Unbound: John Cleese in conversation with John Hodgman (full talk)

Watch the entire conversation between John Cleese and John Hodgman from our Nov 5, 2014 event, part the Unbound literary series co-presented by BAM and Greenlight Bookstore.
From:
Unbound: John Cleese
In conversation with John Hodgman
BAM Harvey Theater
Nov 5, 2014
For more videos of talks at BAM, visit BAM.org/Talks

[@rubentala4762]

"It's called american football because nobody else plays it" So brilliant

[@howcumusuck]

It's played in only one place because few can handle full contact chess, Little Daffodil.

[@daniellamcgee4251]

​@@howcumusuck I guess you haven't seen any codes of rugby, or Australian Rules football, or Gaelic football. The latter two forms of football only wear mouth guards, and aren't bulked up with padding, nor helmets, like American football. I am not saying it's something to be admired, but you seem to admire such things. Post Concussion Syndrome from football is not just an American thing.

[@totallybored5526]

⁠@@howcumusuckAmerican football is rugby for fat,lazy pussies. If they weren’t lazy it wouldn’t take 4 hours to get 16 minutes of action, and if they’re not pussies why are they wearing helmets and excessive padding?

[@lexdunn4160]

John Hodgeman was terrific. This is one of the best Cleese interviews I have ever seen.

[@ts3871]

Wow, that was easily the best interview I've ever seen with John Cleese. The interviewer was very funny and quite good at his craft.

[@johnwilsdon5456]

75 and he has given me 40 years of laughter. Man thanks, John Cleaves.

[@johnwilsdon5456]

Cleese. That's funny, no?

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

​@@johnwilsdon5456 Cleave cloves' cloven cleft!

[@Madonnalitta1]

John Cleese, like some of his contemporaries, is an English treasure.

[@gentlemanjim480]

What makes this particularly excellent is that the interviewer is brilliant. Cleese is always good but some of the useless American interviewers ruin it by either being unfunny or making it about themselves or a lovely little combination of both. This interviewer in contrast is funny, intelligent, obviously kind and very curious about, and respectful of, Cleese without being fawning. Thank you both, gentlemen!

[@SunnyBeetle1922]

Couldn’t agree more!! ☺️👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@Jomchen]

I came for John Cleese and stayed for John Hodgman. What a great conversation.

[@jessicafernando5129]

Brilliant host, brilliant guest. Thank you for a lovely break from the world.

[@ExodusPessoa]

Jessica Fernando It`s the best You Tube videos I`ve ever seen. Must confess not familiar with John Hodgen, but that will change really soon. He`s insanely funny. It`s not easy to hold your own with Cleese.

[@herrpez]

Especially now.

[@Politicallyhomeless957]

Your comment’s relevance grows with the year. Tip of the cap 🧢

[@CamRebires]

1:18:11 my only critique is that he cut him off here, I think Cleese was about to say something important

[@Jalleur14325]

​@@CamRebireshost was good but trying a little too hard to be funny at times. But he got funnier.

[@Plons0Nard]

A 10 out of 10 interview. No, it was a chat. And a performance. Loved it 💓🤝🇳🇱

[@brendabrass2715]

Wonderful and silly conversation. Very enjoyable

[@valerieangell7588]

Ahhh…John Cleese…love the man…and the idea of doing theater on radio is something I would really enjoy.

[@JustMe-vk4fn]

What makes some things funny is the fact that it's a surprise that doesn't hurt.

[@jorisweyen7934]

"Do you realize, just how much joy you have brought to so many people?" "NOPE!" Best answer!

[@donkeightley8463]

Being 74, I am privileged to have experienced the inception and evolution of Monty Python and the genius of all involved. Living that era is one of the joys of my life

[@justinlinder6990]

Cleese is just a genius comedian that we don’t see often at all anymore…

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

The host is no slouch either!

[@jamesebarnum]

Yup m 8:19

[@nh8444]

How could a story about preparing corn flakes be so entertaining? Bless you, sir.

