In Defense of Russell Brand

Russell Brand was suspended by the BBC from his normal radio gig--and subsequently quit altogether--for leaving an "offensive" message on the answering machine of actor Andrew Sachs. Jonathan Ross, Brand's co-host for that particular show and a BBC television host himself, was also suspended. Essentially, Brand and Ross revealed in their message that Brand had slept with Sachs' granddaughter, a member of a colorful dance troupe called "The Satanic Sluts." No one is denying the validity of Brand's claim, just that Brand and Ross shouldn't have brought it up. At least not on the answering machine of the girl's grandfather. As it turns out, I'm a regular listener and happened to have heard the incident in question.

Before I recount the relevant dialogue, let me first remind you of Quico's First Law of Humor, which reads, in part: "Nothing is out of bounds, as long as it's funny." In my opinion, this incident was hilarious and therefore well within bounds. You be the judge:

Prior to leaving the message, Brand and Ross were joking about Russell's encounter with the Satanic Slut, and Brand half-heartedly exhorted Ross not to bring it up to Sachs. Anyway, Sachs didn't pick up the phone, and the boys began to leave a message. A minute or two into the message Brand said, "I've got respect for you, and your lineage, and your progeny." Jonathan Ross quickly admonished Brand for tiptoeing around "it" and then screamed, "He fucked your granddaughter!"

C'mon! Hilarious! Am I wrong? Anyway, I thought the Brits were supposed to be much more laid back about this sorta stuff. I think the BBC ought to apologize to Brand for its rash decision and offer him his job back. Your thoughts?

Update: iTunes has pulled The Russell Brand podcast from the iTunes store. If anyone is interested in hearing the relevant audio, I've got the podcast saved on my harddrive and will consider making it available.