Russell Brand

[Wassapp]

AIBU to think... 'here we go again?'

Anyone watching? I've always said 'innocent until proven guilty' but also 'there is no smoke without fire'.

Having been sexually assaulted myself, one of the stories seem so similar to mine.

What's your thoughts?

This is the most confusing post, I know. I just don't know how I feel.

What good has RB done? Can you give one tangible example? And not waffle on about challenging authority?

The amount of evidence that Dispatches has compiled goes beyond witch hunt. Did you read the evidence? Which bit strikes you as a witch hunt?

The rape survivor did not want to press charges (US system) and so they would not have been able to get a dna sample from Brand in likelihood. I like to hope they have been kept on file so if it does ever go to court they can be used.

Except, again, it isn't. You're just repeating things you've heard him and others like him say @AngelinaBlack

Tons of people have gone against the mainstream views and therefore "big cooporations" in recent years (Malhotra, Bridgen, Campbell etc). They make far more from doing this than they would from their normal job, and get an almost cult like following in return,

He also exploited the fuck out of a very brief heroin 'addiction' positioning himself as the world's leading addiction expert despite his solutions being trite and lacking any real understanding or insight. Another privileged man using the misery of others to promote himself. Always himself.

I noted he hooked up with someone at an AA meeting.

Anyone who has endured a twelve-step program or two will be very familiar with his type. The thirteenth step is a massive problem.

I agree. And I think it does a terrible disservice to Savile's victims that people are determined to compare them. Savile targeted hundreds of children. Brand targeted adults. Brand got his assistants to give out his phone number. Those women chose to call it. Chose to show up to a meeting with him. That's nothing like Savile targeting bed bound children in Stoke Mandeville hospital.

I thought it was really inappropriate that they juxtaposed Savile and Brand on the documentary last night. It was a cheap trick to imply some sort of association when the clip in question literally proved they had no association or Brand wouldn't have been trying to get a meeting with him. If anyone should be damned for an association with Savile it's Louis Theroux, and even he said he didn't spot what he was like after all the time they spent together!

No one knew what Savile was like while he was alive. It was risque and inappropriate banter.

Can you name a single celebrity who has lost his life or career due to a huge corporation?

Jimmy saville was 'no Jimmy Saville' until after he was!

Quite - and I can't think of anyone who is currently doing badly out of it.

Andrew Wakefield is still having the time of life.

Completely not the point of the thread but @blebb i too was confused by the use of the term Baroque and still can’t work out the connection…
Best I can come up with on this is either he means these are very detail aligations or it could be that he possibly considers himself a modern day Marquis de Sade…?

Then again could be he’s just spouting plain old bollocks!

Brand groomed a 16yo girl into a sexual relationship. He referred to himself as ‘Daddy’
around her, and when she told him she was a virgin, he referred to her as his baby due to her young age.

There is NO difference between Brand and Savile, both are sexual predators.

@AngelinaBlack You compared their 'crimes'. I've reported your post because it is clearly homophobic.

DNA evidence is unlikely to be helpful here. There is no disputing that intercourse took place, just whether or not it was consensual.

Agree.

I've watched the programme and I still don't understand why this has been deemed the right way to go about it.

I have no real opinion on RB. I've never really been a fan of his humour and don't find him attractive (I know many women do, or used to).

A lot of his behaviour is in bad taste, and (if the stories are true) his treatment of women is poor. But that's not illegal.

The rapes, if true, are illegal, but this should be being dealt with by the police. And I can't understand the relevance of all the other stuff to do with his sex life and how many women he has shagged. If a woman is raped, that's not an issue. If a woman who is raped routinely shags 5 men a day, that's not relevant, she was still raped. So I'm not really seeing why this is all being dragged up with RB.

Also, I can't help but think of the whole Caroline Flack situation. That stemmed from an illegal act (she used violence on her boyfriend), and because of online vitriol, she ended up killing herself.

This mob mentality doesn't sit right with me; why isn't this being dealt with by the police?

