Embattled podcaster Joe Rogan remains a fixture at Spotify.
This is a good thing. It is also a bit surprising given the onslaught directed at him and the platform in recent weeks. At first, he was accused of helping to spread misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the popular claim is that his regrettable use of the N-word over the years means that he is, in fact, a racist. Rogan himself promised to do better and even apologized for his “regretful and shameful” behavior in the past.
But let’s be clear: Rogan shouldn’t be canceled. You also don’t have to agree with him in order to defend him.
The political atmosphere is sharply divided into teams. Loyalty is not only important, it seems to be the guiding principle. That comes first before all others. That sense of loyalty is tested to the limit when someone who isn’t exactly an ideological ally faces unfair opposition. It’s true that anyone in the audience is free to disagree or be disgusted. That doesn’t mean company leaders should give in. This is the situation when observing the Rogan and Spotify versus Neil Young, et al. situation. It’s clear that Rogan’s programming choices don’t appeal to everyone. Some of his guests have made outrageous claims. Rogan lets them talk. So what? If a listener is bothered, turning off the show is always an option. Never listening is an option. Moving on is best.
It’s nearly impossible for some to “agree to disagree” with others. But existing alongside those with whom we have differences is not only healthy but essential. Social media, business, and even politics can’t function properly without it. The push to silence others through cancel culture only teaches younger generations that intellectual diversity is bad. But diversity of thought is necessary and should be encouraged. Punishing “wrongthink” only leads to worse consequences for all.
For his part, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek is exhibiting the kind of response that should be standard on all sides when situations like this arise. In defending his decision to keep Rogan, he said, “While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realize some will want more … I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer. We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.”
More of that, please. From everyone.
While individuals on the Left rush to cancel or throw out, it’s not exclusive to their side. During his presidency, Donald Trump, incensed at kneeling NFL players, even remarked of those individuals, “maybe you shouldn’t be in the country.” Trump’s supporters and some Republicans joined in, making demands and throwing fits.
More recently, the censure of Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger by the RNC for their work on the Jan. 6 committee reeks of cancel culture. Instead of disagreeing with both, the RNC chose to punish both. How dare they view things differently than the majority of their colleagues!
Fortunately, in response, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell made clear that the censure went beyond the duties of the RNC: “The issue of whether or not the RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have different views from the majority — that’s not the job of the RNC.”
So long as social media and 24-hour news cycles remain, cancel culture will persist. This isn’t a positive for society. It’s detrimental to dialogue and interactions in daily life and politics. It’s social brinksmanship where one-upping your opponents is all that matters and where principles don’t.
The best approach would be to follow Daniel Ek’s logic, as it currently stands. Condemn, even strongly, but don’t silence. The end result of cancel culture is a target on everyone’s back. To keep that from happening in the future, ideological opponents, and not just allies, should be passionately defended from the pursuing mob.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
