Stephen Fry - Hay Sessions 2009 1/6

[Nazzz65]

God help us....

[test123ok]

Such a pleasure to listen to this man

[misslittlebear118]

hay is pubic hair

[LosDTenaces]

he's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!

[cmurphy2826]

Jeez, Obama again. He's just a guy; not even that intellegent or great a leader. The near-deification of politicians is a scary, unhealthy thing.

[owenhunt]

@cmurphy2826 The demonisation of politics is far more troubling, it leads to disinterest and apathy, whereby a population is subject to partisan politics running riot with rights and wellfare legislature.

[cmurphy2826]

@owenhunt I didn't mean the deification of politics, I meant the deification of politicians or of government itself. Politics is a necessary discourse and is something I feel every citizen should be interested in and involved with. I think the idea that politicians are angels or heroes sent down from on high inspires the worst kind of apathy, which is to assume that the government and politicans always have your best interests at heart and that there is no need to keep an eye on them.

[adi87tya]

@cmurphy2826 Personally, I don't think Obama is a visionary either. However, after 8 years of "We're going to stay the course", "We'll fight them there so they don't fight us here", and "I'm the decider", Obama is a relief.

[bigfoot799]

Stephen Fry needs to get more exposure in U.S. media.

[MrBuch169169]

Every debate should begin with one guy yelling, 'OBAMA!'

[kittybirg]

D'aww, Fry. You are awesome.

[Oxyster7]

Stephen fry for world leader!

[TenderHistoryInRust]

what liberal trite - The reps and dems are exactly the fucking same, representatives of the worst Imperialist dirty filthy big business capitalist scum.

[TenderHistoryInRust]

@Kaelisra440 lol

[Kaelisra440]

@TenderHistoryInRust

Oh look, a Marxist that's taking advantage of all the gifts given by western Capitalist society.

You can stop using the internet for a start, you hypocritical fucking moron.

[TenderHistoryInRust]

@Kaelisra440 Where in Marx does it state that modern technology should not be used, when has any Marxist ever rejected the technological advancements of capitalist society. How have you invented the idea that Marxism is a Ludite primitivist idea? I am not a Stalinist, all Socialists ask for is democratic control of the economy, the democratic freedoms we know were not given to us, they were fought for through brutal struggles by the workers movment - Read a fucking book you moron

[Kaelisra440]

@TenderHistoryInRust

lolololololol.

Parasite.

[cryodragoon]

@TenderHistoryInRust

In fact, didn't Marx even say that exact thing? That a socialist community would only be successful if it had gone through to the very end of a capitalistic society? That a community of farmers would in fact be the very worst place for a socialist community to start?

[langsense]

@Kaelisra440

as I told tender, please keept it clean!

[patchinindia]

@Kaelisra440 Saying that marxists shouldn't criticise capitalist society because they live within it, is like saying peasants living in feudal times shouldn't use a new plough because it is the product of that society.

Marxists believe that a capitalist society is an improvement on despotism and fuedalism, but that another, much preferable world is possible.

[Averagegamer100]

@Kaelisra440 Not sure how anti capitalist equates to Marxism or why a Marxist would have to not use the internet.

[ufee]

@Kaelisra440

The internet was kindly funded and developed by the government under the guise of national security, as can be said for just about every other significant development in western technology. All Capitalism does is, at most, buy off the infrastructure and technology produced by the government and introduce deliberate, conscious inefficiencies. Indeed, we wouldn't even have functional highways if we had left things to the private sector.

[ufee]

Heck, going even farther, we wouldn't even have FOOD if there weren't billions of dollars in farm subsidies injected into agriculture.

[Konstiin]

@Kaelisra440 someone who clearly hasn't read marx speaking.

[owenhunt]

@Kaelisra440 Whether in a Capitalist or Communist society, the creation of something as phenomenal as the internet took funding. If British industrialists flocked to Russia in the ninteenth century and was in need of Eastern advances in warfare technology in WW2, then Russia would have been home to the internet's creation and inception. As British history is littered with, as Benjamin Disraeli recommended, people who "wait their time", American history is littered with luck and chance-taking.

[langsense]

@TenderHistoryInRust

Wash your mouth out please!

[ChrisCoCompany]

@TenderHistoryInRust You're a very unhappy bunny, aren't you

[invisblchzbrgr]

I thought Peter Florence was Tony Slattery at first and I freaked! <3

[RCTPatriot75]

The reason Americans don't feel that they need to learn the cultures of other countries is due in part to the fact that those cultures and countries are represented within America like no other nation on Earth. America is home to the second largest population of many, many cultures, outside of that cultures homeland. Did that make any sense?

