No Laughing Matter: ‘Life of Brian’ is the Latest Battleground for the Future of Comedy

https://themessenger.com ^ | June 2, 2023 | Jonathan Turley

[Bob434]

So far Dave Chapelle hasn’t let the Debbie downers affect his comedy

[Red Badger]

Ping!....................

[heartwood]

It’s not a movie that needs to be or should be remade.

If Cleese could dial up the anti-woke satire that would be great, but it would be career death for actors to say the lines.

[Red Badger]

He’s an established comic. He doesn’t have to worry much about criticism.................

[dfwgator]

Considering that the late Graham Chapman was out even while the original Python show was on TV, I wonder what he’d think about all this.

[Red Badger]

It can’t be remade in today’s WOKE world.

Neither could Blazing Saddles or Airplane! The Movie.

No jokes about people in any way, shape or function. Doesn’t leave much.

For a joke to be funny, it must have, at its core, a grain of truthfulness...................

[Tench_Coxe]

"One of the favorite targets of the Monty Python troupe was political activists who lacked any humor or self-awareness."

This is why there is the push. Because at some level the activist realizes the truth of their position is exposed.

[BBQToadRibs2]

Can you imagine trying to make “Blazing Saddles” or “The Producers” today? The number of triggered snowflakes out there running for their safe spaces would be epic!

[dfwgator]

Before Rush, the Pythons were the masters of “Demonstrating absurdity by being absurd.”

[Red Badger]

He’d think it silly...................

[Lurker]

It’s the Judean Peoples Front.

L

[JusPasenThru]

Woo hoo! This one has spiwit.

[SamAdams76]

Even decades later, the humor of the Monty Python movies is razor sharp.

[dfwgator]

[Red Badger]

The left, and dictators in general, cannot stand being mocked.

Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals #5:

5. “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.

[gundog]

It’s a stage production.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

A bunch of humorless functionaries review a hilarious script to remove every line that might offend someone. The result is a virtual haiku of disconnected observations without a punchline.

That happened long ago to Blazing Saddles as it was shown on TV. I bought my DVD of it about 15 years ago. Still watch it sometimes, even though I pretty much have the whole thing memorized by now.

[dfwgator]

I have a theory that by now every line of Blazing Saddles has appeared in at least one FR thread.

[heartwood]

That’s what I get for skimming...