Following the misinformation about COVID-19 that The Joe Rogan Experience podcast aired on Spotify, musician Neil Young gave the audio streaming app an ultimatum to choose between his music or the mentioned podcast. Photo : Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for Autism Speaks
Following the misinformation about COVID-19 that The Joe Rogan Experience podcast air on Spotify, musician Neil Young gave the audio streaming app an ultimatum to choose between his music or the mentioned podcast.
Apart from Neil Young, several medical practitioners also wrote an open letter to take down Joe Rogan’s show.
Musician Neil Young Called Out Spotify: My Music or Joe Rogan’s Podcast?
According to CNET, musician Neil Young gave Spotify an ultimatum.
The audio streaming platform has to choose between broadcasting Neil Young’s music or airing the comedian Joe Rogan’s program.
The musician and songwriter posted a now-deleted message disagreeing with Rogan’s podcast for spreading COVID falsehoods.
In the said letter, Rolling Stone reported last Monday, Jan. 24, that the songwriter wrote to his manager and record label that “I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform.”
The musician further wrote: “I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them.”
Young’s management and Spotify did not reply to demands for comment instantly.
For those who do not know, the audio streaming app is the exclusive platform for Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, with a $100 million deal.
Several anti-vaccine activists and conspiracy theorists have appeared on Rogan’s show in the last year. These people promoted untested therapies like ivermectin and circulated misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines.
With regards to the stand of Spotify, Slashgear stated that the company does not have a disinformation policy, which means they cannot speak out against Rogan’s podcast’s content.
Despite the fact that the podcast contains a lot of anti-vaccine propaganda that drives anti-vax movements, it has millions of listeners and this was also shared on numerous social media platforms.
For the second time this month, Spotify and podcaster Joe Rogan have been reprimanded for distributing incorrect facts that experts claim are hazardous to the public’s health.
Numerous Medical Practitioners Protest Against The Joe Rogan Experience
Vaccines are proven to be effective against the widely spread of COVID-19.
However, On Rogan’s podcast, strong vaccine protester Dr. Robert Malone guested.
He compared the current condition of the pandemic to Nazi Germany and claimed that those adopting COVID-19 measures were suffering from “mass formation psychosis,” a medical-sounding term that medical specialists have dismissed.
Following the said podcast episode, more than 270 doctors and scientists have signed a statement to Spotify, requesting the platform to remove or restrict Joe Rogan’s podcast.
The said letter defined Malone’s remarks as “baseless conspiracy theories.”
With that, it appears that Neil Young is not alone in his request, but he does appear to be the only musical artist (with music hosted on the Spotify music platform) taking specific initiative in refusing to support Spotify until The Joe Rogan Experience was removed.
On the other hand, most medical experts have agreed that getting vaccinated, rather than depending on “natural immunity” or any other option, is critical, especially today, as the Omicron version of the new coronavirus spreads rapidly.
Through the initiative of Young, there is a possibility that more musicians might do the same and ask Spotify to cease supporting Joe Rogan.
Neil Young’s music is still available on Spotify as of Tuesday, Jan. 25.
Keyword: Musician Neil Young Posts Now-Deleted Message Against Spotify and Joe Rogan's Podcast