It's almost exactly a year to the day since Stephen Fry last quit Twitter, suggesting this behaviour may follow some kind of migratory pattern the newly-restyled nature documentarian may himself find intriguing.
This latest retreat from the social networking site began with Fry causing a right old rumpus over the weekend with some comments about female sexuality (which I assume would not be his specialist subject should he find himself on Mastermind) - taken from an interview he had given to gay lifestyle magazine Attitude:
"If women liked sex as much as men, there would be straight cruising areas in the way there are gay cruising areas. Women would go and hang around in churchyards thinking: 'God, I've got to get my fucking rocks off', or they'd go to Hampstead Heath and meet strangers to shag behind a bush. It doesn't happen...
"I feel sorry for straight men. The only reason women will have sex with them is that sex is the price they are willing to pay for a relationship with a man, which is what they want. Of course, a lot of women will deny this and say, 'Oh no, but I love sex, I love it!' But do they go around having it the way that gay men do?"
These comments are similar to ones made previously by Fry in 2008, but the comedian, writer and broadcaster immediately cried foul about the way they had been reported.
Turning to Twitter, Fry claimed to have been misquoted and hit out at those who have painted him as an "Antichrist" over comments which, he said, were meant to be humorous. However, the media juggernaut of disapproval was already gathering speed:
- Stephen Fry is in no position to comment on women's sex lives (Telegraph)
- Stephen Fry, how could you? (Guardian)
- Fry's misogynistic view is of women as evil temptresses (Independent)
Then came a two word Tweet from Fry that suggested the unofficial King of Twitter may have left the building... again. (Fry last retired from Twitter 12 months ago after his 140 character updates were branded boring by a fellow user of the social network.)
one year to the day since last time. Last time he apologized and said he was having a depressive episode. With bipolar disorder it comes in cycles, and not uncommon for depressive episodes to come at the same time of year.
Instead of bashing him (which I don't think is at all warranted) we should at least make sure he's okay first.
Posted by: Patobeirne | Nov 01, 2010 at 15:06