The cancellation of Russell Brand has started as Youtube demonetises his videos for supposedly violating creator responsibility terms. “If a creator’s off-platform behaviour harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community,” a YouTube spokesperson said. Hmmnn. There’s plenty of objectionable and dangerous to vulnerable users content on Youtube but I suppose that a massive media expose into past misdeeds is the perfect excuse for Youtube to save itself a nice bundle of cash. The BBC and C4 are busily scrubbing content featuring the presenter. Spotify has refused to deplatform Brand though ads may be withdrawn from his podcasts. Women are coming forward with tales of very objectionable behaviour but if we are talking about the criminal threshold (and we bloody should be focussing on only that) there is just one complaint filed in London about something that occurred in 2003 and none in LA. If commenters know of any I have missed, please let me know and I will update this post.
Meanwhile, one of the most despicable things to do is to target Brand’s pregnant wife. Nadine Dorries in the Daily Mail did just that, questioning how Brand’s wife could bear to stand by her man. One shouldn’t expect too much of Dorries, but this was vile even by her low standards.
One of the most reasonable discussions out there: