US podcaster Joe Rogan apologizes for using the N-word

Widely popular US podcaster Joe Rogan apologized on Saturday after a video surfaced on YouTube showing him saying the N-word multiple times.

In the video compilation, Rogan is seen using racial slurs in various clips of episodes that span over a 12-year period. 

The  podcaster took to Instagram to address the issue, saying it was "most regretful and shameful thing that I've ever had to talk about publicly."

"If a white person says that word it's racist and toxic, but a Black person can use it and it can be a punchline, it can be a term of endearment, it could be lyrics to a rap song, it could be a positive affirmation," Rogan explained.

"It's not my word to use. I am well aware of that now, but for years I used it in that manner,'' the podcaster said. "I never used it to be racist because I'm not racist.''

The 54-year-old insisted that the footage of him using the highly offensive slur was taken out of context, but that it looked "horrible, even to me."

Rogan added that at least one offensive episode of his show "The Joe Rogan Experience" has been deleted from streaming giant Spotify.  In the removed podcast episode, he described seeing a movie in a Black neighborhood by saying "it was like we were in 'Planet of the Apes'."

Spotify backs Rogan

Rogan's apology comes as he and Spotify already face criticism. The 54-year-old mixed martial arts commentator has stirred controversy with his views on the pandemic and government mandates to control the spread of the virus. While Rogan has said vaccines were safe and encouraged people to take them, he also claimed that young people did not need to get immunized via vaccines.

A backlash against Spotify for allowing Rogan to broadcast his views has led to several artists pulling their music from the popular app. Singer-songwriters Neil Young and Joni Mitchell announced last week that they were removing their music from Spotify.

Although the company is now adding a content advisory to Rogan's COVID related content, Spotify has backed its $100  million (€87 million) flagship talent, who garners up to 11 million listeners per episode. 

Chief executive Daniel Ek addressed employee discontent by reminding them they did not have editorial control over the podcast.

"There are many things that Joe Rogan says that I strongly disagree with and find very offensive," he said, according to a transcript of the company town hall published by The Verge.

But "if we want even a shot at achieving our bold ambitions, it will mean having content on Spotify that many of us may not be proud to be associated with."

jcg/dj (Reuters, AP)