Russell Brand always seemed repellant to me, but that had little to do with the fact he became famous in the noughties. And yet, since allegations have emerged, we keep being told repeatedly that Brand is a typical toxic product of the early years of the new millennium.
‘Resurfaced clips give a sobering reminder of noughties culture,’ says the BBC. ‘Nasty noughties: a culture reckoning?’ asks the Week. The noughties was a ‘cesspit’ – ‘a laddish era (that) allowed Russell Brand to thrive,’ said the Daily Telegraph.
‘Back in the noughties,’ began one of many pieces on Brand, ‘pop culture was hard and nasty…It was a period of viciousness and excess, where cruelty was the norm and misogyny was celebrated.’
What’s funny is that some of the people decrying the ‘nasty’ culture of the noughties are also those who probably look back fondly on that period as the final halcyon days before the relentlessness of political correctness set in.
The sad truth is that every age has had bad men
What they seem to have forgotten is that you can’t have a sexually progressive culture without the pitfalls of freedom too.
Get Britain's best politics newsletters
Register to get The Spectator's insight and opinion straight to your inbox. You can then read two free articles each week.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in