...to start a thread about a Mumsnet thread? Russell Brand......

[Hakluyt]

...........why?

Yes, if you want to have a web chat with a pretty comedian, then go for it. It makes us all look a bit trivial, but hey ho.

But treating him like a serious social and political commentator? Really??????

telling people what to do when you are in a position of influence surely requires at least a basic understanding and background knowledge?

Like Gideon and CallmeDave you mean?

Whatever you think of Cameron and Osborne (Osbourne?) they have a mandate.

What's interesting is all the 'I'm on the dirty thoughts bench' on the web chat thread in place/as well as questions. If a female was doing this albeit a well known 'player' wouldn't people be slightly less likely to directly say this stuff to them?

My view exactly CostaCoffeeplease.
In addition he makes my skin crawl and I wouldn't let him in my house.

RB is not eloquent, he tries to bamboozle with his language and dazzle with empty rhetoric. Just like a lot if politicians.
He is less concerned with adding anything meaningful to a genuine political debate than with promoting himself and earning more money.
I've got no time for him.

Jeremy Paxman had the brilliant interview with him where he just left him to rant- there was no point in treating him seriously.

I agree with Birds and others. RB is as qualified as anyone to discuss the issues of the day.

I take issue with people criticising him on the basis that he uses flowery language. I suppose if he was inarticulate, that would be yet another stick to beat him with. He can't win.

The man is a complete tool and shouldn't be given a platform

7:03 Which sectors are those? Apart from some overexcited BBC executives?

7:10 I think that many sections of the populace are completely disengaged and disenchanted. Not disenfranchised technically but living in places where their vote makes no impact on the status quo. I live in one of those places myself. Is that hat you mean?

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I don't think having Russell brand in fur a chat is any different to the nonsense talked about on mumsnet in general.

It might actually be fun. I can't take him all that seriously but he is absolutely right about some things .

I don't understand, Funky.

Are you saying that those are the sectors Brand will engage with? What makes you think that?

Apart from anything else, he seems to me to be having far too much fun playing with the posh boys to be addressing the poor and disadvantaged..........

No - one minute you say 'what sections are those, BBC executives' and then you say 'Oh, I'm in one of those sections'.

Make your mind up!

And why is he not qualified to speak politics? Does George Osbourne have any qualifications in accountancy? Answer - no!

"Brand is opening up debate and likely engaging sections of the populace who feel disenfranchised by politics."

I was responding to this point. I am interested to know which sectors of the populace Brand is likely to engage. Apart from, as I said, over excited BBC executives.

This is just a chat forum. It's the perfect platform for celebrity to flog his book in the run up to Xmaswhile the big kids get on with their real jobs,.

I honestly can't see that he is any worse than any of the politicians we have in charge, who are a conniving, dishonest bunch who care naught for the common people, as long as they have the security of their private schools and private health care.

Whatever you think if whatever politician they were still voted in by the electorate. Russell Brand is where he is by being deliberately argumentative, arrogant, shagging lots of women and leaving nasty messages on the answering machine of an old man about shagging his granddaughter.

Arthur and most politicians are a paragon of virtue?

I think Cameron and Osborne have done far worse things than Sachsgate

Am I the only one who fancies an 'obsequious gin'?

So the argument for listening to Russell brand is he's as bad as/not quite as bad as Cameron and Osborne?? It would be nice to set the bar a bit higher for a change wouldn't it?

People can change and reinvent themselves you know.

RB is actually currently championing a very good cause in Hoxton. A residents' Housing Association block, which until now has had controlled rent, has been sold to some Tory Lord of the Manor who is currently telling the working class residents to cough up the "market rent" or fuck off.

These are people who have lived for generations in this particular block, invested in their homes and who work and send their kids to school in their local community. They face being dispersed around the country to available social housing away from their families and friends, jobs, schools, you name it.

To me, this sums up everything that is wrong with our model of society these days. RB has a petition on Change.org, which I, for one, have signed. And I am very glad that someone like him is getting involved in this sort of thing, because we have normalised this for far too long.

here

I'm not liking all this anti-Brand feeling on mumsnet! Has anyone seen his YouTube to-ing and fro-ing with Fox News? It's funny, and it reveals Fox News to be just as much of a joke as Brand himself.

I don't understand all the vitriol against him to be honest. He's passionate, he's got an opinion, and he's not justifying killing and oppressing thousands of people. I can think of worse personalities.

"The man is a complete tool and shouldn't be given a platform"

That can be said for most members of our Main political parties and the fringe ones.

At least RB doesn't preach plunging people into poverty and despair.

With the suicide rate at an all time high, I say, let him have his rant. If it gives those that have no faith in others something to cling to and get inspired by, then he's achieved something.

I've only listened to his environmental/animal stuff and he speaks sense and coherently about those issues.

Dollius, I totally agree.

It was a campaign that I've taken an interest in. I live on a HA estate and my community has been further destroyed by Government nonsensical policies.

People don't have solutions to their situation, they are being punished for being poor.

RB was outspoken about the Hillsborough campaign and has supported the Liverpool Dock Workers campaigns etc.

So he's actually talking sense but managing by his use of words to appear to be talking absolute bollocks?