# It pains me, Mr. Idle, to pit you, but pit you I must. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 21, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989 "2007-05-21T21:50:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/1 "2007-05-21T21:50:43Z")
Because you’re a legend, Og dammit. A fucking _legend_. Monty Python is the _bible_ of English comedy. Even your appearances in post-Python movies was always a treat. But now you’re just being a twat. (No, not you **tvvat**.) So you, along with fellow Pythonite John Cleese, provided voices for the latest in the Shrek installments. Great! And then you start bandying about words like “steal” and “[lawsuit](http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007230289,00.html)” because you found out after the fact that they riffed on your coconuts-as-horse-hoof-sound-maker bit from _The Holy Grail_. Dude, come on. WTF? I realize you’re getting on in years and all, but you’re _still_ Eric Idle, and you’re still working steadily. Now is not the time to start with the “get off my lawn” routine. Whatever your opinion, it was an _homage_ to your greatness and the greatness of the Monty Python team. They’re paying you a fucking _compliment_, dude! And you wanna sue them for that? O, Mr. Idle, how you disappoint me. I will never listen to “Always Look On The Bright Side of Life” the same way again. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/2 "2007-05-21T21:54:31Z")
Is it just me, or has Idle had the most underwhelming post-Python output of anybody from the show? Well, other than that slacker Chapman. Thinks a little terminal cancer is reason enough to quit showbiz? Fuckin’ amateur. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/3 "2007-05-21T21:57:25Z")
Splitter! ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/4 "2007-05-21T21:58:02Z")
Yeah, I’d like to see that courtroom drama. “Your Honor, we do not deny that we took the idea of “coconuts-as-horse-hoof-sound-maker” from Mr. Idle’s work. It’s called lampooning a classic for satirical purposes. I had thought Mr. Idle would be acquainted with the concept …” ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/5 "2007-05-21T22:01:03Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Is it just me, or has Idle had the most underwhelming post-Python output of anybody from the show? [/QUOTE] You mean other than writing the book and score for **Spamalot** , which went on to get 14 Tony nominations (including 2 for Idle himself)? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/6 "2007-05-21T22:02:39Z")
Can you copyright a sight gag? Did Idle even really invent that gag himself? Eric needs to relax. It’s not like they started talking about swallows or anything. I doubt he’s got a case. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/7 "2007-05-21T22:02:49Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] And you wanna sue them for that? [/QUOTE] “I’m invincible!” “You’re a loony.” ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/8 "2007-05-21T22:07:52Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] You mean other than writing the book and score for **Spamalot** , which went on to get 14 Tony nominations (including 2 for Idle himself)? [/QUOTE] All right, but _other than that_ what has he done for us? Nothing! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Hildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Johnny\_Hildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Hildo)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/9 "2007-05-21T22:11:31Z")
[QUOTE=Ponder Stibbons] Yeah, I’d like to see that courtroom drama. “Your Honor, we do not deny that we took the idea of “coconuts-as-horse-hoof-sound-maker” from Mr. Idle’s work. It’s called lampooning a classic for satirical purposes. I had thought Mr. Idle would be acquainted with the concept …” [/QUOTE] Screw that. Old radio sound effects men should sue HIM. ---
**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:** [May 21, 2007, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/10 "2007-05-21T22:23:24Z")
Somehow, this [clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykN-00i7VVs) seems appropriate under the circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/11 "2007-05-21T22:24:19Z")
I haven’t seen the movie yet, so fill me in on the details. Did they actually show knights riding broomstick ponies, while coconut-cloppers walked behind them? Or was it just a sound effect, without the sight gag? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/12 "2007-05-21T22:43:03Z")
A while back I read a lengthy account of how thoroughly Eric Idle screwed Neil Innes over the Rutles _Archaeology_ project, and was left with the inescapable and dismaying conclusion that Idle, of whom I was once a huge fan, is a petty, venal, grasping, and treacherous rat bastard. Unfortunately I can’t find that website now; I expect _someone_ has had it taken down. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/13 "2007-05-21T22:57:41Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] I haven’t seen the movie yet, so fill me in on the details. Did they actually show knights riding broomstick ponies, while coconut-cloppers walked behind them? Or was it just a sound effect, without the sight gag? [/QUOTE] There’s a scene at the beginning of the movie where Prince Charming is performing dinner theater. You see him seemingly galloping on a horse while scenery races by, then the camera pulls back to show that he’s on a stick horse and that a stage hand is making the coconut clop-clop sounds (the scenery is a scrolling, painted backdrop). ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/14 "2007-05-21T23:22:15Z")
