With great power comes great responsibility—or in Joe Rogan’s case, a whole lot of heat. The longtime UFC commentator and host of one of the world’s biggest podcasts has never been one to restrict his unfiltered opinions, no matter how unpopular they might be.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rogan notably suggested that young, healthy individuals might not need the vaccine, a stance that drew criticism from health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Additionally, Rogan discussed using ivermectin as part of his personal COVID-19 treatment, despite warnings from health authorities against its use for the virus. His podcast also featured guests like Dr. Robert Malone, who made contentious claims about the pandemic response.
These episodes led to public outcry, with artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell removing their music from Spotify in protest. In response, Spotify added content advisories to episodes discussing COVID-19. However, fellow comedian Andrew Schulz has now spoken out, admitting he feels for Rogan facing the wrath of everybody and their mother.
While speaking to Camp Gagnon during a podcast episode, Schulz claimed to sympathise with the UFC commentator, asserting that it was his worldwide fame that was responsible.
“It’s crazy the shit we were saying at the time and I do have a lot of empathy for Joe. A lot of the sh*t he says eventually gets normalized. He gets a lot of sh*t for what he says in the moment”, he said, while equating the criticism he faced for making Asian jokes during the pandemic.
Notably, violent attacks against Asian people across the globe and particularly in America saw an uptick after people blamed the communities for the inception of the virus.
Curiously, Schulz never really mentioned which one of Rogan’s takes he was particularly speaking about. Because, Rogan has had quite a few problematic moments under the sun in his 20+ years as a broadcaster.
Rogan’s takes on Katy Perry, Climate Denial, and ICE
For instance, during a recent episode, British writer Douglas Murray confronted Rogan about his choice of guests, questioning the platforming of individuals like Darryl Cooper, who has made revisionist claims about World War II.
However, the JRE host, often accused of being a conservative ally, had also blasted Candace Owens over climate change denial. That said, he has also time and again provided a platform to such fringe voices in the name of ‘let’s hear both sides’.
The criticism can also bite both ways, since during the 2016 presidential elections, he had platformed democratic nominee Bernie Sanders, in what was one of the only podcasts that allowed the senator to explain the policy changes he wanted to bring.
During the first Trump administration, Rogan had also been highly critical of the president’s attitude towards illegal immigration and had called out ICE for separating children from parents.
More recently, the JRE host mocked Katy Perry and the all-female Blue Origin space crew, referring to their sub-orbital flight as “very profound” in a sarcastic tone.
However, despite the controversies, Rogan’s podcast remains one of the most popular in the world, highlighting the complex interplay between free speech and platform responsibility.
