Russell Brand.

[FinglisHobbit]

It partly was done for charity - http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/media/...oyal-british-legion-reaches-an-all-time-high/

I shall not deny it was heavily for the promotion of Sainsbury's though obviously. But then that is exactly the same stunt Brand is pulling.

I dont think its horrendous that Sainsbury did this advert. I just think its a shame that something so good has its roots in supermarket profit.

I read that link and see "Funds donated by Sainsbury’s customers and colleagues from last year alone amounted to over £4.5m ".

Their pretax profit for last year was about 900m from a quick Google. This years will probably increase from this advert. With Figures like that donations dont seem too large.

The 4.5m came from Customers and Colleagues from their wages, to me its not like Sainsbury have sunk a huge chunk of their own cash into it.

Although I do see the profits from Poppy products go to the British Legion so its not all bad.

 

[Jono8]

I dont think its horrendous that Sainsbury did this advert. I just think its a shame that something so good has its roots in supermarket profit.

I read that link and see "Funds donated by Sainsbury’s customers and colleagues from last year alone amounted to over £4.5m ".

Their pretax profit for last year was about 900m from a quick Google. This years will probably increase from this advert. With Figures like that donations dont seem too large.

The 4.5m came from Customers and Colleagues from their wages, to me its not like Sainsbury have sunk a huge chunk of their own cash into it.

Although I do see the profits from Poppy products go to the British Legion so its not all bad.

My point exactly, and this is why Russell Brand is a hypocritical gob****e. Russell is worth an estimated $15 million. I am sure he could give far more to the causes he claims to care about, if he really cared.

But that is just it, he doesn't care. Very few celebrities (and people for that matter) actually care enough to donate to the detriment of their own lavish lifestyle. If the banker's income is so heinous to him (because he is worth a lot more than most "bankers"), why does he not give away all of his money to worthwhile causes and use his celebrity and name to work for a charity he feels passionately about? A drug charity perhaps.

But no, he doesn't. He will continue to milk the media and Hollywood cash cow, taking huge sums for films and appearances from the very corporations he claims to be so vehemently against. He will continue to manipulate the public into thinking what he says has any substance to it, and will continue to feign interest in people worse off than him to increase the value of brand "Brand".

It is a cliché, but a man should be judged on his actions, not his words and this very much applies to Mr Brand.

 

[Xordium]

This thread highlights my current beef with the media and the general population... I'm dubbing it 'second wave news'.

Since when did people find the views of celebrities and how they react to actual issues more important and engaging that the actual issues! It's the same thing that was recently pulled with Band Aid.

You're wasting your time - I've mentioned the current relevant issue twice now in this thread and people just aren't interested.

People are more willing to express some rather irrational resentment (maybe they are a bit jealous of his dalliances) and one poster is treating his proclamations like some kind of epiphany for humanity.

Meanwhile in the US the banks have manipulated a weakened government to implement some really profound changes and no-one is willing to engage in a debate about the issues or even comment on them.

 

[Jono8]

You're wasting your time - I've mentioned the current relevant issue twice now in this thread and people just aren't interested.

People are more willing to express some rather irrational resentment (maybe they are a bit jealous of his dalliances) and one poster is treating his proclamations like some kind of epiphany for humanity.

Meanwhile in the US the banks have manipulated a weakened government to implement some really profound changes and no-one is willing to engage in a debate about the issues or even comment on them.

But this is exactly why he is a problem and why what he is doing is incredibly irritating. Anyone with half a brain can see that it all just a ploy to increase his profile and that he is simply a massive hypocrite, but it is worrying when people can be taken in by someone who clearly does not have a clue about any of the social/political issues that they are preaching about.

You honestly think people are jealous of him? Odd.

 

[ChroniC]

But this is exactly why he is a problem and why what he is doing is incredibly irritating. Anyone with half a brain can see that it all just a ploy to increase his profile and that he is simply a massive hypocrite, but it is worrying when people can be taken in by someone who clearly does not have a clue about any of the social/political issues that they are preaching about.

