The WTF? Thread

[Tactical Genius]

Jaw dropping.........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed5Vv9V1LTw

[Ginger Yellow]

I only came across them in 1991 when I got the tape of their songs. But I didn't really meet anyone who was into them until I met some americans in 1992. Then I discovered that in 1993, most of the internet was made up of typed up monty python scripts. I get the impression that they were bigger, later in the US. HP isn't much older than me, and they weren't much of a thing over here any more. I saw a fish called wanda, and fawlty towers well before I saw any monty python.

I don't know if it's still the case, but there was definitely a time when you could get the complete run of Monty Python's Flying Circus on DVD in the US, but not here.

[Hot Pepsi]

I only came across them in 1991 when I got the tape of their songs. But I didn't really meet anyone who was into them until I met some americans in 1992. Then I discovered that in 1993, most of the internet was made up of typed up monty python scripts. I get the impression that they were bigger, later in the US. HP isn't much older than me, and they weren't much of a thing over here any more. I saw a fish called wanda, and fawlty towers well before I saw any monty python.

The Life of Brian is by far the best thing they ever did. It's just fantastic. (and was banned here)

I rate all of their films, including Hollywood Bowl and Now for Something Completely Different (a kind of best-of sketch collection they did for the US market) 10 out of 10. But I prefer Holy Grail. I saw an interview with John Cleese where he said Americans usually like Holy Grail the best and British fans usually like Life of Brian the best.

[Nocturnal Submission]

I prefer Holy Grail but both films are terrific.

[Bruno]

Monty Python had cult-status among the more articulate kids at my high school (mid-late 80s, Texas). We had lots of it memorized, and probably all of Holy Grail. My church youth group watched Life of Brian together, in order to discuss its theological perspective, so that was weird... I remember being home sick one day and discovering Fawlty Towers by accident, a daytime marathon on the public-access channel. Watched them all in one sitting.

[Sporting]

I still have a soft spot for Rutland Weekend Television.

[Guy Profumo]

The Gospel according to Treibeis?




https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-49162116

[WOM]

The Right Reverend Dr Gavin Ashenden, Bishop of the Anglican Episcopal Church, said: "I'm afraid I think it's a really serious mistake, perhaps born of desperation.

"The idea that people are so trivial that they can be almost tricked into a search for God by entertaining them with a golf course is a serious-category error."

"No, we prefer the old fashioned methods: telling people unbelievable stories while promising them they're going to burn in hell for all eternity. And if that fails, maybe one of the brothers sodomizes them and we organize and cover the whole thing up. But crazy golf...no, I think not."

[Bruno]

The amazing thing is how well understood it was 500 years ago that the Church was completely corrupt and debauched. And then people managed to pretend that it all went away somehow until recent shocking revelations.

[Hot Pepsi]

He's right. The part he said. Not the part you added. Medieval cathedrals can speak for themselves. They shouldn't need gimmicks.

[ursus arctos]

Well, one of the results of the Reformation was creating new churches that could become corrupt and debauched.

[Bruno]

Medieval churches speak to a culture that channeled most of its artistic energies and public expenditures into religion, to appease a cabal with magic powers that threatened eternal punishment. One of the biggest gimmicks of all, but they're nice buildings.

[Bruno]

It would be interesting to know the comparative post-1517 stats between Catholic and Protestant child molestation, leaving aside consensual gay stuff which is only gonna happen when you get a bunch of dudes together.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

I rate all of their films, including Hollywood Bowl and Now for Something Completely Different (a kind of best-of sketch collection they did for the US market) 10 out of 10. But I prefer Holy Grail. I saw an interview with John Cleese where he said Americans usually like Holy Grail the best and British fans usually like Life of Brian the best.

See I reckon that might come down to the way that Monty Python was presented as a kind of stand alone cultural project in the US. the silliness etc would have seemed revolutionary, so that becomes the bigger deal. In the Uk, at the time they would have been hugely popular, and seen as part of a longer tradition of this type of humour, going back through hard days night, which in turn was massively influenced by Spike milligan and the Goons, who in turn were heavily influenced...... The silliness is evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, so that's not really the bit that they focus most on, and the stuff that people kind of like, is the one with the strongest story, with the best structure, that actually works best as a film in its own right. It can kind of stand entirely by itself. If you had never heard of monty python, or didn't know very much about seventies england, the life of Brian would still be quite a funny film.

the Holy Grail has some great bits in it, but the underlying story is pretty ridiculous to begin with, so making that silly kind of stretches it a bit thin to my mind, and the ending looks weak alongside blazing saddles. Meaning of life is just a super episode. of the flying circus. Some of those sketches are genius, but it is extremely bitty by design.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Important part of ireland's Victorian sex toy heritage saved by Kickstarter campaign

[Bruno]

We were in awe of The Meaning of Life. It was the core text.

[ursus arctos]

I think that is a truth of general application with regard to the internationalisation of popular culture, though perhaps a bit less now with superhero films and video games.

There are always important parts of the context that are not translated and/or distributed elsewhere (and the bits that are are not always the best.).

[WOM]

He's right. The part he said. Not the part you added. Medieval cathedrals can speak for themselves. They shouldn't need gimmicks.

Perhaps. But if people were bursting down the doors of cathedrals on their own merits, there wouldn't be a pressing need to resort to gimmicks. What's more, cathedrals as cathedrals are basically museums. Cathedrals as coffee shops, daycare centers or crazy golf courses are at least alive and connecting with people beyond bearded stained-glass aficionados.

[Bruno]

For me a big part of Python's appeal or intrigue was the foreignness, meaning especially of Flying Circus. I suppose it will make certain things seem funnier by virtue thereof, but it was also a fascinating window into a different culture -- it's strange to look in on satire of an unfamiliar cultural phenomenon like cricket or a local by-election. My question would be how relatively brainy Python were in the evolution of silly British humor, because another big part of their appeal over here was their braininess or nerdiness relative to much US humor of the time. Not that US humor wasn't ever clever, but Python were a refreshing alternative.

[ursus arctos]

WOM, when was the last time you were in a Cathedral?

The ones I visit tend to have a couple of dozen services a week and all kinds of other activities apart from any touristic attractions they offer.

[Bruno]

The cathedral I sing at has a coffee shop adjacent, AND there are no signs of debauchery.

[WOM]

WOM, when was the last time you were in a Cathedral?

The ones I visit tend to have a couple of dozen services a week and all kinds of other activities apart from any touristic attractions they offer.

Right, but you're a cathedral guy. They're obviously trying to attract a more diverse group. If not, the whole crazy golf thing wouldn't have happened.

[Ginger Yellow]

My question would be how relatively brainy Python were in the evolution of silly British humor, because another big part of their appeal over here was their braininess or nerdiness relative to much US humor of the time. Not that US humor wasn't ever clever, but Python were a refreshing alternative.

I suppose they were on the brainier end, especially compared to most sitcoms, say, but no more than Beyond The Fringe which was a direct inspiration. Maybe a little brainier than the Goon Show, which was if anything sillier than Python.

[ursus arctos]

It was decades before we had any access to Beyond the Fringe other than via imported LPs, which aren't the ideal medium for sketch shows.

[WOM]

Monty Python was for the brainier geeks in my high school. The same guys who were into XTC and Kate Bush and Squeeze. Literate nerds who weren't troubled by the time-consuming ladies....