Tonight Russell Brand took part in a live Q&A to celebrate the launch of his new documentary The Emperor’s New Clothes. The film looks into the effects of capitalism and it has been widely noted that its release is timed conveniently close to the election.
During the Q&A Brand was surprised and initially very pleased to find that Brian May from Queen was in the audience. May, who began by professing his love for the comedian, even had a question for the revolutionary:
BM: I have a campaign called Common Decency which is about trying to change the system radically from within. I’m proposing that we form a strategy on May 7th and I think my strategy is so good that I’m even going to persuade you to vote but we shall see. My question is: If you really don’t want to vote and you don’t want us to vote, what do you want us to do to achieve the things that we know we need to do because we just watched your film. What do you want us to do?
Alas, Brand seemed rather taken aback by the straightforward question:
RB: Did you put Freddy Mercury under this kind of f—ing pressure? No wonder he was off doing lines and hanging out in Rio. It’s a long term strategy of the re-centralisation of the power under the co-ordination of vital institutions and vital services fully autonomous collectives that collaborate to preserve the rights of the individual and the rights to pursue spiritually whatever direction we want to with the prioritisation of the ecological preservation of the planet. It’s going to take a while for it to get on the ballot box but I don’t know if that is necessarily the right way to go about it but I support you, what I support most of all is people becoming fully activated and I’d be very, very happy to talk to you and Anita Dobson in your caravan.
Perhaps as confused as Mr S by Brand’s answer, May pushed on:
BM: But what do we do Russell?
RB: I mean, look, you know me, help me out. In that film that we grafted over there are loads and loads of ideas. You’re saying how do we get that sh-t to happen. I mean don’t make me say something mad on the telly. I believe in creating different relationships with powerful institutions which operate on behalf of the powerful, bringing them on to our side. I don’t agree with remaining within the parameters that have been set for us. I don’t believe in that in any level, I believe in real change. Like if an election is us the people we can have one whenever we f—ing want, we can do whatever we like. I have some ideas, I have some strategies but I also have really serious limitations. I’m here to amplify the issues for the people in this room to help people in anyway I can.
Strangely May didn’t look very impressed.
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