A handful of musicians have followed rock artist Neil Young’s lead and removed their music from Spotify to protest the platform’s most popular podcast: The Joe Rogan Experience. They argue Joe Rogan has been spreading COVID-19 misinformation and must be punished or de-platformed.
Unsurprisingly, much of legacy media agrees. A staff writer at the Atlantic claimed Spotify’s decision to stand by Rogan “has made its new priorities clear to listeners.” A CNN op-ed praised musicians for taking “a stand” against harmful “misinformation.” The New York Times wrote Rogan off as a “problem” that’s not going away.
Now, even the White House is getting involved, with press secretary Jen Psaki urging Spotify to “do more” to fight COVID-19 misinformation but praising the platform’s decision to add disclaimers to podcast episodes regarding the pandemic.
“This disclaimer is a positive step, but we want every platform to continue doing more to call out mis- and disinformation while also uplifting accurate information,” Psaki said this week. “Our view is it’s a good step. It’s a positive step, but there’s more that can be done.”
The keyword here is “misinformation,” which is really just code for “opinions that challenge my preferred narrative.” Leftists upset with Rogan are mad he would even think about giving a platform to someone who questions the need for widespread vaccination against COVID-19, such as Dr. Robert Malone or Dr. Peter McCullough. They can’t stand the fact Rogan sat and conversed with “anti-vaxxers” and “anti-maskers” instead of outright dismissing them as public health menaces.
To be clear, it is perfectly fine to disagree with Malone and McCullough and contest their views. Rogan certainly never said he agreed with them and has even invited other guests who hold opinions far different from theirs, such as CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The entire purpose of Rogan’s podcast is to make space for competing opinions and allow listeners to draw their own conclusions.
But that’s exactly what the Left can’t stand. They hate that people might listen to Rogan’s podcast and come to a conclusion that is different from their own. They refuse to tolerate any opinion on the virus that is contrary to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the point they would be willing to bar from society, imprison, and even take children away from those who disagree. They are cultural totalitarians, and Rogan just so happens to be one of the guys standing in their way.
That’s why leftists want Rogan de-platformed. This has nothing to do with COVID-19 or “misinformation” — that’s just an excuse. They know just as well as Rogan that many of the so-called conspiracy theories that were labeled “misinformation” at the beginning of the pandemic, such as the lab leak theory, have been proven credible. They also know our public health officials have lied about certain policies, such as masking, to push a political agenda.
What bothers them is that Rogan is willing to say that out loud. Even worse, he encourages others to do the same.
