10 Great Movies That Show How Stupid Politics Really Is

4. The Emperor's New Clothes

It's not uncommon for a comedian to use the medium of comedy as a vehicle for casting illumination on the dark side of the political classes. It's much rarer for a comedian to cast aside his funny bone and transform into a political campaigner. This is exactly what Russell Brand has done in recent years (although many would question how funny he actually is - his movies often suggest otherwise), who has left the limelight of stardom and set up his Trews YouTube channel, using it as a soapbox to challenge everything from media banality to political propaganda. His film, The Emperor's New Clothes, can be viewed as an apotheosis of the concepts he's been exploring, not to mention a rigorous attack on those who seek to maintain the status quo. All of which, in light of his recent endorsement of the Labour Party just days before the UK general elections, might seem rather hypocritical. But while his about-turn on voting might smack of the kind of flip flopping politicians are frequently accused of, the essential thrust of the argument in The Emperor's New Clothes still has a lot of relevance in the age of austerity.