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Evaluating a Controversial Argument

The controversy that bombarded the media and the US citizen was faced by a

commentator, comedian and known as a podcaster, Joe Rogan. A high-profile personality that

claims to be non-racist and an ally to people of color, may actually be the opposite.

It was beginning when the widely shared compilation on February 4, 2022 showed him

repeatedly using the n-word in the early episodes of his show "The Jose Rogan Experience"

which has been running over a decade. Using the n-word that's been called "nuclear bomb of

racial epithets" became a rhetorical red line because it represents arguably the most shameful

part of the US history. Apparently, the word has always reflected the user’s attitude towards a

black person. In other words, it has always been about how the speaker felt, not about the person

against whom the word was used. It has always a negative reflection on the user.

Joe Rogan is the closest thing to a mass cultural product to be found in the podcast world.

He claims that he isn't racist, however, there’s a clip-on social media of him using the N-word

and a video of him comparing a gathering of black people to "Planet of the Apes". "So I got to

go to one where there's a planet of apes, so I look on the iPhone apps and it says okay take me to

this one and the guy goes okay, is that in a good neighborhood he's like oh yeah, guy barely

speaks English, he takes me there we get out and we're giggling, we're going to see plenty of

apes, we walk into the planet of the apes, we walk into Africa dude we walked in the door and

there's no white people". This was one of Joe Rogan videos showing racial slurs and saying a
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context words that brought mixed emotions to the netizens. He's not specifically calling some

name but the planet apes remarks make seriously consider his intentions when saying that word,

he brought stains to his name and what he said could impact his personality. Simply because

when you call a black person the n-word, you are merely pointing out and referring that you are

the problem and a scourge on the human race.

He receives a lot of criticism and negative outlook to him, "he was saying the word as

part of discussion and arguably out of context", "it was super racist there's no other way around

it. It's a stain that he'll never be able to remove now" as netizens comments to him. Even high

celebrities have changed their instance on Rogan and his show, such like Dwayne Johnson who

withdrew his support for the podcaster once the video compilation surfaced. "I was not aware of

N-word use prior to the comments, but now I've become educated to his complete narrative"

tweeted Johnson in a reply to New York times bestselling author Don Winslow, he even added

"Learning moment for me". Some well-known singers pull their work from giant content

streaming but the worse is when singer India Arie posted a video pulling her music from Spotify

in protest, saying she objected to Rogan's language around race and included a compilation of

Rogan saying the N-word repeatedly more than 20 times over the year.

Rogan apologizes for the video. He said it's the most shameful and regretful thing and

called his past of the slur shameful. He felt sick watching the compilation and wishes he could

take his comment back. "I did not, nor would I ever, say the black people are apes, but it sure

sounded like that. And I immediately afterwards said 'That's a racist thing to say', but I'm not a

racist". He deleted the podcast and admitted it was "an idiotic thing to say, my sincere and

humble apologies, it's a teachable moment for me". For what he did could help to educate other

that doesn't know how offensive words can be. As how he apologized were looking forward
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seeing him become better, less troubling media figure. He can be positioned to a truly combat

systematic racism in changing media universe. What could be edgier than that?

In the past, white public figures who used n-word provoked universal and unqualified

condemnation. But it was changed as how Rogan gotten some support. Like Akilah Green, the

Emmy-nominated cowriter of a Black Lady Sketch Show "A comedians job is to create

irreverent, dangerous material that questions authority, tuck that material away in your morning

pages journal and make 2 broke girls" he tweeted. Whitney Kummings expressed her support by

tweeting that comedians are not hero but to be irreverent and dangerous to question authority.

Even the former President Donald Trump told Rogan he should stop apologizing for his

controversies including the racial slurs and spreading COVID-19 misinformation because he

shouldn't allow critics to make him look weak and frightened. Rogan was following an ethnic

group, did not join a mob that forced law makers to flee for their lives. He never carried a

Confederate flag inside the US Capitol rotunda. No one died trying to stop him from using n-

word. His podcast has long promoted right-wing comedy libertarian political voices. His truly

unique skill is what makes him right now.

The Joe Rogan Experience podcast has been removed tons of its episodes from the

Spotify. However, for decades, life would never go on as normal for a white person caught using

the n-word. This represents a momentous shift in American culture. There used to be a consensus

that any white person caught using the n-word or other racial slurs would pay hefty price. But in

Rogan's case, the use of n-word could even boost his career. Rogan has so far paid not steep

professional price for using a racial slur, it may even booster his career. That's what some say

happened to another white entertainer who was recently caught using the word. It is a sign on

how desensitized we have to the rising levels of violence rhetorical and physical-in our country
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that Rogan's slurs were lately treated as the latest racial outrage. But once we allow a white

public figure to repeatedly use the foulest racial epithet in the English language without

experiencing any form of punishment, we became a different country.

Racism may not be as prevalent as it used to be, but it still affects minorities on a regular

basis. Using the n-word if you are not black it's wrong and offensive. It does not matter if you are

not racist or prejudice, when a white person uses the n-word they hold power over minorities.

From a racial standpoint, a white person is still in a position of superiority over minorities. The

recent deluge criticism battering Rogan from complaints about racial slurs may seem excessive.

But it also what happen when a media figure goes beyond speaking to his core fan base to

drawing the ear of the world. If this is indeed a teachable moment for Rogan, then it's time for

him to show the world that he has learned. Beyond how to release an apology video that should

be the start of addressing the issues, it's not the end.

Work Cited

Marquardt Andre. "Donald Trump's opinions, Joe Rogan's racial slurs, and Neil Young's

activism. Here's the latest in the wild Spotify saga". 8 February,

2022<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= web&rct=j&url=>.

Marife Ramishs and Brian Shelter. "Joe Rogan apologizes after a compilation of him using racial

slur spreads". 6 February, 2022 <https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=>

Vinlove Jasen. "Joe Rogan: Pad cast star apologies for past use of racial slur". 5 February

2022<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= web&rct=j&url=>
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