[@Jalleur14325]

Yep that was so funny. Cleese is much less anxious than the host, but he started to relax after a while and got funnier.

[@johnsheehan5109]

Thank you John and John for a delightful time

[@wetkneehouston6293]

Thanks john! Love Jon

[@sandramccarthy3608]

I am 72 years now,but I remember when I was 16 and working in London,I used to get on at east croydon,and I charged down the station to jump on this train that took me to work in Bond street,london,cos I was a little late,the old trains had little separate carriages,as I jumped on the train,lo and behold who should be sitting there reading a newspaper,with a suit and bowler hat was john cleese.He had just televised the ministry of silly walks,I was so tempted to do this infront of him for a laugh,but he did have this serious unaproachable look,so I chickened out.He was only about 22 at the time,made my day seeing him!xxx

[@tonstad39]

Your walk had not become any sillier.

[@Ihy744ppp]

There is no WAY you were 16 and he was 22! He was almost 31 years old when that was aired. And since you're saying you're 72 which makes you about three years younger than him, you must have been 27/28.

[@fidomusic]

I also used to get on at East Croydon when I was 16. Was never lucky enough to see JC.

[@mathiasthelander7834]

sandra mccarthy That would have been in 1960 so no.

[@majordbag2]

@@Ihy744ppp She was probably just remembering the dates wrong, i.e. thinking it happened earlier in her life when she was younger. I remember when I first discovered imdb in the early 2000s, I discovered a lot of my favorite movies from the 90s were released either a few years earlier or later than I remembered. It totally blew my mind to find out that I probably saw two of my favorite movies of all time, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Batman (1989), for the first time when I was just 3. The Last Crusade is the earliest memory I have that I can put a date on. I remembered a lot from the film despite understanding almost nothing about the Nazis and the Holy Grail/Arthurian myth, and the tank chase scene near the end totally blew my mind as the small child. That and when we saw the film again a few months later when it was at the cheap cinemas (most have closed but they used to be all over the US, I think piracy forcing studios to put movies on DVD quicker had something to do with that too) when I would at that point been 4, I had to run out at the scene when the bad guy drinks from the bad grail then ages to death into a skeleton because it scared me so much the first time.

[@amelialikesfrogs5778]

I love that he's very good at making people laugh but isn't snobby or selective about what he finds funny

[@kevinsmith5318]

The interviewer is absolutely brilliant! The other guy was pretty good too

[@JohnArnoldUK]

What an absolute delight. I grinned like a loon from beginning to end.

[@anthonycrawford8498]

Amira

[@dean9598]

John, we have a particular type of humour in Britain but I don't think we're all gloomy!

[@Rrtnns]

How does an intelligent man become a flaming libtard? Three things lead a smart man to libtardation: huge Ego, the propensity to virtue-signal as means of fishing for love, and the recognition of the necessity to kiss the left-wing Establishment's ass for the maintenance of a high-profile show-biz career. After all, Cleese always openly admitted he's up for almost anything as long as the money was right. (So counter to his left-wing leanings though, this mercenary love of money.) And a certain dose of sociopathy, that too. His narcissism is way off the charts.

[@Rrtnns]

Next thing you'll be telling me is "you're just JEALOUS". If you can't handle criticism of your gods and idols, you'd better get Prozac, a big pack of them. Your God Cleese is not a perfect being, nor do intelligent men always understand the world. In fact, the term "intellectual moron" suits him perfectly.

[@pakuize]

TCIASC you must be an american, however criticism must be given and accepted humor is a very objective thing which is why we have so many stand-ups, so many sketches and so on. But there are so many ways to deliver these criticisms and your only seemed to try or should we say attempt to disgrace a individual.

[@JuanPabloSelvaje]

I love that Cleese goes out of his way to make Hodgman comfortable. He is clearly aware of his effect on people and behaves very generously towards younger people in the same business.

