You are special. I am special. We all are special creatures. So why is it that some of us think we’re better than others?

I’m a Mom now and I understand the temptation of applauding every single thing my daughter does. Whether it’s eating all of her food or the other end of that equation, it’s hard not to praise her for things that aren’t really praise-worthy in the big picture. Her grandparents, aunties, and uncle think she’s the most adorable person, too. Her slightly older cousins fawn over her on FaceTime chats, trying to impress her with somersaults and ballet moves. My daughter means the world to us in every possible way. But I cringe at the thought of letting her know just how special she is.

According to a report on CBS News, we all believe we’re above average, more worthy of praise and attention than we may actually deserve, “people think they are better than most people in many arenas, from charitable behavior to work performance.” Whether it’s overestimating our intelligence or our driving ability, we tend to think of ourselves as superior to our peers, family and partners and the strangers who cut us off or slow us down in traffic.

Chris Rock illustrated this behavior well when he talked about his wife’s troubles at work (treating the gift-wrapping department at JC Penny like “Dynasty”). The perception that people are “out to destroy us” puts us in a compromising position. And the truth is, people usually aren’t trying to destroy you; they’re not even thinking about you all that much, really, because most of the time they’re thinking about themselves and just how special they think they are. You needn’t look any further than our selfie-obsession to understand this.

Part of this is valid primal protection. If we don’t value ourselves, we’re not going to be adept at survival. And for children, it’s necessary to know they’re the center of their parents’ worlds for a time—it helps them feel protected and secure to do all those growing up things that are scary. But too much praise can be damaging and create a delusional worldview. And as we age, many of us fail to lose this burdensome sense of entitlement, which can spiral into full-blown narcissism or other mental health issues that can fill our lives with unnecessary drama and stress.

The self-obsessed seek constant validation, or create situations that may make them appear victim to others’ attempts at dethroning them from their special seat. The new age/self-help spiritual communities are filled with people seeking confirmation that they’re special and unique and deserving of constant praise rather than doing the real spiritual work, which comes from selflessness and helping others who truly need it. “Only when we learn to manage this balance between our own needs and those of others can we have genuinely satisfying, intimate relationships with other people,” says F. Diane Barth, LCSW in Psychology Today.

But it’s also rampant in Trump’s America (particularly from Trump himself). We’re insulated in our bubbles that not only validate our world views, but tell us that simply by having these belief systems is an indication of our special-ness. Picking sides these days has become a reward-system all its own, pushing us to push agendas not only for what we believe to be the betterment of the planet, but for the comfort of self-applause as well.

In his 2014 book, “Revolution,” Russell Brand petitions us to change the current system. He has notoriously opted out of voting and thinks we can change the current power structures by other means, none more important than a wakeup and self-realization to the oneness that connects us all. “Now, let me remind you: This is your planet, you can change it if you want to,” he writes, “You can change it by doing loads of drugs, by having it off with women, or by going on a murderous rampage with a licensed weapon. Doesn’t it make more sense, though, to change it by binding with your fellow man and working to create a society that’s fair and just? Of course it does.”

As woo-woo as it sounds, Brand has a prescient point that may be vital to our willful evolution: when we see ourselves as connected to everyone (and everything) else on the planet, our sense of self importance fades into a sense of self purpose. And the distinction is critical: We don’t have to lose our identities or passions to make the world a better place, but losing the feeling like we matter more than others is indeed a game-changer that just might make the future a better place where we’re all fed and clothed and able explore our uniqueness without the sense of failure if it’s not our naked ass on a magazine cover.

So, we’ve started to tell our daughter: you are special to us. And I’m ready to remind her when the time is right, that it’s what she does with her specialness that’s more meaningful than what she expects from it.

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

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Russell Brand has had enough and he’s quitting his show.

Brand’s YouTube show, “The Trews,” has come to an end. He’s gotten tired of all the flack he gets for his shows and he needs a break. Watch the video of his last show below.

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In this edition of Link Love, we’ve got a look at the PETA ad too intense for Times Square, health challenges to take you to the next level, the humanity of Kim Kardashian’s rear, our own vegan face and the benefits of kindness.

