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Joe Rogan: Video montage of me saying N-word is 'a political hit job.' Rogan's guest — a comedian of color — calls him 'a great guy.'
Image source: YouTube screenshot, composite

Joe Rogan: Video montage of me saying N-word is 'a political hit job.' Rogan's guest — a comedian of color — calls him 'a great guy.'

Joe Rogan called the video montage of him saying the N-word over the years — which ignited more calls for Spotify to de-platform its $100 million podcaster and spurred on Rogan to apologize — "a political hit job."

What are the details?

“In a lot of ways ... all this is a relief,” Rogan said on his Tuesday broadcast, adding that the "video [of him saying the N-word] had always been out there. ... This is a political hit job. And so they’re taking all this stuff that I’ve ever said that’s wrong and smushing it all together ... It’s good 'cause it makes me address some s**t that I really wish wasn’t out there.”

Rogan's guest, comedian Akaash Singh, told the host that “real life is people who know you, and you’re a great guy …"

In regard to Rogan's apology over his past use of the N-word, Singh told Rogan: "You know why I'm proud of you? Because I think comedians have for years done this immature thing where it's like 'we don't apologize. We say whatever we want.' You can apologize if you say some wild s**t, and we've all said some wild s**t, and you apologized and owned that it was wrong. Good for you."

Rogan added to Singh that “you should apologize if you regret something ... I do think you have to be very careful to not apologize for nonsense.”

Content warning: Language:

The Hollywood Reporter noted an additional observation from Signh: "On a podcast where you’re talking for hours on end, I have said s**t about every demographic of human beings possible, and I regret every one that was, like … not funny … the punishment is, everybody hears it, and I’m an asshole. But I can’t stop shooting, I can’t stop swinging.”

Rogan also said, “The thing that you find over time is that [podcast listeners] will understand you ... they know you, so ... if you misstep or ... if you say something that doesn't turn out to be that funny, they know what you’re trying to do. You’re not a vicious person. You’re just trying to be funny.”

Speaking of humor, the pair also talked about Signh's first comedy special, "Bring Back Apu," which focuses partly on the controversy surrounding Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, a character on "The Simpsons." Hank Azaria — who is white and was the voice behind Apu — bowed out of the role soon after a documentary titled "The Problem with Apu" was released a few years back.

Rogan called Signh's comedic view about Apu "dead on" and "hilarious" and wondered, "Why is that guy offensive?" Signh said Apu detractors wrongly felt as though they were "oppressed" by the character "and they were not." Signh added that Azaria being white and doing the voice of Apu was much ado about nothing.

Akaash Singh's Defense of Apuyoutu.be

As far as Apu's screen time goes, Matt Groening — the creator of "The Simpsons" — said a year ago that Apu would return to the show in the future.

And with that, here's Signh's "Bring Back Apu" special. It's just over 20 minutes long and pokes holes in white privilege, race, and cancel culture. Content warning: Language, adult themes:

Akaash Singh | Bring Back Apu | Full Comedy Specialyoutu.be

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Dave Urbanski

Dave Urbanski

Sr. Editor, News

Dave Urbanski is a senior editor for Blaze News and has been writing for Blaze News since 2013. He has also been a newspaper reporter, a magazine editor, and a book editor. He resides in New Jersey. You can reach him at durbanski@blazemedia.com.
@DaveVUrbanski →