[@shellyhill6804]

It helps that Hodgman is also a comedy genius. Respect!

[@plekkchand]

@@shellyhill6804 You have quite low standards.

[@lanklaan]

@@shellyhill6804 v bb bv l b b o v b o v v b ioio00io0oooooocooiiokii00b99ji9i8o89phoi pohho8hoi9vv99j9iih9o00okjih0iooiipii9hohi.ihoooi9ioiijoki.ih.00jiiij9c0j hioooi0kiiibogo0uu9vvoioikihiiiioiiiò00iiocoj0poi9jpiookiiiiihooo5iovoo9oo5iih9i9ihipoohccihiiiioo0iï

[@matthewsmith5374]

@@plekkchand he’s a fantastic comedy writer and he’s highly intelligent and Ivey league educated. You should check out a few of his books. Absolutely hilarious!

[@stuartorr8192]

@@shellyhill6804 z

[@moep9572]

Thankyou, Mr. Cheese for the memories!

[@mjb4983]

As for John Cleese..A legend and so few left

[@Hard-Boiled-Bollock]

Always wonderful to hear Mr. Cleese talk about absolutely anything

[@omarkhan5223]

He could have his own university course on nothing, leading to have "nothing" as ones major.

[@wcolautti]

@@omarkhan5223 by gig hi hi hi hi I

[@jeremysmith8035]

Poor old Cleese he's becoming what he used to mock

[@Rig0r_M0rtis]

I always get the feeling from his interviews that he doesn't like fanbois.

[@danielmazur3203]

"And that is why now you hate me." This is one of the best considered introductions of a star speaker.

[@valoriel4464]

Excellent! Loved it. Thx for sharing.

[@denniscarroll3164]

John Cleese is and always will be numbered among the greatest comedians that ever lived. I've heard that the lowest form of entertainment was comedy. I don't care who that was. It's beyond stupid. It is the most useful form of entertainment. Thanks to all who made us all laugh.

[@ryankelley5160]

My god when he started speaking English, English. Couldnt understand a word but I love it.

[@tailofeddas555]

Great job by both Johns. Very laid back and funny. I can't help but notice some complaining about Hodgman. Don't be dumb, this is a classic interview. He clearly respects John Cleese and isn't doing anything wrong except occasionally but innocently interrupting. Why nit-pick. He is funny and witty and Cleese is an absolute pleasure to listen to.

[@aussiechris5904]

Hodgeman is not as experienced, but seemed obvious to me that Cleese enjoyed his contributions

[@tailofeddas555]

@@aussiechris5904 I agree. It's great to see such an iconic and funny person such as Cleese appreciate someone else being funny, with no ego getting in the way.

[@tomcampbell9731]

Pl9

[@kkpaine]

Almost....

[@illiapenrosa5016]

for a John Cleese interview I think this is one of his best, Mr Cleese has a reputation for being a bad interviewee, personally ive always found him insightful and classless, no pigeon holing this python, the fact his being interviewed by a fan makes it all the more wonderful #lovelightlaughter/Ahoy ;)

[@davehampton2822]

Few things are more delightful than John Cleese cracking (himself) up.

[@sirkristoferTV]

That was brilliant

[@hunglikeahamster3248]

I have watched a *pile* of these relaxed long-format Cleese interviews here on KZbin. This was the most enjoyable of them all, and they have all been enjoyable. Thanks, gentlemen.

[@pencils1951]

As a child, there was only the radio and I learnt at a very young age the power of imagination. Even now I can remember the faces I put to the characters. Television has taken that away from us.

[@stybba09]

Did your parents really name you Justin Case?

[@valerieangell7588]

Loved the show…thanks so much.

[@lesscarmel5527]

Outstanding interview.

[@analoglibra]

That was literally the most delightful thing I've seen on YT in a very long time.

[@ExodusPessoa]

Mental Monarchy I know those two should work together on a project. Their collaboration would be on par with young Cleese and Chapman.

