Spotify signed a deal worth an estimated US$100 million (RM418 million) with Joe Rogan for his podcast ‘The Joe Rogan Experience.’ — AFP pic
NEW YORK, Feb 9 — Controversy surrounding Spotify continues to be a subject of debate on social media. While the platform has seen the departure of several of its artists, it is now listeners who are protesting against the Swedish giant. The cause, once and again, is Joe Rogan’s podcast. And it’s a hot topic on social media, especially in the United States, where the #DeleteSpotify or #CancelSpotify hashtags are gaining momentum.
Is the most listened-to podcast on Spotify falling out of favour? On social networks, calls for a boycott are increasingly being voiced after a new scandal involving Joe Rogan emerged. Recently, many artists decided to quit the music streaming platform because of misinformation about the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccines relayed by the host. However, it’s now old excerpts from his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which have caused an outcry among internet users.
The radio host appears to utter the insult “n***er” when speaking in his podcast, and on several occasions. On TikTok, these excerpts have gone viral after being taken up by users to denounce the inaction of the Swedish platform. It’s a bad buzz that Spotify could have certainly done without, since the site is already under fire since the departure of Neil Young.
In light of the scandal, Spotify announced that it was removing 70 shows in which Joe Rogan uses the racial slur. However, this gesture was obviously not enough for some subscribers. In the United States, the hashtags #BoycottSpotify, #DeleteSpotify, #CancelSpotify and #ByeSpotify have generated 160,969 tweets in English on Twitter since their appearance at the end of January, according to analysis from Visibrain.
On TikTok, the #DeleteSpotify hashtag has more than 299,400 views, #BoycottSpotify reaches more than 518,700 views, while #CancelSpotify climbs to more than 2.8 million views. A social media offensive against the streaming music platform, led by the committed members of Generations Z and Y.
On Instagram, Sophia Bush — who starred in the series One Tree Hill — has used her fame to denounce the comments made by Joe Rogan, both on the Covid-19 pandemic and on his use of the “N-word.” The actress and producer has announced the withdrawal of her podcast “Work in Progress” from Spotify: “They don’t make it easy,” she said, speaking about the streaming platform. “He [Joe Rogan] is willing to harm you for profit. Many of us are willing to lose profit to defend your right to live unharmed, and to be factually informed. Who do you think is better motivated?” she concludes on Instagram. — ETX Studio