Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

I still fancy RB

656 replies

WesterChick · 19/09/2023 23:16

I've watched the documentary.

I still fancy RB.

I identify as a radical feminist.

I'm married with kids.

I think that if you are a heterosexual woman, you are either in denial on what men are or you accept what they are but find them irresistibly sexually attractive and so continue to be with them.

RB is simply what the vast majority of men would be like if they could get away with it.

Therefore - and because he's bloody good looking, funny and intelligent - and sexy - I will continue to fancy the pants off him.

I think women who are being all shocked and descusted at his behaviour need to consider what men are actually like. There's not some massive demarcation between him and other men.

OP posts:
IClaudine · 20/09/2023 07:52

Do you all seriously think times have moved on?

To be fair, I think @WesterChick has a point. Things are still shit for young women, but perhaps in a different way to when some of us were young.

Justrolledmyeyesoutloud · 20/09/2023 07:53

I think Russell Brand has learnt loads of long words to baffle people and make himself sound intelligent.

Don't like him, never have

SheIIy · 20/09/2023 07:53

WesterChick · 20/09/2023 07:22

I'm not apologising for his behaviour. Look at rape stats. Loads of men do it and get away with it every single day, usually apologising afterwards like he did. I can't actually believe none of you have experienced this.

Most do not apologise lol

The deny until they're blue in the face

Mrsjayy · 20/09/2023 07:53

Maireas · 20/09/2023 07:51

How do you define "radical feminism" OP, because I'm quite intrigued.

Well this really. Just because you say you are a radical feminist doesn't make it so.

Zonder · 20/09/2023 07:53

skinnycrumpet · 20/09/2023 07:48

I wouldn’t touch him with a stick. He looks like the type of guy who never changes his bedsheets

He wouldn't have had time to change the bed sheets when he was on 3 women a day 🤑

Justrolledmyeyesoutloud · 20/09/2023 07:53

CarefullyNLogically · 20/09/2023 07:15

I personally don’t like his hair and the way he always dresses to show his chest. And I think he’s not as intelligent as everyone thinks he is. He is articulate, which is not necessarily the same thing.

Should have read this before commenting cos exactly what l think!

Clymene · 20/09/2023 07:55

What do you find funny about him OP?

NoSquirrels · 20/09/2023 07:55

When you say you ‘fancy him’ do you attach any emotion to that - sexual desire is usually made up of physical attraction PLUS other information - or do you mean ‘I haven’t changed my opinion that he’s good-looking’ in a bit of a clinical, assessing way? Do you think you would still find him attractive in a room with him knowing what you know?

Lemoncellocake · 20/09/2023 07:55

I remember him when I was about 16. I still remember the utter repulsion I felt then I saw him on TV. I'm 38 now and I still have a physical disgust when I see him and I'm not remotely surprised by the news.

If you fancy this man still then you probably need some help.

EmmaPaella · 20/09/2023 07:55

Nannyfannybanny · 20/09/2023 07:51

He is scruffy,dirty looking,wild eyes (always looks like he's taken some illegal substance) weird,talks rubbish while trying to pop in the odd fancy word. Oh,is he a comedian, his behaviour a few years ago, targeting people with "prank" phone calls was sick and inexcusable.

I stopped even thinking about Ross and Brand after the Sachsgate messages and I didn’t even know Russel was still around. Other people paid to hear him do a ‘comedy’ routine about it. Maybe that was you OP?

Mauricemossy · 20/09/2023 07:57

How utterly sad for you.

Lemoncellocake · 20/09/2023 07:58

Mind you - I do feel times haven't moved on as much as people would like to think. Andrew Tate is an example of that. I think we live in a new era of toxic masculinity, a more dangerous one in many ways. Russell Brand is another symptom and a reminder that men were (still are) behaving this way in recent times. I think it shows that many women have been socialised into accepting to an extent what men put upon us, which is why many will defend him and many will still find him attractive.

I agree that many men would do this if they could. But not the majority.

Sadza · 20/09/2023 07:58

Apart from all the rape and sleeze stuff, he looks like he needs a good scrub with a wire brush and a bottle of dettol.

