Joe Rogan couldn’t contain his laughter on Friday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience after Media Matters released a new study labeling him as a leading figure in “right-wing” media. Rogan and guest Chris Williamson, a British YouTuber and cultural commentator, skewered the study’s conclusions, poking fun at what they called the media’s overreach and misunderstanding of alternative voices.
“There was some really fucking stupid graph that someone put up of how right-wing social media and new media people dominate,” Rogan said mid-laugh. “I was at the top of the list, and I feel like the way Caitlyn Jenner must have felt like when she won woman of the year. Like, so quick, I got to the top of the list.”
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Rogan, who has repeatedly distanced himself from both major political parties, mocked the idea that enjoying “masculine” interests like fast cars or mixed martial arts is enough to get you tagged as a right-winger.
“You can’t like fast cars. You’re not allowed to. You’re not even allowed to like Teslas anymore,” Rogan joked. “You’re a misogynist. You’re probably racist. Maybe a Nazi. I’m gonna put a swastika in your car just to let everybody know.”
Williamson chimed in, asking producer Jamie Vernon to pull up the Media Matters chart in question, which claimed right-leaning shows dominate online viewership, even in genres like comedy, entertainment, and sports. Rogan chuckled as he called out some of the other names on the list — including comedian Theo Von, podcaster Lex Fridman, and British journalist Piers Morgan.
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The Media Matters report asserted that “right-leaning” content overwhelmingly outperforms left-leaning or neutral programming across platforms like YouTube and podcast networks. Of the 191 shows it flagged as right-wing, 42% were categorized under comedy, entertainment, or sports. The report also claimed that 72% of 111 “nonpolitical” shows exhibited a right-leaning ideological bias.
But Rogan and Williamson weren’t buying it.
“Is it just a judgment criteria that they’re judging shows that aren’t right-wing as right-wing, or is it genuinely that for some reason the left is struggling to make progress in independent media?” Williamson asked.
Rogan replied, “They’re struggling to make progress in independent media, for sure. They’re trying to figure out why. I think if you looked at all my positions, way more of them are left-wing than right-wing.”
Though Rogan has supported figures like Donald Trump — notably over what he calls “nonsense” in the Democratic Party’s 2024 strategy — he’s also voiced strong support for issues typically associated with the left, including drug decriminalization, universal healthcare, and LGBTQ rights.
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The conversation highlights a growing concern among Democrats as they continue to lose ground in the podcast and YouTube space. Following recent electoral defeats and slipping approval ratings, the party has launched new efforts to court online audiences.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently launched a podcast aimed at engaging conservatives, featuring polarizing guests like Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon. While the initiative has made headlines, it remains unclear whether these efforts will bridge the growing divide between the Democratic Party and younger, digitally native audiences.
Rogan may not claim any political label, but he’s become a symbol of the shifting media landscape — one where independent voices are rising and ideological lines are increasingly blurry. As he said on Friday’s episode, “I’m not even right-wing. Just ’cause I support Trump over the rest of the fu*king nonsense… suddenly I’m number one. It’s kind of funny.”
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