# What are those cartoon segments in Monty Python's Flying Circus supposed to parody? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 17, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-cartoon-segments-in-monty-pythons-flying-circus-supposed-to-parody/456847 "2008-07-17T16:55:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scrambledeggs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@scrambledeggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scrambledeggs)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-cartoon-segments-in-monty-pythons-flying-circus-supposed-to-parody/456847/1 "2008-07-17T16:55:26Z")
What are those cartoon segments in Monty Python’s Flying Circus supposed to parody? I notice they have a certain look to them–is there any deeper meaning besides just absurdism? Is there some kind of 19th century cartoon style they are ridiculing? It isn’t clear. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-cartoon-segments-in-monty-pythons-flying-circus-supposed-to-parody/456847/2 "2008-07-17T17:10:58Z")
Terry Gilliam liked the look of old illustrations. Absurdism is sufficient explanation for anything Pythonian. ---
**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:** [July 17, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-cartoon-segments-in-monty-pythons-flying-circus-supposed-to-parody/456847/3 "2008-07-17T17:57:12Z")
They’re just Terry Gilliam’s peculiar personal style of animation. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-cartoon-segments-in-monty-pythons-flying-circus-supposed-to-parody/456847/4 "2008-07-17T18:17:56Z")
He actually did take some elements from old pictures. That image of God from Monty Python and the Holy Grail is some old Cricket Player, or something. The Foot that stomps down on everything at the beginning of each show is from a painting (Cupid and Psyche, or something). ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-cartoon-segments-in-monty-pythons-flying-circus-supposed-to-parody/456847/5 "2008-07-17T19:46:43Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] He actually did take some elements from old pictures. That image of God from Monty Python and the Holy Grail is some old Cricket Player, or something. The Foot that stomps down on everything at the beginning of each show is from a painting (Cupid and Psyche, or something). [/QUOTE] [Cupid’s foot](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/Venus,cupid,folly%26time_foot.jpg/465px-Venus,cupid,folly%26time_foot.jpg&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Venus,cupid,folly%26time_foot.jpg&h=599&w=465&sz=82&hl=en&start=3&sig2=mz3RaRBr_LIAHvYO65rw2g&tbnid=hdyqeac_Fmif8M:&tbnh=135&tbnw=105&ei=H6F_SICmF4jOgQLpvJzNBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmonty%2Bpython%2Bcupid%2527s%2Bfoot%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26newwindow%3D1%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG) [reversed](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Monty_python_foot.png&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Monty_python_foot.png&h=397&w=442&sz=205&hl=en&start=2&sig2=AtgyO-vkB5DTAqYSk29aiA&tbnid=m3119BEbTM2yXM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=127&ei=H6F_SICmF4jOgQLpvJzNBw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmonty%2Bpython%2Bcupid%2527s%2Bfoot%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26newwindow%3D1%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-cartoon-segments-in-monty-pythons-flying-circus-supposed-to-parody/456847/6 "2008-07-17T21:38:38Z")
Mostly the cartons are original to Monty Python, and if you see it now it’s copying their style. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2008, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-cartoon-segments-in-monty-pythons-flying-circus-supposed-to-parody/456847/7 "2008-07-18T06:13:02Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] He actually did take some elements from old pictures. That image of God from Monty Python and the Holy Grail is some old Cricket Player, or something. [/QUOTE] That would be [W.G. Grace](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WG_Grace). The only reason I know is that I was reading the Wiki _Holy Grail_ entry just the other day, and it is mentioned specifically, complete with link. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2008, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-those-cartoon-segments-in-monty-pythons-flying-circus-supposed-to-parody/456847/8 "2008-07-18T09:08:09Z")
Terry Gilliam is working in collage. There are many precursors for this, including Max Ernst’s _Une Semaine de Bonté_: > **[Une semaine de bonté](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Une_Semaine_de_Bont%C3%A9)** > > Une semaine de bonté ("A Week of Kindness") is a collage novel and artist's book by Max Ernst, first published in 1934. It comprises 182 images created by cutting up and re-organizing illustrations from Victorian encyclopedias and novels. > The earliest comics by Ernst, Répétitions and Les malheurs des immortels, date from 1922, the year the artist moved to Paris. They were created in collaboration with poet Paul Eluard. Ernst went on to produce numerous comic-based paintings, and more comic books...