Stephen Fry gives forth his views on translations of Blackadder, Dallas, the English obsession with America and the Australian obsession with tanning (and what it signifies). From the early 1990s.
To those suggesting Fry is high, isn't hindsight a truly sublime thing? I wonder how perceptive you would have been if not for his admission to substance misuse. I wouldn't like to say that he is displaying typical characteristics of cocaine use here, although it is apparent he is quite excited. His diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder suggests that he could be capable of such rapidity of thought, speech and wit without pharmacological assistance, but only those who know him well can state with confidence whether or not he has been insufflating his favourite white powder prior to this interview.
When it comes to national pride, Australia is, as with many other aspects and elements of life, a curious blend of Britain and America. Yes, there is great national pride, but it's a quite insecure thing, as if we have to puff up as a safeguard against being thought of as insignificant by the rest of the world. And if you chance to meet Australians overseas, you'll find that they are at least 50% more stereotypically Australian than they would be at home. They'll start using all the words that people think we say, despite the fact that they haven't been part of common parlance since the 1950's. The greatest example of Australia's insecure national pride is via the news media. Let's say that there is a natural disaster, like bushfires or floods. Obviously it will be the top story in Aus, but if it makes the news in America, _that_ will become a story. "CNN talked about us!" Like we're the wallflower at a dance and the big man on campus gave us attention.
One of the first interviews I heard him give was about his family origins and his Serbian (?) Grandfather. He did accents and impersonation's, and it was hilarious. I was hoping this was in here. It wasn't.
As a child he had to have speech lessons because noone could understand him. He just talked way too fast. So nothing really particular, for him, at least.
Australians have learned, slowly, that to brave the summer without protection is to invite scalpels into your body later in life. Sadly, the things we must have excised from our bodies are as a result of our youthful intemperance in intemperate summers. And if the end result of your long, unprotected summers is a mere removal of a small carcinoma here and there, consider yourself lucky.
