Main Edition
US
FR
→ Russell Brand’s Christian rebrand
Russell Brand is taking the plunge (literally) into Christianity, marking the latest step in his transformation from raunchy actor and comedian to public intellectual to, as of this Sunday, baptised Christian.
He took to X on Friday to ask his followers what baptism had been like for them, and what he can expect from the experience.
The English actor, previously named the Sun’s 2008 Shagger of the Year, announced last month on X that he had visited various churches and was considering a baptism, joining a growing cohort of cultural and political commentators converting or returning to Christianity. Days earlier, conservative firebrand Candace Owens announced her own Catholic conversion, while Ayaan Hirsi Ali shared her conversion to Christianity in these pages in November. Will his latest rebrand stick?
→ Joe Biden hits an all-time low
Look away, Joe Biden fans. The White House incumbent’s latest approval rating is the lowest of any president at this point in a term since at least the 1950s, according to a new Gallup poll.
JUST IN – Biden’s approval rating average is lower than any other president in recent history at the same time in office — Gallup pic.twitter.com/sVRmg6AHK4
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) April 26, 2024
Biden’s average approval rating has sunk to 38.7%, lower than any president since Eisenhower and the lowest quarterly average of his presidency. It’s an ominous sign for the Democrat, who faces growing voter discontent over immigration and the economy, along with tumultuous campus protests against his support for Israel. Even Barack Obama and Donald Trump, both of whom were struggling in the polls at this point of their terms, were ahead of Biden. Sleepy Joe needs a miracle…
→ Aaron Sorkin writing January 6 film targeting Zuckerberg
Star Hollywood screenwriter Aaron Sorkin is working on a film about the infamous January 6 insurrection. But for all those fretting about another creative losing his mind to TDS, Sorkin actually has a different target in mind.
In an interview with The Town, the writer had the following to say: “I blame Facebook for January 6 […] It has been, among other things, tuning its algorithm and tuning its algorithm to promote the most divisive material possible, because that is what will increase engagement. That is what will get you to what they call inside the hallways of Facebook the “infinite scroll”.
Sorkin went on to blame Mark Zuckerberg in particular, but wouldn’t expand on why, instead telling listeners to watch the finished product first. The film is only in its writing stage, but it’ll be interesting to see who makes the cast list. Let’s just hope Alec Baldwin doesn’t reprise his Trump role…
Join the discussion
Join like minded readers that support our journalism by becoming a paid subscriber
To join the discussion in the comments, become a paid subscriber.
Join like minded readers that support our journalism, read unlimited articles and enjoy other subscriber-only benefits.
SubscribeMy God – just imagine if Brand leads to a mass-conversion of all his followers ….
Maybe a religious revival is underway from the unlikeliest of quarters.
There’s religious, and then there’s religious – have you seen that orgy scene from the Arnie version of ‘Conan the Barbarian’ ?
Orgy AND Cannibalism. Ha! Such an underrated masterpiece. The soundtrack alone.
Not for a long time, but thanks for the heads-up.
Some people seem to need comfort as they near the Grim Reaper. It’s all about fear and the unknown.
That may be true, but in Brands case I think we are looking at something shallower. The man’s an attention seeking clown.
Spirituality and conspiracy theories are the last refuge of the narcissist. After all else has gone, being in touch with “what is really going on” metaphysically or politically is a last ditch attempt at being special.
If Russell Brand is taking the plunge into Christianity, I predict a mass-exodus of all those intellectuals, from Dawkins and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, to our own Mary Harrington and Louise Perry, who have recently been musing and toying around publicly with varieties of ‘secular Christianity’ (as if such a thing is not a contradiction in terms) because they are panicked about radical islam, back into agnosticism and atheism. And I say, welcome back to reality, ladies and gents.
secular Christianity – It’s hard to be a little pregnant.
You’re conflating Cultural Christians with practicing Christians. Ayaan is practicing, Dawkins is not. Dawkins only pointed out that he prefers the culture.
Try to run a stable, functioning and free Democratic society for a century without a critical mass of Christians that believe everyone is made in the image of God. Without a critical mass of Christians, I wish you Atheist/Agnostics the best of luck. Your society will raise a golden calf in less than a decade.
Tom Holland’s book, Dominion, describes the entire idea of secularism as being largely a product of Christian cultural contexts, divisions and developments – particularly the Reformation and Enlightenment, but also ideas like the separation of worldly and spiritual power, church and state. What does ‘secularism’ really mean?
Render unto Caesar…
It’s starting to mean ‘heathen.’
Brand’s middle name is Edward. So anyone who wants to call him R.E.Brand can legitimately do so!
Things must have got really bad for Brand if he’s floating this. Sexual assault charges incoming?
Regardless, who really cares what imaginary sky pilot this has-been claims to follow?
Better to follow Christ than Marx.
I’ll take Groucho, thanks.
If he has any real religious conversion, and any real integrity, Brand would keep it very quiet. I suspect that might not be what happens.
Progressivism in our culture has become such a failure that many realize they need the Christian way.
He certainly has need, and opportunity to repent for his past sins.
Did anyone around here frame Hersi-Ali’s conversion to Christianity a ‘rebrand’? Was it just the pun that drew this out of you here or are you showing a bit of petticoat I wonder?
Good luck to him – it wouldn’t be the step I’d take, but then I never had the luxury of ever being shagger of the year, probably not even in my own bed-chamber.
But then again I’ve not had the luxury of making up stories of religiously inspired abuse, having to resign from parliaments about it and still being taken seriously either.
I must have missed Mr. Brand’s ‘public intellectual’ period. Recovering addict spouting quasi-Marxist rubbish and jumping on every lefite bandwagon, maybe. Rather enjoyed the occasion when he got heckled off the stage at an anti-austerity protest and pegged it to a waiting car.
Thanks. I had just scrolled down to the comments to add, ‘Intellectual?’ You beat me to it!
Me too. The man’s a complete clown.
The branding (heh) of the legitimate protest at the capitol as an insurrection has always been a lie, so Sorkin’s little furtherance of the “narrative”, whatever his heavily-weighted partisan take, will be as compelling and illuminating as all of the other subtle-as-a-sledgehammer bullsh*t surrounding the event.
As for Russell Brand’s turn to Christianity, it was Christ who said the sinners are the ones who need Him. I think Brand has proven his need.
Re: January 6th screenplay
Thanks for the the last line laugh.
Welcome to the faith, Russel.
Even God must be embarrassed.
Actually I think that Russell Brand is a decent person and he does good reporting with an array of great input from various sources and guests. Many are his sins but all of us have sinned. I see him as a family man with quite an informative and funny show. X