John Cleese is an icon of British comedy, having delighted – and scandalised – audiences for decades with classics including Fawlty Towers and Monty Python.
He is also, quite notably, an 81-year-old upper-class white man, who many would argue conforms to a certain generational stereotype.
It has therefore come as little surprise to the public that he isn’t fully on board with “political correctness” and so-called “wokeness”.
But not everyone is convinced that he’s the right man to explore so-called “cancel culture” for a new TV show.
Still, he’s been picked for the job by Channel 4 which, on Monday, announced that he would lead a series titled ‘John Cleese: Cancel Me’, which purports to explore why today’s youth are “trying to rewrite the rules on what can and can’t be said”.
The announcement instantly divided opinion on Twitter, with some praising Cleese for entering the woke “mindfield”, and others questioning whether we really need his input at all.
Here’s a look at what critics have had to say about the prospect of the programme and its choice of host:
Definitely what this debate needs: another privately educated elderly cis white person with a series on a national broadcaster to complain about cancel culture. https://t.co/ozvgCNMnZp
— Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) August 24, 2021
Nothing says “silenced” and “censored” like a spot on a major broadcaster to talk about how people are being silenced and censored. https://t.co/KlCmY2OMoK
— Christian Christensen (@ChrChristensen) August 23, 2021
The exact face I pulled when I read that John Cleese was going to explore cancel culture in new Channel 4 documentary… pic.twitter.com/ztLHy4ahKs
— Titch 🐭 (@Titch_a_mouse) August 23, 2021
Interested to see John Cleese's new documentary on how cancel culture has made him creatively redundant for 33 years.
— David Whitley (@mrdavidwhitley) August 23, 2021
Watching John Cleese turn into one of those comedians who whines about "cAnCeL CuLtUrE" is one of the most disappointing things of the 2020's so far.
— Mat Stevens (@TheMatStevens) August 23, 2021
"John Cleese: Cancel Me will see the comedian ask if it is possible to create comedy without causing offence."
— Simon Prior 💙 (@TheSimonPrior) August 23, 2021
Yes, it is. https://t.co/FnuWvEYGUb
Good to see @Channel4 still shining its bright light on 'stories untold elsewhere (sic)' by taking the 'bold creative risk (sic)' of commissioning the oldest man it can find for some full-on fulmination about the effrontery of youthhttps://t.co/1aWu4QZ8FR
— Sarah Lennox (@Sarah_LNX) August 24, 2021
Still, some people are looking forward to the series or at least willing to give it a chance:
Delighted that John Cleese is sallying forth into the minefield of “cancel culture” for a new Channel 4 series. I hope he returns in one piece
— Ian Katz (@iankatz1000) August 22, 2021
I think the reality is more complex than presented in this article, but I do find myself agreeing with Cleese in principle: we have become so obsessed with not causing offence that we have forgotten the aim is to create a kinder, juster society.https://t.co/KNqGpSR2N2
— Fredrik Graver (@fgraver) August 24, 2021
Just because @JohnCleese has made a documentary exploring cancel culture, he's seemingly being "cancelled" right now by the angry Twitter mob. Why is discussing cancel culture and political correctness off limits? 🙄
— Dan Mullen (@danmullen) August 23, 2021
The term “cancel culture” has gained popularity in recent years and is the phenomenon of calling out, or “cancelling” people or brands, for perceived offensive behaviour.
In the series, Cleese will ask whether it is possible to make good comedy without someone taking offence, according to Channel 4.
He will also meet some famous faces who have found themselves on the receiving end of public opprobrium, as well as the people who are doing the “cancelling”, to investigate what is driving them.
Cleese, who rose to fame in the 1970s as a co-founder of the surrealist comedy group Monty Python, alongside Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Sir Michael Palin, has previously criticised the “stifling” effect of political correctness on creativity – saying there is no such thing as a “woke joke”.
Last year, he blasted the BBC when UKTV, which is owned by the corporation, temporarily removed one episode of Fawlty Towers over “racial slurs” and “outdated language”.
Addressing his new series, he said: “I’m delighted to have a chance to find out, on camera, about all the aspects of so-called Political Correctness.
“There’s so much I really don’t understand, like: how the impeccable idea of ‘Let’s all be kind to people’ has been developed in some cases ad absurdum.
“I want to bring the various reasonings right out in the open so that people can be clearer in their minds what they agree with, what they don’t agree with, and what they still can’t make their mind up about.”
Ian Katz, chief content officer of Channel 4, added: “The argument over what it’s OK to say and what isn’t is one of the thorniest issues of our age and there are few people better equipped to stride into it than John, a comic legend who combines genuine curiosity with a healthy disregard for what anyone thinks of him.”