[@ExodusPessoa]

Mental Monarchy It`s the best You Tube videos I`ve ever seen. Must confess not familiar with John Hodgen, but that will change really soon. He`s insanely funny. It`s not easy to hold your own with Cleese.

[@clydekelvinandthesinners.3977]

Great interview. and that rarest of rare things, a great interviewer.

[@petergonash1672]

Book m

[@marc.levinson]

So cool to see John Cleese laugh at Hodgman. One legend appreciating another younger legend. They're so thoughtful and masters of their craft.

[@Takaho31]

' Cheese Shoppe ' has always been one of my favorite sketches, also.

[@bartcolen]

This is great. They're both funny when it is appropriate and thoughtful/insightful when it is appropriate. Few people know how to strike that balance! More than out of any sense of being star-struck, I would love to sit down for a chat with John Cleese simply on the basis of his intelligence and insightfulness. The legitimately interesting person is a rare bird, indeed!

[@davidallen4712]

My Dad is 83. Ever since he was 75 he has insisted on telling everyone he meets his age. It seems to be a right of passage.

[@michelekett8450]

If he’s like my partner whose younger than me, he does the same thing. It’s to get them to say how young he looks. It can backfire when they find out that I’m over 4 years older and look younger than him.

[@jimbrunsman1011]

This is very entertaining...couple of comedy geniuses...

[@KevinAtkins_Indiana]

After all these years, I just realized that the Cheese Shop is essentially a sketch version of the Mari Lwyd tradition. Thanks for a sweet interview, John and John.

[@williamfranklin6967]

This is probably my favorite Cleese interview, with the exception of the time I got to interview him myself for 20 minutes. It was really more of a conversation, and it was everything you might imagine and wish it to be; It was a strange gift from heaven - I still have no idea how it was possible, but I'm very glad it was. It was not recorded.

[@tehbakedpotato]

Every time this appears in my suggested I have to listen to Cleese's explanation of why jokes are funny. Such insight!

[@bedlam6666]

This is incredibly great. And I cannot tell you how shocked I am how good Hodgman was. What fabulous insights.

[@mahalayananda]

This is one of the best interviews I have seen. Its all the way up there with James Liptons interviews, which I consider top of the top. Kind, lovely, very intelligent, wickedly funny and informative. And its so lovely to go down this memory lane with John Cleese. The only other one that truly matched this one was Cleese with Eric Idle. But what can beat two old friends who have loads of love and admiration for each other and who have known each other for a lifetime? And who are two of the funniest guys in recorded time? THANK YOU

[@roundart]

How could there be 11 dislikes? No souls? John Cleese is a master!

[@michelekett8450]

Some people do not understand irony, or like the Goons and Pythons, sheer ridiculousness.

[@davidluck4608]

John Cleese is an absolute comedy legend and the man is a REALIST😇

[@1972juankarlos]

Best Cleese interview ever

[@Davidfooterman]

Imagine drinking and joking with Cleese, Chapman, Cook etc., and then there was Dudley Moore and Jonathan Miller and Alan Bennett and then there was Marty Feldman. What a lot of talent. And as for Jonathan Miller: his were some of the best lectures during premed at University College London. Those were great times!

[@jacquesd5781]

The Cheese Shop sketch is utterly brilliant, I listen to it many times every month.

[@zetacrucis681]

"very gentle lover" - that was funny!! great interview.

[@josegabrielsanchez8683]

John Hodgman was amazing in this, and John Cleese, so much class and generosity! Félicitations!

[@marc54678]

Cleese's banter with Hodgman at 33 minutes about American sport is great!

[@Pincer88]

This is by far the most enjoyable interview I have ever watched. Two genuinly charming people having fun without pomp or excessive adoration. A true delight.

[@ogietheman]

I was in the 2nd row, I had a such a great time hearing my favorite comedy idle talk. I sat right behind Wyatt Cenac.

