That’s one of the things I like most about Brand. He is so far from perfect it’s ridiculous.

He doesn’t carry on as if he is holier than thou (Like most politicians and members of the establishment) or tries to hide his flaws.

The human element is what makes him likeable IMO, compared to the two faced muppets who pretend their shit doesn’t stink.

I bet this weekend, quite a few bankers, politicians and the like, will be visiting a brass house and snorting lines off a hookers back 😆

or a little boys, they seem to have a reputation for THAT type of thing too (like the Clergy).

I did smile at who leapt in to defend Russell from allegations of hypocrisy

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/nick-clegg-defends-russell-brand-over-the-sun-hypocrite-claims-9903236.html

Northwind’s quote is exactly why I think Brand lacks credibility as a political commentator and is extremely dangerous “role model” for the young. Here is a man, open drug user, womaniser, who gets hire and fired, encourages people not to vote. So the young look and listen and think, its OK to be like Brand, it’s cool even and he’s rich .. so if I behave like that it’s OK, cool and I might OK financially too.

The fact he pays £76k pa rent in Hoxton is exactly why there is a housing crises in East London, it’s renters like him which are driving up property values there encouraging charities like the one who owned Era to sell up and reinvest elsewhere. I rent in Chelsea, you can rent a spectacular place here for £76k pa, the sort of place Jose Mohrinho used to live in for example on Cadogan Square (Chelsea/Belgravia). That’s not cool though for Brand is it, would be a bit off message for his street cred eh ?

Northwind’s quote is exactly why I think Brand lacks credibility as a political commentator and is extremely dangerous “role model” for the young. Here is a man, open drug user, womaniser, who gets hire and fired, encourages people not to vote. So the young look and listen and think, its OK to be like Brand, it’s cool even and he’s rich .. so if I behave like that it’s OK, cool and I might OK financially too.

The fact he pays £76k pa rent in Hoxton is exactly why there is a housing crises in East London, it’s renters like him which are driving up property values there encouraging charities like the one who owned Era to sell up and reinvest elsewhere. I rent in Chelsea, you can rent a spectacular place here for £76k pa, the sort of place Jose Mohrinho used to live in for example on Cadogan Square (Chelsea/Belgravia). That’s not cool though for Brand is it, would be a bit off message for his street cred eh ?

Visiting a brass house this weekend Jambalaya?

jambalaya – Member

open drug user,

Recovering addict, is the term you’re looking for there, clean and sober for a decade.

But if you think that anecdote is glorifying drugs you’re off your head. And he’s done a huge amount to talk about and help with drug abuse and mental health issues from his experience, it’s really where he started writing.

Ironically, when he does so, he gets this sort of “But he’s an addict! We shouldn’t listen to him!” but when he talks about people losing their homes he says “But he can afford his rent! He’s a hypocrite for talking about things that don’t personally affect him.

jamby is right; how very dare brand rent in hoxtn, the rich should only be allowed to live in the royal borough?!!?

northwinds nailed it, his popularity is partly because hes admitted that he likes sex and drugs and hes been very public about his addiction and recovery

and to be honest now thatthat the Sun has launched one of its extensive hate campaigns against him, we know hes definitely on the side of good!

Nick Clegg’s remembered he’s a liberal democrat! Bit late, but still. Maybe some day I’ll defend him for being a recovering Tory, clean and not a **** for 10 years, and he’ll have started a charity and written a series of articles on the lessons he learned from his darker times.

I didn’t call him a hypocrit, but I am not surprised someone has, he could have avoided all this by having a sensible answer to an obvious question.

Hi @kudos, that’s too obscure/clever for me I’m afraid

Typical gentrification would have involved Brand moving into such an area and buying big property, again I imagine that didn’t fit with his “right on” image of himself, so he just rents at a costs of 6-8x what flats rent for in the ERA block. The flow of such money into such an area is exactly why the value of property there has jumped so much. ERA is a private property, even the local council is selling off the social housing / land for big profits and redevelopment.

As an aside I live near a very famous London Social Housing Project / Trust right in the center of SW3. Its well maintained, no issues at all, adds to the area. However the lease was 100 years and it is soon to be redeveloped. That was the deal setup 90-odd years ago. The ERA project, as social housing, is coming to an end too. Brand should be focusing his energy on why the local council won’t rehouse these people ad why they and the government aren’t building more social housing.

Northwind’s quote is exactly why I think Brand lacks credibility as a political commentator and is extremely dangerous “role model” for the young. Here is a man, open drug user, womaniser, who gets hire and fired, encourages people not to vote.

I disagree, that’s exactly why he is a good social commentator, and why he is a good role model for the young. he’s been there, done ‘it’, and come out the other side a changed, enlightened man. politicians would look down on a kid that had an opinion, but was a smack addict, brand would listen and offer the kid a hand up.

I agree, that at times he is misguided, but don’t forget he was Hollywood a list, he could still be there, making shit films, shagging Katy perry etc, but he’s not, he saw he needed to change, and he is trying to make a difference. God knows why people see that as a bad thing.

Hi @kudos, that’s too obscure/clever for me I’m afraid

It’s tongue in cheek.

The idea that brand isn’t credible because he is ex addict and likes kinky sex is laughable.

That is a major part of the reason he is credible, unlike the vast majority of the establishment, who lie through their teeth for a living.

It’s a good job we have had such wonderful people in the public eye, like Jimmy Savile and Max Clifford.

I got that, I just couldn’t understand the joke/jibe 😐

Perhaps I need a copy of the Russel Brand Urban Dictionary ?

I understand the comments above about Brand but i reiterate that if he cared about social housing he would be chasing the local authority and the government to build more / stop selling. It’s not the private sectors role to provide social housing. I don’t give him an ounce of credibility on this, this is just part of his personal agenda against “the establishment” and a good chance to be on TV

I got that, I just couldn’t understand the joke/jibe

Perhaps I need a copy of the Russel Brand Urban Dictionary ?

Try watching the Trews 😀

I’m just glad none of our tory overlords take drugs! 😆

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47mu3Gy4RWQ[/video]

jambalaya – Member
I understand the comments above about Brand but i reiterate that if he cared about social housing he would be chasing the local authority and the government to build more / stop selling. It’s not the private sectors role to provide social housing. I don’t give him an ounce of credibility on this, this is just part of his personal agenda against “the establishment” and a good chance to be on TV

with over 1/3rd of MPs being BTL landlords and a chancellor hell bent at propping up the housing bubble at any cost, blaming renters(however much they pay) is churlish, Id say Brand going after the establishment is exactly the right thing to do
I dont see this raising his tv profile either, taking on the press is a good way to get yourself booted out of the limelight and end your career

look the chancellors an ex- junkie, burn him!

jambalaya – Member

he could have avoided all this by having a sensible answer to an obvious question.

He did- it’s just not an answer the journalist wanted to hear, because he went there to write a story attacking Russell Brand. Sensible answer- that’s not what we’re here to talk about.

Strange that this was the day before Gideon’s gurn bonanza: