Do you think Spotify should continue to host Joe Rogan's podcast?

[lonelyapple]

Quite a few singers (Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Nils Lofgren to name a few) have said they want to have their music removed from Spotify as a protest against Spotify hosting Joe Rogan's podcast (they think he is spreading covid vaccine misinformation), so Spotify will have to choose between hosting their music or Joe Rogan's podcast.

I personally think this is ridiculous as Joe Rogan talks to a range of people about a range of different subjects and his podcasts are interesting and popular and people can always choose not to listen to them and even if they do, it doesn't mean they believe everything being said. I don't think Spotify should cave to such threats and I think this would set a dangerous precedent.

www.ft.com/content/a9fdaf0d-8d46-4a16-881f-a1b0635d3ce3

YANBU - Spotify should keep Joe Rogan's podcast.
YABU - Spotify should not keep Joe Rogan's podcast.

@Hospedia

No one should be giving out medical advice unless medically qualified. Current medical advice is that vaccines work, they are safe for the vast majority, and the best protection from specific illnesses is to vaccinate (not just covid but vaccines in general). Someone on a public platform asserting that sun beds are safe, cigarettes help you stay slim, and seat belts are pointless would not be given airtime for those views, they would be told to either keep it to themselves/do it on non-work time, or go find another platform because we know such advice is dangerous/harmful. This is no different.

He is entitled to his opinions but Spotify is entitled not to air them and other artists are entitled to distance themselves from a platform that supports it.

This. A million percent.

I’ve listened to a fair few interviews with joe rogan before he went to Spotify ( I don’t use Spotify) and he’s had loads of interesting guests.
I also agree with the general principle of “ I might not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it”
I thought we all did?
Particularly artists?
Aren’t Spotify removing Neil youngs music in any case do it has somewhat backfired ( and good as it was an idiotic thing to demand imo)

No one should be giving out medical advice unless medically qualified.

He isn't. He had doctors on there who give their opinions. Actual qualified doctors. Even one who was part of the team who invented the mRNA technology used in the vaccines. In conversation with those doctors they discussed if young people actually needed the vaccine given their chances of a serious outcome are so low. People are allowed to talk about these things and hear all the different views. It genuinely frightens me that so many are rushing towards prevention of free speech without even having the full information on what he and his guests actually say. No one should be commenting and agreeing he be dropped unless they've listened to the full podcast. It's easy to find, just go to Spotify!

I take it you have never seen Neil Young live? He has no need to 'drum up interest in a tour'! They are usually sell-outs. He is a great musician whose work will still be played in years to come when Rogan will long be forgotten.

Hmm, ok...

Nothing to say about his comments on gay men and aids?

Lots of free publicity and return to public consciousness for all involved as can be seen from the video posted upthread.

Has anyone listened to said podcast?

Yes I have. It's fascinating and as a triple vaccinated person with two children who are also fully vaccinated it did nothing to deter me but I definitely want to hear all the available information. It's interesting that no one is ever able to say specifically what was actually said that was so problematic. A bit like the JKR hoo hah.

I don’t care if they remove him or not.

I care a lot about the pregnant women I speak to every single day who remain unvaccinated. I could bore you all with takes of human tragedy surrounding unvaccinated pregnant women but what’s the point.

I do not believe Joe is medically trained so he should not be giving out medical advice.

@Diablo2

I don't like this deplatforming of people with different views.

I disagree with anti-vaxxers but it's my mind to make up. They should be entitled to have the same courtesy. Otherwise, we're all in an echo chamber, aren't we, only being able to listen to sanctioned opinions. I think it's a dangerous road to go down.

Depends whether it's different views or outright misinformation.

No allowing the latter

No idea who he is, but as he's pissed of Joni Mitchell and Neil Young he needs to do one.

I do not believe Joe is medically trained so he should not be giving out medical advice.

He doesn't.

A) It’s not just about hosting it, it’s about funding it. Spotify are choosing to give money to Rogan.
B) The right to free speech doesn’t extend to obliging others to give you a platform.

Yabu.

@LondonWolf

Has anyone listened to said podcast?

Yes I have. It's fascinating and as a triple vaccinated person with two children who are also fully vaccinated it did nothing to deter me but I definitely want to hear all the available information. It's interesting that no one is ever able to say specifically what was actually said that was so problematic. A bit like the JKR hoo hah.

Very true. Nothing untrue needs to be said in order for the pitchforks to come out. JKR is a perfect example of this. And Robert Malone was involved in the invention of MRNA tech so his view is as valid as anyone else’s. Listening to it won’t hypnotize you into becoming an anti-vaxxer. It’s scary what can happen when you don’t follow the narrative. Support this at your peril folks. It could be you next, should you have the audacity to hold a view that’s different to the mainstream.

