Neil Young and Joni Mitchell leave Spotify over Joe Rogan

[Snarky Oracle!]

NEW YORK (AP) — Joni Mitchell said Friday she is seeking to remove all of her music from Spotify in solidarity with Neil Young, who ignited a protest against the streaming service for airing a podcast that featured a figure who has spread misinformation about the coronavirus.

Mitchell, who like Young is a California-based songwriter who had much of her success in the 1970s, is the first prominent musician to join Young's effort.

“Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives,” Mitchell said Friday in a message posted on her website. “I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.”

Following Young's action this week, Spotify said it had policies in place to remove misleading content from its platform and has removed more than 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

But the service has said nothing about comedian Joe Rogan, whose podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience” is the centerpiece of the controversy. Last month Rogan interviewed on his podcast Dr. Robert Malone, an infectious disease specialist who has been banned from Twitter for spreading COVID misinformation.




Rogan is one of the streaming service's biggest stars, with a contract that could earn him more than $100 million.

Young had called on other artists to support him following his action. While Mitchell, 78, is not a current hitmaker, the Canadian native's Spotify page said she had 3.7 million monthly listeners to her music. Her songs “Big Yellow Taxi” and “A Case of You” have both been streamed more than 100 million times on the service.

In a message on his website Friday, Young said that “when I left Spotify, I felt better.”

“Private companies have the right to choose what they profit from, just as I can choose not to have my music support a platform that disseminates harmful information,” he wrote. “I am happy and proud to stand in solidarity with the front line health care workers who risk their lives every day to help others.”

There was no immediate response to a request for comment from Spotify.

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[Snarky Oracle!]

 

[Crimson]

These 60s/70s rockers adopting the mottos of "Never question Authority" and "Obey the Establishment" is a plot twist I didn't see coming.

And I'm not sure that moving from one morally dubious corporation to another morally dubious corporation is quite the flex some of these folks seem to think it is.

 

[Angela Channing]

I don't really understand their actions because they both are on other forms of social media such as Twitter which if full of Covid misinformation so I'm not sure why they are singling out Joe Rogan and Spotify for their objections. However, anything that challenges anti-vaxx propaganda and draws attention to its dangers can't be a bad thing.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I don't really understand their actions because they both are on other forms of social media such as Twitter which if full of Covid misinformation so I'm not sure why they are singling out Joe Rogan and Spotify for their objections. However, anything that challenges anti-vaxx propaganda and draws attention to its dangers can't be a bad thing.

Joe Rogan is not specifically anti-vaxx, although he has open discussions about that and many other topics -- and that's the problem, and it has precious little to do with Covid (with oodles of propaganda on both sides of the argument going on out there)............... The corporate-controlled mainstream media is losing control of the narrative regarding many topics because of podcasters like Rogan (who has 11 million listeners per day, many times what any mainstream news program now pulls in).

They desperately want to shut him up. And it's not to protect the public.

 

[Rove]

The corporate-controlled mainstream media is losing control of the narrative

That's a very good point you raise Snarky. I personally don't listen to Joe Rogan or any other podcasts but mainstream media is fighting a losing battle if they wish to silence the likes of Joe. Regardless whether people agree with his views or not he is entitled to speak. It's called 'freedom of speech' for a reason. Don't like what your hearing or seeing? Change the channel, simple.

 

[ArchieLucasCarringtonEwing1989]

Joe Rogan is not specifically anti-vaxx, although he has open discussions about that and many other topics -- and that's the problem, and it has precious little to do with Covid (with oodles of propaganda on both sides of the argument going on out there)............... The corporate-controlled mainstream media is losing control of the narrative regarding many topics because of podcasters like Rogan (who has 11 million listeners per day, many times what any mainstream news program now pulls in).

They desperately want to shut him up. And it's not to protect the public.

I can’t add anything else to this excellent point.

I do wish people who question the policies surrounding vaccines wouldn’t be labelled as “anti vax” why must society throw labels on people before we understand reasonings?

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

 

[Frank Underwood]

I'm thankful for people like Jimmy Dore and Joe Rogan. They're self-aware about their limitations, but they're also quite thoughtful. They're not afraid to interview people with dissenting views from the mainstream, or to detail personal experiences that differ from the norm. They know that by doing so, they will be falsely accused of spreading misinformation and anti-vax propaganda. Rogan even admits he's not a doctor, and says he enjoys having conversations with credentialed people outside of the mainstream. However, that doesn't necessarily mean he agrees with everything they say. Like Dore, Rogan's also been accused of being a right winger. This ironically comes from modern day liberals who've lost the plot and are now champions of conformity and censorship. i guess they figured if they couldn't beat conservatives, they might as well join them.

Rogan took the high road, saying he's a fan of Young and Mitchell and has no hard feelings towards them. He also supports Spotify putting a disclaimer on his Covid videos.

 

[Crimson]

All of these people trying to silence Rogan are revealing their complete lack of awareness. Misinformation? He's not talking to your crazy Uncle Harry from Facebook who thinks the vaccine makes skin magnetic; he's talking to highly educated experts in the field whose knowledge on the subject far outstrips 99.9% of the people freaking out.

How can we be two years into this pandemic and there are people so clueless as to think 'current recommendations' are immutable fact? This stuff has evolved and changed repeatedly, and that's occurred by experts questioning the status quo.

 

[Willie Oleson]

These 60s/70s rockers adopting the mottos of "Never question Authority" and "Obey the Establishment" is a plot twist I didn't see coming.

I'm just guessing here but could it be that "Covid is fake!" is becoming the new "Holocaust never happened" ?
Is it still a matter of questioning authority when the death toll speaks for itself? Besides, the people who claim that Covid isn't that dangerous also consider themselves experts (and by extension, authorities).

