‘THE TRUTH IS, I DON’T KNOW ANYTHING’
“Of course the news makes us anxious,” Russell Brand says. “I think you could possibly contest that that’s its primary function. Beyond giving you information about world events.”
In this inconceivably complex world with its webs of deceit and hypocrisy, Brand has rebranded. The 46-year-old stand-up, actor, author has long had libertarian leanings but has metamorphised into a guru for those disenfranchised by what they see as the shady systems that steer the planet and the mainstream media that’s complicit.
On YouTube, Brand posts videos daily pontificating on, if not the big issue of the day, the big issue you’re not being told about. The counter narratives, threats to freedom. The devilish duplicity of government and corporate leaders. A video titled ‘The Truth Is Coming Out’ asks why it’s so hard to find data about vaccines. Another, ‘You Couldn’t Make This Sh*t Up’, asks what’s really behind calls for military escalation in Ukraine, pointing to members of Congress who recently purchased shares in weapons-manufacturers.
Brand’s popularity has exploded in recent weeks. Each video now draws one-three million people every day, and his channel boasts 5.3 million subscribers. He has won devotees of all political stripes and alienated plenty of people too. He’s a hero or villain depending on how much you agree with what he says, labelled ‘the Mad Hatter of conspiracy theories’ by the so-called
