Russel Brand almost defends Jeremy Clarkson on "The Trews"

originally posted by: SubTruth
a reply to: Britguy

You are wrong and you are right.....If the rights of the individual are put first the rights of the masses will be OK. If the rights of the masses are put first the rights of the individual will fall apart.



This is the cold hard truth....Look at the world today and ask yourself what is the root cause.....Not the symptoms but the root disease. Time will prove me right. Many will not be able to connect the dots and see this simple fact. The US is heading down the same exact path as our mother the UK.

So what is your interpretation of the video the OP is about?

Do you agree or disagree with my evaluation of the topic in hand?

I appriciate your input.

a reply to: nonspecific

Yes I did watch the video.....This man and his ideals will lead to failure. Like I said before time will prove me right. Central governments and democracy lead to failure over time as they turn into oligarchies.




The US is falling apart because we are actually a republic ruled by law not a democracy. Please before you judge what I am saying learn the difference between these if you do not know it.

originally posted by: crazyewok

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
a reply to: nonspecific

The Beeb sacked Russell Brand over 'Sachgate', so it's kind of ironic that he has an opinion on this.

IMO if Clarkson physically assaulted someone in the workplace, then that is a sacking offence. It makes me smile when people come out of the woodwork claiming 'Leftie leaning' by the BBC, assault is wrong wether it's a Left or Right Hook.

If he has in fact assaulted someone I agree that is a disciplinary matter.

Were the wishy washy Leftie leaning comes in is the fact Clarkson is on his final warning due to really BS reasons.

He is arrogant he load mouthed and he is careless in his talk, yes. Should he be censored for that? No the high viewing figures seem to indicate many agree.

If he was not on final warning for past "alleged" controversy's maybe he would not be facing the sack but just a warning.

Apparently 400,000 people have signed a petition in support of punching someone who doesn't have their dinner ready on time.

Personally I like Clarkson and half of what he comes out with is with tongue firmly in cheek. However, assault is deemed as gross misconduct in most work places and gross misconduct usually equates to instant dismissal.

Whatever he has been warned for in the past was obviously treated as misdemeanours and they had to be shown as doing something about it.

If he is guilty of assault, then not firing him will set a precedent. It's the BBC, they were complicit in assisting Savile, presenters punching producers can't be allowed.

originally posted by: SubTruth
a reply to: nonspecific

Yes I did watch the video.....This man and his ideals will lead to failure. Like I said before time will prove me right. Central governments and democracy lead to failure over time as they turn into oligarchies.




The US is falling apart because we are actually a republic ruled by law not a democracy. Please before you judge what I am saying learn the difference between these if you do not know it.

I understand what you are saying, I was simply trying to ask you about the questions raised in the thread you are participating in as opposed to your own thought and beliefs in general.

Do you understand my point?

You are discussing the US falling apart when the thread is about one English celebrities opinion on anothers.

I am interested in your views but there should surley be some relavance and if you can provide it I am happy to discuss it with you.

Can't stand Clarkson... he's a bigoted twat and I hope he doesn't return to TV.
He writes for the S*n and is just a prick of a man.
Top Gear hasn't been about cars for years, It's about the personalities of 3 complete tools and what Jeremy wants to do and where he wants to do it.

**** 'em all.

a reply to: nonspecific

OP I do agree with you other than I do not agree with or like Russell. Jeremy is wrong......very wrong for hitting someone. But this is a much bigger issue than that. Russell is right about one thing this is a very telling story about our past and future.

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
IMO if Clarkson physically assaulted someone in the workplace, then that is a sacking offence.

Agreed, rules is rules in the workplace, break them and face the disciplinary consequences.

It makes me smile when people come out of the woodwork claiming 'Leftie leaning' by the BBC, assault is wrong wether it's a Left or Right Hook.

Yep, in the eyes of the law assualt is wrong, only reasonable force to defend oneself or others from harm.
Who knows what happened in the "fracas" though, provocation can be many things in my opinion, although I'll be the first to admit that UK law wouldn't think the same.

