After N-Word Backlash, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Jumped The Gun With His Support Of Joe Rogan

Anytime we throw our support behind a person or cause, doing a bit of research is always a good idea. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson learned this valuable lesson the hard way recently when he came out in support of embattled podcaster Joe Rogan, whose Spotify show has been coming under fire for COVID misinformation issues. However, another controversy has been brought to light and Johnson has decided to backpedal his support in light of it.

India Arie posted a series of clips from The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast where Rogan blatantly uses the N-Word on several occasions, including comparing being around Black people to Planet of the Apes. This behavior prompted Spotify CEO Daniel Ek to make the decision to pull more than 100 episodes of the popular show which contained the offensive rhetoric, as well as a company wide statement which both condemned and defended Rogan's content.

"I think it's important you're aware that we've had conversations with Joe and his team about some of the content in his show, including his history of using some racially insensitive language. Following these discussions and his own reflections, he chose to remove a number of episodes from Spotify. He also issued his own apology over the weekend.

While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realize some will want more. And I want to make one point very clear - I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer. We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope. Looking at the issue more broadly, it's critical thinking and open debate that powers real and necessary progress.

Another criticism that I continue to hear from many of you is that it's not just about The Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify; it comes down to our direct relationship with him. In last week's Town Hall, I outlined to you that we are not the publisher of JRE. But perception due to our exclusive license implies otherwise. So I've been wrestling with how this perception squares with our values."

The statement was published in full by The Hollywood Reporter.

Johnson also took to Twitter when questioned about his support of Rogan,

"I was not aware of his N-word use before my comments, but now I've become educated to his complete narrative. Learning moment for me."

The lesson here, research is key.