Joe Rogan criticized the outrage over Bud Light hiring transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney as a brand ambassador.
Bud Light created a specialized can with Mulvaney’s face on it and included the words “Celebrate Everyone’s Identity” and different sets of gender pronouns. After Mulvaney posted several videos about the partnership, conservatives and other outraged customers called to boycott the beer company.
Rogan questioned why the public cares who represents the brand as he and comedian Sam Tallent cracked open Bud Light cans and sipped the beer.
“Here’s my take,” Rogan began. “What they’re doing is just spreading the brand to an extra group of people. Why, if something is good, do you give a fuck who’s got it?” Rogan said.
He added that he loved Kid Rock’s viral video which showed him shooting a box of Bud Light beers after it partnered with Mulvaney. (RELATED: Leaked Social Media Pics From Bud Light Ad Exec Who Slammed ‘Fratty’ Culture Seem Pretty Fratty)
“On the other hand, I loved Kid Rock’s video,” Rogan continued. “I love that kind of thinking. Not even that I agree with it. I like wild people. I like a dude who takes a machine gun to a stack of Bud Lights, is like ‘f*** Anheuser Busch.’ But I mean, Where’s he gonna go now? You’re gonna go to Coors Light. Don’t they all support LBGTQ+?”
The podcast host suggested there is too much outrage over Mulvaney since the influencer is a “goofy” person who wants attention, but added that the partnership is out of character for Bud Light.
“The thing is about this Dylan Mulvaney thing is like, it’s just someone who wants a lot of attention and you’ve given someone a lot of attention and you’re trying to reach someone from another audience. I saw it and was like ‘what the fuck is this?’ was my initial reaction. It’s like this is silly. But it’s also, your typical Bud Light fan is NASCAR or sports, like that’s most of the people are drinking Bud Light.”
“How is that the big deal?” he added. “I think it’s goofy because I think that person’s [Mulvaney] goofy. But if you want to hire a goofy person, who gives a shit? It’s kinda hilarious when somebody says ‘365 days of womanhood.’ It’s also just a can with that person’s face on it. That’s all that was. It wasn’t like stuff they were selling. But it’s kinda funny…it doesn’t make me mad. It just makes me like, ‘what?'”
Tallent said the company is trying to become “more inclusive” due to the “assumptions” about its consumer base.
Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, defended the partnership with Mulvaney by saying they are reaching several demographics and audiences.
From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public,” an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson told Fox News.