Jon Stewart backs Joe Rogan as musicians continue to leave Spotify: 'This overreaction is a mistake'
During a segment on his podcast, comedian Jon Stewart weighed in on the recent controversy over Neil Young and other artists leaving Spotify over its platforming of podcast host Joe Rogan and his alleged dissemination of misinformation about COVID-19.
Stewart said that he loves Neil Young and his music, "but the idea that it was worth $4 billion in value to Spotify caught me off guard."
As far as people trying to get Spotify to drop Rogan, the former host of The Daily Show offered a "blanket statement."
"Don't leave, don't abandon, don't censor. Engage," Stewart said, adding that he doesn't think Rogan "is an ideologue in any way" and seems like a person "you can engage with."
Stewart went on to point that Eric Clapton is on the same streaming platforms as Young, "and he's a f*cking psycho. So, do you remove yourself from every platform?"
"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."
"The Joe Rogan Experience" has been broadcast exclusively on Spotify since 2020 under a deal worth an estimated $100 million. The podcast attracts a staggering 11 million listeners per episode on average.
The former taekwondo champion and stand-up comedian starred in NBC's "NewsRadio" TV show in the 1990s. Later he hosted the popular reality show "Fear Factor."
When he launched the podcast, his ratings quickly took off.
People from all walks of life asked to come on. In 12 years, he has hosted nearly 1,000 guests -- 88 percent of them male, according to the fan site JRELibrary. They include Tesla boss Elon Musk, who smoked a joint on his set, whistleblower Edward Snowden and film director Oliver Stone.
In January, hundreds of medical professionals petitioned Spotify to address Rogan's "history of broadcasting misinformation," citing in particular his decision to feature vaccine skeptic Robert Malone.
With additional reporting via AFP.
Watch the segment below.
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