Spotify CEO Daniel Ek stood by Joe Rogan over the weekend despite mounting pressure on the streaming service to take action against its conspiracy theory-pushing podcast host.
In a memo Sunday to Spotify employees, Ek condemned Rogan's history of using "racially insensitive language" but said "silencing" him would be a mistake.
Rogan has publicly apologized two weeks in a row: first for parroting Covid-19 conspiracy theories, and more recently about a video — shared by the neo-soul artist India.Arie — that shows him repeatedly using racial slurs on several episodes of his show.
It’s nonsensical to suggest Rogan would be 'silenced' if Spotify were to end its lucrative partnership with him.
In the compilation video, Rogan repeatedly uses the N-word, in one clip, and refers to a Black neighborhood as "Planet of the Apes."
On Friday, he removed 70 episodes of his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," that contained offensive language from Spotify.
Spotify is clearly — and desperately — hoping that will tamp down the controversy over its most popular podcast host.
“While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realize some will want more," Ek wrote in the memo. "And I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer."
He said Spotify should have "clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed," but added that "canceling voices is a slippery slope."
“Looking at the issue more broadly, it’s critical thinking and open debate that powers real and necessary progress,” Ek wrote. He told employees the controversies are “inevitable” for Spotify as it seeks “to achieve our goal of becoming the global audio platform.”
Ek could’ve left out the tired platitudes about “open debate” and censorship, and skipped right to talking about Rogan being essential to Spotify’s business plans. It’s nonsensical to suggest Rogan would be “silenced” if Spotify were to end its lucrative partnership with him. In fact, Rogan’s value to Spotify — the streaming service reportedly paid him more than $100 million for exclusive licensing rights — is due to the large audience he brings to the platform.
It’s also absurd to say the classes of people ridiculed on Rogan’s show need be part of some purportedly virtuous thought experiment that Spotify is conducting. These aren’t high-minded debates we’re talking about — this is the former roach-eating host of “Fear Factor” giggling with his buddies while comparing Black people to primates and spouting racist epithets.
These aren’t matters to be debated. These are matters to be vehemently condemned — in word and in action. Spotify wants to keep and cash in on Rogan, and its officials have that right. But they should be willing to admit they’re enthralled by Rogan's toxic drivel — or at the least, the profit gained from it.
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