Russell Brand, the suave and sophisticated British comedian, launched a verbal tirade against the hosts of MSNBC’s Morning Joe yesterday after they were repeatedly rude to him.
Brand was on the programme to promote his upcoming world comedy tour, Messiah Complex, which begins in Abu Dhabi in August, but instead the show’s hosts Mika Brzezinski, Katty Kay and Brian Shactman began to make jokes at his expense.
This included pretending that they didn’t know what he was saying, referring to him in the third person even though he was literally sat about two feet away from the trio, and they even called him the wrong name on numerous occasions.
Brand spent the opening five minutes of his interview politely listening to the presenters comments, which at one point even saw Kay ask if he was mentally ill.
The comedian then stated, “I hope I’m here as a fully qualified professional gentleman, free from mental illness.”
Kay then asked if they could have a cheeky 30-second preview of his act for free, to which Brand responded, “Not really, love.”
Brand then tried to poke fun at the plethora of journalists who were stood behind the hosts looking like they were hard at work. Brand noted that they were probably “looking at pornography” and “tweeting themselves senseless back there!”
Brand lost his temper though when Brezezinski, Kay and Shactman when they repeatedly referred to him in the third person, and stated that they couldn’t understand him.
He erupted, “You’re talking about me as if I’m not here, and as if I’m an extra-terrestrial. You know I’m from a country that’s near to you?”
Brand continued, “You shouldn’t say he when a person is present. You should refer to that person by their name. That’s basic good manners.”
Brand then asked the trio if this is what they did for a living before taking over the show himself.
He then noted that Brzezinski was holding a drinks bottle in a particularly suggestive manner, proclaiming, ” What do you think that gesture means, the way you’re touching that bottle? What’s the subtext of that? You need to lose that ring Mika, ’cause it don’t mean nothing to you. She’s grasping for the shaft. She’s a shaft grasper.”
What did you think of Brand’s actions on MSNBC?