Stephen Fry - Hay Sessions 2009 6/6

[johnjosmith42]

wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful wonderful. Repeat till the page is full, Printer.

[batmanofni]

I'd say that the first few seasons of Friends was about failure, untill they all got decent jobs and stable relationships. I certainly know people who could be classified as Ross or Chandler or Monica or Rachel.

[PianoWizzy]

Only Stephen could be so instantaneously articulate. "...on whom life craps at a terrible height..."

[uncled39]

Not everyone on here agreed with Mr Fry, but people seemed to like his bright socks.

[255ad]

@uncled39 it's what his career was built on

[moviefreak91]

It's funny what he says about British v. American comic heroes. I regard the character of Liz Lemon from the spectacular American sitcom ''30 Rock'' as a rather British comic character because she is rarely the one being smarter than those around her, much of the comedy comes from her faults and mistakes.

[wrmty56413]

Great analysis of British comedy. I'm surprised Stephen didn't mention Alan Partridge as well

[bbagginz]

Brilliant!

[PurushaDesa]

"Stuff happens!"

Egh-egh-egh.

[mittROMNEY666]

ace rimmer = biggest failure ever

man that guy is hilarious

[mittROMNEY666]

@mittROMNEY666 i mean arnold

[nightscape2008]

Fascinating to hear what the British have to say about the U.S and politics. And when it comes to humor, I've always loved British humor (along with dramas) over the U.S. sitcoms. There hasn't been a comedy since Fraiser or Seinfeld that is worth watching. Not all American's find the programs here on tv humorous (that's why I don't watch them).

[QuinnnniuQ]

Stephen Fry would be awesome for the role of Alfred, the beloved Avengers butler.  Does anyone know what I'm talking about? An Avengers movie is in the works, featuring Robert Downy Junior as Iron Man, etc... If Stephen Fry was cast as Alfred, that would be too cool. If anyone else thinks so too... maybe we could start a wee little meme? Something to infiltrate the minds of Hollywood producers, perhaps?

[adria10]

Brilliant discussion, I could listen to Stephen Fry talk for hours and never tire..

[Babsan11]

@adria10 Me too!!

But the audience felt a bit stiff some times. And the man beside Fry aswell. As if Fry where on TV, not actually there.

[Animeabe]

Do Europeans talk about America a lot like this? I found it fascinating to hear about my country from another perspective like this. Stephen kind of made that point earlier when he said do you think Americans are thinking about us.

[yngguy4u]

just because Hollywood has large budgets and modern flashy premieres doesn't mean its junk. Hollywood is the perfection of cinema. As Stephen Fry says, "they want talent". How can we possibly says its junk when it is the first of its kind? The same people say Disney World is junk but the amazing thing about Disney World is the genius behind it. That's why America loves it so much.

[artemis12061966]

Thank you for posting this delightful interview .

[Kebabsvein]

I thoroughly enjoyed this entire discussion. Stephen is so articulate and such a good speaker.

[dancingdiplodocus]

god i just refreshed and saw how wonderful my comment was.

[dancingdiplodocus]

there has been a real cultural decline in America, over the past fifteen years: audiences who will clap at anything, witless humour, one hundred km an hour soundbites and news agencies which are frankly abyssmal.

I just don't see how Stephen Fry can be so positive about this. I really don't.

As a nation, we are a fucking disgrace, an ignorant and uneducated disgrace .

Irving Berlin died a long time ago.

[bulked]

@dancingdiplodocus meh, every country has its idiots-Britain gave the world George Orwell but it also gave the world Katie Price, America gave the world thomas Jefferson but it also gave the world Parios Hilton-every country has cultural gems, as well as `bottom of the barrel` cultural dregs

[255ad]

@bulked in Briton Katie Price came from nothing but in America Paris Hilton was born rich.

[HTHAMMACK1]

@255ad What's your point? They're both completely talentless wastes of space. There are people born rich in Britian, and people that were born poor and became rich in America.

