# Joe Rogan and his massive audience **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 6, 2022, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296 "2022-01-06T03:23:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/41 "2022-01-07T18:00:04Z")
I’m not saying you can’t hold him in contempt, but that he’s not the _cause_ of this. He’s more of a result of the rampant idiocy of so many people combined with the internet, which basically gives anyone a powerful platform to reach millions of people… without any serious oversight or accountability. If it wasn’t him, it would be someone else. It’s associated with the same forces that allowed the alt-right media to effectively wall off the political right and spoon-feed them whatever they want them to hear. It’s that accountability angle combined with low barriers to entry on the content production and distribution side of things- basically people can easily produce the full spectrum of garbage, and people will consume what they like. It wasn’t always this way; having the scratch to spin up a newspaper, radio station or TV station meant that you were also one of a very small number of people doing so, and you were under more scrutiny from governments and everyone else. But literally anyone can spin up a podcast for pocket change, and spew whatever violent, inaccurate, ignorant nonsense they feel like, without any accountability or repercussion. Rogan just happens to have hit upon a formula that works. I can’t fault him for riding that gravy train as long as he wants, even if he is something of a meatheaded idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/42 "2022-01-07T20:39:25Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I’m not saying you can’t hold him in contempt, but that he’s not the _cause_ of this. He’s more of a result of the rampant idiocy of so many people combined with the internet, which basically gives anyone a powerful platform to reach millions of people… without any serious oversight or accountability. If it wasn’t him, it would be someone else. I blame **him** and I don’t think just anyone can do what he does. There are always idiots. There always have been and always will be. What’s unique is Rogan. He’s absolutely the fulcrum. You can’t fix stupid, but you don’t have to give a platform to a guy like Rogan who will exploit the stupid. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/43 "2022-01-07T22:01:31Z")
What’s with all these excuses for his behavior? I don’t know how to not give stupid people platforms, but Joe Rogan shouldn’t be giving out medical advice, while knowing how stupid he is. He shouldn’t talk with authority on things he doesn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/44 "2022-01-07T22:21:12Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > Joe Rogan shouldn’t be giving out medical advice, while knowing how stupid he is. I believe that, if you search through this very website, you will see innumerable people giving medical advice despite not being doctors. And we’ve also had discussions on people who _are_ trained, professional doctors who us non-doctors have accused as peddling woo and nonsense. One problem is that medicine isn’t as good as we want it, yet. We don’t yet have the ability to push a button and anything we want to have happen to our body just happens, 100% of the time, side effect free. And medical professionals are mostly people who want to help people (or make good money) and were willing to memorize up for their tests. Overwhelmingly, they’re not statisticians, skeptics, nor the most enlightened of our species - they’re just normal folk, many of whom are out of date on the science. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/45 "2022-01-07T22:45:01Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > And medical professionals are mostly people who want to help people (or make good money) Preferably both. ---
**Author:** ![WalterBishop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@WalterBishop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WalterBishop)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/46 "2022-01-08T00:12:22Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > What’s with all these excuses for his behavior? I don’t know how to not give stupid people platforms, but Joe Rogan shouldn’t be giving out medical advice, while knowing how stupid he is. He shouldn’t talk with authority on things he doesn’t know. People keep calling him stupid, but he inked a $120 million dollar deal for a phenomenally successful product that he created from scratch, so how stupid can he really be? ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/47 "2022-01-08T00:20:05Z")
I see what you’re saying… I actually thought of it along similar lines after I posted that. I guess I feel a little hostile to Rogan because he knows he’s not that bright… and in may ways I can kind of sympathize with that. Especially when I was younger. His intrigue in stuff like UFOs aren’t harmful, and sort of endearing in a way. I was never a big fan of his. I actually had a feeling about him having bad ideas at times right when he started getting momentum. I’m pretty sure the guy has given bad information and misinformed views before. I don’t know how exactly he feels about trans people, but I believe he’s had some interesting takes on it. Anyway, I’m going to end it there right now, because something is glitching out on this forum right now, (unless it’s my phone,) so… peace. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/48 "2022-01-08T00:25:16Z")
I think he’s a different ‘brand’ of stupid. People are idiots in ways other’s aren’t. Though he kind of acknowledged that, he cab be selectively humble. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/49 "2022-01-08T00:26:45Z")
> [@bump](#): > > You can’t be upset with him for having a large audience without also being tacitly upset with what he’s doing to get it. Well, yeah. That’s the OP. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/50 "2022-01-08T03:16:33Z")
> [@bump](#): > > And if you’re going to be mad, be mad at the idiots who actually listen to the guy, not the guy himself. He’s not the problem; the idiots are. They all are. I can condemn everyone who participates in a dogshit sandwich market, both the supply side and the demand side. Hell, I already do it for the treating-oysters-as-though-they’re-made-out-of-food market. ---
**Author:** ![Pseudonym](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pseudonym/32/9895_2.png) [@Pseudonym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pseudonym)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/51 "2022-01-08T18:05:20Z")
> [@bump](#): > > And if you’re going to be mad, be mad at the idiots who actually listen to the guy Does this apply to politicians? > [@bump](#): > > He’s not the problem; the idiots are. How does this differ from: “If you get fooled, it’s your own fault”? ---
