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MARK, MY WORDS - With the click of a button, Russell Brand, arguably one of the most important political voices of our time, has been demonetized by Youtube/Google after being accused of inappropriate behavior with three anonymous accusers in a Sunday Times and Channel 4 collaboration piece. Welcome to the new world justice system where corporate media is the judge, jury, and executioner.
The mainstream corporate media was fine with Brand when he was a lovable swashbuckling quick-witted rogue who’s material only brought on laughs instead of raised corporate eyebrows. No one had any problem with his “misogyny” then. But now, with six million plus followers on the right and the left, suddenly, he is a dangerous predator who must be stopped immediately. Stopped from doing what though? Raping damsels or exposing corporate malfeasance?
Definition of misogyny-
- Hatred of women expressed by all men through any verbal, physical, subconscious or implied gesture. Example: “I really like your new haircut Jenny.”
- Any expression or potential expression by a man that threatens or offends a corporation or government office, that is deemed offensive in any way, by anyone for any reason.
NOTE: Definitions are subject to change for any reason by anyone. Any man who identifies as a woman or anything other than a man, will be exempt from prosecution and public ridicule.
Now that Brand has poked the corporate bear one too many times, four women out of hundreds of sexual encounters, have coincidentally come forward with accusations of possible criminal sexual assault. He is immediately demonetized by Youtube/Google and prosecuted in the court of digitally manufactured public opinion. Coincidence? Of course not. But the real question is this: Is proclaiming one’s membership to whatever this week’s corporate sudo-social-justice-fight-club more important than due process? More important than finding the truth? Is Youtube/Google now in the business of digital vigilantism?
“Throw him into the Google-gulag and send a message to the rest of his like... Tow the company line, or else!!!! Remember Rusty, you are only as funny as we say you are. There will be no laughter at our expense especially if it loses money.”
(insert diabolical laughter)
I am not arguing for Brand’s innocence, only for his day in court, where if he was wrongfully accused, his nefarious accusers will be brought to justice by a fair and impartial trial in a real justice system where Brand’s reputation may be at least partially restored. If we can’t expect at least this from a modern democratic society, then what have we become? Speaking truth to power has always come with great risk and cost to the messenger, but if we allow that cost to be unreasonable and unbearable, we will be responsible for ushering in a dark age of suppressed expression and ultimately, the death of art and free expression. If cowardice and apathy prevail, we may even beat AI to the punch.
In every part of our society and Government, free speech and other assumed protected rights, have been slowly privatized and sold to the highest bidder. Youtube/Google has decided that Russel Brand is just.
too serious now. There is no laughter heard in the boardroom anymore. Only the sound of unsanctioned gavels pounding out the new beat that we are all expected to line dance to in a privatized judicial system where Youtube/Google is DJ, judge and jury pumping out dissonant songs of lost freedom.
Forcing everyone onto a monopolized platform and then pulling the rug out from under them is despicable, but since corporations now write their own regulations, there is no one to stop them. Governments used to. Journalists used to. Exposing the truth used to mean something, but since corporate media now controls the narrative, they can write their own history.
If we, the people, can’t get past our perpetual disdain for one another, we don’t stand a chance of stopping the corporate takeover that is unfolding in front of us. You want to swing at fences? Stop with your neighbor’s fence and start with a corporation. Pick one. Any one. Big ag, big pharma, big tech, it doesn’t matter. They are either already doing it or preparing to.
Being offended is part of growing up and eventually learning how to not be offended. We need to grow up and fight the real fight together. Being betrayed by journalists the world over who have sold their souls and abandoned their posts, is a real danger. It is heartbreaking and terrifying. Faith is easily lost and very hard fought to regain. The press’ betrayal will have repercussions for many years and in this case, may have dealt a compromised and weakened media, a fatal blow.
(Mark Dutton is a lifelong musician, music producer, and writer. He was arguing politics with his parents since he was a pre-teen. Majored in psychology and left college in his 3rd year on a 30 year magic bus trip around the world playing and writing music with some of the best in the biz. Mark is a contributor to CityWatchLA.com.)
