Woke people 'want to be right even if they don’t know why!’ | John Cleese

[@sbg911]

Love Mr Cleese but I still think Ricky Gervais summed it up best when he said "just because your feelings are hurt, doesn't make you right"

[@snufkinmatt162]

Tell that to people who are offended by trans people, vegans or hearing foreign languages on the bus. Snowflakes the lot of them. I wonder if you can make snowflakes out of gammon?

[@iMacDSL]

You should probably look into the subject matter.

[@sbg911]

@iMacDSL you should probably not get worked up about things that don't concern you directly

[@markw999]

Especially when "your feelings" aren't real and are really just a pretext for passive-aggressive behaviors. Witness the "outrage of the week" or "flavor of the month" causes springing up. People get to feel sanctimonious about (fill in the blank) but really don't give a sh1t. Did anyone REALLY care about Ukraine before the Russian invasion? LOL. Suddenly everyone cares deeply.

[@ImpendingJoker]

Sounds like your feelings are hurt and you're proving his point. haha@@iMacDSL

[@sinistrell]

I'm white but grew up in an immigrant neighbourhood and have been on the receiving end of racism more than I can count. Do not for a second think it doesn't happen the other way. What is the case though is when I bring it up I'm swiftly told to "man up", or "it can't be that bad if you're white", if it's not brushed aside at all. The double standard is incredibly frustrating, and no organisation would take it seriously. I make a point though of focusing on the good people around me rather than cry and moan on tiktok all the time. Life's too short for allowing others to live in your head rent free.

[@AC-ib3jj]

I totally agree. Woke people treat minorities as though they're some kind of pet to them or like they have special needs. If they're racist to a white person, their woke handlers will tell us to just deal with it as we have to let them have their moment.. They want to wrap them in cotton wool and In my opinion there's something really sinister about it. Personally, I think they get some kind of perverse thrill from being someone's "saviour".

[@icarusjumped2719]

Same, got mugged just for being white in the wrong part of town.

[@marlonmoncrieffe0728]

The more honest ones admit that the reverse happens but are not compelled to defend you-or at least as strongly-because they consider it less pressing or they fear being accused of racism.

[@Vzzdak]

Doesn't matter. The way that it works is that you don't have a say, you deserve everything that happened to you, and you owe us your country. And what happens next is that we're going to be given preferential treatment for all the jobs, regardless of merit.

[@AndrooUK]

It's interesting how often KZbin shows there should be extra comments... but it has automatically deleted the 'offending' comment(s) without notifying the user(s) and not giving him/her any way to appeal the decision. KZbin is a serious offender of censorship, because it doesn't tell you it's doing it... plus the erasure of thumbs down doing anything for videos and comments, because of 'them feels' for comments, and 'corporate interests' for videos.

[@whereswendy8544]

Remember when we all could occasionally joke around and laugh at each other and ourselves, without getting all bent? What is happening now is doing far more social damage when virtuously woke people become instantly 'triggered'.

[@mattt5006]

I still do it. I’m going for the lowest possible social credit score.

[@lobintool]

Any form of "banter" is now frowned upon! What happened to great British tradition of taking the piss out of ourselves?

[@lobintool]

BTW: I Know it's still alive and kicking! The British are still world beaters at taking the piss out of themselves and continue to do so in more creative ways!

[@markdisney260]

Yep I remember the good old days of the late 60s and 70s when all us white folk could quite happily joke around about birds, darkies, pakis, puffs, lezzers, the crippled, the mongs, the frogs, the eyeties, and the krauts. It's a crying shame that when we do that today they call us racists and bigots. I miss the good old days!

[@seanjones180]

Comedians have more freedom than ever to say what they want...

[@neilmcintosh5150]

The term woke is a pretty useful description of the sort of person who believes that their mission in life is to correct the behaviour and thought mechanisms of every other human on planet earth.

[@christinehede7578]

Not to correct, to control.

[@parrotshootist3004]

@@christinehede7578Same difference. If you think you can or should correct thought, you think you can or should control thought.

[@christinehede7578]

@@parrotshootist3004 not necessarily true as these people often know that they are wrong but don't care, they totally ignore irrefutable proof that they are wrong.

[@obe1withtheforce785]

​@@parrotshootist3004Not at all. Some people believe in raising their kids to be decent people. Discipline, respect. That doesn't mean they have to be overly controlling. There is always a correct, efficient and sustainable way of doing things, even if it less convenient short term.

[@parrotshootist3004]

@@obe1withtheforce785 as best as can concieve is not correct, but I'll take your point, and concede the spirit of your point. I ultimately bow to the good faith of your argument.

[@knn6215]

My favourite is young, white women offended on behalf of every minority group even if they don't know why.

[@eleannapsylla9103]

😂😂😂

[@ingrid20234]

White privileged guilt. They want to be victims. They feel they are not losing out because they are not born into the social depiction of a victim. Or, it's vying and competing for attention ? They cannot accept that victims are getting so much attention while they are practically ignored ?

[@lefkytheshin]

She's worse than the rabble she's defending.

[@EvelynBaron]

I hate to agree (I am a woman in my 60s with a career etc.) and I don't get it either. So sad.

