Stephen Fry - Dealing with Prejudice
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Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English comedian, actor, writer, presenter, and activist.
After a troubled childhood and adolescence, during which he was expelled from two schools and spent three months in prison for credit card fraud, he secured a place at Queens' College, Cambridge, where he studied English literature. While at university, Fry became involved with the Cambridge Footlights, where he met his long-time collaborator Hugh Laurie. As half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, he co-wrote and co-starred in A Bit of Fry & Laurie, and took the role of Jeeves (with Laurie playing Wooster) in Jeeves and Wooster.
Fry's acting roles include a Golden Globe Award-nominated lead performance in the film Wilde, Melchett in the BBC television series Blackadder, the title character in the television series Kingdom, a recurring guest role as Dr. Gordon Wyatt on the crime series Bones, and as Gordon Deitrich in the dystopian thriller V for Vendetta. He has also written and presented several documentary series, including the Emmy Award-winning Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, which saw him explore his mental illness. He is also the long-time host of the BBC television quiz show QI.
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We marvel at Stephen Fry's verbal skills. And indeed his skill with the English language is fantastic, but watching him tear up as he tells a touching story, you realise it is his genuine humanity, his big heart, that is invaluable.
His articulation speaks not only for himself but for others who can't find the words.
@@JSashiKumar well said!
He has never said or carried himself in a way that I'm aware of that would make me question his integrity.
I can't say the same thing for many of his critics.
He's an inspiration really, he has balanced his mind and heart so both work together in harmony, not letting his intelligence run into arrogance whilst his heart stays true to it's purpose.
Chantilly 12.50 1-2#4#3 - - 1.24 2#1 - - 2.32 5#6
I am stunned at how Fry so perfectly produced an American Accent at 3:39!!!
I love this man.
The great Stephen fry protector of children... “It’s a great shame and we’re all very sorry that your uncle touched you in that nasty place - you get some of my sympathy - but your self pity gets none of my sympathy,” he continued. “Self pity is the ugliest emotion in humanity. Get rid of it, because no one’s going to like you if you feel sorry for yourself. The irony is we’ll feel sorry for you, if you stop feeling sorry for yourself. Just grow up.”
+Sally Baddeley well said ! you say it for us all! Fry's crybaby excuses echoe his master puppeteer Oscar Wildes own self pitying sob story in De profundus. eloquent, but excremtal just the same .
MoreConsole ss
In case nobody noticed , Fry is an able , eloquent, and well practised actor and comedian . I hate to dig up his past ; But he is also a convicted thief and trusted employee who embezzled hundreds from the horse who fed him . And treats it all as a little dismeanour . but it was his acting skills that also made him an almost successful con artist .
So why is anyone still fooled by him today ?
@Thomas Allan I am positively sure you meant "MISdemeanour," dear :)
"Those of us who can speak-up and are - at least, outwardly - brave enough to...confront a bully are, kind of, obliged to do so on behalf of those who aren't." - Stephen Fry - @stephenfry
I love this line. It seems to imply that a person may not be inwardly brave but can take a stand for those in need - which would show a special type of bravery!
I don't have a problem with any of this, except that it seems to be the exact definition of/ conditions for bravery. Ie: Taking a stand on issue 'x' on behalf of 'y,' despite any personal fears/ misgivings.
no...he was referring to the visible symbols that would almost automatically intimidate anyone: maleness combined with whiteness and a very polished accent
i never thought of the "you'll give me an erection" ploy, the school where i went to we'd stick our finger down the back of our trousers, pull it out then go "come on then".
@@HarryNicNicholas love it.
My heart bursts with adoration for this man. I could listen to him speak with his natural eloquence all day!
I don't do heroes; so few public figures are worthy. But damn, I feel the deepest admiration and respect it's possible for me to feel towards any human being for Stephen. His intelligence, humanity, and fundamental decency are virtues that would trasform the planet if they were shared by our politicians and business leaders.
Mat Broomfield there are lots of heroes. Not all wear capes.
This is who should be PM.
@@whitefeather7529 He would make a terrible PM. For a start he campaigned to reverse the BREXIT vote. You cannot have a PM who is anti-democracy!
@@davidwebb2318 first of all, you can definitely have leaders of democratic governments that are anti-democratic. Secondly, a fundamental aspect, a necessary requirement, of democracy is an informed electorate, a people that is informed correctly and without emotion (which is a utopian idea, but nonetheless one worth striving for) on the pro's and con's of a given problem. This was not the case with the Brexit-vote, which was a quagmire of half-truths at best, a coordinated campaign of lies at worst.
