Russell Brand Slams Big Pharma, Calls MSNBC 'Propagandist Nut-Crackery' On 'Real Time With Bill Maher'

"It's difficult to suggest that's because these corporations operate as anything other than mouthpieces for their affiliate owners in Blackrock and Vanguard," Brand told Heilemann. "We've have to take responsibility for our own perspective."

He added, "I've been on that MSNBC. Man, it was a propagandist nut-crackery over there."

The comedian also called back to his "absurd" experience on MSNBC's morning show Morning Joe.

"No one could concentrate, they didn't understand the basic tenets of journalism," he claimed. "No one was willing to stick up for genuine American heroes like Edward Snowden. No one was willing to talk about Julian Assange and what he's suffered – trying to bring real journalism to the American people."

"You don't actually know anything about any of these organizations you're talking about," Heilemann rebutted. "You've been on MSNBC once, big f---ing deal! You don't have a single actual fact."

After the liberal analyst challenged Brand to provide an example of an MSNBC host or correspondent lying on TV, the Minions actor pointed to the network's criticisms of Joe Rogan and ivermectin, accusing them of "deliberately referring to this as a horse medicine when they know this an effective medicine."

He also brought up Rachel Maddow telling her audience, "If you take this vaccine, you're not gonna get it."

However, Heilemann waved off Brand's examples as overblown conservative "talking points."

Brand also told Maher, who stayed uncharacteristically quiet during the exchange, that the country needs "new political systems that genuinely represent ordinary Americans so that we can overcome cultural differences."

The show's host finally chimed in joking that the pandemic dissenters are "looking better these days."

The panel also discussed the Wuhan lab leak theory that has been gaining more traction in recent weeks.

Heilemann pointed the finger at Donald Trump for politicizing the COVID-19 pandemic, while Brand brought up the current administration's dismissal of the theory as "doubling down on authoritarianism."