The Joe Rogan And Meghan Markle Controversy Fully Explained
Joe Rogan is constantly finding himself in the headlines and rarely is it for positive reasons. Recently, a major story has been the music artists who have asked the streaming platform Spotify to pull their music from their library if they chose to keep Rogan's podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," available for streaming, per CNN. The "Fear Factor" host turned podcaster is to blame for Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Crosby, Stills & Nash pulling their music from the platform. Even Mary Trump, the niece of Former President Donald Trump, has removed her podcast from Spotify.
According to NBC News, these popular recording artists do not want their music on the same platform that allows Rogan to spill misinformation that could potentially harm those who are sick with COVID-19. While Rogan has recently spoken out, saying he was not intentionally trying to spread misinformation, the damage has already been done for those who believe his podcast should be pulled from Spotify.
Now, Rogan has found himself in the headlines again. This time, it's his comments aimed at Meghan Markle that has people talking.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry could use Spotify to combat the disinformation
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have joined the likes of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell in stating that they agree Joe Rogan should be pulled from Spotify, according to TMZ. The couple's statement mentions that they have had concerns about COVID-19 misinformation since April 2021. Markle and Prince Harry have a podcast producing deal with the streaming platform, and they claim that their company Archewell has made strides to work on eliminating misinformation.
According to Vanity Fair, the couple signed a reported $25 million-dollar deal with Spotify in December 2020. As part of this multi-year contract, Markle and Prince Harry released a holiday special that same month. A series was intended to follow in 2021, but for some reason, the project did not happen, perhaps due to the couple's concerns dating to last April.
Some people, however, believe Markle and Prince Harry could have taken a more active approach. According to The Mercury News, some people have suggested on Twitter that the couple should have produced podcasts during 2021 that directly combated the disinformation with "scientifically valid information about COVID and vaccines."
So far, Prince Harry's criticism for Rogan's vaccine comments has been limited to his appearance on Dax Sheppard's podcast, according to the Daily Beast.
It could be difficult for Markle and Prince Harry to overcome Rogan's widespread reach
Unfortunately, it could take a lot of content from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to compete with Joe Rogan. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek told NBC News that Rogan is the number one podcast in over 90 markets. As part of his reported $100 million dollar Spotify deal, Rogan has produced a tremendous amount of content (per Vanity Fair.) The platform has come to depend on this volume of material, the outlet reports. They quoted an audio industry insider who compared the podcaster's popularity to Taylor Swift, saying, "Spotify needs him way more than he needs Spotify."
Despite their current lack of content on Spotify, the Daily Mail reports that Markle and Prince Harry still have plans to continue their deal "to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis."
According to Vanity Fair, Spotify has begun a talent search for producers to work directly with Archewell on a contract basis. The proposed show is intended to spotlight high-profile women, and the senior producer should have "an interest in the intersection of social activism and popular culture."
Rogan's comments about Markle on his podcast have fans talking
However, Meghan Markle and the Prince wanting Joe Rogan's podcast pulled from Spotify isn't the only issue between them and Rogan. Recently, clips of comments Rogan made on his podcast about the royal pair have resurfaced.
According to the Daily Mail, these clips include comments from Rogan where he mimics the Queen of England. He says, "Has Prince Harry left the throne?" adding, "It's that little America hussy he's hooked up with. She's going to turn him into a Kardashian."
Rogan's comments didn't stop there. He continued to bash the Queen by saying, "Imagine being a poor person and you find out that the Queen — who literally does nothing — is making 100 million dollars in a year." The drama between Rogan and the royals goes back further than Markle and Harry feeling concerned about the information the podcaster spreads on Spotify.
Despite Rogan's large following, Markle and Harry have a powerful voice. The couple's stance against Rogan has already generated a positive response. According to Newsweek, epidemiologist Katrine Wallace took to Twitter to thank the couple for speaking out and showing support to the scientific community. Dr. Wallace was part of a group of 270 medical professionals and scientists who voiced their concerns about Rogan in a letter to Spotify.