[255ad]

@HTHAMMACK1 sorry it's been like 8 weeks I honestly can't remember what I was getting at

[jonano12]

man i could listen to Stephen Fry talk all day brilliant

[tenshady]

Love Stephen Fry !!

Simply a Genius and Compassionate person

[WritingJenny73070]

I disagree about American cinema being bleak. In comparison to European film American cinema is practically bouncy, yes some of our greatest films are bleak but not the majority of them.

[ExtremeBogom]

@WritingJenny73070

Hollywood is like chocolate cake.

It's nice and pretty, but it's junk.

[93parklife]

"One of whom was quite unashamedly a woman"

haha, brilliant

[TennysonShallott11]

I can't really agree with Stephen's fetishisation of America and his anger at British snobbiness - there is an awful lot wrong with America not only internally but also globally. Yes it should be admired, but this does not prevent it from being criticised - its actions and decisions affect all of us - we are all part of the American Empire after all. And yes Britain is bloody minded and deluded and flawed - just like America!! Be fair Stephen.

[CMalburn]

I think he was saying that neither country is inherently better than the other, and that while America has many faults, they are all problems that can be found in the UK to a certain extent.

Also, I agree that, absolutely, UK, USA and every other country is bloody minded, deluded and flawed in some aspect.

[owenhunt]

@CMalburn Oh dear me... I think France is mostly bereft of these problems altogether. And with respect, I can't agree that Stephen Fry said what you claimed him to have. It doesn't matter if he meant to equalise the misconceptions of Americans and Brits about one another, because in actual fact, he spent about half an hour just gushing over America while deriding them very little.

He could do better, I am sure of that much.

[HTHAMMACK1]

@owenhunt LOL! Yeah, France is bereft of these problems. Not! As for his gushing over America, he's actually been to every one of the 50 states. He knows what he's talking about. But you obviously didn't listen very well, because there were a number of areas of America that he criticized.

[owenhunt]

@HTHAMMACK1 I know he's been to all 50 states, but the documentation he produced of it was barely more than travelogue and advertisement. I listened very well indeed, which is why I saw him to have had "very little" to say against America - unlike yourself, who seems to believe I failed to recognise any of his points about American ignorance of Socialism - a mere concept.

[legend145]

I think Stephen is basically re-affirming the point that there is no need to castigate a country just because they've been led by idiots for the past 'umpteen years.

[WritingJenny73070]

I don't think he was that all fettishy about America. If anything I think he pointed out the flaws and high points as best as he could as fairly as he could and with a delightful candid approach. It was simplistically put but it summed up things pretty realistically.

[bert823]

Mr.Fry would b a great PM

[duliGirl]

Thanks for posting this. It was a great watch.

[graceygrumble]

Stephen Fry is fabulous. He reminds me of Peter Ustinov.

[hannahsahappychappy]

I'm liking the lime green socks.

[ImeldaLumos]

Best interview with Fry I've seen in a long time. One hour joy, really! There's never a question of the quality of Fry, but a question of quality of the interviewer. The interviewer was very sympathetic. To have America as a topic was an interesting choice, which I liked. Fry can make anything fascinating.

The man has really losed some weight! He do look like a tall and slim 50-year-old boy nowadays. Looks contended with Life.

[Vuurvogel2]

Quote:

"There's never a question of the quality of Fry, but a question of quality of the interviewer."

ImeldaLumos, you never spoke a truer word.

.. and yes, he looks fabulous now, doesn't he?

[KefeQT]

I agree absolutley. Stephen is a joy, and this is probably one of more interesting and intriguing interviews with him. And yes, I have heard he lost weight, but to see him like this is stunning. He did change, especially when compairing to some episodes of QI I've stored somewhere.

Pure joy, thank you very much for uploading this.

[freekicking85]

Don't agree with the quality of the interviewer quote. He simply gave Fry a pedestal and allowed him to say what he wanted to say uninterupted. If you want an extreme of the opposite, look at foxnews' Bill O'Reilly who rarely allows his guests to speak for 15 seconds before interupting and shouting his opinions to the interviewee.

