Russell Brand v The Sun

[IroningMan]

Oakey said:

KareemK said:

It was dire. Only the Brandophobes will applaud.

Do you give yourself a little pat on the back every time you type that?

All the Brandophones do, you know.

[Prawo Jazdy]

Here's a program from Russell Brand. Just in time for Christmas.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04v2zrg/russ...

I sadly haven't found time to watch it yet, but I expect it to be the best thing since Ross Kemp: In Search of Pirates. Having said that, Russell Brand looks a bit like a pirate (well, one from a Disney film or a pantomime - not a real pirate who'd steal and kill and stuff).

[FredClogs]

Prawo Jazdy said:

Here's a program from Russell Brand. Just in time for Christmas.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04v2zrg/russ...

I sadly haven't found time to watch it yet, but I expect it to be the best thing since Ross Kemp: In Search of Pirates. Having said that, Russell Brand looks a bit like a pirate (well, one from a Disney film or a pantomime - not a real pirate who'd steal and kill and stuff).

I just watched that and if you look closely about half way through there is a man who appears in it with an eye patch, I suspect he's a pirate.

It's an interesting program, I like Russell and think he's an important social commentator and would listen to anything he had to say, I don't agree with much of it though.

[mybrainhurts]

Oakey said:

KareemK said:

It was dire. Only the Brandophobes will applaud.

Do you give yourself a little pat on the back every time you type that?

I do believe he has a little orgasm...

[hairyben]

I can't decide if he wants to be bob geldoff or if he's a neocon conspiracy to devalue worthwhile causes.

[jmorgan]

hairyben said:

I can't decide if he wants to be bob geldoff or if he's a neocon conspiracy to devalue worthwhile causes.

I think he is on auto pilot and its that blow up one from Airplane only it is a blowup Odd Ball but the message ain't getting through.

[KareemK]

mybrainhurts said:

Oakey said:

KareemK said:

It was dire. Only the Brandophobes will applaud.

Do you give yourself a little pat on the back every time you type that?

I do believe he has a little orgasm...

As opposed to the large jizz fest that goes on over an old 80's picture of Mrs T in your house.

[9mm]

FredClogs said:

Prawo Jazdy said:

Here's a program from Russell Brand. Just in time for Christmas.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04v2zrg/russ...

I sadly haven't found time to watch it yet, but I expect it to be the best thing since Ross Kemp: In Search of Pirates. Having said that, Russell Brand looks a bit like a pirate (well, one from a Disney film or a pantomime - not a real pirate who'd steal and kill and stuff).

I just watched that and if you look closely about half way through there is a man who appears in it with an eye patch, I suspect he's a pirate.

It's an interesting program, I like Russell and think he's an important social commentator and would listen to anything he had to say, I don't agree with much of it though.

He has about as much relevance to social change and politics as a turd passing through the sewer system. Far, far more erudite, eloquent and intelligent people have gone from hero to 'have to look him up on Wiki' than Brand.

[FredClogs]

9mm said:

FredClogs said:

Prawo Jazdy said:

Here's a program from Russell Brand. Just in time for Christmas.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04v2zrg/russ...

I sadly haven't found time to watch it yet, but I expect it to be the best thing since Ross Kemp: In Search of Pirates. Having said that, Russell Brand looks a bit like a pirate (well, one from a Disney film or a pantomime - not a real pirate who'd steal and kill and stuff).

I just watched that and if you look closely about half way through there is a man who appears in it with an eye patch, I suspect he's a pirate.

It's an interesting program, I like Russell and think he's an important social commentator and would listen to anything he had to say, I don't agree with much of it though.

He has about as much relevance to social change and politics as a turd passing through the sewer system. Far, far more erudite, eloquent and intelligent people have gone from hero to 'have to look him up on Wiki' than Brand.

Well that's your opinion. Did you watch the program in question?

[CamMoreRon]

turbobloke said:

CamMoreRon said:

KareemK said:

BlackLabel said:

An open letter to Russell Brand.

That's about the worst blog/rant I've ever read.

1/10

FML what idiot types white on black? Is it 2001?

It's not obvious at all, really it isn't, why you would focus on the appearance, when the content so cogently kicks RB's ass.

Still, back to more important matters, what about the use of semicolons?

Jesus Christ on a black and white bike.. you guys really don't understand sarcasm amongst the youth of today, do you.

[9mm]

FredClogs said:

9mm said:

FredClogs said:

Prawo Jazdy said:

Here's a program from Russell Brand. Just in time for Christmas.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04v2zrg/russ...

