John Cleese totally gets the NFT craze that’s currently gripped asset speculators on the general internet. And while some of those non-fungible tokens like NBA Top Shot or smaller art projects are more affordable, the comedic legend is diving head-first into the craze with a token that will cost you a record-setting amount if you’re feeling like investing. That’s right: John Cleese has a bridge to sell you.
The comedian posted on Twitter about an NFT sale, a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge, that he’s started. And if you haven’t already figured this out, yes he’s absolutely poking fun at the NFT craze that’s seen speculators flood the market for collectables and other digital art they quite literally cannot touch.
Hello! It is time you meet my alter ego “Unnamed Artist” I’m delighted to offer you the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m selling my 1st NFT. Though bidding starts at 100.00, you can “BUY IT NOW” for 69,346,250.50! https://t.co/Vuyx4trvPE pic.twitter.com/aC4oSVfGHF
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) March 19, 2021
The bridge, which is selling on OpenSea until, fittingly, April 1, started at $100 but is currently holding a bid of more than $35,000, which is a lot of money for a poorly drawn bridge made for an extremely tongue-in-cheek joke about an “unknown artist” trying to get his big break selling NFTs.
“I’m not going to tell you my name,” Cleese said in a video. “Because all you need to know about me is that I’m a young, unknown digital artist. Or a collective of artists.”
Cleese, who is 81, says he totally gets what is happening with NFTs and isn’t like those other fuddy-duddys, who think it’s a pyramid scheme.
“Now you and me, we get it. Our parents laugh at non-refundable tokens and cryptic currency,” he said. “‘It can’t go on the wall’ they say. ‘Is the world ending?’ Hardly! This is a cultural moment. A bridge from the past to the future. And a bridge is about trust. As in the saying ‘If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge to sell you.’”
So, yeah, it’s a joke to him. But one that will apparently net him a lot of money once the calendar rolls over to April. Whether the artwork actually holds any value is unclear, but it’s certainly one of the more unique NFT sales we’ve seen so far.