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John Cleese

“”All humans are stupid, but the smarter ones at least have a handle on their own ignorance.
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—John Cleese, 2020[1] |
“”These comments make John Cleese sound like he’s in character as Basil Fawlty.
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—Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London (after Cleese said London was no longer English), 2019[2] |
John Marwood Cleese (1939–) is a British actor, comedian and creaky old fart.[3] He is known for several things, including his roles as a member of Monty Python, both creating and starring in the classic sitcom Fawlty Towers, and most recently for his anti-woke views.[4]
A long-time supporter of the Liberal Democrats, and latterly the similar SDP, he is a man of complex and sometimes contradictory views. In 2014, he showed an interest in UKIP for its challenge to the established political order. At the same time, he expressed support for immigration, though he also had concerns about the integration of immigrants into British culture.[5]
Cleese publicly supported Brexit, citing a lack of EU reform, and accused EU bureaucrats of having taken away "any trace of democratic accountability".[6]
During the 2016 US presidential election, he described Donald Trump as "a narcissist, with no attention span, who doesn't have clear ideas about anything and makes it all up as he goes along".[7] Not being a fan of the Republican Party, he has described its leadership as "the most cynical, most disgracefully immoral people I've ever come across in a Western civilisation".[8]
The bright side of life[edit]
Cleese co-founded The Secret Policeman's Ball, which stages comedy benefit shows to raise funds for Amnesty International and other human rights organisations. His involvement greatly helped to popularize the event and bring much greater attention to Amnesty International's work and human rights in general.
In 2008, Cleese expressed support for presidential candidate Barack Obama, including offering his services as a speech writer. In contrast, he said of Sarah Palin: "Michael Palin is no longer the funniest Palin", and likened her to a well-trained parrot.[9]
And now for something completely different[edit]
In 2019, Cleese repeated statements that he made in 2011 that London was no longer an English city due to its many different cultures. This created a backlash and he was accused of racism. Cleese, sadly, doubled down.[10]
Cleese has defended J. K. Rowling and her transphobic views in recent years, saying that he wanted to be a Cambodian policewoman.[11]
External links[edit]
- John Cleese's official website
- John Cleese's official channel on YouTube
- John Cleese on IMDb
- John Cleese on TV Tropes
References[edit]
- ↑ Matthew Syed, When dogma beats data, reason is lost. The Times, 27 September 2020.
- ↑ Sadiq Khan, Archived from X, 29 May 2019.
- ↑ "John Cleese's guide to creativity and how it can transform your business". Business Leader.
- ↑ "Life's Work: An Interview with John Cleese". Harvard Business Review. March 2014.
- ↑ John Cleese says: 'I’ve finally found true love – in a fish and three cats’ The Telegraph, October 13, 2014 (From Wayback Machine)
- ↑ Georg Szalai, John Cleese, Jeremy Clarkson Chime in on Brexit Vote as Debate Enters Final Days. Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2016.
- ↑ Donald Trump narcissist with no attention span, says John Cleese. Belfast Telegraph, 10 October 2016.
- ↑ John Cleese to speak at the Oxford Union on ‘Why is there no hope?’. Oxford Student, 13 Apri 2017.
- ↑ John Cleese: Sarah Palin Funnier Than Michael Palin eonline, October 14, 2008 (From Wayback Machine)
- ↑ Jacob Stolworthy, John Cleese says London 'not really an English city any more', prompting dog-whistle racism claims. The Independent, 29 May 2019.
- ↑ John Cleese Sparks Backlash Over Transphobic Tweets in Defense of J.K. Rowling. Variety, 22 November 2020.