>>>
>>> THIS
>>> THIS IS "NEW DAY NORTHWEST" NOW, FROM THE STUDIO HERE IS
MARGARET LARSON.
MARGARET LARSON. >> GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY
WELCOME TO "NEW DAY NORTHWEST".
WE ARE THRILLED TO START THE
DAY WITH COMEDIAN, ACTOR AND
AUTHOR WHO HAS MADE US LAUGH A
TON WITH MONTY PYTHON.
HE CALLS THE NEW BOOK "ALWAYS
LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF
LIFE" , A "SORTABIOGRAPHY" AND
WE COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED TO
HAVE ERIC IDLE WITH US.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?>> I AM VERY
WELL, THANK YOU.
>> I DID NOT KNOW YOU HAVE A
NORTHWEST CONNECTION UNTIL YOU
TOLD ME.
TOLD ME.
TOLD ME. >> MY DAUGHTER WAS A WHITMAN IN
WALLA WALLA SO WE WOULD HAVE
UNIONS THERE.
UNIONS THERE. SO, SHE LIVED HERE FOR A FEW
YEARS AND WE WOULD COME VISIT.
I LOVE SEATTLE.
>> SO YOU'RE HERE AND SHE IS
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. AWESOME.
AWESOME.
AWESOME. YOU DID WHAT AT HER
GRADUATION?>> I DID, THE
COMMENCEMENT.
COMMENCEMENT. I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY HAVE THE
COMMENCEMENT AT THE END.
BUT I DID THE COMMENCEMENT
SPEECH AND THEY GIVE ME AN
HONORARY DEGREE AND WE SAYING,
BUT I GAVE PEOPLE THE BEST
ADVICE THEY NEED WHICH IS IF
THEY FIND THEMSELVES PLAYING
BEER PONG IN TWO YEARS THEY ARE
GOING DOWN THE WRONG COURSE.
>> WHILE, I'M NOT SURE I CAN
PROMISE I DIDN'T AFTER COLLEGE
FOR TWO YEARS BUT WE WILL GET
THE KIDS CREDIT.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING IN
SEATTLE?
SEATTLE?
SEATTLE? >> I AM ABOUT TO DO A READING.
I CAN DO THE EVENINGS.
I AM ON A BOOK TOUR BUT I HAVE
A LOT OF VERY NICE PEOPLE TO
HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH ME SO
NOW I HAVE RYAN STILES, A VERY
FUNNY IMPROVISER SO WE HAVE
THIS UNIVERSITY BOOK STORE.
AT WASHINGTON, IT IS JUST THE
METHODIST TEMPLE OR SOMETHING.
WHAT IS NICE ABOUT HAVING
SOMEBODY NEW EVERY TIME IS YOU
HAVE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION.
>> I READ YOUR BOOK OVER THE
WEEKEND, I LAUGHED AT MANY
THINGS THAT I ALSO LEARNED SOME
THINGS I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT.
I DID NOT REALIZE YOUR EARLY
LIFE AND WHAT HAD BEEN LIKE.
HOW TIGHT TO THE SECOND WORLD
WAR IT WAS SO CAN YOU SHARE
LITTLE BIT?
LITTLE BIT? >> MY DAD WAS IN THE AREA, I
WAS BORN IN 1943 IN ENGLAND AND
IT IS JUST STARTING TO BE
TOTALLY DISASTROUS, JUST
HORRIBLE AND MY DAD WAS IN THE
MILITARY AND HE WAS KILLED FOR
-- WHILE HITCHHIKING HOME.
THEY KEPT EVERYBODY IN THE AREA
BECAUSE THEY DID NOT KNOW IF
THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE
ARMY.>> SO HE SURVIVED THE
EARLY PART OF THE SERVICE.
>> SURVIVED THE DANGEROUS WITH
THE BOMBERS BUT THEN WAS KILLED
HITCHHIKING HOME WHICH IS KIND
OF IRONIC.
OF IRONIC. I WAS THEN SENT TO A BOARDING
SCHOOL FOR 12 YEARS WITH MY
EDUCATION PAID FOR.
I WENT TO SCHOOL WHERE NOBODY
HAD ANY FATHERS WHICH IS KIND
OF PECULIAR, PSYCHOLOGICALLY.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT MEANT
TO YOU?>> IT MEANT I WAS
PERFECT FOR PYTHON.
YOU ARE, YOU HAVE TWO LEARN TO
NOT TAKE ANYTHING SERIOUSLY AND
HOW PLEASURE LIES THROUGH THE
OTHER DOOR.
OTHER DOOR. OUTSIDE.
OUTSIDE.
OUTSIDE. >> YOU MANAGED TO MISBEHAVE AND
THEN BE NAMED THE HEAD BOY.
>> YES I DID BUT THERE WAS
NOBODY LEFT I THINK.
BECAUSE I DID NOT REALIZE YOU
COULD LEAVE.
