John Cleese drops out of Cambridge Union talk

[crazyg]

born in 1970, so around 1984-86 i was in secondary school learning history...you can quickly get bored of kings chopping their wives heads off and peasants chopping other kings heads off, so I asked the history teacher when we will be learning about the world wars..."I'm not allowed to teach you about them" was his reply.

Not good this glossing history malarky

And you try and tell the young people of today that, and they won't believe you.

 

[youngbob]

If I was as rich and famous and old as John Cleese I would simply put my feet up and cut myself off from the world instead of spending my remaining days stressing about "cancel culture" and staging bizarre publicity stunts that are clearly geared towards promoting his upcoming documentary series.

 

[bluetonium]

So would the Hitler sketch in Fawlty towers be banned now? I seem to remember something last year about episodes of Fawlty towers being taken off a platform whilst the BBC 'reviewed' them?

I'd be very interested especially to hear from any younger generations on this, do they find the sketch funny or offensive? Or is it just these pockets of people who seem to go around being offended on behalf of people who may be offended?

 

[Saddleworth2]

So would the Hitler sketch in Fawlty towers be banned now? I seem to remember something last year about episodes of Fawlty towers being taken off a platform whilst the BBC 'reviewed' them?

I'd be very interested especially to hear from any younger generations on this, do they find the sketch funny or offensive? Or is it just these pockets of people who seem to go around being offended on behalf of people who may be offended?

They were indeed but it was the 'major' that came under scrutiny for his description of the Indian and West Indian cricket teams. I think they let it go without a cut but inserted that it contained language 'of the time' that might give offence.
TBF with todays lens it was very offensive.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

If I was as rich and famous and old as John Cleese I would simply put my feet up and cut myself off from the world instead of spending my remaining days stressing about "cancel culture" and staging bizarre publicity stunts that are clearly geared towards promoting his upcoming documentary series.

You're saying that he arranged for the original speaker to do a Hitler impression and then for the university to ban him so that he can stage this?

Personally I think he's done the right thing, in the face of what's gone before, because he'd be called out as a hypocrite, surely.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

They were indeed but it was the 'major' that came under scrutiny for his description of the Indian and West Indian cricket teams. I think they let it go without a cut but inserted that it contained language 'of the time' that might give offence.
TBF with todays lens it was very offensive.

I'm as liberal leftie wokie snowflakey as they come, and I know every Fawlty Towers off by heart. I don't find that line offensive. I find it funny and is taking the piss out of the Major, not foreigners.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

the art historian Andrew Graham-Dixon was responding to a motion that “this House believes there is no such thing as good taste”.
He replied in a mock Nazi accent using satire.
Unfortunately a bunch of over cosseted pissed snowflakes who clearly don’t understand nuance took offence and banned him.
Several artists as well as Cleese have told Cambridge to fuck off in support of Dixon.
Good for them.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

If I was as rich and famous and old as John Cleese I would simply put my feet up and cut myself off from the world instead of spending my remaining days stressing about "cancel culture" and staging bizarre publicity stunts that are clearly geared towards promoting his upcoming documentary series.

Nonsense

 

[Saddleworth2]

I'm as liberal leftie wokie snowflakey as they come, and I know every Fawlty Towers off by heart. I don't find that line offensive. I find it funny and is taking the piss out of the Major, not foreigners.

Yes I know it is mate And I too know every word. You couldn’t use those words today though irrespective of the context And I’m not particularly leftie woke or a snowflake.

 

[inbetween]

I'm as liberal leftie wokie snowflakey as they come, and I know every Fawlty Towers off by heart. I don't find that line offensive. I find it funny and is taking the piss out of the Major, not foreigners.

At the end of the day they're comedies and not political programmes. The kind of things said in Fawlty Towers or Fools and Horses are VERY tame even by todays standards.

It's funny for example that some people are offended by these programmes but aren't offended by the horrendous language used in today's music.