# John Cleese Cancels Himself **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comedian-jokes\ **Created:** [November 11, 2021, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188 "2021-11-11T14:19:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/1 "2021-11-11T14:19:40Z")
[John Cleese cancels his Cambridge Union Performance](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/nov/10/john-cleese-pulls-out-of-cambridge-union-event-over-woke-rules). I can see his point. He did impersonate Hitler (as Hilter) in his Monty Python days. “If he opens his big mouth again, IT’S LAMPSHADE TIME!!!” I hate what’s happening to comedy these days. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/2 "2021-11-11T14:24:57Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > I hate what’s happening to comedy these days. Just comedy? 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/3 "2021-11-11T14:29:35Z")
Jeepers. How many other comedians who did their best work fifty years ago even get invites? I’m seeing a bit of “Look at me! I’m still relevant!” from our esteemed Mr Cleese. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/4 "2021-11-11T14:34:03Z")
Not if you read into the story. I think Cleese is right in this case. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/5 "2021-11-11T14:41:02Z")
“John Cleese Cancels Himself” On the other hand, that would be a good title for an HBO or Netflix special. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/6 "2021-11-11T14:53:48Z")
So John Cleese got offended because other people were offended. It’s not okay that they act on their offense, but it is for him. The thing is, I’d actually be okay with him saying something like “The guy didn’t mean any harm. He was making a point, and is clearly anti-Hitler. I think you guys shouldn’t ban him.” The issue I have is the passive aggressiveness, and the “I’m gonna show them” attitude. It’s just childish, and not in a funny way. I actually would argue that the guy in question, since he apologized like an adult, should not be banned. But that I’d love it if they unbanned that guy, but told Cleese not to bother coming. And I cringe at the idea of Cleese doing a “woke culture” documentary, given his attitude. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/7 "2021-11-11T14:57:54Z")
I forget where I heard this: Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right. And yeah, I mean the original banned list makers. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/8 "2021-11-11T15:19:32Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > And I cringe at the idea of Cleese doing a “woke culture” documentary, given his attitude. And I can’t wait for it to be aired, and many more like it by similarly minded advocates of classic liberalism. > [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > I forget where I heard this: Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right. You may be thinking about Richard Dawkins and Stephen Fry who have both been quoted saying, “Oh, you’re offended… So fucking what? What’s your argument?” Rowan Atkinson, Christopher Hitchens, among others, have expressed similar sentiments. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/9 "2021-11-11T15:22:48Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > You may be thinking about Richard Dawkins and Stephen Fry who have both been quoted saying, “Oh, you’re offended… So fucking what? What’s your argument?” Rowan Atkinson, Christopher Hitchens, among others, have expressed similar sentiments. No, it was a direct quote, and not by those guys. I think I read it somewhere, and fairly recently, but I cannot at all remember where. I hate getting old almost as much as I hate what’s happening to comedy. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/10 "2021-11-11T15:24:01Z")
It’s not the duty of the audience to find whatever the entertainer does funny, it’s the duty of the entertainer to find ways to entertain the audience. If a more modern audience doesn’t find genocide references funny, maybe an act from forty years ago that references genocide shouldn’t be one the entertainer tries to put on. Put more simply: read the room ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/11 "2021-11-11T15:29:32Z")
> [@wevets](#): > > If a more modern audience doesn’t find genocide references funny, maybe an act from forty years ago that references genocide shouldn’t be one the entertainer tries to put on. > > Put more simply: read the room Ricky Gervais, in one of his most recent specials, does a bit about Hitler in conversation with Nietzsche and the holocaust. Killed (no pun intended) is some very large rooms. But if some in the audience didn’t find it funny, then the joke wasn’t for them and they could just move on. There will be others. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/12 "2021-11-11T15:31:01Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > But if some in the audience didn’t find it funny, then the joke wasn’t for them and they could just move on. There will be others. The _society_ as a whole banned Graham-Dixon, this wasn’t a case of a few people in the audience ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/13 "2021-11-11T15:42:21Z")
He had me until he decried “woke culture”. These days that’s code for right wing nuttery. See Kaaron Rodgers. I bet Cleese (or Rodgers) doesn’t even understand what “woke” means. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/14 "2021-11-11T15:45:14Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I bet Cleese (or Rodgers) doesn’t even understand what “woke” means. So what does it mean? I ask as I suspect you’re wrong about Mr. Cleese’s understanding. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/15 "2021-11-11T15:50:32Z")
Why I support John Cleese is they blacklisted a professor over his words but this is what they say they stand for: [https://cus.org/](https://cus.org/) > Defending Free Speech Since 1815… I find it hard to reconcile and support John Cleese humorously blacklisting himself to point out their hypocrisy. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/16 "2021-11-11T16:15:57Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > So what does it mean? It mean being aware of social injustice. It’s a GOOD thing. What Cleese is complaining against is either hypocrisy, “cancel culture” (which is a different thing), or he’s desperately trying to remain relevant. “Look at me! I’m edgy!” But the right uses “woke” as an insult akin to “liberal” or “wussy”. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/17 "2021-11-11T16:21:22Z")
OK, my read is this whole thing is about the hypocrisy of CUS. I’m pretty sure Mr. Cleese would agree on the definition of woke but would tell you “woke culture” means something else. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/18 "2021-11-11T16:29:29Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > “woke culture” means something else. I can accept that. But I’d lump it under cancel culture. Woke: Telling jokes about Hitler might not be funny, depending on context, and should be discouraged. Cancel culture: OMG you said HITLER in public. You must be publicly shamed! And anyone that defends you must lose their job. Sometimes the right is correct about cancel culture. But it isn’t the same as woke. For Rodgers: Woke: People should get vaccinated for the good of all, because some don’t have the ability to fully protect themselves because of inequities. Cancel culture: Anyone that doesn’t get vaccinated should be forced to live in camps with other unvaccinated people. Rodgers: People are mean to me, therefore they are “woke” and “cancelling me”. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/19 "2021-11-11T16:31:13Z")
Fair enough, I think we actually agree. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/20 "2021-11-11T16:32:38Z")
Sheesh - what a scary headline. I thought you were saying he had committed suicide! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188.md?page=2)