AUSTIN, TEXAS: On a recent episode of his podcast, Joe Rogan sipped from a can of Bud Light while criticizing the continuing "culture war" over the beer brand. The podcaster welcomed country music singer Zach Bryan on 'The Joe Rogan Experience' and the two discussed the months-long boycott of Bud Light that has dominated social media conversations.
After transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney announced a limited collaboration with Bud Light in April 2023, the Anheuser-Busch InBev brand's popularity has plummeted in recent months. Mulvaney stated in an Instagram video that Bud Light sent her a can with her face on it to mark her 365 days as a woman.
'Now I hate these people. These people are the enemy'
Following the partnership, a number of conservative activists initiated a boycott of Bud Light, with musicians Kid Rock, Travis Tritt, and John Rich joining those who spoke out against the brand. Meanwhile, several members of the LGBTQ+ community chastised the corporation for failing to defend its ties to Mulvaney. Bud Light has witnessed a decline in domestic sales since the boycott calls began roughly four months ago. Revenue has been continuously lower than it was in 2022. The firm has also lost its title as America's most popular beer.
On Tuesday's broadcast of his show, Rogan addressed the response, saying while sipping beer, "And we're drinking Bud Lights, ladies and gentlemen. Sorry. There's nothing wrong with it. People are so silly," Rogan said as he and Bryan drank from their cans. "We were just talking about silliness. One person made a really stupid decision, and now everybody's decided that Bud Light is the enemy. But that's like this thing that people do in America, where they just decide, 'Now I hate these people. These people are the enemy."'
Bryan also commented on the continuing controversy, claiming that he was targeted by Bud Light haters when he opted to speak out in favor of a family member. He said, "I've [drunk] Budweiser and Bud Light for like my entire adult life. And then on Twitter, I defended my sister's spouse, and people were like... people were pissed... And I was like, I didn't mean to do this. It was crazy."
'Culture war in this country is so goofy'
In an interview with Rogan, Bryan discussed an exchange of views with country star Travis Tritt, who joined the opposition to Bud Light's collaboration with Mulvaney. Bryan described Tritt as respectable and a good guy. Rogan added, "The culture war in this country is so goofy. It's so overblown and a lot of it is just people not talking to each other. It's people talking through social media and talking through narratives."
Bryan responded, "It freaks me out. Being so public... it's so scary. I feel like it keeps people from being who they actually are, which is terrifying. Because every time I get anywhere, I'm like, 'S**t, man, I can't say or do this.' And then when you do... it's crazy." "It's a lot of self-censoring," Rogan told his Bryan. "But I think it's important to speak your mind—more people have to do it. People are worried about the repercussions, but you have to understand that when you're a person like yourself or a person like me, you're communicating to millions of people.
He went on to say, "So you're going to have a certain percentage of them that are upset at everything you say. Whether you say you like to eat meat, or whether you say you think Robert F Kennedy Jr's a good guy... whatever the f**k you think."
'Insulting transgender people is completely wrong'
During the early phases of the Bud Light backlash, Bryan openly stated his displeasure with the anti-transgender sentiment that he'd observed sweeping social media amid the outrage directed at the embattled beer company. He tweeted, "I mean no disrespect towards anyone specifically, I don't even mind @Travistritt." He added, "I just think insulting transgender people is completely wrong because we live in a country where we can all just be who we want to be It’s a great day to be alive I thought."
Musician, Sheryl Crow endorsed the post, writing "thank you" in response. Crow previously worked with Kid Rock on the songs 'Picture' and 'Collide'. Bryan also spoke out against former competitive swimmer Riley Gaines, who has advocated for the exclusion of trans women from women's sports. Bryan wrote on Twitter, "And yo I don’t support transgender people attacking swimmers I just have family transitioning and have blood to defend here No one threaten me pls."
