The popular podcast host, Joe Rogan, has found himself embroiled in a new controversy that has sparked a heated debate among the public. The source of this controversy lies in the comments he made on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, which were perceived as being anti-Semitic in nature. The controversy proves that Dwayne Johnson was smart to cut ties with Joe Rogan to save his image.
Joe Rogan in Controversy Due to Alleged Anti-Semitic Comments
Recently, during an episode featuring guests Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti, hosts of the Breaking Points podcast, Joe Rogan made comments that have been deemed as anti-Semitic by many. During the podcast, Rogan was discussing recent allegations of antisemitism against Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who faced controversy after a tweet from 2019 condemning the American Israel Public Affairs Committee resurfaced. In this tweet, Omar stated that American support for Israel was “all about the Benjamins.”
In reference to this controversy, Rogan stated that
“the idea that Jewish people aren’t into money is ridiculous. That’s like saying Italians aren’t into pizza. That’s f*cking stupid.”
These comments from Rogan were met with immediate condemnation from a number of prominent organizations and individuals. The CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, shared a tweet criticizing Joe Rogan and accused him of spewing anti-semitic tropes.
Disturbing that at a time of rising anti-Jewish violence, when growing numbers of Americans believe in antisemitic conspiracy theories, @joerogan would use his immense platform to spew antisemitic tropes about Jews and money. https://t.co/O6o1i2nS9x
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) February 7, 2023
The CEO of the American Jewish Committee, Ted Deutch, also criticized Rogan’s comments, stating that they employed
“the same tropes that have been used to persecute Jews for centuries. It’s dangerous to be so flippant in trafficking in antisemitic stereotypes. “
What happened between Dwayne Johnson and Joe Rogan?
Dwayne Johnson and Joe Rogan had a past collaboration when Johnson appeared as a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast in 2017. However, in the years since that appearance, the two have gone their separate ways, with Johnson carefully curating his image and brand, and Rogan facing increasing controversy for his comments and views.
Dwayne Johnson was initially a supporter of Joe Rogan, however, this relationship changed after controversial comments made by Rogan on his show.
Joe Rogan has been under fire for several statements made on his show. He has allegedly made inaccurate claims about vaccinations and COVID-19, which have led to criticism from public health experts. Spotify, the hosting platform for the podcast, has faced backlash for providing a platform to spread misinformation.
Many artists, including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, have removed their music from the service in protest of this misinformation. Additionally, Harry and Meghan have expressed their concerns over the spread of misinformation on the platform.
However, it was not until Dwayne Johnson learned of Joe Rogan’s use of a racial slur that he changed his opinion on the podcaster. Singer Indie Arie shared a compilation of Rogan using the n-word multiple times on his show, causing Johnson to reconsider his support.
Dear @donwinslow
Thank you so much for this
I hear you as well as everyone here 100%
I was not aware of his N word use prior to my comments, but now I've become educated to his complete narrative.
Learning moment for me.Mahalo, brother and have a great & productive weekend.
DJ https://t.co/3mBf85wRoe— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) February 5, 2022
Johnson’s initial support of Rogan was criticized by author Don Winslow, who pointed out the inappropriate use of Johnson’s platform in defense of Rogan’s controversial statements.
It appears that Johnson was smart enough to break ties with Rogan years ago, thereby avoiding any potential damage to his image and brand.
While Johnson has not publicly commented on the latest controversy surrounding Rogan, it is clear that he made a wise decision to distance himself from the controversial podcaster.
Source: Variety
