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OriginalGeek

(12,132 posts)
99. one of my favorite Monty Python bits
Mon Apr 9, 2012, 06:07 PM
Apr 2012

Monty Python: Michelangelo and the Pope



Renaissance Choir: [Gregorian Chant]

Servant: A Michelangelo to see you, your Holiness.

Pope: Who?

Servant: Michelangelo, the famous renaissance artist whose best known works include the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and the celebrated statue of David.

Pope: Ah. Very well...

Servant: In 1514 he returned to Florence and de...

Pope: All right, that's enough, that's enough, they've got it now!

Servant: Oh.

Michelangelo: Good evening, your Holiness.

Pope: Evening, Michelangelo. I want to have a word with you about this painting of yours, "The Last Supper."

Michelangelo: Oh, yeah?

Pope: I'm not happy about it.

Michelangelo: Oh, dear. It took me hours.

Pope: Not happy at all.

Michelangelo: Is it the jello you don't like?

Pope: No.

Michelangelo: Ah, no, I know, they do have a bit of colour, don't they? Oh, I know, you don't like the kangaroo?

Pope: What kangaroo?

Michelangelo: No problem, I'll paint him out.

Pope: I never saw a kangaroo!

Michelangelo: Uuh...he's right in the back. I'll paint him out! No sweat, I'll make him into a disciple.

Pope: Aah.

Michelangelo: All right?

Pope: That's the problem.

Michelangelo: What is?

Pope: The disciples.

Michelangelo: Are they too Jewish? I made Judas the most Jewish.

Pope: No, it's just that there are twenty-eight of them.

Michelangelo: Oh, well, another one will never matter, I'll make the kangaroo into another one.

Pope: No, that's not the point.

Michelangelo: All right. Well, I'll lose the kangaroo. Be honest, I wasn't perfectly happy with it.

Pope: That's not the point. There are twenty-eight disciples!

Michelangelo: Too many?

Pope: Well, of course it's too many!

Michelangelo: Yeah, I know that, but I wanted to give the impression of a real last supper. You know, not just any old last supper. Not like a last meal or a final snack. But you know, I wanted to give the impression of a real mother of a blow-out, you know?

Pope: There were only twelve disciples at the last supper.

Michelangelo: Well, maybe some of the others ones came along afterw...

Pope: There were only twelve altogether.

Michelangelo: Well, maybe some of their friends came by, you know?

Pope: Look! There were just twelve disciples and our Lord at the last supper. The Bible clearly says so.

Michelangelo: No friends?

Pope: No friends.

Michelangelo: Waiters?

Pope: No.

Michelangelo: Cabaret?

Pope: No!

Michelangelo: You see, I like them, they help to flesh out the scene, I could lose a few, you know I could...

Pope: Look! There were only twelve disciples at...

Michelangelo: I've got it! I've got it! We'll call it "The Last But One Supper"!

Pope: What?

Michelangelo: Well there must have been one, if there was a last supper there must have been a one before that, so this, is the "Penultimate Supper"! The Bible doesn't say how many people were there now, does it?

Pope: No, but...

Michelangelo: Well there you are, then!

Pope: Look! The last supper is a significant event in the life of our Lord, the penultimate supper was not! Even if they had a conjurer and a mariachi band. Now, a last supper I commissioned from you, and a last supper I want! With twelve disciples and one Christ!

Michelangelo: One?!

Pope: Yes one! Now will you please tell me what in God's name possessed you to paint this with three Christs in it?

Michelangelo: It works, mate!

Pope: Works?

Michelangelo: Yeah! It looks great! The fat one balances the two skinny ones.

Pope: There was only one Redeemer!

Michelangelo: Ah, I know that, we all know that, what about a bit of artistic license?

Pope: Well one Messiah is what I want!

Michelangelo: I'll tell you what you want, mate! You want a bloody photographer! That's you want. Not a bloody creative artist to crease you up...

Pope: I'll tell you what I want! I want a last supper with one Christ, twelve disciples, no kangaroos, no trampoline acts, by Thursday lunch, or you don't get paid!

Michelangelo: Bloody fascist!

Pope: Look! I'm the bloody pope, I am! May not know much about art, but I know what I like!

