The economic logic of right-wing populism in the culture industry: The case of Russell Brand’s online content

Abstract

What role does an economic rationale play in the drift of cultural figures towards the populist conspiratorial right? This study addresses this question by analysing the case of Russell Brand and his transition from a figure of the progressive left to the populist conspiratorial right. Using a theoretical frame which draws on Horkheimer and Adorno’s notion of the culture industry with that of a strategic-relational approach to populism, the article argues that Brand’s drift towards right-wing conspiratorial populism correlates with the economic opportunities generated via platform capitalism, his ability to construct an economic participatory culture with his audience, and his inculcation within a broader right-wing populist and libertarian media sphere. Drawing on a deductive analysis of Brand’s YouTube content and media analysis, the article illustrates that despite claiming to be outside the mainstream, Brand’s adoption of right-wing populist conspiratorial content represents the standardisation and rationalisation of interchangeable podcast content created to capture a specific audience. This study of Russell Brand demonstrates the importance of focusing on cultural sites, and the culture industry in its diverse yet homogenising forms, in explaining contemporary shifts towards right-wing populism and conspiratorial discourse.