The PETA ad you need to see. [via Ecouterre]

Are you ready to take your health to the next level? These challenges can help. [via Naturally Savvy]

Here’s everything you need to know about Kim Kardashian’s ass, courtesy of Mr. Brand. [via The Trews]

EcoSalon’s Senior Editor Jill Ettinger appears in Driftwood Magazine’s “Vegan Faces” profile. [via Driftwood Magazine]

It’s World Kindness Week. Can you be kinder? [via EatSleepBe]

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“The Daily Show” and other fake news programs seem more real than real news these days. When did comedy become so serious?

These are interesting times we’re living in. The 24-hour news channels are inundating us with urgent breaking news stories. Sometimes, they do so accurately, but often times they’re just using urgency for the sake of ratings – which, I guess, are urgent in their own way.

Thank goodness we can find reprieve from the oh-so-serious news agencies with programs like “The Daily Show”, “The Colbert Report” and John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight.” But why do these shows feel like a lot more than just satire?

Jon Stewart and his team (including Colbert and Oliver) cut through the bureaucratic bullshit, and expose the heart of issues many of us unfunny regular people feel intuitively while reading/watching the parade of “real” news stories that are so absurd. Three recent stellar examples of this include “The Daily Show” correspondent Jason Jones’ exposé on the issue surrounding NFL football team the Washington Redskins, and Stewart on both global warming and the real threat to Americans (which, no, is not Ebola).

The Redskins’ piece was reductive because it had to be, and hilarious because what Jones exposed is unbelievably true and awful and sad in every conceivable way. It made some Redskins fans look like completely insensitive jerks for wanting to keep the team’s offensive name. This is sad not just for the people it offends, but because it exposes how lonely and unfulfilled many people like these fans are without their sports teams – even if it means cheering on an offensive slur. One fan went so far as to question what he will be able to “leave his family” if the name of the team changes. It will make his excessive memorabilia collection moot for his children, he suggested. Never mind the ethnic slur the Native Americans have to explain to their children. It was so disturbing, we couldn’t help but laugh at it all.

When Stewart took on global warming recently, using a kindergarten-level demonstration for congressmen who simply don’t understand why melting ice caps mean rising sea levels, he broke through the layers of party-line denial with exacting lucidity. How can you argue with water flowing all over his desk? (And perhaps more pressing is the question of why so many conservative politicians continue to refuse to accept that these changes are occurring.) But when Stewart elucidated America on the real threat to our safety—which is not Ebola or ISIS, but heart disease—he made millions of viewers question why the ‘real’ news is so obnoxiously void of focus (on the real threats to our borders/arteries) and steadfast in its commitment to instilling unnecessary fear and panic. All. The. Time.

Over at HBO, Oliver has been taking things even further with “60 Minutes”-worthy investigative pieces on issues including the unbelievable legal practice of civil forfeiture, and shocking immigration issues for translators who’ve helped the U.S. armed forces in regions including Iraq and Afghanistan. His latest rant on sugar is melt-in-your-mouth worthy goodness pointing the finger not at Americans who lack self-restraint from junk food, but at the industry pushing this unhealthy ingredient at us in absurd ways (spoiler: the Clamato juice reference is laugh out loud hilarious).

Then there’s Russell Brand, an EcoSalon favorite. I’m currently halfway through his latest book, “Revolution”, which is part spiritual memoir, part call to overthrow the current system, and a totally candid glimpse of his commitment to expose corruption and usher in a radical new approach to, well, everything. Brand also hosts “The Trews”, his YouTube channel’s “true news” take on daily issues. The segments ring true with intelligible clarity, even despite his heavy British accent.

So why is it that comedians are moving front and center as trusted sources for serious issues? Comedy is so funny because it’s often so true; that’s been the case forever. George Carlin was a master of eye-opening observations that were capable of flipping the script on what we’ve been told by authorities and news agencies. Dave Chappelle, Louis CK, even Jerry Seinfeld all illuminate the dark corners of human nature that can no longer be unseen after they’ve been exposed. (What’s the deal with that?)

Technology is certainly a factor in why these programs are becoming so successful and going viral, but it feels like there’s something else making them feel so prescient right now. Every time Stephen Colbert makes a ludicrous statement in his conservative pundit character, he brilliantly exposes the reason why it’s so ludicrous in the first place. It’s almost like he’s giving us a tool to use when watching the “real” news – like a magic decoder ring (that actually works). Which, of course, we’ll actually need now that he’ll be leaving at the end of the year to take over the helm at “The Late Show,” not as his pseudo-pundit self, but as just another funny late night host. Is that a sign of the End Times?