I sadly haven't found time to watch it yet, but I expect it to be the best thing since Ross Kemp: In Search of Pirates. Having said that, Russell Brand looks a bit like a pirate (well, one from a Disney film or a pantomime - not a real pirate who'd steal and kill and stuff).

I just watched that and if you look closely about half way through there is a man who appears in it with an eye patch, I suspect he's a pirate.

It's an interesting program, I like Russell and think he's an important social commentator and would listen to anything he had to say, I don't agree with much of it though.

He has about as much relevance to social change and politics as a turd passing through the sewer system. Far, far more erudite, eloquent and intelligent people have gone from hero to 'have to look him up on Wiki' than Brand.

Well that's your opinion. Did you watch the program in question?

I didn't. My opinion was already formed. The last time I listened to him was on Question Time where I have rarely seen someone so out of their depth. I doubt I'll watch the linked programme unless I have run out of ways to self-harm and need to fill some time.

[iphonedyou]

TTwiggy said:

It's a good letter. A very good letter. So good, in fact, that I'm pretty certain it was written by a professional writer.

Nah. The letter is very good but I can't see the overuse of his first name getting past the first check. I get that it reinforces the thematic, but it's irritating.

ETA: if I recall correctly, he's not just outside the building where the administrative staff rather than traders work, but he's also outside the building where, inter alia, the staff structured asset finance agreements that most of the public sector avails of to maintain prudential borrowing rates - therefore saving the taxpayer expense servicing loans that would be higher interest otherwise.

A fail on so many levels, it's difficult to know where to start.

Edited by iphonedyou on Wednesday 17th December 13:56

[TroubledSoul]

I generally like him and have even been to see him before. I find the guy entertaining. Sue me.

I also read The Sun. Occasionally.

It's a strange place to be, caught between the two powerhouses of social commentary.....

[FredClogs]

9mm said:

FredClogs said:

9mm said:

FredClogs said:

Prawo Jazdy said:

Here's a program from Russell Brand. Just in time for Christmas.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04v2zrg/russ...

I sadly haven't found time to watch it yet, but I expect it to be the best thing since Ross Kemp: In Search of Pirates. Having said that, Russell Brand looks a bit like a pirate (well, one from a Disney film or a pantomime - not a real pirate who'd steal and kill and stuff).

I just watched that and if you look closely about half way through there is a man who appears in it with an eye patch, I suspect he's a pirate.

It's an interesting program, I like Russell and think he's an important social commentator and would listen to anything he had to say, I don't agree with much of it though.

He has about as much relevance to social change and politics as a turd passing through the sewer system. Far, far more erudite, eloquent and intelligent people have gone from hero to 'have to look him up on Wiki' than Brand.

Well that's your opinion. Did you watch the program in question?

I didn't. My opinion was already formed. The last time I listened to him was on Question Time where I have rarely seen someone so out of their depth. I doubt I'll watch the linked programme unless I have run out of ways to self-harm and need to fill some time.

It's genuinely quite good. On balance I'm not in favour of drugs decriminalisation but Brand makes some worthy arguments in favour and interviews a lot of people on the subject including Nick Clegg a bloke that looks like a pirate.

[TTwiggy]

iphonedyou said:

TTwiggy said:

It's a good letter. A very good letter. So good, in fact, that I'm pretty certain it was written by a professional writer.

Nah. The letter is very good but I can't see the overuse of his first name getting past the first check. I get that it reinforces the thematic, but it's irritating.

Edited by iphonedyou on Wednesday 17th December 13:56

I think it's been done to seem real, but I still think it's a pro job (I never said it was a good pro job!).

[Einion Yrth]

TroubledSoul said:

I find the guy entertaining. Sue me.

I don't believe that having execrable taste is actually a tort, is it?

[TroubledSoul]

Einion Yrth said:

TroubledSoul said:

I find the guy entertaining. Sue me.

I don't believe that having execrable taste is actually a tort, is it?

I'm not sure, I thought the rules were just made up as we went along in here....

[turbobloke]

Sue having been mentioned, has Brand got around to her yet?

[waterwonder]

Are any of the Brand fans going to defend the accusations of hypocrisy raised in the letter?

The guy is playing his lefty fans for fools, he is quite happy to bank the proceeds from the system he riles against, ironically said proceeds are probably going through the roof. If he wants a hand redistributing his wealth then i'll be happy to take a few quid off him to do my bit.

I do actually find some of his rants entertaining however his position is as logical as raging about tax avoidance whilst happily banking a salary and a pension from a multinational.

His appearance on question time showed that he's a comedian with a few political sound bytes to get the masses gnashing their teeth. When challenged on anything his default position is "but i'm just a comedian".

[Legend83]

His response.

