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. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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:    / @johnandersonmedia   And stay right up to date with all the conversations by subscribing to the newsletter here: johnanderson.net.au/contact/ Follow John on Twitter: twitter.com/JohnAndersonAC Follow John on Facebook: www.facebook.com/johnandersonac Follow John on Instagram: www.instagram.com/johnandersonac/ Support the channel: johnanderson.net.au/support/ Website: johnanderson.net.au/ Podcast: johnanderson.net.au/podcasts/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow John Cleese: Twitter: twitter.com/JohnCleese?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctw… Facebook: www.facebook.com/thejohncleese/

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