**Author:** ![Pseudonym](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pseudonym/32/9895_2.png) [@Pseudonym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pseudonym)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/52 "2022-01-08T18:14:11Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > I believe that, if you search through this very website, you will see innumerable people giving medical advice despite not being doctors. The bigger your platform, the bigger your authority, the bigger the problem. Me taking uneducated medical advice from my neighbour is a problem on a different scale than what we’re talking about here. That there are many doctors who aren’t that good, doesn’t quite seem to me like it should mean a doctor’s opinion on a medical issue by default is equal to everbody else’s. What would this mean put into the context of any other area of expertise? Don’t listen to lawyers because there are ones that aren’t very good? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/53 "2022-01-08T18:14:41Z")
What I’m getting at is that he’s a symptom, not the cause. If it wasn’t him, it would be someone else with a podcast, program, website, or whatever that’s much the same in the broad strokes of pandering to the lowest common denominator of macho and ignorant. Politicians are much the same- expecting someone whose whole political schtick is riling up a specific population to go _against_ what that population wants is foolish, even when we’re expecting them to do the right thing. Doubly so, because politicians have an even larger chunk of self-interest and power-seeking involved than most entertainers do. That said, I don’t actually like Joe Rogan. I don’t find him funny, and was honestly surprised that his podcast became as popular as it did. But then again, there’s a lot of stuff pertaining to the working class white population that perplexes me, and his popularity is just one of many of those things. ---
**Author:** ![Pseudonym](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pseudonym/32/9895_2.png) [@Pseudonym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pseudonym)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/54 "2022-01-08T18:34:45Z")
> [@bump](#): > > If it wasn’t him, it would be someone else How far should this thinking stretch? Should it apply to crime as well, or just everything that is permitted by law? > [@bump](#): > > Politicians are much the same No politician allows their personal morals to affect their work? You seem to be positing that “an honest hustler” should never be judged – if you can take advantage of people, that’s just fine. Being mad at somebody for them being a bad influence doesn’t mean the same as being surprised at their popularity. Yes, it’s a problem that people are gullible enough that they fall for scams, but that doesn’t leave the scammers without responsibility. Rogan and others also have this common defense, where they first passionately advocate for something and when critisized for it say: “but it was just my opinion”. And still won’t retract what they said, but keep advocating it. That’s where the blatant dishonesty is revealed. It would be another thing if Rogan came out and stated: “Sorry folks, I realize I’ve been an idiot, and I was wrong about what I said”. But instead, saying he is “just an idiot” is a get-out-of-jail card for him. Broadcasting to millions and periodically saying “I’m stupid” just isn’t enough. It’s essentially covering your ass, so you’re less likely to end up in the situation Alex Jones did. In court his defense was that he was just playing a character all these years. Shame there never was the slightest indication of this before he got sued. ---
**Author:** ![Pseudonym](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pseudonym/32/9895_2.png) [@Pseudonym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pseudonym)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/55 "2022-01-08T18:44:18Z")
The responsibility of course doesn’t lie on Rogan or any other public figure alone, but everybody who enables them, like the owners of Spotify in this case. Money is a powerful motivator, but I think it’s quite disingenious to say “well it’s no wonder, there’s a lot of money in it” – that shouldn’t absolve anybody. A starving person stealing to keep alive is a wholly different scenario from somebody making a healthy paycheck disseminating information that can have dire societal consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/56 "2022-01-08T18:54:02Z")
> [@WalterBishop](#): > > People keep calling him stupid, but he inked a $120 million dollar deal for a phenomenally successful product that he created from scratch, so how stupid can he really be? Is this a strictly American thing? Thinking a high income indicates intelligence? They’re probably correlated in general, but I bet not terribly highly, especially in entertainment. Plenty of athletes, actors, and commentators are dumb as shit. ---
**Author:** ![WalterBishop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@WalterBishop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WalterBishop)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/57 "2022-01-08T19:26:12Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Is this a strictly American thing? Thinking a high income indicates intelligence? They’re probably correlated in general, but I bet not terribly highly, especially in entertainment. Plenty of athletes, actors, and commentators are dumb as shit. It’s not just the podcast, though. He’s also a successful stand-up comedian, a successful sports commentator, a successful TV presenter, and probably some other stuff I’ve forgotten. I guess the question is, how many fields does he need to conquer before it starts getting silly to call him an idiot? ---
**Author:** ![Pseudonym](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pseudonym/32/9895_2.png) [@Pseudonym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pseudonym)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/58 "2022-01-08T19:29:58Z")
“…for certain values of intelligence.” No, it’s not just an American thing. It’s just an understanding of intelligence that I find badly lacking. I think there is a lot of value in the old saying “it’s not what you know – it’s who you know”. Put another way: people are products of their environment. And put yet another way: for the majority of people, the American Dream is just clever marketing, i.e. a clever ruse. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/59 "2022-01-08T19:31:18Z")
I dunno, probably one that requires him to demonstrate any intelligence. Everything you listed is a variation of “some number of people like listening to him talk.” Not even really different fields. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296/60 "2022-01-08T19:35:56Z")
> [@WalterBishop](#): > > It’s not just the podcast, though. He’s also a successful stand-up comedian, a successful sports commentator, a successful TV presenter, and probably some other stuff I’ve forgotten. I guess the question is, how many fields does he need to conquer before it starts getting silly to call him an idiot? Aren’t those all pretty much exactly the same skillset, though? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-rogan-and-his-massive-audience/957296.md?page=4)