[@el_chico1313]

they always do except for jews bc "jews" are now also "white", go tell that to a black jewish ethiopian😂

[@BrutusMaximusAurelius]

One of the most horrible aspects is the excessive labeling of people and immediately judging them by it. They mention it in the video too: your white, male and straight so that means you are so and so and you don’t have a right to say this and that. Prejudice is something of all times, but dear lord it’s become an art form the last years.

[@EvelynBaron]

I am female not white and have a brain .. yes you are right I just wish for peace. i think every individual has as my Dad said, rights and responsibilities to ourselves and others. When that basic regard for our fellow inhabitants of the planet is eroded things get very messy. My Dad was a great optimist and I hope I don't forget that

[@IdleWorker]

And some conservative bad faith moron could say the same thing you just said, and then follow it up with ”and thats why you cant call me a racist just because I think brown people have lower IQ than me and my people”. This anti woke hysteria is only empowering asshats and making sure nothing in society is being done like investing in infrastructure, education, new technology. Conservatives use it as a smokescreen while they put money in off shore bank accounts.

[@82pythons85]

They claim being white and straight is in the minority now, so why aren’t the left pandering to them over the black and gay groups? Aren’t they suppose to protect the minority group? Here’s a hint… they’re full of shit and it’s really about money and power for the pushers, ignorance and conformity for the supporters.

[@station7thedoor]

Agreed. A lot of wokeness these days is just bigotry disguised as moral superiority.

[@sandal_thong8631]

If you're of the majority race, male, straight and against equal rights for minorities, females, and LGBTQ then you deserved to be challenged. There's an international far-right movement in the world that uses fascist-tactics to try to get leaders in power who are straight males, of the majority race and religion, and who should not be questioned as they lead to a totalitarian state opposing democracy. That needs to be taken seriously and opposed wherever it springs up.

[@BootneckAlphaKilo]

Mr Cleese is a national treasure, Monty Python was decades ahead of its time. Who can forget The life of Brian’ satirising woke cretins 30-40 years before they poisoned politics, the media and society.

[@joshuacalkins]

“Help, help, I’m being repressed!”

[@ks-hg5vo]

It's my right as a man to called Loretta

[@ks-hg5vo]

Stan ..It's my right as a man to called Loretta. And its every mans right to have babies if he wants them.

[@joshuacalkins]

@@ks-hg5vo That is WAY ahead of its’ time! If they wrote it today it would be a hate crime.

[@utv5490]

It has been a long time since Cleese was funny or relevant.

[@tammymarks]

It's all about virtue-singling and victimhood mentality.

[@joycegibbs5267]

it's about power

[@willp133a]

Weather its about virtue signalling, victimhood mentality or power, we have a shit generation coming up with shit politics and no moral compass. I'm just glad im 53 and not 23 cause to be 23 in this current cesspool of shite would be depressing.@@joycegibbs5267

[@martinemjt]

it s immature emotions and wanting to stay in the rut.

[@dalebaker3799]

WOKENESS: Definition. 🤔 A modern ideology that combines Race + Identity politics with Marxism theology to create a Hierarchy of victimhood which teaches to see people as races and groups instead of individuals. And to judge people by their race and identity instead of their Merits, actions or their content of their character. Which believes all disparities between groups of people are caused by sexism, racism, homophobia & ETC. Instead of culture, work ethic, educational differences.

[@davegreenlaw5654]

I saw it way too often in my local science-fiction fandom, where it got to the point where I felt that it was just those people who thought their lives were bereft of any meaning, so they turned to wokism as a way of giving their lives meaning. I'd also say that what I most often heard when they spoke was "Oh, am I not a good person for taking up this cause on these poor people's behalf? PRAISE ME! PRAISE ME FOR DOING SO!"

[@andreas3084]

A true British gentleman and a comedy legend ❤

[@philip5940]

Not if you ask Miriam Margoyle .She told her story on radio .

[@andreas3084]

@@philip5940 Miriam is a horrible person though with no credibility

[@garysarratt1]

He probably wouldn’t like being called a gentleman.

[@an-albumhole4400]

The UK is a tolerant country that tolerates people that are intolerant! We also fight discrimination by allowing discriminating.... via equality of out come, instead of equal opportunity!

[@PeteH0121]

Unfortunately the UK is now nothing more than an American lapdog. Whatever they do over there, we follow suit. So they allow minority groups to drive government policy and we do the same. Rishi Sunak falls over himself to agree with the American viewpoint - as did the buffoon he effectively usurped.

[@Cyberjyuubi]

Aaaaah then paradox of tolerance in action. If you tolerate intolerance then you become intolerant of tolerance.

[@Vzzdak]

Don't worry. Just a matter of time before the more tolerant sorts are forced out of the labour market, like walking into the misty moors.

[@AndrooUK]

KZbin is automatically censoring my attempts to reply without notification or way to appeal the automated censorship, because I mention ethnic diversity in my comment... I also mention how the previous thing I mentioned is a social burden, not a social gain. There are lots of KZbin videos at the moment about it.

[@EvelynBaron]

I think this makes sense, a kind of idiotic sense still thinking about it.

[@romainvicta3076]

I love how he is talking about cancelling people meanwhile GB news cancelled Laurence fox and others

[@johnkerr7286]

If there is such a thing as 'controlled opposition' GB news fits the bill.