You honestly think people are jealous of him? Odd.

Out of interest, why does it matter if someone doesn't full understand the issue 100%, and can't solve them, isn't making the issue itself more open talked about the point.
It's like the current trend of charities, rather than ask people to donate, just make the issue more openly talked about by way of gimmick, thus creating a wider base for donation.

Would you disagree that more people lately are asking, why isn't the government being held accountable, why are the banks escaping charges yet the poor aren't etc etc.

Or do you think because he doesn't full understand it, it's dangerous to assume that those things are wrong??

 

[FinglisHobbit]

But that is just it, he doesn't care. Very few celebrities (and people for that matter) actually care enough to donate to the detriment of their own lavish lifestyle. If the banker's income is so heinous to him (because he is worth a lot more than most "bankers"), why does he not give away all of his money to worthwhile causes and use his celebrity and name to work for a charity he feels passionately about? A drug charity perhaps.

Your comments are ridiculous. You preach so much against him yet you clearly know nothing about him. Infact. If you *do* know so much about him, then why? Why would you look deeply into the activities of someone you hate so much?

You honestly think people with wealth should donate everything they have to a charity to somehow make them more legitimate?

Bill Gates has donated vast amounts of money to charities over the years, but why doesnt he just give his entire wealth to these charities instead?

Out of curiosity, and please, answer this truthfully. How much time / money have you given from your life in 2014 to help out a worthy cause?

Ill be honest. Ive given zero myself. And for this reason I couldnt possibly undermine someone who has took time out of his schedule that could earn him vastly more money, to help out those in less favourable situations.

He spent lots of time with the people from that New Era estate, meeting them in the pub etc to help get their campaign some momentum. If that wasnt true dont you think they would have pulled him up on it by now?

 

[Xordium]

But this is exactly why he is a problem and why what he is doing is incredibly irritating. Anyone with half a brain can see that it all just a ploy to increase his profile and that he is simply a massive hypocrite, but it is worrying when people can be taken in by someone who clearly does not have a clue about any of the social/political issues that they are preaching about.

You honestly think people are jealous of him? Odd.

I consider myself to have more than half a brain and I don't think it is a plot to increase his profile. I believe he genuinely has good intentions.

And yes I think a lot of people will be jealous of someone who is better dressed than them, better looking than them, far richer than them and who has shagged Katy Perry. Hell I wish I'd lived some of his experiences even if I am not actually jealous of the bloke.

 

[Judgeneo]

Your comments are ridiculous. You preach so much against him yet you clearly know nothing about him. Infact. If you *do* know so much about him, then why? Why would you look deeply into the activities of someone you hate so much?

You honestly think people with wealth should donate everything they have to a charity to somehow make them more legitimate?

Bill Gates has donated vast amounts of money to charities over the years, but why doesnt he just give his entire wealth to these charities instead?

Out of curiosity, and please, answer this truthfully. How much time / money have you given from your life in 2014 to help out a worthy cause?

Ill be honest. Ive given zero myself. And for this reason I couldnt possibly undermine someone who has took time out of his schedule that could earn him vastly more money, to help out those in less favourable situations.

He spent lots of time with the people from that New Era estate, meeting them in the pub etc to help get their campaign some momentum. If that wasnt true dont you think they would have pulled him up on it by now?

I agree, there is no need to sacrifice your personal wealth in order to make a difference to the causes you support.

My opinions are often the opposite of Russell Brands, but I find it hard to fault his campaigning methods, or his personal belief in the causes.

 

[Jono8]

Your comments are ridiculous. You preach so much against him yet you clearly know nothing about him. Infact. If you *do* know so much about him, then why? Why would you look deeply into the activities of someone you hate so much?

You honestly think people with wealth should donate everything they have to a charity to somehow make them more legitimate?

Bill Gates has donated vast amounts of money to charities over the years, but why doesnt he just give his entire wealth to these charities instead?

