Russell Brand on MSNBC mocking media
I think he is brilliant, masterful, FAST, and incredibly insightful. Watch and enjoy.
He takes them apart and they don't even really realize it.
= new reply since forum marked as read
the hastily changed subject! ROFL!
really nothing pretentious about him: he is what he is 
- K&R
You know, I have spent many years out of the US and it leaves large gaps in my cultural literacy, so no, I did not know him.
You make interesting points. Is he part of the spectacle? Is he playing part of it so that he can dominate it? Is he poking fun? Is he introspective but trying to appear flippant? I find it very hard to say.
What I am certain of is that he is, as you say, an incredibly magnetic figure with a unique ability to warp reality around him or at least dominate a room with his powerful presence.
As for the "bullshit macho-beta style", I can't really say that I understand what you mean precisely. But even if I did, I would not necessarily agree that keeping it or dropping it reflects directly on the issue of whether he is serious or not. Like I said, I think he has a game plan and he is playing the role of the mythic Trickster, ala Loki or the Fox or Coyote. As such, being sexual is part of it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trickster
The trickster deity breaks the rules of the gods or nature, sometimes maliciously (for example, Loki) but usually with ultimately positive effects (though the trickster's initial intentions may have been either positive or negative). Often, the bending/breaking of rules takes the form of tricks (e.g. Eris) or thievery. Tricksters can be cunning or foolish or both; they are often funny even when considered sacred or performing important cultural tasks. An example of this is the sacred Iktomi, whose role is to play tricks and games and by doing so raises awareness and acts as an equalizer.
Loved watching them squirm 