[@methods3110]

They are busy shooting themselves in the foot but still pretending to be exercising free speech. Pathetic!

[@888bangthory]

He hasn’t been cancelled, he has his KZbin channel , Ava the target of Fox’s verbal diarrhoea is an awful callous man hater , Shame Fox responded in such a vulgar unprofessional manner

[@thomasherrin6798]

​@@888bangthory Foxes outburst shows his emotions take over his professionalism and that does not work, something he should control to have a better life without possible mental health issues, it was a personal insult instead of a demolition of her wokeness by reason!?!

[@stracepipe]

I like Lawrence Fox but his comments, however understandable, did breach his contract of employment which states that he should be respectful.

[@mommas2470]

My Daddy introduced me to the joys of Mr John Cleese and Monty Python in 1970...i consider that this inoculated me against "wokism" at a very young age. Thank you so very much MR.. CLEESE. THANK YOU.

[@sandal_thong8631]

Which part are you against? The demands of minorities for social justice? Or Righties calling those who highlight injustice "woke?"

[@mattblack118]

Political correctness was never a "positive" term. Ever.

[@stevecooper6076]

…more like an oxymoron.

[@ronaldbell7429]

Except to some people, it was. In the 90s, there was a girl I went to school with. She viewed everything through the lens of her far-left politics and could hardly talk about anything else. She spent a lot of time trying to bully me with political correctness, and she was quite fond of the term. One day, she came to me and said she'd just read something. It seemed to be true, but it wasn't politically correct. "Should I believe something, if it isn't politically correct, just because it seems to be true?" she asked. I laughed and thought she was making a joke. Then I realized she was serious. Just because a term was never positive to you, don't be so silly as to think it wasn't positive for others. The origin of the term was by people trying very hard to explain the right way to be and to think.

[@tactless8671]

@@ronaldbell7429 The term was originally coined in the Soviet Union. Its purpose, then and now, is for use as a bullying stick. Just because theft is a positive for thieves doesn't mean that thievery was ever a positive thing.

[@mattblack118]

@@ronaldbell7429 Oh no I'm not so silly to presume that. Paedophilia is also a positive term for the same type of leftists.

[@ronaldbell7429]

@@mattblack118 Sorry, but you just really went off the rails with that. I don't know which people you hung out with. In school I knew a bunch of people who would have considered "political correctness" a positive term, and I've never known a single person who would have considered "paedophilia" a positive term. With little effort, I would be able to recall the faces of 10 acquaintances who would have considered political correctness not only positive but downright mandatory. If *you* can recall the faces of 10 acquaintances who considered paedophilia a positive term, then you grew up in a penal colony.

[@AcmeRacing]

The bit about not talking to those who disagree with you is dangerous. The more we're sitting home in social media echo chambers full of people who agree with us, the more polarized we become.

[@johnnoreau3570]

It would be easier to talk to people my age if I wouldn’t be called a rapist just for being a man. Or a bigot for not willing to be an activist on every topic. Unfortunately. Some people require your full participation or you’re this. You’re that. You’re hateful. You’re evil. Blah blah blah. Why would I talk to people in a time when having ANY opinion gets you wrongfully labeled by anyone else?

[@sandal_thong8631]

I go with the line in _Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,_ "No politics at the table." Occasionally, you might learn something from someone with a different point of view, but when just under half of voters in America (don't know about voters for Brexit in the U.K.) look to alt-Right media propaganda (i.e. lying) channels to be informed, we then don't have a common narrative of history and current events. How do you reason with people who don't use reason? How do you cite facts to people that reject them? Righties claim it's Cancel Culture when college students protest someone being paid to present their views on campus. But why should your college pay someone who's a known liar/propagandist to present a seminar? Of course Righties looked in the mirror to get that argument, because they are the ones that want to shut down speech by those who disagree with their Leader: public health officials, scientists, professors, teachers, journalists, authors, etc. I think that's what McCarthyism was about: call everything communist in order to stop or delay change (civil rights, equal rights for women, labor unions, environmentalism, gay rights, etc.).

[@theoneanton]

Your words are probably wasted here, I am afraid

[@meisteremm]

Unfortunately, it's both sides. As much as this video highlights young liberals who will cease contact with anyone who disagrees with them or try to cancel them, the same thing happens from the far-right side. The problem is extremism, point blank, not the left and not the right.

[@erik_dk842]

@@meisteremm Not far right, just right as opposed to wrong

[@kjs8719]

Can we start a petition for John Cleese to live forever?

[@Garrett316]

Put me down, twice!

[@jefftaylor844]

Love the nuns ! ... and the intelligent conversation.

[@glasshalffull8471]

I'm critical of critical race theory, I'm not taking any responsibility for my skin color, I blame it on my parents, I'm certain they had something to do with it, definetly one of them.

[@christinehede7578]

Sorry it was their parent's fault not your parents.

[@garryreeve824]

What an absurd statement, casting blame for the color of your skin on the people who gave you life. what's next? Blame them for the color of your hair or eyes?

[@christinehede7578]

@@garryreeve824 joke Joyce, get a sense of humour.

[@garryreeve824]

@@christinehede7578I was replying to glasshalfull and if that was a joke, they sure as hell shouldn't take up comedy for a living.

