Who knew? Russell Brand as guest editor of a political magazine!

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Russell Brand gets on his soap box and nails the political zeitgeist
By Shawn Langlois, October 24, 2013



Comedian Russell Brand may be a debauched, drug-addicted (recovering), dumping-Katy-Perry-by-text blowhard, but we could use some of his passion in Washington. Dismiss him if you like — plenty of people do — yet there’s no denying he’s got a way with words when it comes to describing the plight of the common man.

And our politicians could learn a thing or two.

Don’t believe me, watch the video. While you might disagree with some (all) of what he says, there’s no questioning his sincerity, which hits home a little harder at a time when we’ve had to bear witness to the dysfunction of our government.

The Newsnight interview with Jeremy Paxman started off on a friendly, jovial note, when the host asked, “Russell Brand, who are you to edit a political magazine?” He was referring Brand’s gig as guest editor of the New Statesman.

He answered by saying, “Like a person who has been politely asked by an attractive woman.” The discussion then moved to the topic of voting in political elections, something that Brand doesn’t do. Never has. And probably never will.

“I don’t get my authority by a preexisting paradigm that’s quite narrow and only serves a few people,” Brand said when Paxman called into question whether somebody who doesn’t vote even deserves the chance to have his voice heard.

“I am not not voting out of apathy,” Brand retorted. “I am not voting out of absolute indifference and weariness and exhaustion from the lies, treachery and deceit of the political class that has been going on for generations.”

Then he got down to the crux of his position, the part where you could almost hear the Occupiers squeal in approval: “The planet is being destroyed, we are creating an underclass, exploiting poor people all over the world, and the genuine legitimate problems of the world are not being addressed by our political parties.”

He ended the increasingly touchy banter with more gravity than you might expect from the guy who slayed it as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”‘s randy rock star: “There is going to be a revolution, it’s totally going to happen. I don’t have a flicker of doubt.”
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