Not defending Savage. At all.
But, why wouldn’t someone with a PhD be able to use it in their lives. That takes a ton of work. And it is a title that deserves respect.
Of course, the ones I know (and there are a couple) use them professionally, but not in their private lives and certainly not when the title could be misconstrued.
When in your area of specialty the title is well-deserved, informative, and should return respect.
Once out of that field, however, providing advice and opinions while holding yourself out to be a “doctor” is, if not misleading, foolishly egoist.