Fawlty Powers: Politics, Culture and Comedy | John Cleese

John catches the iconic (and 'generous and warm-hearted', in his own words) John Cleese for a conversation during his Australian comedy tour 'An Evening with the Late John Cleese'.
They discuss a wide range of topics including Cleese's admiration for Australia, the psychology of creativity, religion, social media and comedy. Cleese delves into the history and politics of the UK, reflecting on the highpoint of optimism in the '60s and the subsequent pessimism that has captured the West. Both Johns ruminate on the problems facing us today and how we might overcome them.
John Cleese is an actor, comedian, screen writer and producer best know as the creator of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers, the latter of which was voted the UK's greatest ever sitcom. In 2005, Cleese was ranked by a panel of comedians as the second best comedian of all time.
On screen, Cleese has both appeared in blockbuster films, from Harry Potter, to James Bond, to Shrek, and written his own. 'A Fish Called Wanda', which he wrote and starred in, received Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations.
A heterodox political thinker, Cleese is a vocal critic of cancel culture, reluctant supporter of Brexit, sceptic of multiculturalism, and describes his inclinations as 'slightly left of centre'. In 1999, he declined an invitation to sit in the House of Lords as a Liberal Democrat peer.
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00:00 Intro
00:52 Introducing John Cleese
01:27 Cleese's love for Australia
02:13 The Psychology of Creativity
03:55 Laughing in Tough Times
05:17 Britain's Declining Confidence
06:33 Good Therapy vs Woke Ideology
07:57 'No such thing as society'
10:11 Cleese, what have you got against Americans?
11:11 We no longer have privacy
12:50 What happened to the BBC (the love of money is the root of all evil)
13:45 Is wealth inequality the fault of Thatcher and Reagan?
15:29 The problem with political systems is the people, not the system
16:52 What went wrong in Britain
18:04 Life of Brian
19:29 Old money's sometimes better than new money
23:52 Humor vs Hierarchy
27:22 The abandonment of Christianity
30:27 William Wilberforce and the Evangelicals
33:52 Malicious vs Affectionate Offence
41:32 Social Media
47:52 Surround yourself with people you disagree with
50:42 Why we need good people in politics
55:34 Left and Right Brain Hemispheres
1:00:04 Immigration
1:02:52 What makes Cleese Laugh?
1:04:14 What gives Cleese hope?
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Conversations feature John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, interviewing the world's foremost thought leaders about today's pressing social, cultural and political issues.
John believes proper, robust dialogue is necessary if we are to maintain our social strength and cohesion. As he puts it; "You cannot get good public policy out of a bad public debate."
If you value this discussion and want to see more like it, make sure you subscribe to the channel here: / @johnandersonconversat...
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Follow John Cleese:
Twitter: JohnCleese?ref_sr...
Facebook: / thejohncleese

[@user-vl6xt2rt7p]

A comedian and intellectual Cleese is a gem

[@TheDiveO]

that's why he is still a brexit supporter

[@vincentl3911]

Love this man. Thanks for the great many years of laughs you have given us Cleese. You are a legend

[@Gotcha6666]

I completely agree! Best wishes to all decent people from Prague, Czech republic! 🇨🇿🍻🌍

[@soavemusica]

I fear wokeness may not just be a question of not understanding the context, but dismissing it on purpose. Chilling.

[@MrUndersolo]

When I was having a bad time in school, I would come home and watch the Monty Python films I had saved, and I always felt better. Humour can puncture pretense, knock down all the false idols of the holier-than-thou, and show that many emperors have no clothes. Thank you, Mr. Cleese. We need your lessons to be learned!

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

The old John Cleese gets, the more sense he makes. Thanks for the great interview.

[@rogerdale5451]

Cleese has not lost any of his mind, regardless of his age. I absolutely love him.

[@SensemakingNL]

Great to hear Cleese again reflecting on current state of affairs. I do sometimes miss a bit of pushback on these interviews

[@aldoromano-be8su]

Yes, it's ironic isn't it!? He is talking about the importance of critical thinking, freedom of speech. It would be nice for him to be challenged and see what happens. I am sure he would be able to handle it.

[@lancejames9228]

Have loved Cleese since the 70's My admiration for his courage grows by the day

[@QalinaCom]

Tolstoy once said: "All people aren't as good as they think of themselves, but aren't as bad as others make them to be" Great interview, wishing you both health and happiness!

[@nix-consulting]

In response to that, I'd like to add... everyone really wants to be "good", but the definitions of good are extremely varied. Except psychopaths. They only care about how they are perceived and will play to the ideas of what everyone around them deems to be good.

