Joe Rogan goes rogue with recent controversial statement
Mallory North, Editor-in-Chief
Joe Rogan recently found himself in the center of multiple controversies, first about his misleading statements about the COVID-19 vaccine and then about his insensitive comments about race. Rogan is well known as one of the most popular yet provocative podcasters of our time. He hosts “The Joe Rogan Experience,” a podcast launched in 2009 that has such a huge following that Spotify inked a deal with him in 2020 for $100 million. This show, which focuses on current events, celebrities and their interests and hobbies, politics, comedy, science, philosophy, and beliefs and attitudes enjoys millions of viewers and listeners worldwide for each episode.
Rogan’s popularity stems from the combination of his very engaging and provocative demeanor coupled with his somewhat unpredictable and unconventional, and therefore entertaining, mix of political beliefs and choice issues to discuss. People listen to him and his guests as they push the limits with passionate opinions, sometimes however not well researched.
In April 2021, Rogan created a maelstrom of controversy when he discussed his belief that healthy people should not be vaccinated. After criticism by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Rogan retracted his statements and referred to himself as a “moron.” Yet, in August, he followed up on his anti-vaccination belief by stating that vaccine passports were “one step closer to dictatorship.” Adding insult to injury, after testing positive for the virus, Rogan released a video describing his cocktail of treatments, including medications that were not FDA approved. Some number of people were hospitalized for following the regimen that Rogan discussed on his show, thus leading to a public health crisis and an outcry by healthcare professionals and scientists asking Spotify to intervene.
In January, as concern grew in professional communities that Rogan was perpetrating influential and persuasive messages that were misleading about COVID-19, it appeared that Spotify was unresponsive. That is when two iconic 1960s and 1970s singer-songwriters took action, and in doing so, drew the attention of the media and of the public. Neil Young (the singer/songwriter of “Teach Your Children” and “Ohio”) and then Joni Mitchell (singer/songwriter of “Big Yellow Taxi” and “River”) demanded that Spotify remove their entire catalog of songs if Rogan’s harmful misinformation was not addressed by Spotify. Spotify’s initial response was not positive, but when Joni Mitchell Joined in, they announced that Rogan’s misleading episodes would receive warnings to the audience. Rogan agreed with this measure and also vowed to be more neutral in his comments. Finally, in February, Rogan garnered additional criticism and outrage for his past practice of using racially insensitive and offensive language.
Clearly, the Rogan controversy is interesting, as his popularity continues despite his bad deeds. Yet besides the issue of Rogan’s behavior, these events shed light on the responsibility of platforms, such as Spotify, Snapchat, Instagram and more to recognize and address issues that might mislead or harm audiences. Sometimes, the size and passion of the audience, and the revenue that accompanies this loyalty, are only part of the picture; platforms must also consider the social issues, impact of influencers and their responsibility to protect audiences from harm, both physical and emotional.
The cover art for Rogan’s podcast.