Eric Idle On His Disagreement With John Cleese | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

you said in Python there were. disagreements I I know in my comedy. career I just just became with all my. different collaborators and creative. Partners arguments and fights and you'd. come down to if someone else was. listening to it they'd think you were. insane you talked about how you'd all. argue in Python about is this the right. chair no this isn't the right chair no. the Dead Parrot should look like this it. shouldn't be look like that cuz that's. not funny but this is and I remembered. Robert Smigel you know one of the just.

genius people I've I've been fortunate. to work with over the years I remembered. once us going back and forth arguing. about something forever and this is. maybe 30 years ago and I said no but it. got a big laugh and he went yes but. that's not the kind of laugh we want at. that. point and I was thinking it's a goddamn. laugh what do you mean it's not the. laugh we want at that point but I also. understand what he's saying you know and. so um but anyone else listening outside.

the door would think these two idiots. what is their problem but I think that. is the common thread just in this. process if I think if you're trying to. do it right which is I think it's a. fascinating process and I I I I always. had some very good mentors we used to. write for jokes for David Frost and Bar. C di V for people who taught me how to. be you know what to do and how the ropes. and then you become you find your own. compart you companions who who then.

become argumentative it's really was. very argumentative I mean sometimes RS. used blazing RS would break out um but I. again I think that's because if you if. you don't care it's not important yeah. and and and and I think I only was not. very good at standing up because I was a. solo writer in that group and I remember. and then that's why I think I got on. with George he was a solo between two. big forces of lenon and McCartney right.

and I was between you know Mike and ter. Mike and Terry wrote and John and Graham. wrote and I remember when George came. out to the filming of uh the Life of. Brian he paid for he said how's it going. I said well it's all right I'm it's hard. to get on screen you know with with. Michael palon and and John CLE he said. imagine how I was trying to get into the. studio with lenon and. McCarty M Dr said okay you got it. I got it you think you have problems.

yeah exactly crying a river um this is. and we don't have to talk about this but. it's something that as a lifelong. someone who's been so influenced and odd. by python I think of it as sort of Santa. Claus like like a child I just want to. believe that everyone's getting along. and you and C famously lately have had. your disagreements and that have come. out in public and I know.

I'll think oh I don't want Mommy and. Daddy to fight but that's childlike of. me because you're human beings that. disagree and you've known each other a. long time don't disagree about comedy MH. this is only about money yeah this is. only about business yeah and and there's. no reason I mean a fool and his money. are easy parted you know six of us you. know much more quickly I I think I think. there's there's no right or wrong way to. deal with business and if somebody has.

one view of it and somebody doesn't and. somebody has another those can lead to. very bad arguments and unfortunately we. don't see each other enough I haven't. seen them in 10 years and if you 10. years since you saw John uh nine says. John 10 says Mike if you don't sit. across the table and know that person. and what what decade they're in I think. that there's there's a lot of room for. disagreement you know it we just old and. it's like we never disagreed on the very.

important things on what was funny yeah. really and but that was a while ago you. know there's also there's a. misconception that anyone could have. which is wait a minute Monty Python the. most in my opinion influential show of. of all time and then that led to these. movies which. are in my opinion Flawless and beautiful. and. fantastic and that you you've all gone.

on to these things and then of course. spam a lot a huge hit and you talk about. how there's this perception that well. everyone in Python must be driving. around in bentle with cash you know in. convertibles with cash just flying out. and that uh you say you know we're all. touring to keep you know at this age to. keep it going and that's I that's a. misconception that people can have I. think so because um you know so depends. what sort of deals you you have and and.

nowadays residuals are becoming a thing. of the past you know they got they got. rid of all the music res residuals you. know you got Spotify and YouTube. everything takes everything you know I. mean I think it's very difficult I don't. mind it because I quite like doing what. I do I quite like going out there and. making people laugh see if I can still. make them laugh because I think that's a. sort of little joy that we get I think. it's a secret little secret little Joy. we're all comedy Junkies laugh junkies.

and I and so I'm about to go and do a. tour of Australia New Zealand and I've. got some really wonderful surprises i'. like surprising people I like I like. making my shows about something so. there's like a through line I was with. Professor Brian Cox last week and he. said he's doing a show and I said he. said what's yours about and I said. mine's about the meaning of life and he. said well so is. mine I said yeah but mine will be. deep h.