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From: arndt@lymph.DEC
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.flame
Subject: Re 'Cheeses'/ Life of Brian
Message-ID: <1014@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 8-Mar-85 11:01:56 EST
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Posted: Fri Mar  8 11:01:56 1985
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I also saw the movie Life of Brian and here are a few comments about it.
(I am a great fan of Monty Python, by the way.)

Much of their religious 'humor' (not all!) is stupid silly and falls flat
on anyone with a small amount of knowledge of the religious beliefs involved.
Rather like a whine than wit.  I think really good religious humor has to be
about the beliefs REALLY held or understood.  Life of Brian, seen from this
perspective was hardly about the life of Christ at all.  Humor of all types
often takes what one believes about reality and pushes it to a silly conclusion
or fractures the 'map' of reality in such a way to create a tension that is
released in laughter.  But to parody what NO ONE believes misses the point
of humor.  That by way of general comment on Monty Python's religious humor as
I saw it in Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life as well.

I believe I saw death in Life of Brian!!!  By that I mean we were trundled
down the path leading to the conclusion that Christianity is silly and those
who believe it perhaps even sillier (although perhaps it could be said they
were making a parody of Christians who don't really understand their faith)
and then - with the mob on the crosses (Brian included) singing "Life is
Shitty" - they skillfully stick the knife in the audience!!!!!  Kill you as
you sit there laughing!  They HAVE no answer to the larger questions of life
to present (at least in the picture), only gallows (in this case literally)
humor!!!  It was chilling to behold!  Some people in the audience seemed to
get it as I observed them.  Many missed it.  It reminded me of the paintings
of the Pope in a glass box screaming a silent screem.  Forget the painter.

But there were some great one liners in both movies.  

Comments anyone??

Regards,

Ken Arndt