Shortly after the news of Colbert leaving for CBS, it was revealed that Stewart turned down a job at “Meet the Press,” NBC’s Sunday news program that he could have taken to a whole new realm of news reporting. But he declined, even though he was reportedly offered as much money as he wanted, opting instead to stick with comedy, and for good reason. Comedy as the medium of choice offers the brilliant Stewart (and the rest) the safety of not being taken too seriously, even when they’re tackling sobering issues. It’s immunity from the strange unsmiling delivery of mainstream news, and they can take it in any direction to get a point across, shining a light onto the glaring cracks and holes in our news and political systems. And most times, they do a better job with comedy as a tool than most “objective” news agencies do, save for a very few.

So what’s next? Can we nudge these comedians into politics, for real? Can we get them work for the actual news industries? If Stewart won’t take a position like “Meet the Press”, is there any hope that our news system will change? In Brand’s case, he says he’s giving up on acting and comedy and focusing on making the world a better place, presumably through his books, “The Trews”, and as he said at his recent visit to #OccupyWallStreet, contributing funding to organizations that are doing good for the planet. That’s certainly a beautiful start, but if we’re to willfully evolve away from the precipitous mainstream news and rigidity of our capitalism-influenced politics, we need radical changes, judicious news reporting, and most definitely, a few good laughs.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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If you haven’t noticed yet, EcoSalon has a bit of a crush on Russell Brand. I mean, he’s adorable and all, but it’s his brazen views on politics, commerce, and a fierce commitment to revolution that we find so irresistibly prescient. Take this, a clip from his recent visit to #OccupyWallStreet where he committed to use the sales of his new book “Revolution” to fund nonprofit causes to make this world a better place. Plus, he hugs a cop

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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Apple is deifying the new iWatch, according to Russell Brand. Find the slow-mo Apple promo video erotic? Of course you do. Apple owns your ass, right Russell? He nails the brand for crimes such as hoarding enough cash off-shore to “literally end world poverty.” It’s a must-watch (see what I did there?). 

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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This week’s Link Love: We hear from Russell Brand on the tragic loss of Robin Williams’, the best way to do dishes and how to make your own natural deodorant, as well as big news for Tesla lovers and 3D printed shoes?!

If you haven’t read it yet, Russell Brand’s commentary on Robin Williams’ death is outstanding. [via the Guardian]

Are you doing dishes the right way to conserve water? [via Eat Drink Better]

5 DIY natural deodorant recipes for healthy pits that don’t stink. [via Organic Authority]

What say you, Mr. Musk? Tesla may make green technology, but California might give it a pass on building green factories. [via Grist]

Why yes, these are 3D printed shoes. [via Ecouterre]

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Image via the Guardian

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Wherever you find yourself on the Israel-Palestine debate, Russell Brand makes one thing undeniably clear: Sean Hannity is not a people person.

It’s a must-watch clip of Brand brilliantly explaining what needs to change in our interpersonal behaviors if we ever want to see real change in the world.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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A recent appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” talk show by comedian and “Brand X” host, Russell Brand, has gone viral. But was he misunderstood by the show’s anchors and the media?

“Russell Brand Eviscerates the Hosts of MSNBC’s Morning Joe” – AV Club

“Russell Brand Destroys MSNBC Talk Show Host for Treating Him Like Shit” – Gawker

Watching the spectacle gave me that strange feeling I get in the pit of my stomach when I see miscommunication and I can’t interject to set it straight. That guy is totally going to turn left at the stoplight even though he was told it’s the second light… Those things just have to play themselves out. Some kind of communication karma. And in this case, that goes for both Brand’s appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and the aftermath, too—AV Club and Gawker assuming Russell felt he was being treated like shit. (And, presumably, that goes for my own misunderstanding of what actually happened there at the “Morning Joe” table, as well. But, do read on, please!)

The headlines told a story: Poor Russell Brand and his delicate, celebrity ego, humiliated by clueless TV anchors goes nuts and retaliates. But it sure didn’t look that way. The “Brand X” host and star of films including “Get Him to the Greek” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” appeared on a recent episode of “Morning Joe” to promote his upcoming comedy tour, “Messiah Complex.” He batted around the light conversation submitted by the show’s hosts before things got a little more than awkward.

Actually, they kind of started out that way.

