Joe Rogan guest discussion thread

[milkanannan]

I'm assuming others catch this show once in a while. Often I hear guests talking about one subject or another and I think - 'hey I'd like to chat about that myself!', so I thought I'd start a thread within which this can happen.

The episode I listened to this morning was with Brian Cox, who is a physicist that shared some interesting thoughts on the subject of the universe's expansion. A lot of it was over my head, but I thought it was cool that light from the original Big Bang can be today viewed from Earth using special instruments. Also the idea that if you were to fly into a black hole, space and time at some point switch, so you are essentially travelling further and further distances even though time isn't progressing relative to the outside of the black hole (as opposed to standing still and time still carrying on) - or at least that's what I thought he said. Too much for my brain to compute, honestly. 

Anyone else catch this episode or want to discuss a subject or guest from another episode?

[milkanannan]

Alex Jones was on a few days back. He strikes as a nut 80% of the time, but 20% of his ideas seem plausible. His problem is he goes from talking about a somewhat regular subject (i.e. the US elections) to 'aliens are taking over the planet' in less than 10 seconds.  Every other sentence out of Joe's mouth was trying to get him to calm down.

[Bavolis]

The thing to keep in mind with Alex Jones is that he's admitted to the courts that he's just playing a character and he's not like that in reality. My problem with him is that his "character" is about as vile as it gets, inspiring his followers to go after the parents of the victims of school shootings, calling them a conspiracy/hoax. He calls people he doesn't like satanic forces, evil, etc., and a lot of his ignorant fan base takes him seriously. I really like Joe Rogan, but I don't like that he gives time to people like this without setting the stage properly. I suppose it's like inviting "Borat" onto your show as a character, but in a world where most people think Borat is a real person.

[Retro Wolf]

Isn't that the guy who hates on transsexuals but got caught with TS porn on his phone?

[Jack]

I'M GONNA SAY IT REAL SLOW FOR YA

Alex Jones was on a few days back. He strikes as a nut 80% of the time, but 20% of his ideas seem plausible. His problem is he goes from talking about a somewhat regular subject (i.e. the US elections) to 'aliens are taking over the planet' in less than 10 seconds. 

It's called poisoning the well.

[milkanannan]

The thing to keep in mind with Alex Jones is that he's admitted to the courts that he's just playing a character and he's not like that in reality. My problem with him is that his "character" is about as vile as it gets, inspiring his followers to go after the parents of the victims of school shootings, calling them a conspiracy/hoax. He calls people he doesn't like satanic forces, evil, etc., and a lot of his ignorant fan base takes him seriously. I really like Joe Rogan, but I don't like that he gives time to people like this without setting the stage properly. I suppose it's like inviting "Borat" onto your show as a character, but in a world where most people think Borat is a real person.

I had never actually heard this guy speak before, as I just assumed what you generally hear about him - he's nuts and inciting hate. He is indeed nuts and draws wildly erratic conclusions about everything, but I have to say he's clearly a pretty quick thinker and I can see how his presentation style is entertaining to certain audiences. That's interesting that he had to admit it is an act in court, but I think he's more living his character than Borat. I mean, Borat is a made up persona. Perhaps Alex Jones himself is kind of confused between what is his character and what is really him.

I don't mind Joe bringing these types on. I mean, Alex Jones has been referenced by both Hillary and Trump, and he's got a massive following. I am an average guy, and I appreciate the opportunity to see what he is about in a context that is usually pretty skeptical (Joe is usually pretty good about telling guests to question themselves and support their views with evidence).

[Khris]

Alex Jones has exactly one goal: sell as many Brain Force Plus pills and other assorted BS as possible.
I don't believe for a second he actually believes anything he says. He's just a successful grifter bilking mostly boomers (but also alt-right rubes) out of their money. There are no layers here.

As for Rogan: he talked about watching Planet of the Apes in a black neighborhood, saying "we walked into Planet of the Apes." Do I care what else he has to say about anything? Not really. He's a Dunning-Kruger victim anyway.
Source: https://twitter.com/cultofdusty1/status/1095960021064654849 (watch to the very end )

[milkanannan]

Wow that Alex Jones shop is just a page of tears.

