# Russell Brand excoriates MSNBC hosts **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 21, 2013, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600 "2013-06-21T23:58:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/21 "2013-06-22T05:17:34Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Seriously, parts of that looked like an SNL skit. Or something off of the Onion News Network. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/22 "2013-06-22T06:05:26Z")
I think you are reading this wrong. I don’t think he was annoyed at all. Seemed like a typical Russell Brand performance and a lot of good-natured mickey-taking. I’m not a huge fan of his persona or delivery but he certainly has a fine and quick comic brain. He was just playing with them I’m sure. I didn’t see anything particularly outrageous on that show but perhaps those sort of performances aren’t usual on US TV. Were he to appear on a similar show here in the UK then that’s pretty much what I’d expect. ---
**Author:** ![deltasigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@deltasigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deltasigma)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/23 "2013-06-22T07:10:23Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > …but they aren’t the total fluff headed nitwits that appear on the competing news channel morning shows either. Given your calibration standard, that’s probably accurate, but I will say that based solely on what I’ve seen in clips from Stewart and Colbert, they do manage to hit some impressive lows. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/24 "2013-06-22T08:18:13Z")
OK, I finally watched the whole thing. I agree with **Novelty Bobble**. I’m no Brand expert, but this seems like what I’ve seen from him before on YouTube clips. He’s quick-witted, very energetic and seemingly genuine. He has these amazing thoughts that he’s very excited to share with you (or so he makes it seem). Before you know it, he’s controlling the situation. He seems to like to take over, put people off-balance in a good-humored manner, then hit them with whatever he wants to talk about. He’d make one hell of a talking head on a political show if he wanted it. I don’t think he had any particular agenda besides his upcoming tour, but he had an opening and took it to express some of his opinions on American news, and to push the Bradley Manning & Edward Snowden stories. ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/25 "2013-06-22T09:17:34Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > WTF? > > [Willy Brandt](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy_Brandt), btw, was a Chancellor of West Germany in the '70s. If you can’t see the whole piece is consensual banter … I don’t know what you’re used to. Imo, it worked well; on the fly, ensemble contributions to keep the pace up, involving. Kitty Kelly and Brand would be used to that kind of banter from their involvement over the years on British tv. Fwiw, the BBC use Kitty Kelly occasionally (election time, etc) and - politically - she is definiely as sharp as you want. In English slang _willy_ is a penis. Brand is known for his sexual predilictions. so: politically orientated + slang + Brand = quite a clever nickname. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/26 "2013-06-22T09:27:30Z")
Alas, the Messiah Tour [has been canceled](http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2013/jun/21/russell-brand-messiah-complex-middle-east)… > [@](#): > > Comedian Russell Brand has cancelled gigs in the Middle East, after learning that his safety could not be guaranteed. > > The 38-year-old had been due to perform his new show The Messiah Complex in Abu Dhabi and Lebanon as part of a world tour. However, organisers raised concerns regarding the possibility of negative reactions to material that will cover figures including Malcolm X, Mahatma Gandhi and Jesus. > > “Those gigs have been banned. Pulled because of threats from extremists that if I went there, there would be problems,” Brand told BBC Radio 5Live. “The venue contacted us and said we can no longer guarantee your safety.” I must say, those idiots at MSNBC were behaving…like idiots. _Of course_ Brand has a distinctive image. I’ve read some his columns for the _Guardian_, where his intelligence can be appreciated without interference from his neo-Hippy attire, his scandalous past or his “accent.” But the MNBC kiddies probably can’t read, either–so they had to take refuge in their ignorance of “pop culture.” ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/27 "2013-06-22T09:56:20Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > I think you are reading this wrong. I don’t think he was annoyed at all. Seemed like a typical Russell Brand performance and a lot of good-natured mickey-taking. Exactly. I don’t think there was any animosity there at all, just Brand deciding to take over the show. It’s kind of what he does, just riffing on the situation. Katty Kay calling him “Willy” is a gift to any comedian. ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/28 "2013-06-22T09:57:19Z")
tbh, I find the lack of ‘getting it’ here a lot stranger … ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/29 "2013-06-22T10:10:56Z")
I want to watch this now, any links ? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/30 "2013-06-22T10:22:30Z")
Here you go **Lust4Life** : [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADJhErmJuoQ) ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/31 "2013-06-22T10:42:50Z")
