Russel Brand- I see him in a new light.

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trj977

Über Member
Location
London
I have never been and suspect I will never be, a fan. But one of the most poignant and succinct tributes I have ever read.

Thought I would just post this for people like myself who never got the whole Brand thing.

Please, please, do not start the AW debate again on this thread, leave it in the Crank Arm.

http://www.russellbrand.tv/2011/07/for-amy/
 

Bluebell72

New Member
I agree. I read it, and thought it moving yet completely candid and slush-free.

After the Sachs-gate thing, I thought he was just a narcisistic moron, and there's only room for one of those on the Jonathan Ross Show.
 

Melonfish

Evil Genius in training.
Location
Warrington, UK
actually i always considered him a colossal tit, until that is i saw him on the one show not so long ago where he came across as mature, respectful and blow me, intelligent...
i had to re-evaluate my media driven impressions.

can't seem to get your link to load mind.
pete
 

Shaun

Founder
Moderator
can't seem to get your link to load mind.

Hmmmm .... neither can I. He's tweeted it though, so I suspect his website is just overloaded at the mo. and the link will work later once the requests for the link settle down a bit.
 

upsidedown

Waiting for the great leap forward
Location
The middle bit
I read that last night and it completely changed how I thought of him too. I had no idea he'd battled addiction; beautifully written piece.
 

MontyVeda

a short-tempered ill-controlled small-minded troll
Yes and well written and honest piece. As I type there's an article on the radio about poeple addicted to presciption drugs by doctors who now full well they're addicted. Yesterday on the Beeb website I read another article about addiction and this quote from Brand's piece I feel is particularly true...

We need to review the way society treats addicts, not as criminals but as sick people in need of care. We need to look at the way our government funds rehabilitation. It is cheaper to rehabilitate an addict than to send them to prison, so criminalisation doesn’t even make economic sense.

I fear that with addiction currently in the spot light will soon become yesterday's news, and the common conception of addiction wont change one little bit.
 

TVC

Guest
Brand does this occasionally, just when you are certain he is a narcissistic, vacuous, waste of skin he will suddenly show his intelligence, humanity and wit. I wish he wouldn't, I like my celebs to be 2D, it makes them easier to compartmentalise.

Excellent piece on AW.


To pick up on his comments on addiction, I've been looking for an appropriate place to post this:

Back in '06 I was knocked off my bike and spent the night in Leicester Royal Infirmary for obs. In the Emergency Observation ward a barely concious guy was brought in and placed in the bed next to me. Possibly in his late 20s he was clearly known to the staff. 'Great they've stuck me next to a drunk' I thought whilst he coughed, shuffled and moaned his way through the first part of the night.

The following morning while I was waiting to be seen, get some pain killers, and go. Someone, I assume from the addiction unit came to see him. He was sober now they were on first name terms. What followed was one of the saddest conversations I've ever heard. The guy cried as he expressed his despair and self loathing for his condition, with pleas for real help. The professional went through his horrendous history and asked if he was having suicidal thoughts again. Again! He had no family to contact, no support structure and was failing to survive, never mind have a meaningful life. The NHS was all he had.

I can only hope that addiction never comes my way.
 

Andy in Sig

Vice President in Exile
I still think that Brand is a vacuous etc. etc. etc. and I've no doubt that he will continue to be just that. However, it is good to see that he is capable of honesty and wisdom as and when circumstances demand it.
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
Now this is what's great about internet forums ... I'd have never seen that in 'meatspace' and whilst I still think Brands persona is an absolute twat, I never thought him anything less than intelligent and that beautifully written piece demonstrates he has hidden depths.

It's a shame the public likes and feeds 'Brand the self-gratification artist', cos it just might be that 'Brand the bright bloke' might have something worth hearing.
Thanks for sharing.
 

JonnyBlade

Live to Ride
Russell Brand has a decent side to him.

He's a West Ham fan, and that counts for a lot in anybody's book.

hahahahahahahahahahahha another comedian
laugh.gif
 
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