Joe Rogan, 54, addressed his recent controversies, including his anti-COVID vaccine rhetoric on his Spotify podcast, during a stand-up show in Austin, Texas on Feb. 8. The former actor and UFC commentator told the live audience he “talks shit for a living,” which is why he finds it “so baffling” that his listeners would rely on his opinions about the vaccines.
“If you’re taking vaccine advice from me, is that really my fault? What dumb shit were you about to do when my stupid idea sounded better?” Joe said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “‘You know that dude who made people people eat animal dicks on TV? How does he feel about medicine?’ If you want my advice, don’t take my advice,” he added.
Joe also addressed his controversial use of the N-word on his podcast. “I used to say it if [I was talking about] a Richard Pryor bit or something, I would say it in context,” he said at the stand-up show. “Somebody made a compilation of every time I said that word over 14 years and they put it on YouTube, and it turned out that was racist as f*ck. Even to me!” Joe added. “I’m me and I’m watching it saying, ‘Stop saying it!’ I put my cursor over the video and I’m like, ‘Four more minutes?!’ ”
The Joe Rogan Experience host added, “I haven’t used that word in years. But it’s kind of weird people will get really mad if you use that weird and tweet about it on a phone that’s made by slaves.” He was also asked by an audience member what makes him most nervous, to which he reportedly responded, “Being a bad person. For real. I try to do my best.”
Joe’s been at the center of controversy involving his podcast. Several musicians, including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, have pulled their music from Spotify over Joe’s COVID vaccine misinformation. Singer India Arie also pulled her music in protest of Joe’s use of the N-word. Joe apologized for the controversies, and Spotify removed dozens of podcast episodes where he used racially insensitive comments.