[milkanannan]

I'M GONNA SAY IT REAL SLOW FOR YA

what did I just see?!

[Ali]

I'd like to watch his videos, but I'm too afraid of being DESTROYED with FACTS and LOGIC.

[Bavolis]

As for Rogan: he talked about watching Planet of the Apes in a black neighborhood, saying "we walked into Planet of the Apes." Do I care what else he has to say about anything? Not really. He's a Dunning-Kruger victim anyway.
Source: https://twitter.com/cultofdusty1/status/1095960021064654849 (watch to the very end )

It's amazing that he thought that "joke" would be funny.

[Jack]

Isn't that the guy who hates on transsexuals but got caught with TS porn on his phone?

It was viral marketing for his store.

[Jack]

 .delebe

[milkanannan]

I'd like to watch his videos, but I'm too afraid of being DESTROYED with FACTS and LOGIC.

I'd like to watch his videos, but I'm too afraid of being DESTROYED with FACTS and LOGIC.

Haha yeah in one video he reaches through the screen a shakes the viewer viciously by the collar.

I think this interview with Rogan is actually the Diet Coke of Alex Jones, and it is pretty crazy.

[Snarky]

Isn't that the guy who hates on transsexuals but got caught with TS porn on his phone?

It was viral marketing for his store.

And doesn't need our help, particularly not with something offensive to a group of people.

[Gurok]

Why is everybody picking on this humble water filter salesman?

I liked Joe Rogan in News Radio. I like his guests, but the few times I've watched (Macaulay Culkin, Elon Musk), Joe's guests have gone over his head.

[Ali]

I respect that he's prepared to talk politics with anyone, from the far right all the way to the centre right.

[milkanannan]

I respect that he's prepared to talk politics with anyone, from the far right all the way to the centre right.

Lol fair enough

[milkanannan]

Why is everybody picking on this humble water filter salesman?

I liked Joe Rogan in News Radio. I like his guests, but the few times I've watched (Macaulay Culkin, Elon Musk), Joe's guests have gone over his head.

Haha Macauley going over anyone's head says a lot about them! The Elon Musk interview was interesting. Elon's opinions are pretty simple, but you can tell he's formed them after a lot of thought.

[Scavenger]

Elon's opinions are pretty simple, but you can tell he's formed them after a lot of thought.

I'm not sure how much thought went into "The solution to public transport is a single file proprietary car tube filled with explosive batteries", though.

[Gurok]

Why is everybody picking on this humble water filter salesman?

I liked Joe Rogan in News Radio. I like his guests, but the few times I've watched (Macaulay Culkin, Elon Musk), Joe's guests have gone over his head.

Haha Macauley going over anyone's head says a lot about them! The Elon Musk interview was interesting. Elon's opinions are pretty simple, but you can tell he's formed them after a lot of thought.

I don't know. There was this bit where Macaulay was trying to talk about whether an artist has the right to change his or her work after it's published and he used Leonardo Da Vinci coming back to change the Mona Lisa as an example. Macaulay tried several times to get the conversation back on track, but Joe just wouldn't stop doing impersonations of Italians.

Yes, I think the Elon Musk interview was interesting, but purely for Elon. Joe didn't really add anything, other than offering the guy a blunt.

Also, Ali, funny you would think Macaulay is centre right. Most people outside of a vegan naturist preserve would call him left leaning.

[Stupot]

Elon's opinions are pretty simple, but you can tell he's formed them after a lot of thought.

After a lot of acid, more like.

[milkanannan]

Why is everybody picking on this humble water filter salesman?

I liked Joe Rogan in News Radio. I like his guests, but the few times I've watched (Macaulay Culkin, Elon Musk), Joe's guests have gone over his head.

Haha Macauley going over anyone's head says a lot about them! The Elon Musk interview was interesting. Elon's opinions are pretty simple, but you can tell he's formed them after a lot of thought.

I don't know. There was this bit where Macaulay was trying to talk about whether an artist has the right to change his or her work after it's published and he used Leonardo Da Vinci coming back to change the Mona Lisa as an example. Macaulay tried several times to get the conversation back on track, but Joe just wouldn't stop doing impersonations of Italians.