From the get-go, the hosts, perhaps confused by Brand’s openness to talk about sex, mental illness, and superficiality, kept rerouting the discussion by somewhat unconsciously/automatically hyper-focusing on Brand’s outfit, and treating him more like a circus freak than a fellow talk show host. It felt at times like someone passed gas. You know the situation: people talk louder and faster and appear so preoccupied so as to give off the air of not noticing the rank odor in the air.

Brand’s point for being on the show was to promote the “Messiah Complex” world comedy tour he’s embarking on, which he explained as covering how “icons are appropriated to designate consciousness and meaning,” specifically, he’s focusing on Malcolm X, Che Guevara, Gandhi and Jesus Christ. It’s not likely going to be a comedy show full of fart jokes (although mine would clearly be).

The hosts began talking about Brand in the third person, which he humorously corrected by asking them where their manners were: “You are talking about me as if I’m not here, and as if I’m an extraterrestrial.” It was awkward, but not unlike most superficial television interviews are while the guests and hosts fill those meaningless audience-less moments during commercial breaks. Brand patiently kept going through the motions these types of programs require, injecting his humor and wit regularly. But the hosts kept acting strange. Mika Brzezinski tripped over words, grabbed her water bottle like a security blanket (or a “shaft” as Brand suggested). They all seemed stunned by Brand’s candid, direct–and what appeared to be more playful than retaliatory–remarks. They called him by the wrong name. The website AVClub wrote that after the awkwardness continued for several more minutes, Brand took control of the show and launched into a tirade “about the problem with modern-day journalism’s obsession with the superficial.”

His direct comments appeared like attempts to calm the anchors down, more than they were intended to eviscerate. AVClub and Gawker said the hosts were being rude, insulting. But it appeared more as if they were just sticking to protocol, aside from being completely clueless, but not directly aiming insults. Brand didn’t seem to take it personally as much as he took it as a sign—an opportunity—to address a more systemic problem with our culture and particularly the media: the superficiality, and to the point of his tour, the inability for people to discern the true meaning as it was intended by people of influence. Perhaps he orchestrated the interview to go that way on purpose.

Brand appears keenly aware of what makes him different than most people—both the kind who watch television and those who exist solely within its two-dimensional universe. Brand is highly intelligent and articulate about many things, especially his state(s) of consciousness, his propensity towards addiction, and his investigations into the nature of human beings. He’s researched controversial topics including conspiracy theories and aliens (he’s had David Icke on “Brand X”); he’s written eloquently about the Occupy Wall Street movement, and appropriately, like he explained to the “Morning Joe” hosts about his “Messiah Complex” tour, looked into why it is that certain influential people can be so misunderstood so often.

Brand also talked about the pleasure in doing live standup comedy, where he’s in direct contact with his audience. It’s less likely that things get manipulated, he said, adding that the pre-recorded and scripted media create “fake stirs,” to which the hosts ignored the comment and instead went on to discuss Brand’s accent and how it’s difficult to understand him at times. Unconsciously projecting, anyone?

He reminded the hosts not to think about the superficial when they once again circled back to his appearance for lack of being able to address the substantial subject matter he raised. “Don’t think about what I’m wearing,” he said, “you allow the agenda to be decided by superficial information.” What really matters, Brand said is, “What am I saying? What am I talking about?”

Did he intend to eviscerate the talk show hosts or just relax them? To this viewer, it seemed to be a bit more of the latter—that the core of his actions were direct, but polite and playful. Maybe he was making a call for humans—at least the three at the table with him—to just wake the F up to what’s happening right now, in this moment… not what we think we should be thinking or talking about or reading from a teleprompter. We could do without so many distractions, at least for 8 minutes, couldn’t we?

So, things got awkward on a national television show when someone mentions “consciousness” and “meaning.” Should we really expect a different response? Jon Stewart, Bill Maher or Amy Goodman, maybe. But the gang at “Morning Joe?”

Regardless of what really happened at that table, we can take away the important lessons about misunderstanding, rather than seeing it as simply a display of brute force over idiocy. Whether that’s learning not to trust the media spinning superficial stories at us to create those “fake stirs,” understanding our own internal dialogues that make us feel uncomfortable in the presence of folks like Brand, or something else entirely, there’s a reason we allow ourselves to misunderstand people. What’s yours?

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Image: Russell Brand

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