[Mertdizzle15]

@RCTPatriot75 America does have a widespread of cultural ethnicities, but to say they are represented like no other nation on earth is an exaggeration. Europe, although having problems with racism that eclipse those of America today, is the smallest region with the most cultured lands and peoples. Canada is another example. Canada is much more diverse if one considers their identity being that of multitudes of peoples within one land, America has a more culturally defined identity.

[toppaz79]

@RCTPatriot75 It made sense.... but it was utter rubbish. Presumably then, Americans only feel the need to travel to countries that aren't represented in the US?.......... Stop. Talking. Bollocks.

[KennyDalglish68]

I've got a man crush on Stephen Fry...

[SiliconBong]

You have good taste KennyDalglish68

[originalmaja]

the best part begins at 00:08:42 ("I simply did not know that language could do that")

[yoda43]

honestly, if you dont like stephen fry theres somethin wrong with ya, missin a gene or somethin, the guy is legend!

[Kari166]

Thank you, Stephen Fry! :3

[CalmBlue]

Stephen: 'He's not the messiah...'

66.7% of The Audience: 'Must not say "... he's a very naughty boy!"'

[jeremyshambles]

i love that line from importance of being earnest as well. stephen is too amazing to be encapsulated into words. thanks for sharing these videos. cheers from san diego

[dougmanjones]

Fry's totally right. A significant % of Americans have a bizarre sense of pride in their own ignorance, especially ignorance of other societies and cultures. We have congressmen who brag about never having had a passport, for Christ's sake! Stupidity and intolerance are masquerading as populism and the morons are dancing in the streets about it.

[jazcash]

lol stephens such an idiot

[ralach]

@jazcash i dont think you will find much support for that sentiment (certainly not from me)

[sfmike20]

Unfortunately, I think that an open inability to understand the rest of the world is still very much in vogue, amongst the majority of the population. This points to a troubling inability to have abstract thought. Abstract thought is of course what separates humans from lower life forms. If that many people are left without the capacity for abstract thought, what does it mean for the future evolution of Americans? if you who have not already seen it, I would recommend you watch idiocracy.

[solothyrn]

So as much as you have some merit in what you say sfmike20, you don't have all the fact concerning what it is to live as an US citizen born and raised here. Because of this fact, you actually come up as exactly the very thing you think we Americans are. Pretty ironic.

[solothyrn]

American are inundated by the geographical and political diversity that is a country of 50 countries(states/commonwealths­). Americans don't have that environmental conditioning that is a single state country bording on other countries to allow for that connection to allow for know that rest of the world like you would another neighborhood adjacent to yours.

[sfmike20]

I am a born and raised San Antonio Texan actually. What separates me from some of my fellow citizens is a desire to see the world, and experience homelessness in as many countries as possible-- I am up to 12 now. What you say is true though, regarding the states. This is why I think it should be mandatory for students to have one month abroad to finish up their undergraduate program. All part of tuition and everything.

[indiasrainbow]

Did the sound engineer have to leave the room?

[78625amginE]

Wish he would move to the US. Could use someone like him here...

[redsoxclaret]

Think I could conduct this interview as well as Mr Florence. i feel a bit embarrased for him. Why is he there?

[101maxtor]

@redsoxclaret

On the contrary, I think Mr Florence is doing the absolute right thing: allowing Mr Fry to speak.

Too often interviewers try to make it about themselves, intentionally or not. If we wanted to know what you think, we'd interview you! Now ask the questions!

[rebelred1001]

I'd listen to him talk about the colour of shit =)

[CatherineInRock]

And look at the faces of the people in the audience. When I saw them I caught myself having the same expression - mouth open, eyes bright and a happy smile of sheer amazement and ever so slight disbelief at the fact that any one man can possess so much brilliance. What he does to people, Stephen, unbelievable...

[escritoragaviota]

MI ÌDOLO ME TUMBÈ CON DE PROFUNDIS SU CARTA A DOUGLAS BOSIE...UN GRAN REFERENTE MI AMOR PLATÒNICO DESDE NIÑA QUE LEÌ EL PRÌNCIPE FELIZ...SI HUBIERAS VIVIDO EN ESTA ÈPOCA O YO EN LA TUYA NO IBAS A LA CÀRCEL NUNCA YO LO IMPEDÌA... MI NOVELA DIOS ES GAY GOD IS GAY QUE APOYÒ A OBAMA LA PUSE EN SU WEBB PARA QUE LA LEAN GRATIS Y VOTEN POR OBAMA LA DEDICO A OSCAR WILDE ... ROCK HUDSON -STEPHEN FRI Y LOS GAYS DEL MUNDO...el amor no tiene sexo...gaviota

[jimbobjimminy]

WOW he looks great!

Fry = GOD.

The UK's finest.

[eMEELyah]

I'm sure the kid at 7:20 understood everything he was saying.

[MimPagga]

Note at the beginning how Peter Florence says one word only: "Obama", and then Fry monologues for more than 7 minutes (!).

