This is not always a convincing point, tho ~~ the John Cleese one, I mean. Warren Mitchell made the same point re Alf Garnett; but that was regarded by many as the result of his performance, & Johnny Speight's script, being just so convincing that they escaped their creators' intentions to counter-productive effect. Satire is, notoriously, a dangerous weapon, liable to turn from a lance to a boomerang.

~M~