Which is not to say that Mr Fry would make a good PM, but only to say that your argument as to why he wouldn't be a good one, is nonsense.
Thanks for reading.
@@JoostJGJ A great articulation of your argument.
6:27
they say of the Acropolis where the Parthenon is....
What do they say? What do they say?
@@brienneoffriggintarth5510 He's going to say! He's going to say! He's going to say!
Bloody hell Steven, this better be good...
"Ooooooooh" -Stephen, wailing
They say.... There aren't any straight lines.
"Gayer than ten christmases at once." I don't know why this should be funny, but I can't stop laughing.
Picnic basket? Box of birds? Maypole?
flaming?
Gayer than a picnic basket. Gayer than a Maypole? Gayer than a box of birds?
@@thatcutebird5213 Any relation to Diz Astor?
As gay meaning happy ?
Wonderful to hear Stephen Fry speak. Such wisdom and wit. The audience was so transfixed they seemed to cough their appreciation.
I have an impossible wish: I wish Stephen Fry was either my elder brother or a very close friend. So much to learn from this erudite human. Love you, Stephen.
Stephen Fry is undoubtedly one of the most intelligent people on earth! I could listen to him day in and day out!!!
intelligence means nothing to clarity
Christopher Hitchens, was a far better wordsmith
@Ed posh= the definition, (money) dandy, .elegant,pennies,,and so on! Are you POSH OR A MIDDLE CLASS LEFTY.?.
@Ed My apologies ed.
He isn't intelligent, he is educated. There is a big difference. Education doesn't make you more intelligent.
Stephen Fry is like a magic mirror that can pierce the smoke that obscures truth. He combines that amazing clarity with the ability to communicate truth with humility and love -- even when he reveals the darkest truths of the world.
7:47 I just can't get over the way that he says the word "bestial". He voices it in such an emotional way that it sounds like the word itself, and at same time so beautiful.
Just love how incredibly intelligent he is, but also so incredibly kind. A lovely man.
An amazingly intelligent and eloquent man - I would happily listen to him talk on any subject!
This guy is epic, I like his Star Trek analogies and he does all the characters voices very well.
"Gayer than 10 Christmases at once." Best line.
Without question one of the funniest and most intelligent minds of our lifetime. I can listen to him for hours. Check out his Fry and Laurie bits. Hilarious!
He's MUCH funnier as Jeeves, but more subtle.
Watched it for the comedy. left in tears. Thanks, Stephen. In 500 years they would watch this vid as a lesson of ancient strange beliefs about love.
Dear Stephen, I have always admired you,especially after enjoying seeing you so many times on QI..but after seeing this, I adore you. Fondest wishes from a 63 year old British widow who has been living for 40 years in Germany. And who so misses the British humour
Elaine Bigalke dear Elaine, there is no German equivalent that could hold a candle to Stephen’s intellect, humility and humour ,
. Most of the German humour is blunt and ,even for a native German like me, boring and hart to listen to.
I was the guy at the beginning who asked him the question! What an enormous honour and privilege for him to answer as he did. A memorable moment with a true hero.
I was terrified lol
@@samussamus22 But you had the courage to ask, that's the important thing.
Thank you Sam, his answer will live with me.
Stephen Fry is one of the best men of earth I love him , such a special man !!!
ANTON I cannot agree more...the man is a bloody GENIUS.
Stephen Fry, you will always be a hero of mine!
Brilliant, amazing human.
norman haddix when he's snorting coke at the Queen's house or when he's taking it up the arse?
Handsome_Hero yep, he`s still an amazing human....what about You?
***** I am an amazing human too, thanks
+norman haddix Gayer than ten Christmases at once. I died. Hhahaha.
The great Stephen fry protector of children... “It’s a great shame and we’re all very sorry that your uncle touched you in that nasty place - you get some of my sympathy - but your self pity gets none of my sympathy,” he continued. “Self pity is the ugliest emotion in humanity. Get rid of it, because no one’s going to like you if you feel sorry for yourself. The irony is we’ll feel sorry for you, if you stop feeling sorry for yourself. Just grow up.”
Stephen Fry is amazing. Voice of my childhood.
His Star Trek analogy... A real crowd gatherer.
