Spotify Sends Out Notice That It Stands by Joe Rogan, Denounces Canceling Voices – Opinion

The Joe Rogan saga has had its ups and downs but despite it all, the company with the rights to the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Spotify, has not only decided to not cancel Rogan, but it’s also speaking out against cancel culture as a thing that hinders forward societal progress.

When last we left off, Rogan had issued an apology after a video was released showing Rogan using the “n-word” on multiple occasions. Although the video did not explain why Rogan used these words, people who listen to the podcast know that Rogan never misused the term maliciously or was fond of quoting other sources. In an apology video, he explained that he always used the whole word in the hope that people would be able to understand the context.

As my colleague Jeff Charles wrote, those trying to cancel him do understand, they just don’t care. The goal isn’t understanding, it’s silencing someone who carries a more complete narrative in order to protect the carefully crafted narrative that serves the left.

It appears to be something that Spotify CEO Daniel Ek doesn’t want Spotify to engage in. Release a statement, Ek said that while Rogan’s statement doesn’t reflect the values of the streaming service and that after a conversation with Rogan, the podcast host had made the decision to remove the episodes himself. However, Ek recognizes that people want Rogan to be removed from the podcast. Ek refused to do that.

Joe made a terrible statement and I support his decision to delete past episodes. However, some may still wish more. And I want to make one point very clear – I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer. Clear lines should be drawn around content, and we must take corrective action if they are broken. However, cancelling voices can lead to a slippery slope. Looking at the issue more broadly, it’s critical thinking and open debate that powers real and necessary progress.

Ek stated that he would invest millions to help underrepresented groups.

Open platforms are a key value for the company. We need to encourage all kinds of creators including people from marginalized communities. We’ve been doing a great deal of work in this area already but I think we can do even more. For the development, licensing and marketing of music by artists and songwriters, as well as audio content from historically excluded groups, $100 million is my incremental commitment. This will greatly increase our efforts. Although some may want to go a different route, I think that speaking on more topics can help improve the status quo as well as enhance the conversation.

As I wrote previously, Spotify attempting to “balance” the conversation by throwing money and promoting “opposing” voices to Rogans won’t actually work due to the fact that what they’re really promoting and elevating are propagandistic takes from people who have no interest in seeing both sides of the issue as Rogan does. Rogan’s balance and his interesting conversations are why 11 million people tune in to him. One-sided hosts won’t give the listener what they want.

(READ: Pressuring Spotify to Balance out Joe Rogan Won’t Work for Two Reasons)

Also, before we award Ek social merit for resisting cancel culture, the possibility should be considered that he’s only doing this because of Rogan’s aforementioned 11 million listeners. If the same objections were raised regarding a podcaster of a lesser stature, it would certainly be worth watching how the company responds.

However, credit should be given where credit is due. Ek’s decision should be applauded and the people should let it be known that the decision to resist cancel culture was the right one. While Spotify’s mettle will be tested further down the line, for now, they’ve passed the test.