Morphing from a ‘dead parrot to a canary in the mine’

Jun 6, 2019 by

by Gavin Ashenden:

The victimhood of John Cleese, defender of the Holy Grail of free speech. 

When is a dead parrot not a dead parrot? Answer:- when it is a canary in a coal mine.

John Cleese is one of the funniest men of our age. What makes him really funny is that his jokes tell the truth. It’s usually an uncomfortable truth that people need to hear. The ministry of silly walks was a parody of  body language and right-wing power. “Don’t mention the war” wasn’t just about the comfort of Germans it was about living with neurosis when reality becomes too challenging. The dead parrot sketch- “he’s dead,” “No, he’s resting,” was an ever timely another dig at public and private lying in and out of the market place.

John Cleese with Monty Python used to mock vested interests mercilessly. Pomposity and power got poked repeatedly.  It wasn’t so much a matter of speaking truth to power, but putting a banana skin under power’s feet, and laughing as it fell flat on its face.

With the two Ronnie’s, there was an unforgettable skit on class; ‘I look up to him, but I look down on him.”

The Life of Brian annoyed many Christians, but mainly they were wrong to be so offended. Bar the ending (which actually was tasteless and offensive, but you can’t get everything right) it was an expose of not of faith but of gullibility, stupidity and vested interest.

Nothing was safe from their wit.

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