10 Most Controversial Comedies Of All Time
5. Monty Python's Life Of Brian
If there's one thing we've learned thus far about the Catholic church, it's that those guys can really take a joke! But as it turns out, their inability to appreciate some good Hollywood satire at their expense isn't a recent thing, and Kevin Smith certainly wasn't the first filmmaker to earn their ire.
No, Monty Python had already established the template for getting Catholicism's goat two decades prior when they made Life Of Brian.
Religious groups flocked to show their disproval of the story, which posits something of an alternate reality in which a regular man is confused with Jesus Christ, King of the Jews thanks to some incredible timing and misfortune.
Christians were quick to cry "blasphemy" at the very idea of the movie, but seemed particularly hung up on the iconic final scene, which shows not-Jesus being crucified while his fellow sufferers remind him to Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life via exuberant song and joyful whistling.
Despite the Pythons' efforts to defend the satire, calling it more "heretical" than outright blasphemous and noting the historical accuracies of their film, Life of Brian was banned in several countries, including Norway, Ireland, and parts of the UK. Some of these bans even lasted well into the 21st century.