Every Monday on Global Comment, we share the slow, thoughtful, considerate words that our brains – and souls – need but that it’s easy to miss in our busy world. We distil the best of the web and recommend just three links every week that you absolutely must see.
No fluff, no fuss, just three exceptional reads.
Here are this week’s recommendations:
Tarnished Brand (Sarah Manavis / Prospect)
Today, the Russell Brand empire is monumentally wide-reaching: he runs annual wellness retreats promoting alternative medicine, streams daily from his shed near Henley, posts conspiracy-minded TikTok videos; he’s even done an anti-woke comedy tour and appeared on TV panels sympathetic to conspiracy theories. He, of course, also podcasts. All of this has inspired a cult-like new following.
It would be easy to write Brand off as a small part of a booming cottage industry of alt-right, online talking heads. After all, there are plenty of men ranting on the internet, from the comfort of their homes, regurgitating popular conspiracy theories for cheap views and gaining a following. (Despite his professed interest and openness to debate, multiple Brand representatives did not accept an interview request for this piece.) But what Brand is doing is unusual in terms of its style, tactics, content and in how effective it is in getting people to believe him. It may, in its potentially extraordinary impacts, even be unique.
The Woman Who Bought a Mountain for God (Stephanie McCrummen / The Atlantic)
As Tami was complaining to herself that she didn’t want a whole mountain, a thought came into her head that seemed so alien, so grandiose, that she was certain it was the voice of God.
“Yes, but I do,” the voice said.
She decided this must be the beginning of her divine assignment. She would use $950,000 of her divorce settlement to buy the mountain. She would advance the Kingdom of God in the most literal of ways, and await further instructions.
The Boris Johnson ruling is still important
@pmqskeir The Boris Johnson ruling is still important. #labour #labourpartyuk #labourparty #borisjohnson #keirstarmer #ukpolitics #britishpolitics #pmqs #pmq #ukparliment #houseofcommons #foryoupage #fyp #foryourpage #conservativeparty #conservativepartyuk #newlabour #liztruss #rishisunak ♬ original sound – Keir@PMQs
If you have any suggestions for future words to feature, contact us on our socials or at editor@globalcomment.com
Image: Irina Iriser