Stephen Fry in America

[Thanas]

Watch it and the others and enjoy it.

Though he's definitely been infected with something when he says that Washington D.C. could stand alongside Paris.

[Channel72]

Atlantic City is so depressing

[Block]

Legalized gambling in other states killed AC almost overnight. It was fascinating and horrifying to watch.

[Channel72]

That, and online gambling. Ads and billboards for online gambling on your tablet/phone/etc. have popped up all over New Jersey all of a sudden.

[FaxModem1]

I saw this on Netflix about a year ago. It was rather enjoyable. Big problem with the show is that he sums up an entire state with one small facet of it, missing out on a huge chunk of the culture of each state. I get that he is doing about 10 states per hour, so he has to skim a lot, but it creates a rather in-complete picture. It would be like a documentary crew going to Germany, and spending their entire time there inspecting a beer factory, and then moving onto France for a ten minute segment on a bakery.

[Thanas]

I saw this on Netflix about a year ago. It was rather enjoyable. Big problem with the show is that he sums up an entire state with one small facet of it, missing out on a huge chunk of the culture of each state. I get that he is doing about 10 states per hour, so he has to skim a lot, but it creates a rather in-complete picture. It would be like a documentary crew going to Germany, and spending their entire time there inspecting a beer factory, and then moving onto France for a ten minute segment on a bakery.

So like almost every documentary ever?

[Eternal_Freedom]

Hmmm...Stephen Fry talking to Morgan Freeman. Awesome.

Also, I know that "body farm" from the second episode does important work, but there is something viscerally wrong about seeing a human body left to decompose in a rubbish bin. Glad I ate dinner before I reached that part.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Hmmm...Stephen Fry talking to Morgan Freeman. Awesome.

Also, I know that "body farm" from the second episode does important work, but there is something viscerally wrong about seeing a human body left to decompose in a rubbish bin. Glad I ate dinner before I reached that part.

I will be honest. I love body farms. And the thing is, the bodies there are all volunteers. Most of them bequeath their bodies specifically to the body farm, so that is exactly how they want their body disposed of. Fully incorporated into the food web, returning the nutrients they are composed of back into the detritivore food web, and from there to the rest of the ecosystem. Something embalming does not permit. There is a beauty in that, even if maggots are disgusting (though having spent two years raising blow flies, I have come to find them endearing. But my standards of cute are somewhat warped compared to others)

[Eternal_Freedom]

Hmmm...Stephen Fry talking to Morgan Freeman. Awesome.

Also, I know that "body farm" from the second episode does important work, but there is something viscerally wrong about seeing a human body left to decompose in a rubbish bin. Glad I ate dinner before I reached that part.

I will be honest. I love body farms. And the thing is, the bodies there are all volunteers. Most of them bequeath their bodies specifically to the body farm, so that is exactly how they want their body disposed of. Fully incorporated into the food web, returning the nutrients they are composed of back into the detritivore food web, and from there to the rest of the ecosystem. Something embalming does not permit. There is a beauty in that, even if maggots are disgusting (though having spent two years raising blow flies, I have come to find them endearing. But my standards of cute are somewhat warped compared to others)

I can fully understand that on an intellectual level, and I can even appreciate the, well, natural beauty I suppose is the best term. But on a gut level? It just doesn't feel right.

[FaxModem1]

I saw this on Netflix about a year ago. It was rather enjoyable. Big problem with the show is that he sums up an entire state with one small facet of it, missing out on a huge chunk of the culture of each state. I get that he is doing about 10 states per hour, so he has to skim a lot, but it creates a rather in-complete picture. It would be like a documentary crew going to Germany, and spending their entire time there inspecting a beer factory, and then moving onto France for a ten minute segment on a bakery.

So like almost every documentary ever?

Quite. But I'm curious how many English and Europeans who saw this thought that each state was confined to what the documentary showed.

[Channel72]

Quite. But I'm curious how many English and Europeans who saw this thought that each state was confined to what the documentary showed.

Whatever. Even Americans mostly assume Maine is nothing but lobster boats anyway and New York is a bunch of fat Italian guys talking about mob flicks or something.

Though he's definitely been infected with something when he says that Washington D.C. could stand alongside Paris.

Honestly, apart from New York and Chicago, most American cities are pretty bland, architecturally speaking. DC has some beautiful buildings, monuments and museums, but it's mostly just random suburbs, nothing like Paris or Rome.

[Thanas]

The Mississippi episode is heartbreaking in the Katrina segments.