Does anyone like Russell Brand?

[GOLDENICE]

Am I the only person who enjoys Russell Brand's comedy as well as his passionate outrage at the current politics? He's not a deep thinker offering structured solutions but certainly stirs the pot. Whenever I mention his name online a vast majority of people leave emotionally negative comments. He appears to rub people the wrong way. Can someone explain why? Thanks 

[Alin]

 Whenever I mention his name online a vast majority of people leave emotionally negative comments. He appears to rub people the wrong way. Can someone explain why? Thanks 

 

Because it reminds them of how sheepish and dumb they are?

[PatrickC]

I'm getting more than a little tired of him myself. His rather dogmatic sense of the world is no danger to those in power. If anything he just prolongs the narrative most people already accept.

[Demosthenes_]

It can be a good thing to have a celebrity to open people's mind to something new and positive. On the other hand people see him as a joke and it would be hard to have those people take these ideologies seriously, as well as the mainstream media. My greatest influence of Russell if from the movie "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", though I am aware he is does some activism, notably against the Gaza attacks. I recently watched him on RT, which I would consider a lax version of mainstream news, but still serious. While watching him I saw him very out of place and silly even though he was held in high regard.

 

I believe he means well, but if others interpret him based on his sporadic gestures and eccentric way of speaking, then it could bring a negative outcome. I am not too sure, paying more attention to Russell could be needed. In general I have the impression of others that he is just an actor who is doing something which he does not understand.

[TheLolGuy]

His solutions most irritate me, as he proposes the typical and tired concept of a socialist revolution, that is to say, a massive aggrandisement in state power. Indisputably he has fluent and engaging oratorical skills but his knowledge of history, philosophy and economics is embarrassingly lacking. And his arrogance prevents any flexibility in thought. Thus he uses his talents in the service of evil, in a particularly abject and grovelling way!

[NeoCortex]

I actually believe he's part of the good of the world. No, he might not be as enlightened as people on this forum - but he is famous. People need to start somewhere. And for a lot of people he has the possibility to be the point from where people look further. Personally I know people who started their journey because they had listened to Alex Jones, and are now listening to FDR. Now before you start criticizing me about Mr. Jones, I think he's a total maniac. 

[Brentb]

People who propose disastrous "solutions" are dangerous, especially when they are very likeable and/or insightful at pointing out problems and issues

[jacbot]

Honestly ,.., I think we should not kid ourselves with Russel, he is a smart cookie, he knows what people want to hear and he serves it up. He wraps all religions into one nice cool treehuggery anticapitlaist spiritual cocktail,.., they guy is a witchdoctor

 

And sure in principle someone of note can further the cause of freedom, as it has happened before, but Rus, is not for less state, less religion, more reason,.., infact,.., total opposite,

[Funkdvoid]

It's great to watch him turn his American News TV hosts upside down in interviews...but yes, the spirituality and "om-ness" in his Trews YouTube videos can be a little bitter to watch...

[Bel Rick]

He dumped his wife with a text message, scumbaggery in my book.

[Alin]

He dumped his wife with a text message, scumbaggery in my book.

 

 

I never understood why people do these things through the phone lol. Why not face to face?

[dale_edg]

I do find him funny, it's nice to see someone mocking the system but he is a socialist at the moment and thinks there really is austerity going on in the UK, i hope he comes to his senses.

 

Good talk he had with alex jones here:

 

 

[PatrickC]

He might as well be Arthur Scargill. 

 

[PatrickC]

I wonder how Russ will get out of this scandal..

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2813868/Russell-Brand-s-film-company-received-cash-injection-city-bankers.html

 

How does this fit into your revolution? Anti-capitalist Russell Brand's film company is being 'bankrolled by City bankers in tax relief scheme'

• Comedian has repeatedly hit out at the City and called for debt to be illegal
• But it emerged today his film company was handed a huge sum by bankers
• It is believed the money is being ploughed into a new movie, Brand the Film
• A clip of the film shows Brand urging followers not to 'comply' with system
• One City investor has now hit out at the star's bashing of 'cartoon bankers' 

[Josh F]

I'll give him credit in the area he deserves the most:  he might be the greatest flirt in history.  He can talk women out of their panties like I've never seen.

