to think Russell Brand is Awesome?

[bejeezus]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17823272
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17828670

THAT is what we need!

I think he is absolutely amazing. Admittedly he is troubled but he is so interesting to listen to and most of what he says is actually very self depricating, not arrogant at all.

YABU

have just had chance to watch the full version which Narked Puffin posted- great stuff, both him and Chip Somers

Did you watch it until he was gone and the next bloke came in, calling for harsher punitive measures for drug possession etc. WHAT a wally!

he is so interesting to listen to

I LOVE listening to him. Hes like a good book or a favourite song. He has a great turn of phrase and no pretentions at all I think. I think hes really gifted in being able to express himself

Dear Mr. Brand
are you under the misapphrehension that all users wish to go to abstinence based rehabs? That methadone in the community can help those users who wish to continue using to keep themselves out of harms way i.e. vulnerable women from sex working, from criminal activity to buy drugs?
Mr. Brand speak on behalf of yourself and not all. You have not got a fricking clue your hairy half arsed well meaning drama llama

sorry - that was to Cherriesarelovely

and cherries ARE lovely!

lola him and chip both said that abstinence based rehab wasnt for everyone

I didnt realise people stayed on methadone for 4-7 years!

Used to really like him until I read his second autobiog. The whole thing is basically rape-apologist crap. Horrible.

He's a complete and utter twat who needs to grow up. Boring as fuck as well.

I like his jokes, but not the man, particularly.

I do agree that drug use should not be crimininalised, only trafficking.

Portugal has decriminalised drug use and has seen a decrease in it.
Eg: www.alternet.org/world/151546/portugal_celebrates_10_year_anniversary_of_decriminalizing_drugs_by_tony_newman/

He does have his misjudged moments, but I was watching this last night... Was in absolute awe of him. Very well argued, and very eloquent

Liked his testimony very much. I felt they weren't taking him seriously enough though - partly because of his manner, and partly because as NakedPuffin put it the 'victorian morality' thing seems to be more popular with the press and the voters than any explanation of what addiction is and how best to tackle the issue. Particularly liked:
'There's confusion and ignorance around addiction and it's quite understandable because speaking personally a lot of drug addicts are antisocial, they are a strain on society... but it wasn't until I had access to abstinence based recovery that I was able to change my behaviour.'

It's a practical public health issue, that is dealt with in a very impractical way in our society - combatting the ignorance that he mentions is so crucial to solving the problem. Personally I'm a recovering alcoholic (16 years sober) and one of my relatives is dying of alcoholism at the moment so I know whereof I speak. Even now and then I get told to 'just have one drink' by people in my family. My relative who is dying was bought a bottle of whisky for his birthday by another relative. Actually at his stage the whisky won't make much difference - he's dying either way now. But still... Pure ignorance - they just assume that our addiction is a moral failing and if we just determine to behave ourselves we could drink like normal people. And the stigma - the way people gasp when I tell them... The 'lock 'em all up' mentality comes from the same way of thinking.

Tiddlyompompom I think it's something to do with the deportation of Abu Qatada and not knowing/been advised when his right to appeal had run out.

bec the 'others' just were so startingly not getting it. Oneofem started asking about whether highlighting the suffering that the drugs trade causes in country of origin would reduce the number of drug addicts!!!!

Like RB said, they dont really care because most of them are, er, on drugs

Indeed they don't care about the suffering of their own families, or even their victims (of robbery, etc).

"I LOVE listening to him"

Now I don't. Being an escapee from Sarf London myself I find the accent terribly grating. He sounds exactly like my cousin. As a comedian I find him puerile and unfunny, but the clip I heard on the radio the other day made him rise in my estimation.

I love any regional accent
Can't bear middle-class middle England no-where accents. THAT makes my teeth itch

But, I didn't mean I like his accent.

YANBU.

I watched the links and think he made some very good points. He is a very intelligent man and I think that came across in the way he spoke. I also love that he made a few jokes aswell! It showed his personality and proved he doesn't just put it on for his shows!

His compulsive need to showboat ruins his message. He should have decided what was more important for the occasion: doing his act or addressing the issue.

In the second clip the man at his side grasped his arm in an attempt to calm him down. He seems like the ideal person to deliver a little chat.

It's a shame, because on drugs and their related problems, and the nonsense that is talked about role models, he's dead right.

Sorry, I haven't looked at narkedpuffin's longer versions.

I'm still not impressed. He should know it'll be whittled down.

He is a pretentious, unfunny, unattractive, irritation.

There are few celebrities I loathe as much as RB.

Although Keira Knightley is a close second.

YABU!

I went to primary school with him preens. (He's not from Sarf London)

I though he made a lot of sense.

He has always been very eloquent.

I think he's an idiot.