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Was he an asshole? Confusious Apr 2012 #1
art vs. cars Syrinx Apr 2012 #2
It's more like that he 'painted' pictures that were to art like candy is to food. Demit Apr 2012 #4
Why are elves, and unicorns, and rainbows not art? nt Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #5
OK, I'll tell you what... CTyankee Apr 2012 #11
I'm more into steampunk. Never really liked many paintings except for Monet regardless of the Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #14
"Steampunk Elves" klook Apr 2012 #15
That is so awesome. nt Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #17
Well, you can compare Monet's treatment of the little footbridge in his Giverny garden painting CTyankee Apr 2012 #24
I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be realizing from their treatment of footbridges. nt Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #29
I don't think there is anything you are "supposed" to be realizing, except what CTyankee Apr 2012 #62
you think so? mimitabby Apr 2012 #32
Of course. You are right about Christina. But I do think that Wyeth was aware of Eakins works. CTyankee Apr 2012 #52
Wyeth certainly did value Eakins starroute Apr 2012 #63
Not what I have read edhopper Apr 2012 #45
Yes. Correct. Don't get me wrong here. The pose is what I am talking about. CTyankee Apr 2012 #54
Could well be edhopper Apr 2012 #68
Art is largely a matter of haircut. BiggJawn Apr 2012 #35
It is certainly an argument that has gone on throughout time, I agree. CTyankee Apr 2012 #55
"It's not art" is a ridiculous statement. Atman Apr 2012 #10
No he wasn't very talented. edhopper Apr 2012 #22
Much like Picasso. nt Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #31
Please don't show your ignorance. edhopper Apr 2012 #39
Why should I consider a stray eyeball art? nt Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #40
Because you don't understand what he was doing edhopper Apr 2012 #43
Maybe you don't understand what other artists are doing? nt Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #44
If you are referring to Kinkade edhopper Apr 2012 #46
That is quite an ability. Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #47
His art isn't hard to fathom. edhopper Apr 2012 #67
I have never been intellectual enough to tell people what qualifies as art and what does not. nt Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #73
Glad you admit your ignorance. edhopper Apr 2012 #92
Now art is a science? Reminds me of parents telling their kids "that's not real music" througout Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #93
It's about edhopper Apr 2012 #94
"In my day we knew what real music was" nt Snake Alchemist Apr 2012 #95
You speak as if I am condemning modern art edhopper Apr 2012 #98
It took me a while to get cubism KamaAina Apr 2012 #89
And besides, Picasso was, with his Analytic Cubism, carrying Cezanne's vision (see his Bibemus CTyankee Apr 2012 #60
Exactly! edhopper Apr 2012 #71
You totally made my point for me...a Big Mac is still "food." Atman Apr 2012 #36
As I said, it's art edhopper Apr 2012 #42
I agree with pretty much everything you said. Atman Apr 2012 #48
art bongbong Apr 2012 #69
I actually agree with your assessment of Gauguin edhopper Apr 2012 #70
That's exactly ProfessionalLeftist Apr 2012 #23
Skill doesn't make something art. Viewers liking something doesn't make it art, either. Demit Apr 2012 #66
What makes it "art" is being collected by rich people. That's the sum & total of it. HiPointDem Apr 2012 #82
one of my favorite Monty Python bits OriginalGeek Apr 2012 #99
hysterical! CTyankee Apr 2012 #108
BTW, "high quality prints on canvas." Atman Apr 2012 #12
You are right on this. edhopper Apr 2012 #25
Which often prices people like me out of the market entirely. AtheistCrusader Apr 2012 #61
There is nothing wrong with artists edhopper Apr 2012 #65
I will agree, that is pretty lame. AtheistCrusader Apr 2012 #86
This is simplified but, a lithograph is when edhopper Apr 2012 #87
You say the prints you buy are affordable--not quite sure what you mean marions ghost Apr 2012 #110
I'm not really sure what an 'average' piece by Kinkaide went for. AtheistCrusader Apr 2012 #112
It should be actionable in court... marions ghost Apr 2012 #114
He stood there next to a stack of printed canvases, dabbed on a highlight, signed the canvas, and Demit Apr 2012 #77
