I have come to realise that much of my English derives from watching (too much?) Monty Python during my teens. I was crazy about them - I still love them to bits, but I've stopped wearing my MP-trousers and watching Life of Brian every six weeks. Yes, there was a time where I used to watch Life of Brian every six and Tootsie every five weeks. Let's just say I know them both back to front and diagonally. Anyway, I recently watched Monty Python's The Meaning of Life and was rather surprised to find that I am using many of the expressions from that film in my daily life. In my little world it is perfectly natural to suddenly say "A tiger? In Africa?" out of the blue, and I especially love saying "Bon appétite!" before running away in my best John Cleese-fashion. Luckily, I have eventually gathered real-life friends that understand why I must do this. :-)

It's a bit worrying that the expression "real-life friends" has become perfectly natural to utter in these Internet-times.

Speaking of The Meaning of Life (or "Liff", as I like to call it) - I wonder what the children in the Catholic sketch is doing today? And did their parents allow them to sing about sperm? LOL! AND: How many people had to leave for the toilets when the sketch featuring Mr. Creosote (the enormous man) popped up on the big screen? These are things I need to know.

OK, a few notes about the Golden Globes now.

First of all, Americans have this amazing ability to pronounce ANY (originally) foreign-sounding name in such a fashion that it sounds like it's always been a truly American name. I must say it's quite stunning.

Do you think the auditorium is cold? Because they keep applauding all sorts of people without even knowing who 50% of them are. Hmm...

Is the red ribbon - the one that shows that you sympathise with victims of HIV/AIDS - disappeared into oblivion? I noticed this especially during one of the awards that Angels in America - a drama about HIV - got, when the whole cast went up on stage and not one of them was wearing such a ribbon. I may be out of sync.

I'd love to meet Meryl Streep one day. She seems tipsier than most people I know. During last year's BAFTA Awards she was nervous enough to say "I'd like to spank..." instead of "I'd like to thank..." and this time she managed to return to stage to receive her individual award after having just been there with the whole cast of Angels in America and state that "I just realized* you can see right through my dress. So now I'm standing with them together." (* The American spelling due to her nationality.)

And then... Mr. Ricky Gervais. I have to salute him. The probability of breaking through with a British sitcom in the US is minimal. But The Office did it and I felt a little bit British when he went up there to receive the awards, as if I had anything to do with it whatsoever. And cheers to him for making the best acceptance speech that evening: "I'm not from these parts. I'm from a little place called England. We used to rule the world before you."

Current track: Madness - Promises, Promises

Labels: award shows, comedy, film, linguistics, Monty Python, TV