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Comment by threeseed | Hacker News Reader

The media is not a single entity.

It is an industry comprised of multiple companies each with their own agendas, viewpoints etc. The publications involved in investigating Brand are not the same ones that profited from his exploits.

And even if they did profit in the past does not mean they relinquish any right to atone for their mistakes. Hollywood tried to change and improve after the Weinstein situation. And so should the UK industry as Brand isn't the only one accused.

We are talking about multiple cases of rape and sexual assault some involving a 16 year old girl. We need to not lose sight of who the real victims are here.

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I suppose these days, it is useless to point out that these are unconfirmed accusations. Oh well

To say that Hollywood did anything other than damage control after Weinstein seems very naive.

“The media” doesn’t really have a diversity of agendas or views, they have a specific audience that they peddle outrage to in order to extract money. For example, as a bemused outside observer there’s very little difference between CNN and Fox News (admittedly I’ve seen very little of either), other than the audience they pander to.

No-one is trying to downplay what he allegedly did, but that’s why we have a legal system. That these accusations have been made publicly via media outlets and not via law enforcement doesn’t help the legal case against him though, as any eventual trial has almost certainly been prejudiced already due to how widespread the coverage has been.

It probably doesn’t really matter either.

That public opinion (which is managed and administered by a handful of media organisations) is ultimately the highest court in the land today is all very black mirror.

It is worth noting, for the benefit of US-based readers, that the legal age of consent in the UK is 16.

Brand was 31 at the time, according to media reports.

Indeed. Americans tend to believe that the entirely arbitrary value of 18 set forth by many, but not all, states for the age of consent is somehow also a fundamental ethical principle.

It is worth noting, that the 16 year old girl has accused him of sexual assault.

So age of consent is not relevant.

Then neither is the age, so why bring it up?

> The media is not a single entity.

Unless you're a red pilled, crypto-fascist, conspiracy theorist like Russell Brand, in which case the "mainstream media" is one huge, shadowy, many-tentacled, Spectre-like organisation out to get you for your brave stand against vaccines. Apparently.

People who went to the same schools, received the same programming, control similar institutions with similar goals, and generally have uniform values, are acting in concert to take him out of commission. And you don't think it's a bit odd?

These women didn't even come out with their stories during the height of #MeToo when it was fashionable. But he starts drawing attention (getting more views than any CNN program) while talking shit about government authoritarianism during covid, and suddenly these "journalists" find multiple women.

He pissed off some powerful people with his alt-media views and now and he's getting the Julian Assange treatment to send a message to everyone else, that's all this is.

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