Russell Brand’s controversy baiting has fallen short Stateside, but the dude still knows how to piss off his countrymates. Lawmakers in the British parliament, apparently unconcerned about combating centuries of English fuddy-duddy-ness, have actually taken the time out to file a motion condemning a series of prank phone calls made by the comedian. The offending calls went out to 78-year-old actor Andrew Sachs, who played a waiter on Fawlty Towers, during a segment on BBC Radio; along with comedian Jonathan Ross, Brand discussed sleeping with Sachs’s granddaughter and how Sachs might be motivated to hang himself now. Sounds sort of funny, maybe — but okay, yeah, the line was crossed, and the BBC is funded by taxpayers, which puts this whole mess within the domain of the government. Still, is this the kind of thing Prime Minister Gordon Brown needs to be releasing statements over? Aren’t there more pressing issues? We assume their economy is tanking as well, yes?
UK media watchdog investigating after prank phone calls by Russell Brand spark complaints [AP via RGJ]