Yes, I think the Elon Musk interview was interesting, but purely for Elon. Joe didn't really add anything, other than offering the guy a blunt.

Also, Ali, funny you would think Macaulay is centre right. Most people outside of a vegan naturist preserve would call him left leaning.

I think Ali was talking about Rogan - right or center right. 

[Gurok]

He was talking about who Joe Rogan is prepared to talk politics with.

[Ali]

I will admit, I do not know what the child from Home Alone's politics are. I'm just aware that Rogan has softball interviewed enough reactionary, bigoted conservative "thinkers" for me to have no interest.

[milkanannan]

I caught about an hour of the Twitter (Jack Dorsey and Vijaya Gadde; Vijaya is head of policy and trust at Twitter) and Tim Pool talk. Very interesting to listen to Vijaya describe the challenges of preserving free speech while also upholding a line of what sort of language and conduct requires intervention. As she says many times, so much of the free speech debate comes down to context, its interpretation, and having a policy that is capable of identifying behavior versus content.

[milkanannan]

Ben Shapiro was a recent guest. I'm not really sure what to make of that guy. He seems very intelligent and very capable of stringing together a logical series of ideas, and I admire his work ethic and discipline, but several things he supports are hard to get behind. There is a lot of nuance to what he says, but his general his pro-life, pro-private health insurance, pro-gun, and anti-welfare thing just seems sort of out of touch with modern day reality. His whole libertarian "let's privatise everything and just let buddies help each other" approach to public service is just weird. I mean, a system like that works if everyone is Ben Shapiro, everyone is straight and interested in marriage/kids, and everyone has a community their family interacts with on a weekly basis, but if you're not that it's sort of a utopia that doesn't apply. I, however, do appreciate Ben's willingness to talk about his ideas, and he doesn't seem to devolve into a ball of emotional outrage when people don't agree with him. Also the lack of swearing is nice.

[Khris]

Ben Shapiro is among the least impressive of the TCOTs, mostly because his arguments are all dog shit. When he partakes in any kind of discourse, he does a conservative Gish Gallop (rapidly firing out a barrage of half truths and lies no opponent could possible all address and correct). That's why his moron followers believe he keeps "owning" the other side.

This quote is on point:

He is best known for his outspoken and almost entirely inaccurate criticisms of "left-wing" ideas; in particular, he is famous for the phrase facts don't care about your feelings, even though facts don't matter if they contradict his agenda.

(https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Ben_Shapiro)

The shit this guy claims is so dead wrong and so easily disproved that you can only be a fan of his if you never, ever verify or question anything but only blindly follow along.

Edit: Oh, and he's of course a fucking racist: https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/25712847277

Edit2: And this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HclaKb5LUYY

[Jack]

Ben Shapiro was a recent guest. I'm not really sure what to make of that guy

If you're constructing your ideology from names instead of ideas, then you are caught in the cult of personality. Governments and other groups that seek to control large numbers of people use this prominently, because people are much more easily manipulated, and killed, than ideas.

The cult of personality was basically Trump's whole strategy, before he dropped the mask to reveal just another neocon.

[Scavenger]

If you're constructing your ideology from names instead of ideas, then you are caught in the cult of personality.

Nobody hates Ben Shapiro because they think his name is bad.

He has terrible ideas. That's what people don't like. It's not just spooky "Ooohh you don't even know what his ideas are, you just hate him because he's unpopular". No, people have seen what he represents, and they don't like it.

[Jack]

Nobody hates Ben Shapiro because they think his name is bad.

He has terrible ideas. That's what people don't like. It's not just spooky "Ooohh you don't even know what his ideas are, you just hate him because he's unpopular". No, people have seen what he represents, and they don't like it.

I was speaking in general. I don't really know who Ben Shapiro is except hearing their name from time to time. Just the context I hear these people's names in tells me they're not worth any time. To others they are the final boss.

Also, I wasn't accusing any of the haters of anything. I haven't seen any of that crap worth addressing. What do you say to someone who talks to flat earther bots for hours?

[milkanannan]

If you're constructing your ideology from names instead of ideas, then you are caught in the cult of personality.