Is it weird to have initially thought this was a pitting of me? :o ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/15 "2007-05-21T23:28:47Z")
It’s funny. I’d heard a while back about a few of the relatively dumb things Idle had done (though I can’t for the life of me recall what now), but this bit here really is about as petty and venal as you can get. It wasn’t even really a direct parody – it wasn’t a broomstick, he wasn’t riding it like he was mentally deluded enough to think it was a real horse, and it wasn’t a running gag throughout the movie. It was a one-off, several-second, on-the-sly _nudge-nudge-wink-wink_ moment in Eric’s general direction. Were it me in his position I’d be giggling madly. But no. Eric takes it as a personal and blatant _theft_ of his material right from under his nose. Eric, you need to take a bottle of chill pills. Now go away or I will taunt you a second time. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/16 "2007-05-21T23:30:51Z")
[QUOTE=Idle Thoughts] Is it weird to have initially thought this was a pitting of me? :o [/QUOTE] Have you done anything pitworthy? Because we can make room in the thread… ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/17 "2007-05-21T23:32:45Z")
Eric has often come across as an insecure thin-skinned ass in interviews. I could understand it when he was doing schlock like the godawful & shortlived Topper ripoff [Nearly Departed](http://imdb.com/title/tt0096659/) and lots of really lackluster comedies, but now that _Spamalot_ has earned him accolades and I am guessing truckloads of money I’d have thought he’d be in his happy place. Guess not. (Anyone see the Tony Awards when Spamalot was up, incidentally? Eric appeared in a gold tuxedo jacket [gauche] and was visibly pissed when he didn’t win- he was evidently expecting a Mel Brooks/_Producers_ like juggernaut. He’s always been at his most bitter when discussing the post-Python success of Cleese, particularly the fact that Cleese was paid a fortune for a cameo in Eric’s flop [Splitting Heirs](http://imdb.com/title/tt0108207/)- evidently Cleese didn’t give him a “fellow Python” discount and Eric said “It cost more for his few minutes in the film than it cost to make _Holy Grail_”. (I’m not sure if Idle’s the one who when asked what he’d do if he received a multimillion dollar paycheck ala Murphy or Carrey said “Give it to my mate John Cleese so that he could take a day off”- Cleese’s fortune comes not just from _Fawlty Towers_ and his post Python movies, incidentally, but from an extremely lucrative and highly regarded series of corporate training videos and good investments). I’ve also heard Idle bash Palin’s _Around the World_ series of series. _Holy Grail_ earned all the Pythons reasonable fortunes since it was extremely low budget and they all owned a percentage and it was a huge hit that’s never stopped generating revenue. They all own a percentage of _Spamalot_ also, though how much I’m not sure and Eric Idle owns the lion’s share as producer/writer of the additional bits; I know Cleese appears in the show as a recorded voice of God and I think all the Pythons have wandered onto stage once or twice in cameos when in London or NYC. In interviews Terry Jones seems to be happiest: he lives quietly, works when the spirit moves him, indulges his love of medieval history and microbrewery, and gets adulation when he desires it, and his miniseries on _The Crusades_ was one of the finest documentaries I’ve ever seen in using humor and primary sources together. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/18 "2007-05-22T00:17:53Z")
Despite the negative personal views already expressed in this thread, is there any chance that Idle is having a bit of fun, himself, stirring up a bit of imaginary conflict? The only reference I can find was to the radio interview quoted by The Sun, (and I have an innate suspicion of morning drive radio), so I am not sure how serious this bit might be. ETA: Idle attended the premier on Friday night and waited until a morning radio program on Monday to express his outrage? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/19 "2007-05-22T00:56:48Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] Despite the negative personal views already expressed in this thread, is there any chance that Idle is having a bit of fun, himself, stirring up a bit of imaginary conflict? The only reference I can find was to the radio interview quoted by The Sun, (and I have an innate suspicion of morning drive radio), so I am not sure how serious this bit might be. ETA: Idle attended the premier on Friday night and waited until a morning radio program on Monday to express his outrage? [/QUOTE] Reading the article again, I think you might be right. Idle’s quoted comments could easily have been made with tongue in cheek, and this _is_ The Sun we’re talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989/20 "2007-05-22T01:03:06Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] It was a one-off, several-second, on-the-sly _nudge-nudge-wink-wink_ moment in Eric’s general direction. [/QUOTE] Your summons to court will arrive in the mail shortly :mad: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-pains-me-mr-idle-to-pit-you-but-pit-you-i-must/404989.md?page=2)