@LondonWolf

I do not believe Joe is medically trained so he should not be giving out medical advice.

He doesn't.

Fair enough.

I’ll amend.

I do not believe Joe is medically trained and I worry hugely about vaccine misinformation.

Agatha "I do not believe Joe is medically trained so he should not be giving out medical advice"

I have only listened to a few but I am confident he doesn't give medical advice. I have heard him interview doctors and of course medical opinion varies.

@orinocosfavoritecake

A) It’s not just about hosting it, it’s about funding it. Spotify are choosing to give money to Rogan. B) The right to free speech doesn’t extend to obliging others to give you a platform.

Yabu.

Last time I checked Spotify is a private organization and chooses to buy Rohan’s content. Where’s the obligation? Is Rohan blackmailing them? Do you know something we don’t?

If it is promulgating lies about the vaccine, then of course it should not be broadcast. Neither should anything else riddled with inaccuracies should be.

No problem with differenig opinions

But there are facts too.

Basic accuracy matters

Yes they should keep it. He's on other platforms not just Spotify and no one forces anyone to listen to it. I'm more concerned with issues like child trafficking that go unnoticed.

X post

I think doctors on a podcast shouldn't be seen as your own doctor doing a consultation either.

Before my dad died, two members of the team treating him were completely at odds with what to do next.

We shouldn't ask doctors or scientists to be a hive mind (or anyone, for that matter).

I do not believe Joe is medically trained and I worry hugely about vaccine misinformation.

So are you saying that vaccines should never be discussed in case said discussion says something negative about vaccines that you would class as "disinformation"? Are you saying that vaccinations may only be discussed in positive, glowing terms? Because that sounds an awful lot like compelled speech to me.

Anyway as I have already said he doesn't give medical advice, he hosts discussions with qualified doctors. People need to listen to them before commenting.

@lonelyapple

There's another thread going on about things from the past, which for many includes books. I like a hard copy of a book because who knows what will happen to the digital editions when authors are accused of wrong think?

I've had the same thought and am buying hard copies of books and music that I think will be cancelled at some point. It's ridiculous we have come to this point!

I've been doing this as well, making sure I have a hard copy of books I think might fall victim to cancel culture. I did joke that if 'they' wanted my books they would have to come and get them, but recent reports suggest that's a thing that's happening, so it's not even a joke any more.

If Spotify are happy to host someone's work, and Neil Young (or anyone else) doesn't want to share the platform with that person I think he should be welcome to remove his own work but not dictate that someone else's should be shut down on his say so.

If I disagree with someone or something I have the choice to ignore them, not buy their stuff, or argue my own point of view. I should not have the power to just shut them down to everyone else just because I feel like it.

There's another thread going on about things from the past, which for many includes books. I like a hard copy of a book because who knows what will happen to the digital editions when authors are accused of wrong think?

Where is this thread please? Sounds interesting.

I like James Blunt response. I paraphrase but he said something like “if Spotify don’t remove joe rogan i’ll release more music onto the service”

Agree with you @lampshading. There's a lot of dubious content on spotify made by very dubious people. Feels a bit weird that they focus on this one.

@Thievesoil

The censorship of free speech at present will be written about in years to come and not favourably

Has anyone listened to said podcast?

After all the publicity I did think I might listen to it on my dog walk see what all the fuss was about.

Then I the saw it was 3 hours long !! and thought nah I'm good and listened to great music instead.

To be fair Joe Regan has done over 1500 interviews from scientists to film directors to artists etc etc. Everyone seems to be up in arms because he interviewed Dr Malone, whose views seem (I haven't listened to the podcast) are to question the benefit of giving Covid vaccines to under 16s, similar to the position of the JCVI.

This then leads Dr Malone to be called an anti vaxxer and spouting harmful misinformation and also Joe Regan to be called an anti vaxxer and spouting misinformation for doing the interview and finally Spotify criticised for giving Joe Regan.

It's all a bit silly and has simply given massive publicity to a 3 hour podcast that no one in their right mind would have bothered listening to anyway.

But I agree with other posters about the worrying implications for free speech and de platforming along with nut job vocal proponents of this.

I honestly think people these days have absolutely no clue what censorship actually is.

Spotify is a private company. Facebook is a private company, Twitter is a private company. They can ban you for any reason at all that they like - they can choose who they host on their privately owned site.

The real danger here is thinking we’re entitled to say anything we like, anywhere, without consequence. That is not, and has never been, ‘free speech’.