I was speaking in general. I don't really know who Ben Shapiro is except hearing their name from time to time. Just the context I hear these people's names in tells me they're not worth any time. To others they are the final boss.

Aren't you contradicting yourself a bit here? On the one hand you are saying people should not dismiss names before hearing their ideas. On the other you're sharing an opinion on people you admittedly have never heard speak before based on what others have said about them. Granted Ben Shapiro is kind of an idiot, but I don't think your approach is consistent or fair.

[Jack]

On the one hand you are saying people should not dismiss names before hearing their ideas.

I was not saying this at all.

When these personalities are linked to the ideas they represent, the personalities have been used to steer those ideas, whether the person is involved or not. Look at Alex Jones. He sometimes covers real issues, but because he also says that martians are monitoring his hair loss, those ideas by extension are tainted, especially if he was one of few people covering them. This is an ancient phenomenon and it is very widely exploited today. It is one of the main reasons why opposition to the system has never gone anywhere, though everyone hates it. Look at Obama, who when campaigning for his first term promised to end the wars in the middle east. He became known as Dronebama. Trump promised the same thing, now by some gigantic coincidence the same movement that got him elected is being steered to invade Iran.

Look also at the Gilets Jaunes, who are successful only as long as they are leaderless. The few times a personality has come from their movement, they have often done a 180 and started subverting it. These people all have families.

[Gurok]

Bernie Sanders was recently on the show. Nice, long interview with a lot of in-depth replies:

https://youtu.be/2O-iLk1G_ng

Just wondering if anyone thinks he was softballed

Actually, I'm a little annoyed that they didn't touch on how he was screwed over by the DNC (leaked in emails)

[milkanannan]

Cool - thanks for the heads up. I stopped listening to podcasts for a bit. Will check this episode out!

[Khris]

That was indeed a great interview.
Now if only Joe Rogan didn't constantly also platform people with abominable views, or plain grifters and liars.

Also, the usual collection of neo-reactionaries / Trump fans in the comments, so don't bother reading those. And funnily enough, one guy who thought that based on that interview, Bernie will probably soon join the alt-right... you gotta wonder which aspect of the alt-right this guy is talking about while ignoring all the toxic nonsense that otherwise defines that "movement".

Edit: also, this: https://twitter.com/rafaelshimunov/status/1159130987428794374

[KyriakosCH]

Bernie is awesome, as usual. Hopefully he will be allowed to be the nominee this time & win.

[milkanannan]

I'm also digging this Andrew Yang. What a lineup if those two take the president/vice roles next term!

[milkanannan]

Bernie Sanders was recently on the show. Nice, long interview with a lot of in-depth replies:

https://youtu.be/2O-iLk1G_ng

Just wondering if anyone thinks he was softballed

Actually, I'm a little annoyed that they didn't touch on how he was screwed over by the DNC (leaked in emails)

I finally got around to listening to this. Gurok, yeah wasn't a super intense interview or anything, but why do you say you think Bernie was softballed?

Bernie's on the money on so many subjects. Tying together gun violence and failures of the medical system to be available to people before their conditions progress to 'shooting in public is a good idea' is pretty obvious. Actually his whole identifying corporations as soulless leeches sapping profit at the expense of the public's wellbeing sounds about right.

[Gurok]

I finally got around to listening to this. Gurok, yeah wasn't a super intense interview or anything, but why do you say you think Bernie was softballed?

I don't think he was. It was a reference to earlier comments about right-wing pundits being softball interviewed on the show. Looking back on it, it was an interesting listen and I'm glad he got some airtime. As one of the most anit-establishment left-wing candidates of the 2016 US election, he had a modicum of appeal to me.

[KyriakosCH]

I am not seeing why Bern isn't already the top candidate. Ok, he is old, but that is usual in US politics. Imo he is far better than anyone else and should win the nomination & become potus.
I don't like Warren much - when it mattered she had no issue selling out Bernie and endorsing Hillary.
Yang is cool and seems to be a decent person as well, hopefully he will have a serious role in a Bern administration

[milkanannan]

Yeah Democratic candidates looking good. Hopefully they can knock out clown show in 2020.

Edward Snowden was on Rogan recently. Haven't listened to it yet, but I bet that was an interesting interview.