Monty Python Live...and extremely uncomfortable

[orangerful]

I've been a fan of Monty Python since I was a kid. We used to watch the show as a family on Saturday nights on public television. I watched Holy Grail over and over and made my friends watch it too (how my parents didn't get into trouble, I don't know).

Last year, the surviving Pythons did a live show, broadcast to theaters around the world. I didn't go but I noticed a few weeks ago that the library had the DVD so I put a hold on it. I thought it would be fun to watch and laugh at the classic Python bits.

But instead of laughing, I found myself feeling very uncomfortable.

I began to realize that I have an area of Python that I really love - usually bits that are on the more intellectual or weird side. The philosopher's soccer game. The penguin on the television set. Spanish Inquisition. BICYCLE REPAIRMAN! In other words, the earliest years of Monty Python. I think I only watched the first 3 seasons then would trail off.

But the live show was full of jokes from all the Python bits, bits that haven't aged as well. Most of them made fun of gay or transgender people. Or, at least, the crux of the joke was being gay.

Also, as far as musical numbers go, the Lumberjack Song is the only Python song I've ever really liked, with Always Look on the Bright Side of Life on my radar but not a favorite. Of course, Lumberjack is also problematic for the same reason - the joke is that he is a transvestite.

When I was 12, this was comedy gold. I thought it was hilarious. At 34, I found myself unable to laugh at it anymore. There was something unfunny about these old men performing these bits. I think I could probably watch the original sketches on DVD and find them amusing, but seeing it done today, knowing it was 2014 and they were still doing these jokes...I couldn't finish the show. I turned it off, I didn't want my memories of these bits sullied.

Have I lost my sense of humor? Was it ever funny? I guess I can just paraphrase the Pope when he was talking to Michaelangelo - I may not know comedy, but I know what I like.

Comments

[teaandfailure.livejournal.com]

I always liked Finland, Finland, Finland.

I do think some of the humor was very seventies, but I feel they redeemed themselves as times changed by changing things up - I have never actually seen Spamalot, but from what I'm told Lancelot actually marries with Prince Herbert at the end!

I don't want to excuse it by saying that was how things were at the time, because yeah, and it sucked that things were like that at the time, but I do think they grew as times did, and realized that was no longer and had not ever really been acceptable.

My brother and I were just as bad about Holy Grail. We are still very fond of the Bridge of Death.

[rhoda-rants.livejournal.com]

It is problematic, yeah. But with something like the "Lumberjack Song" that's such a classic, I can't imagine them going out and not performing it--even though times have changed.

But you're not wrong. It's a little hinky nowadays. Some of it more than a little.

[adam-0oo.livejournal.com]

No, that kind of thing happens to me all the time. Not all jokes age well. I don't mind that they made the joke at the time, but it is no longer funny to me.

Similar stuff happens with a lot of older hip hop, full of  SO much homophobic stuff, leads to lots of deleting of old mp3s.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've heard wonderful things about Spamalot! And I still love Holy Grail. I guess my knowledge of their complete sketches just didn't go into that realm. We had the record (A poke in the eye with a sharp stick) that I listened to a LOT which was pretty much a "best of the early stuff" album.

I know they have made comments about how they didn't know Chapman was gay and how they would've done a few things different if they had been more aware.

It was just jarring to see those old seventies skits performed live in 2014 without any real tweaking.

I remember when we camped out for Star Wars tickets overnight and about 3am we all started quoting Monty Python. Nothing gets a bunch of introvert nerds talking like shouting out a quote from Holy Grail. :)

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I think it just makes me think twice before recommending Python to anyone today. I will have to remember to be very specific about the sketches and era of the show I am referring to LOL.

And really the Lumberjack song is relatively nice about the whole thing. They do keep singing with him the entire time LOL. It could have gone worse!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think it just was seeing them perform the jokes to a 2014 audience that made it so awkward. Watching an old recording from the 70s I would have shrugged it off? I dunno, it's weird!

It's why I couldn't get through my rewatch of "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure". I really got tired of them calling each other "fag" ever time they hugged. I had blocked that out as a kid (probably didn't know what it meant) but it was jarring to hear to my adult ears.

[yourlibrarian]

Huh -- I can't remember where I saw it now but I could have sworn in some documentary they talked about how they did know that Chapman was gay, or that he'd be off with some guy or another. Maybe we're both right and they didn't know in the early years but by the time they were making the movies they did.

At any rate, I agree. Other than a few classic bits I haven't seen Python in some time even though Mike has their entire collection (including the content they did in German). But I don't doubt a good bit of it wouldn't fly with younger audiences today the way it did then.

[unusual-lullaby.livejournal.com]

To me, you just grow older and your interests or the way you think has changed..

[adam-0oo.livejournal.com]

Oh man, Bill and Ted is on my Netflix queue, I was looking forward to seeing it, but that might make it unwatchable. I don't blame the early 90's for sounding like that, everybody I know talked like that then too, but I don't know if I can handle it now.