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The world of controversies has generally been Brand-unaware, but now an endless maw of reactions was brought forth by Brand’s social media post that very few would have predicted. The actor turned commentator posted an almost endless, impassioned prayer to the divine urging intervention in Gaza; urging political polarization to halt, at least one-sidedly around Donald Trump, and then joking about another biblical scale flood to cleanse the world. The whole post was soaked in a religious fervor that poured from support to bitter criticism alike.
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Starting from an expression of reflection on the fallen state of mankind and the concept of spiritual warfare and surrender to divine will, Brand prayed for Gaza to come under a cessation of hostilities. Thereafter, he switched juxtaposition to what he called the endless battle and trivialization of Trump in medias and culture. From that point on, things got rather dramatic as the divine intervention was called upon to produce signs, have governments fall, and even allow a second flood to descend upon mankind, all an indirect reference to the biblical story of Noah.
The post, on the other hand, was received with great doubt and outright refusal by many-a-user. A critic had hit hard: “Why don’t you pray for the tens of victims you sexually abused first?” Anther, ridiculing the seeming sincerity of his pleas, said sarcastically: “There’s one slight, teeny problem. The Lord seems perfectly fine with Uncle Bibi’s murderous slaughter of women and children. That. Or he doesn’t exist.”
Some of the commentators wanted to point out Brand being a hypocrite, reminding other comments of changes in his spiritual alleged beliefs: “Weren’t you a Hindu last month?” These were references to Brand’s long-pursued, ever-shifting spiritual odyssey that has taken him through many different religious belief systems. At the same time, some would have enthusiastically supported what he said: “Yes Lord—Your WILL be done!”
Even the sunglasses Brand was wearing incited some criticisms. “What’s with the sunglasses? They give the impression you may be on drugs,” one user speculated, while another offered, “Sunglasses? No roof on your house, Russ?”
This post reopened the debate on the Israel-Palestine conflict, accusing Brand sometimes of moral equivalence. “Hypocrite. Still making this out to be a conflict when it’s clear as day that one is an evil occupying force while the other are victims of oppression,” one critic responded, with another proclaiming himself a firm ally of Israel defending the Israeli military action as a necessary preemptive counterterrorism measure.
So very apt is the timing of the spiritual appeal to Brand, who is in the middle of the legal battle, receiving immense public scrutiny. Some responses appear to be sarcastic allusions to his soon-to-be court encounters. “Praying on a podcast—you must be shitting in court,” one quipped.
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Russell Brand has had a way of making anyone hate him or love him. There are strong reactions to his personality. And whatever the prayer was for, whether indeed for divine intervention or an appeal to a higher power, or maybe just some comedy, one thing is clear: the whole thing stirred rumors-as the whole purpose for Russell Brand so often.
This story originally appeared on Celebrityinsider
