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And Now for Something Completely Different! (was: Monty Python (was: Freeware Python editor))

Tim Hammerquist tim at vegeta.ath.cx
Fri Nov 2 15:34:26 EST 2001 
Me parece que Steven D. Majewski <sdm7g at Virginia.EDU> dijo:
>  On Thu, 1 Nov 2001, Tim Hammerquist wrote:
>  
> > You mean "the humour is lost on _some of_ us Americans," right?  
> > 
> > Of course, I had a non-standard American growth in which I was exposed
> > to many things British, including but not
> > limited to:
> >     Dr. Who (mainly Tom Baker) (recorded).
> >     Red Dward (1st season, carrier did not renew) (recorded).
> >     Monty Python's Flying Circus and any of the movies I could find.
> >     How to Irritate People (John Cleese et al.; not "officially" Monty
> >         Python). (purchased)
> >     ...et cetera.
> >     Peter Cushing horror movies.  ;)
> >     Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising sequence including dialects from
> >         Cornwall and Wales.
> >     A great many movies and series taking place in Yorkshire, probably
> >         responsible for my ability to understand more dialects than
> >         usual.  :)
> >     Neil Gaiman novels.  :)
> >     Far too many others to count.
>  
>  You're missing one important link that is well represented in the
>  python-list archives: The Goon Show -- with Spike Milligan and
>  Peter Sellars. The Goon Show was a BBC radio show that was the
>  inspiration for Monty Python. 

Yup.  Missed that one.  Not many networks carry PBS-type show over here
in the western states at, much less BBC radio shows.  :(

>   Spike Milligan beat out John Cleese for 1st place in the BBC's
>  millenium poll of the top 10 funniest people:
>  <http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/events/millennium/aug/winner.stm>

Never heard the man, but John Cleese isn't even my favorite.  Michael
Palin's my fave from the Flying Circus, et al.

[ snippage ]
> > Many foreigners call America's culture (or lack thereof) bland.  Well,
> > from this American's perspective, they tend to be correct.

"Tend to be," while it is general, has two distinguishing
characteristics:  it is not absolute, and it is in the present tense.
I'd like to point out the age of most items on your list.

>  Bland American Culture ???  -- how about (while we're on the subject of
>  humor):
>   the Firesigh Theatre 
>   Mad Magazine (the good old years)
Just didn't hit me right.  Sorry.
>   The Onion
>   The Marx Brothers
Obviously modern comedy.
>   Abbott and Costello   ( "Who's on First":
>       <http://www.crosswinds.net/~thedeadballera/AbbotAndCostello.mp3> )
Never liked them.  Call me commie.
>   Harry Shearer  ( "Who's on First" -- (a tradition in American Humor!):
>       <http://www.harryshearer.com/clips/who.ram> 
>      [Don't blame me if you're not old enough to get this one!])
>   the Simpson's 
What?!  I'll be damned if the Simpson's go down in history as a
representative of American humour.
>   Robert Crumb
>   the Coen Brothers
>   George Bush  (What other country has such a dedication to Humor!)

I disagree.  I find him to be rather _too_ dry.  And I prefer some of
Clinton's older, funnier campaigns myself.  And...oh yeah: I'm (mostly)
conservative.

>   .... <just-for-a-start> 
>  
>  -- Steve

$0.03,
Tim

-- 
Love is like racing across the frozen tundra on a
snowmobile which flips over, trapping you underneath.
At night, the ice-weasels come.
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