In all honesty, it’s a little sad to watch. For years now, I’ve been a Joe Rogan listener almost daily. If you work with your hands, like I do, there are plenty of opportunities to listen to long-form content in the background of your day, as you can imagine.
For more than a decade, The Joe Rogan Experience dominated the emerging landscape of podcasting. A king, they’d say—his throne was hardly debatable for the longest time. But one has to wonder: What happened?
Some people have taken the time to make what I’d call contrast videos of Joe. Videos where they show him just a few years ago, talking to his guests about politics, about social issues and whatnot—spliced with his current political position. Two entirely different human beings who look exactly the same.
I heard someone describe his old style of running his podcast as “childish curiosity for knowledge”—charming and refreshing. Yet today, it’s more about running defense for the ones in charge of the ship. It may not be every single show, but every other episode, he’s bringing on a guest who practically acts as a cheerleader for Elon and Trump.
His unwillingness to push back when his guests say the most obvious lies to his face is too frustrating to bear. Thus, people have begun unsubscribing from his show and seeking alternatives.
The new kings, at least for now, of the podcasting world are the Midas Touch crew. Their podcast’s sole focus at the moment is opposition to Trump. In my opinion, boxing themselves as leaders of thought for the opposition might play well during Trump’s term, but it might not last much after that.
A small line from Jesse Welles’ song “Red” seems fitting:
“Everybody looks a little bit nicer, when you finally meet the devil.”
It’s like those who usually bicker and split hairs—the left and the anti-Trump right—have put their differences aside for once. They’re uniting behind Midas Touch to oppose Trump’s regime, looking a little nicer in the face of a common foe.
I sincerely doubt it. His echo chamber is getting more hermetic by the day. One could argue this is a survival strategy of a kind, since Trump has shown he won’t hesitate to attack his critics. But I submit to you, it’s not very effective—the beast will always take the free meal when it can.
Now the question I don’t see anyone asking is: Does it matter?
Are we seeing a shift in the seas of public opinion, or is this just an illusion that gives us comfort?
Now, that’s something to think about with a strong cup of coffee in our hands.
MenO
