Life of Brian at 40: Dated or Timeless Comedy?

Is a Roman character titled “Biggus Dickus”“ still funny? Comedy is clearly in the eye of the beholder, otherwise comedy ”˜legend“ Roy Chubby Brown wouldn“t be in business. Yet, we know overall tastes can change: What was shocking a few decades ago, might not be shocking today. But the reverse is also through when it comes to the portrayal of gender, sexuality and race on screen.

A few comedy films that have badly dated include: Spaceballs, anything in the Carry On series, Animal House (despite John Belushi being a bona fide legend) and many more. Yet, Life of Brian, which celebrates its 40^th anniversary this year, is often held up as an example of timeless comedy, perfection even. It regularly tops the lists of greatest comedy films of all-time, is endlessly quotable and remains a cultural reference point in everything from the Life of Brian slot game to endless references on politics-heavy Twitter. There are a lot of People“s Front of Judea/Judean People“s Front accounts on the social network.

Identifying with situations can be funnier than jokes

Back to “Biggus Dickus”“, and whether its funny or not. One could argue that it isn“t that inventive, the kind of name any class clown could come up with. Yet, the point of the joke in Life of Brian is not the name, “Biggus Dickus”“, but the reaction of the characters to it. The Roman soldiers, trying to hold in laughter in the face of Caesar“s questioning is like Ricky Gervais-esque modern situational comedy. It“s identifiable, reminiscent of being in school and trying not to laugh in front of a strict teacher. That“s the part of comedy that is timeless.

One should remember that despite the silliness of Monty Python, the men in the troupe are very educated. That shines through in the Romans Go Home scene. The impromptu Latin lesson given by John Cleese“s centurion is hilarious for its depth of detail, but also because it has the underlying joke of the centurion being so wrapped up in grammar that he overlooks the anti-Roman graffiti. Again, the situation is identifiable ”“ pompousness is a universal theme.

Comedians are changing

There are, of course, more fundamental criticisms than just what is on-screen. Life of Brian might still be laugh out loud funny, and thereby not dated, but the idea of having six Oxbridge-educated white men on screen is something that is decidedly unmodern. Today comedy is more diverse in terms gender, class and ethnicity than in 1979. That changes how we perceive comedy, and thus it changes what it is, essentially, funny.

And, that“s at the heart of what should be important when we discuss outdated comedy. ”˜Jokes“ about race, sexuality, sex and gender are the ones that look most outdated today. Not only are they not funny or clever, they usually turn off the audience. Life of Brian largely steers clear of those areas, with the exception of a little bit of nudity from Graham Chapman and Terry Jones in drag as Brian“s mother.

As for the famous blasphemy of the film, again it is an area that is cleverer than people think. Contrary to the accusation, the film doesn“t blaspheme religion ”“ there isn“t one smear about Jesus ”“ but rather lampoons religious zealotry. That“s a fine line, of course, but it is a thoroughly modern subject matter, something that the Python“s laid the groundwork for.

As for the original question: Has Life of Brian aged badly? Everyone will have their opinion, but there is an argument to be made that some of the material is timeless, even if those creating the comedy do not fully represent what modern society looks like.