COULD LEAVE. NOBODY TOLD ME THAT.
THEN, I WENT TO CAMBRIDGE
BECAUSE I STUDIED ALL OF THIS
STUFF.
STUFF.
STUFF. WE
STUFF. WE WERE STUCK IN BOARDING SCHOOL
AND I LOVED READING SO I
LEARNED ABOUT HISTORY AND
GEOGRAPHY.
GEOGRAPHY. THAN I WAS IN THIS WORLD OF
CAMBRIDGE.
CAMBRIDGE. IT IS AMAZING.
>> YOUR EARLY LIFE FASCINATES
ME AND THINKING ABOUT HOW ALL
OF THOSE THINGS SHAPED YOU, DO
YOU RECALL A MOMENT WHEN
SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT MADE
YOU REALIZE THIS IS IT, IT IS
COMEDY AND HUMOR?
>> YES, I WENT TO LONDON AND
SAW A SHOW BE ON THE FRINGE IN
1961.
1961.
1961. THE
1961. THE CREATORS, EXCUSE ME.
>> I AM ON TELEVISION RIGHT NOW
CAN I CALL YOU BACK? OKAY SORRY
ABOUT THAT.
ABOUT THAT. I WANTED TO TAKE A SELFIE BUT
YOU HATE SELFIES.
PLEASE CONTINUE.
PLEASE CONTINUE. >> SO THE SHOW WAS SO FUNNY
THAT THEY MOCKED EVERYTHING WE
HAD BEEN GROWN-UP TO RESPECT.
LIKE THE POLICE AND THE ARMY
AND RELIGION.
AND RELIGION. SUDDENLY I REALIZED YOU COULD
LAUGH AT THIS STUFF AND IT MADE
ME HOWL WITH LAUGHTER AND I
THOUGHT THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO
DO.
DO.
DO. I
DO. I LEARNED THE WORDS AND WENT
ON.
ON.
ON. >>
ON. >> THAT MAKES ME THINK OF LIFE
OF BRIAN AND THE FINAL SCENE
AND THE SONG.
AND THE WHISTLING WAS THE KEY
BUT TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
WHAT THAT WAS LIKE.
IT WAS A CONTROVERSIAL SCENE AT
THE END OF THE MOVIE OR AT THE
TIME IT WAS CONTROVERSIAL.
LET'S LISTEN FOR A SECOND.>>
♪OH,
♪OH, MY
♪OH, MY GOSH. THIS ICONIC THING PEOPLE NOW USE
IN MANY MOMENTS OF STRESS AND
DIFFICULTY.
DIFFICULTY. >> THE NUMBER ONE SONG
REQUESTED AT A BRITISH FUNERAL.
>> THAT IS AMAZING.
>> HAS BEEN SINCE 2004 AND OF
COURSE THERE IS NOT MUCH OF THE
BRIGHT SIDE TO LOOK ON WHEN YOU
ARE BEING CRUCIFIED.
NOT A LOT TO LOOK FORWARD TO
BUT IT WAS USED IN MORE TIMES
OF PEOPLE BEING RESCUED FROM
THE WAR AND BECAME USED
SERIOUSLY BY PEOPLE IN DIRE
SITUATIONS.
SITUATIONS. >> HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
>> I FEEL REALLY GREAT ABOUT
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. I
THAT. I AM VERY SAD FUNERALS DO NOT
PAY ROYALTIES.
PAY ROYALTIES. >> IT'S TRUE THEY DO NOT.
>> IT IS REALLY SWEET PEOPLE DO
THAT, EVERY DAY SOMEBODY SAYS
WE JUST BURIED MY DAD OR MOM
AND EVERYBODY WAS SINGING AND I
THINK IT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL, IT
BONDS THEM.
BONDS THEM. THEY CRY AND LAUGH AND YOU NEED
TO.
TO.
TO. SOMEONE TOLD ME YOU NEED A GOOD
LAUGH AT A FUNERAL AND IT IS
TRUE BECAUSE IT IS HARD.
>> YES, THAT IS WHY SOMEBODY IN
THE EULOGY MAKES THE SLIGHTEST
JOKE EVERYBODY LAUGHS BECAUSE
WE NEED THAT RELEASE AND THAT
SONG, IT HAS LIVED ALREADY FOR
HOW MANY YEARS?>> WELL, THAT
WAS 1978.
WAS 1978.
WAS 1978. >> I FOUND OUT FROM YOUR BOOK
YOU WERE SITTING ON BICYCLE
SEATS BECAUSE I ALWAYS WONDERED
HOW THAT WORKED.>> ONLY FOR THE
CLOSE-UPS.
CLOSE-UPS. UP THERE WE WERE ON CROSSES BUT
WE DID HAVE BICYCLE SEATS BUT
THERE WERE 34 OF US WITH THREE
LADDERS.
LADDERS.
LADDERS. SO YOU KNOW IF SOMEBODY HAD TO
GO.
