Terry Gilliam show cancelled

I am a massive Python fan.

I was quite bothered by some of what TG said about #MeToo. I have a feeling he said that a particular sleb just wasn't capable of behaving that badly - someone pretty dubious like Weinstein, Cosby or Depp (I can't remember exactly but I remember thinking, "Terry, you need to listen.") I may even have stopped following him.

Nonetheless, I think what the Old Vic has done is ridiculous.

You will be unsurprised to hear that I am capable of having all three of these thoughts/opinions at the same time, because life is usually a little bit more complicated than some people realise.

After the whole Kevin Spacey debacle, they've been at the forefront of (very good) initiatives to listen to staff/stop bullying/ etc etc - which is entirely understandable and commendable. So, you can sort of see why when staff complained about TG's problematic views they felt they needed to take it seriously - otherwise they'd have got even more negative publicity. Rock and hard place, I suspect for them.

And Polanski.

Both of those people I don't necessarily 100% like or agree with them (or in Polanski's case the culture around them) but would not want their work 'cancelled' for that reason.

Remind me how many organisations cancelled Roman Polanski?

Old Vic cancels Terry Gilliam show over trans views

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6f9fd0c6-3b30-11ec-a9ce-48a11f44f00d?shareToken=c011eb9f6f082cbeaf6988c4322d9f09

It’s the new McCarthyism.

One of the most sinister aspects of cancel culture is its arbitrary nature and the power that gives people. There are some celebrities out there who've committed terrible crimes and nobody cares, there are some who make it their life's mission to be as nasty and obnoxious as they possibly can and nobody cares, but the ability of the woke mob to seek out and find offence in things people said sometimes decades earlier means that everyone is in their power and they can choose to turn on you at any time they like. I know a left-leaning curator who was reported to HR because he followed a single right-wing commentator on Twitter. Nothing came of it, but he now knows that an unnamed colleague is monitoring his social media accounts, where he has never even posted anything about work, politics or current affairs. It's basically made him aware that at least one person is waiting to interpret something he says or does as offensive and get him into career-damaging trouble. How can people come up with creative ideas or take risks in that environment?

Oh, have found out what he meant by that now. Apparently #MeToo was a witch hunt.

I can't read the article due to the paywall but it said 'TG thinks the #MeToo movement has gone too far' - what does that refer to?

And. AND!

Plus I note on their site they have something on curated by Mark gatiss.

Now I loved League of gentleman (except reprise).

but when it comes comes to offensive they had something for pretty much everyone...

And. Babs cabs? And in reprise complete with Babs refusing to tell gender/ pronouns then getting really angry when they got them wrong...

They're ok with that though?

Don't get it.

Late to party. I'm... Very surprised and confused!

He's a hugely successful director. Slew of nominations for Oscars, nominations wins BAFTA.

Some really great films. 12 monkeys FFS! I still love the fisher king (robin Williams sex assault rant aside) and haven't seen Brazil for years but was my fave film for ages.

RW, Bruce Willis, critical acclaim.

Monty python not everyone cup of tea but ground breaking at time. Esp his bizarre cartoon interludes.

The meaning of life also brilliant even if by today standards got didn't dodgy bits. So... Original. And of course the fab songs Eric idle was amazing.

So.

He's a bloke who's getting on a bit who's said some things that some could take issue with. A Google gave me nothing that plenty of others haven't said.

With all of this. Loads of people have some views others don't like. There's a line somewhere but no one would agree where. It's up to individuals whether to consume output or not. Presumably this piece wasn't a hate stirring call to go out and attack people or something?!

I mean. So many artists past and current with really bad stuff. It's a tricky question but from what I've seen on Google he's not said anything that is extreme. Or done anything. I mean look at Polanski. And so many others.

I'm pretty woah really? And he's a bloke.

It would be interesting to know what the Old Vic staff would have done had Terry Gilliam actually identified as a black lesbian, instead of joking about identifying as one. Who are they to say he isn't? His mistake was to claim transracialism. The joke has made him an outcast, but if he'd seriously announced his lesbianism he would instantly be proclaimed brave and marginalised, and one of the world's most successful lesbian directors. I can't believe how insane that is. The only thing that delegitimises his claim to lesbianism is his tone.

I wonder how that's going to go down with John Cleese, who is currently researching the entire issue.

If that was the case though, they'd have cancelled it months ago. They don't care about women's safety, privacy and dignity, because if they did they wouldn't have brought in the mixed sex toilets after fundraising for more women's, and would have listened to women's concerns and reversed the decision when they did. The timing of this feels more like a proxy war over Dave Chappelle, and Gilliam's support for him, a sort of mini copycat Netflix protest.

This.

The Times is spinning the trans angle in the headline, but the text of the article suggests the main concern is his defence of the rapist Harvey Weinstein and his description of the #MeToo movement as a "witch hunt".

Mmmm because being an apologist for rapists always tends to get men cancelled. I can disagree with him on this issue while thinking his show should not be cancelled due to out of control purity spirals.

For me this isn't about liking Terry Gilliam or defending his opinions but about the totalitarian nature of cancel culture. As Novara Media briefly found out last week, anyone can fall foul of the tyranny at any time. I reckon the proponents of cancel culture think that the rest of us are so coarse and ignorant that we go through life blithely unaffected and unoffended by anything, whereas we've learned that enforcing ideological purity is more damaging than putting up with some views we don't like. If Gilliam were employed running women's services then his views on #MeToo might be relevant but, although they are unpleasant, they shouldn't exile him from directing plays.

Cancelling a man is surely one step too far?

the text of the article suggests the main concern is his defence of the rapist Harvey Weinstein and his description of the #MeToo movement as a "witch hunt"

He certainly wasn't defending Weinstein. He did agree with the journalist calling me too a witch hunt but his comments were far from simplistic misogyny.

Not saying I agree with him but Gilliam doesn't do black and white and, as someone who witnessed the abuse in the industry, he's entitled to make nuanced points about why it happened.

The old vic are a charity but did receive a grant from the arts council in the 2020 covid crisis. I think this is another scandal on use of public money. These companies have been bailed out with money for over a year but have just thrown out a show (that they have already started work on and sold thousands of tickets) for a very vague crime. Are they swimming in cash?