[@glasshalffull8471]

@@garryreeve824 it was meant to be absurd, you got it.

[@liamp.8826]

If you want to be right even when you're not, that's a sign of a mental problem!

[@irishravr632]

Agreed

[@Lynnette4]

Agreed!

[@loupasternak]

or infantilism

[@peekaboo6622]

Narcissism.

[@richardcummins5465]

Or of a politician, of course.

[@Sjoldschool]

People who are woke remind me of those people who awaken in the film the Omen about the Antichrist. They are possessed by demons.

[@Sirharryflash82]

I never heard of the term "woke" until 2015 and I never regarded the term "politically correct" as a positive notion. It always meant stifling views for political expediency.

[@johnnoreau3570]

My dad always used to tell me being politically correct was bullshit and just be an honest respectful person. Never really got what he meant until i was graduating and all of a sudden men are terrible people for existing and any time a woman claims rape I should believe her or I’m a rapist too.

[@sandal_thong8631]

The Right in America used the term "politically correct" to attack people who treated minorities with respect, based on how they self-identified, such as "Black," "African-American," "Native American," gay, etc. They want to go back to being able to use epithets in public like "N****r," "Fa**ot," and whatever they want to call Asians, Jews and Native Americans.

[@ProfFrank]

Rob Schneider recently said--and I made a poster with the comment--that "Woke-ism is just intolerance dressed up as manners." I think that's spot on.

[@tinocasavecchia3020]

George Carlin said the same thing about political correctness years ago. PC culture is intolerance posing as tolerance

[@Liedtoandlost]

Conservatism was never meant to be radical fundamental Christianity. But Republicans have made it that. The hypocrisy the deluded ideas coming from the right are not helping America the tiniest bit. Donald J Trump is obviously a criminal a liar and a danger to our democracy and yet you Republicans flock to him like he is some kind of Messiah... From a Centrist I must say that you Trump supporters really appear batshit insane to me....

[@tomrhodes1629]

The cult of personality is the church of satan, and will mislead you every time! Elijah has returned, as prophesied, and testifies: I absolutely love Monty Python and John's work with that group. I also love Rob Schneider's comedy work. And some people do push their opinions too far- ON BOTH SIDES. However... If you've read the words of Jesus Christ you SHOULD know that He is a "bleeding-heart liberal." And both John Cleese and Rob Schneider are among the many unwitting agents for the fascist agenda of the oligarchs, using the words 'woke" and 'cancel culture" to distract attention from the evil rightwing fascist takeover of countries and the globe. Read the Book of Revelation Chapter 11 if you want to know more about my upcoming role. And if you aren't awake now, you will be awakened when the coming Tribulation shakes the beds of the sleepers.

[@johnnygoodman2003]

Its amazing how many people in the comments totally miss the meanings and purpose of this video. 1). There is no longer a definition for woke. Arguing and blaming people who are woke is pointless because they arnt real. The are blaming of woke and anti woke people is a distraction. 2) "People want to be right with out knowing why they want to be right ...". 6:10... so in yourself consider both sides. Dont stand by your ideals of immigration or socialism or left and right without thinking about it. Listen first.

[@mitchc3569]

The Corruption of the English Language both in the UK and the American dialect of that language is one of the main weapons in the dumbing down of the youngsters today. Refusing to accept or use the Corrupted form of our language is 100% necessary to combat this idiocy.

[@ingrid20234]

Every good intention has unintended bad consequences. There'll always be people who will twist and abuse a good cause and intention into something quite bad.

[@WinkLinkletter]

True, but many are deliberately twisted from their conceptions by the puppeteers and masquerade as 'good intentions' to disarm the sensibilities of the masses and recruit the 'useful idiots' (Wiki). Perhaps even more often now than the genuine attempts at compassion gone wrong, I fear.

[@SimonPerry-cz4ke]

Thank You absolutely Wonderful.

[@ndwilcock6575]

What a delightful seven minutes. Brilliant.

[@user-uh2cr9so8l]

Very well said both! Thanks

[@DaveGreen-xq1wc]

Legend

[@djamel3010]

Merci. It's alaways a pleasure to have Mr Cleese educating us. Merci professeur Cleese.Je vous aime.

[@jon-gz4ed]

what a legend well said john

[@EnricoHoover]

it's delightful to hear two very intelligent and competent people discuss this, in a very social atmosphere, thank you for sharing.

[@sebastianfandino7553]

So using the term woke is basically "cultural appropriation". 😂😂😂

[@SuperPatrick777]

Bastadised English English , clown .

[@Ret_Army_Combat_Vet]

Gay used to mean "Happy and Free Spirited" but now it became negative. Gay now means "Homosexual".

[@kavalekcoach]

I’ve been on KZbin 20 odd years. This is the most important video i have seen to date based on potential influence. I loved the in-emotional delivery of facts and history, while keeping it human and real. Only a great like John Cleese could have done this. And what about the formally dressed men in the foreground and nuns in the background? Genius!!!

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Love Cleese. 🙂 Also, YTube pretty much began in late 2005. Didn't really catch on until early to mid-2006. I actually started my first channel back then (this one). A lot has changed since those days. The content creators were individuals. Today, they're teams or corporations; the exact opposite of what the platform was attempting to offer. Here in 202x, if you're an individual on YT, you have *NO* chance. Not unless you're super hyper bankrolled, which is essentially mimicking being a corporation anyhow. 😂

[@KingCobbones]

Your math is a little off. KZbin was created in 2005.

