Russell Brand: Comedy, Celebrity, Politics

Russell Brand is one of the most high profile and controversial celebrities of our time. A divisive figure, his ability to bounce back from adversity is remarkable. This book traces his various career stages through which he has done this, moving from comedy, to TV presenting; from radio to Hollywood films. It identifies how this eclectic career in entertainment both helped and hindered his high-profile move into political activism. Underpinning the book are interviews with leading activists and politicians, and sophisticated readings of Brand‘s performances, writing and on-screen work. There are sections on the Sachsgate scandal, his Newsnight interview with Jeremy Paxman, and his 2015 election intervention for aspiring Prime Minister Ed Miliband. It builds on scholarly work in the area of celebrity politics to develop an original analytic approach that blends the field theory of Pierre Bourdieu with the assemblage theory of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. ,Russell Brand‘s arrival as a political activist and his sustained interventions in public debate are a significant cultural phenomenon whose meaning and influence is a matter of widespread interest. A considered academic contribution to this debate is timely and the authors provide a wide expertise on which to draw. This is the first scholarly book on Brand, an entertainer and celebrity who has rarely been out of the news for the past 18 months as he became increasingly involved in activist politics. He has provoked a diverse response ranging from passionate support to equally vitriolic hostility. As a consequence Brand has become a recognized figure of influence at the centre of debates about contemporary politics, and has been described as the most charismatic figure on Britain‘s populist Left. He has used his publicity and performance skills as a celebrity comedian to encourage an emotional engagement with radical political ideas and to highlight marginalised activist causes. In interviews with key figures, the authors explore his relationship to these activist communities and their views on his political impact.