[@darkrebel123]

That also mirrors the sentiment of Sozschenitsen. "The line between good and evil runs through the heart of every man."

[@cscooperau]

I wish this channel got more views

[@nerfytheclown]

I'm impressed with every single interview. Gotta agree here.

[@newman653]

Ditto

[@majorlaff8682]

Why? What has this channel ever done for the Romans?

[@neildoherty9428]

Its great to listen to wise people talking 👍

[@GatumiaGatumia]

Humourous, stimulating and thoughtful. Many thanks.

[@andersdottir1111]

Monty Python was the sound track to my teenage years; a well placed ‘it’s just a model’ would have my friends and I rolling around crying with laughter.

[@donovanmedieval]

Always look on the brite side of life.

[@donovanmedieval]

Actually, my repeat line was when Eric says, "It's silly," in "The Free Translation of Doubtful Words Thing." I originally remembered it wrong as: "That would be silly!"

[@louisebrislane6607]

Its good to hear John Cleese, it was a very enjoyable way to spend an hour.

[@JiffurSaurusRex]

I didn't expect this one to be so profound! A wonderful conversation between John and John, one that's really worth coming back to as well

[@domm6812]

Eminently insightful. Many intelligent observations that many people will feel uncomfortable with and won't want to hear ....because of many of the reasons discussed. But that in no way diminishes the truth of it. John Cleese is a very wise man, and the world will be so much poorer when he's gone.

[@dalibofurnell]

Absolutely love this man! Fawlty Towers got me through very heavy depressive parts of my life! Good man , John Cleese ❤

[@davidmadden8083]

My favorite living comedian. Looking forward to this interview!

[@kaylenehousego8929]

John Cleese does interrupt ....a lot. At least in this conversation . Makes it challenging to cohere into a flow of conversation .

[@FozzyBBear]

@@kaylenehousego8929 Yeah but it's John Friggin' Cleese. We need to record as many of his words for posterity as we can in the limited time we have left. I'm disappointed it's so hard to find his old educational videos, where he'd explain to students issues like ranked-choice voting. Even his corporate training videos were entertaining.

[@kaylenehousego8929]

Im sure you are right...appoligies from me to you . I am trying to learn to say nothing when I cant be nice or positive .@@FozzyBBear

[@hjr2000]

As per his tour title, he was actually dead at the time of filming 💀 😂

[@Eyesayah]

@@kaylenehousego8929 I have harbored the same ambition. I stumbled on this via a Thich tape. Beware your conscious mind, it is ever ready to prompt you to speech. What it called the storage mind is more reliable. By maintaining some space between stimulus and response you might find that silence will suffice, or your storage mind will provide an authentic and appropriate response. This is part of a road that locates your happiness in interbeing with the world, rather than taking arms against a sea of troubles. Might only succeed if people insist that it will.

[@joeking4206]

Great interview. We Brits and you Aussies have more in common than we prefer to admit. We are brothers. The Yanks are nice, but they are from a different family and we are friends with them.

[@ally11488]

Love Australia. Is it true Ayers Rock is really a giant tarpaulin covering thousands of dead Aborigines?

[@CPWebster]

I wonder if Mr. Cleese has read Colin Wilson? What a great man, Mr. Cleese has filled my life with laughter and now with wisdom.

[@tedbomba6631]

Brilliant interview ! This was my first exposure to John Anderson's interviews and I shall look forward to watching more of his work. John Cleese has long been one of the most brilliant comedy minds, in my opinion, and his insights on many subjects are well worth listening to. The thoughts of these two gentlemen on many topics made for a very worthwhile discussion.

[@daliborzak2485]

Listening to conversations like this fills me with at least some kind of hope towards humanity.

[@Yvonne-le6ju]

Love the pair of these two unique men...❤️❤️❤️

[@ccreasman]

Wonderful John (both)! Thank you, John Anderson, for doing this. I don’t agree necessarily with everything Cleese says, but I sure enjoy listening to him.

[@johnstory2996]

What do you disagree with him about? Just curious

[@hjr2000]

God bless John Anderson and his subtle evangelism.

[@Imperceptible_parachute]

Saw Cleese live in Launceston this year. Thought I'd missed the chance and very pleased I got to hear him.

[@tinytanks]

oh my gosh, can't tell you how excited I am to watch an hour of these two together!

[@user-yn3le4nh1d]

Most wonderful interview. Thanks to both John’s!

