Joe Rogan apologizes for using racial slur during past podcasts
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3 min read . Updated: 06 Feb 2022, 06:39 PM IST Spotify podcaster takes to Instagram after video compilation surfaces
Joe Rogan apologized on Saturday after a video emerged of the star podcaster using a racial slur in previous episodes.
In a post on Instagram, Mr. Rogan—who hosts the popular “The Joe Rogan Experience" on Spotify—said he offered “my sincere and humble apologies" for what he called “the most regretful and shameful thing that I’ve ever had to talk about publicly."
The compilation video of Mr. Rogan, shared by singer-songwriter India Arie, showed how Mr. Rogan and some of his guestsused the N-word numerous times on his show.
Mr. Rogan said the clips were taken out of context and that they were based on 12 years of conversations. He added that they look “horrible, even to me."
The podcaster’s response intensifies an already pitched debate about the influence Mr. Rogan’s show has and how much responsibility its exclusive host, Spotify Technology SA, has for its content. Ms. Arie’s compilation comes as Spotify has said it was delayed in addressing outcry over Mr. Rogan’s shows about the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccines.
“I know that to most people, there’s no context where a white person is ever allowed to say that, never mind publicly on a podcast, and I agree with that," Mr. Rogan said, adding that he hasn’t used the slur in recent years.
“I never used it to be racist because I’m not racist," he said. “But whenever you’re in a situation where you have to say ‘I’m not racist,’ you f-ed up. And I clearly have f-ed up. And that’s my intention to express myself in this video."
Representatives for Mr. Rogan and Spotify weren’t immediately available for comment.
Ms. Arie was one of several artists who earlier this week pulled their music from Spotify. She said she opposed the language Mr. Rogan used around race and the amount of money he makes from Spotify. In 2020, Mr. Rogan signed an exclusive podcasting deal with Spotify worth more than $100 million, according to people familiar with the matter.
“The Joe Rogan Experience" is the No. 1 show in 93 markets, Spotify has said. In 2021, Mr. Rogan’s show was the most-listened-to podcast every month in more than 30 markets, including in the U.S., said a person familiar with the matter. Mr. Rogan’s listeners have grown by 75% from the time he joined Spotify’s platform in September 2020 to December 2021, this person said.
Mr. Rogan began his show in 2009 and built a following largely on YouTube before signing with Spotify. The platform had previously removed more than 40 of his episodes for content policy violations, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Tracking site jremissing.com says the platform has removed 113 of Mr. Rogan’s episodes since Friday.
Other artists like Neil Young and then his former bandmates David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash also said they were pulling their music from Spotify over opposition to what they say is misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines spread by Mr. Rogan on his show.
In response, Spotify posted its content policies and created advisories for pandemic-related shows that send listeners to an information hub about Covid-19.
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Spotify recently reported it had 406 million monthly active users, up 18% from the year before. Its advertising revenue, largely tied to podcasting, was up 40%.
For Mr. Rogan, the apology was his second in a week. Last Sunday he said he aimed to be more balanced and informed about controversial topics and guests. He said his show has grown “out of control" and said, “If I pissed you off, I’m sorry," referring to the growing backlash against him and Spotify.
News Corp’s Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal, has a content partnership with Spotify’s Gimlet Media unit.
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