Stephen Fry on Donald Trump, LGBT lessons, his weight loss and Greek mythology | ITV News

actor writer and comedian Stephen Fry often tops the list of people would most like to have at a dinner party so we weren't surprised when we were inundated with questions from viewers who wanted to know about this incredible man whether he's talking about LGBTQ rights Donald Trump or even just how he's lost weight his answers are always thought-provoking and optimistic areas so let's talk about myth off span a trilogy three shows about gods heroes and Men firstly why Greek mythology and just think it will help us make sense of the crazy world that we live in today I think what the Greeks understood which is why I so responded it to to it is from the first as a child is that if you look at the world it's unfair it's cruel it's unjust it's there's violence and unpleasantness but it's also majestic utterly beautiful and incredibly or inspiring and the Greeks just thought well if that's the world then the gods who made it must be like that - they must be a mixture they must be wonderfully majestic and glorious and a noble and harmonious but they're also quarrelsome and violent and unfair and unreasonable because the world is and and so they created this kind of almost like a mafia family of six gods and six goddesses who all have these fantastic personalities that that are similar to our own he says that's the point we are you know we love to blend politicians or we blamed you know something but really all of us inside are kind of contradictions where we are savage tribal creatures with appetites and desires and resentments fears but we're also generous and kind and loving and and and these squabbles within us I like the squabbles on Mount Olympus between the gods yes and and the stories are just I think I did I'd have never come across I mean there are the wonderful mythic cycles of course there but nothing with quite the juice and charm and wit and and glory of Greek myths but you have the gift don't you of being able to hold an audience and tell a beautiful story I hope yes I enjoy it so much I mean it's just I mean I'm often saying it so it's not false modesty it really isn't but when I was at school I was hopeless at everything I mean it that that was prized at school I couldn't you know I couldn't run in a straight line or catch a ball could even swim - I was about 12 I couldn't draw you know I couldn't seem to complain musical instrument but the one thing I discovered I did have a passion for that no one else seemed to it struck me as odd because everyone can do it was a speech language yeah and writing it's common to us all you know a few dysfunctions aside and and yet to me it was like music and storytelling was like architecture and everything all the outs put together and so because I couldn't do anything else I would write stories and tell stories and and tell them to the other other you know my fellow school children whatever mix stuff up and I'm but I sort of won a few prizes for storytelling one was about ten and I'm gonna be thinking wow maybe I can be a writer one day or and and it just it just was the thing I could do and so I worked on it didn't you know God certainly delivered it now in terms of greeting godlike status you have that when it comes to being intelligence so much so that there was a survey women who said who were asked which man would you vote most like to father your child and guess who came tops oh well maybe they know that I am a other Lea range when it comes to genes and that therefore there's every chance that I won't be bothering them so it's a safe bet oh I think it's a it's a wonderful thing when people say nice things about me but of course being being British I squirm with embarrassment and don't know how because we're most afraid of looking car than anything else and I know that my face in repose can look smug and pleased with itself and say I'm always desperate you're trying not to look like that's about what I can say is I'm very honored if you are one of those people who wanted that survey and I could I suppose consider depositing in some one of these banks that exists but probably not I mean the pressure of being such a clever clogs well yes I mean it's taxing as well isn't it because there's always that expectation for you to deliver that there is yes and for me it's it's really just about delight I know I like to share the family I can see my show off yeah I'm fully a wedding program that Qi I don't with you know social I hope no see I think I really do passionately believe that everybody has has a very similar not always exactly the same but just as everyone come come can run but not everyone can run as fast as Usain Bolt there are obviously degrees of but everybody has a capacity for understanding and for and a curiosity for information and a memory and I think somewhere along the line it's often discouraged or that they often by themselves they think oh I'm not really very I can't remember things away you know and they forget that actually there are many things all the time and that the the appetite the curiosity you know more people go to art galleries and theaters now than have ever done more a greater proportion not just greater number of people because there's this appetite yes yeah I think it fair to say there I respect teachers enormous ly in schools that a lot of people feel let down by their education they feel that either they just ill-prepared for it they did they were encouraged in the wrong way and that they missed out on on things that they now think I wish anymore about that whether its history or geology when the other you could be walking in the lictors do you think what was that stuff about khalessi is forgotten you know and they'll suddenly read and there comes a time and it's never too late there is a good word to learn op seemeth speak word it means it means someone who learns late in life right and I think it's a wonderful thing to learn late at night you have a hunger and and and so I mean as we get to live longer and so on and as knowledge becomes more available I guess more people will be really keen and excited about discovering things it doesn't have to be Creek myths or anything close to greatness but just penetrating a world and finding out about stuff is delight it's a real pleasure well you mentioned schools them sex education yeah and the awareness of relationships it's certainly been an issue at some schools yeah Midlands is there a grown-up way of resolving it I think yeah I mean it's it's also deeply upsetting yeah I when went when that awful massacre took place in New Zealand I I couldn't think you know there's mosques I could think what to do so I remember tweeting I said it's impossible to to say anything really maybe we should just reach out to that to our nearest mosque and explain that you know this is not how most people from you know the white non Muslim culture feel and I thought well I've never me tweeting unless I do it so I so I wrote to the Islamic Center in nickens Linh they did not in Norfolk where I live which was the nearest one and they very sweetly invited me to their Eid celebrations the evenings you know and and I went along we talked about this then that there were wonderful people and kind and then citizen you know a little afraid of rising Islamophobia and they invited my husband you know they were very sweet so this idea that all of all Islamic people are homophobic or completely opposed to gay marriages or to do so on his is wrong I think what happens is the more people shout that the foot more people stand back and and they get further apart and then they can't even hear each other yes I don't think there is really you know he gets what gets amplified is the distortion not the true signal and so the true signal is a very simple matter of just making children aware you know this is the world we live in and just as these are cars and these are trains and this is a couple with children and there's mommy and daddy this is two women who live together and they've adopted a child when that happens as well and that's it there's no kind of diagrams or porn movies being shown there's no proselytizing all you are you must become gay next week or we'll never teach you again but but unfortunately the tiny malevolent seeds on either side will say so one side wants to say all these loving people are shouting hideous homophobic things which isn't true and and then some of the people on the other side is saying the schools are trying to ram down our throat these alternative sexual lifestyles of children when it's far too young and you can't well no let's each have to work with ourselves and say is there really that much disagreement but it's very hard and and this time at the moment it's particularly hard for people to to hear people they don't want to hear I would say it's just like football you know you don't believe the referee when he makes a