John Cleese to star in anti-cancel culture series ‘Cancel Me’

John Cleese: Cancel Me will see the Monty Python star engage with people who have been cancelled for their actions or statements. He will also meet with the activists who are involved in cancelling people.

In a statement, Cleese said: "I'm delighted to have a chance to find out, on camera, about all the aspects of so-called political correctness. There's so much I really don't understand, like: how the impeccable idea of 'Let's all be kind to people' has been developed in some cases ad absurdum."

"I want to bring the various reasonings right out in the open so that people can be clearer in their minds what they agree with, what they don't agree with, and what they still can't make their mind up about," Cleese continued.

The British comedian is no stranger to cancel culture having come under scrutiny himself. In June 2020, Cleese reacted negatively to UKTV's decision to remove an episode of his show, Fawlty Towers, that contained "racial slurs." The episode in mind has an older character who uses "racist language" in an anecdote about a West Indies Cricket Team.

At the time, Cleese said, "If you put nonsense words into the mouth of someone you want to make fun of, you're not broadcasting their views. You're making fun of them. The major was an old fossil leftover from decades before. We were not supporting his views. We were making fun of them. If they can't see that – if people are too stupid to see that – what can one say?"

Cleese has also been critical of cancel culture as a philosophical idea. "[Political correctness] stuff started as a good idea, which is, 'Let's not be mean to people, and I'm in favour of that despite my age," he told BBC Radio 4's Today program in September 2020.