Monty Python go Gay

I have already posted a video of a Monty Python sketch before -- it's no secret I love their stuff. On this cloudy Saturday afternoon I spent a few leisurely moments looking at some more of their videos on Youtube, a few of which I had never seen before.

I have chosen a couple that are gay-themed. The Monty Python did several sketches that were quite revolutionary in treating homosexuality in a more sympathetic, even if comic, light.  One the Monty Python was gay: Graham Chapman. Unfortunately he died of a rare spine cancer in 1989 at the age of 48. He was also a doctor by training and was the most eccentric of the group. He was one of the first celebrities to come out in the UK in the 1970s, and he gave moral and financial support to emerging gay rights organizations at the time. He specialized in playing outwardly calm authority figures who can barely conceal an underside of manic unpredictability: such as the Major or the Silly Reverend (the latter of which you can see in the last video on this post). He also played the lead roles in both the feature films the Monty Python did: The Holy Grail and The Life of Brian.

The first video interestingly deals with gay marriage -- but this was done in the 1970s, before it was even in the mind of anyone as a possibility (unfortunately this one isn't possible to embed, so just use this link). The second is a brilliantly unpredictable short sketch, and the third is a funny (non-gay) sketch that shows Graham Chapman's knack for playing crazy authority figures.

Enjoy!