In media news, calls are growing on Spotify to remove Joe Rogan from its platform, after the popular podcast host promoted misinformation about COVID-19 on his show and as video resurfaced showing Rogan making repeated racist comments. On Friday, Grammy-winning singer India Arie joined other artists who’ve pulled their music from Spotify, as she shared a viral video showing Rogan using the N-word on his show two dozen times. This is an excerpt.
Joe Rogan: “Like, you know, the [bleep] thing. … Yes, saying the word [bleep]. … You’ve already said [bleep]. … It’s just like [bleep]. … Saying [bleep]. … She’s called you a [bleep], like this. … Boy, that he’s a [bleep]. … But starts calling him [bleep].”
Other resurfaced videos show Joe Rogan saying Black people have “different brains” and comparing a neighborhood with “no white people” to the “Planet of the Apes.” In response, Spotify has quietly deleted scores of past episodes of Joe Rogan’s podcast. But CEO Daniel Ek has refused to cancel Rogan’s exclusive contract with Spotify — reportedly valued at over $100 million. In a memo to Spotify workers, Ek wrote, “Canceling voices is a slippery slope.” In response, musician Neil Young urged Spotify workers to quit, writing, “Get out of that place before it eats up your soul.”