[ImeldaLumos]

I think you didn't read all of my comment... because I actually praised this interviewer, found him very lovely. I wrote "... but a question of quality of the interviewer". What I meant was interviewers in general, not this one in particular.

So, I may have phrased myself hazy, English not being my mother tongue and all that...

[freekicking85]

fair point, I don't think I did fully understand what you meant. You shouldn't apologise though, your english is a hell of a lot better than my Swedish.

[sleeplessintokyo]

thanks.

[anon2999]

Thanks for posting.

Appreciate him trying to drive home the point that America is not a monolith.

[JudasReis]

Thank You Langsense...This post was a wonderful surprise...I apprieciate Mr. Fry taking this time to share ,we Americans do care deeply about others(not in an invasive way) but in one world to explore preserve share. iMy comic heros have been British(peter Sellers, Irish- Dave Allen) Rooting for Them all the way.Unfourtunatley our government has for many years been this run away train of conflicting corruption gone deaf to millions. Now with world community at heart maybe we get our countryback

[shokoladniybegemot]

Stephen charming and brilliant as ever.. but can someone explain please why the topic was America for the whole hour?? Is it a Hay Sessions thing? is it really The burning topic for British audience??

[CaptainChaos]

No, I think that just happened to be the subject of this talk.

[Bigfatbutterfly02]

I think maybe it is because he's been to America for a long time (to make a(BRILLIANT) documentary about it and to visit his friend Hugh) so he is kind of an expert on that stage concidering that if he wants to know something he'll start dinging and doesn't stop untill he knows everything about it, spoken to everyone who's got something to tell about it and nuanced his thoughts about it untill he can bring us a story of which everyone will think "yes. that's just IT"

[aliasanythingyouwant]

thanks for posting this.

[00TheLword00]

I adore the man! Listening to him talking is my English Revision.

[eburton6]

As an american, his continued appreciation is rather humbling. We look back to england the same way.

[alilondonmet]

the hour did go very quickly -- fasicnating conversation -- very talented and intelligent man --- always being able to shed new light on any issue.. i recommend everyone watch his interview with mark lawson

[omgWTFn00b]

it's impossible to disagree with this man!!! I love him so much. he deserves all the glory in the world.

[doctawho42]

What a dear man. The hour went so quickly.

[ramz87]

Fantastic!

[SamNichols86]

Ever engaging. Trying in vain to assault my own inbuilt ant-americanism...trying...

[sydannlin]

Stephen Fry is brilliant! I hope you do find that Americans are not all as we're so often portrayed by our stereotypes. I happen to be a 23 year old, female, atheist, liberal American who can both laugh at our idiosyncrasies and blush in complete humiliation at our sometimes massive stupidity. I am a minority, but hopefully I can represent another side to the discussion. To help answer the question about the 47%, it's truly a battle of generations. Most young people are liberals waiting to vote.

[SamNichols86]

I'm 22 and I think my generation at least don't really see Americans as red-necked fools. I think it's actually just something inbuilt in our culture. Our comedy is often based on it (eg. Borat confirming American gullibitility + prejudice) and I think it's often just a cultural difference - Americans just tend to be more optimistic and enthusiastic it seems. We tend to be cynical and pessimistic. Tho stereotypes of English are also true - we are often miserable, hooligans, cheap & ignorant!

[SamNichols86]

I think we often confuse optimism for naivety and patriotism for nationalism. Interstingly though, I would say, from the Americans I have met, that you are the more polite and reserved peoples (contrary to stereotype). British women tend to wear more revealing clothes, we drink more and though we may not go out to offend or "make a scene" we are certainly lacking in very friendly American way I have encountered. I think we often mistake niceties for vacancy. Unfairly of course!

[james50000]

Cool.

[MXDP]

I present to you, my hero, Stephen Fry!

[devilchen13]

<3 he is the most brilliant person