Defenses of Rogan Aren't About Free Speech; They're Right-Wing Solidarity

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://fair.org/home/defenses-of-rogan-arent-about-free-speech-theyre-right-wing-solidarity/


For right-wing and libertarian media, Joe Rogan, host of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, has become a symbol of resistance to censorship (New York Post, 2/2/22; Fox News, 2/2/22; Reason, 2/2/22; The Hill, 2/1/22).

Musician Neil Young had given the streaming service Spotify, which paid a reported $100 million for exclusive rights to Rogan’s show, an ultimatum: either cut Rogan and his constant misinformation about Covid-19, or lose Young’s music. Spotify—a corporate media service that has been accused of exploiting musicians financially (Guardian, 7/29/13)―chose Rogan.

Contrary to his media defenders, Rogan has not been threatened with censorship. His free speech rights were never in any kind of jeopardy. Young has not crossed into some kind of pro-deep state censorship mode; rather, he left Spotify because he disagreed with its policies, taking his business elsewhere because he has the right to do that.

Young’s departure has cost Spotify $2 billion in market value (Variety, 1/29/22), as other notable musicians, like Joni Mitchell, followed suit (Fortune, 2/3/22). Grammy Award–winning singer/songwriter India Arie made matters worse for Rogan “by sharing resurfaced footage to social media showing Rogan using the N-word” (Hollywood Reporter, 2/4/22).

Both Rogan and Spotify have responded to the outrage, as “Rogan apologized…for his use of a racial slur in past episodes,” and the streaming service removed dozens of his show’s episodes (New York Times, 2/5/22). Such pressure against right-wing, corporate media shock jocks has yielded results in the past: CBS fired Don Imus due to a public backlash against racist and sexist comments he made about the Rutgers women’s basketball team (CBS, 4/12/07; Extra!, 5–6/07). Sometimes it doesn’t, as two dozen advertisers left Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show after he made anti-immigrant comments (Hollywood Reporter, 12/17/18), and he still enjoys top ratings (AdWeek, 1/3/22).

*snip*


Note: I don't think the $2 billion loss can solely be placed on Neil Young leaving.

[dchill]

1. Excuse me, but that's *cough cough* RACIST solidarity.

[Nevilledog]

2. ✅

[barbtries]

6. tell it.

that's what it is.

[PoliticAverse]

3. "affront to the First Amendment freedom of assembly" - another pundit that doesn't know...

that the "first amendment" is about government action not private company action.

[BlueIdaho]

4. The First Amendment is misunderstood by millions

I even see it here frequently.

[Jilly_in_VA]

5. Indeed

I am fond of saying (and I may be quoting my dad, although this is one I'm not sure of, as he was probably quoting others, "The First Amendment may guarantee your right to free speech, but it does not protect you from the consequences of using that right."

[Sympthsical]

7. "Young's departure has cost Spotify $2 billion in market value"

How to say you're ridiculously biased without saying . . . oh, they pretty much are overtly saying it throughout the article.

When everything is right-wing, it makes it a much harder time to even know what right-wing means. It's got to be a lot more than, "I don't like this," which is where it's gone of late.

My partner told me I put too much salt in the scrambled eggs this morning. I should've told him where he could stick his right-wing talking points.

Seriously. This is what this all is starting to sound like now.

Some of us take free speech seriously, especially when we don't agree with someone. "Technically, it's not the government!" Yeah, once you lease out censorship to tech corporations, things will be a lot better. If suppression is allowable on a technicality, that's probably not on the side of angels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Speech_Movement

Here's a primer. It's free.

God. I don't even listen to or particularly like Rogan. But the hunger for suppression of disagreeable thoughts and speech in an age when tech monopolies wield vast control over the public square should be terrifying to any liberal who values speech.

But instead of being concerned, many people are vigorously joining them.

When this hits us - and it will - I won't have anything to muster beyond, "Told you."