The strange thing about Jo Brand is that, even before the acid-throwing comment, she'd been the target of abuse from various sections of the public for almost her entire life.
She was, by her own choice, an unusual looking teenager and was, by her own admission, something of a handful for those whose societal duty it was to keep her in line.
From the moment she first set foot on stage as a comedian, she was abused by audiences because of her strange appearance and somewhat portly physique. As any stand-up comedian will confirm, audiences can be absolute bastards and that can certainly have a damaging effect on a performer no matter how much that performer may try to deny it.
The effect of those early years is still with her to this day and I think she still sees herself as a victim of a largely insensitive society. When I say she "sees herself", I'm not implying that what she sees is entirely illusory, I'm saying that accurate or otherwise, it's nevertheless the reality in which she lives.
My guess is that before the acid-throwing remarks were made, the majority of people in Britain saw Jo Brand as something of a national treasure. I doubt, however, that that is how Jo has ever seen herself.
There are a lot of people (most of them young men) who think it's great fun to give Jo Brand a bit of stick if they see her out and about. Not surprisingly, the more they've had to drink, the more fun they think it is to give her stick.
I'm pretty sure most of that stick isn't intended cruelly but, after decades of being hit again and again in exactly the same places, I'm also sure she feels a good deal of pain as those lads have a go at her and countless old memories come flooding back.
You could say Jo Brand is seriously "f**ked up" but, if you do say that, I'll ask you to show me a successful stand-up comedian (present or past) of her age who isn't/wasn't - and there aren't many.
