Talk:The Ministry of Silly Walks

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• In 2005, the sketch was chosen by a poll taken in that country as the 15th greatest comedy sketch of all time (and one of 5 Monty Python sketches in the top 50).

 Which country was that? --skx 16:51, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

UK, obviously, considering the damn yanks and so on can't get good old fashioned comedy, dammit :p --Kiand 16:55, 14 December 2005 (UTC)

Contents 1 Inspiration 2 Pop culture references 3 The Meaning of Liff 4 Public toilet 5 John Hopkins 6 Who wrote it?

[edit] Inspiration

I have added a paragraph on the inspiration for the sketch. It has been suggested by John Cleese's former Director of Studies at Downing College, Cambridge (John Hopkins) that the inspiration for the scene was the way that undergraduates stride around the gravel paths of the college grounds, avoiding puddles that always seem to form. As far as I'm aware, this was supported by a telephone call between the two, when Cleese was recently asked to send a video message as part of John Hopkin's retirement celebrations.

[edit] Pop culture references

Have either John Cleese or the producers of Fawlty Towers/The World Is Not Enough actually mentioned that they drew inspiration from the sketch, or is it just original research on the editors part? GeeJo ^(t)⁄_(c) • 19:40, 2 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Meaning of Liff

Does this entry from Douglas Adams' The Meaning of Liff qualify as a reference in popular culture? Gloadby Marwood (n.) - Someone who stops John Cleese on the street and demands that he does a funny walk. --195.185.228.35 17:08, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Public toilet

Anyone know if I'm right in thinking the Ministry building is a public loo, or at least something meant to seem like one? Moyabrit 19:42, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] John Hopkins

This is amazing. I have just finished greatly expanding an article on John Hopkins (academic) (having been taught law by him at Cambridge). He always mentioned having been Cleese's Director of Studies and supervisor for Equity; and articulated his theory that Cleese had learned the Silly Walk in negotiating the puddles across the quad. I had just finished putting in this bit of trivia, and linking to 'Ministry of Silly Walks' in that article, when I came across the very same thing mentioned here! I have therefore put a link to my article on John Hopkins (academic) here...

Urbanmyth139 (talk) 09:19, 20 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Who wrote it?

At Graham_Chapman, it says that he and Cleese wrote the sketch, but here it says otherwise. --67.171.22.86 (talk) 19:32, 24 March 2008 (UTC)