The Controversies of Monty Python

Throughout interviews and conversations with others, the members of Monty Python have proved themselves to be racist. Why should we continue to support a movie created by racists?

Life of Brian uses shocking humor to amuse it's audience, but there is a fine line between jokes acceptable to society and being offensive to the audience by reinforcing harmful stereotypes. Until now, Monty Python has been able to get away with these jokes since there is a large grey area surrounding the jokes and what they are truly meant to be.

Terry Gilliam

“ I no longer want to be a white male, I don’t want to be blamed for everything wrong in the world: I tell the world now I’m a black lesbian... My name is Loretta and I’m a BLT, a black lesbian in transition.” -Terry Gilliam

In an interview with Alexandra Pollard, Terry Gilliam discusses sensitive topics such as the #MeToo movement, sexual assault, trials of being a white man and how he's now a black lesbian in transition. Amidst all these controversial topics, he admits to fully well knowing that he was being offensive and making light of such hardships. He also has on record claimed that men are the victims and are blamed for everything that's wrong with the world. Then he proceeds to say he refers to himself as a "melanin-light male" because the terms black and white are too trivial. When people get offended at what he says, he claims they are choosing to be offended and that's not his problem. All these things combined prove how he is not someone we should be supporting. He clearly doesn't find sympathy for those going through such problems he makes fun of and to that; we need to stop giving him support or money for his Monty Python creations.

John Cleese

"And similarly, if I can make jokes about Americans or English or Germans but I can’t make jokes about black people, then the question is this: When will we be able to treat black people in the same way that we treat Germans?"-John Cleese

In Life of Brian's opening scene with the three wise men, John Cleese is seen doing blackface. Now this isn't his only racist offense. In an interview he had with ___, he claims that we should be able to make comedy about black people the same we can with Germans and references a comedy show in which the characters make a joke about the Vietnamese war. After this comment, he continues to make a joke about the difference between white people story-telling and black people story-telling. To this, the interviewer shows his discomfort but John Cleese keeps going, now making a joke about Mexican people. At this point, the interviewer finally shifts the topic, clearly not comfortable with what John Cleese was saying. Although Cleese expresses that there's nothing wrong about the joke because he made the Mexicans the hero's at the end of the joke, and that's all that matters.

But Life of Brian Isn't Racist? Shouldn't We Separate the Art From The Artist?

No. Art is created from how the artist sees the world and those around them. If Monty Python is racist or makes racist jokes outside of the show, the affect it can have against the minority groups even if it isn't in the movie itself. The people who create the show represent it and should have responsibility to not be racist or sexist when the camera is or isn't rolling. Art is also a means of income, by supporting Monty Python's Life of Brian, we are inherently supporting those who are profiting off it. Even if the money given to them is as miniscule as forty cents, that's still forty cents more to enable their behaviors.