There’s a variety/talent show at our school, and the auditions for ours were today. Most of it is slightly off-key singing, doing that Soulja Boy dance, and creaky violin playing. One duo of comedically talented and precocious brothers decided to do a skit, one of Monty Python’s called Cheese Shop. They did Dead Parrot Sketch last year to great success.
Anyway, one of the chaperones was channeling Simon Cowell if he were a hippy. She said that the ending, where the customer shoots the shop owner was, and I quote, “giving her a negative feeling inside.” She then (rather condescendingly) suggested that the kids watch a video tape of it so that they could see how awfully NEGATIVE it was. The kids looked at her like :dubious: , since they’d obviously seen the sketch many times. She told them that it was inappropriate content for middle school. She also mentioned that it wasn’t funny, either.
If the kids had wanted to fight her decision by appealing to the principal, I’d have helped them, but she got to them with the fear of it not being funny enough for a middle school audience and their parents.
My question is, do you think the violence in this sketch is inappropriate for middle school kids? Considering what cartoons I was watching at that age, I’d say no, but YMMV. What about the humor, too British for middle schoolers? Is this issue worth fighting for, or is it a battle left unwaged?
I just watched the Youtube clip. Not very funny (I don’t care for Monty Python at all), and I think it would probably bomb with a middle school audience.
I think “The Cheese Shop” is hilarous (but much better done as the audio track from Matching Tie & Hankerchief)… but it is pretty obscure for a that age group. The shot at the end is purely slapstick (and might be substituted with something more obviously slapstick – a thrashing with a trout perhaps?).
I don’t think the Cheese-Shop skit is inappropriate, but I don’t consider it to be their best skit, either. As a suggestion, why don’t they do something like “Crunchy Frog?” It’s (IMHO) a funnier skit and shouldn’t give anyone “bad feelings.”
I can see the point where portrayal of a casual shooting would be considered inappropriate for a school setting.
I love the trout thrashing alternative ending as both considerate for all politically correct adult sensitivities and completely in line with Monty Python.
If they do the Argument clinic, will it just be the five minute session, or the full half hour?
Yeah, I’d probably change the ending to some other form of summary execution - just because of the guns/school sensitivities.
But I don’t think it’s inappropriate. IMO, classic comedy sketches including, but not limited to:
-The Cheese Shop
-The Dead Parrot Sketch
-Shimmer (SNL: It’s a floor wax, it’s a dessert topping!)
-The Spanish Inquisition
-One Leg Too Few
Should be included in the mandatory school curriculum. These are important cultural objects.
I agree with Testy. I think Crunchy Frog is probably funnier to non-Python fans, plus it has a high gross-out factor which would probably play well to middle school audiences.
Here’s a pre-Monty Python sketch that I saw at my high school talent show many many years ago, when I was 12. It’s similar to the Cheese Shop in structure but doesn’t have any overt violence.
Personally, I think violence in comedy comes from a long honoured tradition and can be hilariously funny.
I saw The Argument Clinic performed by high school freshmen in a collection of one-act plays. It went over brilliantly and spurred dozens of my classmates to go rent Monty Python films. It’s a great sketch.
Not everyone thinks things are funny, even when they are. People will also see the devil in the oddest of things.
Screw the chaperone. Why’s he gotta be harshing everyone’s mellow?
My 10-year-old is getting into Monty Python right now, courtesy of the 16 Ton Megaset I got for Christmas. He is enjoying it, but not all of his friends do by any means.
One brief bit that would no doubt appeal to middle-schoolers would be “and now for something completely different…a man with a tape recorder in his nose.” Just the visual of a kid with a white glove sticking his finger up his nose and music starting would work, if the kid can keep a straight face like Michael Palin. And if it is done in two parts, like the actual bit - and he sticks his gloved finger up his “brother’s” nose? Gold, Jerry - comedy gold.
My brother fell in love with this sketch at age 14, a few months removed from middle school. It might not be something the average middle schooler is into, but so what?
But it wasn’t casual at all! Mr. Wensleydale didn’t actually have any cheese in his cheese shop - what else was John Cleese supposed to do?
Actually, though, it always struck me as a “We aren’t sure how to end this sketch” solution. Another vote for Crunchy Frog. Make sure to have Constable Parrot actually vomit in his helmet like they did at the Hollywood Bowl - should play great to the kids (as well as pissing off the judge)
I’ve seen less than 5 minutes of Monty Python in my life, but I just learned what “Superman that hoe” (from Soulja Boy) means and whatever MP skit they’re doing can’t be more offensive than that.
The skit is not offensive, the chaperone in question is a silly git.
I don’t know how well this 35 year old skit will work, but back in 1976 my friend and I used a 35 + year old skit to come in second in our talent show. The skit was the classic “Who’s on First”. Text, Video & wiki
I agree with this. I’m not sure a Middle School Audience will find it funny, but even if they don’t, it will inspire bad feelings in the chaperone. So I would tell those kids to go for it.