John Cleese... What a Knob.

Discussion in 'Bulletin Board' started by BarnsleyReds, May 30, 2019.

  1. BarnsleyReds

    BarnsleyReds Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2013
    Messages:
    11,260
    Likes Received:
    13,001
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    XenForo - Xenith Reds
    This from someone that moved to Nevis.



     
  2. Dja

    Django Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2013
    Messages:
    10,388
    Likes Received:
    6,773
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    I actually think he’s right & it’s disgusting he’s been branded as racist by many.

    As someone who’s been to London a few times in recent years it doesn’t feel like an English city because it has that many foreigners & tourists there in the same way that Benidorm doesn’t feel like a Spanish city because there’s that many foreigners & tourists there.
     
  3. Con

    Conan Troutman Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2011
    Messages:
    17,469
    Likes Received:
    2,694
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Professional Football Fan
    Location:
    Tarn
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    More than 50% of London's population was born outside of England. I'd say that makes it not very English. If you went to Tokyo and 50% of the population was born in Scandinavia would it still be Japanese?
     
  4. Hooky feller

    Hooky feller Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2016
    Messages:
    15,038
    Likes Received:
    17,099
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Occupation:
    Retired, full time grandad.
    Location:
    Mapp.
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Good lord, not what I thought given the thread title. Expected an accompanying photo.
     
  5. churtonred

    churtonred Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2011
    Messages:
    10,743
    Likes Received:
    16,993
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Dingle. No, really!
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Is London quintessentially english? I don't think it ever has been in my memory. That's not a good thing or a bad thing. London is London, it has its own vibe.
     
    Merde Tete likes this.
  6. Loko the Tyke

    Loko the Tyke Administrator Staff Member Admin

    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2005
    Messages:
    16,663
    Likes Received:
    17,654
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    It's definitely quintessentially English. I know it has its detractors, but it's a superb city rich in English culture and tourists flock to it for that very reason. Comfortably one of the best cities in the world.

    50% of the population were born outside of the UK (or whatever the stat is). But the 50% that weren't is still a really chunky number
     
  7. churtonred

    churtonred Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2011
    Messages:
    10,743
    Likes Received:
    16,993
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Dingle. No, really!
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    I wasn't supporting or detracting from Cleese's comment or criticising London. I like it, in short doses. It's a massive centrepiece of our history and I guess a lot of people do see it as typically English. For me it's not, it's a cosmopolitan, international city and none the worse for it.
     
    Googs, Redhelen and Merde Tete like this.
  8. onemickybutler

    onemickybutler Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2007
    Messages:
    7,287
    Likes Received:
    7,734
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    One of the funniest men alive whatever his opinions on London . Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, Life of Brian and The Holy Grail....all genius comedy
     
  9. Jay

    Jay Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2005
    Messages:
    40,989
    Likes Received:
    26,876
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    On Sofa
    Style:
    Barnsley
    Don't have a problem with those comments. Don't necessarily agree but I don't find it offensive, I don't think it's meant to be offensive, it's just an opinion. An opinion from quite an old guy who has fond memories of a place from his youth.
    There's some pretty vile opinions out there from some horrible people, really don't think this is one of them. I think there's plenty of scope to disagree, but not to get upset by it.
     
    Austiniho, TitusMagee, Brush and 12 others like this.
  10. Red

    RedMonk Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2011
    Messages:
    2,231
    Likes Received:
    1,805
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    I agree with him. If all the foreign workers suddenly left, London would be on its knees.
     
  11. Tru

    TrueRed92 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2016
    Messages:
    2,564
    Likes Received:
    1,255
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Barnsley
    Style:
    Barnsley Dark
    Nothing wrong with that
     
  12. Gally

    Gally Administrator Staff Member Admin

    Joined:
    Nov 5, 2009
    Messages:
    16,518
    Likes Received:
    11,261
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    York
    Home Page:
    Style:
    Barnsley
    He’s right in that there’s a good percentage of people who aren’t English. Having lived there and then often working there several days a week after leaving, I’m not sure that it has changed massively in the last 20 years. It’s always been a cosmopolitan city while I’ve been going there and its people are more tolerant as a result. Plenty of Englishness remains though.

    A lot of those who aren’t English probably didnt have the right to vote in the referendum though.
     
    Redhelen likes this.
  13. Tor

    TorontoRed Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2014
    Messages:
    140
    Likes Received:
    151
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Style:
    Barnsley Dark
    He's not right, he's just old. Opining for the "good old days"? This is what old people have been saying forever.
     
  14. Dalestykes

    Dalestykes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2017
    Messages:
    4,628
    Likes Received:
    6,828
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Come on Conan. You sound like the Daily Mail. And by that I mean quoting a ‘fact’ that is actually total ******. You should know better. On the wider point, one of the joys of being in London is the cosmopolitan nature of the City. A joy compared to some of the Little Englander places that infest this Country.
     
  15. YTB

    YTBFC Guest

    I felt similarly when I read the tweets.
     
  16. Sparky

    Sparky Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2011
    Messages:
    3,830
    Likes Received:
    3,306
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    I think it's only really the nationalities that have changed, when I first visited London nearly every barman was an Aussie
     
  17. plu

    plug Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2017
    Messages:
    636
    Likes Received:
    434
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Gender:
    Male
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    I don't believe I'm going to say this but i agree with Conan, As he and John Cleese state English not British, European ect.
     
    Trickster Two Six likes this.
  18. Skryptic

    Skryptic Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2015
    Messages:
    2,829
    Likes Received:
    2,865
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    A lot of those criticising him would be the first to celebrate what a diverse, multicultural city London has become. By those definitions it has lost some of its Englishness. Bit of an odd thing to get upset about.
     
  19. Sopwith Camel

    Sopwith Camel Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2009
    Messages:
    11,407
    Likes Received:
    5,254
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Present
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    I agree with him.. I feel people like Victoria, full of hate, and worst of all self hate, should really have a good look at themselves..
     
    Austiniho and portsmouth tyke like this.
  20. Til

    Tilertoes Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2015
    Messages:
    4,119
    Likes Received:
    2,810
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Style:
    Barnsley (full width)
    Worked there 2 weeks ago. At the side of our site, on quite a busy pavement, outside a national magazines offices, a lady was jacking up on heroin at 1 in the afternoon.
    Last weekend, I went to town and saw 3 spice heads slumped round the market stalls.
    London is just that bit more extreme but the same **** happens everywhere.
     

Share This Page