This is a review of the content being put out by Russell Brand. Russell Brand is becoming a pretty well-known media figure, with a thriving YouTube channel, a podcast and a very successful book on addiction and the 12 step program. He also has another book. Actually, now that I’m looking, I guess he has several books.
I quite like Russell Brand. I think he’s a good guy. I agree with him about a lot of things, namely that the systems we are currently living under are not ideal and they need to be replaced by new systems which haven’t been invented yet — systems which require imagination, ingenuity, bravery and will to design and implement. I especially agree that materialism and consumerism are adding significantly to worldwide despair and dissatisfaction with life.
I think he’s a constantly evolving figure. I first encountered him, as I’m sure many people did, as a comedian with his role in the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and then I watched him evolve into what he’s currently doing across several years in appearances on political talk shows like Bill Maher, often pushing through the barrier of being treated like a fool, which must have been incredibly difficult and disheartening. To be invited as a sort of Court Jester and then try to have your ideas taken seriously and ultimately become successful at that — it’s quite an undertaking and very impressive.
Russell Brand’s YouTube channel is nice because it often delivers bite-sized life lessons that are very valuable, and they’re usually delivered with a dose of humility. One of the ones that I like very much and find has stuck with me is the video where Russell discusses Deepak Chopra’s quote about treating negative feelings as visitors ( “Negative emotions are like unwelcome guests. Just because they show up on our doorstep doesn’t mean they have a right to stay.”)
I think what he’s doing, unlike most things anyone in media or entertainment are doing (which I often analogize to fast food), is actually contributing to a better world. I think people learning more about spirituality, and oneness, metaphysics, dualism, kindness and all these other concepts in a non-denominational way is something that is world-changing in its importance, because when you dig into all the problems of the world deeply enough, at the root of everything is this: people don’t treat other people well because they lack understanding & perception, they lack compassion, and they compete for resources.
We can expand our access to resources but without increasing empathy, perception, understanding, and kindness, these problems will not be solved. The spiritual and cultural maturity of the human race, I think, is just as important as health, or politics, or commerce, and perhaps even moreso because the river flows down from there, in terms of what we consider palatable when it comes to other issues, be they war, consumerism, wage/debt slavery, power, the environment, poverty, technology, and so much more.
Where I perhaps differ from Russell is that Russell’s focus is primarily on religion and spirituality whereas I think religion/spirituality and philosophy/metaphysics are equally important, with, perhaps, philosophy and metaphysics being of slightly more interest to me. They, after all, are often highly intertwined.
So, yeah, my review of Russell Brand is that I like him. I like and respect Russell Brand. There are precious few people in this world, especially public figures, who I both like and respect and Russell Brand is among them. I highly recommend his channel.
