Monty Python star Eric Idle has addressed the topic of “cancel culture”.
Idle, 79, was asked about the subject during a recent appearance on an episode of the podcast On with Kara Swisher.
Asked about Dave Chappelle’s complaints that he is being silenced for his controversial jokes, Idle responded: “Where does he say it? On SNL… well you’re not being that much cancelled, are you?
“If you were in your room complaining. I’d have a lot more sympathy.”
Idle went on to address another vocal critic of “cancel culture”, Bill Maher.
“I didn’t like it when Bill Maher complains about the audience for not laughing, they’re telling you they don’t find it funny.
“You shouldn’t moan about the audience. There’s nothing wrong with the audience. If they don’t laugh at your jokes, there’s something wrong with your joke. And so… I’m not terribly sympathetic to that sort of attitude, to be honest.”
Elsewhere, the writer of Spamalot said: “I think the thing about comedy is it’s disastrous when you want to be liked.”
He continued: “On the whole, English comedians don’t want to be loved or don’t want to put that up front, whereas I think it’s very important in American terms that they\re somehow liked or lovable.”
Fellow Monty Python star John Cleese has long been a vocal critic of what he considered to be “cancel culture”and has decried the “woke” values of media and entertainment.
Last month, Cleese was announced as the co-presenter of a new show on GB News.
When speaking about it on Radio 4’s Today programme, the comedian explained that although he hadn’t been familiar with the broadcaster when they approached him, he learned of the channel as one focused on “free speech”, rather than being specifically right-wing.
Idle is a founding member of Monty Python alongside Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, and Graham Chapman.
