I haven't found one in Monty Python that I found offensive even by today's standards, which was interesting. Even if you played gay characters, they were kind of, you know, they weren't mocking being gay. They were saying funny things in a gay character. And I think possibly the clue is that if you were offending some part of your audience or upsetting them, that's not what comedy does. It tries to mock things that should be attacked. Yeah, it's very poignant, too. This is inspired by a Reddit user called the Bold Move. He was curious what the show's social commentary would still be relevant today.
Should anything be off-limits in comedy? Kara and Nayeema discuss this question, and the recent Dave Chappelle SNL monologue, before Kara’s interview with our guest today: writer-comedian Eric Idle who is an OG in the craft. When he and his fellow sketch artists launched Monty Python on the BBC in 1969, it was unclear whether anyone would even watch. Now there are generations of Python fans. Today, Idle talks about what made Monty Python unique and how they pushed the line and the social conversation with their unique brand of humor.
Both avid Twitterers, Kara and Idle also discuss their frustrations with Elon Musk (he’s a noted fan of Monty Python, though Idle is not a fan of Musk). And Idle describes how his recent bout with pancreatic cancer has made him a more accepting person.
You can find Kara and Nayeema on Twitter @karaswisher and @nayeema.
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