I would say that my favorite Monty Python sketch of all time would have to be "Election Night Special," and I have always felt that it captured the essence of vapid "up to the minute" election coverage on television, whether back in the early 1970s or now. But I also always felt (and I'd like to think that given the time, understandably so) that the sketch went a little over the top in the portrayal of an upstart political party called the "Silly Party" that had challenged the traditional "Sensible Party," even when, at the time it came out, I was represented by Congressman John Schmitz (father of Mary Kay LaTorneau and Joseph Schmitz, chief legal counsel for Blackwater/Xe). Old Johnny "Nixon should have stayed in China" Schmitz was an aberration, right? Republicans as a whole weren't really that crazy, are they?
I don't feel that way anymore. The GOP has become the Silly Party.
If you've never seen it, please watch "Election Night Special."
John Schmitz was just a warm-up. His party's gotten only worse since then.
For example, during President Obama's speech to Congress last week, he was rudely interrupted by a relatively unknown Silly Party back bencher, Jethro Q. Walrustitty.
Rather than being reprimanded for his both rude and silly behavior, he was instead applauded by the leader of his delegation, Tarquin Fin- tim- lim- bim- whin- bim- lim- bus- stop- F'tang- F'tang- Olè- Biscuitbarrel.
Another prominent Silly party member was on record as saying "thank God for Jethro Q. Walrustitty"; that would be none other than Mrs Elsie Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Of course, the Silly Party, just as many parties do, has some variation in its level of adherence to party ideology. One has claimed to have been standing on principle by opposing a resolution for sanctions against Walrustitty, just as he (and only one other Silly) opposed a similar motion brought against Nancy Pelosi (for telling the truth). Kevin Phillips-Bong would have us think of him as Slightly Silly.
As potentially reassuring as such a position may be, I am afraid that calls to reason from Sensible people will go largely unheeded since the Silly Party has been hijacked by its Very Silly faction led by Malcolm Peter Brian Telescope Adrian Umbrella Stand Jasper Wednesday (pops mouth twice) Stoatgobbler John Raw Vegetable (sound effect of horse whinnying) Arthur Norman Michael (blows squeker) Featherstone Smith (blows whistle) Northgot Edwards Harris (fires pistol, which goes 'whoop') Mason (chuff-chuff-chuff) Frampton Jones Fruitbat Gilbert (sings) 'We'll keep a welcome in the' (three shots, stops singing) Williams If I Could Walk That Way Jenkin (squeker) Tiger-draws Pratt Thompson (sings) 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head' Darcy Carter (horn) Pussycat 'Don't Sleep In The Subway' Barton Mannering (hoot, 'whoop') Smith.
It's uncanny how much reality has shifted to conform to Monty Python's intentionally distorted view of politics, but not really surprising. Monty Python came to fame by satirizing the traditional media in Britain and the U.S., and part of that satire was regularly directed at a news media more concerned with its own image than actually reporting on what was happening in the world. We shouldn't be surprised when such a corrupted industry decides to capitalize and trade on Silliness as a way to stir up controversy and generate ratings. It would have been nice if we'd realized what MP was trying to tell us then.
But it really isn't so much a problem for me as it is for the Silly Party itself. Whether the party can somehow come back to its senses remains to be seen, but regardless of the outcome, I expect this real-life comedy sketch will be just as entertaining as the fictional one that predicted it.
I thank you Mr. Cleese, Mr. Idle, and the rest of the MP. Now all I can hope is that one part of the sketch is off the mark:
"Well, this is largely as I predicted, except that the Silly Party won."