Russell Brand Steps Up Epic Fox News Battle With Attack On Bill O'Reilly

Russell Brand Steps Up Epic Battle Against Fox News

Not content with naming and shaming just one Fox News anchor, Russell Brand has stepped up his attack on the hard right US news channel, setting his sights on another of the station's most famous anchors.

Following an epic two day battle with darling of the Tea Party, Sean Hannity, Brand has responded to the latest segment of Bill O'Reilly's Fox show, The O'Reilly Factor, in which the conservative commentator hands out some top tips for poor people.

For British readers unfamiliar with O'Reilly, he is commonly referred to as a "champion bloviator" in the American press, most known for decrying the current state of the US and all that has brought the once great nation apparently crashing to its grazed and battered knees.

O'Reilly, who is the main inspiration for comedian Stephen Colbert's satirical Comedy Central show, The Colbert Report, became the latest victim in Brand's video series The Trews after he discussed the current plight of the poor in America.

The Fox News anchor offered his advice to the 48 million Americans currently on low paid jobs, in a somewhat easy target for Brand's latest media-crushing video take-down.

Perhaps, Brand states, the state of the US economy has something to do with "all those super rich elite."

"Super rich" people like Rupert Murdoch, who owns Fox News and "is probably richer than he's ever been," he adds.

On his Fox show, O'Reilly acknowledges that hard-pressed "families are in danger," before blaming those suffering for their own poverty-stricken plight.

"You should have at least $25,000 that you can access if you get fired, or if a disaster hits you or your family," he states.

How? "Never waste money.. EVER," O'Reilly explains, prompting Brand to cackle with glee as he imagines how poor people love wasting money.

"First thing I do with my low paid job is I get some of my money and I waste it away," Brand says.

"I buy some more chocolate bras… I gamble on the outcome of a squirrel fight... that's 20% gone."

"Going to get round to taxing the wealthy.. taking money off big businesses?" Brand asks O'Reilly incredulously.

But, as O'Reilly's show continues, he suggests poor people should stop spending money on "trinkets," prompting further disbelief from Brand.

"Poor people aren't poor because they got too many trinkets!" the comedian exclaims.

Brand also takes exception to O'Reilly's advice that poor people "never pay full price," and instead rely on voucher sites.

Who needs a welfare state or the equal distribution of wealth in a fair society where corporate interests are curtailed, when you can go on Groupon, Brand asks.

"What's going on with this lot over at Fox news?" Brand concludes, "they're a really vindictive bunch."

His latest attack on the media giant follows hostilities between him and another of Fox News' conservative attack dogs, Sean Hannity.

Brand faced the wrath of the news anchor after blasting his aggressively pro-Israeli stance and making the observation that he looks a Ken doll.

The comedian said that Hannity was hellbent on a context-free, aggressive shouting match rather than a reasoned discussion on the complex factors that led up to the latest round of violence in Gaza.

Hannity recently targeted his ire at Palestinian-American guest Yousef Munayyer in a segment branded "Sympathy For The Terrorists".

The host repeatedly shouted loudly, demanding to know: "Is Hamas a terrorist organisation? What part of this can't you get through your thick head?"

Brand reacted to the clip in his latest video: "I don't mean to be petty or trivial but Hannity looks like the Ken doll from Toy Story 3."

You decide:

Brand mocked Hannity's aggressive pointing and shouting at guests who invites on for debate. "You're already being unreasonable. This isn't the normal terms or terms of a debate.

"Sean's not a solution-based guy. Sean's not thinking 'we want peace, what we should we do to get peace?' He's thinking 'We want conflict. What can I say to exacerbate conflict?'"

In the video responding to Brand's attack, Hannity stated: "Russell Brand, a D-list actor, better known for his failed marriage to Katy Perry recorded himself going on a 12-and-a-half minute tirade against... little old me."

In a bile-filled rant, Hannity concluded Israel has "shown too much restraint," in a conflict that has so far claimed the lives of more than 1,100 Palestinians, mainly children.

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