Tuesday, March 23, 2021

John Cleese hits out at ‘stifling’ political correctness: ‘Can you tell me a woke joke?’

UK Metro

"Monty Python icon John Cleese has criticised the ‘stifling’ nature of political correctness, wondering whether such a thing as a ‘woke joke’ exists.

" The 80-year-old star mused that ‘affectionate teasing’ is a bonding mechanism, and dismissed the notion that societies should be driven by the ‘most easily upset’.

"Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday, he said: ‘PC stuff started out as a good idea, which is, “Let’s not be mean to people”, and I’m in favour of that, believe it or not, despite my age. I think Jesus Christ would have agreed. 

" ‘The main thing is to try to be kind.’ 

"Supporting Nick Cave’s comments on cancel culture, he went on: ‘But that then becomes a sort of indulgence of the most over-sensitive people in your culture, the people who are most easily upset. 

" ‘I don’t think we should organise a society around the sensibilities of the most easily upset people because then you have a very neurotic society.’ The Fawlty Towers star added: ‘From the point of creativity, if you have to keep thinking which words you can use and which you can’t, then that will stifle creativity. I entirely agree with those thoughts.’ "  More...

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