As the world becomes increasingly polarized, comparing the controversial comedy and podcasting giants Joe Rogan and Russell Brand to the seasoned political commentator Bill Maher raises questions about the role of humor and media in shaping public discourse.
Last week, MSNBC National Affairs Analyst John Heilemann joined Dan LeBatard on “South Beach Sessions” to discuss the difference between the three men. In March, Heilemann was on Bill Maher’s HBO show when Russell Brand confronted him about media bias.
“I’ve never seen Bill [Maher] in any conversation I’ve had with him, either public or private engage in the kind of bombastic, long-winded sophistry that Rusell Brand did on that show,” said Heilemann. “That’s not how Bill runs that show; that’s not how he behaves in public. I think that’s a huge difference.”
According to Heilemann, Maher typically refrains from participating in conversations that seek to silence opposing views. He cited an incident during Brand’s appearance on Maher’s show. Brand interrupted Heilemann and cited MSNBC as an example of a network that censors speech and presents news with extreme bias.
LeBatard commented that Brand and Rogan display a greater curiosity than Maher, who is already “formed” in his opinions and difficult to sway. While LeBatard acknowledged Maher’s unflagging intellectualism, he criticized him for directing his arguments toward a younger audience that may not be interested in his views. He likened Maher to someone “shouting at clouds.”
“On that show with Rusell Brand, he pointed out two interesting things, and they were in the middle of Brand’s bromides that there is a difference between Democrats and Republicans, and when Brand was yelling about Ivermectin Maher said he has a lot of serious doubts about how COVID was handled but that some people needed these policies,” Heilemann said.
Regarding the comparison of Joe Rogan, Russell Brand, and Bill Maher, Heilemann stated that he has not appeared on Rogan’s show and does not frequently listen to it. However, he noted that during Brand’s appearance on Maher’s show, Maher was speaking to a particular audience.
“Brand was aiming at the Rogan audience,” Heilemann stated. “I don’t know that Russell Brand is more curious than Bill Maher. I do think that there are a lot of people, and Bill is tapping into something when he expresses some of what a lot of people think are the excesses of woke culture. I don’t think it is like some giant threat to American society.”
