Joe Rogan: The perfect stage or aggressive bullying?

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The Pulse by DB8
June 20, 2023

Joe Rogan is known for commentating some epic UFC fights… but hosting a debate between Covid scientist Peter Hotez and anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr may be the biggest showdown of our generation yet. Today’s Pulse is all about the Twitter beef that went down this past weekend.

The Pulse Results (76 Votes) 📈

Side A 61.84% - Joe Rogan is the perfect host & platform for the debate we’ve all been waiting for

Side B 38.16% - Dr. Hotez is being set up for failure by bullying him into debating on Joe Rogan’s podcast

Poll closed: June 21, 2023

Published on: June 19, 2023
Published by: The Independent

Some serious sh!t went down this weekend when Covid scientist and global health expert, Dr. Peter Hotez, criticized an interview Joe Rogan did with anti-vaccine activist and democratic presidential candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Both Hotez and Kennedy are former guests of The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan’s podcast on Spotify.

Hotez tweeted calling Kennedy’s claims about vaccines causing autism 'nonsense' and things went 0 to 100 real quick.

Rogan then Tweeted publicly inviting Hotez to debate Kennedy on his podcast, even offering a generous $100,000 to any charity of Hotez’s choice if he agreed. Billionaire Bill Ackman pledged an additional $150,000, and other public figures and vaccine skeptics joined the pledge, totalling at least $600,000 for charity.

Elon Musk even chimed in, accusing Hotez of 'hating charity' to nudge him into accepting Rogan's terms… but it doesn’t seem like Hotez is budging yet. He responded back to Rogan, directing him to privately call or email him. Rogan’s response? “This is a non answer. I challenged you publicly because you publicly quote tweeted and agreed with that dogshit vice article. If you’re really serious about what you stand for, you now have a massive opportunity for a debate that will reach the largest audience a discussion like this has ever had. If you think someone else is better qualified, suggest that person.” Ouch.

Hotez agreed to go back on Rogan’s podcast again (solo) to discuss vaccination, but refused to take part in any debate, comparing it to a ‘Jerry Springer Show’.

Billionaire Mark Cuban came to Peter Hotez’s defence, accusing Joe Rogan of bullying, stating that “Trying to bully Dr. Hotez is ridiculous. @RobertKennedyJr has a staff ready to prepare him, and these topics are what he talks about in every speech. You both do this on a daily basis. Dr Hotez works every day to try to find ways to help people.”

So, what do you think? Would Joe Rogan’s podcast be the perfect platform for the debate we’ve all been waiting for? Or is Dr. Hotez simply being peer pressured into something he’s destined to lose?

The Debate Showdown

Side A: Joe Rogan is the perfect host & platform for the debate we’ve all been waiting for

  • With an estimated 11 million listeners PER episode, Joe Rogan’s podcast brings in a larger audience than Fox and CNN combined.

  • Anybody who makes public medical claims, regardless of whether it’s for or against vaccines, should be willing and prepared to back up their claims, site their sources, and debate their side on ANY platform, anywhere.

  • Traditional news channels are openly biased, third-party reports that have become hard to trust. Joe Rogan interviews his guests directly in a conversational style - so you know exactly who said what. No guessing games.

  • Joe Rogan has hosted both Peter Hotez and Robert F. Kennedy Jr on his podcast in the past, so it’s safe to say that he will give them both a fair and unbiased stage.

  • The charity donation aspect of this all (ahem, $600,000 so far) is just the cherry on top. Why not debate something you are passionate about, while raising $ for a good cause?

Side B: Dr. Hotez is being set up for failure by bullying him into debating on Joe Rogan’s podcast

  • Asking Peter Hotez (a nerdy scientist) to debate Robert F. Kennedy Jr (a charismatic politician who speaks & debates publicly) is just plain unfair. Hotez will be set up for failure from the get-go.

  • Debates often focus on speaking skills rather than the validity of arguments. Hotez may have strong and valid points but might struggle to effectively articulate them against a skilled public speaker like Kennedy. Hotez is likely hesitating for this exact reason, not for lack of knowledge or confidence in his side.

  • Using charity money to bribe Hotez into debating is just wrong - he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. If he declines, he’s made out to be the ‘bad guy’ for ‘not caring about charity’ (exactly what Elon said).

  • Regardless of how ‘unbiased’ Rogan claims to be, it is clear he leans to Kennedy’s viewpoints when it comes to vaccines… so how can we guarantee he will remain unbiased when moderating? A debate like this would be better off hosted elsewhere where both parties will feel comfortable.

Reddit: Profitability VS. Community

It’s another “David VS. Goliath” moment for big tech. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman squares up against his army of moderators in what’s sure to be a future case study in community vs. profits.

debates.db8.com/p/reddit-profitability-vs-community

Previous Pulse Results (54 Votes) 📈

Side A 53.7% - Reddit has the right to make business decisions that prioritize profitability

Side B 46.3% - Reddit should support its community and moderators by prioritizing API accessibility

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