Why Are Americans Taking Medical Advice From Joe Rogan?

I need more of Joe’s “Alpha Brain Memory Pills” to figure this one out

In his recent podcast, Joe Rogan made some pretty wild claims. Apparently, Big Pharma is keeping ivermectin — a drug that prevents Covid — from the American public. According to Mr. Rogan, pharmaceutical companies can’t make money off of cheap drugs; thus, why ivermectin is being withheld.

Oh, where to start. Pharmaceutical companies can make money off of ANY drug. And they make the most money off of cheap drugs. They even made money off of prescription fish oil once they realized the OTC version reduced cholesterol. (The average cost for the pharmaceutical-grade fish oil, called LOVAZA, is $95.59 for 120 capsules. Or you can get a giant bottle of generic fish oil pills for $15.49.) Do you know how cheap fish pills are to manufacture?

Better yet, do you know how cheaply erectile dysfunction (ED) medicine is to manufacture? But Big Pharma sure as hell monetized the crap out of that. Now, ED medicine is ridiculously expensive for one reason — demand.

I wonder if there would be a demand for a drug that could prevent Covid?

Ivermectin would certainly have the same success story as Viagra…if it worked. The drug Viagra was initially used to treat cardiovascular problems, but pharmaceutical companies found an off-label use. Sort of like how ivermectin is a cheap drug used to treat scabies and heartworms.

But what if we found a broader use for ivermectin? Hmmm… I wonder if anyone could make money off a cheap drug that could solve a bigger problem?

I wonder.

Btw, Covid has now been linked to erectile dysfunction, so anti-vaxxers better start saving your pennies. Those ED drugs aren’t cheap, Roganites. You are going to need more than your mushroom coffee to get it up in the morning.

But thanks for figuring out the conspiracy theory, Dr. Rogan. I thought I understood how basic supply and demand worked from Marketing 101, but your more creative conspiracy theory twist is far more appealing.

Recently, Mr. Rogan has been telling young people not to get vaccinated. Apparently, he got a medical degree while hosting Fear Factor. His latest guest, Mr. Bret Weinstein — the “doctor” your anti-vaxxer friends love to quote has a past shadier than the other Weinstein. Weinstein spearheaded the anti-vaccination campaign that connected autism to vaccines.

Yep. He’s that guy.

Remember him? The one who had to eat crow when it was found autism was not linked to vaccines. Guess what we got from Mr. Weinstein — a measles outbreak. And now, he’s back.

As usual, pundits are peddling their fear. Just because a drug is safe to treat one disease does not make it your grandma’s goose liver oil panacea.

Ivermectin failed in randomized human trials. So far, Merck has abandoned ivermectin because it must be administered in high doses to work as an antiviral. And at those horse-sized doses, it crosses the blood-brain barrier. Then you get low blood pressure and seizures.

Oh, and ivermectin also causes your SKIN TO FALL OFF if you take it at the wrong dosage. (But at least you won’t get scabies.)

Why do I have a sinking suspicion that seizures and neurological damage won’t make idiots stop taking a horse de-worming pill for Covid, but skin falling off…

Maybe we can start a leper community for people taking an untested anti-parasite pill over a tested vaccine?

Currently, Merck — the manufacturers of ivermectin — are working on an antiviral. We will probably have one eventually. Maybe they will figure out how to use ivermectin at high enough doses that won’t melt your brain. And maybe we will find a more effective and safer antiviral, such as Molnupiravir.

But do you really think Merck would not monetize a cheap drug that protects against Covid? If that is a conspiracy theory, it sure is a poorly written one with far too many plot holes.

Either way, the pharmaceutical companies will get their pound of flesh, but you don’t need to lose your flesh, anti-vaxxers. Peeling skin is not a good look on anyone. So you might want to wait for the clinal trials to finish and stop raiding your vet’s medicine cabinet.

Until then…let’s play a little game I call “follow the money.”

Follow the money…

Pharmaceutical companies are motivated by money. They only need a drug to work and be safe. Then, they can charge whatever they want.

Mr. Rogan makes money every time he is contrarian. Conspiracy theories sell. Then he can hock his mushroom coffee, pseudo-intellectualism, and alpha brain memory pills. (Yes, they are really called that.)

Mr. Weinstein is motivated by reputation. His is trash. His theories on vaccines were wrong. His racist evolutionary views were both shocking and wrong. Now, he has found a group of people who will listen to him. Discredited people don’t shut up easily. They have nothing to lose because they already have lost their credibility. And he can’t make money unless the unwashed masses listen.

Weinstein claims he is being censored. That is why Twitter shut him down. Twitter shut him down because they had an obligation to stop the spread of disinformation. Disinformation hurts people. And with the recent bill, Twitter could get sued for disinformation.

Again, follow the money. It won’t steer you wrong.

There isn’t any government plot to keep a Covid cure away from the American people. People like Weinstein and Rogan are playing on your fear for their nefarious gains. Don’t let them get away with it.

Listen to science, not Joe Rogan.