Here's how you shouldn't monkeypatch your class

bad_class_monkeypatching.py

class GrandParent(object):
    @classmethod
    def call(cls):
        return 1


class Parent(GrandParent):
    @classmethod
    def call(cls):
        return 1 + super(Parent, cls).call()


class Child(Parent):
    @classmethod
    def call(cls):
        return 1 + super(Child, cls).call()


assert Child().call() == 3


class Uncle(GrandParent):
    @classmethod
    def call(cls):
        return 1 + super(Uncle, cls).call()


class Inbred(Child, Uncle):
    @classmethod
    def call(cls):
        return 1 + super(Inbred, cls).call()


assert Inbred().call() == 5

# Bad monkeypatching
old_call = Parent.call
def new_call(_cls, *args, **kwargs):
    print "Monkeypatched!"
    return old_call(*args, **kwargs)
Parent.call = classmethod(new_call)

assert Child.call() == 3

print "Inbred.call() returned:", Inbred.call()

The goal of this was to explain gavin why we're doing this:

https://github.com/fusionbox/django-widgy/blob/d1804e5fa48c8b1e7c3d3754b9725e64de3bb574/widgy/debugtoolbar/templates.py#L28