Many years ago I was on secondment to a govt department HQ in London, and the Grade 5 senior officer (4 grades below the permanent secretary, very high up the ranks) was a horrible tyrant who ruled the office through fear. He would intimidate staff, treat everyone below him with disrespect and distain, reducing female employees to tears on many occasions. He was untouchable through official channels though.

One day he pushed it too far after I tried to defend a distressed colleague, so I followed him to the lift lobby stairwell, grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall while he was gasping to breathe, my comments (paraphrasing) went as follows:
"Who the # do you think you are?"
"Think you're the hard man because you can bully women?"
"Think you'd ever speak to me like that in the street or the pub?"
"No, of course not, because your grade means # all in the real world"
"I grew up on a #ty estate and dragged my arse up to this level but the estate is still inside me, I don't give a # if I'm sacked, but I can tell you one thing I will hunt you down and beat the # into you if you carry on being such a horrible # to decent people"

I let go of him and he was terrified, spluttering to speak he could only say "sorry, sorry" as his eyes welled up with tears. I calmed myself and then asked, "so what happens now, do we all turn over a new leaf and treat each other with respect?"
He replied "Yes, I hadn't realised the effect I was having on people", I offered him my hand, he accepted it, and he was a changed senior manager after that point, although my secondment ended early a few weeks later and I was transferred back to my home office without a mention of it on my service record.

I'm not saying something like that happened with Clarkson, but to meekly say that physical attacks or threats are never appropriate in a human situation is beyond me, and I wonder what safe cozy world one must live in to really believe that.
Some people are horrible bullies and if official channels or negotiation cannot stop verbal attacks then I see violence or threats of violence (in such cases) as potentially appropriate.
You may feel differently, which is fine, but don't expect to bully people in the real world and receive a letter of disapproval as the response of males who have not been emasculated.

...of course Clarkson could have been the bully, who knows? I wasn't there.

I work mostly on building sites now after finally getting out of the 'office world' BS game and retraining as a plasterer/general builder. But you know what, men treat each other with far more real respect than I ever saw in the corporate world, and it is because if they don't, then it means a fight.
Men in safe little offices have forgotton that, yes, emasculated.

I'm in the same camp of liking both guys, or at least their media personas. Both have been railroaded by the BBC, so they have more in common than they think.

a reply to: nonspecific

This issue is much bigger than the UK and like I said before I believe the US and UK are one in the same. Brothers and sisters if you will from the same parents living under the same roof.




This is a societal issue Russell was very right about that. So no....I am on topic. 20-30 years from now we will look back and say what happened........I am giving you all a reason why now.

originally posted by: blupblup
Can't stand Clarkson... he's a bigoted twat and I hope he doesn't return to TV.
He writes for the S*n and is just a prick of a man.
Top Gear hasn't been about cars for years, It's about the personalities of 3 complete tools and what Jeremy wants to do and where he wants to do it.

**** 'em all.

So what was your take on Brands interpretation of the situation?

Were you suprised? in agreement or denial?

Short of verifiable accusations of pedophilia IE Saville, BBC would be incredibly stupid if they fired Jeremy Clarkson. They'd be shooting themselves in the foot, Top Gear is among the most widely viewed TV shows in the world, not just in the UK.

originally posted by: SubTruth
a reply to: nonspecific

This issue is much bigger than the UK and like I said before I believe the US and UK are one in the same. Brothers and sisters if you will from the same parents living under the same roof.




This is a societal issue Russell was very right about that. So no....I am on topic. 20-30 years from now we will look back and say what happened........I am giving you all a reason why now.

Although I am neither agreeing or disagreeing with your opinion I must point out that your persistence in putting forward your agenda regardless of the conversation in point is nothing if not persistant.

Time will tell no doubt.

Anyways, what about that OP eh?

a reply to: nonspecific

I love Clarkson, I hate Brand, the only good thing about his video was the rubber bandits at the end.

Clarkson is Conservative, that does not mean he is intolerant or that he is some how old fashioned and it certainly does not mean he created UKIP or anything like that, in fact I am pretty sure I have heard clarskon having a go at them quite a bit.

Brand goes on about the environment in his video, the other week Top Gear done a bit on hybrid super cars and environmentally friendly cars appear in the show more frequently.