[@carolspencer6915]

Good afternoon John and John Having a sense of humour and appropriately placed laughter in Clinical practice is one health care measure we should pay more attention to. Most certainly within the realm of mental health and addiction nurse practices. Most grateful to you for many works, but Faulty Towers, brilliant childhood memories of laughter with my parents on an evening. 💜

[@thadtuiol1717]

If John Anderson were Australia's PM I'd actually have some hope for Australia. As for John Cleese, he said back in 2011 that London was no longer an English city and he got excoriated for it by the usual suspects. He's even more right today, sadly.

[@benji-pj4dp]

I left London after a young man was chopped in half with a machete near my school

[@NicholasWarnertheFirst]

When has London ever been just an "English" city. It was created by the Romans, invaded and occupied by the Norman French and as the Port of the Empire a junction for everyone on the planet.

[@adamtzsch]

@@NicholasWarnertheFirst London is still in England and, therefore, still an English city. Some idiots just hate change and brown faces.

[@adamtzsch]

@@benji-pj4dplovely story 😂

[@minixtvbox]

​@@adamtzschlondistan

[@johnfisher247]

"Laughter has something in it common with the ancient words of faith and inspiration; it unfreezes pride and unwinds secrecy; it makes people forget themselves in the presence of something greater than themselves." Gilbert K Chesterton

[@andywalkerchannel]

This discussion is absolutely superb, and hugely important. So much food for thought. Thank you so much. I will now go away and muse about this.

[@Czechbound]

That was excellent. The mark of a good interviewer is letting the guest talk as both John's agree, and this is a great example of that. John Cleese has great insight into psychology and sociology. I encourage everyone to seek out more of his views on these topics. New subscriber here. Greetings from Prague, CZ !

[@mujdawood7892]

Fabulous chat . Thank you 🎉

[@MImlac]

This is one of the few long video casts I actually watched to the end. I've always admired Cleese's talent even though his views diverged from mine. But interesting that now they seem to be converging as he thoughtfully reflects on his own past and that of society 😊

[@BertWald-wp9pz]

John Cleese actually managed to bring out aspects of John Anderson others have not. I think this is because he is so creative - used to sparking together ideas from diverse areas.

[@tjcint]

An incredible conversation. Thank you gentlemen.

[@kls22201]

You two are a breath of fresh air!

[@danielecostantini8722]

John Anderson is genuinely the only politician i've ever enjoyed. Great interview.

[@BenjiOrthopedic]

Amazing to see the great John Cleese chugging along at age 84. Thankfully he's still out there and active and not "retired".

[@patrickrumbu2902]

The bit at the end; 'i thought i'd never meet a politician i'll like' 😂

[@Nettlewitch]

Brilliant interview, John. Thank you for sharing

[@Kris.G]

What a great interview!

[@kyle782]

The was a study done on the length of telomeres, (the protective end part of DNA), which allows us to foresee the age of someone on a cellular level. (I think that's how it works). This study showed that in children raised in single-parent homes, at the age of 18, their telomeres were 14% shorter than those raised in two-parent homes. So it makes sense that if just the non-subtraction of 1 parent in the home prevents a 14% reduction in telomeres, then having a strong community to grow up in would be of even more benefit and there would be a reduction in the telomere shortening over time, leading to longer life spans. At least that is my take on it, and why those people in those blue zones live longer.

[@newman653]

Nurture v nature .

[@TheAyeAye1]

Saw him live in his alimony tour days. He just had the audience in stitches.

[@robertmarshall2502]

Fascinating discussion. I find it interesting with the right and left brain hemisphere because there is a theory of history that we've overwhelmingly focused on viewing it via the left side and seen progress on its ideals whereas the right has been neglected.

[@Gorbyrev]

Amen to much of that. Excellent interview.

[@aldoromano-be8su]

yes, god help us in the age of cancel culture, mass immigration, massive wealth inequality and environmental catastrophe! We will have to seek out our fellow rational, nice human beings and stick together!

[@elioxman8496]

Thanks you both Johns! Finally, I heard loud and clear that only those who are unable to create anything go into critiques ...and I'd add often second-hand journalism.

[@suninmoon4601]

Always a pleasure to listen to the great man, John Cleese! Most of what he says is pure gold; however, his take on trusting feelings, as influenced by Freud and others, is profoundly confused. Trust in ones feelings, what J.C. disparages as an extreme woke position, should not be confused with a rash conclusion. Liking John Cleese, for example, is a wholly valid feeling--an impression, if you will, which does not preclude the possibility that upon closer acquaintance said feeling might change. The feeling, however, should be trusted until informed by further information. The alternative, always to mistrust ones feelings and second guess ones intuition, what one might call an extreme rational position, while undeniably lucrative for the therapist, is a recipe for hesitation--blocking or psychological paralysis--in the individual. As human beings, we have access to a faculty for feeling as well as a capacity for reflection. Psychological health requires both.

