# Eric Idle is still looking at the bright side, but is also cranky about some things **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2024, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498 "2024-02-13T00:45:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/41 "2024-02-20T05:48:28Z")
Well, we all know that Michael Palin has embarked upon a very impressive second career as a travel writer. And he’s gone to all kinds of exotic places and almost certainly eaten all kind of things that regular Western folks would consider to be, eh, a teensy bit different. So if, during one of those adventures, he happened to fall in love with the sweet, sweet taste of long pig, I think I’d be inclined to forgive him. But there’s really no excuse for turning into a Trump supporter. Even if he caught a brain disease from what he ate, I’d frankly still expect him to know better. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/42 "2024-02-20T10:31:53Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > But there’s really no excuse for turning into a Trump supporter. Even if he caught a brain disease from what he ate, I’d frankly still expect him to know better. Michael Palin is a trump supporter? Do you have a source for this, because all I see is his dislike for him? You don’t mean Sarah Palin? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2024, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/43 "2024-02-20T10:39:37Z")
> [@Smid](#): > > Michael Palin is a trump supporter? No, see the post it’s replying to… > [@Maserschmidt](#): > > > [@Snooooopy](#): > > > > Here’s to hoping that Palin doesn’t turn out to be a secret Donald Trump worshipper or cannibal > > But which would be worse? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2024, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/44 "2024-02-21T05:58:37Z")
Uh, he can’t vote here, so who cares? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2024, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/45 "2024-02-21T07:46:37Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > And he’s gone to all kinds of exotic places and almost certainly eaten all kind of things that regular Western folks would consider to be, eh, a teensy bit different. Crunchy frog, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2024, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/46 "2024-02-21T11:11:19Z")
Funnily enough, the one Python who could have voted against Trump, Terry Gilliam, renounced his citizenship during the George W. Bush years. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/47 "2024-02-22T03:35:29Z")
This came up in another discussion recently in comics… Artist/Writer Larry Hama (famous for his work on GI JOE in the 80s) posted a letter he received from a fan asking him for a free sketch and Hama went off. He stated that he’s 70 and would like to retire but can’t afford to that why he’s still working and writing comics. He doesnt get royalties from GI JOE, etc. He doesn’t charge for an autograph and his page rate hasnt changed in 30 years. Fans were shocked at this… and it led to a discussion that “famous doesnt mean rich.” Sure Idle could be pleading poor but poor is relative…Selling a house for millions… half that is going to taxes, and then famous actors tend to operate more like small businesses than regular folks. He probably has an assistant, accountant, staff etc. in order for him to keep working. You’ll often hear actors actually breaking down what they actually pocket from those big paychecks and its certainly not chump change but it also isn’t Eff Off money. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/48 "2024-02-22T16:44:40Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > This came up in another discussion recently in comics… Artist/Writer Larry Hama (famous for his work on GI JOE in the 80s) posted a letter he received from a fan asking him for a free sketch and Hama went off. He stated that he’s 70 and would like to retire but can’t afford to that why he’s still working and writing comics. He doesnt get royalties from GI JOE, etc. He doesn’t charge for an autograph and his page rate hasnt changed in 30 years. Fans were shocked at this… and it led to a discussion that “famous doesnt mean rich.” > > Sure Idle could be pleading poor but poor is relative…Selling a house for millions… half that is going to taxes, and then famous actors tend to operate more like small businesses than regular folks. He probably has an assistant, accountant, staff etc. in order for him to keep working. You’ll often hear actors actually breaking down what they actually pocket from those big paychecks and its certainly not chump change but it also isn’t Eff Off money. Isn’t the capital gains tax at 20%? I know selling a house isn’t treated like income. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/49 "2024-02-22T20:37:32Z")
Looks like Idle seems to have forgotten how Cleese and Gilliam helped him out when he was in a bit of a legal jam (the quick version: Idle was sued by one of the Holy Grail producers for a cut of the Spamalot profits, and won, so Cleese et al. got back together to do a few reunion shows in the UK to help raise money). There’s a _Spamalot_ movie in the works? Aren’t there enough movies based on musicals based on movies as it is? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/50 "2024-02-22T20:53:22Z")
