When did Russell Brand decide comedy wasn’t enough for him? For most of his time in the public eye, the Essex-born funnyman has been better known for his off-stage antics than any particulars of his comic craft. There was his short-lived marriage to Katy Perry. His bullying of Andrew Sachs over voicemail on Jonathan Ross’s radio show. His vocal objections to voting in general elections back in 2013. Well over a decade on from all that, his personal website now describes him as an award-winning comedian, actor, author, a “passionate activist for mental health and drug rehabilitation”, and, more grandiosely, a “public thought leader”. See, he can still make you laugh.
It is in this last capacity that Brand operates his self-titled YouTube channel, publishing daily videos to 5.3 million followers and counting. These videos have prompted some to accuse Brand of peddling conspiracy theories – and it’s easy to see why. Hot-button issues such as Covid vaccines and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have countless clips devoted to them. Usually they’re framed with some sort of contrarian take or calling out hypocrisy in the mainstream media. They frequently have alarmist titles, hinting at a vague, world-altering conspiracy. A few recent examples: “WW3 – So THIS Is Why They Want Russia War”; “So They DO Run The World”; “I’ve Been Warned Not To Talk About This”. They often open with Brand addressing viewers as “awakening wonders” – “awakening” being his New Age-inflected buzzword of choice.
