A month and a year letter, Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media are still making comparisons to January 6. They've compared it to or even said it's worse than major events as the Civil War and the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. A CNN analysis by John Blake attacks the Left's latest boogeyman, Joe Rogan, by equating him with that January 6 Capitol riot and that he said the n-word multiple times several years ago in podcasts.
The title, updated on Sunday afternoon, now reads "Why shrugging off Joe Rogan's use of the n-word is so dangerous." At one point, though, it read "Joe Rogan's use of the n-word is another January 6 moment."
good morning everyone CNN is having a normal one pic.twitter.com/jn7dCauLqb
— Shoe (@shoe0nhead) February 13, 2022
Man, they are really going in hard on 1/6.
— Wisconsin Neanderthal ?????? (@wiz_political) February 13, 2022
This takes it to a whole NEW level. pic.twitter.com/2j7WoKGenZ
As Blake begins his piece:
The podcaster Joe Rogan did not join a mob that forced lawmakers to flee for their lives. He never carried a Confederate flag inside the US Capitol rotunda. No one died trying to stop him from using the n-word.
But what Rogan and those that defend him have done since video clips of him using the n-word surfaced on social media is arguably just as dangerous as what a mob did when they stormed the US Capitol on January 6 last year.
While Blake does say "arguably," that's using the word pretty loosely.
It's a lengthy analysis, of nearly 2,500 words, going all sorts of places, exploring not just American history and those white people who faced consequences for using such a racial epithet, but the Rwanda genocide.
The theme Blake keeps going back to, though, is January 6. And, just like President Joe Biden did last April, there's a mention of the Civil War:
Rogan's use of the n-word may also be drawing us closer to something else: destroying any plausible shot at building a genuine multiracial democracy.
The January 6 insurrection was so dangerous because it violated a political norm. The citizens in a healthy democracy are supposed to accept the peaceful transfer of power, not to use violence as a tool of political protest. That's what most Americans agreed to leave behind after we fought a bloody Civil War over a political and moral issue: slavery.
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What are we now?
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We are poised to enter an era where a White person can use the n-word publicly and not only survive but thrive if they portray themselves as a victim of cancel culture. It's a world where hate speech and violence are rebranded as "legitimate political discourse," and "public racism" returns to ordinary life.
Don't let the Rogan n-word controversy devolve into another tired discussion about cancel culture. This moment is bigger. If Rogan goes on with business as usual, all of us -- not just Black people -- will pay a price. Our country won't be the same.
This is another January 6 moment.
Blake himself acknowledges that Rogan apologized:
Some might say that comparing a podcaster's moronic musings about race to January 6 is hyperbole. They will invoke "cancel culture" and political correctness.
The man apologized, they will say. And he did.
He called his comments "the most regretful and shameful thing," adding "I know that to most people, there's no context where a White person is ever allowed to say that word, never mind publicly on a podcast, and I agree with that," Rogan said after a video showed him using the n-word more than 20 times in different podcast episodes.
Rogan has also apologized for a video of him comparing a gathering of Black people to "Planet of the Apes." He has said he is "not racist."
In addition to apologizing, Rogan has said that the compilation of him saying the n-word is a "political hit job."
From Variety's report on Tuesday about "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast episode for that day:
Rogan addressed the situation in Tuesday’s episode of his podcast, which is exclusively distributed by Spotify.
“That video had always been out there. It’s like, this is a political hit job,” Rogan said. He continued, “And so they’re taking all this stuff I’ve ever said that’s wrong and smushing it all together.”
At the same time, Rogan said the experience had been a “relief”: “It’s good because it makes me address some sh*t that I really wish wasn’t out there.”
“You just have to stay offline… Life goes on, as normal,” Rogan told his guest, stand-up comedian and actor Akaash Singh, at the start of the episode. Singh told Rogan, “Real life is people who know you, and you’re a great guy” and said he was proud of Rogan for apologizing for his use of racial slurs: “We’ve all said some wild sh*t, and you apologized, and owned that it’s wrong, good for you.
After the compilation video surfaced, Spotify's Daniel Ek addressed the matter with an apology and mention of a $100 commitment to a diversity pledge when it comes to investing in and supporting Black creator content. He doubled down on keeping Rogan on the platform, which is exclusively on Spotify and earns about 11 million listeners per episode.
Rogan has also addressed the CNN's network's coverage of him, including Don Lemon and Brian Stelter. "Stop this editorial perspective with guys like Brian Stelter and Don Lemon that nobody listens to," he said, taking aim at the network's low ratings.
"If you’re in business and your business is the news and you want to get more people to pay attention, you should be honest," he said.
"And my thoughts for CNN, my advice to them: I don’t hate CNN. I used to go to them every day for the news until they start f***ing hatin’ on me," Rogan offered. "If you want to do better, just f***ing change your model, change the way you do it."