Joe Rogan’s use of n-word is ‘just as dangerous’ as Capitol riot, CNN says

According to a CNN writer, Joe Rogan’s use of the n-word in certain episodes of his podcast is “arguably just as dangerous as what a mob did when they stormed the US Capitol on January 6 last year.” John Blake, CNN Enterprise writer and producer, published the column on Sunday on the network’s site.

Blake argued in his column entitled “Why Shrugging Off Joe Rogan’s Use of the N-Word Is So Dangerous,” that even though Rogan “did not join a mob that forced lawmakers to flee for their lives,” and he also “never carried a Confederate flag inside the US Capitol rotunda,” he is still as equally “dangerous” and damaging.

“What Rogan and those that defend him have done since video clips of him using the N-word surfaced on social media is arguably just as dangerous as what the mob did when they stormed the US Capitol on January 6 last year,” Blake continued.

“Rogan breached a civic norm that has held America together since World War II. It’s an unspoken agreement that we would never return to the kind of country we used to be.”

The CNN writer continued, “That agreement revolved around this simple rule: A White person would never be able to publicly use the n-word again and not pay a price. Rogan has so far paid no steep professional price for using a racial slur that’s been called the ‘nuclear bomb of racial epithets.’ It may even boost his career. That’s what some say happened to another White entertainer who was recently caught using the word.”

Blake went on to say that the country will be transformed by continually allowing a white figure to use the n-word without punishment. He added that he is aware some critics will call his comparison an over exaggeration and note that Rogan has since apologized.

Blake responded to that potential, saying, “In the past, White public figures who used the n-word provoked universal and unqualified condemnation. But Rogan has gotten some support.”

He added, “Some cite the rise of social media, the growth of White supremacist groups and a right-wing media ecosystem that has mainstreamed racist rhetoric. Former President Trump played a part, too. He rode a trail of racist, sexist, and anti-Semitic statements all the way to the White House.”