So, Anyway... | John Cleese | Talks at Google

On Wednesday November 19th, John Cleese visits the Google LA office. Hear him speak about his astounding career and new book.
So, Anyway… is a must read for comedy fans worldwide. For the first time, John Cleese tells the story of how a tall, shy youth went on to become a self-confessed comedy legend. En route, Cleese describes his nerve-racking first public performance and his first encounter with his writing partner for over two decades, Graham Chapman. And so on to his dizzying ascent via scriptwriting for Peter Sellers, David Frost, Marty Feldman and others to the heights of Monty Python.

[@SkyeMpuremagic]

I love listening to Cleese laugh 😂 He's such a goof He'll just laugh at himself He probably even laughs at himself when he's alone by himself I'm much the same way 😁

[@pietrasagh]

Delightful person. Especially when he kept on forgetting where and why he was in particular part of his talk.

[@RandyCantrell]

His talk with Eric Idle at Live Talks LA and with Adam Savage at Commonwealth Club are MUCH, MUCH better thanks to better interviewers, better crowds and better sound.

[@brucebaker810]

Just watched the whole Live Talk and half of the Commonwealth one. Yup. Delightful. Haven't seen this one yet. Could the difference be the interviewer. Adam was engaged and engaging. Eric was, well, Eric. This guy...?

[@pbrynild]

Simply unbelievable how often these major tech companies struggle with the basic technology of hosting a meeting. Similar thing happened with the sound when NASA held a press conference after the Perseverance rover had landed...

[@Ufomongo1]

The interviewer and audience makes me want to use Bing.

[@anthonycook6613]

The phrase "talks at Google" should be a huge red flag in and of itself. Cleese was an absolutely phenomenal comedian back in the day, and I'm sure his contribution in that field will never be forgotten. But now he carries water for some very unpleasant people and propagates some very unpleasant ideas. Best to go back in time and enjoy his amazing comic achievements (Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, A Fish Called Wanda etc.) instead. They're timeless :-)

[@rickyanthony]

What ideas?

[@anthonycook6613]

@@rickyanthony Hi Ricky 🙂 Basically, what you notice if you watch Right Wing media is that a LOT of the people in that space have jumped on the anti-PC bandwagon. These people are mostly are anti-diversity, nationalist types. They use the anti-PC stuff as a 'lure' to get people interested in their other beliefs, which run the gamut from blatant racism through homo- and transphobia to misogyny, and attacks on democracy. So the two unfortunately go together, and to some extent, we're seeing the results of this now. Of course I'm not saying that John Cleese is himself racist, homophobic, transphobic etc. etc. It's kind of a 'not all men are gentlemen' situation, meaning that not all people who hate political correctness are horrific Right Wing ideologues. And I've never heard Cleese say anything which suggests that he IS any of those other things. But unfortunately, his hatred of PC language (which, at the end of the day, is just about people being a bit too careful because they're afraid of offending others) means that he says many of the same things that these other unpleasant folks say when they're trying to lure people over to their 'side'. Btw, I think it is possible to critique PC culture in a way which makes it clear that you're NOT carrying water for the Far Right. I really wish John Cleese would do that, for two reasons: one, PC culture definitely does deserve to be critiqued by intelligent people like him; and two, as I said before, I'm a big fan of his earlier work. But he doesn't seem to care about the possible adverse effects of what he says, which is a shame :-(

[@JohnHoranzy]

​@@rickyanthony ideas different than his.

[@thenodfather]

John Cleese masterful and brilliant to listen tones always. They need to get the microphone fix in that place. I wondered how could you be interviewing John Cleese and not being educated enough to go and fuck up The Meaning Of Life and The Life Of Brian?

[@blacquesjacques7239]

I am nearing my half century mark in life and already I understand what he means about memory

[@jahgust]

Geez guys, get the audio together. Otherwise great talk.

[@vladtepes7539]

quicky marriage on the way gives nice smalltalk material, true.

[@robertstewart239]

The audience must have taken sleeping pills before this began. I'd hate to be in his shoes before that bunch. At 28 mins he notices that he has lost the audience completely. What a guy has to do to sell a book! Peter Gabriel got more laughs when he did his talk at Google.

[@mrpancakeguy]

You'd think at Google they could do a better job at this... damn.

[@Andy-lm2zp]

Terrible sound, terrible interviewer terrible audience !!!!!! Brilliant John Cleese !

[@fjoo]

how much does a proper microphone setup cost? - I'm sure it is less than 55 billion dollars

[@79wouter]

The left brain hemisphere is as big as the right one. Oh PLEAAAAAAAASE......

[@sabberi]

*Jesse Nichols*, the thoroughly incompetent interviewer endlessly desperate to appear intelligent, interesting or funny, while actually being the cornerstone opposite of all those qualities - is the near ultimate productive insult to accompany one of the finest persons to have as a guest speaker.

[@djjr9803]

Finally, somebody else recognises this, too. Worst interviewer in a long time. I wish James Lipton could have done one.

[@AGGD767]

Did the audience all take a sedative?

[@dennykaz]

The interviewer is HORRIBLE!!! Looks way too nervous and uncomfortable!

[@rerite2]

Interviewer needs a Mike Tyson attitude adjustment.

[@ZZombyWooff]

google could not afford or didnt have the know-how for any decent microphone system for this occasion... I cant hear anything.. not watchable. why to upload it in the first place.. -.-

[@Applecompuser]

Yesh Google. Learn about to mic a person properly. PS I wonder how this interviewer was selected.

[@checkeredflagfilms]

google...high tech ineptitude. embarrassingly amateurish sound presentation plus a stilted interviewer.

[@RD2564]

WTF man, one of the richest companies in the world full of true geniuses but what in the name of baby jezuz is all that racket ...??? Ridiculous, make yourselves useful and get it sorted out, Poindexters .... Lol.

[@Andy-lm2zp]

WTF trafffalgarrr ?

[@cloudybongwater]

i havnt had time to watch this but i have read his book and have to say its very disappointing. it describes in detail his life up until the pythons began in 1969 and that was it !!! i was looking forward to him telling us about the python films especially about fawlty towers the writing of it with connie booth and the filming of the series. i feel ive been cut short, its more like a volume 1 and volume 2 should follow.......... sorry john but im not the only disappointed jack cheese fan !!!

[@lasseplolsen]

Low energy - no laughs affair. How to make John Cleese bored? Just find a boring interviewer with boring questions, who has done stand-up "at least once a week for...a....full...year". Geez. Maybe get a real comic interview a comic legend next time Google?

[@joelonsdale]

What a horribly awkward interviewer!

[@AdamAdam-ne9ee]

Interviewer is ill-mannered ... bad acoustics ... 👎

[@norwegianzound]

Poor John. Turned out sad.

[@SkyeMpuremagic]

Cleese is a genius and a marvel Nothing sad about that

[@rokridge]

Don't watch this. He's just going to waffle-on about this and that the silly old fudder has probably lost his marbles. Stop encouraging him!