The Rogan Conundrum – Too Big to Cancel

Guys, I don’t often do this, and those of you who read my blogs know already, but I would like to remind all of you who are reading this that these opinions are mine, and mine alone, and do not reflect the feelings of the #Spoilerverse, or #SpoilerCountry in any way. If you feel the need to complain, please be an adult, and contact me directly at [email protected], or [email protected]. I am a big boy, and I am always willing to discuss something I write, and going to the overlords to complain, and not me, will just make me think you are gutless.

That being said, let’s talk about some stuff that might make you mad!!!!

Recently, the great and powerful Joe Rogan took his podcast, The Joe Rogan Podcast, to Spotify, and signed an exclusive deal with them. In one way, this broke my heart, because I don’t like change, I like the ease of getting his podcast, and I like that it is right there next to my Spoiler Country subscription. I do have Spotify though, so I am not near as upset about it as I was, at the time, Howard Stern moving to a PPV, or PPL channel, because I had no chance of getting that at the time.

They gave him $60 to $100 million, and he gave him the exclusive licensing deal, with the stipulation that he would not change his podcast in any way, that he would have full control of content. You will, in theory, be getting the same, uncensored show that he has been putting over a decade, with very little change. The only thing that might change are the ads, but really, who cares? Half the time I fast forward through them, so it won’t affect my listening pleasure.

It sounds great, doesn’t it? Joe Rogan makes millions (insert pinkie into the side of your mouth), and Spotify gets his millions of listeners to follow him, and give them traffic for nine hours a week at least (his podcasts are notoriously long, from an hour (rarely) up to four hours (rarely), but usually clocking in between two and three hours. That is a LOT of time to get someone to stay on your stream, and really is a coup for the company.

(Record scratch here)

Some employees in the company are saying that they will walk out/strike, if Rogan was allowed to join the streaming service. He is being called “transphobic” because he allowed authors Abigal Shrier (Irreversible Damage) and Debra Soh (The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths about Sex and Identity in our Society) on his show, and…gasp…they had the nerve to speak in clinical and scientific terms in regards to the LGBTQ community, specifically the Trans part of it.

In a nutshell, the community took offense that she states parents need to be careful when it comes to beginning a transition, that perhaps the feelings they are having might be because of peer pressure, or even it is just a phase the child is going through, and if you start with the hormone replacement too early, it may cause irreversible damage, that will affect the child for their whole life.

Dr Soh has come under fire because she comes across as a bit conservative, and sticks to her guns when she claims that gender is either male or female, and it is NOT a social construct. You produce sperm, or you produce an egg, and that is science. (Realizing of course that there are special cases that you cannot produce either, or that in some cases you are born without a sex, and that a choice needs to be made.

The argument is that the activists claim that they have “new science” that proves otherwise. Dr Soh, on a recent JRE podcast, says that she sat down with an activist, and they had a lengthy civil discussion. They left with the same opinions, but listened to each others sides.

Joe Rogan has also stirred the pot by saying that trans athletes should not be allowed to compete against women. Due to the fact that the physiology of a male, is different than a female, and gives them an undue advantage.

Now, if a male starts transitioning pre puberty, then I am guessing the estrogen will allow the body to be similar enough, so that it is not an issue.
But if you are talking about a male that started transitioning a few years after puberty, the bone and muscle structure, though it will change over time with the estrogen being taken, is still enough, so that if we are talking running a race, the transitioning person would have the advantage of a male muscle structure, which could lead to an advantage.

Why is that an issue? Mainly because they are cases where transitioning people are performing in sports, setting records, and also getting scholarships that would have otherwise gone to a young lady who was born a female.

He also spoke out against Fallon Fox, the first trans MMA fighter, Since she transitioned later in life, Rogan argued that the thicker bone structure that men have had already taken place, and well as muscle and bone density, gave Fox an advantage against natural born women. (I looked into this after I defended Rogan on a friends Facebook post, and one of his friends attempted to take me to task, and call me a trans phobe. I guess old science doesn’t count.

Unfortunately in today’s society, social media gives voices to people who shouldn’t be heard. This is how we get the cancel culture. Someone does something that the vocal minority takes offense to, and they start their grass roots campaign, to start the cancelling process.

Abigal Shrier was asked to be on Joe Rogan’s show, because she had a new book out, and it really is an important side to the argument, and most media was afraid to have her on. You heard that right. They were afraid to have her on, because they feared that if they did, the mighty eye of the “cancel culture” would turn their way, and they’d have to button up their big boy pants (or big girl, whatever pants they wear), and they might lose sponsors.
Look here’s why I put the warning on the front end of this. Much like Joe Rogan, I happen to agree with Dr Soh, and Abigal Shrier. Science is science, and common sense is common sense. Just because science ruins your narrative, it doesn’t mean that you can create “new science”. It doesn’t work that way. Science is the constant repetition of facts. Sometimes those facts are successfully refuted. Sometimes they are not. It’s how science works.