Chill. I'm not only NOT preaching to you, I wasn't even addressing you! Atman Apr 2012 #96
Of course you were addressing me. You hit Reply to my post, and you were quoting my words. Demit Apr 2012 #107
First of all, sorry for the disconnect in the thread... Atman Apr 2012 #109
"Did in fact seem to"? Fact is one thing, what seems to be is another thing. Demit Apr 2012 #115
Let's just be honest and say 'if I don't like it, it's not art'. AtheistCrusader Apr 2012 #19
IMHO, art HAS to be groundbreaking; if not, it's just craft... joeybee12 Apr 2012 #30
I think the two categories overlap considerably AtheistCrusader Apr 2012 #57
I agree with you mimitabby Apr 2012 #33
I thnk the analogy is more like McDonalds to fine French cuisine. DCBob Apr 2012 #37
Seems, he was somewhat of a vicious hypocrite with socoipathic tendencies....wow. Ecumenist Apr 2012 #3
YES! No time to go into details, but he was unethical and treated people badly. TalkingDog Apr 2012 #7
Not Ford, more like Amway. Starry Messenger Apr 2012 #8
Apparently he was. grantcart Apr 2012 #74
He liked himself a WHOLE LOT. YellowRubberDuckie Apr 2012 #104
Thank you. That's exactly what I keep saying. Hell, I even "like" Bob Ross on my facebook page. TalkingDog Apr 2012 #6
I don't give a shit. it's still stupid. And I hate, hate, hate his "art" cali Apr 2012 #9
Plus Bob Ross was rockin' a cool 'fro. progressoid Apr 2012 #13
I thought his animals playing poker were a hoot. nt arthritisR_US Apr 2012 #16
a few words from the art critics Generic Other Apr 2012 #18
I think Zippy The Pinhead said it all... Atman Apr 2012 #41
"He evokes feelings of a simpler mind" Generic Other Apr 2012 #97
Good point. Bob Ross also encouraged people to be creative. mistertrickster Apr 2012 #20
I put him right in the same class as Warhol CBGLuthier Apr 2012 #21
You really don't understand edhopper Apr 2012 #26
Making money. HiPointDem Apr 2012 #83
Thanks for making my point. edhopper Apr 2012 #88
People like warhol aren't hard to understand. They like cash, they like to be around people with HiPointDem Apr 2012 #101
Do you think we'll see Kinkade's stuff at MoMA, on the same floor with the Jasper Johns and CTyankee Apr 2012 #27
Nope, we'll only see them at Sunday sales at hotels...nt joeybee12 Apr 2012 #34
Don't be so sure of that... Atman Apr 2012 #53
As I have said, this "high art/low art" discussion is timeworn. It goes on and on. And there is CTyankee Apr 2012 #58
Except that the people doing the pile-on seemed to make it about his art. Tommy_Carcetti Apr 2012 #28
The guy's work is art like Fox News is journalism. EFerrari Apr 2012 #49
Yeah, so what? Tommy_Carcetti Apr 2012 #56
I feel the same way. Cobalt Violet Apr 2012 #102
It's Godwin time! GoneOffShore Apr 2012 #38
you win! dionysus Apr 2012 #106
Cheesy as Kincaide's work may have been IDemo Apr 2012 #50
Kinkaide was an amazing artist who sold out Quixote1818 Apr 2012 #51
His personal work was edhopper Apr 2012 #75
So that's his private stuff, huh? Pretty pedestrian. Demit Apr 2012 #84
You Cherry Picked some of his worst stuff Quixote1818 Apr 2012 #103
I picked the first few I found on Google. edhopper Apr 2012 #105
Why is it that people excuse Kinkade? marions ghost Apr 2012 #111
He should have just done a "Piss Christ" and others would have loved him The Straight Story Apr 2012 #59
Either you don't actually know any artist edhopper Apr 2012 #76
And a lot of people get their ideas of christians from the 700 club The Straight Story Apr 2012 #80
Nice non response edhopper Apr 2012 #91
but DuChamp REALLY did do that. nt LaydeeBug Apr 2012 #100
He did that to Winnie The Pooh instead. nt Starry Messenger Apr 2012 #78
He's right up there with Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo LanternWaste Apr 2012 #64
What an idiotic thing to say edhopper Apr 2012 #79
Having been a fan of all three at different points in my life... LanternWaste Apr 2012 #81
Boris is still alive edhopper Apr 2012 #90
it's outrageous that Kinkaide was rewarded with million$ for his unoriginal appeals librechik Apr 2012 #72
It's about the hypocrisy Taverner Apr 2012 #85
lots of hypocrisy out there; this guy's hypocrisy seems to have spawned threads all out of HiPointDem Apr 2012 #113
You post a topic to complain about piling on? OMG. Mimosa Apr 2012 #116
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