Revolution or Revolting?

[pursuingkrishna]

I'll get this out of the way first: I leave for France in a week! Then I'll be in London in just over two weeks to see the Brand! Amazing cannot begin to describe what this trip will be. I cannot believe how extremely lucky I am to have this chance. The O2 gig will be ridiculously wonderful, as Russell alluded to many surprise guests and a bit of

Comments

[pursuingkrishna]

Understandable. Has it put you off of being a fan now, though? I suppose I just see him as a fallible man who has a lot of issues that still require focus. His use of women and his "joyless trysts" as he stated in his blog are one of these. I'd like to think his revolutionary side is still intact, but it's hard to say when it's only spoken about at sold-out gigs and his own PR site. I guess that's just another byproduct of capitalism.

[pursuingkrishna]

Sorry I didn't reply to this sooner.

It's upsetting to see that such a devoted fan has been turned off because of his activities, but I suppose fame affects people in different ways. Russell's addiction will continue to be an issue until he sorts it out himself, but from all that's been said and speculated, that won't happen in the near future. It'd be extremely sad if your patronage was completely eradicated due to his off-stage activities, though I do give you credit for being able to acknowledge his stage persona versus his personal one.

Again, I'm really very sorry your image of him has been shattered. I'd say I hope he gains your respect again someday, but I can't really predict the future.

[starleigh]

I think it's just as you said -- he's torn between different motivations. And I think he's pretty honest about it. He admits to the fact that although he wants revolution, he also has selfish desires. Because he's honest about it, it doesn't bother me too much. Disingenousness (is that a word?) bothers me more, like when celebrities act all pious and preachy about serious causes without acknowledging that it's a bit silly coming from them. I like that Russell freely acknowledges that he's not the person to come up with a new economic system, as he's only a standup comedian. When he said all he can do is work on himself, I think he meant that he can work on becoming less materialistic and fame-hungry, since nobody will ever take him seriously about revolution until then ... maybe

[pursuingkrishna]

Your input is appreciated. =)

I do think he has this dichotomy about him: there's the attention-seeking boy who wants everything he can get, and then there's the humanitarian and activist who wants to change the world. He can't find a balance, and so he's constantly at odds with himself, the media, and sometimes the fans. Much of Russell's declarations won't be taken seriously because of his shortcomings. Everyone wants a hero, not a human. I can put aside his obvious failures, but only because of moments like Wednesday, where he gets out amongst the crowd and shows support in the only way he can. I think it's a shame that Russell couldn't feel more at ease and less bombarded, but that's the nature of the beast called Fame. He either has to learn to deal with it or denounce what has been given to him. It's a hard decision, and I think he's starting to realise that part of his idealism has been sacrificed because of his quest for greatness.