Out of curiosity, and please, answer this truthfully. How much time / money have you given from your life in 2014 to help out a worthy cause?

Ill be honest. Ive given zero myself. And for this reason I couldnt possibly undermine someone who has took time out of his schedule that could earn him vastly more money, to help out those in less favourable situations.

He spent lots of time with the people from that New Era estate, meeting them in the pub etc to help get their campaign some momentum. If that wasnt true dont you think they would have pulled him up on it by now?

As expected, you have completely missed my point.

I would have no qualms with him continuing to be who he is (actor, "comedian" , celebrity) etc. whilst not giving a jot of his money away.

I am not judging anyone on how much they give to charity. I think very highly of Bill Gates because generally he doesn't feel the need to kick up a massive media hubbub when he does something of this ilk. In fact most of his charity work goes fairly unnoticed in the eyes of the media and he is the president of Microsoft. If he wanted it to be noticed, it would be noticed. If he wanted to use it to sell more of his products, he damn well could. But he doesn't, he goes about it like a genuine humble human being.

What I absolutely cannot stand is hypocrisy and someone disingenuously preaching about things in a loud mouth manner and not practising hardly any of what they preach.

 

[Jono8]

Hell I wish I'd lived some of his experiences even if I am not actually jealous of the bloke.

Don't we all, but likewise I am not jealous of him. I just genuinely find him an intolerable hypocrite.

Just how can you go on the Jeremy Paxman show and start bashing large American tax avoiding corporations (claiming they are one of the main reasons for all our social and political ills) literally months after you have voiced a character in one of Universal's highest grossing films (Despicable Me 2)? Does that sit right with you? It is just beyond absurd that people even give him the time of day.

He then harps on to Paxman about how no one cares about the environment... well neither does he: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...g-controversy-revived/articleshow/6978246.cms

Then we have this: https://www.accountancylive.com/bank-basher-russell-brand-raises-film-finance-city

...and some of you can actually take him seriously? I mean really?

 

[robgmun]

Bill Gates has donated vast amounts of money to charities over the years, but why doesnt he just give his entire wealth to these charities instead?

That's his plan, evetually he's going to give away all of it, he's said he's leaving his kids nothing and that they'll have to make there own fortune.

Out of curiosity, and please, answer this truthfully. How much time / money have you given from your life in 2014 to help out a worthy cause?

As a percentage of income, i believe i've given more to charity then brand

 

[RDM]

Without Brand such notable causes such as tax dodging corporations and bankers bonuses would never gained any notoriety!

 

[Xordium]

...and some of you can actually take him seriously? I mean really?

I take some of his concerns seriously.

Don't you worry about the current financial legislation in the US that is so topical at the moment?

 

[FinglisHobbit]

That's his plan, evetually he's going to give away all of it, he's said he's leaving his kids nothing and that they'll have to make there own fortune.



As a percentage of income, i believe i've given more to charity then brand

I find that very unlikely. If you could earn millions from a couple of months in a blockbuster Movie, and instead decided to spend a couple of months with some people at say... a soup kitchen. Then you could maybe say that.

Time = Money. And I'd wager hes given more time to causes than you have.

Either way, this is just going round in circles. He divides opinion. I personally think hes done a lot to bring attention to important causes ( And a great Drug programme on BBC recently), regardless of whether he has changed things personally, his opinions may inspire others to think differently. And I think thats no bad thing.

Others think hes a hypocrite, full of crap, loud, disguises intelligence with big words, and is a waste of oxygen .

Guess Ill just agree to disagree

 

[dowie]

Without Brand such notable causes such as tax dodging corporations and bankers bonuses would never gained any notoriety!

LOL fair point

his response to that letter was weak... completely ignored the point made by the guy about it being in our interests for RBS to do well, made an irrelevant point about the disabled (I'm sure plenty of people support the disabled) and then harped on about bonuses... which really is misguided. If we want banking reform then more variable compensation with additional claw backs (which are now in place and are quite draconian) are a good thing not a bad thing...

The alternative is higher fixed compensation... which makes no sense at all. You just increase the risk to the institution and limit its ability to both cut costs rapidly and/or claw back capital when things go wrong/employees are at fault.

LIBOR manipulation - yup that is bad, I hope they do charge as many as possible... again not exactly something to tar everyone with... or to start beetling on about criminal organisations... people within the BBC were covering up for multiple paedophiles until recently - do we associate Russell with paedophilia as a crude generalisation simply because he worked for the BBC?

He criticised the 2.something million the new boss at RBS is getting paid... that is actually a modest amount for that position and it is a fairly important one - we've got billions in tax payers' money at stake and we want someone who will turn it around and pay back the govt with interest... on the other hand his buddy Jonathon Ross got 18million of license payers cash to put on a TV show where he chats to celebs... Is it really worth criticising someone running a company with billions at stake earning a couple of million while your buddy gets nine times that amount, again from public funding, to sit around having a chat with some famous people. Who is really contributing something of value? Or is it just a popular stance to have a pop at bankers - I mean not many people are going to disagree... they've got an image of being greedy, earning too much and being responsible for everything bad over the past few years so easy target really... the odd overpaid celeb on the other hand - they're usually quite popular.

 

[robgmun]

I find that very unlikely. If you could earn millions from a couple of months in a blockbuster Movie, and instead decided to spend a couple of months with some people at say... a soup kitchen. Then you could maybe say that.

Time = Money. And I'd wager hes given more time to causes than you have.

Either way, this is just going round in circles. He divides opinion. I personally think hes done a lot to bring attention to important causes ( And a great Drug programme on BBC recently), regardless of whether he has changed things personally, his opinions may inspire others to think differently. And I think thats no bad thing.

Others think hes a hypocrite, full of crap, loud, disguises intelligence with big words, and is a waste of oxygen .

Guess Ill just agree to disagree

He has time because he is nowhere near as in demand as he used to be a few years ago. His Hollywood movie roles has dried up and so has his television work is next to nothing. I on the other hand have to work to feed myself. I've yet to hear him actually put his hands into his own pocket. I'm quite sure that I give more than him as a percentage of income.

 

[FinglisHobbit]

He has time because he is nowhere near as in demand as he used to be a few years ago. His Hollywood movie roles has dried up and so has his television work is next to nothing. I on the other hand have to work to feed myself. I've yet to hear him actually put his hands into his own pocket. I'm quite sure that I give more than him as a percentage of income.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, he said: 'I have decided that I don't need to make any money anymore.
The reformed bad boy continued: 'The money that I get, I'm going to use for the establishment of community centres, which will sell good food and provide a place for people to hang out: initially, a service for people recovering from drug addiction, but also an incubator for social enterprises, where people will work, on a not-for-profit basis, in a wide variety of trades.

If he follows up with this, will your opinion on him change?

I guess if he doesnt do any of this, then he will lose some credit with me too.

 

[robgmun]

Speaking to Vanity Fair, he said: 'I have decided that I don't need to make any money anymore.
The reformed bad boy continued: 'The money that I get, I'm going to use for the establishment of community centres, which will sell good food and provide a place for people to hang out: initially, a service for people recovering from drug addiction, but also an incubator for social enterprises, where people will work, on a not-for-profit basis, in a wide variety of trades.

If he follows up with this, will your opinion on him change?

I guess if he doesnt do any of this, then he will lose some credit with me too.

The onus is on him. If he has done that. And used his own money rather then 'rasing' it from other people then I'll give him some credit. But believe me, if he did then he would have Let the whole bloody world know about it. He's that egotistical.

 

[Amnesia]

Without Brand such notable causes such as tax dodging corporations and bankers bonuses would never gained any notoriety!

After the first person mentions it, should it never be spoke of again ?

 

[Wizzfizz]

No, that is, unless that person forgets..