"Hello Jo, thanks for your open letter, I do remember you from the melee outside RBS and firstly, I’d like to say sorry for your paella getting cold. It’s not nice to suffer because of actions that are nothing to do with you. I imagine the disabled people of our country who have been hit with £6bn of benefit cuts during the period that RBS received £46bn of public bail-out money feel similarly cheesed off.
I can’t apologise for the RBS lockdown though mate because, I don’t have the authority to close great big institutions – even ones found guilty of criminal activity.

The locking of the doors and your tarnished lunch came about as the result of orders from “the faceless bosses” upstairs after I wandered in on my own while we secretly filmed from across the street - then security swarmed, all the doors were locked and crowds gathered outside. I must say Jo; it felt like RBS had something terrible to hide. But more of that in a minute.

Neither was I there for publicity, although you could be forgiven for thinking that; for many years I have earned my money (and paid my taxes) by showing off. If I needed negative publicity (and, believe me, that’s all talking publicly about inequality can ever get you) I could get it by using the “N word” on telly, or putting a cat in a bin, or having a romantic liaison with the lad from TOWIE.
I was there with filmmaker Michael Winterbottom making a documentary about how the economic crises caused by the banking industry (RBS were found guilty of rigging Libor and the foreign exchange) has led to an economic attack on the most vulnerable people in society. I don’t want to undermine your personal inconvenience Jo, I’d be the first to admit that I’m often more vexed by little things; iPhone chargers continually changing makes me as angry as apartheid - so I can’t claim any personal moral high ground, but a chance to make a film that highlights how £80bn of austerity cuts were made, punishing society’s most vulnerable during the same period that bankers awarded themselves £81bn in bonuses was irresistible.

The mob upstairs at RBS who exiled you with your rapidly deteriorating lunch have had £4bn in bonuses since the crash. Do they deserve our money more than Britain’s disabled? Or Britain’s students who are now charged to learn? Is that fair?
They were some of the questions I was hoping to ask your boss – but we got no joy through the “proper channels” so we decided to just show up.

Not just to RBS, but also to Lloyds, HSBC and Barclays. I know that the regular folk on the floor aren’t guilty of this trick against ordinary people; they’re like anyone, trying to make ends meet. As you point out though, it’s hard to get to the men at the top so we were forced into door-stopping and inadvertent lunch spoiling. The good news is that this film and even this correspondence will reach hundreds of thousands of people and they’ll learn how they’re being conned by the financial industry and turned against one another - that’s got to be a good thing, even if it makes me look a bit of a twit in the process and the national dish of Spain is eaten sub-par.

Now I’ll be the first to admit your lunch has been an unwitting casualty in this well-intentioned quest but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to ask new RBS boss Ross McEwan if he thinks it’s right that he got a £3.2m “golden hello” when the RBS is sellotaped together with money that comes from everyone else’s taxes. I wonder what he would’ve said? Or whether it’s right that Fred “the shred” (he shredded evidence of impropriety) Goodwin gets to keep his £320k a year pension while disabled people have had their independent living fund scrapped.

And it’s not just RBS mate. Lloyds, Barclays, Citibank and HSBC have all been found guilty of market rigging and not one banker has been jailed.

Trillions of public money lost and stolen and no one prosecuted. Remember in the riots when disaffected youth nicked the odd bottle of water or a stray pair of trainers? Criminal, I agree. 1800 years worth of sentences were meted out in special courts, to make an example. Some crime doesn’t pay, but some crime definitely does. My school mate Leigh Pickett, a fireman is being told that he and his colleagues won’t be able to collect their pension until five years later than agreed, five more years of backbreaking, flame engulfed labour – why? Because of austerity.

Put simply Jo, the banks took the money, the people paid the price.

I was there to ask a few questions to the guilty parties, now I know that’s not you, you’re just a bloke trying to make a crust and evidently you like that crust warm - but again, it wasn’t me who locked the RBS, I just asked a few difficult questions and the place went nuts. The people that have inconvenienced homeowners, pensioners, the disabled and ordinary working Brits are the same ones who inconvenienced you that lunchtime. They’ve got a lot to hide, so they locked the doors. You said my “agro demeanor” reminded you of school. Your letter reminded me of school too, when the teacher would say, “because Russell’s been naughty, the whole class has to stay behind”.

I’d never knowingly keep a workingman from his dinner, it’s unacceptable and I do owe you an apology for being lairy.

So Jo, get in touch, I owe you an apology and I’d like to take you for a hot paella to make up for the one that went cold – though you could say that was actually the fault of the shady shysters who nicked the wedge and locked you out, I’d rather err on the side of caution. When I make a mistake I like to apolgise and put it right. Hopefully your bosses will do the same to the people of Britain."