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by Jane Arthurs (Author), Ben Little (Author)
Russell Brand is one of the most high profile and controversial celebrities of our time. A divisive figure, his ability to bounce back from adversity is remarkable. This book traces his various career stages through which he has done this, moving from comedy, to TV presenting; from radio to Hollywood films. It identifies how this eclectic career in entertainment both helped and hindered his high-profile move into political activism. Underpinning the book are interviews with leading activists and politicians, and sophisticated readings of Brand's performances, writing and on-screen work. There are sections on the Sachsgate scandal, his Newsnight interview with Jeremy Paxman, and his 2015 election intervention for aspiring Prime Minister Ed Miliband. It builds on scholarly work in the area of celebrity politics to develop an original analytic approach that blends the field theory of Pierre Bourdieu with the assemblage theory of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari.
Back Jacket
'This is a fantastically exciting book, one which both forensically interrogates the cultural significance of Brand as a comedian but which also places him at the heart of a much bigger intellectual narrative about comic celebrity and its increasing impact on contemporary British politics.'
-Sam Friedman, London School of Economics and author of Comedy and Distinction: The Cultural Currency of a 'Good' Sense of Humour
Russell Brand's capacity to reinvent himself is remarkable. This book traces his career through comedy, to TV presenting; radio to Hollywood films. It identifies how his eclectic experience in entertainment both helped and hindered his high-profile move into political activism. It contains sections on the Sachsgate scandal, his controversial interview with Jeremy Paxman and his interview with aspiring Prime Minister Ed Miliband. Underpinning the book are interviews with leading activists and politicians and sophisticated readings of Brand's performances. It builds on the scholarly work of David Marshall, John Street, Oliver Driessens, Nahuel Ribke and others in the area of celebrity politics to develop an original analytic approach that blends the field theory of Pierre Bourdieu with the assemblage theory of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. This book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the complex interaction between comedy, celebrity and politics.
Jane Arthurs is Professor in Television at Middlesex University.
Ben Little is Lecturer in Media and Cultural Politics at the University of East Anglia.
Author Biography
Jane Arthurs is Professor of Television at Middlesex University. She has published widely on film and television and feminist cultural studies. Her book Television and Sexuality on how the cultural politics of taste affects production, regulation and consumption, includes her well known essay on 'Sex and the City and Consumer Culture'.
Ben Little is Lecturer in Media and Cultural Politics at the University of East Anglia. He co-edits Soundings: A Journal of Politics and Culture and is series editor for the Radical Future ebook series.
