By Mark Gray
9:42am PST, Feb 6, 2022
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The firestorm surrounding Joe Rogan and his hugely popular Spotify podcast rages on, but the former "Fear Factor" host now has the backing of several top line Hollywood celebrities. Of course, the detractors remain too — particularly after clips emerged of the podcast host using the N-word. The ever-unfolding dustup first began when Neil Young demanded that his songs be removed from the streaming service over his issues with the podcaster. Neil claims Joe spreads misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and he doesn't want his music on the same platform. Neil essentially issued an ultimatum: his music or Joe's podcast. Spotify chose Joe on Jan. 26, 2022 — then on Jan. 30, the company issued a statement revealing minor changes to its policies on content concerning the coronavirus, including that it was "working to add a content advisory to any podcast episode that includes a discussion about COVID-19." Amid all this, Joe apologized in a 10-minute video on Instagram. "I will do my best to try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people's perspectives so we can maybe find a better point of view," he said. "I don't want to just show the contrary opinion to what the narrative is. I want to show all kinds of opinions so we can all figure out what's going on and not just about COVID, about everything, about health, about fitness, wellness, the state of the world itself." But that wasn't the end of the drama: Soon, a video of Joe using racially charged language surfaced online. On Feb. 4, he released another lengthy apology video. After saying that the clips were "taken out of context," he acknowledged that the N-word is "not my word to use" and that although he "never used it to be racist," he "clearly f***** up" by using it.
Click through to see who applauded Joe for his initial mea culpa and who is still standing firm against the podcaster…
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"Great stuff here brother. Perfectly articulated. Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you," Dwayne Johnson told Joe Rogan after the first apology. On Feb. 3, he added, "I thought his response was contrite and more importantly, open to change to becoming better." However, The Rock later withdrew his support of Joe amid the N-word controversy. "I was not aware of his N word use prior to my comments, but now I've become educated to his complete narrative," he tweeted on Feb. 4, adding that it was a "learning moment."
"Cancel culture really jumping the shark when longtime friends start throwing each other under the bus to please a half dozen woke douchebags going full fake outrage on Twitter like @TheRock did to @joerogan. Pathetic!" –Donald Trump Jr.
"The cancel culture is on the warpath again raging against @joerogan with torches a blazin! I don't know him, but I've personally known several of his attackers for decades. Experiencing their past behavior & verbiage 1st hand, any one of them could be 1st in line at the stake." –Kirstie Alley
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"I have decided to pull my music from Spotify. Neil Young opened a door that I must walk through. I believe in freedom of speech. However, I find Joe Rogan problematic for reasons other than his Covid interviews. For me, it's also his language around race," India Arie wrote on Instagram. She later shared a clip of Joe Rogan using the N-word on 24 separate occasions. "He shouldn't even be uttering the word," she said. "Don't even say it, under any context. Don't say it. That's where I stand. I have always stood there."
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"Bye bye Leftover hippies from the '60s boycotting @joerogan on Spotify. Nobody will miss you. Thank you @Spotify for standing up for Rogan!" —Caitlyn Jenner
"Comedians did not sign up to be your hero. It's our job to be irreverent and dangerous, to question authority and take you through a spooky mental haunted house so you can arrive at your own conclusions. Stay focused on the people we pay taxes to to be moral leaders," Whitney Cummings tweeted on Feb. 6. "If y'all wanted real change you'd be focused on elections not taking place on a Tuesday instead of a comedian who wears a space suit on some of his episodes jokes."
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"I love Neil Young and Neil Young's music, but the idea that it was worth $4 billion in value to Spotify caught me off guard… This is going to be a blanket statement, and I would say this: don't leave, don't abandon, don't censor. Engage. I'm not saying it's always going to work out fruitfully… Joe Rogan, in my mind, is not an ideologue in any way. My point is, we all exist in this world and on this planet, and there's no question there's egregious misinformation that's purposeful and hateful and all those other things, and that being moderated is a credit to the platforms that run them. But this overreaction to Rogan, I think, is a mistake." –Jon Stewart on "The Problem With Jon Stewart"
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On Feb. 3, Rosanna Arquette confirmed that she is taking her podcast, "Radical Musings," off Spotify to protest the streaming service's hosting of Joe Rogan's podcast. The "Pulp Fiction" star had previously taken a stand against Joe. "4 billion loss for Spotify so far. losing Neil young and other artists that will make their Exit and keeping joe Rogan was worth that?"
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Katy Perry "liked" a tweet in support of Joe Rogan's apology. "Well done, brother," read the tweet from writer Sam Harris, which linked to the apology.
