It looks like it might be a case of too much Fry for our TellYouGov users, as the usually well-received Stephen Fry’s TellYouGov sentiment score has slipped downhill despite a rise in the numbers of people talking about him.
The actor, comedian and ‘national treasure’ has barely been out of the news in recent days, making outspoken comments on both the recent papal visit, and the BBC’s ‘fear’ about making ‘risky’ programmes. Fry has also recently released his new memoirs The Fry Chronicles as part of a national stand-up style tour, and is also well-known for his use of Twitter, on which he has over 1,795,000 followers. He is also regularly seen as the presenter of panel show QI.
It seems like a case of too much of a good thing for many though, as while Fry’s volume score has increased by to a considerable 84 over the past 48 hours, his sentiment score has dropped by 13 points to a paltry nine, and continues to fall.
‘Smug, oily and over-exposed’
Some perhaps feel that former Footlights star and Blackadder favourite Fry has allowed the public affection he has gained over the years to go to his head, as some people commented that his bold public statements cause him to come across as ‘smug’ and ‘pompous’. Several TellYouGov users, or ‘tyggers’ cynically suggested that his comments were simply attempts to ‘plug his new book’ and said Fry was in ‘publicity overdrive’.
A few users, or ‘tyggers’, even branded him ‘intolerant’, ‘a hate-filled psychological case’ (referring perhaps to Fry’s much-publicised struggle with bipolar disorder) and ‘the biggest twit on the planet,’ after he added his name to a petition claiming that the Pope did not deserve the ‘honour’ of a state visit to the UK. The petition of fifty names, in the form of a controversial open letter to the Guardian newspaper, also included authors Terry Pratchett and Phillip Pullman, as well as well-known atheist Richard Dawkins.
‘A legend’
But this recent wave of negativity does not look likely to knock Stephen Fry off his national pedestal anytime soon. Despite his relatively reduced sentiment score, many tyggers had nothing but praise for the star, calling him a ‘kind’ and ‘quick-witted’ man and admiring his ‘intelligence’.‘Why isn’t he knighted yet?!’ demanded one tygger, while another asked ‘when will he be made Prime Minister?’
And Fry’s role as the voice on several audio books has also earned him a special place in many tyggers’ hearts. ‘He saved my sanity on an 11 hour car journey – the Harry Potter CDs kept the kids enthralled,’ enthused one grateful tygger, while another said simply ‘I’d [even] listen to him read his laundry list.’
The The Fry Chronicles were published last week in hardback, as an eBook and as an iPhone app.
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