‘Silencing' Joe Rogan not the answer: Is Spotify CEO right?

Siam (No)

Joe Rogan has a popular podcast with a reported 11 million listeners and a 100 million dollar contract with Spotify. Joe Rogan is also a well-known commentator for MMA and a standup comedian. But lately, he has been enabling misinformation about COVID-related issues to persist. And this controversy is hurting Spotify as some other popular podcasters have withdrawn their music from the platform. Therefore, Spotify should silence Joe Rogan, and CEO Daniel Ek is wrong for not seeing that.

Joe has been spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and COVID vaccines for over 18 months. Joe has no medical background, yet he offers listeners dangerous medical advice. First, when he acquired COVID, he took the antiparasitic drug ivermectin and then recommended it to others despite there not being a scientific consensus regarding its effectiveness against COVID. Next on his podcast, he has repeatedly advised young listeners against taking the vaccine, stating they don't need it if they're healthy as they may do more harm than good. But countless trials have shown that vaccines save lives, and ample evidence indicates they are safe. 

Recently Joe claimed the vaccines alter our DNA, which he insinuates will cause future unknown problems. However, experts say these vaccines do not interact with our genetic material in the ways he and his guests suggest. These interviews may lead others to hesitate from taking the vaccine since they frequently suggest the jab will increase the risk of developing harmful side effects and complications. Finally, a look back at Rogan's podcast reveals he has been spewing racist slurs for many years. Silencing Joe is necessary to prevent the spread of misinformation and hateful speech, especially when he has millions of faithful listeners who could be easily swayed.

Curtice (Yes)

Joe Rogan has always been a splashy and charismatic entertainer-turned-podcast host who's prone to make headlines. But these recent calls for censorship and his deplatforming should alarm every free-thinking person in America and abroad. Because Rogan recently had on two medical expert guests who take positions regarding COVID policies and prescriptions that diverge from the government-approved positions, some call it 'misinformation' instead of engaging with the claims. Now, an edited compilation of Rogan saying the n-word has exasperated his notoriety, despite his apologizing. 

With COVID, there has been much misinformation around it from the outset, much of it emanating from official government sources, such as Dr. Fauci, the CDC, and even President Biden himself. First, Fauci claimed that masks didn't work, then he said they did. In March 2020, the CDC claimed we needed two weeks to 'slow the spread.' And Biden is on record claiming that COVID vaccinations would protect us from contracting the virus (it doesn't).

Censoring or silencing viewpoints that differ from one's own—a particularly popular avocation of many on the Left—smacks of authoritarianism. Parroting the official government proclamations without question, something the media has often done from the onset of the pandemic, removes the responsibility of critical thinking on the part of anyone doing such parroting.

Obviously, no one is hurt, damaged, or scarred by anything said on Rogan's podcast. The same thing can be said regarding anyone who freely listens to others speaking. People are free to criticize Rogan, his guests, Howard Stern in Black face (who also used the n-word in a far more offensive way than Rogan), or anyone else in a free-speech society. But instead of addressing others’ claims, the mob tries to end careers and credibility. Punishing free thinkers for thinking freely is facistic and un-American. Spotify sees that.