# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/61 "2021-11-13T03:54:09Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Cleese, your current stuff isn’t relevant, and your old stuff is funny in the way Punch and Judy are funny. I just got home from watching Clifford the Big Red Dog. He did a pretty good job as Mr. Bridwell. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/62 "2021-11-13T12:47:20Z")
Complaining about wokism and cancel culture is like three syllables off from “kids these days.” ---
**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 13, 2021, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/63 "2021-11-13T14:16:22Z")
> **[Cambridge University debating society drops speaker blacklist](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-59254677.amp)** > > The president of a Cambridge University society says guest speakers "may say what they wish". Seems like John Cleese did very well. ---
**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 13, 2021, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/64 "2021-11-13T14:25:27Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Complaining about wokism and cancel culture is like three syllables off from “kids these days.” Tell that to Kaaron Rodgers. I hear he’s pretty young. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/65 "2021-11-13T14:28:38Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](#): > > And I still plan to watch Don Rickles on YouTube, and _All in the Family_ reruns. How brave. ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/66 "2021-11-13T14:55:16Z")
> [@Jay\_Z](#): > > The performer seems to be going for a quasi realistic recreation of Hitler’s speeches, speech, or some amalgamation thereof. The question is why present day audiences need to listen to this, instead of other points of view. I don’t need to empathize with Hitler. I’ll empathize with Hitler after I empathize with the millions of people he was responsible for killing, which is to say never. If you are just presenting Hitler’s speech or performance without more satire or presenting the impact of what he did, then yes, I think your art is bad and offensive. > [@RitterSport](#): > > This professor or whatever wasn’t mocking him, at least from that video. He seemed to be trying to make Hitler a sympathetic character or something. I can’t see how anyone would find that a sympathetic character with the exaggerated tones and blaming the Jews and Negros. ---
**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 13, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/67 "2021-11-13T14:58:44Z")
> [@Tfletch1](#): > > I can’t see how anyone would find that a sympathetic character with the exaggerated tones and blaming the Jews and Negros If one is a white supremacist or nazi, it would be easy to find him sympathetic. Millions of 1930s Germans did exactly that, from listening to those same kind of speeches. ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/68 "2021-11-13T15:16:44Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > If one is a white supremacist or nazi, it would be easy to find him sympathetic. Millions of 1930s Germans did exactly that, from listening to those same kind of speeches. I thought his audience were a bunch of university students, not white supremacists and nazis. > [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](#): > > The debate was about whether “taste” exists. Whether it’s possible for something to be in good taste or bad taste. > > It is obvious in that context that the purpose of the performance was not to make you empathize with Hitler. He did something in very bad taste to demonstrate what bad taste is, and why it can be connected to something significant. > > I don’t care what John Cleese has to say about anything but it is a little weird to see people assuming that the most likely thing that was happening here is just that a guy decided he wanted to act like Hitler. Just like a straight up Hitler type vibe, is what he thought would be cool. Okay, so this supports my point even further. Whether or not he thought his performance was in bad taste, to me, he was mimicking Hitler trying to defend his mediocre art by blaming the Jews and Negros for the modern art trends. Hitler’s defense of his bad taste in art was to prove that he had bad taste. It would be kind of awesomely meta if the professor was also including his own performance in bad taste to make a point. ---
**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 13, 2021, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/69 "2021-11-13T15:23:33Z")
> [@Tfletch1](#): > > I thought his audience were a bunch of university students, not white supremacists and nazis. You’re silly if you think there isn’t crossover between those groups. I’m neither defending or attacking the man, but I wouldn’t have heard of him were it not for this. But, if I were of a white supremacist mindset, I might look up more. ---
**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 13, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/70 "2021-11-13T15:24:11Z")
Generally speaking, blacklisting people is a bad idea. A very bad idea and I’m glad Cleese made a humorous stand against it and succeeded. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/71 "2021-11-13T15:24:34Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > [Cambridge University debating society drops speaker blacklist - BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-59254677.amp) > > Seems like John Cleese did very well. Wow, Bradwell is a little sniveling worm. He says this is somehow him misspeaking: “We will create a blacklist of speakers never to be invited back, and we will share it with other unions too. Andrew will be on that list.” Seems like pretty detailed plan for some one who “misspoke”. He also says that he’ll still tell the next society president that Graham-Dixon shouldn’t be invited back. So, he’s still got a list, it just one he’s not writing down so you can see it and challenge it. I still don’t see any reason to disagree with Cleese on this one. My support is becoming firmer, if anything. ---
**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 13, 2021, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/72 "2021-11-13T15:25:37Z")
We agree, see post 4 > [@John Cleese Cancels Himself](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/4): > > Not if you read into the story. I think Cleese is right in this case. This is on a much lesser scale thankfully and looks like it has been stopped early, but having known (a little) someone who was blacklisted by McCarthy, Cleese did very good here. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/73 "2021-11-13T15:27:31Z")
Oh no, I don’t think we disagree. Sorry for making that seem like it might be the case. I was just really astounded at how he could say they wouldn’t have a list, but then basically started talking about how he’d have a list in the same walk back. ---
**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 13, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/74 "2021-11-13T15:28:13Z")
It is if you watch during working hours. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/75 "2021-11-13T15:33:54Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Complaining about wokism and cancel culture is like three syllables off from “kids these days.” And depending on the source and context, specially coming from right-wing propagandists out there, it is clear to me that many right wingers do use now as a substitute for the “N\*\*\*\* Lovers” slur that back then attempted to discourage any moves from non bigoted groups or important individuals towards blacks and other minorities. ---
**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 13, 2021, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/76 "2021-11-13T15:39:14Z")
> [@Tfletch1](#): > > It would be kind of awesomely meta if the professor was also including his own performance in bad taste to make a point. That’s the point of art. You can take offense with very little provocation. Or you can peel back the layers and think a little harder. For instance, what should we think of [him](https://publicdelivery.org/maurizio-cattelan-him/)? Does it change the manner in which we think of “him” if we know that the man who last owned “him” was a Jewish art collector whose family suffered at “his” hands. What of the fact that he appears to have profited from its sale? Is that too in “bad taste”? ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/77 "2021-11-13T15:45:39Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > [@Tfletch1](#): > > > > I thought his audience were a bunch of university students, not white supremacists and nazis. > > You’re silly if you think there isn’t crossover between those groups. I thought it would be assumed that I meant his “target audience”. Are you saying that someone can’t mimic Hitler to a small audience in case there might be a random nazi in the group who will get wrong ideas? If the nazis or white supremacists looked him up, they’d see a website about art. [Welcome to AndrewGrahamDixon.com | Andrew Graham-Dixon](https://www.andrewgrahamdixon.com/index.html) ---
**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 13, 2021, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/78 "2021-11-13T15:51:23Z")
> [@Tfletch1](#): > > Are you saying that someone can’t mimic Hitler to a small audience in case there might be a random nazi in the group who will get wrong ideas? Naturally I didn’t say that. Not even imply it. ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/79 "2021-11-13T15:59:06Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Naturally I didn’t say that. Not even imply it. Okay then. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2021, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-cancels-himself/954188/80 "2021-11-13T16:04:25Z")
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