Also, the similarities with Saville - eccentric, overtly sexual, does a lot for charity. Yes, they are massive similarities. But I'm not sure that's enough to also say that he's guilty of the same crimes.

In brief; he might be guilty of rape. But a) I don't think this tv programme and all the hype was the right way to go about it and b) I think a lot of the other stuff is irrelevant.

I'm not surprised by Brand's behaviour or these revelations.

I'm surprised by all the people rushing to urge caution and to remind us that even if he did bad things it was a long time ago and he's so brilliant and he's done so much good since and to be honest lots of people did that stuff then...

I'm interested that C4 have admitted their part- that could perhaps be the start of the end of stars being facilitated and protected.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if it were?

Should posters not qualify statements with 'allegedly'? I thought that was the correct thing to do.

I remember the friend who reminded me about allegedly and innocent until guilty in a court of law, and he's dead and can't defend himself, the day after Saville broke.

She went very quiet afterwards.

@pinguins

By DNA I'm assuming you mean semen?
The problem with that is that most rapes are committed by someone known to the victim.. so can be explained away.
When I went to the police and rape unit they noted semen/cuts/bruises.. My rapist was never arrested, he handed himself in to the police with a.. If a woman walks in and accuses me of anything she lying!
(A bit like what Brand did Friday night)
When questioned by the police my rapist explained it away as being consensual rough sex.

that could perhaps be the start of the end of stars being facilitated and protected

or the start of woman being protected in the work place and not dismissed because of allegations.

If my boss had his Willy out when I went to see if he wanted a coffee - I’d report it - If be believed and my job would be safe. Why should it be different for this who work for rich people.

The idea that shagging a 16 year old in a consensual relationship - or even the sexual assault she accused him of which he should be answering for through the courts - is in any way comparable to Savile is crazy.

This could be the tip of the iceberg with Brand certainly, but we're still nowhere near the peak of what Savile was really up to. He was protected in life, he (or rather his associates) are protected to this day.

This in no way is intended to defend Brand, but seriously anyone comparing the two has lost their heads.

For the PP & other Brand defenders, what good things has he done?

How has he challenged authority or the establishment?

He is a multi-millionaire white man whose celeb status & power allowed him to behave with impunity. He IS the establishment.

He preaches his new messiah styled sermons from his million quid plus house. He drives cars that cost more than the median National wage.

He has sacrificed nothing for the causes he preaches about, only used his position in the structures he’s kicking out against now to feather his nest & keep himself relevant.

If he’d managed to keep any of his U.K. media jobs, do you think he’d be spreading this message?

If he’d made it in Hollywood?

Of course not - he knows he’s finished in all those industries, so he’s grifting the hard of thinking while he can & hoping this gig as ‘free thinker’ lasts.

The rapes, if true, are illegal, but this should be being dealt with by the police.

BUT IT HASN'T BEEN @oioicheeky

Going to the police does not work in cases of systemic cover up and enabling of perpertrators.

Whistleblowing and investigative journalism can be the only way these cases come to light - just like with Saville, just like with Rotherham.

I would far rather this is dealt with in an imperfect way than continued to be ignored - presumably others would too?

I am confident that Brand, with all his resources and power, is able to deal with the fall out of a documentary better than most.

But it’s not just the 16yo.

Other women have been raped.

One sexual predator is the same as another.

When you start using Savile as a barometer you get into dangerous territory because what you’re effectively saying is RB is not that bad and he should be allowed to get away with rape.

Only if you don't believe the word of those women and the evidence presented that backs them up.

Who do you want to believe, the alleged victims or the alleged perpetrator

Someone is lying, why are you claiming it's the several women? Because if you insist on using alleged, you are accusing the women, the witnesses and the journalists of lying.

So who do you believe, the man who has everything to gain by saying he didn't do it? Good for you.

What good has done? He has made money from gullible idiots, assaulted women and girls and made degrading remarks about them for entertainment. He enjoys degrading women and he likes it even better if they smile and laugh along. Seems to be his MO.

If you like this guy, then it says something about you. Comparing him to Turing who was motivated by public service and love of his country is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen on here.