# The Problem with Karl Pilkington **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839 "2008-09-16T14:28:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/21 "2010-05-07T04:24:18Z")
I’ve gone through phases in my opinion about Karl and the show. At first it was plain hilarious, then he made me slightly mad because of the tripe he believes, then I felt a bit sad for him, but I’m back to finding it funny. He’s obviously not bothered by the laughing, so I’m not harming him. On the site linked above, find second season show 20 to hear one of the classics: Karl on the idea of infinity. I think Karl is what you get when you take a fairly unintelligent, untutored, low-class family and have their son pulled out of school for significant portions and give no real care to how he’s performing. Karl is almost unable to abstract. I’m a little surprised at how well he’s able to make those fake movie scenes with himself in them, but people have certain talents, and apparently whatever it takes to be a radio producer is in his narrow range of abilities. Samples for those of you who want to know the kinds of things we’re talking about: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpU51xh8hD4) Here’s the infinite monkeys: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWs0ujLrGl0&fmt=18](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWs0ujLrGl0&fmt=18) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/22 "2010-05-07T13:26:18Z")
Part of why it works is that Ricky is pretty bad at explaining things. With him as a teacher, most of us wouldn’t make much progress. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/23 "2010-05-07T16:07:25Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Part of why it works is that Ricky is pretty bad at explaining things. With him as a teacher, most of us wouldn’t make much progress. To be fair, in a half-hour program meant for entertainment, Ricky doesn’t have the time to explain most of these things properly, even if he were prepared for the topics in advance. (And I’m guessing most of the time he doesn’t know what’s coming.) How would you prove to Karl that dinosaurs and humans didn’t live contemporaneously, if you had only about 20 seconds to speak? Assume, generously, that Karl isn’t arguing immediately with every fact you utter. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/24 "2010-05-07T16:17:01Z")
If it’s a matter of Karl disbelieving facts it’s one thing. But listen to the infinite monkeys discussion linked above. Ricky just kept saying “infinity takes care of it for you.” If I were kid listening to him I doubt I would grasp the point. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/25 "2010-05-08T23:29:58Z")
No, Ricky states that the monkeys would type everything, ever. He repeats that point, even. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/26 "2010-05-08T23:32:08Z")
He doesn’t say it in a way that even I would really understand it if I were in Karl’s position. If I didn’t already know what Ricky was talking about and agree with him, I’d find many of his points very difficult to follow. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/27 "2010-05-11T14:13:16Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > For anyone who’s interested, you can also find the XFM shows [here](http://www.rickygervaisshow.com/xfmyears.htm) I’ve been listening to these early programs. They’re from 2001, but it’s surprising how old-fashioned the format of the program sounds to my ears. Music, banter, concert ticket giveaways … granted, the banter quickly overtakes other portions of the show. But I haven’t purposely listened to this kind of radio format since probably 1986. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/28 "2010-05-11T17:14:19Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > He doesn’t say it in a way that even I would really understand it if I were in Karl’s position. If I didn’t already know what Ricky was talking about and agree with him, I’d find many of his points very difficult to follow. Eh, maybe. But when you’re dealing with someone whose main problem with the scenario is that the monkeys haven’t read Shakespeare before, there’s not much point. Karl comes out with some of the howlingest stupid things I’ve ever heard. Remember the monkeys who got married and went on a honeymoon? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/29 "2010-05-12T17:41:01Z")
I’m wavering on this. I just saw a video on YouTube of Gervais “interviewing” Pilkington. On camera, he seems far too studied. Of course, all the stories were ones that they have told a million times, so maybe that’s just the result of repetition and practice. But I’m no longer certain that he actually believes what he’s saying. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/30 "2011-02-02T16:42:06Z")
Hey, why not revive this old thread to talk more about the world’s favourite idiot? Why does Pilkington seem so resentful of advances in science and technology that help people overcome their health problems or disabilities? He has said over and over again that people should just accept whatever misfortune befalls them and not try to do anything about it. Where does this attitude come from? It’s so thoroughly misanthropic. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/31 "2011-02-02T16:59:32Z")
