Why Monty Python Is Still Funny (But Your 2019 Memes Aren't)

I was watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail with Bethan last weekend.

This is a film from 1975. Nearly 50 years old. Made before the internet, before social media, before anyone had heard of a smartphone. And she was absolutely losing it at the Black Knight scene. ("'Tis but a scratch!" had her in tears.)

So I decided to test a theory. I pulled up some content that had me cracking up back in 2019, those Baby Yoda memes that were everywhere. And yep, she looked at me like I was showing her archaeological artefacts. "Why are you showing me this?"

Some comedy ages like wine, some ages like milk

There is a massive difference between humour that ages like wine and humour that ages like milk left in a hot car.

Some comedy is built on universal human experiences that never change. The frustration of dealing with bureaucracy. The gap between expectations and reality. The absurdity of taking ourselves too seriously. That stuff is timeless because people are timeless. We have been laughing at the same fundamental experiences for centuries.

Other comedy is built on whatever is dominating the cultural moment. The latest celebrity scandal. This week's political drama. Whatever trend is consuming everyone's attention right now. That stuff has the shelf life of a mayonnaise sandwich in the desert.

You actually want both

The timeless stuff gives your content staying power. Posts that are just as relevant six months from now as they are today. The ones that keep getting engagement long after you have moved on.

But the timely stuff shows you are paying attention. That you are not some out-of-touch business owner who thinks "going viral" is something you catch from your computer. When you reference something current (without being cringey about it), you signal that you are plugged into the same world your customers are living in right now.

The trick is knowing which is which. A joke about how people will research a £5 purchase for hours but make major life decisions in minutes? Timeless. That has been true for decades and will be true for decades more. A joke about whatever is trending on Twitter today? Timely. Shows you are current, but do not expect it to age well.

The timeless content builds your library of evergreen material, the stuff you can repost, repurpose, and reference again. The timely content keeps you feeling fresh, your proof that you are not just recycling the same old material from 2019.

Meet Brian

Here is where most businesses get stuck. They are either too scared to reference anything current (worried it will date their content), or they are chasing every trend so desperately that everything they post feels like it is trying too hard.

That is exactly what Brian, our AI Comedy Marketing Assistant, helps you navigate. He comes loaded with timeless frameworks that tap into universal experiences, the stuff that never gets old. But we also add 31+ new frameworks every month, including ones that help you stay current with what is happening right now.

You get the best of both worlds: content that works today and content that keeps working tomorrow. Try Brian and build a comedy library that stands the test of time.

P.S. Unlike my Tiger King joke collection, Brian's humour frameworks will not make your wife question your sense of relevance.