Russell Brand
A Different Kind of Comedian
For Russell Brand, “imagining the overthrow of the current political system is the only way [he] can be enthused about politics” (Brand). This statement, while unusual, is even more unusual for someone who most people describe as a comedian. However, Brand is also labeled as a writer, actor, and – surprisingly enough – as a political activist. Although this may come to a surprise to people who aren’t familiar with Brand, his work as an activist and his drive to educate his audience on important issues establishes him – in our eyes – as a public intellectual.
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Public intellectuals are defined not only by their words, but by their actions. Protesting is a common practice for the majority of political activists, and can be seen as a public performance, “using the body as a ‘text,’ a delivery mechanism for a persuasive point” (Porter 8). Brand, while attending a protest, spoke about how he “felt connected on a personal level” and enjoyed the “spectacle of disruption”.
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Attending a protest is an action as opposed to the inaction that seems to follow younger generations, many of whom are part of Brand’s audience. Although Brand says that apathy “is the biggest obstacle to change,” he also says that this type of inaction is a “rational reaction to a system that no longer represents, hears, or addresses the vast majority of people”.
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For Brand, it’s the system that needs to change, and we have the power to implement that change.
“The revolution of consciousness is a decision, decisions take a moment. In my mind the revolution has already begun.”
In the past, public intellectuals were found solely in academic fields. Today, public intellectuals can be found on campus or participating in protests, on social media, or even on television. This dramatic shift between old and new public intellectuals is still being discussed today. Many people still believe that “academic philosophy [has] lost its place” in our society (Herman).
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It is Brand’s belief – and our belief as well – that modern public intellectuals do exist. Clinging to “ideas of old” is, for Brand, unnecessary. He says that these old, idealized intellectuals are “relics of an old notion, like Old Spice. It’s fine that it exists but no one should actually use it”.
Russell Brand uses his video channel, Trews (The True News), to communicate with his audience on topics ranging from politics to drug addiction. His videos are simple, featuring Brand sitting on the floor or hanging out in his house. These kinds of casual videos, similar to the format of Trae Crowder’s back porch videos, are becoming more popular. Audiences want public intellectuals they feel they can relate to.
Relics of an Old Notion
Questions for Discussion:
Are all comedians public intellectuals? How does Brand differ from other popular comedians?
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Brand and Crowder both use a casual format for the majority of their videos. What are some additional benefits to using this format? Are there any drawbacks?
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Should we continue to reference the ideas of old public intellectuals, or should we focus on the public intellectuals of today?