 

[Frank Underwood]

I'm just guessing here but could it be that "Covid is fake!" is becoming the new "Holocaust never happened" ?
Is it still a matter of questioning authority when the death toll speaks for itself? Besides, the people who claim that Covid isn't that dangerous also consider themselves experts (and by extension, authorities).

That doesn't describe Joe Rogan, but he is being conflated with people like that.

Rogan admitted to having Covid, and he was smeared in the mainstream media for using alternative treatments to the vaccine. One of the medications he took was Ivermectin, which he says he took on the advice of a doctor. CNN accused Rogan of taking "horse dewormer," which is the veterinary version of Ivermectin. Of course, Rogan took the human form of the medication, which has won the Nobel Prize. It was fun watching CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta squirm and deflect as Rogan called him out on CNN's blatant lie.

Also, Rogan never claimed to be an authority on Covid. He said he's not a doctor, and he likes to interview credentialed scientists with a variety of views. It's not as if he's interviewing random Covid deniers off the street. He's also interviewed medical experts who share the establishment's position on Covid, like the previously mentioned Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Rather than acting as an authority, Rogan's interviewing self-proclaimed authorities in the medical field so that people aren't restricted to a one sided view.

I believe Rogan is also against vaccine mandates, but that also has nothing to do with believing Covid is fake or being anti-vax. I hold that position as well because I believe in bodily autonomy. I believe people deserve the right to choose whether or not to get vaccinated on the grounds of medical ethics, as opposed to being coerced into it.

 

[Willie Oleson]

It's not as if he's interviewing random Covid deniers off the street.

Although that's probably not the kind of misinformation that should worry anyone.

so that people aren't restricted to a one sided view

You make it sound like it's a political debate.

I believe people deserve the right to choose whether or not to get vaccinated

Hmmm, it's a tricky one. Parents could also decide, based on religion or whatever, to not have their children vaccinated (not necessarily Covid, but any kind of disease).
And while I'm the biggest supporter of freedom and choice, there are examples that could question if that choice outweighs the very possible ramifications.

But in the case of Covid, safety and health isn't even the main problem. It's all those many people being hospitalized at the same time, which endangers the standard of health care we're accustomed to. And the people who don't take the vaccin also expect their Covid treatment to get first priority.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

 

[Emelee]

They want Spotify to censur a pod and censur opinions. I am not backing that. It's a dangerous path to take. A slippery slope we should avoid.

Instead, they should have just demanded a disclaimer being added to let listeners know that this is subjective thinking and if you want to know the facts regarding covid and vaccines, visit this and that website or talk to your local doctor.

The only thing that should be censured is incitement against ethnic groups (and all things that are against the law).

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Apparently, Spotify treats its musicians very badly, so some of the artists may be using the Rogan imbroglio to express their other displeasures with the platform.

 

[darkshadows38]

never been a huge fan of his but i have so much respect for him for doing this, it's not opinions that he's pissed at it's the misinformation for example it was proven that once Trump left Twitter and face book that i believe 80% of misinformation about covid decreased i'm not making that up so i look at it this way people are dying everyday by this idiots who believe the misinformation and Neil Young is having none of that and i'm for it. we are allowed our own opinion but when it comes to people dying from a virus that we still don't know enough about that's far different i think. at least in my book it is

 

[Frank Underwood]

You make it sound like it's a political debate.

It's a scientific debate. Not every scientist and health expert agrees on lockdowns, mandates, alternative medications, focused protection vs. vaccinating everybody, etc.

Also, the CDC admitted to reducing the isolation period in the US from ten days to five because it's what the corporations wanted. So yes, it has become political too.

Hmmm, it's a tricky one. Parents could also decide, based on religion or whatever, to not have their children vaccinated (not necessarily Covid, but any kind of disease).
And while I'm the biggest supporter of freedom and choice, there are examples that could question if that choice outweighs the very possible ramifications.

But in the case of Covid, safety and health isn't even the main problem. It's all those many people being hospitalized at the same time, which endangers the standard of health care we're accustomed to. And the people who don't take the vaccin also expect their Covid treatment to get first priority.

It is a complicated issue for sure, particularly as it pertains to children. However, I still believe adults have the right to choose what to put in their body.

Also, hospital overcrowding has been a problem well before Covid. Time ran an article in 2018 about hospitals being overwhelmed with flu patients.

The problem is the US has too few ICU beds because they're deemed "unprofitable." Here's a video that covers it:

 

[Angela Channing]

It's a scientific debate. Not every scientist and health expert agrees on lockdowns, mandates, alternative medications, focused protection vs. vaccinating everybody, etc.

Also, the CDC admitted to reducing the isolation period in the US from ten days to five because it's what the corporations wanted. So yes, it has become political too.


It is a complicated issue for sure, particularly as it pertains to children. However, I still believe adults have the right to choose what to put in their body.

Also, hospital overcrowding has been a problem well before Covid. Time ran an article in 2018 about hospitals being overwhelmed with flu patients.

The problem is the US has too few ICU beds because they're deemed "unprofitable." Here's a video that covers it:

It's not really a scientific debate because overwhelmingly the science is on one side which is that covid vaccines are safe, effective and are saving lives. A debate suggests that evidence and opinion is more equally split. It's like saying there is a debate whether climate change is real when 99% of scientific opinion says it exists.

You are right about hospital overcrowding being a long standing issue but it has been made so much worse in the pandemic by beds being taken up by covid patients, the majority of whom are unvaccinated. This isn't a point of debate, this is a demonstrable fact.