10 Replies to “Happy 40th Monty Python!”

  1. My favorite bit is from “Life of Brian” – What’s Rome done for us? The best takedown of Leftist political organizations ever. (Of course it applies equally to any radical ideologies that aim to dismantle the prevailing order.)

  2. Love that one! And the part where half the crowd worships the sandal that falls off Brian’s foot and half removes their sandals and starts limping is priceless, too. But I have a special fondness for “Holy Grail.” It’s just inspired silliness all the way through.

  3. I had a seminary professor who scared the BeJeebus out of me. She insisted – much to my astonishment – that no one should graduate seminary until A) they watched Life of Brian, and 2) they laughed at all the intended places. Getting the joke is a whole lot like enlightenment. She still scared me for many years after graduation, but at least we had a point for common conversation.
    But don’t forget “Meaning of Life”…”Every sperm is sacred!
    Always look on the Biiiiiirght Siiiide of Life!

  5. My favourite sketches would have to be the Argument Clinic, the Travel Agency (with Mr. Smoke-too-much) and the Working Class Playwright. And Dead Parrot and Dirty Fork, naturally.
    From the movies, pretty much every scene of Holy Grail, but especially the “Stay here and make sure he doesn’t leave the room,” scene and the witch trial. From Life of Brian, probably the “What have the Romans done for us?” scene and the “Romans Go Home,” scene.

  6. Toby,
    Pretty much all of the commentaries on B’net seem to spring from the “I’m here for an argument” sketch.

  8. “Look, if I argue with you I must take up a contrary position.”
    “But that isn’t just saying ‘No it isn’t.'”
    “Yes it is.”
    “No it isn’t!”
    Every single line of that sketch is gold, although I especially love it when he walks into the Complaints Department and then “Getting Hit on the Head Lessons.” And the policeman arresting them for “ending every bleeding sketch by having a policeman walk in and… Hang on a minute!”
    Another one I forgot to mention is the Agatha Christie sketch. First John Cleese as Inspector Tiger, Eric Idle as Chief Inspector Lookout of the Yard, Terry Jones as Assistant Chief Constable as Theresamanbehindyer and finally Michael Palin as Constable Fire.

  9. And I love the Ministry of Silly Walks and the martial arts instructor whose lessons are all about being attacked by fruit. Slate’s Culture Gabfest had an insightful discussion about Monty Python this week. They said what keeps it so refreshing is that the humor is not based in irony or snark.

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