_Spamalotomania!_. Not the cast of Spamalot, but an incredible simulation! ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/51 "2024-02-22T20:59:47Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Looks like Idle seems to have forgotten how Cleese and Gilliam helped him out when he was in a bit of a legal jam (the quick version: Idle was sued by one of the Holy Grail producers for a cut of the Spamalot profits, and won, so Cleese et al. got back together to do a few reunion shows in the UK to help raise money). > > There’s a _Spamalot_ movie in the works? Aren’t there enough movies based on musicals based on movies as it is? For those of you not in the NYC area maybe you haven’t heard. There are a lot of commercials here. Spamalot is back on Broadway. Not sure what kind of profit Idle sees from that. The current run doesn’t have the star power of the original. When I saw it Tim Curry had the day off but I did get to see Hank Azaria, David Hyde Pierce and Sara Ramirez. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2024, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/52 "2024-02-22T21:42:45Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > I’d be curious to see the average age of a Spamalot audience. I suspect it might be like classic rock band audiences - the audience they had when young is still mostly there, but now they have a lot of money. So you pay $500 for an Eagles ticket, and it looks like the money teain will go on forever. But if you look at the audience, it’s full of gray hair. What can’t last, won’t. I actually saw Spamalot on Broadway last December. I didn’t really pay attention to the age of the audience. But one of the reasons we picked Spamalot over other plays was because it was easier to find cheap tickets for Spamalot, and from what I’ve heard they’re having to sell a lot of discounted tickets to fill the seats, although I don’t have a cite for that. If that is the case their popularity may already be waning. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/53 "2024-02-23T14:45:30Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > This came up in another discussion recently in comics… Artist/Writer Larry Hama (famous for his work on GI JOE in the 80s) posted a letter he received from a fan asking him for a free sketch and Hama went off. He stated that he’s 70 and would like to retire but can’t afford to that why he’s still working and writing comics. He doesnt get royalties from GI JOE, etc. He doesn’t charge for an autograph and his page rate hasnt changed in 30 years. Fans were shocked at this… and it led to a discussion that “famous doesnt mean rich.” Peter David had to do a gofundme style fundraiser to pay of a tax bill that was going to sink him and his family. I don’t know if he managed money poorly, didn’t pay taxes, or how it all happened, but it isn’t unheard of for celebrities to need money. Edit: Anecdotally, Will Smith talked on Inside the Actor’s Studio that he didn’t realize when they pay you big bucks for TV And movies, they don’t take the taxes out. He ended up having to make a few movies free of charge in the sense he had to pay back taxes and penalties because they came after him. I can’t remember which movies he said this was for, but a couple of his blockbuster movies had his salary go straight back to the federal government. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/54 "2024-02-23T16:35:10Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Peter David had to do a gofundme style fundraiser to pay of a tax bill that was going to sink him and his family. I don’t know if he managed money poorly, didn’t pay taxes, or how it all happened, but it isn’t unheard of for celebrities to need money. I’ve heard, though I don’t know for certain, that it’s related in some way to the expenses associated with his divorce from his first wife. In more recent years, he’s also had various health problems (stroke, diabetes, and kidney problems) which might also have used up a lot of his money. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/55 "2024-02-23T16:48:19Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > I’ve heard, though I don’t know for certain, that it’s related in some way to the expenses associated with his divorce from his first wife. In more recent years, he’s also had various health problems (stroke, diabetes, and kidney problems) which might also have used up a lot of his money Reminds me of Dave Foley. I believe a Doper saw him at an airport and had drinks with him at a bar. He explained that his alimony payments were based off his News Radio salary and he doesn’t earn close to that anymore and it took most of his money. I hope he turned it around. He’s one of the Daves I know! ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/56 "2024-02-23T16:56:52Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > > [@Tamerlane](#): > > > > Probably does enjoy biting the heads off live kittens, though. > > And nailing dead bird’s feet to perches. “The only way I can lose this career is if I’m caught with either a dead bird or a live kitten.” ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2024, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498/57 "2024-02-23T18:50:00Z")
Alimony should be (and is) revisited when there is an income change to the payee. Foley should have given the court his tax returns and had it lowered and if he got on a new series, it would go back up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eric-idle-is-still-looking-at-the-bright-side-but-is-also-cranky-about-some-things/997498.md?page=2)