decision against your side but you never challenge it when he makes a decision against the other side absolutely and and it's we're like that it we throw out culture and politics and religion and Social Affairs and so on we kind of don't notice the things that we all agree with we just take them at the moment we hear something we disagree with we we have furious about it yeah listen yeah I think so I do it's not that there isn't a right in a ramen there isn't a decent in it you know there isn't just in a proper way of looking at things or a kinder or better way but you know so I'm not saying that just everybody be lovely and hugging yes yeah you mentioned digital and we know you're big on social media and also digital we do have several questions from our viewers which I'm gonna log on quickly and show you if that's all right let's start with Jay and there'll mp4 that oh my goodness I know so you can actually see them and let's get the volume I Steven my name's Jane no question is what do you like to do in your spare time to videos Jane that's a really good day to relax well I'm often accused of not being ever and my husband says well you know when we go on holiday yeah the first time I did compile this list of art galleries and things to do and he said it is actually a hobbit yeah yeah I'd filled every minute with activities yeah and yeah so I'm not good Jane I kicked in gear their lives I'm not particularly good at relaxing but I tell you a thing that has really transformed my health as much as anything both mental and physical health is the audiobook yes and the podcast not necessary just listening to them but the fact that they make walking so easy you know I used to go that's why I am back about seven miles every morning so my walk when I'm at home and and and - it's a lovely walk but if you've got a story you know and it could be Agatha Christie or James Bond or it could be Dostoyevsky and you know if scott Fitzgerald it's not a question of how literary it is it's just something that you think Oh I read this or I'm ready since I was young I always wanted to read this and you pop it in and the best actors in the world Mary Margaret is Ian McKellen I mean they're all these people are doing audiobooks and sorry Portello there's a good guy who does Harry Potter I mean and so you eat the miles up yeah that's basically you just lost in this fabulous world of storytelling so that's that and podcast - there's some terrific podcasts on all kinds of subjects okay there can be interesting see keeping the mind keeps the mind going going benign it's obviously good for the body and also I just find it's good for the mood yes I don't know why and I'm not suggesting it's a cure for you know mood disorders and bipolar and various things like that but but as someone who who does suffered that I I have found that you know it does yeah okay Thank You Jane for that one let's get another one let's try Ruth now we like Ruth because she's done a very nice going out in the garden yes there we go very touched by the idea that do you think I'm capable of being Prime Minister on the other hand I'm pretty astonished by those who have been Prime Minister they haven't seemed to be capable and listen I'm I'm I'm many things but above all I'm a moral coward and a social coward and I don't think I could take the hatred and the dislike of of those who disagree with what I said I mean it's it's bad enough on on Twitter you know you post something and I tend not to read I mean I don't really post much political things you know there have been a few things over the last few years where I've had quite strong feelings that he's trying to add to Mythbusters as they say trying to sort of clear up what I think of misunderstandings about certain aspects of politics and but I'm aware that the noise people who disagree with me and and some people you know most people are so wonderful and most people they disagree with you a wonderful and I you know they're not awful people yeah but I always think it's a bit like a swimming pool if 99% of the swimming pool water is beautiful then that's nice but if there is one little piece of poo floating in it I'm not gonna swim in the pool you know our you know it's so much Twitter and it's the same with people who say oh 99% of people at least you know even if they disagree with they're very nice and they're understanding they're not vicious but it's that it's that 1% but a really unpleasant of any kind and threatening and you know and I just but I it's one of my biting faults is a desire to please it has it's good side but it's also it's a bit pathetic you know I should you know I know so many impressive people artists musicians whatever who sort of don't care what people think of it yeah but you're probably your own worst critic I really am yeah yeah so some of that is getting not what I'm alive I hear what you're saying let's do one final nice question true thing yeah no it's a good one and let's try Tom so here we go there we go there's Tom my table view of his house yes Stephen I'm currently working in New Zealand and originally from Scotland I wanted honor to give something question what's the difference between a British humor and American humor and do Americans understand satire huh this was an interesting question all the way down in in New Zealand but I've often thought the rhythm with American humor it's certainly you've taught the average sitcom in America it's based on jokes I mean you know real real jokes and there are exceptions terrific one-liners just moving up fast talking one-liners and and the great British sitcoms I think are based on character and absolutely on character yes and usually a failure of a character this is the most important part you know the great sort of the Mount Rushmore the British Mount Rushmore of comic heroes are all rather similar they're all trying to be grand in the world that is letting them down whether it's Captain Mannering in Dad's Army he's kind of you know trying to be and build right Wilson you know and everything's going wrong whether it you know that's true of Harold Steptoe you're too young to remember but it's true of Tony Hancock true of Leonard Rossiter and rising damp it's true of Basil Fawlty with his ties and his blazes true of Ellen Partridge it's it's true it's true of David Brent you know they're all failures they're all hopeless they all think they're great but we see that they're that they just don't get the modern world and they can't properly react with them that that they're a failure mmm now an American would never have a failure as a comic hero I think the American hero is faster sharper clever I remember seeing a huge successful comic film when I was a teenager and late teenager I guess early transit Animal House remember Animal House and there's a scene where there's a toga party famous toga party and there's a John Belushi and his toe glucose up steps and there's a folk singer who's playing on the guitar and John Belushi just grabs the guitar and smashes it and kind of waggles his eyebrows at the audience and everybody laughs and I remember thinking yes John an American comedian would want to play John Belushi a British comedian would want to play the folk singer yes the pathetic you know and you can they're all cause of social reasons for that but we laugh at ourselves and I think and I wouldn't overstate this and not that good at laughing of themselves that much self notification I remember Jonathan Lynn who's a great colleague here of mine he was one of the co writers of Yes Minister India's Prime Minister yes and directed the wonderful my cousin Vinnie which is one of the great comedy films I think and he said when I was first going to America regular he said don't make the mistake at a dinner party of having it's a real kind of typical English discussion we go no no no that's rubbish but the truth is this because the marathon will go did you just say well I said was rubbish excuse me and and and they'll be very offended yes but we're used to sort of you know like they don't have Parliament you know I do think for all that we say Parliament all that shouting and disagree it's you know it's very humbling a prime minister has to go and stand and ants equip me and Trump having to do that yes actually answer questions from other elected representatives you know on his feet yeah you know what does this trillion-dollar deficit and how is it going to be sorted out and this how is this fiscally responsible mr. president and then the speaker says answer whoa you know so there's a lot wrong as I've come chin up and our democracy is not in the happiest days it's been in in my lifetime but you know I think this ability to laugh at ourselves is a very important one well it's been an absolute pleasure to talk to you we could talk to you we were on a time limit thank you Stephen thank you very much I'm wish you all the best with the show Thanks come and see it I will