IClaudine · 20/09/2023 07:58

Speedweed · 20/09/2023 07:22

Morning Russell!

Now fuck off

Can't be him, there would be more long words randomly thrown in.

Bettyboobaloo · 20/09/2023 07:59

This is an odd post. He is your type, fine. But why highlight this particular person? I feel sorry for you because you believe his behaviour represents all men. I find that offensive quite frankly and I think you are disturbed.

CrunchyCarrot · 20/09/2023 07:59

Completely disagree with you OP. 'What men are'... what is that, exactly? They are human beings, broken and awful by nature at their worst, as are women. Some are pretty decent though. I have been partnered with one very decent one for over 25 years. I hope he finds me similarly decent.

renthead · 20/09/2023 07:59

^When I was watching the documentary I felt horrified by the stand up clips shown and I keep searching through my memory to figure out...

Have I seen them before?

Did I think they were funny then? If I did see them why wasn't I horrified?^

I think there are probably lots of posters who weren't horrified at the time, or maybe not sufficiently horrified, or who excused his lewder public behaviour, but have conveniently forgotten that now. Given his previous popularity there is no way that 99% of MNers have always disliked RB and found him hideous, as you'd be led to believe now.

I thought the Andrew Sachs thing was disgusting, not funny and went way too far. But I loved his Re-Birth special and yes, fancied him until a few days ago, though I already thought he'd become a bit of a loon. I surreptitiously stalked him round the playground in Henley this past spring when we were both there with our daughters...

I think it's fine to admit that feelings about can be complicated.

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 20/09/2023 07:59

He always looks like he needs a good wash.

I bet there's some serious smeg going on down there.

8990m · 20/09/2023 08:01

You are a rape apologist and tbh you sound like a broken person to think this is acceptable for woman to be treated regardless if they are sexy on not.
to say:

I think that if you are a heterosexual woman, you are either in denial on what men are or you accept what they are but find them irresistibly sexually attractive and so continue to be with them.
**
RB is simply what the vast majority of men would be like if they could get away with it.

There’s something not right here to even write something like this.

Justletpeopleenjoythings · 20/09/2023 08:01

I don't think you understand radical feminism. The kind you would be, if you were (because you are clearly not a separatist) argues that men can and should bloody well do better.

Mrsjayy · 20/09/2023 08:03

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 20/09/2023 07:59

He always looks like he needs a good wash.

I bet there's some serious smeg going on down there.

🤢

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 20/09/2023 08:03

It always baffled me when he talked about being clean and not taking drugs , he was off his head most of the time. In the documentary you can see clips where he is possibly clean, he's a bit heavier , looks more groomed and his hair isn't all bird's nesty.

Catusrusty · 20/09/2023 08:03

WesterChick · 20/09/2023 07:19

Does literally nobody else think that most men would do what he did if they could get away with it?

Men have always been jealous of him.

I don't think there is this huge line between him and other men. So shoot me.

Well I do think you are very unreasonable for fancying him for multiple reasons. Obviously his actions and attitudes towards women but also he seems like a total creep and looks unwashed.

BUT you are not far wrong in what you say about how men would behave like him if the could. Look at how many rich and famous men have behaved like that but also consider the 2015 study of male university students in North Dakota, over a third said they would rape if there were no consequences.

VisionsOfSplendour · 20/09/2023 08:04

Lahdedahiam · 20/09/2023 07:28

Use spell check and I hope you're not grumpy getting up for school this morning, this was very late!

Show quote history

You don't seriously think a school age person wrote this do you? Or did you mean a teacher?

The views are ridiculous to most but certainly weren't written by a child

5128gap · 20/09/2023 08:04

Its impossible to know what most men would do if they could get away with it, or what behaviour heterosexual women could overlook due to sexual attraction, as no one knows what goes on the privacy of most people's minds. All we see is what people show us through the filter of social conditioning and a desire to comply with norms and the 'morality' they've been taught. Occasionally you get people who dispense with the mask and you see what would normally remain hidden, but we can't extrapolate from that that all human beings are hiding the same things.