Posted in: Opinion, streaming, TV, TV, YouTube | Tagged: india arie, Joe Rogan, opinion, podcast, spotify

Joe Rogan Addresses N-Word Use; "Apes" Joke Meant to Be "Entertaining"

One has to wonder if Joe Rogan knew that "damage control" was going to be a large part of his rumored $100M exclusive deal with Spotify, or if the music streaming service thought that no one was paying attention to what was going on in the podcast side of things. Whatever the case, both Rogan and Spotify went from having to deal with COVID-19 misinformation backlash to having to take responsibility for the podcast host's use of the N-word in past episodes. The controversy came to a head this week when Grammy-winning singer-songwriter India Arie posted that she had pulled her music from the streamer for that very reason, sharing examples of Rogan using the N-word 24 times across 23 clips. Now, Rogan has gone the Instagram route to address the matter in the "have-it-both-ways" manner we've grown accustomed to this week (more on that below).

"The most regretful and shameful thing I've ever had to talk about publicly," Rogan said of the clips that have now resurfaced- before adding that those were from "12 years of conversation" (because 12 is okay but 11 would be wrong?) and that they were "out of context" (uh-oh, looks like someone thinks they have the "privilege" to determine what is and isn't the right context). For Rogan, that "context" was when discussing past comics who've used the N-word. But then again, maybe Rogan is starting to get it? "I know that to most people, there is no context where a white person is ever allowed to say that word, never mind publicly on a podcast, and I agree with that now. I haven't said it in years," Rogan reveals at one point- which just begs for a follow-up. When was the last time he used it? Is he talking personally or professionally?

But while he may still find the word "unusual" (again, someone really needs to follow up on what that coded word means), he knows now it's not his word to use. "I never used it to be racist, because I'm not racist, but whenever you're in a situation where you have to say 'I'm not racist,' you've f***ed up, and I clearly have f***ed up." So to be clear? Rogan's not racist but he takes responsibility for… listeners not getting him? In fact, Rogan wants us to know that he's so not racist that he can explain why referring to a black neighborhood in Philadelphia as "Planet of the Apes" isn't racist. Because when it comes from someone so not racist as Rogan? It's entertainment! "I was trying to make the story entertaining. I did not, nor did I ever say that black people are apes, but it sure f***ing sounded like that," Rogan said in his attempted explanation. "It wasn't a racist story, but it sounded terrible":

Here's a look at Arie's Instagram post explaining her reasons for pulling her music from Spotify beyond Rogan's show promoting COVID-19 misinformation (and for a look at Arie's Instagram Stories series of posts showing examples of Rogan's use of the N-word, head over here):

Now here's a look back at Rogan's video from earlier this week, which seems filled with a whole lot of words but none that are strung together in any way that makes sense or would make any kind of difference (though Wall Street sure fell in love again with Spotify this week, not long after Spotify that they would start putting content "band-aids" on misinformation "bullet wounds"). Following that, a look back at our thoughts on what Rogan's acolytes think he did as opposed to what he did (or didn't) do with that original non-apology apology video because exposing false prophets never gets old:

Of course, it doesn't take long before you realize that the video isn't really an admission of anything or an attempt to do things differently. That becomes clear when Rogan explains that he posted the video "because there's a lot of people that have a distorted perception of what I do, maybe based on sound bites or based on headlines of articles that are disparaging." Yeah, you can feel the "I'm the victim" creeping in. I mean, it's tough to claim you've seen the light when you still refer to two tinfoilers as "very highly credentialed, very intelligent, very accomplished" (no names, they don't deserve the free press). In fact, Rogan takes issue with his podcast being labeled as promoting misinformation, claiming that "many of the things we thought of as mission a short while ago is now thought of as fact." One huge problem with that. If you throw out 100 batshit crazy theories and that one barely sticks, you don't get to brag about the one when 99 others are stinking up the room.

But Rogan knows what's best, vowing to right the wrongs people are perceiving his show as perpetuating by… having more guests on with even more opinions?! Well, he would be "open" to the idea: "If there's anything that I've done that I could do better, it's having more experts with differing opinions right after I have the controversial ones. I would most certainly be open to doing that. And I would like to talk to some people who have differing opinions on the podcasts in the future." To be clear? It's not about getting rid of the crackpots… it's about having more crackpots for people to choose from. But hey, if you're upset then just imagine how Rogan feels. I mean, how did he know being handed a microphone, being paid tons of cash, and given access to millions of people around the world would result in something where his words would have meaning and he would actually have to take responsibility for what he says and does? Try walking in Rogan's shoes, people! All the man wanted was a little show that featured him "talking to some friends." How could he know that it would become "some out-of-control juggernaut" that he would "barely have control of"? I mean, you act like he's the one on the mic or that it's his name in the title, The Joe Rogan Experience.

So what did we learn today, kids? Joe Rogan knows what's best for Joe Rogan now please stop hurting his feelings.

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