The Upper Class Twit of the Year is a classic sketch that was seen on the T.V. show Monty Python's Flying Circus, and also in an altered form in the movie And Now For Something Completely Different.
It is about an obstacle-course race between five stereotypical, pin stripe suit-wearing upper-class twits (idiots), to determine the 127th Annual Upper-Class Twit of the Year.
The competitors are:
- Vivian Smith-Smythe-Smith (portrayed by Eric Idle)
- Has an O-level in chemo-hygiene
- Simon Zinc-Trumpet-Harris (portrayed by Terry Jones)
- Married to a very attractive table lamp
- Nigel Incubator Jones (portrayed by John Cleese)
- Best friend is a tree
- Stockbroker in his spare time
- Gervaise Brook-Hampster (portrayed by Michael Palin)
- Used as a wastepaper basket by his father
- Oliver St John-Mollusc (portrayed by Graham Chapman)
- Said to be this year's outstanding twit.
The obstacles are:
- Walking Along The Straight Line
- The Twits must walk along one of several narrow straight lines.
- The Matchbox Jump
- The Twits must jump over a fence three matchboxes high.
- Kicking The Beggar
- The Twits must approach a beggar with a tray and kick him until he falls over.
- The Hunt Ball Photograph
- The Twits must have their photographs taken and make small talk with a pair of attractive females. This obstacle is not in And Now For Something Completely Different.
- Reversing Into The Old Lady
- The Twits must get into their sports cars and reverse them into a cardboard cut-out of an old lady. Oliver proves his outstanding twitness by managing to run himself over. This leads straight into...
- Waking The Neighbour
- The Twits must drive their cars forwards and then attempt to wake up a neighbour who is attempting to get some sleep by slamming their doors, tooting their horns, etc.
- Insulting The Waiter
- The Twits must be thoroughly rude to a waiter with a tray. This obstacle is not in And Now For Something Completely Different.
- The Bar
- The Twits must make their way underneath a wooden bar suspended five feet off the ground. This obstacle is not in And Now For Something Completely Different.
- Shooting The Rabbits
- Each Twit is given a shotgun, and he must shoot a rabbit that has been tied very firmly to stakes so it can't move around very much (as the Upper-Class Twit of the Year is only a one-day event). Several of the Twits are forced to bludgeon the rabbits to death with the butt of their gun or a fist. Their failure to hit the rabbits with their bullets is attributed to the misty conditions (caused by the smoke from the guns) and the shooting distance of one foot.
- Taking The Bras Off The Debutantes
- The Twits must remove a bra from a mannequin representing a debutante while standing in front of it. It is claimed to be the most difficult obstacle by the commentator.
- Shooting Themselves
- Finally, the Twits approach a table with five revolvers on it. The winner is the first Twit to shoot himself.
The sketch ends with Gervaise Brook-Hampster coming in first, followed by a medal ceremony. The three coffins of the winning Twits are placed on the medal rostrum and medals are draped around them.
The sketch was filmed at Hurlingham Park in Fulham, a location presumably chosen for its proximity to Television Centre
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