14 生活時尚 S T Y L E WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2008 • TAIPEI TIMES Brand name Comedian ’s boundary-defying style of humor has gained him notoriety, fortune and Hollywood success. But a recent edition of his BBC radio show, in which Brand left obscene messages for one of Britain’s best-loved comic actors, has led to controversy that not even he was prepared for

By Miranda Sawyer , London

interviewed Russell Brand in�� he says. “It was: ‘Oh, he’s not there, ludicrous hair. He knows all this. He mid-October.���������������������� Afterwards I trotted let’s just leave a message’ and then: makes jokes about it. Plus, he’s been in I home thinking, “That was good fun: ‘Oh, look what we’ve done now.’ Narcotics Anonymous since December entertaining, a bit bizarre, a stimulating There was no malicious intent — it 2002 and so does that tedious 12 Steps way to spend an hour.” A few days was like an evolving, rolling thing. If thing of spending hours analyzing later, the row about Andrew Sachs blew you listen, I say sorry more than I say himself and his actions. up. Within a week, Russell had resigned anything offensive — the message “I have a propensity for self- from Radio 2, as had the station’s is mostly an apology. In fact, it’s the involvement. I can be very vain and I head, Lesley Douglas, Jonathan Ross acknowledgment of how wrong it can be selfish and I’m totally aware of had been suspended, and the BBC was was that is the source of the comedy. that,” he says, settling himself into the dissolving — yet again — into hopeless What’s difficult is that it was completely leather sofa. “And I work on it literally self-flagellation. And my cozy chat with devoid of malice, and there’s been a on a daily basis, as part of my recovery Russell about his new book and DVD retrospective application of cruelty and from drugs and alcohol. I’m like: ‘Oh no, seemed as relevant as rabies. intention to cause offense.” that was a selfish thing to say. Oh no, I Now Russell has fled to Los Russell spoke about the Paris Hilton, left, appears on stage with host Russell apologize, let me make amends.’ So that Angeles; over there for a couple of film sequence of events that led to the Brand at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards held ��in is part of my life.” roles and to record a stand-up show. prerecorded show being edited but Los Angeles on�� S�ept���. 7. �  photos: agencies All of which takes on a different He isn’t giving interviews, but he calls still being broadcast, saying it was weight after he’s spent a week saying me from his hotel to explain himself, his responsibility. “I don’t think this big stars. And if Sachs held any illusions sorry to one and all. Anyhow, this navel- sounding understandably quieter than is a situation where I’d go: ‘Oh my about his granddaughter (and most gazing means interviewing Brand is when we first talked. “I don’t want to god, why didn’t you protect me from grandparents do), then they’ve been peculiar. Every question you ask him appear in any way cavalier,” he says, myself, Nic Philps [his producer]?’” well and truly shattered. about himself, he’s already considered. which is funny coming from someone He acknowledged that big egos like Still. Now that the fuss has begun More, he’s deconstructed it, put it with his hairdo. his and Ross’s can be hard to keep to die down, perhaps we Russell Brand back together, located an appropriate So, what happened? under control and that part of the fans will be allowed to speak up. My intellectual quote and tried to solve “Well, it wasn’t that we went: ‘Let’s fuss was because Ross earns so much name is Miranda Sawyer and I think whichever trait of his personality made ring Andrew Sachs and boast about money. He expressed regret over Russell Brand is funny. I loved his him act like that in the first place. He’s having sex with his granddaughter,’” Douglas and Sachs (though he said spontaneous, anarchic radio show. I very clever and uses language with nothing about Georgina Baillie, Sachs’ enjoy his filthy, off-the-hook stand- panache, but his mind is less a steel granddaughter). What he wouldn’t take up. His autobiography, My Booky trap, more a pin-ball machine when all responsibility for was the furor. Wook, was impossible to read without the bonus balls are released at once. “I think what I do appeals to lots laughing out loud. Naturally, I don’t Exhilarating, but exhausting. of people, younger and older, and think he should spend his time leaving When I talk to him about his recent certainly what it is, is unrestrained, rude messages on people’s answer hosting of the VMAs (MTV Video Music unbridled and authentic. And on this machines, but that is not all he does. Awards), for instance, where he drew occasion it offended Andrew Sachs For a start, he enlivens the world flak for teasing the Jonas Brothers and I feel bad about that and