[PatrickC]

I'll give him credit in the area he deserves the most:  he might be the greatest flirt in history.  He can talk women out of their panties like I've never seen.

 

Yes he's much like the bard of the court, charming and deflowering all the ladies in waiting.

[shirgall]

I'll give him credit in the area he deserves the most:  he might be the greatest flirt in history.  He can talk women out of their panties like I've never seen.

 

Most of that happened because it was in the script (yeah, even news shows are scripted).

[Josh F]

I don't know about a specific video but he is pretty famous for being a ladies man.  

[J. D. Stembal]

I would be highly skeptical about anything you think you know about a person with this magnitude of celebrity. Public image can be massaged and manipulated just like everything else. I mean, look at him. He goes on MSNBC and berates the anchors for commenting on his clothes when, presumably, he's the one who decided to wear them. It's not enough for him that he acts in movies, which are seen by millions, but he also seeks to be in the political spotlight. He's the comedic incarnate of Ben Affleck.

 

Contrast this with the relative humility and reluctance of Mr. Molyneux, who wants nothing to do with mainstream media, dresses down for his podcasts, and doesn't apply makeup despite his high definition camera. I bet Stefan is wearing sweatpants or no pants at all when he sweats in front of the camera. I still remember the show where he went shirtless for a bit. Yes, I enjoyed myself thoroughly. He's fearless, and doesn't care about his image. You cannot say the same for Brand.

 

He's a sophist, and he's popular, which can only be a dangerous combination for the people.

 

Has anyone here actually read his books? They got 4/5 stars on Amazon.

[cynicist]

One word: Pretentious

[Josh F]

If you want to see a video where his pretentiousness is really explored, the Vice interview is great.  The girl is just not falling for all the flirty stuff and makes fun of his goofy book.  She read a line from it at the end of the video thats just makes me cringe.  

[RyanT]

I've always found the bloke pretty obnoxious but just recently I've really started to feel quite sorry for him?  

 

People have built him up as this great 'social commentator' and obviously he absolutely craves attention..

 

Certainly been diagnosed bipolar, quite possibly borderline personality disorder, sexually abused when he was 7,

eating disorder at 14, years of drug abuse....guy's a mess. 

[J. D. Stembal]

When you frame his life like that, Brand's ridiculousness starts to make sense. This is all the more reason to argue that he should stay far, far away from politics or social commentary. He hasn't quite slain his personal demons so he's likely going to take it out on the rest of the world in his capacity as public figure.

[PatrickC]

Oh boy that Vice interview displayed all the characteristics facing Brand and facing him alone I think. A lot of acting out on his part.

 

[RyanT]

Bloody hell....where do you even start with something like that

[JanneW]

Wow, what an asshole. Thank you, Patrick, for linking that interview.

 

I really admire the host. She stays rational, asks intelligent questions, tries to keep him on subject and talks openly about her feelings and her impressions of him. Russell can't handle that. If people aren't scared and/or in awe of him, he doesn't seem to know what to do. Maybe he's got nothing to give besides shock value. I used to like some of his bits, but after seeing this, I don't want to watch his stuff again. He behaves atrociously without having been attacked in the slightest.

 

Granted, he seems to be having a bad day. An honest approach for him might have been: "I'm not in my most chipper mood, haven't had my coffee yet. Can't do my manic monkey routine today. How about us having a quiet little chat?"

[PatrickC]

Yeah it was pretty cringe worthy. Like watching that normally alpha guy get respectfully put in his place by a more intelligent women.

 

As she points out about his book, 'it's a stocking filler right?'. If this information was so important you wouldn't be selling it for 20 quid because most kids can't afford it. Reminded me a lot about why Stefan makes most of his content free.

 

I guess Russ would say he does provide a lot of free content. But only if you like a lot of twaddle about consciousness, ecology and wealth distribution of course.

[MCM]

Brand is incredibly manic and fanatical   I really think he has some kind of "Messiah Complex" delusion and he even looks like Jesus (I have holy photos of Jesus taken circa 33AD)

[Josh F]

Yeah he looked like he had just woken up.  I do find it ironic that he is so challenging of capitalism but seems to really understand how distribution for his product works.