Joe Rogan slammed for saying wearing masks is 'for b*****s', Internet says listening to him is 'for a**holes'
In this week's episode of 'The Joe Rogan Experience', comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan spoke with fellow comic Bill Burr about the two issues currently taking America by storm, the Black Lives Matter Movement and the coronavirus pandemic. Amid discussions and exchange of banter about the contagion, Rogan said the preventive practice of wearing masks is "for b**ches." Burr called him out on it immediately, and now Rogan has become the subject to scathing remarks from Twitter users, many who say he's going to get people killed because of his statement.
Masks became an indispensable need of the moment, as the respiratory disease began spreading rapidly across the world, claiming hundreds of lives. Rogan said he himself was initially concerned about Covid-19, but as of now his worries have shifted from stopping the epidemiology of the virus to what he deems is the disproportionate response taken to curb its proliferation. "I'm worried about them locking things down. Someone's got to step in and stop them from doing that," Rogan said to Burr over the podcast. "You've got to lock down old people and sick people. Let regular people do whatever the f**k they want. You can't just lock people's freedom down for something that killed a small fraction of what you thought it was going to kill."
Contrary to popular belief, many think that masks do nothing to stop the virus from spreading. However, these claims are not backed by solid proof. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says otherwise and recommends that people wear them as much as possible while stepping out of their home. The conversation about masks started when Burr pointed out that he had been seeing more and more people walk around carelessly without masks while ignoring the government's preventive measures. Eventually, it came down to Rogan mocking a cough and replying to him saying, "Yeah, it's for b**ches."
Rogan is being roasted for his statement by the Twitterati, who were quick to link his words to his history of toxic masculinity. This is his way of trying to imply that wearing a mask is unbefitting for man. Many users also noted that he has previously encouraged unhealthy and unsafe habits all in the name of masculinity. "Joe Rogan thinks wearing masks is for bitches. I think listening to Joe Rogan is for assholes," says one Twitter user, who was put off by Rogan's comments. A former fan took a dig at him and said, "Joe Rogan you've literally smoked yourself stupid! It's a shame because I used to see your stand-up at the Ice House back in the day and I USED to be a fan. What a waste!"
"Found out that Joe Rogan thinks wearing a mask is 'for b**ches'," said another user. "I never, ever want to hear about how he’s ~actually pretty intelligent in his way~ ever f***ing again, my god. If Donald Trump is a poor person’s idea of a rich guy, Joe Rogan is the moron’s idea of a smart person." For someone as paranoid about the pandemic as Rogan, his comment was rather hypocritical, as this user pointed out that "Joe Rogan regularly gets tested for Covid and screens his guests for Covid, yet claims 'masks are for b**ches'. This guy is why I can't stand wealthy people talking down to me and the masses. #JoeRogan". Another user comments, "Joe Rogan is and has always been garbage. Well paid, popular trash is still trash."
Some users also managed to make this a political affair. "The men who listen to Joe Rogan grow up to be the men who voted for Trump because it is "edgy" and they are "enlightened" but really just dickheads," said one user. A comment that Rogan made on the BLM movement that is currently gaining momentum in the US also garnered attention from the Twitterverse as this rankled fan concurred, "If you’ve ever wanted to see one of the worst takes ever Joe Rogan thinks our generation is naive enough to protest and be part of a movement for no reason because we just want to feel like we’re a part of something cool."
As of June 20, there are 2,219,675 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US, with 119,099 fatalities, according to the John Hopkins University Covid-19 Tracker.