Monty Python
At the end of last year, I indulged myself in A LOT of Monty Python content. I watched the show and the movies, and felt it was only right to feature them on on Friendly Fangirl podcast soon after. I thought about singling out John Cleese as he was my favorite to watch in most skits, with him being THE Black Knight.... but you know what, the whole squad deserves recognition. Enjoy this little blog post about a group of iconic British legends – Monty Python.
Alrighty, so that you are aware..... I literally got all my information from their wikipedia page so... Anyways - Monty Python consisted of the comedic legends John Cleese, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam. Most met through college and the Troupe worked a lot together in different comedic projects through the 60s prior to Monty Python. Cleese & Chapman were invited to do a show, but Cleese, wanting more than 2 people, invited Palin, who invited Jones and Idle, and Idle invited Gilliam. And lo and behold, its
I enjoyed the show immensely. Any time Cleese was on screen I was mesmerized. If Jones was playing a woman, dead. And if Terry Idle was on screen, especially with Cleese or Palin, I was laughing hysterically. My sense of humor fits with this show perfectly. The more chaotic the better. I would say my favorite sketch, well 2, is the dead parrot and the ministry of silly walks. There were other times when some of the satire caught me off guard in a “wow I can’t believe this was aired on TV in the 60s” kind of way. I’m sure no one needs to hear me say how revolutionary the Pythons were to comedy, British culture, and television.
It’s been fun reading a little behind the scenes of the show. This was a very collaborative project and the Pythons had almost total control and freedom to do anything. They wrote sketches and constantly held democratic discussions as to what would work and not work. Each writer wrote as the position as the writer, so no single member was trying push screen time on themselves by casting as their own lead. There are many shows and films out there where you just gotta step back admire, like wow, I don’t know who is responsible but they literally picked the perfect people to be cast and crew. The right place at the right time with the right people, Monty Python just worked...
And now for something completely different - literally, this is the title of the first movie they did. It’s just a compilation of sketches they did on the show re-filmed but still, it’s a hit if your favorite sketches are included. And now for something completely different for real this time, because I’m bringing up the Holy grail. This is usually a lot of people’s gate way to the Monty Python world. Like how kids who watched Labyrinth later became David Bowie fans when they were older. Holy Grail cemented the Pythons as legends. They pushed boundaries with the show, but his film was peak Python. It’s regarded as one of the greatest comedies of all time and is highly quotable. And the Black Knight is indeed objectively one of the funniest scenes in cinematic history.
Holy Grail along with the Life of Brian and the Meaning of Life are what I consider the Monty Python trilogy - this trilogy being the magnum opus of the legendary group of British icons. Life of Brian was set around New Testament times and was centered around Brian who was mistaken as the messiah. The Meaning of Life...... I think their goal was to really make everyone uncomfortable. Like..... I’m not just saying “wow can’t believe they got away with this in the 80s” - I can’t believe they made it at all. The sacred sperm song did it for me and by the time I got to the galaxy song it felt like this whole movie was a fever dream. Oh, did I mention it’s borderline musical? Guys, the Meaning of Life is a whole other level of dark humor and nothing prepared me for it. Applause to them. It’s an experience and a perfect way to end a Monty Python marathon......
So after the Meaning of Life, the Pythons have been doing their own thing. If you go to the Monty Python wikipedia page that I read, your reading assignment is the “going solo” section if you want to read more about their non-python careers. It’s actually cool that even without Monty Python, the troupe have still found ways to work together throughout the years, including films like A Fish Called Wanda, Time Bandits, Yellowbeard, 7 the Wind in the Willows. They have also had formal reunions, as one would expect when you’re a part of a culture phenomenon. Casts of groundbreaking projects have that bond, so it’s easy to say yes to reuniting whether that be on or off screen. Your other reading assignment is the cultural influence and legacy section, because..... From asteroid names to the name of a computer language. it’s a lot.
Britain just knows how to own culture. Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Shakespeare, James Bond – and thanks to John Cleese, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, Monty Python is part of the British repertoire in entertainment.
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