I’m going to bravely write a very controversial statement that may or may not polarize a substantial number of readers: I freaking love Russell Brand. He is one of my favorite late night talk show guests; so off the cuff, naturally funny and charismatic. He ain’t hard to look at either. There, I said it. It feels good to confess in a public forum. Maybe there are more people struggling with this inner turmoil and my admission will be just the impetus they need to finally come forward with their truth.
His True Passion
Aside from the mega fame and wealth he’s accumulated being one of the UK’s (and perhaps, the world’s?) most celebrated comedians, he’s also a man dedicated to his recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, from which he has been free and clear for over a decade. From everything I’ve read about him, it seems he utilizes a combination of 12-step, abstinence-based recovery and transcendental meditation. Brand has actively tried to use his notoriety in order to influence policy around addicts and the law. Insisting treatment, rather than punishment, is the best solution for getting more junkies off the street.
He clearly makes being of service to other addicts a big priority too. In March of 2015, he opened Trew Era, a recovery-themed café, in an estate he saved from being bought by developers who wanted to kick out the current families and jack up the rent. I had to do a little recon to find out, the term “estate” in the UK is in reference to a section of a neighborhood roped off as affordable housing, as opposed to a millionaire’s compound like we’d imagine in the US. Did everyone already know this but me?
Anyway, the community is very grateful to Brand, as are the café’s employees, all of whom except one manager, are sober. Most of the current staff were referred by Paper and Cup, a successful pair of London sober coffee shops that have been up and running, mainly by volunteers, for a while. The baristas at Trew Era actually earn a living wage. So they’re reinforcing their own recovery as well as making coin? Hell yeah, Brand, you’ve done it again. One of the employees attests, Brand wanted an update on all of their individual sober journeys upon first meeting. He cares, y’all, he really cares. But seriously, sounds like you better stay on the straight and narrow if you want to keep your job at Brand’s establishment.
Maybe Take It Down a Notch, Russ
Now when Brand spoke at the grand opening of Trew Era, which was supposedly funded solely by the proceeds of one of his many books, Revolution, he used some fairly grandiose terms about his future vision. These included the “end of politics” and something about social enterprises establishing their own “currency,” “authority” and “federation.” This kind of shit is probably how the haters justify their hate.
As they say in the program, let’s keep it simple for now, Russell. You are giving people a place to connect with other sober people, employing sober people, providing a space for NA and AA meetings (employees don’t have to attend on-site meetings, but must be actively working the steps and attending meetings elsewhere) and serving some hard core organic, vegetarian-friendly cuisine. Let’s not talk about overthrowing the monarchy just yet.
Trew Era apparently also has nearby chicken coops and beehives for recovering addicts to help maintain. Good in theory but—I don’t know if you’ve ever had the pleasure of smelling chicken shit—I hope this doesn’t drive them to drink. The beehives seem romantic though. Who doesn’t love fresh honey?
Photo Courtesy of D B Young from London (Russell Brand London Revolution Protest) [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), via Wikimedia Commons (resized and cropped)
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