[Aberjan]

he's not the messiah...he's a very naughty boy! i was hoping someone would have said that.

[spazzing]

Well there's so many wonderful things to say about Stephen, but I love his green socks!

[scandowegianpean]

@spazzing and his T-shirt :D

[MrSalamander7]

I absolutely love Fry's point about the eloquence of linguistics.

[radioschizo]

Wow the ONLY thing I've disagreed upon is his one half of "what america is." The idea that government should be small and not socialized works against rampant corporatism which is caused by government involvement and has nothing to do with the religiosity that has also run rampant.

[gambolholic]

Wow, Stephen Fry looks good :-)

[CMalburn]

I thought that too- he was on The One Show with Mark Carwardine last night, looking even better!

As of a couple of months ago, he'd lost 6 stone, 38Kg! I think that's amazing. It's more than half of my weight.

[JoeVialFilms]

Thank you for uploading this!

[chaps666]

Obama is not articulate. Get him off the teleprompter and its...uh, ah, uh. During the campaign once his teleprompter had a problem.

In a 42 minute speech, in Colorado, there was 7 minutes of incoherent stuttering.

[freekicking85]

He is articulate, quite good at speeches from what Ive seen and argues points over quite well.

But remember people are basically comparing Obama to Bush on this point so even an orangutan would appear articulate in comparison.

[timdaughte]

Bullshit.

[bert823]

stephen fry is amazing and the way in talks is fantastic, he would b a great PM

[CMalburn]

Yes, but he's intelligent enough not to want to go into politics!

[mico2020]

obama isn't the Messiah but Stephen is!

[wimscheers]

I just LOVE how he stays subtle and to the point at the same time. If I had to describe Americans, I would either go on a 5 day rant, with a 7 day clarification and nuances, or I would call them dumb, fat, religious, arrogant assholes who should get their heads out of their so called constitutions arse and take a look at the world before randomly invading it. If I need to be eloquent next time, I'll just link to Steve.

[trufflesmell]

I never feel he gets to the bottom of anything, he's always ever so slightly more interested in sculpting his sentences. (Awaits thumbs of death.)

[Nelzevir]

He does seem very selective in his choice of words, which can distract and sometimes completely shroud what he's actually trying to convey.

Sometimes, as is the case with many eloquent people, his extensive vocabulary is almost a liability to him in the sense that he can become lost in an ocean of beautifull and imaginative words and completely lose track of what he was saying.

Even so, it's always a delight to hear him speak and his insights are generally very illuminating.

[FastMonkeyBluePants]

FTW

[66nylorac]

This man makes me proud of the human race, and that is rare!

[lanegwyn]

@66nylorac Well said. I know you wrote that 7 months ago, and have probably forgotten about it, but I agree with you.

[66nylorac]

@lanegwyn No, I remember, and still feel the same! Thanks for your comment, and thank goodness for Stephen Fry!

[tetotaly]

Gonna watch "The man who shot Liberty Valence" again!

[simongbb7]

I never used to like Stephen Fry, but I do now. He is a brilliant man!

[vodkaia]

I agree with all the comments and I love him even more for his socks!!!

[godw1thin]

I've said this before but it bears repeating:

You know what I don't like about Stephen Fry?

...nothing. He's the epitome of culture, class, and brilliance.

[TossTheParadox]

Stephen's a rhetoric God. Probably he wouldn't like to be known as one, because of his Atheist beliefs. But I just fully plunged into his world of words and opinions, and everything else that's happening just turns into a blurry scenery. I think I'm absolutely spellbound for the very moment.

[CaptainChaos]

You do know that "Atheist beliefs" is a contradictio in terminis, right? ;-)

[Nelzevir]

Actually no, it isn't. Atheists believe in many things, the defining belief being that there is no divine entity or spiritual essence.

[CaptainChaos]

Wow, my comment has a score of -7. Very strange, I don't see what's negative about it. It even has a winking smiley. Perhaps the words were too difficult?

Anyway, you're wrong. It's a-theist, not anti-theist. An atheist has a lack of belief in gods. I'm sure many atheists believe many different things, but none of them are required for being an atheist...

[jazzjackrabbits]

How in the world did Nelzevir go down to -4? He's 100% correct. Atheism is essentially not being Theistic; If there's a trend between atheists to be liberal/republican so be it but that doesn't change what the definition of atheism is.

[sleeplessintokyo]

what an intro.

[lkjhu76]

Stephen is so great:)

thank you for this

[bumblywumblybee]

wow Stephen has lost so much weight!

[00TheLword00]

"he's not the messiah..."

He's a very naughty boy!

[doykeyes92]

hahaha

[rubberductape]

behold his mother!!

[daviddee87]

Finally! Thanks a lot for putting this up; it's much appreciated by many of us.