Dispatch #42
Stupid comedians, exposing the electrolyte lie, the origins of health conspiracies, and my favourite single-leg squat variation.
Last week I stumbled upon some content that has left me saddened and disturbed.
The first was a clip from Joe Rogan’s podcast in which one of his guests shared what they thought was “the craziest statistic in the world right now”. This guest, he was blown away to learn that Canada’s life expectancy has dropped since 2020. Blown away he was, but not exactly surprised, for this guest—and Mr. Rogan himself—both knew why this was happening.
“It’s so strange,” mocked Rogan. “It’s not like there was a gigantic medical intervention that was forced upon the population during that time period…”
“Again and again,” chimed in his guest, “with booster and booster and booster.”
Yes, despite the fact that COVID vaccines weren’t even available in Canada until the end of 2020, Rogan and his lapdog friend blamed them for killing enough citizens that year to have an impact the nation’s life expectancy. It wasn’t COVID-19. It wasn’t the opioid epidemic. It was the vaccines.
(Here’s a video recap of the whole embarrassing affair, complete with commentary and analysis from an actual scientist who knows how to read…a skill that Joe and his boys have seemingly yet to master.)
The second piece of content that made me want to stick my head in a gas oven came courtesy of America’s favourite loudmouth slob, Kevin James. Apparently Kevin James isn’t just a sitcom and movie star, he is also a stand-up comedian. I learned this while scrolling through an illegal streaming site looking for something to watch while my wife was making dinner; his latest stand-up special is called Irregardless, and, just as I suspected, it a masterclass in idiocy.
Here’s what Kevin James considers to be funny—type 2 diabetes. He presents a joke mocking how doctors today are fear-mongers who over-medicalize every thing; to support this claim James uses the example of how his own doctor said he’s pre-diabetic.
“Everything is fear. It’s pre-fear. Fear. You don’t know. Fear. We have nothing to be afraid of. We have nothing to be afraid of. We really don’t.”—wise words from the erstwhile King of Queens. Never mind that diabetes is responsible for 1.5 million deaths each year or that type 2 diabetes is entirely caused by manageable lifestyle factors…hence the value in knowing that you’re dangerously close to becoming diabetic (a condition those kooks with the white lab coats like to call “pre-diabetes”).
Look, I know that comedians shouldn’t be looked to for sound medical advice, and I know that jokes are, well, jokes. But along with being dumb and unfunny, guys like Kevin James and Joe Rogan have huge audiences. When these celebrities spew their ignorant ideas, you can rest assured some of their fans take it all as gospel. Makes me wonder how many people are ignoring potentially life-saving medical assistance because a podcaster told them THE REAL TRUTH.
Brain & Body
What’s this about? Lately I’ve noticed that every podcaster that operates in and around the fitness and health sphere is shilling electrolyte supplements. This blog post (from a company that does indeed sell a shitload of supplements) explains why plain ol’ water is pretty much all anyone needs.
My take: “Scam” is a loaded word, but it’s been proven time after time that the vast majority of supplements are useless. The marketing can be hard to resist, though. The company behind the electrolyte supplement du jour, LMNT, is particularly good at presenting anecdotal experience as scientific fact (a brief aside: omitting vowels from your company’s name is marketing AirSpace, the business equivalent of Live, Love, Laugh posters or those wooden bowls filled with big wicker balls you’ll find in every vacation rental in North America. It’s not edgy or cool. It’s lazy and cliched and signals to the world that you have no original ideas whatsoever). This makes sense; one of LMNT’s co-founders became famous for advocating the paleo diet—itself a modern miracle of marketing misinformation.
I doubt we’ll one day learn that electrolyte supplements are at all dangerous, so if you’re a fan of fruit-flavoured salt water go right ahead and drink up. Just know that, “the truth is…electrolyte supplements have been extensively studied, and most research shows that they’re no better than drinking plain water: they don’t improve performance, don’t prevent muscle cramps, and don’t help you stay hydrated. Instead they give you a tiny dose of minerals that you could easily get from food for a fraction of the price.”
Heart & Soul
What’s this about? Conspiracies theorists have been blessing us all with their unique ideas long before COVID-19 came along. The last few years, though, have been a boon to the tinfoil hat crowd, especially those who focus their ire at the health and wellness world. Here an industry insider shines a small light on what it’s like to actually work in Big Healthcare and offers some insight into how these so-called conspiracies are born.
My take: Since pretty much my first day of kindergarten, my father encouraged me to question authority and conventional narratives. History books are written by the winners, he would say. There is always another side to the story that must be considered. And then there’s my mother. Before dementia stole her mental faculties, my mother was a serious advocate of naturopathy and herbal remedies. Primrose oil, echinacea, ginger root—these were the medicines she relied on, for better or for worse.
I share this as a way to illustrate that I’m not exactly new to this world of alternative facts. I do my best to keep an open mind and try not dismiss people I disagree with, even when confronted with obvious craziness. After all, conspiracies do exist. They’re just usually a lot more bland and out-in-the-open than the stories these folks promote.
Is Big Pharma trying to turn us all into drooling zombies with their vaccines and medicines?
Maybe.
Or maybe all of the chaos that came about during the pandemic was a natural by-product of a globalist economy. Think it’s a coincidence that “capitalism” and “conspiracy” both begin with the letter C??
Think again.
This Week’s Training Tip
In last week’s dispatch, I shared with you a unique single-leg exercise called the gardener’s squat. Once you’ve aced that movement, give the skater squat a shot. It’s a humbling—dare I say even fun—variation that really challenges balance for all its worth.
You want to setup for this one the same as you would the gardener’s squat: feet in a staggered stance, the rear foot just an inch or two behind the lead foot. This time, instead of keeping both feet on the floor, you’re going to pull your rear foot up until the heel is at your butt. Once you’re balanced and stable, you’re going to unlock the knee of your supporting leg and squat straight down while reaching your arms forward for balance, aiming to plant your rear knee softly on the floor. Pause, then return to a standing position as you exhale.
Squatting all the way down to the floor on one leg is a tall order for most. At first, don’t worry about how low you get; simply work within a range of motion that allows you to demonstrate control and balance. This may mean you only get halfway or a quarter of the way down—that’s fine! Over time your progress will improve. One tip that really helps with both balance and range of motion is to use a prop like a wall, chair or doorframe for some extra stability.
What I love most about the skater squat is how it forces you to slow down the eccentric/lowering phase, placing your quads under a whole lot of tension, and prolonged tension is essential for maximizing muscle growth. Don’t worry about reps. Just set a timer for 45-60 seconds and practice the technique. Moving slowly is essential. Don’t rush it!
That’s all for this edition.
As always, I thank you for offering me a little bit of your attention. I really do appreciate each and every one of you dear readers.
If you found any of this information useless, consider sharing it with your friends, family and social circles.
Until next time.
- P