It actually seems like ages since I saw a Russell Brand viral (click here for details of his visit to perform on December 3). Okay, it’s probably only been a fortnight, and hopefully it’s because the sycophants who normally post the offerings of the Messiah (the actual name of his comedy tour) on Facebook were too preoccupied with exactly the kind of event he argues is to blame for the demise of Western society: the local elections.
Brand is entertaining. He can’t act or perform, but his thought process and writing, however Thesaurusy, are as bright as anything you’ll encounter. Or at least amongst the celebrity drivel pedalled for morons that passes as news these days.
And while he doesn’t make me laugh unless he’s upsetting others, I find myself agreeing with a lot of his whimsical theories. Particularly about politics.
Like Brand, I’ve never voted, but for slightly different reasons. It started by accident because I was abroad when I first had the opportunity at the naïve age of 19, and by the time the next one came along (New Labour, 1997), I too had started to subscribe to the opinion they’re all the same. I remained switched on and tended to read two newspapers: the most left-wing and the most right-wing.
If I was American, it would be easy. I would vote Democrat (click here for more programmes about JFK) every time, but here in Denmark, on a voting ballot with more options than a Chinese takeaway, I really don’t know who to vote for.
I like working for a newspaper where there is no political agenda. If we’re a little left-leaning, it’s because the politics of our journalists occasionally leaks through, but there’s no directive from above. After all, people who live in a foreign country do tend to be a little more liberal than the ones fighting for their ‘future’ back home.
Particularly with their Thanksgiving leftovers (click here for some inspiration). So if you’ve got American colleagues, mark next Thursday in the calendar as lunch is on them – it’s the one day of the year when even they can’t finish everything.
Voting Democrat and pumpkin pie. That’s something I could probably get used to.
