Graham Nash and India Arie join stars to leave Spotify over Joe Rogan
Stars pile in to back Joe Rogan: Kevin James and Kat Von D are among those to swing behind him despite more artists including Graham Nash leaving Spotify
- Rogan has come under fire after being accused by singer Neil Young and a host of liberal stars of spreading ‘misinformation’ via his podcast
- But Kevin James, a comedy actor, wrote on Instagram: ‘Joe – we go way back and all these years I’ve known you to be nothing but objective and seeking truth’
- And celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D added emojis of praising hands and a love heart
- Podcaster, 54, who has been vocal about the government’s lack of transparency around the pandemic, said he would try to ‘balance things out’
Kevin James and Kat Von D are the latest stars to voice their support for Joe Rogan after a host of music artists including Graham Nash left Spotify.
Rogan has come under fire after being accused by singer Neil Young and a host of liberal stars of spreading ‘misinformation’ via his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, for which he has an exclusive deal with Spotify worth more than $100million.
But Kevin James, a comedy actor known for Paul Blart: Mall Cop, has joined the growing ranks of other stars including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Kat Von D, Troy Aikman, Tim Dillon and Jewel to support Rogan.
James wrote on Instagram: ‘Joe – we go way back and all these years I’ve known you to be nothing but objective and seeking truth. Thank you. Love you brother.’
Kevin James (left), a comedy actor known for Paul Blart: Mall Cop, has joined the growing ranks of other stars including Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Kat Von D (right), Troy Aikman, Tim Dillon and Jewel to support Rogan
Rogan has come under fire after being accused by singer Neil Young and a host of liberal stars of spreading ‘misinformation’ via his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, for which he has an exclusive deal with Spotify worth more than $100million
And celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D added emojis of praising hands and a love heart.
The podcaster, 54, who has been vocal about the government’s lack of transparency around the pandemic, took to Instagram on Sunday to say he would try to ‘balance things out’.
He added that he was only seeking to have conversations with people who have ‘differing opinions’.
His comments came after he hosted American cardiologist Dr Peter McCullough and American virologist and immunologist Dr Robert Malone, both of whom were critical of the way in which the pandemic has been handled in the US.
The move sparked an onslaught of criticism among a number of famous names and Spotify was left facing an exodus of talent from stars including Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and most recently, Graham Nash and Indie Arie.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has since vowed that Spotify would affix warnings on podcast episodes that include conversations about COVID-19.
James wrote on Instagram: ‘Joe – we go way back and all these years I’ve known you to be nothing but objective and seeking truth. Thank you. Love you brother’
While Young, Mitchell and Nash exited Spotify because of Joe Rogan’s podcast spreading COVID misinformation, India Arie noted on Instagram that she is leaving Spotify because of Rogan’s ‘language about race.’
And actress Sharon Stone told TMZ yesterday: ‘COVID is not an opinion-based situation and Mr Rogan thinking that his opinion or disclaimer for the lives he personally has affected and caused losses of – it’s not an opinion.
‘Mr Rogan is risking people’s lives with his idiocy and his professing that his thoughts about COVID are opinions.
‘He should put a disclaimer that he’s an a****** and that his behaviour is dangerous and affecting people’s lives and deaths.’
In response to Rogan’s video, actor Dwayne Johnson wrote yesterday: ‘Great stuff here brother. Perfectly articulated.Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you.’
Actor Dwayne Johnson voiced his support for Joe Rogan after the podcaster was accused of ‘spreading Covid misinformation’
Podcaster Joe Rogan took to Instagram on Sunday to announce he would try to ‘balance things out’ after he was accused of spreading ‘misinformation’ via his Spotify podcast The Joe Rogan Experience
The actor joins a number of famous names, including Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson and CNN commentator Mary Katharine Ham, who have voiced their support for the podcaster.
This week Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson wrote on Twitter: ‘I’m triple vaxxed, but (unless they’re standing for hate or calling for violence) banning someone’s podcast is too much like burning a book to me.
‘Joe Rogan should talk on his podcast about whatever he damn well pleases.’
Meanwhile CNN commentator Mary Katharine Ham said: ‘I don’t mind that I disagree with him sometimes, enjoy long-form interviews with interesting people that not a lot of people do, am suspicious of motives for shutting him up, & am weirded out by how many people desire it.’
And former presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard wrote on Twitter: ‘I get the feeling some people are using Joe Rogan’s Covid interview as a pretext to silence his voice because he’s not woke.
Singer Neil Young accused Rogan of spreading ‘misinformation’ and threatened to remove his music from Spotify unless Spotify fired Rogan
Joni Mitchell also joined Neil Young in removing her music from Spotify in protest against Joe Rogan
‘Zealots of wokeism try to censor voices who don’t agree with theirs, because they fear the absurdity and weakness of their positions will be exposed.’
Human rights activist and founder of the AHA Foundation, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, said: ‘This is exactly why Joe Rogan’s podcast is so popular. He is open to different perspectives and listens to people without judgement.’
While commentator Ben Shapiro said: ‘They aren’t upset with Joe Rogan because of his Covid-19 perspective. They’re angry at him because he talks with people they hate. And they can’t stand that.’