Mr. Fry is so talented. I cannot fathom why it would matter who he (or anyone else) is attracted to.
Because representation matters to LGBT people. It gives you role models, makes you feel you're not alone in this world, gives you someone to love too. And for non-LGBT people, it shows that we are not monsters. So yes, it really matters.
I always enjoy seeing him speak on any subject.
If I had to pick a person to be emperor of earth...
I Vote FRY!
Simply the most human human I've every seen
Ambassador of Earth?
Cringe
@@antiracistbaby1085 minge
@@antiracistbaby1085 winge
I love this man and his brain and his eloquence.
Stephen’s impersonation of the American agent, coupled with his DeForest Kelley/William Shatner impression only serves to reemphasize my notion that British actors and performers are often better at mimicking American dialect than the other way around.
It helps that we've had full on American TV/movies/culture etc in the UK since movies/TV began, whereas America has only really been getting British TV and movies for the last 20 years of so. The likes of Fry, Patrick Stewart Tom Hardy etc (almost every British person in the past 100 years really) have been exposed to 'American-ness' for a lot longer than Americans have been exposed to 'Britishness' (and I mean real Britishness, things like the office, Inbetweeners etc not Mary Poppins Benny hill type shit that were produced for American audiences to give an Americanised view of Britishness)
I think it is that an American accent is much easier to do and my British accent 👍
His good mate Hugh Laurie does a fantastic job.
Pretending to be American isn't that difficult, there's example to study everywhere.
I wonder if he mimicked an Indian accent instead would people have been so impressed. Funny old world
When the world seems to have gone mad: where lies are held strongly as truth, where hatred is labelled as love, where selfishness is claimed to be good... we can hope for a better, more sane and decent future thanks to a number of enlightened beings... Stephen Fry is one of those.
TI love how he explained Star Trek as Greek storytelling
I LOVE here how Stephen Fry touches on the NEED for Gay Pride... ("Why do they need to be PROUD of it?" ask many, "Why not just get ON WITH IT QUIETLY???") Well, because EVERY DAY, even now, SOMEWHERE there is a person who thinks they are THE ONLY ONE... (And they are not!) That's why. xx SF
adrian Last They might be in the media, but that doesn't mean there are other openly gay people in a person's real life social circle; if you feel like the people who are actually in your life wouldn't or might not accept you, it can be incredibly damaging; it keeps people from living as themselves and sometimes in extreme cases it keeps them from living. You cannot think any amount of pride can do the damage that the amount of homophobia in the world does.
When I was 15 I was invited with another boy to go to this bar with a friend of mine. I had know him for about 11 months. He took us to what turned out to be a gay bar. Which in 1973 was quite rare indeed in Vancouver. We had a couple glasses of beer and during that time my friend to us that he was a homosexual. He told me at a later time that he thought it would be the end of our friendship. I told him that I did not care. I told him that I did not want to be hit on and he said rather quizzically that I was not his type. We had a good laugh. To this day, I don't care. Neither myself as a hetro nor anyone who is gay is any different to me. LGBQ hermaphrodites whatever parades bother me. Before you judge me I would like to tell you why. These parades are not paid for by the community represented, they are paid for by the general taxpayer base. Money for street closures and policing are tangible numbers, in hundreds of thousands of dollars. In fact I am not in favour of just about any parade. We have so many issues with homelessness and other problems I would rather see the money go there.
The need for pride - in the sense of 'self respect' - is a universal;
much of what passes for 'Gay Pride' is more like gay hubris.
You obviously don't live in the South in the States, or let's be honest, the majority of countries in the world today. Anti-gay sentiment is the majority in most countries so while yes thankfully gay & lesbian communities have had many rights never thought possibile granted to them in a handful of Western progressive countries or in the USA cities and states, let us try not to pretend that represents the entire world.
@do br ~ The 1957 Wolfenden Report found 10% of men have homosexual inclinations, but to this day only 2% identify as 'gay'; are the closeted 8% "bigots.. too insensitive, too stupid, too unthinking... who doesn't happen to be heterosexual."? Think on what Stephen says at 10:33
As a California native I can verify that Stephens L.A. accent was spot on!
This man should get the Nobel peace prize! He is full of humanity,full of passion,full of love.he is intelligent,funny,brilliantly speaking. He is witty,he is serious,he is hilarious.i could listen to him speaking for hours,because he is so literate,knows how to use language to its fullest.We should be thankful for people like him!
