Cross-Generational Appeal

[britpoptarts]

I introduced my mother to the joys of Monty Python last night. She knows who, say, George Carlin is, but had never seen anything but Monty Python's (IMVHO) least accessible film (Meaning of Life). Should have seen Holy Grail or Life of Brian instead.

Anyway, she was treated to dead parrots, homicidal barbers who pine to be lumberjacks, Mr Gumby, the

Comments

[floopyboo]

hehehe. moist.

<-- enjoyed Dead Like Me very much. :D

Don't find either offensice in the slightest. Adjectives, on their own, are rearely offensive creatures. They're like mobs in that regard. :D

I thoroughly recommend introducing your mother to the Meaning of Life. :D I'd loan you the dvd but then I'd have to part with it & that simply cannot be. You guys can come over & watch it with me, of course. ;)

[britpoptarts]

Hurry, SciFi is running a Dead Like Me marathon today. Yay!

I'm not particularly word averse. There are words I find less aethetically appealing in some fashion, but none which make me cringe.

I have the super-duper special DVD version of Meaning Of Life already, btu thank you for the kind offer!

[britpoptarts]

P.S. "I've got illegals in my bottom!" may be one of the all-time greatest lines from a sitcom EVER.

[floopyboo]

Yes. yes it is.

[binaryhero]

In my less-than-humble opinion, your mother should be educated on the finest of Python sketches next. This is of course the banter sketch. Or possibly the cheese shop, both of which are horribly underrated in the face of the more well known ones (such as spam and the dead parrot).

I'm going to have to spend all night with youtube and python sketches again, after this.

[binaryhero]

I totally forgot the outstanding Kilimanjaro expedition.

[binaryhero]

and the follow-up to the banter sketch, tinny words. I'll stop now, I just have a deeply disturbing love for Monty Python.

[britpoptarts]

I love all of these sketches!

I have the "16 Ton Megaset" of all known Monty Python sketches, plus four specials / stage shows by the troupe.

We did see the Kilimanjaro Expedition, but she found it lacking. I, of course, still think it is a hoot.

"Apart from the two Matrons, does anyone else in our party speak Swahili?"

[guy_with_hounds]

For great British Comedy I would highly recommend "Blackadder". Starting off in the middle ages and ending in World War I, it follows the Blackadder family through it's various trials and tribulations.

Rowan Atkinson stars and actually can act, a much more interesting charater than the insipid "Mr. Bean".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackadder

I also recommend the Red Dwarf series. It's Smegging fantastic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dwarf

[britpoptarts]

I LOVE Blackadder and Red Dwarf!

They are both on my "must have" Wish List already.

Excellent taste you have.

[binaryhero]

If you were a fan of Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz, try Spaced too, it's the TV series they did before they were all famous. Then get both series of Green Wing, which is without a doubt one of the funniest things us brits have produced in the past couple of years.

[britpoptarts]

I haven't seen Hot Fuzz yet.

Not really keen on Reno 911, which looked like a Hot Fuzz or Super Troopers ripoff, but maybe I am mistaken.

[black_and_bloom]

I love the Philospher's Drinking Song, myself!

My mother ended up enjoying Fawlty Towers a bit more than the Python itself. "A satisfied customer. We should have him stuffed!!"

[britpoptarts]

I love Fawlty Towers, too! Another selection on my Wish List.

[nesmith]

I totally agree with the difference between American and British humor. My biggest problem with American "humor" esp. with comedy movies, is that they feel they have to appeal to the lowest common denominator with the basest, most blatant gags (most of them cheap gags at that) because they think--or know--that American audiences are too dense too get subtle humor

[britpoptarts]

Jason is clearly awesome. :)

I have to say that I don't find most American comedies comedic. A series involving lots of wanking gags (including wanking with an applem pie) and MILF jokes cames to mind. I hate those movies.

Exceptions: Ferris Bueller, Better Off Dead, L.A. Story, Spinal Tap, some others.

I also loathe most Adam Sandler movies, and most Jim Carrey comedies. Holy shizz, they are puerile and gross.

I adored Austin Powers, but AP2 really lost the plot with the "drinking the diarrhea" gags. UGH. Completely unfunny. I have all three on VHS anyway. (Hooray for Hollywood Videos who get rid of old stock for a dollar per tape!) Only AP1 gets regular re-viewings.

[nesmith]

The problem with Austin Powers is he took a genuinely funny satiric take on the James Bond spy-movie 60s thing and ran it into the ground with too many sequels. The first movie is fantastic and hip, and the rest are just embarrassing to watch. I cringed through most of Goldmember because the stuff just isn't funny anymore.

I like more recent comedies like Grosse Pointe Blank, but I think besides that and the two Grumpy Old Men movies (because I adore Lemmon/Matthau with all my heart) all my comedies are from the 80s and earlier--The Odd Couple, Caddyshack, Animal House, etc. 80s comedies can be just as ill-executed and gross as new ones, but they usual had a little more hip to them that made them funny (and the actors were more appealing).