Stephen Fry in America

[Sharnita]

I just started watching this on Netflix and I find it pretty interesting.  It seems like it oculd be informative to both Americans and non-Americans.  Stephen Fry is a British (Scottish?) actor/comedian who is touring the U.S. state by state and observing from an outsider's point of view, at least kind of. 

[Iris]

I normally love Stephen Fry (I watch QI religiously) but I didn't actually enjoy the episodes that I watched. He was in the central west and while he was very pleasant to the people he was with or who were showing him around he was a bit mocking/snide about them once he left. I thought when those people came to watch the show they would be disappointed and maybe hurt.

Perhaps I jsut caught the wrong episodes, but it was enough to turn me off.

[Sharnita]

I normally love Stephen Fry (I watch QI religiously) but I didn't actually enjoy the episodes that I watched. He was in the central west and while he was very pleasant to the people he was with or who were showing him around he was a bit mocking/snide about them once he left. I thought when those people came to watch the show they would be disappointed and maybe hurt.

Perhaps I jsut caught the wrong episodes, but it was enough to turn me off.

As a Michigan girl the story about the guy from the Fordfamily who went to work for GM was completely relatable 

[oz diva]

Stephen is English. He has had a checkered career including a stint in prison. I think he's one the most amazing people of the age though. I'm not sure if I have seen this show, but I generally adore his stuff.

[Sharnita]

He visits a variety of places as well as states - a college football game, Angola prison, an abandoned building where homeless are living, acoal mine in West Virginia... I think that if anything it gives a hint as to the diversity within the United States as far as economic situation, weather, geography, etc.

[Soprych]

Glad someone explained who he is.  I thought it was a reference to a character on Futurama.

[Sharnita]

The episodes I saw so far he seemed fairly respectful.  He does make it clear that he finds American cheese horrifying for the most part, which crakced me up.  I still have a  few more episodes to watch.

[CakeEater]

I watched them all and found them great. He is one of my favourite English comedians. US culture has some very different aspects to it than some other English speaking countries, which can be quite astonishing to outsiders. I think that was his angle.

[iridaceae]

The episodes I saw so far he seemed fairly respectful.  He does make it clear that he finds American cheese horrifying for the most part, which crakced me up.  I still have a  few more episodes to watch.

I always wonder about Europeans whining about American cheeses. I mean, yeah if you only try Kraft American okay but Wisconsin alone has 106 dairies making cheese, and many American cheeses have won International acclaim.

[oz diva]

Glad someone explained who he is.  I thought it was a reference to a character on Futurama.

This is the most amazing comment, because Stephen is rather ubiquitous over here.

[jedikaiti]

The episodes I saw so far he seemed fairly respectful.  He does make it clear that he finds American cheese horrifying for the most part, which crakced me up.  I still have a  few more episodes to watch.

I always wonder about Europeans whining about American cheeses. I mean, yeah if you only try Kraft American okay but Wisconsin alone has 106 dairies making cheese, and many American cheeses have won International acclaim.

I expect he may have been referring to the style of cheese known as American, rather than any cheese made in this country. In that sense, I agree with him, but I do know that there are plenty of dairies in the US that make yummy cheese in other styles, many of which originated in other countries.

[Bluenomi]

I love Stephen Fry, I read his auto-bio recently and his lead an interesting life!

I've seen most of that series (one of our pay tv channels had a marathon one public holiday) and thought it was pretty good. Mind you I'm an Aussie so agree with many of his 'that's a wacky American thing' thoughts.

And I agree with him on the cheese. I'm sure there is some great US cheese out there but cheese in a can? Blerk!

[jedikaiti]

I love Stephen Fry, I read his auto-bio recently and his lead an interesting life!

I've seen most of that series (one of our pay tv channels had a marathon one public holiday) and thought it was pretty good. Mind you I'm an Aussie so agree with many of his 'that's a wacky American thing' thoughts.

And I agree with him on the cheese. I'm sure there is some great US cheese out there but cheese in a can? Blerk!

Are you referring to Cheeze Whiz? I'm not sure that's acutally cheese. :-)

There is, however, a really good cheddar that is packed and sold in a can - it's called Cougar Gold, and is made by Washington State University. You have to open the can and remove the cheese, however - it does not squirt out.

[FoxPaws]

And I agree with him on the cheese. I'm sure there is some great US cheese out there but cheese in a can? Blerk!

Are you referring to Cheeze Whiz? I'm not sure that's actually cheese. :-)

Actually, Cheeze Whiz comes in a glass jar. It's Easy Cheese that squirts out of a can. 

[jedikaiti]

And I agree with him on the cheese. I'm sure there is some great US cheese out there but cheese in a can? Blerk!

Are you referring to Cheeze Whiz? I'm not sure that's actually cheese. :-)

Actually, Cheeze Whiz comes in a glass jar. It's Easy Cheese that squirts out of a can. 

Either way, I'm not convinced there's any actual cheese involved. :-)