harrykeydotcomslashblogs

I knew there should be a way to be a nerd and seductive. All I need now is a bright red jacket and a PHD in astrophysics.

Thanks to 9gag.com

No, I don’t believe all the stuff that I write. I consider the established wisdom, assault it with logic, and see if it stands. It’s all a bit of a game to evoke some emotional responses, to see what works. I don’t lie or misrepresent my position, but overstate it to get a reaction. And it’s only those blogs that get read.

I wrote a piece on sleeping with men too soon and got many heartfelt reactions, some from women who I’d slept with and fallen in love with – which completely contradicted my point and upset them in the process (not to mention totally ruining my sex life).

I wrote a piece on language and sensitivity, posted it, and then on the telly popped on the episode of South Park about redheads. Socially acceptable redhead bashing is currently an area in which I do feel a desire to coddle and protect people. I can’t understand why the rest of the world is tiptoeing around religious prejudices, and yet it’s okay when MIA makes a film clip about rangacide.

I was at home with my housemate and closerest friend Dave, who’s a redhead. I wanted to turn it off or make a comment. I couldn’t think of anything funny to say. I just sort of sat there for a bit waiting for him to laugh because that seemed to sign a social contract that I should too. I started echoing his laughter in a weird and unnatural way.

It seems thoroughly hypocritical. I am.

I was shooting a film in India with Lucas, a Nigerian Bollywood mate, and we met a South African guy who was white. They were having a chat about some upcoming sporting match, when suddenly the South African chap said ‘fuck you nigger’ and I almost fell over. Later I asked Lucas about it, and he said “No, he was just being friendly. ‘Kaffir’ is what he would have said if he was trying to upset me”

It’s only okay if black men say nigger? You expect to overcome intolerance… By dictating, based on race, what things can be done by whom? On ya. Sounds like a plan.

I don’t suggest that there is a solution… I don’t pretend to know. All I do know is that humour might be part of it.

Kieran is a mate from uni who rather bravely decided to come out during our last year at uni. It would have been a difficult choice, because there’s a lot of public humiliation and bitchiness in a course for thespians. I felt closer to him, simply because I felt like I understood him better. He reacted to my use of ‘gay slurs’ with indignation. I upset him – and Kieran, mate, I’m sorry for that.

I don’t know how it would happen, but imagine what it’d be like if it did: Imagine you were walking down the street holding hands with a dude (a really attractive, funny, smart dude that loves Phantom of the Opera and gives great massages), and someone stops in the street, stares at you two and screams “Faggots!” (stay with me) – imagine then you both just doubled over in laughter.

Imagine you buckled at the knees and collapsed in a fit of hysterical giggling, gasping for air, looking through tear-filled eyes at your partner who’s doing the same. Cackling, guffawing, hooting. Then straightening up with cramps forming in your abdomen, wiping the tears from your eyes, making that ‘Wooo’ sound after a good laugh, experiencing something simiar to post-ejaculatory exhaustion and euphoria.

His face changes from disgust, to confusion, through anger, wonder and then laughter. Imagine it is possible and it just may be – because if your mind can believe it then so can others.

What would it take for that to happen? How would it be if you did?

You won’t ever stop scared, bigoted morons from being scared and bigoted by telling them that there are things they shouldn’t say. You can make them feel safe, accepted, you can challenge them to overcome their bigotry, but you cannot pretend that all people are equal but that some words are evil.

Here’s a fascinating TED talk on the nature of robot artificial intelligence. I am still amazed that people don’t believe it’s going to happen, when the evidence indicates that it already is happening.

These machines are about as intelligent as amoeba, but far more powerful, and the speed of their evolution is far faster – as it doesn’t wait for biology but can be sped up on supercomputers. It is legitimately scary and exciting in equal parts – for their pattern of self-replication would put them in direct competition with us!

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I wrote an article on Self-Confidence for PickTheBrain.com, check it out!

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/the-self-confidence-con/

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