I cannot take brand seriously after seeing him on stage phoning his dad to ask about the skin pigmentation of his penis.

originally posted by: nonspecific

So what was your take on Brands interpretation of the situation?

Were you suprised? in agreement or denial?

I don't care to be honest, I'm not fussed what Brand has to say on the issue.

Clarkson is a prick. That was my only point.
If he's not sacked for racism but is sacked for being drunk and aggressive in a pub... then that's just stupid IMO.

originally posted by: blupblup

originally posted by: nonspecific

So what was your take on Brands interpretation of the situation?

Were you suprised? in agreement or denial?

I don't care to be honest, I'm not fussed what Brand has to say on the issue.

Clarkson is a prick. That was my only point.
If he's not sacked for racism but is sacked for being drunk and aggressive in a pub... then that's just stupid IMO.

So as a genuine question why did you choose to comment on a topic that you did not wish to investigate?

I do not intend to appear rude but as the OP stated there are other threads out there and this one was because I was interested in opinion on the reaction from Brand in relation to Clarksons troubles.

a reply to: nonspecific

Because it was at the top of recent posts and it concerns the incident Clarkson is involved in.
I would have said my piece and moved on but have now had to post 3 times because of you asking questions.

originally posted by: blupblup
Can't stand Clarkson... he's a bigoted twat and I hope he doesn't return to TV.
He writes for the S*n and is just a prick of a man.
Top Gear hasn't been about cars for years, It's about the personalities of 3 complete tools and what Jeremy wants to do and where he wants to do it.

**** 'em all.

The high ratings say otherwise.

If you dont like him. Fine Turn the bloody TV off or switch channels!

a reply to: blupblup

So when did you last actually watch Top Gear then?

a reply to: nonspecific

I think I'm a lot like you, I like and dislike both Clarkson and Brand on occasion, depending on what it is they're doing or saying.

I think I'm in agreement with Brand on this one though, I have to say. I appreciate Clarkson because he's an individual, and he's pretty funny occasionally, and he really doesn't seem to be as right-wing as he likes to pretend. I think a lot of what he says is done for comedic reasons, he knows it will get a rise out of someone, and he knows it make someone else smirk in agreement. He's playing a part and sometimes trying to be deliberately controversial just to get that reaction.

I'm actually surprised that other people don't see this, it's not as if he's hiding it. Most of what he says is clearly meant to be a joke, but people take it all far too seriously.

But, he has attracted this following of the typical "thugish" Brit who wants to return us all to some imagined utopia of the 80's.

This was not a Utopia, of course. We've never had it so good in all honesty. This attitude of Farage where he imagines the "good old days" is a nonsense. We had riots annually, strikes every week, the IRA bombing the crap out of us almost daily, massive poverty, terrible education, a groaning NHS, drug abuse, alcoholism... we're not worse-off now no matter how these nutters want to pretend that we are.

Watching this "controversy" unfolding is pretty strange. We have 400,000 (at the last glance) people signing a petition to bring back Clarkson, before they even know why he was actually suspended. If he did punch someone, are all these people seriously suggesting that you can break the law and physically attack someone if you're a TV presenter?

The only thing that really annoys me about all of this is the terrible way the BBC has handled it. They gave no information, let it fester for 24 hours, halted the show, and basically fed a predictable backlash that didn't need to happen.

The BBC should have announced that there was an investigation ongoing, set out the details of the incident, not canceled the show, and not given the impression that they are overreacting.

Edited to add - I consider myself to be a liberal, and I have no interest in cars either. I watch Top Gear for the adventure, the humour, the Hamster and Capt. Slow, as well as the stupid things Clarkson says and does. It's funny, and I really don't understand how people can take things so seriously that they can't see the irony and humour in it.

originally posted by: nonspecific
I do not intend to appear rude but as the OP stated there are other threads out there and this one was because I was interested in opinion on the reaction from Brand in relation to Clarksons troubles.

Sorry man, I'm as guilty with my first response here, didn't answer your OP question.
I watched the vid, I like how Brand articulates himself and think he was mostly fair with his comments, although he is very clever and careful how he phrases things so what he really thinks is often an open question in my mind.
I don't know either bloke though so they could just be self-serving media whores as far as I know.