John Cleese — Monty Python co-founder and Fawlty Towers creator — has cancelled an appearance at Cambridge University, where he was due to appear with the Channel 4 team behind his forthcoming docuseries, Cancel Me. The British actor announced today that he would not appear at the school after another speaker was "blacklisted" for doing a Hitler impression.
Last week, school paper Varsity reported that Andrew Graham-Dixon used racial slurs and put on a fake German accent to "underline the utterly evil nature of Hitler and his regime" in a display he has since defended as satire [via Deadline].
"I regret that I did the same on a Monty Python show, so I am blacklisting myself before someone else does," Cleese said on Twitter.
He added: "I apologize to anyone at Cambridge who was hoping to talk with me, but perhaps some of you can find a venue where woke rules do not apply."
The 82-year-old comedian has made his distaste for so-called cancel culture clear in many instances over the years, including that time he blasted the BBC for removing an episode of Fawlty Towers for using a racial slur, leading up to his forthcoming docuseries.
John Cleese: Cancel Me is said to explore "why a new 'woke' generation is trying to rewrite the rules on what can and can't be said," and will reportedly feature interviews with "cancelled" individuals, as well as the people doing the cancelling.
Maybe Cleese and Graham-Dixon can have a chat about the Cambridge incident for the show?
Last week, school paper Varsity reported that Andrew Graham-Dixon used racial slurs and put on a fake German accent to "underline the utterly evil nature of Hitler and his regime" in a display he has since defended as satire [via Deadline].
"I regret that I did the same on a Monty Python show, so I am blacklisting myself before someone else does," Cleese said on Twitter.
He added: "I apologize to anyone at Cambridge who was hoping to talk with me, but perhaps some of you can find a venue where woke rules do not apply."
The 82-year-old comedian has made his distaste for so-called cancel culture clear in many instances over the years, including that time he blasted the BBC for removing an episode of Fawlty Towers for using a racial slur, leading up to his forthcoming docuseries.
John Cleese: Cancel Me is said to explore "why a new 'woke' generation is trying to rewrite the rules on what can and can't be said," and will reportedly feature interviews with "cancelled" individuals, as well as the people doing the cancelling.
Maybe Cleese and Graham-Dixon can have a chat about the Cambridge incident for the show?