he’s with his ludicrous dress sense. For about their virginity and describing accepted my apology. But how that has our original, pre-Sachsgate interview, US President George W. Bush as that been subsequently conveyed, which he arrived dressed entirely in black “retarded cowboy feller,” Russell is as a vindictive act, then I didn’t do — jacket, leggings, bovver boots launches into a reply which, when I the vindictive act. I did the daft thing, and, yes, skirt — accessorized with transcribe it, is more than 1,500 words and that I take responsibility for. How diamante belts, clunking chains and long. To summarize: at the actual it’s been repackaged ... I’m not at all enormous shades. Much taller, hairier awards, he went down better than he’d responsible for that.” and better-looking than I expected: expected, no matter what happened Will you change because of this? a young George Best let loose in the afterwards. He realizes the office of “I can’t let it change what I do. Addams Family dressing-up box. president is talismanic to Americans, If you’re asking me to inhibit what “Do you like my leggings?” he asks even to liberal ones; he loves America, is spontaneous and good about my archly, turning an ankle. “I think the and understands it’s going through a performance, then I can’t do that. I ruching, strangely, stops them from necessary crisis vis-a-vis race; and he don’t think anyone who loves what I being too feminine. It’s not often you thinks it’s cynical to market a teenage do, who will have listened to the actual can say that about ruching. Yes, they boy band as virgins. “There’s that thing and not complained ... I don’t are ladies’ trousers.” Michel Foucault idea of sublimating think they’ll be affected by it. And then We are in a large, tastefully sexuality, so promoting virginity is the people who don’t like me will just furnished room next to the photo another way of putting sexuality at think: ‘Well, this is what we expected.’ studio. Russell is appreciative. “Now the forefront of popular culture. Like, So despite how huge the fuss is, that I know this room is a possibility, ‘They don’t have sex.’ ‘What? They essentially it’s meaningless.” then next time I have an interview it don’t have sex?’ It’s hokey balderdash.” I wonder. Meaningless, probably, for will have to be somewhere at least as See? Clever. Russell. He has plenty of other projects good. It’ll have to be in a ballroom with However, what’s more interesting on the go: including movies (with Judd a Jacuzzi. And a hand maiden! Don’t is how he starts his answer, which is Apatow and Oliver Stone), his Guardian give me anything worse! The privilege with this funny/serious little speech. newspaper football columns, now has become the standard!” “I’m a very sensitive person,” he says, collected into a book, and his Though he seemed slightly shy “so I don’t like to read or hear anything Ponderland show. In February, Comedy when he first arrived, it doesn’t take negative about myself, under any Central will screen an hour of his stand- much for Russell to get boisterous. circumstances at all. To the point where up, to coincide with the US launch of his Show him the smallest twig of a joke I’m a difficult actor to direct, because if autobiography. Russell’s immediate plan and he snatches it like a mad dog, the director says anything other than, is to conquer America — and not having running away with it as far as he can. ‘That was brilliant, amazing — how do a BBC radio program won’t hinder that. It’s hard to stop him, because what do you think of these ideas? Why, you’re so But Ross’ reputation has definitely you say? Russell’s confidence comes clever and you’re handsome ...’ I’m like: suffered — he was so pathetically from knowing himself inside out. ‘Oh fine, fuck you!’ I’d feel hurt, but I’d excited about Russell’s sex life — and There’s no point in taking the mickey also think, ‘Leave me alone, I’m trying Douglas has lost her job, leaving Radio out of him for being an attention- my hardest!’” 2 to retreat back into golf-club-and- seeking sex maniac, nor in pointing cardigan-land. The BBC will have to do out he’s an ex-junkie, a drama-school something about how much it pays its flunk who fancies himself despite his continued on page 15

[ TECHNOLOGY REVIEW ]