Russell Brand is a complete wanker, always has been. I’m amazed he made any headway at all in the US, although I was immensely grateful he left our English shores. You guys are most welcome to him. ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/32 "2013-06-22T11:38:31Z")
I don’t watch the show and I didn’t watch the clip yet. Those type of shows, everybody knows exactly what everybody else is going to say. If the subject is politics, they all just rehash the same couple of hundred words, rearranging them into slightly different sounding cliches. Same thing with celebs promoting whatever. They do the whole thing in their sleep. So anything out of the ordinary wakes them up and they don’t do so good when they’re awake. ---
**Author:** ![DonLogan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@DonLogan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DonLogan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/33 "2013-06-22T12:04:05Z")
Oh, never mind, just started watching the clip, Mika was flying solo and there’s really no there there. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/34 "2013-06-22T13:03:50Z")
> [@BrokenBriton](#): > > If you can’t see the whole piece is consensual banter … I don’t know what you’re used to. > Imo, it worked well; on the fly, ensemble contributions to keep the pace up, involving. Kitty Kelly and Brand would be used to that kind of banter from their involvement over the years on British tv. > > Fwiw, the BBC use Kitty Kelly occasionally (election time, etc) and - politically - she is definiely as sharp as you want. > > In English slang _willy_ is a penis. > > Brand is known for his sexual predilictions. > > so: politically orientated + slang + Brand = quite a clever nickname. i thought she was using willy as slang as well. he took over the interview rather like robin williams takes over interviews. he wasn’t as physical as mr williams, who would be flying around the set. mr brand had control of that interview. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/35 "2013-06-22T14:22:40Z")
Why would she call him Willy Brand? It’d be about as clever as calling Dane Cook - Pecker Cook, or Johnson Cook, or Unit Cook, or Dick Cook? I’m equally shocked that there are people who think this interview went “as expected” instead of a horrific meltdown as **Broken Briton** thinks that people like me just isn’t “getting it”. As an American I thought the weirdest comment was when the guy tried to say “I just don’t understand you over Sirius radio.” What was Brand supposed to say to that? Apologize? Shrug? Laugh? Become extremely snarky? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/36 "2013-06-22T14:41:33Z")
I’ve long ago stopped watching Morning Joe, mostly because of that dumbass, Mika. She brings nothing of any worth to any conversation and I’m baffled as to why she’s on TV at all. But watching this clip and seeing her squirm was worth every second. I’d love nothing better than to see her parlay her “talents” to a spot on Fox where I can continue to ignore her with extreme prejudice. As for Russell… I’m ambivalent about him in general, but I give him props for taking charge under the circumstances. He read the blank dumb looks on their faces and instantly took charge of the segment by being a shit disturber. Fuck 'em. Well done, Russell. ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/37 "2013-06-22T14:48:19Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > I’m equally shocked that there are people who think this interview went “as expected” instead of a horrific meltdown as **Broken Briton** thinks that people like me just isn’t “getting it”. Hey, don’t take it personally! It’s just very obv. pre-agreed banter; Kitty Kelly and Brand would be used that framework, and the two Americans were pretty game. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/38 "2013-06-22T15:21:14Z")
I don’t think any interview should have more than one interviewer. I can’t stand shows like _Today_ where you have 8 people practically sitting on each other’s laps to talk to a guest and collectively talking way more than the person being interviewed. It’s cheaper and more effective to just have the one, so long as he/she knows how to do a damned interviewer. ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/39 "2013-06-22T16:01:07Z")
It really wasn’t an “interview”, nor intended to be. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600/40 "2013-06-22T16:12:48Z")
> [@pancakes3](#): > > I’m equally shocked that there are people who think this interview went “as expected” instead of a horrific meltdown as **Broken Briton** thinks that people like me just isn’t “getting it”. > > As an American I thought the weirdest comment was when the guy tried to say “I just don’t understand you over Sirius radio.” What was Brand supposed to say to that? Apologize? Shrug? Laugh? Become extremely snarky? I’ve seen many, many “interviews” of that kind on UK TV and it really wasn’t a “meltdown” at all. Just a mish-mash of chat and banter. Mock-horror and wordplay and Russell Brand being saucy and provocative. I’m confused as to why you think Brand needs to be asked questions with specific, easily defined answers and/or emotional responses. Surely you just want him to come on and be himself? I think you definitely aren’t “getting it” or at least don’t appreciate that there is nothing to “get” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russell-brand-excoriates-msnbc-hosts/661600.md?page=3)