Stephen Fry responds to Daily Mail Winter Olympics criticism

Stephen Fry has responded to criticism from the Daily Mail about his Olympic protest.

Last week, Fry wrote an open-letter to Prime Minister David Cameron and Members of the International Olympic Committee protesting against Russia hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics in light of their gay rights record.

The Daily Mail then published an article by academic and theologian Adrian Hilton, who accused Fry of hypocrisy for what he claimed is Fry’s lack of effort to condemn British association with Russian ballet and theatre.

Hilton argued that Fry should target all sponsors of “homophobic collaboration”.

He labelled Fry’s letter “a haughty and detached gesture which harms the innocent and penalises Russia’s outstanding sportsmen and women who will be deprived of their chance to inspire the very generation which might sweep Putin and his thugs from power.”

Now, the acclaimed actor and comedian has responded to the criticism by publishing an impassioned blog on his Tumblr account criticising the tabloid newspaper for its right-wing values.

Fry wrote: “The Mail still can’t quite live with the shame that it has always, always been historically wrong about everything – large and small – from Picasso to equal pay for women.

“Because it has always been against progress, the liberalising of attitudes, modern art and strangers (whether by race, gender or sexuality).”

“Deep down they have always had the same instinct for the lowest, most mean-spirited, hypocritical, spiteful and philistine elements of our island nation.”

Fry also referred to the Mail’s support of Adolf Hitler when he first came to power.

The dialogue will no doubt continue.