Tony Grist (poliphilo) wrote,
Tony Grist
poliphilo

Resuscitating The Parrot

Radio 4 had the bright idea of sitting some contemporary six formers down in front of the dead parrot sketch. None of them found it particularly funny. It was slow, silly, not their style. That's the trouble with cutting edge humour; It goes blunt very quickly. Funny things are only funny in context. John Cleese doing a silly walk in a bowler hat depended on there still being bowler hats to be seen on the streets of London. They're gone now and the joke dies along with the cultural signifier.

Python was very wonderful and important in its time. I loved it. But I'm not remotely interested in getting tickets for the reunion- or at laughing at the memory of a laugh. I gather John Cleese isn't as rich as he thinks he ought to be- though I bet he's richer than anyone who lives round here. 
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  • 11 comments

  • Burra

    Edward Burra lived just up the coast- at Playden on the outskirts of Rye. I'm currently reading his biography by Jane Stevenson. It was a…

  • Anagram

    "Why am I not asleep?" I asked the universe at 2.45 this morning. "Please let me be asleep." "Did you know," replied…

  • Night Vision

    I woke in the night and my bedside clock was displaying the numbers 1.11. "Wow," I thought- "A symbol of the Trinity- three in one and…