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"I really find it strange that so many musicians from the 60's and 70's are now against the idea of free speech. Isn't that one of the big things they were supposedly fighting for 50-60 years ago?" –Travis Tritt
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"Rogan should run CNN… God would decide that." –Greg Gutfeld
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"COVID is not an opinion-based situation and Mr. Rogan thinking that his opinion or disclaimer for the lives he personally has affected and caused losses of – it's not an opinion. Mr. Rogan is risking people's lives with his idiocy and his professing that his thoughts about COVID are opinions. Infectious diseases are science, and they are fact-based situations, so the pretense that these are opinions is dangerous…. He should put a disclaimer that he's an [expletive] and that his behavior is dangerous and affecting people's lives and deaths." –Sharon Stone to TMZ
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"Well said. It's important people have self agency. Listen to all perspectives and choose for themselves. Stay strong." –Jillian Michaels after Joe Rogan's apology
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"Perfectly said" –JWoww of Joe Rogan's apology
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"Rogan promotes anti vaxer [expletive] that is getting people killed Dead …he's not that stupid so he knows it's a lie He sells it anyway to make a lot of money I'd rather I wasn't in the same market placel" –David Crosby
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Kaskade told Joe Rogan he "nailed" his apology.
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"Joe – we go way back and all these years I've known you to be nothing but objective and seeking truth. Thank you. Love you brother." –Kevin James after Joe Rogan's apology
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"Your doing a great job. keep it up" –Jewel after Joe Rogan's apology
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"Neil Young is gonna regret this when his monthly Spotify checks for $1.37 stop rolling in," Trevor Noah said last week. After Joe Rogan's apology, he said, "Because of the internet age that we live in, we s*** on people based on the little that we see of them, we don't give them the full context. So in his defense, I get that part of what he's saying." Trevor also said he thought Joe's apology was "pretty classy" and appreciated that he "owned up to it. I thought it was pretty dope. It was refreshing."
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"Good for you Joe, for inspiring other to always be improving and reminding us to have humility in all aspects of our life. None of us are perfect and we can all continue to grow. Kudos my man." –Dominic Monaghan after Joe Rogan's apology
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"SO WELL SAID. AND IAM SO PROUD OF HOW YOU HAVE HANDLED IT All . STAY STRONG MY FRIEND !!!" –Andrew Dice Clay after Joe Rogan's apology
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"I support free speech. I have never been in favor of censorship. Private companies have the right to choose what they profit from, just as I can choose not to have my music support a platform that disseminates harmful information. I am happy and proud to stand in solidarity with the front line health care workers who risk their lives every day to help others." –Neil Young
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"Having heard the Covid disinformation spread by Joe Rogan on Spotify, I completely agree with and support my friend Neil Young and I am requesting that my solo recordings be removed from the service. There is a difference between being open to varying viewpoints on a matter and knowingly spreading false information which some 270 medical professionals have derided as not only false but dangerous. Likewise, there is a difference between misinformation, in which one is unaware that what is being said is false, versus disinformation which is knowingly false and intended to mislead and sway public opinion." –Graham Nash
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On Jan. 29, Joni Mitchell confirmed she was pulling her songs from Spotify. "I've decided to remove all my music from Spotify," she wrote on her website. "Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue."
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"Good for you Neil. I've always been an Apple guy for streaming. No Joe Rogan for me thank you! @neilyoung @SpotifyUSA" — Peter Frampton
"I think a lot of people are really missing the point. Ask yourself why so many Americans have fled mainstream media and gone to Joe Rogan. He gets 100 million listeners a month and Jim Acosta can't even break half a million in primetime. Why doesn't anyone trust you anymore?" –Meghan McCain
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"Cancel culture cancels everyone." –Dean Cain
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"If you scare people enough, they will demand removal of freedom. This is the path to tyranny." –Elon Musk, who made it clear he backs Joe Rogan
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"Sad to see some confuse censorship & free speech with the choice a private company has in deciding what they profit from a podcaster is free to say whatever they want Just as Neil is free to NOT have his music on a platform that makes $$$ of disinformation that harms folks" –Daryl Hannah, Neil Young's wife
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"Tell me 1 person in the mainstream media that is this transparent and this open. Go ahead , I'll wait." –Jamie Kennedy after Joe Rogan's apology
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"Love to see you offer to bring Neil Young and/or Joni Mitchell on with whomever they want by their side to refute whatever it is they're so p***** about. If they're for truth it should be an easy convo. I'll be looking forward to their replies if so" –Kelly Slater after Joe Rogan's apology
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"Nobody has stronger opinions about Joe Rogan than people who have never listened to Joe Rogan. The idea that people are, like, emerging from their deep caves, eyes blinking against the harshness of a sun whose touch they have never known, on a quest to seek specific medical advice from the glory of a white-robed Rogan is, perhaps, just the slightest bit forced…But sure, blame the magic, third-eye radio man for the decline of basic trust in institutions. Throw him in the volcano and we'll have world peace by Monday." –Edward Snowden
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Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Nils Lofgren, a longtime guitarist in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, is removing 27 years of his music from Spotify in solidarity with Neil Young. "A few days ago, my wife and I became aware of Neil and [wife] Daryl [Hannah] standing with hundreds of health care professionals, scientists, doctors and nurses in calling out Spotify for promoting lies and misinformation that are hurting and killing people," Nils wrote in a lengthy statement shared on Neil Young Archives on Jan. 29. "Neil and I go back 53 years. [My wife] Amy and I are honored and blessed to call Neil and Daryl [Hannah] friends, and knew standing with them was the right choice. We encourage all musicians, artists and music lovers everywhere, to stand with us all, and cut ties with Spotify."