[@funkyfiss]

You are so lucky!!!

[@22Phantasm]

My favourite comedy idol is Eric idle. A play on words, there.

[@michaelwalkerthevintagevoc2855]

Funny man, However... SIMPLY A GENIOUS. Enjoy being entertained by him. Always made me Smile!!!🙏💯♥️

[@jakhaughton1800]

The art of interviewing is to hear more from the person being interviewed than the interviewer. The likes of John Cleese are like a firework; light the blue touch paper and stand back.

[@soppero]

His answer on why jokes are funny is pure magic.

[@joaovictorvelloso]

JOHN CLEESE: A GENIUS. absolutely brilliant!

[@Hassathor]

This was the most perfect interview Ive ever seen, ever

[@dogbarbill]

What an amazing, enlightening, and entertaining hour and a half this was to laugh and learn how John Cleese thinks and works. I'm so glad this showed up in my feed.

[@AnUnseenRuler]

12:32 Imagine being able to make John Cleese laugh that hard. What a feeling that would be.

[@onlyrock1]

I honestly thought I'd watch like 5 minutes of this. Watched the whole thing. Great show.

[@googleuser2609]

Same thing happened to me.

[@jesusfuckingwept1681]

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[@jesusfuckingwept1681]

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[@jesusfuckingwept1681]

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[@jesusfuckingwept1681]

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[@david5372]

IMO, Hodgson was the perfect foil for Cleese. The banter was excellent, and if you remember, John Cleese said something extremely significant -- In the South and in the Mid-West (MY stomping ground), there is a dearth of Irony in our Humor; whereas in England there is nothing but.... I find this to be very useful in public dealings as well. Just a thought -- and a Word To The Wise....

[@dreyfalex]

Very perceptive. I moved to Switzerland in 1990 and experienced severe culture shock. The humor I witnessed on Swiss TV was nothing like the self-deprecating humor (perhaps largely Jewish) that I knew from America. Swiss humor seemed very cerebral.

[@bagywrin]

7

[@Madonnalitta1]

We used to be funny in the UK, the ability to laugh at ourselves was one of the best things about us. That ability has been lost.

[@punkydmouse]

seeing people in the comments commenting about John Hodgman being annoying i guess doesn't know what a conversation is. Sure let him just be a boring interviewer asking the same boring questions that Cleese has probably heard a million times. I find this a great discussion, they both seem to been having a good time as well as the audience.

[@rael1999]

The Pythons were a big part of my young world growing up. Both them and Pete and Dud. Comedy though is like music it's very expansive and very fluid and changes with each generation that comes along. It's very personal too, what one person finds funny another may not. Again like music it has the ability to carry you through very difficult periods in your life, transporting you away from certain realities for a while , subsequently making them more bearable. It also has the ability to unite people and bring down barriers. Laughter is such a great tonic. As well as creating a release, it also produces those chemicals that make us feel contented.

[@daniel1up]

One of the best chats with Cleese IMHO.

[@SEngelsg]

What I think is exceptional is that someone like John Cleese that does something funny for 1 minute can perhaps bring 10 seconds each of joy for a million people. That is nearly 116 days of enjoyment non-stop 24/7. And much, much, more if you consider that most people recall funny things more easily. That is a amazing gift and we should all try to make people laugh more. Thanks both to John and everyone else that make people laugh!

[@Gotachanelnowwhat]

It may be unmanly to cry, but I am doing so. This was beautiful. Both John's are exemplary human beings and if I had been in Hodgman's shoes, I would have bawled like an infant at getting to spend time with the great Cleese. This made me happy. The end.

[@joshatkins1082]

The man is a World Heritage treasure!

[@gamedevlog]

They missed the opportunity to ask Cleese, the most important question of all: how to recognize different types of trees from quite a long way away ?

[@mikkelbreiler8916]

Binoculars ?

