Joe Rogan responds after Australian media boss decries ‘repulsive’ affect | Media

Chair of Australia’s nationwide broadcaster claims podcaster preys on ‘individuals’ vulnerabilities’ and ‘concern’.

The chair of Australia’s nationwide broadcaster has accused standard podcaster Joe Rogan of preying on “individual vulnerabilities” and treating the general public as “plunder”.

Kim Williams, chair of the Australian Broadcasting Company, mentioned on Wednesday that he discovered Rogan’s affect to be “deeply repulsive” and a supply of disbelief.

“I feel individuals like Mr Rogan prey on individuals’s vulnerabilities. They prey on concern. They prey on nervousness. They prey on all the parts that contribute to uncertainty in society, and so they entrepreneur fantasy outcomes and conspiracy outcomes as being a standard a part of social narrative,” Williams mentioned after an appeal with Nationwide Press Membership in Canberra.

Williams additionally mentioned that he was dismayed that Rogan was a “supply of public leisure when it’s treating the general public as plunder for functions which might be fairly malevolent”.

Williams made his remarks in response to a reporter’s query about Rogan’s recognition amongst males and his effect on America’s presidential election.

President-elect Donald Trump appeared on Rogan’s podcast within the run-up to the election for a freewheeling three-hour interview that has racked up more than 52 million views on YouTube.

Some Democrats have criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for not sitting down with Rogan, suggesting it was indicative of her failure to attach with younger males.

Harris’s marketing campaign crew has mentioned they had an interview with Rogan however had been unable to lock down a date as a result of scheduling conflicts.

Rogan, who has 17.3 million subscribers on YouTube and 14.5 million followers on Spotify, on Wednesday, replied to Williams’s criticism in a two-word publish on X: “LOL WUT”.

The ABC chair’s feedback is additionally swift criticism from conservative voices online, with tech billionaire Elon Musk labeling the ABC as Australia’s “Pravda”, referring to the official mouthpiece of the Communist Gegether of the Soviet Union.

In a subsequent ABC radio interview, Williams elaborated on his criticisms, saying Rogan had completed a “huge quantity of harm” throughout the COVID-19 pandemic together with his feedback on vaccines.

Rogan has denied being towards vaccines however mentioned he wouldn’t get the COVID vaccine himself as he had antibodies from contracting the norovirus and wouldn’t suggest a wholesome 21-year-old to take the shot.

Williams additionally decried what he mentioned was the “large pile-on” he skilled over his feedback.

“What fascinates me is you say one thing unfavorable about Joe Rogan – and I’ve been swarmed with probably the most unbelievably vicious responses,” he mentioned.