Rambling, one would think, but at the end everything he's said in the last 10 minutes suddenly comes into focus. Outstanding mind.
As a secure straight dude, I have listened to homophobic nonsense and have come to the conclusion that homophobes have one foot in the closet. I love Fry and wouldn't mine beating the hell out of anyone who tried to harm this man.
tbh Fry is 6 ft 5, i think most homophobes stick to words when they confront him
What about the guy who tried to assassinate him?
@@johnlawrence2757 - What on Earth are you on about? What does your lack of disgust, for your own insensitivity and arrogance, say about your level of intelligence? To say nothing of your apparent lack of self-awareness? It's incredible how people will tie themselves into illogical knots, trying to justify their prejudices and bigotries, to themselves...
Codex7777 actually I misread the comment I was responding to, as suggesting he might respond violently to someone talking homophobically to him, which, of course, it doesn’t - apologies .
A beautiful mind and a beautiful human being ... in every way.
He's lovely. Wish I could have him as a brother 💙💜💙
You do. We are all brothers.
He's so adorable
I have never thought of Star Trek in this way before - a brilliant analysis. What Stephen is talking about also relates to Freud's theories about the Id, Ego and Superego, almost an exact translation - I'm not sure if he realises this. Very interesting.
susan cwilson I agree. It does seem like every species in Star Trek is a reflection of something in human nature. The Klingons are our warlike tendencies. The Ferengi represent greed. The Romulans represent lust for power. The Borg; the Ultimate of machination.
The Borg are the ultimate legalism;
where every decision is determined by law,
there is the death of free will & Hell follows [Rev6v8].
differous01 if your God gave us free will, why does he then want to punish people who choose to us it in the way they want to?
It has to be the case, as is true of all characters created by humans they are a way of reflecting back our selves.
I adore this man!
You can tell a great orator by the way the crowd leans in.
An absolutely brilliant and wonderful video!! Stephen Fry is absolutely brilliant! I love him to death!!
The treatury runs deeper than anyone could imagine. Its breaking my heart.
Deeply philosophical, strangely inspiring
Yet he claims to have read Nietzsche but misunderstands Nietzsche completely, Nietzsche wrote whole books against the type moralism and virtue signalling that epitomizes SJW's like Fry
Fry is amazing! A true hero
I love this man too. What he finds in others, can make the stars sparkle in the the night sky. All things under the Sun, have made his tear fall. Genuine heart, in one private person, has been advocate, where there should be no reason to do so.
A fierce mind but an even greater heart. A gem of a man.
He’s so wonderful, in every way! Would love to meet him someday and get him to sign my copies if his book. 😀❤️
Stephen, you are one of a kind sir. Much respect and admiration
I never get tired of listening to Stephen Fry
Wonderful man
If I was gay I would hope that Stephen fry had time for me to text him the struggle and actually to get a reply from such a brilliant genius person.
What a lovely, lovely man!
As always , brilliant
He's brilliant!
Mr. Fry is a treasure and needs to be protected at all cost.
Lovely chap! A gentleman if ever there was one.
He’s such an impressive human being.
Massive fan of Stephen Fry, a wonderful human being.
The best that humanity has to offer.
When ever I read a non-fiction book, I hear his voice in my head. Also, when ever I read Hitchhiker Guide to the Galaxy, but that's because I'm using my audio book. :-D
I love this monsieur, a true man in every meaning of the word. When I was young we didn’t have that kind of guy to serve as role model. He is so cautious and benevolent. Thank god for his existence, or his parents’ lust.
Brilliant ! So well explained !
Great. I hope he is over his cancer scare now, and doing well. I totally loved his answer in another video about God. That was awesome.
he is wonderful
A hero amongst men
Stephen Fry is an amazing man and I think his life has been so much better since the time he came out. It must be similar at least in your mind to being in solitary confinement when you fear speaking out. I personally would rather have my family disown me then to live a lie
he never misses a beat.
Galatians 6 : 7 - 9 " Don't deceive yourselves ; no one can fool of God ; whatever a man sows this he will also reap. He who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap Life eternal."
absolutely brilliant.
As someone who is post 2020 the coughing is alarming.
Thank you Stephen Fry. Smart,funny and you!
its ok to let your tears flow stephen xx
One of the brilliant minds of today
What a great human ❤
Awesome!
