Will Self - "The South Bank Show" 1/5

[9ironjohn]

Pete Postlewaite or David Thewlis?

[MrDarkbloom]

I personally think Mr Self is a fantastic writer. I LOVE the fact he has such a spectacular command of English. I also happen to find him a very engaging speaker and personality, but even if he wasn't it would do nothing to diminish his writing. Why do people have to try and bring smart and creative people down to their level? I LOVE smart and creative people!

[Powell101]

Will Self is one of the most tediously uninspiring and insipid wankers of the 20th and 21st century. He has made a living out of being regarded as a pseudo-intellectual by people who think that Ulysses was a football player for West Ham in the 80s. He bores the fuck out of me.

[boxingfan101]

@Powell101 And yet a cow eating a baby chicken really piques your interest.. Thanks for your contribution.

[BarnacleGooseInvalid]

I really dig the music in the background - I wonder who it is

[carsanookdotcom]

Avalon, the Brits always talk and sing about Avalon...

BangkokJohnny

c/o carsanook

royaume de thailande

[LordLolinghamThe3rd]

@carsanookdotcom Do we now?....

[ph03n1xamb1t]

@pillajadud

What the fuck is a baffoon? You stupid cunt. You stupid stupid cunt

[TheDensley7]

@pillajadud What do you mean, "Karl Pilkington owned him"? I actually felt quite embarrased for Karl, as likeable as he is, you can't say that he isn't naive. For a man to not know who Tony Benn is at his age is not something to be proud of. Despite his rather spiky media persona, in person Will Self is the very paragon of decorum.

[rubysson57]

Anyone who seriously believes that having a series of third world colonies in a first world country, like Britain, makes that country 'richer for it' (Self vs Littlejohn) deserves to be counted as an idiot. Not even the politicians who rely on this delightful little myth to get themselves voted in no longer actually believe it anymore.

Stick to writing your Amisesque, Self.

[ZachClooney]

Thank you so much JamesBurrTV for posting this South Bank Show interview with Will Self. I hadn't seen it since it was first broadcast in the 1990s. He is still so inspring.

[Slapbass13]

I rather like this candid fucker.

[SalutationToTheDawn]

What word does he use at 5:37? "It has a feeling of its own ??? quality"

[mmcfarlane001]

@SalutationToTheDawn He says 'mondial'. (relating to / involving the whole world).

[SalutationToTheDawn]

@mmcfarlane001 Cheers for that, I'm always on the look out for unusual words. I thought it was something along those lines (only spelling it monduel). The fact it's not in Dictionarydotcom doesn't help much! Found it at MSN Encarta though.

[snoozeyoulose19]

Will Self is a legend!!!!!!!

[MrBandshell]

If you can talk like that, why not talk like that?

[adam0900909]

I take it you realise that using sophisticated language doesn't mean you are good with it. Surely being good with language means you get your message across to everyone, no matter who you are talking to? And using it to its best and most efficient and effective affect No I haven't met him, but then again I bet 99% of people we form opinions of we've never actually met.

[MrBandshell]

If you're good with language then you can choose to do what you want with it.

[adam0900909]

True, I wasn't trying to argue about his literacy skills, I was trying to argue the way he uses it. He's far too "look at me im using far too many words and constant allegory, Im smart, honest, I am, listen" And some of his ridiculous views designed purely to make him self SEEM intelligent. My friend does exactly the same thing, and then when pushed cant even begin to back up his statement. Id bet its a similar story here.

[MrBandshell]

Yeah. That's a fair point.

[TopGeezer77]

@adam0900909 the man is primarily a comedian I dont think he is trying to seem intelligent in some egotistical way i think we is just trying.. and succeeding to be a good comedian

[DavidFloat]

"Lokk at Stephen Fry as a perfect example. Probably the most intelligent man in Britain" hahaha. stephen fry is a clunk. QI is for twats. its embarrassing that fry is now considered a tech head coz he tweets.

[adam0900909]

By what possible definition is Fry a 'clunk'? Seriously, Im prepared to bet my house on the fact you have literally nothing to back that up. And your just saying that to try to make yourself seem like you have an opinion and are intelligent.

