Podcaster Joe Rogan pushed back during an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience on Tuesday when he called the recent cancel campaign against him as a “political hit job.”
Speaking with comedian Akaash Singh, Rogan said the recent N-word compilation video in which he referred to a black neighborhood as “Planet of the Apes” was people digging up dirt to smear him.
“In a lot of ways, this is a relief,” Rogan said. “That video had always been out there. This is a political hit job. They’re taking all this stuff I’ve ever said that’s wrong and smushing it all together. It’s good because it makes me address some stuff that I really wish wasn’t out there.”
Over the past week, Rogan took a lot of criticism from conservatives for apologizing over the video, but he rejected their critiques.
“You should apologize if you regret something. I do think you have to be careful not to apologize for nonsense,” Rogan said.
“Real life is people who know you and you’re a great guy,” Singh said. “On a podcast where you’re talking for hours on end, I have said shit about every demographic of human beings possible and I regret every one that was, like … not funny … the punishment is, everybody hears it and I’m an asshole. But I can’t stop shooting, I can’t stop swinging.”
“Over time, people will understand you,” Rogan responded. “They know you. If you misstep, they know what you’re trying to do – you’re not a vicious person, you’re just trying to be funny.”
On Monday, former President Trump weighed in on the controversy and told Joe Rogan to stop apologizing.
“Joe Rogan is an interesting and popular guy, but he’s got to stop apologizing to the Fake News and Radical Left maniacs and lunatics,” the former president said in a statement. “How many ways can you say you’re sorry? Joe, just go about what you do so well and don’t let them make you look weak and frightened.
Rogan also took criticism from conservatives when he agreed to have Spotify add “content advisory” warnings to episodes that deal with the coronavirus while pledging to moderate himself.
One of things Spotify wants to do, that I agree with, is that at the beginning of these controversial podcasts—specifically the ones about COVID—is to put a disclaimer and say that you should speak with your physician and that these people and the opinions that they express are contrary to the opinions of the consensus of experts, which I think is very important. Sure. Have that on there. I’m very happy with that.
As of right now, Rogan appears to have survived the latest campaign to cancel him, with Spotify CEO Daniel Ek saying he would not boot the popular podcaster from the platform for fear of the “slippery slope” of cancel culture.
“I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek wrote to his employees in an open letter over the weekend.
“We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.”
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