John Cleese had his microphone taken away at the South by Southwest festival for saying that Britain should get “reparations from Italy and France” for the Romans and Normans enslaving the British.
- British comedian John Cleese argues with other comedians over reparations to slaves
- The Monty Python icon was at the South by Southwest public event in Texas, USA.
- But he got into trouble after joking about France and Italy owing reparations to British slaves for the Roman Empire and the Norman invasion in 1066.
- In the end, his microphone was taken from him by the American comedian Dulce Sloane.
Comedy legend John Cleese had his microphone confiscated at the South by Southwest festival during a comedy debate in which he suggested that Italy and France owe historical reparations for enslaving the British.
The 82-year-old Monty Python icon joked with other comedians in front of a crowd in Texas when he spoke of “competition” between cultures over who was more oppressed by colonization throughout history.
Pointing out that the history of the world is a “history of crimes,” he added: “It is the history of people who were stronger, beating up people who were weaker, and that’s how it’s always been.” It’s deeply, deeply unpleasant.
But to pretend that one party is worse than the other – you know that the British were slaves twice, right?
Cleese explained:[People] become competitive in this business be oppressed. We Englishmen were oppressed by the Romans from about 0 to 400.
Despite the event being labeled a “comedy panel”, his remarks caused consternation and embarrassment to those in attendance.
At one point, Cleese even had her microphone confiscated by American comedian Dulce Sloan, who said she did it to “save a comedian whose career I respect,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“And now you have saved the colonizer,” said Pasternak. “I saved a comedian whose career I respect,” Sloan retorted.
Comedy legend John Cleese got into trouble during his own event when he jokingly suggested that Italy and France owe historical reparations for enslaving the British people.
Cleese refuted claims that the British Empire was the first to colonize communities from other states throughout his 90-minute talk titled “John Cleese Talk”.
The British comedian insisted that England was due “reparations” from both Italy and France, referring to the historical invasions of the Romans and, 1,000 years later, the Normans under William the Conqueror.
“I demand reparations from Italy,” he told the stunned crowd. “And then in 1066 the Normans came…they were terrible people from France and they colonized us for 30 years and I’m afraid we need reparations too.”
The 82-year-old Monty Python icon has sent shockwaves from south-southwest crowds in Texas. He is pictured above (fourth from left) along with moderator Dan Pasternak and comics Dulce Sloan, Jim Gaffigan and Ricky Velez.
Fellow comedians at the event, Jim Gaffigan, Dulce Sloan, and moderator Dan Pasternak, tried unsuccessfully to distract Cleese from his rant.
Pasternak at some point even explained to the audience: “And that’s why your phones are blocked.”
As tensions began to flare, Sloane snatched and temporarily confiscated Cleese’s microphone to cheers and applause from part of the audience, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Speaking after the ordeal, Cleese explained his actions, saying, “The point is, I’m going to die soon. That’s why I’m for global warming – I don’t want to be cold again.”
To which Pasternak jokingly replied: “Where you are going, you will not be!”