[@theowenssailingdiary5239]

I think you could maybe hone your search skills a little.

[@TastySurrealBowl]

That’s a man proud of his belly.

[@vmasing1965]

Matthew Syed was telling us a classical half-truth. Yes there's tribal conflicts in Africa. However, if you draw a map of regional conflicts in the world, year after year, overwhelming majority of them are on the borders of Islamic world with the rest of the world. There's been tribal conflicts in the world for thousands of years, yet never has one religion, or ideology killed as many people as Islam. More than twice ahead of anything else, including both world wars, Mao's cultural revolution and Stalin's Gulags. Only Islamic war campaigns in India killed hundreds of times more people than all the Crusades combined. Everybody knows Crusades, nobody knows about Islamic genocide in India. Half truths, cowardice, full blown lies...

[@StillAliveAndKicking_]

Anti anti Islam bigotry is based on ignorance. Conflicts over the last century include Iraq invading Kuwait, Rwandan Genocide, Chinese aggression against its neighbours, and repression of muslim Uighars, Myanmar and the genocide against Muslims, Srebrenica where Muslims were slaughtered by Christians, serbian oppression of other groups, including mass murder, armed conflicts in South America, the Armenian genocide, WW1 and WW2, the murder of tens of millions of Chinese by Mao, the murder of millions by Stslin before WW2, the Cambodian genocide, the Korean war, the Vietnam war, and so on. These are conflicts with no large muslim involvement, or where muslims were the victims. Your post is full of falsehoods i.e. lies.

[@lumpyfishgravy]

Islam magnifies conflict and gives it licence by accommodating it into a broader system of law, belief and politics.

[@peterg76yt]

No, Islam has a long way to go to catch up with Marxism.

[@johnschuh8616]

@@lumpyfishgravy Compare Moses, the liberator and lawgiver, with Mohammed, the prophet and warrior,

[@clivemarriott7749]

Its predicted in the Bible. God said the child of Abraham called Ishmail will be like a wild donkey, fighting with everyone. Ishmail created Islam which is like him, always fighting with everyone as if inhabited by evil spirits

[@OpenMawProductions]

4:12 You don't have to be mixed race to discuss race issues, or be the victim of racism. I went to a minority-majority middle school. White students were the minority there. I spent 60 days getting the crap kicked out of me, being verbally abused, harassed, the teachers and principals, also of other races were not sympathetic or understanding. The principal told my mother "Well, you know, he does have that look about him." Spent years after the fact dealing with massive social anxiety. I had to overcome that and enter the work force. It didn't turn me racist towards minorities, but I have been told repeatedly in my life that what I described "couldn't happen" and that I had "no idea what racism feels like." Even though I was literally attacked for being "whitey" and beaten repeatedly. "White people can't understand racism." etc etc etc Is just more racism. More bigotry. I've had members of the LGTBQ+ community tell me I couldn't understand them because I don't know what its like to be hated for having something immutable about myself being the source of hatred. Of course I can, and so can many other white men and women. In fact, vast majority of people CAN RELATE to these things because most people of all walks of life experience prejudice, give out prejudice, etc etc throughout their lives. We have to stop talking to one another in this manner. This exclusionary victim-badging that we do. "I'm special and you can't take my victimization away from me!" We CHOOSE to be victims. We can sit and be hurt and upset and let something eat away at us, or we can ignore those people and carry on with our lives and find the happiness beyond those incidents. The choice is ours.

[@jasontomlinson618]

that's the problem with the last decade, we all have hard lives and things to overcome but i once heard it put like this "when people get far enough through life they look back with regret on centain times in their life, what is in fashion now is to look back at the bad things in one's life and go rampaging through their past to discover and punish who was really at fault (someone, anyone but their own reflection )"

[@David-rg9dt]

It sounds to me that all guests on the BBC are instructed to use the word SO, at the beginning of an answer, it really infuriates me!!!

[@johncollins8304]

It's EVERYWHERE not just the Beeb.. Worse than 'absolutely' for 'yes'. How the hell do these things start I'd like to know.

[@susanmarch1661]

Yes. They sound like they are being bullied, being put on the spot and having to defend themselves when it's just a question

[@brettyates7054]

I'd be genuinely interested in this conversation but there are obvious glaring errors from the 'expert'. Political correctness was positive at the start? The term political correctness was born out of the Soviet Union, there was what was correct and what was correct according to 'the party'.

[@thomasdahl2232]

What I miss most with cancell culture, is context. There is a focus on words and nowhere in the eqation is the concideration of context, which makes the woke crowd a word-police rather than policing racism, sexism or homophobia. Not only are they missing the target at times, but they are provoking people to join against the causes they aim to defend.

[@sandal_thong8631]

You can call people you disagree with "woke" or "SJWs" meaning they're bad, so you (and others) don't hear what they have to say.

[@isitanos]

@@sandal_thong8631 Or you can call them extreme-right, nazis or fascists, so you (and others) don't hear what they have to say.

