VMA host Russell Brand gets another chance to charm America

You probably don’t watch too much of the actual stand-up comedy on Comedy Central; how many more jokes about airplane food and dating woes do you need to hear in this lifetime? Still, I bet neither of those topics will come up during Russell Brand’s forthcoming hour-long special for the network. Comedy Central announced today that the British comedian is taping a stand-up gig in New York City in November, to air in 2009. Whether you like or hate Brand, especially after watching his controversial performance as the host of MTV’s Video Music Awards last month, you probably have a strong opinion about him, which may be more than you can say about any other comic whose stand-up routines air at odd hours on Comedy Central. Guess this helps answer the question of whether the Forgetting Sarah Marshall costar’s seemingly bridge-burning turn at the VMAs would help or hurt his Stateside career. (Of course, Comedy Central is a sister network to MTV, so perhaps Viacom is just protecting its investment in Brand.) No doubt lots of people will be watching Brand’s special to see who he offends or insults, or to see if there’s more to him than a few minutes of calculated outrage. Will you be among them, PopWatchers? Will you make a point of watching his 2009 special, or will you make sure you have other plans?

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