Russell Brand MSNBC Smackdown Seen As A Win For Comedian

Russell Brand’s MSNBC beat-down yesterday could have reflected poorly on the British stand-up and actor, but it seems public opinion overwhelmingly suggests Brand’s incensed retorts enamored viewers to him rather than turned them off.

Yesterday, Russell Brand‘s MSNBC spat went viral, and the star not only chided hosts Mika Brzezinski, Katty Kay and Brian Shactman, but managed to get the better of them in their own clubhouse.

Russell Brand’s MSNBC Morning Joe appearance was an attempt to plug his imminent tour, Messiah Complex, but Brand was displeased when the smug talking heads began to mock him. (As anyone would be, we imagine.)

Brand managed some polite tolerance of the poor treatment — in which Kay, Shactman, and Brzezinski made veiled insults and spoke of him like he wasn’t there — for about five minutes, before Kay joked he was mentally ill.

Still, Brand was polite, replying:

“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.”

Finally, Russell lost it when the MSNBC hosts persisted in being snide, and snapped:

“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? … 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 wasn’t keen on de-escalating, and hopped on Brzezinski and her beverage bottle, joking:

“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.”

PennLive observed:

“The show’s hosts, however, apparently unfamiliar with concepts like common courtesy and being polite to your guests, make fun of Brand’s outfit and talk about him in the third person, as though he wasn’t in the room with them. Brand, who apparently does not suffer fools lightly, starts eviscerating the show’s hosts in spectacular fashion.”

Mediaite added:

“Regardless of anyone’s opinion about Brand, the whole thing was not flattering for the MoJoe panel.”

What was your opinion of Russell Brand’s MSNBC smackdown?