Ms Arie explained why she had chosen to take her music down from Spotify by saying: ‘I believe in freedom of speech. However, I find Joe Rogan problematic for reasons other than his Covid interviews. For me, it’s also his language around race.’
Arie continued: ‘What I am talking about is respect – who gets it and who doesn’t. Paying musicians a fraction of a penny? And him $100? This shows the type of company they are and the company that they keep. I’m tired.’
Spotify released a statement Sunday saying that while it doesn’t always ‘get it right, we are committed to learning, growing and evolving’
Rogan received backlash last month after engaging in a debate about what it means to be Black with podcast guest Jordan Peterson.
Rogan said it’s ‘very strange’ that anyone would call themselves black unless they’re from the ‘darkest place’ of Africa, adding, ‘There’s such a spectrum of shades of people.
Unless you’re talking to someone who is, like, 100 per cent African, from the darkest place, where they are not wearing any clothes all day and they’ve developed all that melanin to protect themselves from the sun. You know, even the term black is weird. When you use it for people who are literally my color, it becomes very strange.’
Following Young and Mitchell’s departures, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek announced a plan to add warning labels on its global platform to content that skirts the line between ‘what is acceptable and what is not.’
In his statement, Ek vowed that Spotify would affix warnings on podcast episodes that include conversations about COVID-19. Notably, Ek did not specify any content creators by name in the statement.
Actress Sharon Stone said: ‘He should put a disclaimer that he’s an a****** and that his behaviour is dangerous and affecting people’s lives and deaths’
Rogan then came forward with a 10-minute video posted to his Instagram in which he said, ‘I’m not trying to promote misinformation.’
Rogan admitted that it’s important he ‘makes sure that I’ve researched these topics — the controversial ones in particular – and have all the pertinent facts at hand before I discuss them,’ adding, ‘I’m not trying to be controversial. I’ve never tried to do anything with this podcast other than just talk to people and have interesting conversations.’
On January 10, more than 250 doctors signed an open letter to Spotify, entitled: ‘A call from the global scientific and medical communities to implement a misinformation policy.’
‘By allowing the propagation of false and societally harmful assertions, Spotify is enabling its hosted media to damage public trust in scientific research and sow doubt in the credibility of data-driven guidance offered by medical professionals,’ they said.
They point out that Rogan’s average listener was 24, and his vaccine skepticism was dangerous: unvaccinated 12- to 34-year-olds are 12 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID than those who are fully vaccinated.
‘This is not only a scientific or medical concern; it is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform,’ they said.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have signed a $25 million deal with Spotify, have expressed their ‘concern’ at Rogan’s interviews.
What does Joe Rogan say about vaccines and is it that outrageous?
Joe Rogan has decried the American government and the CDC’s approach to the pandemic since late 2020, speaking out against vaccine mandates, vaccine passes, and cautioning healthy young people about the possible side effects of the vaccine.
He has also been vocal about the government’s reluctance to discuss any other potential treatments of Covid-19 besides the vaccine, and has pointed to several doctors’ use of treatments such as monoclonal antibodies and ivermectin to help combat the virus.
Rogan has repeatedly stated that he is not an anti-vaxxer, but is critical of the way in which the pandemic has been handled and is suspicious of why public health bodies have pushed the jab before encouraging people to improve their baseline health.
Despite criticism from many media outlets and Biden’s chief medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci, the comedian’s views have garnered considerable support and in many cases have held up to further inspection.
These are some of the key sentiments Rogan has expressed on the pandemic amid the long-running debate over the comedian and his Spotify-hosted podcast The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE):
Rogan says big tech is censoring alternative views on vaccines and the pandemic – December 31, 2021: JRE #1757 with Dr Robert Malone
Rogan accused big tech of censoring reputable individuals who presented viewpoints alternative to the official narrative, using Malone’s Twitter ban as an example.
‘They removed you for not going along with whatever the tech narrative is because tech clearly has a censorship agenda when it comes to Covid in terms of treatment, in terms of whether or not you are promoting what they would call ‘vaccine hesitancy’ – they can ban you for that’ Rogan said.
YouTube has removed Joe Rogan’s (left) interview with the scientist who helped invent mRNA vaccines Dr Robert Malone (right) and who claimed that the US is now like Nazi Germany with society ‘hypnotized’ to believe in vaccines and extreme pandemic measures
Rogan accused the government of deliberately holding back or discouraging the use of alternative treatments for Covid, such as monoclonal antibodies, and selectively preventing some people from accessing the treatments.
‘There’s an unlimited supply or a very large supply, more than adequate for the entire population, of monoclonal antibodies. So what is stopping the distribution of them? Because not only have they made it difficult to get in Texas, they actually put these parameters on who gets it and who doesn’t.’
Rogan also hit out at the FDA and CDC’s refusal to include Ivermectin as a Covid treatment, citing the anti-parasitic drug’s widespread safe usage around the world and pointing out that his own doctor prescribed Ivermectin with positive results.
