The Extended Life of Monty Python

IS there life left in the dead parrot sketch?

It has been 25 years since Monty Python was a living comedy troupe — the film “The Meaning of Life,” released in 1983, was its swan song — but that has not stopped one alumnus from trying to convince the world that Python, like the parrot in its ancient skit, is just resting. For decades, Eric Idle has made sure the Monty Python name continues to grace books, DVDs, concert tours, a Broadway show, ring tones and video games.

Now he is helping take Monty Python to the Internet.

Python Online http://matr.net/click.php?id=1408&url=http://pythonline.com/ , a social network and digital playground, offers clips of old material that people can use to make mash-ups, perhaps inserting their own pet in the killer-rabbit scene from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” The home page has a blog format with news about the surviving Pythons; elsewhere there are chat boards and e-mail forums. Membership is free.

By DOUGLAS QUENQUA

Full Story: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/fashion/07python.html?_r=1

(It’s the end of the year and I’ll probably be including stories like this on MATR to give us a bit of a comic interlude. If you know of similar stories, send them to me to lighten up the holidays. [email protected])