[DavidFloat]

@adam0900909

fry is a clunk because he has permitted his media fame to go to his head and has been informed by various other media clunks generating non media that fry is a tech expert and witty dude on QI. remember i was responding to the quote.

[adam0900909]

I dont know what it is about him but I really cant stand him. Being overly eloquent isn't a sign of intelligence. Its just that person trying to prove how much smarter they are than everyone else. Lokk at Stephen Fry as a perfect example. Probably the most intelligent man in Britain and he hardly ever talks like these pricks do. Why dance around what your trying to say with allegory? Just get to the point. Dont try to use all 200 000 words in the English language to say what you mean.

[joejjohnston]

Yeah, he's far too up himself. What with being on Shooting stars and everything.

[TheRedMidget1]

I agree with you. I also don't like the way he spoke down to Karl Pilkington, the stuck up prick. He isn't as smart as he thinks he is.

[awchurch22]

@adam0900909 the most intelliegent man in britain? are you dumb?

[adam0900909]

I can see why your so fond of him. Your the same as he is. He's no where near as intelligent as he thinks he is. Just because you can spew out babble t make yourself seem intellectual docent mean you actually are. Educated yes, intelligent, no. He's also one of the most miserable pricks Ive seen on TV, no wonder he has to take vast amounts of narcotics.

[adam0900909]

Ive got a theory Id like you to prove, go on then, how is Will Self more intelligent than Stephen Fry?

[haret0n]

a modern genius, i am very glad he writes so that i can share some of his wonderful mind.

[Sodthisforalarkmate]

cant write.boring

[joejjohnston]

i wish they would make another one with Will

[deadleg22]

Has Will Self been inspired by any kind of hallucinogens?

I wish I had his vocabulary.

[vikramkrishnan]

Actually yes. He was a heroin user.

[wlwak]

deadleg22 asked, " Has Will Sefl been inspired by any kind of hallucinogens? " To which, vikramkrishan says, " Actually, yes. He was a herioin user."

Firstly, herion isn't hallucinogenic and secondly inspiration may come from drug induced experiences but talent certainly does not. A talentless drug addict will always be telentless just as a drunken ass will always be an ass - drunk or not.

It does irritate me that wastrels with a penchant for substance abuse identify themselves with talent.

[vikramkrishnan]

"Wastrels with a penchant for substance abuse"

How dare you describe us in such a condescending manner without knowing our backgrounds?

"Inspiration ... drug induced experiences but talent does not"

True. Who disputed it? Where did I or deadleg22 ever attribute his talent to drugs?

His question was autobiographical and I pointed out that Self has used drugs in the past. And while we are at it, your statement "A talentless drug addict... drunk or not" makes no sense.

[vikramkrishnan]

"A drunken ass" by definition is both drunk and an ass. If he were not he would simply be an ass.

Before you start spreading bile around, would your excellency please bother to read other peoples statements without taking them out of context and more importantly, read your own

[wlwak]

I'll leave your flawed logic for others to ignore or laugh at as they choose. .

[vikramkrishnan]

As opposed to Your Majesty's perfectly reasonable arguments.

[cornsockgabz]

The both of you smell like poo

[TheDensley7]

If you can smell it from that far away, it's probably you.

[TheCrazyLutenist]

you suck at trolling.

[zzxzqwq]

His last name is Ish!

[zenbudhism]

london, a giant halucigenic fungus, well spotted Will

[tadparis]

Will Self is one of the most interesting people of the 20th and 21st century. Maybe not the greatest, but a close second. He fascinates the fuck out of me.

[zzxzqwq]

Why did he get his own south bank show?

[JackCalico]

Well, considering The Darkness and Will Young got their own episode, any fucker can.

[cancerparty]

He got his won South Bank show because he's been the most transformative, inspiring author, who actually revels in the energy of language and the rigors of culture, not to mention being a constantly erudite and articulate satirical artist. Why don't you have your own South Bank Show?

[zzxzqwq]

"Why don't you have your own South Bank Show? "

Oh that hurts 0-1

My reply

Why don't you have your own show Bang 2-1.

[zzxzqwq]

joejjohnston Thanks twat that is a great signature.

[LewAntJon]

alrite joe, hows it gannin!

[ascreavie]

Thank you so much for uploading this; I have wanted to see this for so long! Thank you, thank you, thank you!