Stephen Fry under police investigation...

[Ebeneezer Goode]

...for blasphemy after branding God an 'utter maniac'.

Why are the Irish so backwards lads?

 

[silkyman]

He should just say 'see you in court'.

Let's see if God turns up to defend his hurt feelings.

 

[Renegade]

This happened years ago, the interview has long been infamous in Ireland (I absolutely love Gay Byrne's reaction to Fry in the video, so stuck up his own arse), strange that it only cropped up now. Also, really smart move going after one of the most affable human beings on earth...

It's a complete embarrassment that Christianity still has such an impact on this nation's legislation, though that said the Republic was the first nation to legalise gay marriage by popular vote. I don't think the legislation really represents how progressive the average Irish person actually is. Still need to sort out abortion, though I'm not sure if the north will ever sort out either abortion or marriage equality, the DUP are to blame for that though. They'll die off one day...God willing.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Fry as "affable" national (or global...!) treasure is one of the great mysteries of our time. He's a bore, and a boor with an RP manner. "A stupid person's idea of a clever person". That he is what passes for a public intellectual reveals a lot (none of it good) about the state of our cultural discourse.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

fuck off carel

you've gone too far now

 

[Renegade]

Fry as "affable" national (or global...!) treasure is one of the great mysteries of our time. He's a bore, and a boor with an RP manner. "A stupid person's idea of a clever person". That he is what passes for a public intellectual reveals a lot (none of it good) about the state of our cultural discourse.

Thanks Carel. Different strokes.

Not commenting on his image as a public intellectual - he's always came across as funny, personable and conscientious in interviews to me. I don't think a campaign against him is going to do much for militant Christianity in Ireland since he is such a popular figure in the UK and Ireland because of these attributes. Affability is subjective.

 

[Captain Scumbag]

I’m possibly universalising my own outlook here, but I suspect Fry’s popularity and “national treasure” status owes very little to the idea of him being an important intellectual, public or otherwise. It owes more, I venture, to the perception of him as the nation’s kindly gay uncle – bookish but unpretentious (normally), and reassuringly British in a gentle, fogeyish sort of way.

(Much of this is reinforcing Carel’s criticism rather than refuting it, I know…)

The dispiriting exercise is not contemplating Fry’s status in the public imagination, but rather trying to identify whether we actually have any public intellectuals in the old fashioned sense. Do we, for example, have a modern British equivalent of Russell, Sartre, Barthes, Chomsky or Zizek? Off the top of my head, I think the closest we have is Richard Dawkins, which is rather troubling since he’s best known for his ‘contributions’ (mostly rubbish, IMO) to a subject outside his academic specialty.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

I’m possibly universalising my own outlook here, but I suspect Fry’s popularity and “national treasure” status owes very little to the idea of him being an important intellectual, public or otherwise. It owes more, I venture, to the perception of him as the nation’s kindly gay uncle – bookish but unpretentious (normally), and reassuringly British in a gentle, fogeyish sort of way.

(Much of this is reinforcing Carel’s criticism rather than refuting it, I know…)

The dispiriting exercise is not contemplating Fry’s status in the public imagination, but rather trying to identify whether we actually have any public intellectuals in the old fashioned sense. Do we, for example, have a modern British equivalent of Russell, Sartre, Barthes, Chomsky or Zizek? Off the top of my head, I think the closest we have is Richard Dawkins, which is rather troubling since he’s best known for his ‘contributions’ (mostly rubbish, IMO) to a subject outside his academic specialty.

What would that be? Calling religious people stupid?

 

[smat]

The dispiriting exercise is not contemplating Fry’s status in the public imagination, but rather trying to identify whether we actually have any public intellectuals in the old fashioned sense. Do we, for example, have a modern British equivalent of Russell, Sartre, Barthes, Chomsky or Zizek?

 

[Stagat]

^Now we talking

 

[shane]

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

Alain de Botton, who sells this on his website.

 

[JaseTheVillain]

Alain de Botton, who sells this on his website.

I used to wear one of them to school... It cost about $20 (living in Australia at the time)...

 

[Captain Scumbag]

Alain de Botton, who sells this on his website.

I genuinely thought you were taking the piss with this. Subsequent investigation has revealed not only its veracity (WTF?) but the fact that the same site is hawking the Philosopher's Shoe!

"The Ancient Greek astronomer and philosopher Thales is remembered, not just for his theories on mathematics and nature, but for the tale that he was so busy gazing at the skies - puzzling over the mysteries of the stars - that he fell into a well.

We know a couple of the basic ways things go wrong in a life. We can be attracted to big, lofty, inspiring stuff, but disconnected from the practical reality of how the world works. Or, we can be so focused on the details and making sure everything is working, that we lose sight of why it matters. In our different ways each of us has a bias - a tendency to list to one side or the other.

The Philosopher’s Shoe takes inspiration from Thales' predicament, by reminding us of the ideal state, ‘head in the stars, feet on the ground’; a fundamental rule for life that is worth keeping front of mind (and foot)."

Absolute bellends.

 

[smat]

The Philosopher's Buttplug

 

[smat]

^^ worst harry potter ever etc

 

[Jockney]

If we're going for journos, then Paul Mason innit. What a man.

 

[Ian_Wrexham]

If we're going for journos, then Paul Mason innit. What a man.

"Stoya, come to Athens the revolution is happening"
"We need to restrict immigration now so we can open the borders later on"

Truly one of our nation's towering intellects.

 

[Jockney]

"Stoya, come to Athens the revolution is happening"
"We need to restrict immigration now so we can open the borders later on"

Truly one of our nation's towering intellects.

WHOOSH

Probably should have made the sarcasm more obvious.

Although I won't write off Mason, generally. I think a lot of his observations are useful if narrow-sighted.

 

[Ian_Wrexham]

WHOOSH

Probably should have made the sarcasm more obvious.

Although I won't write off Mason, generally. I think a lot of his observations are useful if narrow-sighted.

I had a bit of an inkling you might have been sarcastic.

 

[Renegade]

Are you being sarcastic right now?

 

[Jockney]

I DONT KNOW WHATS REAL ANYMORE

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

I DONT KNOW WHATS REAL ANYMORE

Stupid.

 

[Jockney]

:'(