[@charlesdemaine3083]

What a wonderful conversation! Cheese is so fantastic to listen to. Great atmosphere. Cheese's books are also highly recommended. The latest "Creativity" one is brilliant but so are the ones he wrote with that shrink, Robin Skynner. Thanks for having these excellent guests on, Sir!

[@garyambrosini1427]

Take some brie-f time to reread your comment

[@charlesdemaine3083]

Cheese is his real family name @@garyambrosini1427 he even had his animals named after different cheeses for that reason. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYbCpJWXYsednsU beautiful one here. And funny.

[@VelkanAngels]

I do love me a full hour of sitting still, intently listening to cheese.

[@ablestationfoxtrot8037]

What an amazing man.

[@carolynb.7455]

Great to listen to this discussion. Thank you, John Anderson and John Cleese.

[@rick11960]

Another great interview John-Thanks.The references to GK Chesterton are very welcome-his humorous and sensible opinions on life are still valid .{The coronation was held in Westminster Abbey which is Anglican, the Cathedral is Roman Catholic}.

[@johndutchman]

Beautiful conversation ! Thank you

[@johnpenner5182]

great interview. cleese is insightful and a sensible human being. thanks for this.

[@viggosimonsen]

'If you have decent people running the system, it doesn't really matter so much what the system is' This epitomizes my fundamental view Had John Cleese not been a comedian, he could have been brilliant in almost any other field Really a thoughtful and wise soul

[@christophedevos3760]

Very good, thought-provoking and also comforting interview, thank you for sharing.

[@bparkinson5397]

How was Mr Anderson ever a politician - he seems like a perfectly decent human being!

[@newman653]

John Anderson is a down to earth guy with an intellect without peer !

[@LooseTheremin]

Hello Newman - I don't think John would claim that for himself. He is above average intelligence no doubt but he is not "an intellect without peer". My biggest problem with John is that he can't help inserting his Christianity into his interviews. And also that he can't see through Jordan Peterson's dodgy declarations. Mind you Peterson's way of couching his views is so convoluted and hedged about that isn't necessarily an easy thing to do.

[@newman653]

@@LooseTheremin loosey goosey you are entitled to your opinion even if it's wrong .

[@LooseTheremin]

You are the one who is wrong Newman, I'm not entitled to anything and I never have been and you should know that.

[@newman653]

@@LooseTheremin I would agree though that Mr Anderson would not claim that for himself either for he is far too humble .

[@LooseTheremin]

Newman - He also wouldn't claim that for himself because he knows it isn't true.

[@DoctorSound69]

The Two Johnnies ! Fabulous

[@lunae10]

Bravo 👏

[@johnmoncrieff3034]

Why is John Cleese on of the most important individuals to be listened to as he has a rapier sharp view of the world and he points to the pomposity and pricks it with a pin! His story about watching the coronation of King Charles III and its comparison with the life of Brian was top drawer!

[@Hubert_old]

Interesting his views on money and power. I think there should be a separation between public and private sectors. Lobbying is a legal form of bribery.

[@JonathanRossRogers]

Should it be legal to contribute to a political campaign?

[@debbiewinterrowd203]

Death of the US began when political action committees came into being. 🥲🤬

[@Pan_Z]

Lobbying would be less of an issue if voters bothered to do their civic duty, and looked who donated to who's election. Citizens have a responsibility to be informed when they vote. Always follow the money for the truth.

[@andrewwickham4642]

Exceptionally Special John’s x 2 Cheers

[@Chingfordassociates]

I also enjoyed John Cleese's conversations with Iain McGilchrist.

[@riiidiculoso8697]

Wonderful

[@jensswales]

great host and great guest👏👏👏

[@gnukkignukk7536]

12:00 I think they actually understand what it is to have a sense of humour and they might even have it themselves. Yet putting people down and telling others what people can or can not do make themselves feel powerful.

[@craigo7235]

Thank you

[@RolandEB]

This left me smiling

[@mikereseigh]

Love John. I could listen to him read the dictionary.

[@sandpiper9288]

This was great :)

[@franklinnash]

Laughter will always be the greatest medicine.

