Dispatches/Sunday Times investigation: Russell Brand accused of rape and sexual assault

[BlueHammer85]

Unreal that he was able to say that and not face any action for it. I thought Vanessa handled that as best she possibly could in the circumstances but no doubt she wanted to slap the ****. What he said to her was wrong on so many levels.

It was but no one batted an eyelid because that was all part of his act, he was voted number 1 shagger by The Sun and it was all part of lad mag/FHM culture around that time. Anyone tuning into watch Brand knew what they were getting, crude unfunny sexual jokes.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

I think the 'ladette' thing was one of the biggest cons ever perpetrated on female empowerment.

For some reason, I remember a ladette to lady programme. Not sure that would be aired now!

 

[Coatigan]

Well, yes, that was the point of the post.

Hence “The more things change, the more they remain the same.”

Not if it is was framed as one 'replacing' the other though.

 

[M18CTID]

It was but no one batted an eyelid because that was all part of his act, he was voted number 1 shagger by The Sun and it was all part of lad mag/FHM culture around that time. Anyone tuning into watch Brand knew what they were getting, crude unfunny sexual jokes.

Like I've said though, what he said to her isn't what I'd call lad culture. This was altogether more disturbing.

As for it being part of his act, are we sure it was an act?

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Like I've said though, what he said to her isn't what I'd call lad culture. That was altogether more disturbing.

As for it being part of his act, are we sure it was an act?

Isn’t this what is being tested now?

There were always rumours, without anything concrete sticking. Now there have been allegations and we wait to see what can be proved.

 

[BlueHammer85]

It is unreal looking back on it with 2023 eyes.

TV was scrutinised far less in those days, as long as you didn’t swear.

Lad and ladette culture was rife.

It doesn’t make it right, it just looks really bad now remembering it.

Let’s not forget Soccer AM around that time had ‘soccerettes’ … girls as young as 17 walking up and down in footie kit while men in the audience jeer and catcall them.

No one accused Tim Lovejoy and the men clapping and cheering of being nonces, and as a young bloke watching that I didn’t even see it as bad thing.

Would look totally wrong if they aired that nowadays .

 

[SebastianBlue]

Not if it is was framed as one 'replacing' the other though.

It wasn’t. It was just a means of pointing out that these have always been criticisms and fears when any new communication tool has been created and widely adopted (among other points I made in the post, mind).

Some of the original strong opposition to books (particularly from the Catholic Church, in turn from many government entities of the time) could be copy-and-pasted to this thread and people would struggle to determine if they weren’t actually about social media.

 

[M18CTID]

Isn’t this what is being tested now?

There were always rumours, without anything concrete sticking. Now the have been allegations and we wait to see what can be proved.

Yes, of course - it is being tested now.

 

[york away to this!]

Clearly it was all very different at the time, and his entire persona of a "waheyyyyy" insatiable, shag anything type was created and fed by the companies who gave him that platform. A symbiotic relationship to make money.
We all bought in to that culture in one way or another at the time, as it was all very much normalised.
Absolutely fine with him feeding off that for years, albeit I never really watched his stuff because I thought he was a complete twat. However, a rapist is a rapist - if indeed that is what he is.
Knowing what we later knew about Savil makes you cringe watching clips of his shows and suspect the same will unravel here should Brand be fairly tried and convicted.

 

[M18CTID]

Let’s not forget Soccer AM around that time had ‘soccerettes’ … girls as young as 17 walking up and down in footie kit while men in the audience jeer and catcall them.

No one accused Tim Lovejoy and the men clapping and cheering of being nonces, and as young bloke watching that I didn’t even see it as bad thing.
Would look totally wrong if they aired that nowadays .

But Tim Lovejoy never asked any guest if he could shag their daughters, one of whom just happened to be 15 at the time. There are levels here and the stuff Brand was coming out with back then was a damn sight worse than the soccerette thing on Soccer AM

 

[SebastianBlue]

Let’s not forget Soccer AM around that time had ‘soccerettes’ … girls as young as 17 walking up and down in footie kit while men in the audience jeer and catcall them.

No one accused Tim Lovejoy and the men clapping and cheering of being nonces, and as a young bloke watching that I didn’t even see it as bad thing.

Would look totally wrong if they aired that nowadays .

To be honest, I always found that to be highly problematic and that sort of thing has always made me uncomfortable.

But I have also always been well outside the “lads culture”, which made things a bit difficult when I was younger. Generally being a sensitive, empathetic young man that felt great unease with anything that degraded women was not looked upon with much reverence back then.

 

[flook]

Now I'm not a fan of Brand at all, in fact I think he's a talentless twat, but this is wrong

YouTube suspends Russell Brand from advert income

The BBC has also removed some shows featuring the comedian and actor from its streaming services.

www.bbc.co.uk

Innocent until proven guilty is no longer a thing unfortunately

 

[M18CTID]

Now I'm not a fan of Brand at all, in fact I think he's a talentless twat, but this is wrong

YouTube suspends Russell Brand from advert income

The BBC has also removed some shows featuring the comedian and actor from its streaming services.

www.bbc.co.uk

Innocent until proven guilty is no longer a thing unfortunately

YouTube are entitled to do that if they want. In any case, they should've done it ages ago before all this started to come out instead of giving him a platform to air his crackpot conspiracy theories.

 

[journolud]

Can’t wait for the smug prick to wriggle his way out of this dilemma with his prolonged fancy literature. Never known anyone who delivers wording the way he does to make himself attempt to sound more intelligent that he actually is.

Probably went to the same school as Simon Jordan who can be heard pontificating on Talkshite.

 

[flook]

YouTube are entitled to do that if they want. In any case, they should've done it ages ago before all this started to come out instead of giving him a platform to air his crackpot conspiracy theories.

Agree they are entitled to do what they want, however the reason given

YouTube has said it has "suspended monetisation" on Russell Brand's channel for "violating" its "creator responsibility policy".

assumes guilt, which is wrong.

 

[JASR]

Has Katy Perry been asked to comment yet?

 

[Centurions]

YouTube are entitled to do that if they want. In any case, they should've done it ages ago before all this started to come out instead of giving him a platform to air his crackpot conspiracy theories.

They are as it affects their brand (no pun intended). What is unfortunate and debateable is how many others as well as Youtube and his former agents are now pulling back and trying to wash their hands off him, despite the fact that nobody else seems surprised at what's coming out. I guess it didn't seem particularly important as long as he was bringing in the money.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

Now I'm not a fan of Brand at all, in fact I think he's a talentless twat, but this is wrong

YouTube suspends Russell Brand from advert income

The BBC has also removed some shows featuring the comedian and actor from its streaming services.

www.bbc.co.uk

Innocent until proven guilty is no longer a thing unfortunately

These platforms need to moderate more.

Anyone spouting the sort of conspiracy loon shit that he does should just have their channels deleted.

Social media is responsible for the state of the world we find ourselves in today.

 

[Centurions]

Agree they are entitled to do what they want, however the reason given

YouTube has said it has "suspended monetisation" on Russell Brand's channel for "violating" its "creator responsibility policy".

assumes guilt, which is wrong.

I don't know what the wording is on their policy but getting reported for sexual assault to the Met police probably crosses the line.

 

[M18CTID]

Agree they are entitled to do what they want, however the reason given

YouTube has said it has "suspended monetisation" on Russell Brand's channel for "violating" its "creator responsibility policy".

assumes guilt, which is wrong.

I'm guessing that he doesn't have to be guilty of the more serious offences for them to take that action. Some of the historical clips are arguably enough for them to do it. Nowhere have YouTube said they think he's guilty of rape or sexual assault.