Thank you
A legend in his own mind :-)
...or in other peoples minds.
thank you x
“You are dead in the water” he did that so damn well 😂
I've just realised who Stephen has become ... he's now the Peter Ustinov of this century. I'm sure he'd take that as a compliment too.
I never thought that until you just wrote it, and yes I agree, watching the late great Sir Peter and now Stephen, they have very similar traits when they talk.
@@johnking5174 They also have a similar very broad range of experiences from which they can provide anecdotes. Meeting presidents and diplomats, writing and directing books, plays, TV shows and movies, the similarities are quite spooky.
Agreed! Here's Ustinov in all his glory:
czcams.com/video/Bi1GXrLLHjs/video.html
The only excuse for that amount of coughing would be lethal illness.
tyskbulle You are absolutely correct. Though a great music lover, I no longer go to choral concerts because the continual coughing drives me mad. Why don't they take some hard candy, or die?
also fuck the bored-looking guy behind Stephen
If you watch the part titled the price of pleasure, at the end Fry calls them bastards for giving him their cough. Apparently it must have been a very sick room.
They should just stay at home, rather than annoy everyone in the room
It seems coughing is more and louder when emotions are involved: emotional discomfort, either positively or negatively (being touched or irritated and unable to sit through it) seems a big contributing factor. And Stephen is so smart and well spoken he hardly ever looses track of a train of thought. But he often navigates parallel inroads and branches off quite strongly to return to the main track to finish and not all people are capable of following along, losing sight of the overarching story and become restless. And then start to cough. So it’s also a sign of a more limited attention span. Luckily there is no Darwinian natural selective punishment for that challenge or the room would be almost empty at the end :D
A brilliant man!
Sir ( well should be ) Stephen Fry, is a National Treasure.
Stephen Fry is just an absolute legend and no one can tell me any different 😹❤
You are my hero Stephen
When the pride is dealt with. There will be noone left to be prejudiced.
Watched all of it
I was in the US Air Force... the rank structure makes absolutely impossible to bring up issues of illegal discrimination without sacrificing your career...!!! What a racist society - it’s sickening...!!!
I always respect Stephen Fry. I'm a straight white American, while alot is thrown my way for being almost any of those things, Mr Fry's level of dignitity in himself is always one i consider worthy of a level of humanity few achieve.
The last bastille of common sense love this guy , HIS INTELIGENCE AND HUMOUR IS OF THE GRID . humour is so important to well being, pc is killing humour
Stephen Fry on brilliance and wit as deflectors of brutality, on courage and the duty of speaking up when you can.On why "it so matters" to fight the darkness. "It is worth doing the right thing".On Nietzsche and the birth of tragedy and the split within all of us between harmony and discord...And on T.S. Eliot and Star Trek...
Genius gentleman!
He is amazing Mr Fry is....
What a brain!
Stephen seems to me a very kind, intelligent man.
I read some comments on the coughing by the audience and it did irritate me too, and it must have frustrated Stephen Fry as well because he is vein yet insecure enough to doubt himself for a second.
And there are two reasons for our beloved Stephen Fry to worry: (not really, only for the emotional and intellectual maturity of his audience)
It seems coughing is more and louder when emotions are involved: emotional discomfort, either positively or negatively (being touched or irritated and unable to sit through it) seems a big contributing factor. And Stephen is so smart and well spoken he hardly ever looses track of a train of thought. But he often navigates parallel inroads and branches off quite vehemently to return to the main track quite a while later to finish it and not all people are capable of following along, losing sight of the overarching story and become restless. And then start to cough. So it’s also a sign of a more limited attention span. Luckily there is no Darwinian natural selective punishment for that challenge or the room would be almost empty at the end :D
But he has so much to share he simply cannot and should not change any of his ways. (As if he needs my blessing ;-)
OT: I love his true heart that he gets emotional at that very profound anecdote of speaking up and coming out, and honoring someone who quite possibly also touched his own younger self after the fact and gave some direly needed heart strength posthumously to a younger Fry who has struggled with all those milestones of discovery, coming out and being the Flag bearer for something so intimate and yet so public. A kaleidoscope of thought, feeling and wisdom, guilt, insecurity and vanity, nobility and humble aristocracy, making him one of the greatest doubters of our age. I love this man!
vein? Similar to artery?
People coughing in indoors venues is often because the air is too dry.