Russell Brand’s showdown with Jeremy Paxman, in which he urges those dissatisfied with “the lies, treachery and deceit of the political class” to withhold their votes, went viral – and had the added bonus (at least as far as Brand’s brand as a bona fide media commentator is concerned) of erasing his fleeting marriage to Katy Perry and comedic missteps from the collective consciousness.
But he’s not escaped criticism, including from a fellow comedian: Robert Webb, better known – as he acknowledges – as “the other one from [British sitcom] Peep Show”. Writing in The New Statesman in response to Brand's revolution-themed guest-edit of the same publication, Webb argued that Brand’s entreating his millions of (mostly young) fans to opt out of the democratic process altogether could give politicians the green light to neglect that demographic. And suggests Brand read some “f...ing Orwell”.
And with turnout among 18- to 25-year-olds low in both national and local body elections, it seems young New Zealanders don’t need any further encouragement to withhold their votes. Closer to home, Joe Nunweek has articulated his ambivalence about Brand’s message for the ever-excellent Pantograph Punch.
In any case, looks like Jez has come a long way.