Rogan says vaccine mandates are anti-American in Instagram clip showing images of the Holocaust – September 27, 2021
At the end of September, Rogan posted a video to his 13 million Instagram followers in which images and videos of the Holocaust were played over clips from his podcast criticizing the US’ handling of the pandemic.
‘As soon as you give politicians power, any kind of power that didn’t exist previously, if they can figure out a way to force you into carrying something that lets you enter businesses or lets you do this or lets businesses open, historically, they are not gonna give that power up,’ Rogan warns.
‘It is the literal structure that allows this country to be so f***ing amazing. Anything that comes along that can inhibit your freedom is, by definition, anti-American.’
Rogan does not mention the Holocaust or Nazis directly in the clip, but the images are overlaid with a clear warning for people to protect their freedoms.
Rogan declares alternative treatments to the vaccine, including Ivermectin, are effective in Instagram video and calls out CNN for false reporting – September 2021
Rogan took to Instagram on September 1 to inform his followers that he had contracted Covid, but had beaten the virus quickly.
The unvaccinated Rogan said he had taken a multitude of treatments, including anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin, monoclonal antibodies (antibodies created in a lab to fight a specific infection) and NAD drips (a type of intravenous treatment that can stimulate cell regeneration in your body).
But news broadcaster CNN reported that Rogan had taken ‘horse dewormer’ as a treatment for Covid instead of getting vaccinated.
He claims the medical cocktail helped him recover and joked that he might ‘sue CNN’ for slamming his use and promotion of Ivermectin.
‘They’re making s*** up. They keep saying I’m taking horse dewormer. I literally got it from a doctor. It’s an American company. They must know that’s a lie.’
‘It’s a lie on a news network… and it’s a lie that they’re conscious of. It’s not a mistake. They’re unfavorably framing it as veterinary medicine.’
‘Why would you say that when you’re talking about a drug that’s been given out to billions and billions of people?’
Rogan slammed CNN for ‘lying’ by saying he took ‘horse dewormer’ even though his Ivermectin treatment, used widely around the world, was prescribed by a doctor
Rogan holds Biden administration’s chief medical advisor Dr Anthony Fauci to account over mixed messaging on Covid measures – August 17, 2021: JRE #1696 with Lex Fridman
In an August podcast with MIT research scientist and artificial intelligence researcher Lex Fridman, Rogan ripped into Fauci for a lack of transparency and mixed messaging over Covid measures.
‘There’s a problem with people like [Fauci] where they make these statements that you’re led to believe they have an understanding of the situation… But then it turns out they’re 100 percent wrong.
‘But then they come up with a new statement and you’re supposed to believe that.’
‘When they don’t know, they never say ”We don’t know,” Rogan added. ‘They don’t say ”this is very confusing and we’re trying to figure it out as we go along.”‘
Fauci initially told Americans not to worry about wearing face masks early in the pandemic, before later becoming a huge supporter of public masking and blaming his previous advice on a need to conserve then-tight PPE supplies for medical staff.
Fauci has also faced criticism for initially steering conversation away from claims that Covid may have leaked from the Wuhan virus lab, despite a considerable amount of evidence in support of the theory.
Rogan said Fauci has lost public trust after not being transparent about so called ‘gain-of-function’ research at the Wuhan Institute (pictured)
Rogan says that introducing vaccine passports is moving one step closer to dictatorship and blasts lockdowns – August 6, 2021: JRE #1693 with Evin Hafer
Rogan blasted vaccine passports in an August episode of his podcast with Black Rifle Coffee CEO and former green beret Evin Hafer.
‘When you give people freedom, you let people do whatever the f*** they want to do, they actually find ways to succeed and grow and thrive,’ Rogan said.
‘But as soon as you put the boots to them, as soon as you tell them, ”You have to do this, or you can’t do that. You have to listen to me,” now you have a mini dictator.
‘You have one step away from a king. One step closer. You’re moving one step closer to dictatorship.
‘That’s what the f*** is happening.’
Rogan days earlier blasted enforced lockdowns and criticized Australia in particular for its heavy handed approach.
‘They have full on government lockdowns, where the government is flying helicopters over streets saying, ”Go back indoors, you’re not allowed to be outside”, which is crazy.
‘This disease doesn’t even transmit well outside. It doesn’t make any sense. Being outside and getting vitamin D from the sun is probably one of the best things you can do.
Several studies have suggested that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of Covid-19 infection and the likelihood of severe disease.
Rogan says he is not an anti-vaxxer but discourages young, healthy people from getting the vaccine – April 2021
In podcast #1642 with comedian Andrew Santino, Rogan said: ‘I’m not an anti-vaxx person. I said I believe they’re safe and I encourage many people to take them.
‘My parents were vaccinated. I just said that if you’re a young, healthy person that you don’t need it.’
His comments came days after a podcast with comedian Dave Smith in which Rogan said he would not advise healthy people aged 21 to get the vaccine.
‘If you’re like 21 years old, and you say to me, should I get vaccinated? I’ll go no.
‘If you’re a healthy person, and you’re exercising all the time, and you’re young, and you’re eating well, like, I don’t think you need to worry about this.’
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