College Article 11: Calcium Made Interesting
The Weirdest Python of them All:
Calcium Made Interesting by Graham Chapman
****1/2 out of 5
(B+)
Autobiography/Essay
256 pgs.
A very “strange planet”, pipe-lover, “liar”, a “loony”, doctor, alcoholic and a homosexual. Graham “the dead one” Chapman [a joke/name Python fans are familiar with] was many things to many people, yet, unlike the other Pythons he was as crazy and weird in his everyday life as the Monty Python TV show gladly projected.
This collection of his various writings display his personality very well; even a simple letter to his landlord contains his humor-filled seriousness. It was that specific part of his person that, by the opinion of many who knew him that made him such a natural comic on stage.
The book starts with his written monologues he used for his college lectures after the Python series; the one of The Who’s drummer, Keith Moon (who was a good friend of Chapman’s) is quite entertaining, while the one explaining the abuse of (fake) cats in the TV series and movies is one that you must see [ the DVD ‘Brown Trouser Job’] to get the full effect of it’s hilarity.
The next section consists of his essays: one entitled ‘Calcium Made Interesting’(the most fun you’ll ever have reading about calcium), ‘A Radical Alternative to Optimism’(solve the population problem by becoming gay and adopting the orphans of the world), a serious look at transsexualism - the best line being - (“I strongly urge any man who considers himself primarily a female to forget about, keep his cock, and use his arse.”) and one entitled ‘The Tits and Bingo Press’.
The collections of his letters, sketches, and teleplays close out the book( ‘A Letter to God’s Parents’ being funny and touching at the same time).
Since Graham Chapman passed away in 1989 recordings of him, his writings and photos of him are the only things we, as fans, have to remember him by. As if that wasn’t sad enough to his admirers, reminisces of Graham(included in this book) by those who knew him are funny but still hold a note of mourning - Carol Cleveland recounts the time he ran completely naked and wet from the hotel pool across the main lobby to the elevator. And Eric Idle says with a poignant honesty “The sadness of his early demise is still with us. The malady lingers on.” Never was it more true than when one reads this book and realizes he’s dead over and over again.
Bottom line: While undoubtedly the weirdest Python out of the group, it is clear from his writings and those of his friends that he is sorely missed for more than just his outrageous humor.
*originally written in Feb. 07*