Stephen Fry Is Dumb, Actually
This is a FREE post from Jen Ives. If you’d like to read one of Jen’s many PAID posts, please consider subscribing to become a paid-member. Thanks :)
Stephen Fry appeared on the Triggernometry Podcast recently - hosted by the Unapologetically Evil Ghoul Konstantin Kisin, along with his failed, melting clone Francis Foster. If you’re fortunate enough to not know what Triggernometry Podcast is, it’s basically a ‘free speech forum’ style video-podcast, mainly focused on discussing ‘why trans people suck, actually’, and using a slow-drip style of exposure to unlikable bigots, in an attempt to shift the Overton window in their favour and radicalise a new generation of edgy, lonely, incel young goofball men. It’s the pits - basically. Years ago, I performed on a bill at Angel Comedy Club in London which Francis Foster was hosting, and his material was so bland and inoffensive, it’s genuinely baffling to me that he could be ‘cancelled’ for any of it, but there you go - he’s found his place now, giggling along to hate.
Not to sound like a hipster or anything, but I disliked Stephen Fry even before it was cool. His wishy-washy-ness on any meaningful gay-rights position which extended past his own ‘right’ to go out with a man 30 years younger than him, was an early sign for me. But really, it was because - for a man who clearly prides himself on being so pro free speech - on topics that matter, he never really had all that much to say. Sure, he can relay to you a thousand facts about a bonobo monkey’s anal glands on QI, but ask him something about his good mate Joanne Rowling’s cruel and bizarre treatment of trans people, and suddenly Stephen is out to lunch (probably with some young twink, 30 years his junior!).
I know some people think he’s a ‘comedy icon’, or if not that, at the very least - they believe him to be some kind of intellectual because he knew Christopher Hitchens. But ask yourself, how smart really can a man be who can’t see through the obvious right-wing grift that is the Triggernometry Podcast. That’s the thing about Fry, he seems to believe that ‘talking to those you disagree with’ is the highest calling in life - because above everything else, he’s a posho, public school debate-boy. Other people’s rights and lives are clearly less important to him than a good bit of debate.
In his appearance on Triggernometry (a podcast title pun so bad you can see why Konstantin and Francis moved away from comedy) Fry says that he’s ‘not sure’ he does ‘support Stonewall’ - going on to firstly degenerate the hard work and bravery undertaken by activists who put literal fight over meaningless, acquiescent pandering to straight society, to make sure their rights were won. And then secondly, he tells us how he’s never really related to the idea of an LGBT ‘community’ - telling a story about visiting a gay bar, and feeling hatred for the patrons inside it. To give him the benefit of the doubt here, he’s probably trying to communicate that a younger him had feelings of deep, inbuilt, internalised homophobia - which he’s hopefully managed to shake by now… but it does say a lot that he’s chosen to bring it up in this context - being that it isn’t what the conversation is about, at all. I think Fry simply thinks he’s better than the rest of us - and wants nothing more than to be regarded by straight society as one of them. It’s sad.
Or maybe he just didn’t like the men in that particular bar because they were a bit too old?
Thank you for reading the blog of comedian and writer Jen Ives. Sharing really helps, so if you enjoyed this post, please pass it along to a friend! You can also follow Jen here:
https://instagram.com/imjenives/
JEN IVES | Patreon of writer and comedian Jen Ives
https://www.youtube.com/@jenives
Jen Ives the Podcast | Substack
a long time ago, when I had friends who were just getting started in the world of stand-up comedy, I used to attend open mic nights, such as the one that Francis used to host at angel comedy. I don't remember this night fondly, but in general, open mic nights are a pox upon humanity and no self-respecting person should ever attend or perform there. Francis had a bit which was to say some words in a foreign language, probably Spanish. I think the gist of it was that we were supposed to believe he was clever because he knew foreign words. or possibly he just thought foreign words were funny and he wanted us to laugh at it.
it was years later when my mum sent me one of francis's videos. I think it was about why gay people are bad and must be stopped from doing gay stuff. my mum evidently thought it was convincing enough to share with me.
I think this is evidence of how the edgelord circle of Life works. one man's failed. comedian is another woman's edgy inspiration.
He will always be an uninteresting worm to me.
Wow! What a hate wave - and claustrophobic perspective.