[@DarianCabot]

Thoroughly enjoyed the conversation! Key moments or me: 24:21 29:48 36:10 42:20 - Don't agree with this take. I agree with the anon reasoning, but anonymity is worth the downside. 51:37 54:47 - Don't agree with this and it surprised me. I want someone capable, not their carers. 59:52

[@halifaxmayor]

this guy rules, and I'll tune in again to watch John Anderson

[@hubrisnaut]

I like John Cleese and agree with him on many things. I also disagree with him on things. Still have respect. The coronation is not funny, although it can be made fun of. It is a ceremony that metaphorically humbles the figurehead of sovereignty before "a higher power" in the eyes of the people. I'm an agnostic, so I am not arguing the point that god exists or not.

[@andrewattenboroughtwothumb4697]

Such an amazing interview and thanks John and a great legend like John Cleese

[@mathieujvc]

One cannot dislike a man with such a perfectly round tummy.

[@maureen3621]

I watched an interview of Neil Innes and in it he described money as ‘a belief system’. There are many more important things in life that are worth more than money. What is it that binds us to it? People who are humble in my opinion are the richest people on earth.

[@zankyalbo2208]

When PBS brought the Python's to America, my Mother (bless her) ... didn't 'get it' ... I was on the floor, trying to get air into my lungs ... it was the 'Fish Slapping Dance'.

[@WaynePickering]

If I only had one show to watch for the rest of my life,it would be Fawlty Towers…so clever…unlike most ‘stars’ who have their scripts written for them,and aren’t talented at all…

[@claudioreis3156]

Thanks for this hour...

[@frankie3041]

This man is a world treasure, he is my No. 1 comic hero, I respect him enormously, even if he watches too much CNN, gets all his news from it and similar news sources, and thinks he’s not the one who’s siloing himself but it’s the Trumpists who do.

[@saltburner2]

I think it was John Major who privatised the railways, though Thatcher had paved the way. Privatising public utilities was usually a mistake; even when it was done to curb the power of the Unions, it was ineffective. Most of our European neighbours have better railways, postal services and public utilities through keeping them in the public domain.

[@annemarieforprimeminister8020]

Blair had plenty of time to reverse this and didn't - John Cleese doesn't mention New labour, as if his knowledge of politics ended in 1990

[@travisdonaldson7323]

Really enjoyed that.

[@carolgiangreco6548]

Many Americans look for community, in the mountains, and in the cities, too. We're private people, we're strong in our individuality and the healthy among us, we seek community.

[@kambrose1549]

Two thoughtful people well worth hearing!

[@chopincam-robertpark6857]

Another Great one J.A. You 2 really connect. Maybe next time Mr. Python could talk about AI,

[@jmorton201]

Very nice John and John in concert or dare I say the two Johnnies "It's good night from me and its good night from him"

[@peteroreilly8060]

I love the Python sketch, 4 Yorkshire men. Haaaaaa, who is the greatest victim Haaaaaaaaaaa

[@philaldridge4178]

Very wise

[@jan-olofharnvall8760]

Now you’re talking John😁

[@lostcauselancer333]

Freaking love Cleese. He’s supplied me with tons of laughs over my whole lifetime, and I sincerely enjoyed hearing unfamiliar perspectives during this conversation, but I’m left scratching my head as to what President Biden (or his carer) gets right.

[@maz59]

well done John Anderson! agreed with John Cleese on about 50-70%... but his last comment 90%

[@thebatt6183]

I love Monty Python. Yes it will change and it will get better

[@GlobalMechanix]

Great work JC & JA. Economists facilitate the privatisation of water infrastructure, highlighted early on. Champion of the industry became champion of the shareholder 😢.

[@bobhsohi704]

John Cleese with one of the funniest man that ever lived

[@suninmoon4601]

"You must never be solemn. You must be serious." Sincerity is the thing! Seriousness is the birth of hypocrisy and the death of all things joyful.

[@woodrobuda]

I agree w/ John regarding humor directed at the hierarchy smooths relationships but the hierarchy protects those who are hated or victimized (though they haven't done a good job lately). The class clown or court jester is an example of what we've lost.

[@vincentsaia6545]

There actually was an American game show in the 50s where women competed against each other for who was the biggest victim. It was called QUEEN FOR A DAY, where women would tell their sad stories and the saddest story won.

[@donovanmedieval]

And the other two had to go home with nothing,, and their lives in the same place.

[@Baresark]

Did the winner get a cat and a Nebuchadnezzar of Chablis?

[@smokedherb]

17:52 there's a 4 part docuseries called "the century of the self" , worth checking out