"Loretta" scene being censored from Life of Brian stage remake

[zibzibara]

John Cleese is forced to cut famous Life of Brian scene about men having babies from his new West End show

Cleese told an audience at his one-man show last week that when the scene (co-written with the late Graham Chapman) was performed at a read-through for the new show in New York last year, doubts emerged. 'At the end, I said to the American actors: 'What do you think?' And they said: 'We love the script, but you can't do that stuff about Loretta nowadays.'

'So here you have something there's never been a complaint about in 40 years, that I've heard of, and now all of a sudden we can't do it because it'll offend people. What is one supposed to make of that? But I think there were a lot of things that were actually, in some strange way, predictive of what was actually going to happen later.'

[zibzibara]

best scene of the movie!

[WickedSerious]

There's a shock.

[Redebs]

Well!

[Apollo441]

It's a great scene. I always felt it made a sharp point about reality and fantasy and it shoud stay in. Life of Brian is a universally acknowledged comedy masterpiece. Let the blue haired loons come for it. They need facing down.

[IcakethereforeIam]

They faced down Bishops, Evangelicals, the entire Christian establishment but not the blue haired mono-maniacals? Tell me, who's marginalised and vulnerable again?

[Pudmyboy]

@IcakethereforeIam

They faced down Bishops, Evangelicals, the entire Christian establishment but not the blue haired mono-maniacals? Tell me, who's marginalised and vulnerable again?

Very well put!

[SquirrelSoShiny]

@zibzibara

best scene of the movie!

Omg that's amazing! It was so prescient! 👀

[ArabeIIaScott]

@IcakethereforeIam

They faced down Bishops, Evangelicals, the entire Christian establishment but not the blue haired mono-maniacals? Tell me, who's marginalised and vulnerable again?

Yep, bit of blasphemy's fine, but don't dare question the trans narrative.

[Hagosaurus]

I’ve so often thought that that scene was a great take down of gender ideology before it was even much of a thing.

#nodebate is still alive and kicking!

[BluebellBlueballs]

Voltaire said : if you want to know who controls you look at who you are not allowed to criticise.

[nauticant]

Be careful with citing that quotation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Alfred_Strom#%22True_Rulers%22_quotation

[Plasmodesmata]

I don't see the problem with the scene. Judith even does the "be kind" thing.
But it lets you know how things have moved on, doesn't it - you can now criticise religion no problem.

[BonfireLady]

Urgh. Life of Brian has universal mockery.
If you remove the Loretta scene, then Brian on the cross has to go. And Brian with the Juniper berry man. And Brian's mum saying that he's not the Messiah... and.... and..... the entire script.

[IcakethereforeIam]

Quick look at that wiki on Strom (nasty piece of work), but interesting that his radicalism was aided by a teacher. Seeing too much of that at the moment.

On thread, I'm surprised Cleese is going along with this. Idle, definitely, he's always struck me as....not without principles, but in it for the money. Also, 'Loretta' is a trans character, who is mocked but also supported. Loretta gets the right for everyone to pretend that he is a woman. Cleese's character, the main naysayer, is reduced to ineffectual muttering.

[Buttermightmelt]

‘Symbolic of his struggle against reality’. Sums the whole movement up in one line!

[CrossPurposes]

@IcakethereforeIam

They faced down Bishops, Evangelicals, the entire Christian establishment but not the blue haired mono-maniacals? Tell me, who's marginalised and vulnerable again?

It's surreal.

[BonfireLady]

Also, 'Loretta' is a trans character, who is mocked but also supported. Loretta gets the right for everyone to pretend that he is a woman. Cleese's character, the main naysayer, is reduced to ineffectual muttering.

Indeed. Very similar to the episode of the IT crowd which got banned where the transwoman ended up being vindicated. It's sad when comedy that is ultimately inclusive is reframed as bigoted.

[Littlesprouts]

@Plasmodesmata

I don't see the problem with the scene. Judith even does the "be kind" thing.
But it lets you know how things have moved on, doesn't it - you can now criticise religion no problem.

This has a real parallel with the narrative of The Witch Trials of JK Rowling. The condemnation coming from one side then eventually the other.

[MaybeWednesday]

@IcakethereforeIam

They faced down Bishops, Evangelicals, the entire Christian establishment but not the blue haired mono-maniacals? Tell me, who's marginalised and vulnerable again?

Wow!! Excellent post!!

[TheBiologyStupid]

@IcakethereforeIam

They faced down Bishops, Evangelicals, the entire Christian establishment but not the blue haired mono-maniacals? Tell me, who's marginalised and vulnerable again?

Absolutely this!

[MaybeWednesday]

I too am surprised he's succumbed to this. Surely he doesn't need the money?

[Redebs]

@nauticant

Be careful with citing that quotation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Alfred_Strom#%22True_Rulers%22_quotation

Many thanks for the warning.

[Redebs]

What's the blue-haired thing? Is it a common TRA choice?

[slamfightbrightlight]

@MaybeWednesday

I too am surprised he's succumbed to this. Surely he doesn't need the money?

I think he is a little hard up - £25m on three divorce settlements will do that to a man!

But I’m also not sure how much influence he actually has over the production, bar speaking out.

[Faffertea]

Questioning trans ideology is the new blasphemy.

I’m disappointed that John Cleese didn’t tell them to leave it in or lose him from the production. I can’t help feeling back in the day that’s what the Pythons would have done. In fact, what they did do with religious hard liners.