Channel: ITV News

Views: 823,595

Rating: 4.8179731 out of 5

Keywords: Stephen Fry, Donald Trump, LGBT, Fitness, Greek, Mythology, Fry, Islamophobia, comedy, school, education, LGBT rights, social media, humour, Sameena Ali-Khan

Id: Q105hjXs-ng

Length: 19min 4sec (1144 seconds)

Published: Fri Aug 30 2019

Reddit Comments

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[u/ruffsnap]

I swear, I can just watch anything Stephen Fry does. Such an awesome human being!

[u/jrm1693]

He is so right about the self deprecatin humour. And no one does it quite like the Brits

[u/kernowgringo]

I can't believe how I've never noticed how broken Stephen's nose is/was.

[u/somethingnew_orelse]

It has some truths in broad strokes, but misses the real variety in American humour. Seinfeld is one of America’s most famous, and in a sense, most American comedies. George really binds the whole show together and is completely a failure, and Elaine and Kramer are kind of a mixture of witty and confident, but unaware, and basically ineffective. Arrested Development - all failures. Other comments have further examples.

One user hit the nail on the head by discussing the whole commercial aspect and how it distorts comedy by producing “proven successes” and preventing unconventional shows from being made. Seinfeld was One of the most commercially successful shows of all time, but the networks thought it was too weird and it was only through luck that it ended up being made

[u/YupThatsMeBuddy]

As an American, I can say, he is right.

[u/chongmc]

I binge watched his trip to America on YouTube. It made me appreciate this country even more.