Russell Brand Decries Coverage Of Joe Rogan’s Ivermectin Usage, Says Media ‘Wanted Him to Suffer’ from Covid

Russell Brand decried the media for how they covered Joe Rogan’s use of ivermectin to treat Covid-19, claiming they “wanted” the podcaster to suffer.

In a recent YouTube video, Brand explained that Rogan’s use of ivermectin, an anti-parasite drug, has caused “a lot of controversy,” adding that while he has no opinion on the coronavirus, he does care about how the media “behaves with regards to particular issues.”

The actor and comedian aired a clip from Tuesday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, in which Rogan went after Jim Acosta and CNN for labeling ivermectin as a “horse dewormer.”

“Bro, do I have to sue CNN?” Rogan said of their coverage, adding, “They keep saying I’m taking horse dewormer. I literally got it from a doctor. It’s an American company. They won the Nobel Prize in 2015 for use in human beings and CNN is saying I’m taking horse dewormer. They must know that’s a lie.”

While the scientists who developed the medication did win the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine, with the foundation concluding that it “revolutionized therapy for patients suffering from devastating parasitic diseases,” versions of the drug are also used to deworm livestock.

Before analyzing the media’s coverage of Rogan’s Covid-19 treatment, Brand made sure to clarify that he is “not recommending anyone does anything,” adding that he neither feels inclined to, nor does he have the qualifications required to pass along medical advice.

“But what I find interesting is the way that Rogan is being treated by what you have to call the mainstream media, and their appetite to condemn, in some ways with particular bias, the course of action that he took,” Brand said.

Brand went on to cite a Substack article by Matt Taibbi, which noted that there are certain small pilot studies that show early use of ivermectin can help reduce viral load and the duration of symptoms in some mild Covid-19 cases. The FDA currently recommends against using ivermectin to treat Covid.

“What interests me about this story is the politicization of information. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by that as it’s something we witnessed in every single news story for a little while now,” Brand said. “Seems there’s very little objectivity, little ability to come together in union. Everything is used as an opportunity to score points.”

He went on to condemn coverage of the pandemic, which he said should simply explain what the coronavirus is, map out the problems it has caused, and examine potential treatments objectively.

“That doesn’t seem to be what’s happening,” he continued. “Much of the reporting around Joe Rogan, for example, seemed to initially take delight that he had coronavirus. Kind of wanted him to suffer as a result of it, and was deeply cynical about the method of his treatment.”

Brand noted that Rogan claimed to recover very quickly, suggesting that the podcaster’s course of treatment was effective.

“If you’re a person who wants to be vaccinated, you should become vaccinated if you’re comfortable with the information you’ve been given around that subject,” he said. “If you’re a person that doesn’t want to be vaccinated, you should be entitled to make your decision.”

After acknowledging the argument that those who remain unvaccinated are impacting the safety of others, Brand reasoned that the media should be concerned with how their reporting affects others as well.

Watch above, via YouTube.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!