Russell Brand – Confidence man

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Oct 16, 2024

The discussion delves into Russell Brand's dramatic transformation from leftist icon to conspiracy theorist. It explores the fallout of allegations against him and how paranoia reshaped his political views. The hosts reflect on the societal implications of his journey, examining fame, addiction, and the complexities of modern political discourse. They critique the merging of left and right conspiracy narratives during crises like COVID-19 and the Ukraine conflict, urging critical engagement with the stories we consume.

01:26:42

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ANECDOTE

Troubled Childhood

Russell Brand's father took him to Thailand and Hong Kong as a teenager.
There they engaged in sexual acts with prostitutes booked by Brand's father.

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ANECDOTE

Drug Use and MTV

Russell Brand's drug use escalated, involving heroin and other substances.
He brought his drug dealer and the dealer's young son to work at MTV, where they smoked crack in the bathroom.

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ANECDOTE

Exploitative Show

While working for UK Play, Brand created a show exploiting a sex worker and her family.
He planned to have sex with her after involving himself in their lives, causing the boyfriend distress.

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Evolving Persona: Fame, Politics, and Paranoia

01:45 • 22min

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Navigating Fame and Identity

23:23 • 6min

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Navigating Politics and Spirituality: A Critical Commentary

29:12 • 4min

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Unpacking Rhetoric and Public Persona

33:30 • 18min

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Exploring Recovery and Societal Reflections

51:20 • 3min

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Conspiracies and Community in Times of Crisis

54:16 • 8min

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The Paranoid Economy and Its Political Affiliations

01:02:42 • 2min

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Fallout and Transformation: A Public Figure's Journey

01:04:17 • 13min

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Navigating Dangerous Behaviors and Media Sensationalism

My Booky Wook is a memoir by Russell Brand that offers a vivid account of his life, from his difficult childhood in Essex to his struggles with addiction and his eventual rise to fame in the entertainment industry. The book is known for its candid and humorous storytelling, providing insights into Brand's personal struggles and professional successes.

The Ministry of Truth

Dorian Lynskey

Capital

Karl Marx

Das Kapital is a comprehensive critique of capitalism written by Karl Marx. The work is divided into three volumes. Volume I, published in 1867, focuses on the production process of capital, introducing the concept of surplus value and the exploitation of labor. Volume II, published posthumously in 1885, examines the circulation of capital, while Volume III, published in 1894, discusses the capitalist process as a whole, including the internal differentiation of the capitalist class and the tendency of the rate of profit to fall. Marx argues that capitalism is characterized by the exploitation of labor, leading to class conflict and eventual crises that necessitate the emergence of a new mode of production.

Our Revolution

A Future to Believe In

Bernie Sanders

In *Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In*, Bernie Sanders shares his personal experiences from the 2016 presidential campaign trail, recounting the details of his historic primary fight and the people who made it possible. The book outlines a progressive economic, environmental, racial, and social justice agenda aimed at creating jobs, raising wages, protecting the environment, and providing health care for all. Sanders emphasizes that the political revolution has just started and that the struggle to transform the country and the world continues.

Everything Must Go

Dorian Lynskey

What the hell happened to Russell Brand? Ten years ago, the comedian and actor was the loudest voice on the British left as his florid calls for spiritual and political revolution won him the support of politicians and journalists. Now he is a full-time conspiracy theorist and disgraced exile from mainstream culture, conducting prayer meetings with Jordan Peterson and flirting with Donald Trump. The fall of a celebrity is not usually Origin Story material but Brand’s transformation epitomises the political chaos of the last decade: how populism and paranoia scramble conventional notions of right and left to create a volatile third category.

In the first episode of season six, Dorian and Ian reassess Brand’s extraordinary rise to fame in the 2000s in light of recent allegations of sexual misconduct and explore how British culture gave him a free pass. In 2013 Brand swapped sex and fame for a new compulsion, reinventing himself as a flamboyant agitator to great acclaim. In the void between Occupy and Corbynism, his verbose mishmash of self-help and socialism briefly made him a lion of the left. During the pandemic Brand embraced a darker shade of politics, promoting conspiracy theories about Covid-19, Ukraine and much more besides. After the allegations broke last year he went full crank, aligning himself with Robert F Kennedy Jr, Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones in the paranoid space.

What does Brand’s journey to the fringes tell us about the shifting political landscape? Did he really switch sides or were the red flags flying all along? What can the left learn from its haste to turn a motormouth comedian into a radical icon? Is Brand’s latest incarnation sincere or opportunistic, and does it really matter? And which of his tomes makes for the most painful reading today: Revolution or My Booky Wook?

This is a bizarre story of celebrity and conspiracy, addiction and attention, which says a great deal about where we are now.

Get the Origin Story books on Fascism, Centrism and Conspiracy Theory – out 17th Oct

Origin Story will be live at the Tabernacle in London on the 7th of November for a special post-US election show. Tickets here.

Get exclusive extras like supporter-only Q&A editions when you back Origin Story on Patreon.

Reading List

Books

Russell Brand - My Booky Wook (2007)

Russell Brand - Revolution (2014)

Anna Merlan - Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power (2019)

Naomi Klein - Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World (2023)

Video and audio

Russell Brand at parliamentary select committee on drug addiction (2012)

Newsnight debate on drug addiction with Peter Hitchens (2012)

Newsnight interview with Jeremy Paxman (2013)

Newsnight interview with Evan Davis (2014)

Brand: A Second Coming, directed by Ondi Timoner (2015)

Russell Brand: In Plain Sight: Dispatches (2023)

Russell Brand podcast archive

Articles

Michael Kelly, ‘The Road to Paranoia’, New Yorker (1995)

Piers Morgan, ‘Russell Brand’, GQ (2006)

Miranda Sawyer, Brand on the run, The Guardian (2008)

Russell Brand on Margaret Thatcher: “I always felt sorry for her children”, The Guardian (2013)

Russell Brand on revolution: “We no longer have the luxury of tradition”, New Statesman (2013)

Brian Logan, ‘Messiah Complex – review’, Guardian (2013)

Mark Fisher, ‘Exiting the Vampire Castle’, Open Democracy (2013)

Justin Gray, ‘The Sneaky Smarts of Russell Brand’, Vulture (2013)

David Runciman, ‘Revolution by Russell Brand review’, Guardian (2014)

For complete article list see Patreon

Written and presented by Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Simon Williams. Music by Jade Bailey. Art by Jim Parrett. Logo by Mischa Welsh. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Origin Story is a Podmasters production

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