GO.
GO. IF
GO. IF THAT IS THE WORST YOU HAVE
TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THEN YOU ARE
OKAY.>> THE HOLY GRAIL
OBVIOUSLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE
THINGS EVER.
THINGS EVER. BRAVE SIR ROBIN AND HIS COMEDY
HAS BONDED MY SON AND I. I
THINK INTRAGENERATIONAL HE
MONTY PYTHON HAS BEEN SO FUNNY
AND SO GREAT FOR ALL OF US.
I WANT TO CONFESS I WAS ONE OF
THE PEOPLE WHO WENT TO DUNE
CASTLE LAST YEAR WHEN I WAS IN
SCOTLAND AND SAID ALL THE LINES
THAT THE FRENCH PEOPLE SAID.
>> THAT IS SO SWEET BECAUSE THE
SCOTTISH WOULD NOT LET US FILL
IN ANY OF THEIR OTHER CASTLES.
THE DUNE CASTLE WAS IN PRIVATE
HANDS.
HANDS.
HANDS. THE REST OF SCOTLAND SAID YOU
CANNOT USE OUR CASTLES YOU ARE
UNDERMINING THE BUILDINGS.
WHERE SCOTSMEN SLEEP EACH
OTHER'S THROATS AND WE COULDN'T
COMPLAIN ABOUT THE CURTAINS.
SO I'M VERY GLAD THEY DO THAT.
>> YES, IT WAS FUN.
I THINK THERE WAS A BUSLOAD OF
TOURISTS BUT WE WERE OFF TO THE
SIDE.
SIDE.
SIDE. I
SIDE. I BLOW MY NOSE AT YOU.
>> SOMETHING IRONIC.
IT WAS REALLY BIZARRE.
>> IT WAS SUCH A GOOD MOVIE.
SO THESE DAYS IT FEELS LIKE
TIME HAS GONE BY SO FAST.
DOES IT SEEM THAT WAY TO YOU?>>
YES OF COURSE.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS I THOUGHT
THAT WAS SO GREAT IN YOUR BOOK
WAS THE IDEA THAT YOU HAD
MEDDLED WITH THE PYTHONS WHEN
YOU WERE 21?
>> PROBABLY, 1965.
>> THEN YOU ENDED UP KNOWING
EVERYBODY.
EVERYBODY. THE ROLLING STONES, THE
BEATLES, I ALWAYS THOUGHT I
IMAGINED FAMOUS BRITISH PEOPLE
KNOW EACH OTHER BUT I THOUGHT
MAYBE THAT WAS UNREASONABLE BUT
YOU DID.
YOU DID.
YOU DID. >> BECAUSE OF PYTHON, ROCK 'N
ROLL PEOPLE LIKE A LAUGH AND WE
WERE ALL THE SAME GENERATION.
WE WERE ALL BORN AT THE END OF
THE WAR, SO YOU KNOW IT WAS
NATURAL THAT WE BONDED OR HUNG
OUT WITH EACH OTHER.
ALTHOUGH THEY WOULD COME SEEK
ME OUT.
ME OUT.
ME OUT. I
ME OUT. I WAS THE ONLY ONE STUPID
ENOUGH TO GO OFF WITH THEM.
>> ELVIS WAS A FAN WHICH I DID
NOT KNOW AND THAT BLOWS YOU
AWAY.
AWAY.
AWAY. >>
AWAY. >> I CAN'T GET USED TO THAT
FACT AND HIS GIRLFRIEND SAID
THAT IN NASHVILLE AT TWO A
CLOCK IN THE MORNING SHE AND
ELVIS WOULD SIT IN BED AND THEY
WOULD DO PYTHON SKETCHES BUT
NOT JUST ANY.
>> I STILL HAVE TROUBLE
CONCEIVING ELVIS DOING THAT.
>> THAT IS MY FAVORITE THING
OTHER THAN YOUR MOTHER
ACCIDENTALLY SAYING THAT SHE
ONLY WANTED TO VISIT, HOW DID
IT GO?
IT GO?
IT GO? >>
IT GO? >> SHE WOULD NOT COME UNLESS IT
WAS INCONVENIENT.
WAS INCONVENIENT. >> I'M GOING TO USE THAT
FOREVER.
FOREVER.
FOREVER. THANK YOU SO MUCH, WE
APPRECIATE IT.
APPRECIATE IT. THERE WILL BE A READING
PRESENTED BY THE UNIVERSITY
BOOKSTORE TONIGHT AT 7:00 AT
THE UNIVERSITY TEMPLE UNITED
METHODIST CHURCH.
METHODIST CHURCH. JOIN FOR A CONVERSATION WITH
RYAN STILES.
RYAN STILES. WE HAVE LINKED ALL OF THE
DETAILS ON OUR WEBSITE.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING US SUCH
JOY OVER THE YEARS.
AN AMAZING GIFT.
AFTER A QUICK BREAK, NFL HALL
OF