[@I-Dophler]

Challenges and Critiques Associated with "Wokeness" 1. **Excessive Zeal**: There are arguments that the "woke" movement occasionally crosses boundaries, leading to a culture of censorship and self-censorship as people fear offending others. This phenomenon is commonly known as "cancel culture." 2. **Focus on Identity**: The tendency of wokeness to highlight aspects like race, gender, and sexuality is seen by some as a potential source of division, overshadowing the goal of unity. 3. **Apparent Intolerance**: Ironically, the movement, which often champions tolerance and diversity, faces accusations of being intolerant towards individuals holding contrasting viewpoints. 4. **Implications for Free Speech**: Free speech concerns emerge as the movement is sometimes perceived to stifle open and honest dialogue, preferring politically correct expressions. 5. **Corporate Adoption**: There's a perception that the ideals of wokeness are, at times, superficially adopted by corporations more as a marketing strategy than a genuine commitment to social justice. 6. **Perceived Performative Actions**: Wokeness is occasionally critiqued for what is seen as virtue signalling - where people or organizations publicly align with particular views more for appearance and moral posturing than from deep conviction.

[@TadashiNazuka]

From the states, just found this, and I Love it. Good Work.

[@Majstorbob7]

John cleese is a legend!!!!

[@2stepper2000]

I am offended by the stuffed meerkat😂😂

[@garyschei]

It was great to see the drinking and gambling nuns in the background 😂

[@eudaenomic]

Right and now for something completely unwoke. Thank you I've listened to your fight against freedom of speech. Thank you for your common sense efforts.

[@immaterialimmaterial5195]

If John Cleese is a 'dinosaur' may they once again rule the earth!!!

[@alex35agm]

If he's a dinosaur he's an Hilarisaurous.

[@Nebarus]

I have a theory about that…

[@brittclower8606]

Thumbs up from TEXAS!!!!!

[@billythedog763]

texhole is a dump

[@Seventeen_Syllables]

If mankind survives, people in the future will probably look back and realize that it was saved by comedians.

[@brutushullie9385]

This solved the puzzle in my mind. Tx. Best wishes ❤

[@1MysteryZ1967]

Thank you GBN!

[@hklinker]

It’s intentional. The powerful would never stand for a peaceful society where people came to understand they were all fighting the same thing.

[@NedKelly1967]

It’s a victim culture…. Trying to top each other’s victimisation

[@unimaginaryemily]

thank you for sharing this!

[@WinstonSmith22]

Because their focus is to believe things that make them feel better. This self-serving is imbued with gravitas as feelings are believed to be the deepest element of experience. Conversely, rational people accept that the world does not have to conform to their feelings and needs. So their thinking is valued for its factual accuracy, whatever the feeling is about that actual truth. The truth sets us free. The pleasing consolation keeps us dependent on the source of the comfort.

[@clivemarriott7749]

Nice analysis.

[@WinstonSmith22]

@@clivemarriott7749 👍

[@jeanjohansen4060]

Well said

[@DemstarAus]

What's interesting to me is that woke culture is about accepting and providing for everyone and that we shouldn't judge people based on their race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, language... but insist that everyone be categorised into distinct and delineated columns at a very fine level.

[@isitanos]

Well, you're right about the categorizing, but what the culture is supposedly about is a farce. The woke movement infantilizes and doesn't listen in any way to the people they're supposedly representing. They've lost track of any humanitarian objective long ago, and now it's just a self-perpetuating dogma full of contradictions that only gets more radical and absurd as time goes. They only know that everybody must conform to their ideas of be bad, but I'm not sure they even know why anymore.

[@anthonysaunders345]

Greetings to you too, Mr. Cleese!

[@guzy1971]

John cheese should be supported by the NHS for his contribution to the mental health of the country 😊

[@icestationzebra8636]

Bravo!!! Loved this!!!

[@lobintool]

I'm not sure if you clarified what all this "Woke " malarkey is all about but thanks for having a go!

[@a64738]

"Woke" is same as being politically correct, but more extreme and more stupid...

[@KGBookkeeping]

Brilliant conversation

[@gagestandingready1472]

He's a genius. Both literally and figuratively.

[@tomrhodes1629]

Literally and figuratively in some ways, and totally illusory in others. Elijah has returned, as prophesied, and testifies: I absolutely love Monty Python and John's work with that group. And some people do push their opinions too far- ON BOTH SIDES. However... If you've read the words of Jesus Christ you SHOULD know that He is a "bleeding-heart liberal." And John Cleese is one of the many unwitting agents for the fascist agenda of the oligarchs, using the words 'woke" and 'cancel culture" to distract attention from the evil rightwing fascist takeover of countries and the globe. Read the Book of Revelation Chapter 11 if you want to know more about my upcoming role. And if you aren't awake now, you will be awakened when the coming Tribulation shakes the beds of the sleepers.

[@julianhweatherall2253]

Spot on.. a lack of capability to engage and dialogue…

[@willmiller6731]

Absolute legend ❤️🇬🇧

[@DH-sw6vg]

Love the discussion. Love that interesting room! Beware of those drinkin', card playin' nuns, though. Those are nasty habits.