But I also support people’s rights to live however it makes them happiest. If you are a man, but were born a woman, then be a man. Date who you want, regardless of sex. Life is hard enough to get through when you are miserable, and if identifying as the opposite gender and living that way makes you happy, then do it. I don’t care. You folks shouldn’t care. The person who is doing it should care. Maybe who they are dating/married to should care. The rest of us, work on living your own life, not ours.

And if you listen to Joe Rogan, that is what he consistently preaches, time after time, podcast after podcast. Let people just be happy and live their lies.
I was lucky enough, that I had a job previously that I was able to get into his back library, and also listen to every podcast he released, for almost three years. I also listened regularly to other shows to balance out my life, but Rogan got probably 60% of my ear time, if not more.

Honestly, he made me feel alive again. My brain stopped turning to mush, my neurons were firing again, and I was having thoughts. (He also convinced me to go to the gym instead of just riding a bike, so I am the delicious fantasy to you readers.) I also appreciated that he was fearless, put his ideas out there, listened to others, and wasn’t afraid to get his opinion changed. Over the years, I have listened to a wide variety, from the far left, to the far right, and all spots in between. I’ve listened to Joey Diaz and his humor and stories, then Neil deGrasse Tyson talk about things I’ve barely understood. Dr Rhonda Patrick’s take on nutrition, to Alex Jones and his conspiracies. (and admitting he got false information about Sandy Hook), to Killer Mike talking about how to rebuild the black community.

In three hours, you get a full spectrum of guests, their flaws, their insecurities, and their triumphs. (lets face it, there is a triumph if they are on there) Some things are said that catch heat. Joe Rogan is a comedian first and foremost. It is his meal ticket. He admittedly has said that he says things for a laugh, that he doesn’t always believe, at least in his stand up anyway.

So these “special interest groups”, who’s special interest is to get media attention mostly, have called out a comedian, for making jokes, and for having on people who use a little thing called science that refutes some of their claims. They are such firm believers in their cause, that none have stepped forward to ask to be on the podcast (which he has said that he will readily allow that) They have taken snippets of shows and his comedy specials, and put together an argument that he is transphobic. That he does not support the lifestyle, nor the people in it.

To Spotify’s credit, they hadn’t backed down to these groups, or to their employees, and have started the rollout. In an odd twist though, they have kept the episodes that are cited as controversial, but have not posted the episodes of right wing extremists Alex Jones, and a few others. This is to the consternation of the Rogan army. I have not been able to find anything that Rogan has stated.

Now gang, if Spotify didn’t know what they were getting with Rogan, then shame on them. If they would like to hire me to listen to his back catalog, and let them know what they had gotten into, I can obviously be had for a relative bargain.

That being said, I’m happy we have Joe Rogan’s in the world. I’m happy that we have a Dave Chappelle. We need Dave Attell. We need Lewis Black. We need Gilbert Gottfried. We need the comedians who aren’t afraid to stick up to the “cancel culture”, and say what they want, how they want to, and if you don’t like it, then turn the channel, or shut them off, or go listen to someone less controversial.

Guys, I did a crappy podcast. It’s how I got involved writing for this one. It’s hard work to fill in an hour a shot, be entertaining, get along with a cohost (and despite what I say, I do love MAW like a brother, though he’s an idiot)(he says the same about me)(we are both correct), try and make a guest sound interesting, all while getting across what they are saying, and make it entertaining to the masses. (in our case 6 people) AND hope you don’t make someone mad (MAW worried about that, I did not)

Spotify was right to go through with the deal. They knew what they were getting when they signed him up. You try and keep employees happy, but Billy in media relations will not, in the whole entirety of his tenure, make Spotify anything near what Joe Rogan will. Sally in advertising may, in theory, but odds are, she will because she is selling advertising to people who want to be associated with Rogan.

I agree these groups need a voice. The LGBTQ community needs to be heard, to be promoted, to ensure that they are treated no different than any other human being on this planet, not better, not worse. They need it be known that they are a human being, and what personal choices they make are just that, personal, and affect their lives, not ours. It doesn’t affect how much money they can make, how fast they can run, how smart they are, what skills they have…that they are like me, with better skills in some things, worse in others, and like everyone else, flawed in their perfection.

I don’t agree though with these special interest groups, who, in speaking for the unheard, lose sight of what the groups they represent want heard, and make it personal. Once it becomes personal, you lose sight on the big picture, and you become small. You focus on the minuscule, and miss out on the big picture. You focus on the set backs, and not the progress. You focus so hard on why you may have been bullied, to finally become the bully.

Guys, I feel I have started to ramble. You have all my information up top if you want to discuss this. If you want to call me names I will probably ignore you, because that solves absolutely nothing. If you want to follow me for some strange reason, I am @jaycanchu on the mighty Twitter, IG, or SC. If you want to see my art, and you do, please check me out at AntiStar Creations on Facebook. I do commissions, and will sell prints of anything that isn’t a commission.

Be kind to people. It’s been a tough year on everyone, and your kind deed or word may change someone’s life.