[@arendstunes1891]

Love the description of the recent show in which they began to be "mischievous". You know, Mr. Cleese, the audience was intimately familiar with the way each sketch historically goes, and when y'all played around, it let them IN with you. It very respectfully acknowledged their deep familiarity with the lore.

[@Dallas-Nyberg]

Great stuff... they bounced their humor off each other, without stealing the limelight...

[@JuttaJ]

This is what I always say about Cricket ... love to see that I am not the only one thinking like this. Honored to be in line with John Cleese ...

[@ExodusPessoa]

It`s the best You Tube video I`ve ever seen. Must confess not familiar with John Hodgen, but that will change really soon. He`s insanely funny. It`s not easy to hold your own with master Cleese, but he does.

[@nickbarton3191]

Cleese is so perceptive, brilliant how he talked with young students about anxiety and how to manage it. I think this is central not only of the performing arts but more widely.

[@BritishComedyUK69]

John Cleese always makes me smile x

[@TheWitchesHat]

Great interview with Cleese. Amazing chemistry between the two

[@rob16248]

I've been binging on John Cleese interviews etc, on YT, for a week, or two, and this is by far the best (along with another where John's with Eric Idle.).

[@antennawilde]

@5:30 Cleese's answer to "Why are jokes funny?" was the most poignant and insightful explanation of humor I have ever heard. I didn't think it could even be explained until now.

[@jonathannelson5618]

"I've heard that argument before..."

[@PaperViewOrigami]

Such a lovely, entertaining and good-natured chat that celebrates humour and living a life - the counterpoint between British and American is delightfully funny

[@MWL4466]

You're a great entertainer Mr. Cleese. Thank you for making myself and millions of others laugh for so many year's.

[@illiapenrosa5016]

absolutely wonderful, My love for Monty Python especially Life of Brian got me thru sad and lonely times, much like Mr Cleese's stuffed animal collection, his last lines topped this interview for me,

[@wisconsinfarmer4742]

Life Of Brian nailed it.

[@Jalleur14325]

Great chat. I was going to leave it on in the background but it was so good i had to sit down and watch.

[@christinmari]

An entertaining video, with a lot of humor (not to be confused with laughter, which there was also a lot of). Even if you didn't know who either of these men are, it's an enjoyable interview because of their intelligent banter and who isn't a fan of funny? 👍👍2thumbs up!

[@Iskelderon]

Gotta love John Cleese! He's quite perceptive, which makes him a great conversation partner for all kinds of topics.

[@philledwith8307]

So I went and looked it up, and he got the year of Cardinal Richelieu's death exactly right. The fact that Cleese somehow knows this blows my mind.

[@joebloggs1756]

The man has a brain the size of a planet, as does Palin, idle, Jones, fry, Laurie, Atkinson, Thompson, the whole lot of them Cleese particularly so.

[@Jayll1984]

John Cleese is always a win

[@lauriefrancisco1084]

And now for something completely delightful!!! What a treat! And though I was a big fan of The Daily Show, I have to admit I didn't fully appreciate/recall how brilliantly funny John Hodgman is. Great intro, and a terrific interview. He and Cleese worked very well together! Standing O!

[@bruceweigle7597]

I'm from Minnesota and we do not bake cornflakes and milk. We lightly broil it, and only in the winter.

[@1tapin4scarabs65]

John Cleese is so insightful. It is such a good time well spent. I like all of his points he makes about comedy, creativity and the mind. Very very interesting man not to mention the obvious (fall-over-funny).

[@TheRobertEllismusic]

what an intelligent man....and very insightful

[@begitteolsen3784]

Wonderful interview

[@MrUndersolo]

Blessed are the Cleesemakers!

[@geneladner8123]

Even more excellent than I thought it was going to be! Cleese is outrageously funny, as usual! Continue through the entire length of this!

[@REwing]

What a great introduction,so clever, well done!!!!!!

[@EarlyBirm]

Aww... I love this. They are funny apart, but so charming together. :-)