[@danieIlondon]

Hi from London. I should be going to sleep instead I’m watching this old geeza lol

[@stequality]

​@@MaxSmith-zx2ppwas going to say something similar, beat me to it

[@KemetledAfrica]

​@@MaxSmith-zx2ppYou couldn't afford to live in London

[@KemetledAfrica]

@@MaxSmith-zx2pp Go

[@stequality]

@@KemetledAfrica I'm sure he would if he could

[@stequality]

@@MaxSmith-zx2pp never been London and don't ever want to

[@peteroffpist1621]

Spot on.

[@ValTwineDeaner]

I'm 64 in January and my school pal is 64 next February. She votes Labour, I'm right-wing (I love my country and am English and fight for our rights - but that doesn't mean I'm far-right, plebs out there!!). My friend is as woke as it gets and things she's correct about everything. She's recently cut me off, because I said this country is going down the pan because of illegal migrants being given everything, when our homeless are ignored. I'm kinda glad, because she just always thinks she's correct. Wokes are always the gobbiest, loudest morons. True, like someone on here said, funny how this is on GBNews, who have done an utterly woke thing, by cancelling Laurence Fox, who is incredible and the only person with guts, in our gutless society today.

[@methods3110]

They do it to survive because of Ofcom, which is a government surrogate that continues to democratize Britain by snuffing out freedom of speech.

[@kym1160]

Gbnews has to stay on the air though !?....I like Lozza, but his man pub talk was a step to far for a news outlet...he'll survive I'm sure ?.

[@stracepipe]

Lawrence breached his contract of employment that states he should be respectful, which he wasn't (the woman he insulted is vile but his contract says he should be respectful). Calvin then publicly criticised the channel on Facebook and Twitter, when his perfectly valid points would have been better made to them in a private meeting.

[@kym1160]

@@stracepipe spot on 👍

[@billysequins]

She was right to cut you off sounds like you were talking utter nonsense - and what do you personally to help the homeless?

[@russellbolas3828]

Its become a religion with people these days

[@jeffclement2468]

Fascinating. I've just found a substanative, thought provoking new chat show. And Mr. Cleese is in fine form! 😻 Regarding the "woke" issue...I never thought I'd feel ashamed of being a liberal. 😔

[@davegreenlaw5654]

Don't worry about that, as there are times where I feel ashamed of being a conservative. All we can really do is to try and strive forth with logic, intellect...and a little humour, instead of dogmatic fervor.

[@alongcameascorpion2027]

You know 'woke' is just a slur, right? Like 'nigger' ... For those who stand against religious tyranny.

[@jeffclement2468]

@@davegreenlaw5654 Extreme-ism on both sides is equally destructive yes.

[@thethrawnscotsman5260]

"It's Not Me Who's Changed, It's The Left"; They've Gone Mental And Made Me A "Hero"....Bill Maher

[@icestationzebra8636]

I was an Independent with a left leaning point of view in politics up until about 15 years ago, I started to feel myself being pulled right and more conservative in my social viewpoints. Then the political and social turmoil of wokism and cancel culture began and I gave the left a giant middle finger. I think they have driven many people away and sacrifice older people for the indoctrination of youth to their cause. It is disturbing. I love how they describe what “woke” is and it’s intolerance. I dislike anything that discriminates unjustly and it is about the most unjust thing I’ve seen in my lifetime.

[@geofsharp658]

I thought you were going to leave Britain if we left the European Union? Cold feet?

[@TheOmegadusk]

God save John Cleese! Please, more of him explaining things in this format.

[@gordonspond]

I love John!❤

[@ChawgnCron]

I find it endlessly fascinating about how UK denizens complain about tribalism yet still have eons old grudges based on the same tribalism themselves. What is the practical distinction between English, Welsh, Scots, and even the Irish to the rest of the world? There used to be distinctions of Mercians, Kents, Northumbrians, Angles and Saxons, but now they are all just English. To the rest of the world, the English, Scots and Welsh are just Brits, or evil colonizing whitey's to the "Woke". Tribalism is baked into Humanity. It seems that an ever evolving post enlightenment society is the only mechanism the modern world has to mitigate it somewhat. But the "Woke" seem regressive in demanding the tribalism and its prejudices be maintained and inflamed at all times.

[@2sc458]

Bless you Mr. Cleese.

[@Charlotte-vp2fu]

I love John Cleese.

[@t-roy6715]

Thats the trouble with the world today!! there is way too many idiots with too much of nothing to say.

[@PeterPanoramics]

When I here woke I start scrolling

[@johnnygoodman2003]

Its amazing how many people in the comments totally miss the meanings and purpose of this video. 1). There is no longer a definition for woke. Arguing and blaming people who are woke is pointless because they arnt real. The are blaming of woke and anti woke people is a distraction. 2) "People want to be right with out knowing why they want to be right ...". 6:10... so in yourself consider both sides. Dont stand by your ideals of immigration or socialism or left and right without thinking about it. Listen first.

[@garyfrancis6193]

Woke is about feeling righteous for secularists.

[@joonaa2751]

Precisely. Many people woke up to problems with organized religion, so they jumped to the opposite extreme of Scientific Materialism. Because that philosophy provides no moral instruction, they have syncretized this faith with the social justice stuff. They are neo-puritans, in effect.

[@factsoverfeelings1776]

In my experience the people that are WOKE are more often than not the actual bigots in the room.