The idea that man shouldn’t mess with the natural order of things is as old as dirt. Star Trek is full aggravating examples of this. Geordi: Maybe we should prevent this pre-warp society from going extinct from a meteor hit. Riker: No, clearly it’s meant to be. Picard: Agreed. Now let’s all get drunk and play ping-pong. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/32 "2011-02-02T17:04:40Z")
I don’t think your example is analogous. It would be more like this. Geordi: The people of this federation planet are begging us to help them develop a cure for this epidemic. Riker: That’s too much faffin’ about. Picard: Agreed. Enough is enough. They should just stop moaning. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/33 "2011-02-02T17:29:36Z")
😃 Yours is better I agree. My point still stands. Karl’s not the first person think in those ways, and he won’t be the last. People a lot smarter than him believe things like people deserve their illnesses, and that they shouldn’t interfere in the grand cosmic plan by curing themselves. Which brings me to my favourite quote from Babylon 5. > [@](#): > > “You know, I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn’t it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So, now I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe.” ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/34 "2011-02-02T17:38:45Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > 😃 Yours is better I agree. My point still stands. Karl’s not the first person think in those ways, and he won’t be the last. People a lot smarter than him believe things like people deserve their illnesses, and that they shouldn’t interfere in the grand cosmic plan by curing themselves. (Aside: I accept your point that there are a lot of people who have this attitude, but I’m tempted to digress on your point about the Prime Directive. I think the Prime Directive is not directed at some kind of fatalism or determinism or interfering with the natural order. I think it’s a concern about damaging a society whose members, philosophies, attitudes, beliefs, or capacities are not prepared to handle knowledge of extraterrestrial intelligence and space travel. There are instances in our own history in which contact with people was not carefully handled and exposing them to our {wealth, technology, religion, diseases, commercialism, whiskey} has resulted in long-term negative consequences for the society as a whole as well as its individual members.) Of course, Karl did accept the ministrations of modern technological medicine when he suffered from kidney stones. Maybe it’s just a lack of empathy combined with hypocrisy. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/35 "2011-02-02T18:23:41Z")
> [@Cardinal](#): > > No, Ricky states that the monkeys would type everything, ever. He repeats that point, even. Except what’s to keep the monkeys from just typing the letter k over and over again? That’s what I don’t get. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/36 "2011-02-02T18:25:22Z")
Are you being sarcastic? Just in case you’re not. Undoubtedly, an infinite number of monkeys _will_ type the letter _K_ over and over again. But there will also be an infinite number of monkey who won’t. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/37 "2011-02-02T18:27:18Z")
I’d never heard of Karl Pilkington and so I Youtubed some examples. I was immediately struck by two things: 1. I can’t understand half of what he’s mumbling, but what I can,\*\* it strikes me as being incredibly obvious that he’s at least partially putting it on\*\*. He might be an ignorant person but there is not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that he is exaggerating for the camera. We’ve all known people like this, haven’t we? Rural ignoramuses who really pump it up because they KNOW it gets a rise out of you? Come on, who’s fooled by this? 1. On top of that, these are edited presentations, so we’re seeing the MOST ignorant stuff he could put on. 2. Ricky Gervais is almost dying laughing at things that, let’s be honest, aren’t THAT funny. Maybe the books are funnier, but Jesus, Ricky, are you on drugs or something? He’s laughing like a hyena at stuff that is mildly amusing. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/38 "2011-02-02T19:05:14Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Are you being sarcastic? > > Just in case you’re not. Undoubtedly, an infinite number of monkeys _will_ type the letter _K_ over and over again. But there will also be an infinite number of monkey who won’t. I thought there was just one monkey. But why wouldn’t they? I mean, the monkeys are probably going to have keys they like better than other keys, right? I just don’t think it would happen. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/39 "2011-02-02T19:13:29Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > I thought there was just one monkey. But why wouldn’t they? I mean, the monkeys are probably going to have keys they like better than other keys, right? I just don’t think it would happen. You are being sarcastic, right? The point isn’t the monkeys, dude. It’s the concept of “infinity.” ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839/40 "2011-02-02T19:20:03Z")
I’m not being sarcastic. Why bring monkeys into it, then? I just don’t think it could happen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-problem-with-karl-pilkington/463839.md?page=3)