# John Cleese Says Sarah Palin's a Parrot! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 14, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809 "2008-10-14T00:57:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/1 "2008-10-14T00:57:29Z")
[YouTube clip of his comments.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMyNk8J1c8g) Its about a minute and a half long. As soon as her name’s brought up, he bursts into laughter. (Placing this in the Pit since it’ll probably wind up here eventually.) ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/2 "2008-10-14T01:02:06Z")
And why exactly does John Cleese’s opinion of an American politician matter more than a fart in the wind? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/3 "2008-10-14T01:04:36Z")
Because he’s funny. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/4 "2008-10-14T01:10:33Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Because he’s funny. Not to mention intelligent and articulate and [backing the Obama campaign.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cleese#1990s_to_present) > [@](#): > > Cleese has expressed support for U.S. Senator Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy, donating US$2,300 to his campaign and offering his services as a speech writer.[10] And apparently banging a woman much younger than him: > [@](#): > > Cleese has since stated that he has started dating a 34-year-old American marketing representative, Veronica Smiley. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/5 "2008-10-14T01:19:26Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > And why exactly does John Cleese’s opinion of an American politician matter more than a fart in the wind? It doesn’t matter. Doesn’t make him wrong though. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/6 "2008-10-14T01:27:11Z")
A Brit slagging Palin off reminds me of something I read the other day. A random Palin supporter was saying that she was like Thatcher. Now I hated Maggie and everything that she stood for but the woman was a political colossus. She had a mind like a steel trap and a intelligence to control it. Sarah Palin isn’t fit to shine Maggie’s boots. She is a very very unimpressive candidate. It’s a strange world indeed that brings forward such a bad and yet somewhat confusingly popular\* choice. \*Getting less so with the second it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/7 "2008-10-14T01:31:41Z")
> [@yojimbo](#): > > A Brit slagging Palin off reminds me of something I read the other day. A random Palin supporter was saying that she was like Thatcher. > > Now I hated Maggie and everything that she stood for but the woman was a political colossus. She had a mind like a steel trap and a intelligence to control it. Sarah Palin isn’t fit to shine Maggie’s boots. > > She is a very very unimpressive candidate. It’s a strange world indeed that brings forward such a bad and yet somewhat confusingly popular\* choice. > > \*Getting less so with the second it seems. Yeah, but they’re both giiirrrlllss and into politics! That makes them _exactly the same_. Geeze, I thought you Europeans were supposed to be all smart and junk. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/8 "2008-10-14T01:33:06Z")
> [@yojimbo](#): > > Now I hated Maggie and everything that she stood for but the woman was a political colossus. She had a mind like a steel trap and a intelligence to control it. Sarah Palin isn’t fit to shine Maggie’s boots. Not even if she licks them? In looking at a clip of Palin speaking, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the comments of a certain feminist: > [@Gertrude Stein](#): > > There’s no there, there. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/9 "2008-10-14T01:38:34Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > And why exactly does John Cleese’s opinion of an American politician matter more than a fart in the wind? Unlike you, he’s funny, smart and insightful. So, even if his opinion doesn’t change anything, he’ll probably present it in an interesting way. That’s the sort of thing we like on the SDMB; cultivate the habit of actually reading what other people post, and you’ll learn that. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/10 "2008-10-14T01:42:59Z")
> [@yojimbo](#): > > A random Palin supporter was saying that she was like Thatcher. I knew Prime Minister Thatcher, Governor Palin, and believe me, you’re no Thatcher. 😉 (And if the results go Obama’s way, I foresee Palin’s national career being just a fart in the wind…😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/11 "2008-10-14T01:46:38Z")
Besides, when John Cleese mentions the word ‘parrot’, we can’t help but think of something like this: “Remarkable bird, the Alaskan Blue. Beautiful plumage.” ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/12 "2008-10-14T01:47:58Z")
> [@glee](#): > > I knew Prime Minister Thatcher, Governor Palin, and believe me, you’re no Thatcher. 😉 > > (And if the results go Obama’s way, I foresee Palin’s national career being just a fart in the wind…😃 ) I’m afraid you over-estimate the intelligence of Americans by several orders of magnitude. ---
**Author:** ![Abe\_Babe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3ab097/32.png) [@Abe\_Babe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe_Babe)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/13 "2008-10-14T01:51:12Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > Besides, when John Cleese mentions the word ‘parrot’, we can’t help but think of something like this: > > “Remarkable bird, the Alaskan Blue. Beautiful plumage.” “She’s not dead. She’s paynin’ for the fjords.” ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/14 "2008-10-14T01:54:58Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > I’m afraid you over-estimate the intelligence of Americans by several orders of magnitude. In one conversation, I heard the following two statements from the same person: “I’d love it if Sarah Palin was president.” and “You know who would be a good president? Judge Judy!” I overestimate nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/15 "2008-10-14T01:56:02Z")
> [@Abe\_Babe](#): > > “She’s not dead. She’s paynin’ for the fjords.” She’s not dead; she’s stunned … ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/16 "2008-10-14T01:56:56Z")
Please please please let there be a chance to adapt the whole “this parrot has ceased to be” part of that bit to Palin’s career. Please. I don’t ask for much. Often. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/17 "2008-10-14T01:58:40Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > And why exactly does John Cleese’s opinion of an American politician matter more than a fart in the wind? He’s lived in the U.S. for like 20 years. He pays a lot of taxes here, way more than either of us. He’s entitled. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/18 "2008-10-14T02:08:54Z")
Is Cleese a naturalized citizen? I know he lives here and his wives have been American, but I’ve never read of him becoming a U.S. citizen ala Anthony Hopkins or Christopher Hitchens. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/19 "2008-10-14T02:11:12Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > And why exactly does John Cleese’s opinion of an American politician matter more than a fart in the wind? Well, everyone can chose his or her level of “matter.” An idea can exist independent of the person who speaks it, and people who are not “certifiable experts” in something can still make worthy observations about that subject. To say otherwise is to negate the very nature of democracy. Yes, he’s not a citizen, but we’re not citizens of Iran, or many other countries, but we sure seem confident in telling other countries what to do. Why should an opinion of someone on this message board “matter more than a fart in the wind”? Why do you even bother to post? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809/20 "2008-10-14T02:12:10Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Is Cleese a naturalized citizen? I know he lives here and his wives have been American, but I’ve never read of him becoming a U.S. citizen ala Anthony Hopkins or Christopher Hitchens. Wouldn’t he have to be a citizen to contribute to an American political campaign? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-cleese-says-sarah-palins-a-parrot/467809.md?page=2)