Read my concise take about Bernie and Joe Rogan

I think Rogan fulfils a need to expose the views of people whose beliefs we’d never see or hear, because they contradict and challenge our own world view. I’ve listened to dozens of his interviews. I disagree with some of his opinions, and some of the ways he comes to them. I strongly differ with some of his guests’ opinions. That doesn’t mean it isn’t interesting to hear about them and his/their reasoning. As a host, I can’t think of anyone today who does a better job of interviewing guests. Ok, he doesn’t challenge them, by why shouldn’t he offer them the space to be open about their ideas? Ironic that he’s so visibly macho, yet feels no need to dominate the conversation. He gets guests to relax, and lets them talk. It’s this, not clickbait headlines, that can fill in the stories we won’t see or hear elsewhere.

The effect of anything available from the firehose-like information glut online is always going to be determined by the receiver’s ability to remain thoughtful and analytic. Rogan will always politely challenge a guest on something he knows or feels strongly about, but he won’t interrupt or attempt to cut off their declarations. He isn’t neutral, but he doesn’t condemn things he disagrees with.

I do not believe him to be a gateway to anything, if not how to listen to different views and keep two polar opposite ideas in your head at the same time without blowing a fuse. The analysis is left to you.