John Cleese accuses Eric Idle of “invention” as they renew hostilities over Monty Python management
John Cleese accuses Eric Idle of “invention” as they renew hostilities over Monty Python management
John Cleese and Eric Idle are continuing to duke it out on social media over the management of Monty Python.
John Cleese and Eric Idle are continuing to duke it out on social media.
The Monty Python legends exchanged barbs earlier this year, locking horns over their estrangement after Idle complained that he still had to work because Python’s earnings had dried up.
Idle blamed the mismanagement of the Python brand on Terry Gilliam and his daughter, Holly. The latter runs HDG Projects, which manages Python and helped stage Monty Python Live (mostly) – One Down Five to Go, the group’s 2014 reunion shows at the O2 in London.
Now, in a fresh post on X (once Twitter), Idle has accused Cleese of firing former manager Jim Beach and installing Holly. He said this was the reason their relationship was “over.”
Cleese fired back on the same platform, accusing Idle of “invention.” He added: “Jim, who was an old friend of mine from Cambridge days, became Python manager after the O2 show. About four years ago he suffered a bad stroke and subsequently resigned as our manager. His number 2, Holly Gilliam, automatically took over as Python manager.”
Well, I don't want to paint with too broad a brush here, but it sounds like someone is being a...
Bigus
Dickus.
Great share, thanks!
He has a wife, you know?
What is her name?
Man, I wish Cleese would've just disappeared from public view twenty years or so ago. I really loved Monty Python but he's such a terrible human being that I can't enjoy it anymore.
Not too unlike JKR. Some people could've just shut up and done NOTHING and the entire world would still be celebrating them as some kind of heroes.
What has cleese done?
Being socially inappropriate and unemphathic/unconsiderate. Your call how “wrong ” that is.
Supposedly he is unable to drop the act at home.
The way he plays Basil Fawlty is supposedly reasonably accurate to his general behavior. This comes from his ex wife who also played
Basils wifein the series.Nothing like Rowling that i am aware off.
I understand, but I disagree. He’s fine. Always welcome.
All Pythons are always welcome.
Oh no, the horror of not being able to coast off of some popular skit shows and movies from 40 years ago!
I really enjoy a lot of MP movies, but you can't expect what was already somewhat niche comedy to pay for a comfortable life forever. Come up with new material and, y'know, put effort in.
It’s a global phenomenon, not “somewhat niche comedy”.
Yes, they deserve to “coast”.
I’d argue that the movies were global phenomenons, but the skit show was actually very hit-or-miss (like basically every skit show is.) Skit shows really shine on places like TikTok where you’re able to just watch the highlights. Give viewers a quick 3 minute long skit, and move on. But that’s because the highlights are ignoring the bad or unfunny skits.
It's things like this that make me mad copyright was extended so long. It was originally set at 20 years to prevent this from happening and encourage people to make new art.
The dude is 81. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to be able to retire long before that. Entertainers generally don't have pensions, so earnings from their copyrighted material can function like one.
I have no problem with copyrights held by an artist lasting for the life of the creator. But copyrights maintained by corporations or other entities indefinitely, especially after the death of the creator, are bullshit.
You can blame companies like Disney for getting copyright protections extended to the absurd length it is now. Hell, because of them, Steamboat Willie only just recently fell into public domain and that came out in 1928.
Sad thing really. Never really liked the attitude of Idle much, bit full of himself.
Then again Cleese's flirtation with his inner Basil Fawlty persona (he kind of gels with prickish characters and it's solidified with age).
I'm sort if glad Chapman didn't live to be in this era, as he might have embraced the mad and absurdist frantic polarization and be broken by it like Lineham.
I very much prefer Palin, sitting out in old age and not yelling on social media.
Well Palin continued his career as a genial travel show host. I'm sure he's not busy loving off python residuals. I think all of Cleese's movie money went in divorce settlements.