[@anthonymorris5084]

Exactly. Woke: When you see oppression, racism and bigotry under every rock, behind every tree, in every closet and under every bed. When you see oppression, racism and bigotry everywhere except within your own self righteous behavior.

[@mauser8515]

John Cheese is the man! God bless you ole fart!

[@michelguevara151]

"institutional mysogyny" hahaha if feminism's 'the patriarchy' exists, feminism wouldn't. the only institutional sexism I've experienced is misandry.

[@AndrewKendall71]

It's a "want to be right," but also a want to be seen well as virtuous.

[@Tucarius]

Personally i don't consider myself to be 'woke'. I just like being right for good reasons. What really concerns me is all these people who don't care about being right whatsoever, and actively double down and argue when proven to be wrong, it's bizarre... I mean really, who'd want to be wrong *on purpose*?

[@greggv8]

Because like 9/11 conspiracy nuts and moon landing deniers, they believe they're right and *everyone else is delusional and wrong*. Oh, and math is racist.

[@jumpingjjonah8088]

John Cleese is the very best of Britain.

[@robertblair8395]

Pejoration happens for a reason. The wisdom of the people can see that "woke" is a bad idea, so "woke" becomes a "bad word".

[@methods3110]

These ‘wise’ people are divided in two.

[@sandal_thong8631]

Not so. The bigots want to perpetuate injustice and stop reformers and even those who tell the truth about injustice, whether journalists or history teachers.

[@wmbeam211]

Woke is the past tense of awake

[@aaronbeat1136]

Is it really a loss if some woke zoomer decides they don't want to talk you?

[@jefferyindorf699]

Actually it's a big plus, you no longer have to put up their smugness and condescending attitude which they usually impose upon you as signs of their superiority.

[@greggv8]

The problem isn't when they they don't want to talk to you, it's when they demand that you shouldn't be allowed to talk to anyone.

[@Jabberstax]

Woke is easy to define. Divide everyone by race, sexuality and gender and place those divisions above everything else.

[@norituk9824]

"Political correctness was a positive term at the beginning ..." ? I must have missed that.

[@ThatBeardedWhiteGuy]

Yup, it's always been hypocrisy disguised as mannerism.

[@jefferyindorf699]

I must have missed that as well.

[@stehlik]

Around Stalin era? Oh surely.

[@sandal_thong8631]

I looked up its origin a year or so ago, and they said it started as a kind of joke against people who believed we should treat minorities respectfully, (calling them what they self-identified as such as Native American, African-American, and gay) then bigots used the term to discredit this respect, so they could go back to using the N-word, "fa**ot" and whatever they want to call Native Americans, Asians and Jews.

[@SuperPatrick777]

It's a godless form of morality .

[@davef.2329]

Quite. An absolutely smashing, relevant interview. Such a pleasant venue, as well. A Remy Martin night-cap there would be most enjoyable.

[@YouGuessIGuess]

More people are accused of being woke than actually call themselves woke. I've lived in both liberal and conservative places and the liberals don't talk about it. Then I go back home and the conservatives can't stop talking about it. It's not some identity that people are pledging allegiance to. It's a label perpetuated by the media (more right-leaning than not) to divide and polarize our discourse, and it's working.

[@sandal_thong8631]

Right. Before denigrating Woke, the term they went after was SJW (for Social Justice Warrior). In America they also denigrated the terms liberal and feminist, and of course few people call themselves democratic-socialists despite how they might admire such policies in Europe.

[@mikechapple2363]

Brilliant!

[@Flylikea]

Being woke is exactly what Mr Cleese said: someone who wants to be right even when they don't know why and they are offended when "others" are right aka to be woke one has to be righteous in some fashion.

[@malcolmabram2957]

When one analyses it, there is no moral consensus or prescription as to what they actually believe. They all support some paradigm in the wind, and in the name of anti-marginalisation, marginalise those who do not agree. The woke principle is elevated above relationship, and that is very dangerous to a democratic soceity.

[@Kermit_T_Frog]

"Wokeness" is the essence of liberalism and there would be no democracy without it. That it has become a dirty word is a symptom of growing fascism.

[@silentterrorhawk]

The guy literally just explained that that’s not what woke means lol

[@Flylikea]

@silentterrorhawk please be a troll and not just dumb, either way eff off

[@a64738]

Actually being woke is so much more then that, woke is a cult and it is cult behavior. Woke is what used to be called "being politically correct" but drunk and on a mountain of coke...

[@danielclark2864]

People should be able to take a joke or to tell a joke without being punished as long as its joke.

[@jameslast3192]

Wow, interesting, intelligent, thoughtful discussion. ❤

[@Alessandra-yk6yk]

WE LOVE YOU JOHN! 💫🌟💕 KEEP SPEAKING YOUR TRUTH👍 RE-WATCHING "LIFE OF BRIAN" TO CELEBRATE OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH! 🤣🌟💫🌟💕

[@krisstopher8259]

John is still very sharp minded and he can sense bullshit from a distance of 15 miles. lol

[@jasondashney]

KM

[@kevinwhelan9607]

I hope you enjoy my very short poem, 'Stand-up Guy'- 'He told a joke/ that upset/ the woke./ Now he's unemployable/; broke./ No joke.' - Writing to you from the village of Moycullen in Co.Galway, Ireland.