I've never really understood the fawning over Stephen Fry.
I mean - he seems like a reasonably nice chap, and reasonably clever and witty. But I've met plenty of cleverer and wittier people who don't appear on Radio 4 every 17 minutes.
(
Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 14:48,
Share,
Reply)
Where to start?
In varying proportions of cleverness and wittiness, Clement Freud, Will Self, Matthew Parris, Jeremy Hardy, Marcus du Sautoy, Michael Bywater, AC Grayling, Susan Greenfield, Mary Warnock, John Sulston...
Fry was once described as a stupid person's idea of a clever person; and I think that that's not wholly unjust.
The thing about Fry is that he's perfectly good at what he does - maybe the best at what he does - but he doesn't do much. He's not a great expert on anything in particular; he's not all that original a wit. He's an OK writer, an OK actor, an OK raconteur.
(
Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 14:56,
Share,
Reply)
I can only imagine that comment 'a stupid pea stupid person's idea of a clever person' was made by a bunch
of the sort of bitter and smug intellectuals (who are jealous that people haven't heard of their contributions to the deconstruction of Kantian Philosophy in 21st century socio-economics') that give real intelligent people a bad name.
(
chenobble rocking his explorer beard on, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:01,
Share,
Reply)
It was Willie Donaldson and Hermione Eyre.
IIRC.
So no, then.
(
Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:07,
Share,
Reply)
Who're they then?
Celebrity spotters? Wow, I can see how they're in a position to judge. I stand corrected.
EDIT: haha, just looked at their back catalogue, they're exactly what I'd imagined, without the plus of having done anything of note themselves.
(
chenobble rocking his explorer beard on, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:11,
Share,
Reply)
She was/ is a journalist
who had used to be on the staff of The Independent, and is now (I think) with the Evening Standard.
He was a writer, satirist and crack addict.
(
Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:14,
Share,
Reply)
I think, based solely on this post,
that it is fair to say that you fit into the 'stupid people' category, at least in as far as thinking that Fry is intelligent goes?
(
LordManley twitter.com/LordManley, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:12,
Share,
Reply)
Yup, I'm a fan
and thus stupid, apparently.
I'm also not a fan of the sort of person who thinks smug comments like that quote are of any intellectual worth. Even if I weren't a fan...
If someone said 'That Simon Cowell is a chancer's idea of a successful music producer'. I'd suggest that they were talking out of their arse (though I might argue the definition of the word 'music')
(
chenobble rocking his explorer beard on, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:20,
Share,
Reply)
The quotation isn't that ONLY stupid people think that Fry is clever.
Only a stupid person would infer tha... Oh.
:)
(
Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:25,
Share,
Reply)
To be fair
I rather fancy that it was more than just his inference, you rather implied it, no?
(
LordManley twitter.com/LordManley, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:35,
Share,
Reply)
Heh.
I'm just rehearsing a line that I've always found witty.
Note, too, that it's an attack on Fry, not his fanclub - although he is overrated.
(
Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:40,
Share,
Reply)
Just out of curiousity
what is he being rated upon?
Presumably not popularity...
(
..wil, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:44,
Share,
Reply)
Good question.
And I don't really know. But I don't understand why so many people think that he's such a genius when, plainly, he isn't.
He's not without talent, but nevertheless an above-par generalist at best.
OK - so maybe that's it. He knows (or appears to know) a little bit more about most things than do most people. But anyone who's tolerably well-read could do what he does. He's therefore unexceptional.
*shrugs*
(
Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:58,
Share,
Reply)
How is that his fault though?
He's said many times that he's not a very clever person, he just has a brain which absorbs pointless information more than other people.
I think he's great, he has a passion for education (in the loose sense of the word, not organised education), for doing whatever it is that makes you happy. He finds the English language magical and takes pleasure in using it to the extent of his capability.
Of course he's not alone in this, and nor does he claim to be. He's just a normal friendly non-judgmental bloke who has some real quality values and rarely feels the need to impose himself on others. Compare that to 95% of people on television. I'm completely with you that he's unexceptional in terms of the wider world, but in the television world he seems to be a rare thing - just an all round nice and honest bloke.
(
Tu9 01100011011101010110111001110100, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 17:40,
Share,
Reply)
Only Jeremy Hardy have I much knowledge of or liking of from that list
Clement Freud, Will Self and Matthew Parris I do know of but they just don't tickle me like Fry does, most folks in a similar intellectual bracket seem to have that Brian Sewell problem of finding it beneath them to be amusing for the proles.
(
..wil, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:13,
Share,
Reply)
Brian Sewell
I treasure a memory of Brian Sewell being brought onto some show as a talking head, and being captioned with his name.
My daughter, whose mastery of reading was recent and uncertain at the time, piped up: "Is his name really Brain Swell?"
And Brain Swell he will always remain, in our house at least.
(, Sat 27 Nov 2010, 21:39, Share, Reply)
Well, you've conceded that he's maybe the best at what he does
Now figure out what that is, and there's your answer as to why people fawn over him.
(
Wet-chinned bag shanker Cannot parse Wogan, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:18,
Share,
Reply)
"Now figure out what that is"
Does "Being Stephen Fry" count as an answer?
(
Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:28,
Share,
Reply)
He's interesting, a damn good raconteur with the knowledge of Google, except less mistakes and porn, and a rather lovely chap,
end of, really.
He doesn't need to collect accolades or achieve anything intellectually approved for me, he doesn't need to prove himself at anything at all, I don't like him 'cos he's 'better' or 'cleverest' I like him 'cos he's likeable and I learn stuff.
And he's a bit lovely.
(
..wil, Mon 22 Nov 2010, 15:33,
Share,
Reply)
Stephen Fry.
He's a quite amusing chap of no actual consequence. Not a bad presenter, a decent quiz-show host, a fair light-comic writer, comic actor etc.
a bit of a luvvie, prone to occasional flouncing and the odd foot-in-mouth moment (such as his recent pronunciations about women not really liking sex- a subject he's *plainly* underqualified to speak on, with perhaps only the Pope being less suitable).
If you slice off his head, it will say "dilettante" all the way through like rock.
But he's harmless enough and I suspect would be good dinner company.
(, Sat 27 Nov 2010, 21:37, Share, Reply)