My Gripe. I have never thought that Russell Brand was even remotely funny. His stand-up routine of promiscuous and misogynist “jokes” were distasteful to say the very least. What I found interesting about him was the way that he was enabled by the media, the same media that now vilifies him. Undoubtedly, his niche worldly outlook appealed to the peculiar tastes of a very broad sector of the market. Why else would he have been given the oxygen of publicity and media air-time? Now the same powerful “faceless suits”, who use the media to control and commodify public opinion, have decided there’s more money to be made demonising him, rather than cultivating his pathetic brand [pardon the pun] of toxic masculinity. I watched the C4 documentary, which supposedly highlighted the evidence against Brand. It seems quite clear to me that he is guilty of having consensual sex with a sixteen-year-old child, if you can call having sex with a vulnerable young person consensual. However, from what I have seen in the C4 documentary, the rest of the evidence against him is debatable. Let me be clear: I certainly do not condone rape or any other forms of sexual and emotional violence against women, children or even men for that matter. However, we will never really know what took place between Brand and his accusers in private. The accusers all had sex with him, which is without doubt, but the circumstances are contested. Apparently, Brand has been sacrificed by the media on the altar of public opinion and found guilty without a trial. If he really did what he is accused of, then he should go to prison, but to incarcerate him there has to be evidence. I’m not sure if having sex with a sixteen-year-old minor is an imprisonable offence; if it is, then lock him up. What’s Your Gripe?
Trial by the Media
Published
SOCIAL ACTION SOCIETY C.I.C. 
I think a lot of comedians get by just being offensive and basing their humour on stereotypes. I find that even a lot of those from oppressed groups make fun of their own background for laughs. I.e. Lilly Singh making jokes about religious head coverings when she comes from a similar background. There’s many white comedians that can get away with racism//sexism, but I find it a bit sad that even comedians from oppressed intersections of society have normalised “self-oppression” in a sense in mainstream comedy.
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My gripe is people’s ignorance and failure to understand things beyond what they believe in. A good example of this would be the ban of the hijab primarily in the West, such as France but just last year the Balaclava was a popular item to wear. How can these people be okay with people wearing balaclavas but are scared of muslim women and their choice to cover up? Aside from culture or religious reasons, wearing the Balaclava and Hijab have no difference as they both cover your hair. The main problem lies with people’s ignorance and their lack of understanding towards cultures or religions that aren’t theres. If people were more opened minded and were more respectful, they’d understand why muslim women (and men) cover up and why that’s important to their religion.
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2416995 Hyoin Jeong
I think sexual or emotional violence should not be tolerated by anyone. The comedy element that commercializes women as sexual objects must disappear. I think the right role of the media is important for this.
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