
Do you mean John Cleese?
Perhaps you should watch
1. A Fish Called Wanda
2. Fierce creatures
That will give you an out-of-python look into his acting. Without, of course, being turned into a newt.
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Cleese was also in SIlverado.
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he was? I recognize jeff goldbloom, kevin klein, kevin costner, danny glover... now i have to rewatch that. Its been since it was in theater that I watched it.
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He was the sheriff.
Well, SOME things never change... (Score:4, Informative)
And "Auntie Beeb" is an even prissier bitch these days...
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What has the BBC ever done for us?
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ABC (USA), BBC (UK), CBC (Canada)... is there a DBC station somewhere?
Re: Well, SOME things never change... (Score:2)
> What has the BBC ever done for us?
Made a documentary about building the aqueduct?
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And sanitation!
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And roads! https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
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Actually it is more of the SJW's and snowflake types being offended at EVERYTHING, that would prevent a Python from happening today.....
They'd be run off and branded as -ists and -phobes today.
Nice (Score:2)
I can't think of a better word for it.
I can't believe it's been 50 years. I think I first saw it in 1971 so it's not quite 50 years for me.
Many happy memories watching the shows with friends and family.
For a really interesting role - watch Michael Palin in "The Death of Stalin" as Molotov. Quite subdued and dryly funny.
Prood that Python isn't dead (Score:3)
It's just pining for the fjords.
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A new (Score:2)
It can't be just me.... (Score:2)
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Of course, that immediately made me think of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
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It was an old Saturday Night Live sketch where Eddie Murphy played Gumby. And it was the official posted video from NBC, which is why it included an asinine region lock. Next time I’ll link to a pirated video since those Just Work.
Stop that! It's silly (Score:1)
What we need is something decent and military.
Which One is Monty Python? (Score:1)