1979 Sony’s Saitama Tech factory Interestingly, since Sony has included In north of Tokyo produced the the ability to use stereo Bluetooth world’s first Walkman cassette player. headsets (before now Bluetooth The Walkman revolutionized the way headsets were mono only, a terrible the world listened to music and now, way to listen to music), it has also almost 30 years later, the brand is still announced the MBS-900 Bluetooth going strong. The latest and perhaps Sony Ericsson’s MBS-900 Bluetooth stereo speaker, stereo speaker, which means you can greatest in the Walkman lineup is the Sony Ericsson’s W705.  photos courtesy of Sony Ericsson stream your MP3s from the W705 to a with the W705 phone.  photo courtesy of Sony Ericsson new Sony Ericsson W705, which was high-quality external stereo speaker. unveiled this week. and a lower price tag. The sound quality an LED flash. Personally, I find that phones such as the iPhone and Google’s pointless. Of course, in the war against This is an excellent situation because Branding its MP3 player phones has every chance of being impeccable, using an LED flash in low light to take G1. The W705 also boasts the ability Nokia’s N-series and Apple’s iPod, any the MBS-900 Bluetooth speaker can be as Walkmans, while being a stroke of considering it builds on the audio of the pictures of my friends makes them look to record directly from the camera ammunition will do. carried around and placed anywhere, genius, only began very recently. It was W980, which was particularly praised like zombies. Compare this to the K800i and upload to YouTube, a relatively Which brings me to the W705’s and your music can be streamed to it in 2005 when the first-ever Walkman for high-quality sound. for example — which has a “real” flash, time-saving feature that will, however, appearance. The astute among you wirelessly over Bluetooth. Powering a mobile phone was released, the W800i. The W705 is a sleek aluminum slider resulting in more human-like skin tones probably be rarely used, considering may be thinking that this phone is a party from your W705 can be a reality, It is particularly ironic that first, the phone featuring just what you would — and the photographic results are that in most cases a video needs some G705 with an aluminum casing. This is so long as you have the external speaker W800i suffered from quality of sound expect nowadays: high-speed Internet, often disappointing. We can only hope sort of post-production before being virtually true, but just like the G705 the and the battery power. issues, and second that the latest Wi-Fi ability, Bluetooth, a huge screen, that Sony will be able to combine the uploaded. This application can also be W705 is beautiful in form. The design In conclusion, this is a powerful, offering bares a model number that and a tonne of storage space for your crystal-clear clarity of sound from the used to view YouTube videos, which I’m is sleek, and the keyboard that slides attractive and capable mobile phone. suggests it is already out of date. music and videos. The geekier among Walkman-based W range with the vivid sure will be heavily utilized by many. out from underneath the screen begs Stereo Bluetooth has further improved Fans of Walkman phones need not you will be impressed by the HSUPA picture quality of the Cybershot-based K Recently, Sony started to to be picked up and fiddled with. Just upon the sound features of the W worry though: the W range of handsets turbo-3G (marketed as faster than 3G), range. Hopefully, next year will see this include sensors in its phones called under the screen is a Motorola RAZR- range. It comes recommended if you has come a long way in the last three Stereo Bluetooth for use with new become a reality. accelerometers — think Nintendo’s Wii style joystick presumably intended to are looking for an MP3 player phone, years. In fact, the quality of sound, stereo Bluetooth headsets, 240 pixel On the software side the W705 — which has lead to some interesting make skipping through music easier and although existing owners of Sony build and software have been steadily by 320 pixel-resolution screen and a contains some very interesting and features as well as some gimmicky to make operation more comfortable. Ericsson Walkman phones may find improving, not to mention the aesthetics 4-gigabyte memory stick capable of useful pieces of software pre-installed, ones. If you turn the W705 around (Sony’s joysticks have been rather too few improvements to convince side, which has really excelled itself this holding more than 3,000 MP3s. so users don’t need to worry about the screen will auto-rotate, which crude in the past.) If, like me, brushed them to upgrade. time. This being Sony’s last phone of No modern mobile phone would be downloading applications themselves. is extremely nice. If you shake your aluminum excites you, then this phone the year should make it a safe and wise complete without a camera. The W705 One such program is Google Maps — W705 in certain directions, you can is extremely beautiful: a sleek, slender  — Gareth Murfin is a freelance purchase. The last of the run is often ships with a decent-enough 3.2-megapixel this would have been really exciting had get it to skip forward or back a track, slider phone with a lot of power under  developer and consultant the best, with fewer bugs, more memory camera that is, as usual, hampered by it not been done so recently by other which is interesting yet potentially the hood.  www.GarethMurfin.com