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"I will not be releasing any podcasts until further notice. To our #UnlockingUs and #DaretoLead communities, I'm sorry and I'll let you know if and when that changes. Stay awkward, brave, and kind." –research professor, podcaster and author Brené Brown, in the wake of Neil Young's announcement
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"Since the inception of Archewell, we have worked to address the real-time global misinformation crisis. Hundreds of millions of people are affected by the serious harms of rampant mis- and disinformation every day. Last April, our co-founders began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all too real consequences of COVID-19 misinformation on its platform. We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis. We look to Spotify to meet this moment and are committed to continuing our work together as it does." –Archewell Productions, which was founded by Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, who have an exclusive podcast deal with Spotify but have not released new content on the site in a year
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"I'm pulling both 'Sajak Sings Sinatra' and 'Pat Sajak's Yodeling Favorites' from Spotify." –"Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak
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"Hear my Lovers! Hear the great poet, let his imagery lift you. Fill with his inspiration. He calls all limbs alive; all hearts to beat unified. Voice of an angel; I have stood off my death bed; and then climbed a mountain listening to @neilYoungNYA. Where he goeth, I will follow." –Perry Farrell
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"Misinformation about the vaccines is everybody's problem. Neil Young is doing this because he wants rock and roll to exist and his fans to live. This other guy is a complete jack*** who doesn't give a s*** about anybody or anything except himself," Sebastian Bach tweeted. "Imagine calling yourself a rocker yet siding with some dude who has a podcast over @Neilyoung you can stick to listening to your podcast and I will stick to listening to Neil Young."
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"I find it interesting coming from rockers and comedians and artists because their job is to push back against the man and Neil Young should know the man isn't Joe Rogan," Adam Carolla told Sean Hannity. "Guys like Neil Young, who back in the day would have been on the side of natural immunity, are now on the side of big pharma and pushing against natural immunity, so the whole thing is upside down."
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"Down with Joe Rogan. Long live Neil Young! #DeletedSpotify" –Spin Doctors singer Chris Barron
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"If all artists were as punk rock as Neil Young maybe we wouldn't be getting absolutely screwed by corporate streaming companies" –Margo Price
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Responding to an earlier rumor that Barry Manilow was pulling his music from Spotify too — a rumor that's since been debunked — Kathy Griffin tweeted, "This is significant. Barry has a giant catalog, which he owns. His music is timeless and has global appeal. Like Neil Young, he is in a unique position to do this."
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"@Spotify is a private company. They are not bound by 1st amendment protections. They didn't HAVE to protect free speech. They CHOSE to. I like being able choose the things I want and don't want. I don't want others choosing for me. If YOU do, that's YOUR choice," David Draiman of Disturbed tweeted. He added a series of tweets, including, "I enjoy listening to @Neilyoung. I don't have to share or agree with his opinions to do so. I enjoy listening to @joerogan. I don't have to share or agree with his (or his guest's) opinions to do so. There is no contradiction here, no matter how triggered you may be by it."
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"I honestly didn't think neil young meant to follow through with this and that even if he did there was no way his label would allow it. he meant it man. respect," Eve 6 said during a series of tweets. "Just ran some numbers and neil young stands to lose 4 dollars over the next twenty years. Looks like he'll have to sell a piece of plastic foliage from one of his train sets to make up the lost income… apple music doesn't pay artists enough but they pay more than spotify and they didn't give joe rogan 300 million dollars of artists' money. eve6 does not have the power to remove our music from spotify because we don't own our masters but i will be deleting my account and from here on out will not share spotify links. #cancelspotify"
