John Cleese goes viral for addressing unfair advantage of biological males in women's sports

AP Photo/Amel Emric

John Cleese, the 83-year-old comedian and "Monty Python" actor, didn't hold back when responding to a tweet from British journalist Martin Daubney that highlighted the disparity between male and female athletes in a recent cycling race.

Biological men in women's sports have an unfair advantage https://t.co/Aq1elOdFsh

— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) April 30, 2023

Daubney's tweet criticized the "cruel, unfair charade of biological men in women's sports," and Cleese chimed in by tweeting to his 5.6 million followers, "Biological men in women's sports have an unfair advantage."

The tweet has been viewed over one million times since being posted.

Many Twitter users agreed with Cleese's assessment, with one person drawing a parallel to the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes" and the absurdity of the situation. Another user pointed out the difficulty in defining the term "woman" in the context of such debates. Yet another individual criticized the media and government for supporting what they deemed to be a reprehensible situation. One commenter expressed concern for young female athletes who will face a world with fewer rights than their mothers.

John Cleese is no stranger to addressing gender issues in his work. In the classic film "Monty Python's Life of Brian," Cleese appeared in a scene where a male character announces his desire to become a woman and be called "Loretta."

Cleese's character humorously responds by questioning the practicalities of the situation, asking, "Where's the fetus going to gestate? Are you going to keep it in a box?" The scene, although comedic in nature, touches upon the complexities surrounding gender identity and societal perceptions.