Neil Young (left) and Joe Rogan

This morning.

Via Finn McRedmond The Irish Times:

It is easy to characterise this as a row between Young and Rogan; one enlightened by science and the other clouded by ill-judged vaccine hesitancy; liberal righteousness and reactionary malevolence….

…The tech behemoth is too powerful and perhaps the temptation to give in to exposure and profit simply too great for any normal recording artist to eschew….

…So perhaps there is a lot to thank for the Old Guard like Neil Young – recently joined in boycott by Joni Mitchell – for making a gesture (or perhaps the idea of the principled, political artist is ceding ground to the darlings of the streaming universe – Adele, Swift, Drake).

But Mitchell and Young don’t need Spotify. At the ends of their careers, they hardly require the fame it might bestow upon them; and the pair’s older audiences are much less likely to rely on streaming in the first instance. Young sold about half of his catalogue last year for a non-trivial amount of money too. It’s a lot easier to have principles when there is not that much at stake.

It might not be a lot but, in a world dominated by youth and hyper-fixated on finding the newest, shiniest artist to line the pockets of Spotify, it is at least reassuring to see Young in possession of his protesting instincts that came to characterise his earlier career. It is a dimension largely absent from the contemporary pop music scene and perhaps we are worse off for it…

Finn McRedmond: Spotify has chokehold on music industry

Meanwhile…

Neil Young on Neil Young: Interviews and Encounters” by Arthur Lizie

Oh.

Neil Young Criticized for Making Homophobic Remarks During the AIDS Crisis — 1980s Interview Resurfaces (Digital Music News)

Getty

Previously: Heart Of Gold

Sponsored Link

106 thoughts on “Young And Stupid

  1. Broadbag

    Outing Young as an ignorant homophobe doesn’t make Joe Rogan any less of a misinformation spreading doofus, not sure why the 2 are being conflated.

    Also a tad hypocritical as BS was championing Eric Clapton as a free thinker a while back with plenty of ”never mind he was a massive ignorant racist” – he’s right about this (our anti-vax agenda) so ignore that minor infraction way back when.

  2. ANO

    Let’s take a moment to think on the kind of person who looks to Joe Rogan for medical advice.

    Heh.

    Disgusting historic comments from Young.

  3. Gavin

    Isn’t his catalog owned by Blackstone and managed by a Chairman and CEO from Pfizer. He used to get very upset about biotech and devoted a whole album to it.

    Personally, I don’t see what all the fuss is about…are we going to start censoring all content because we don’t like it or disagree with it. If youre getting medical advice from the web or podcasts you need your head checked

    1. ANO

      Broadly I’d agree with you, if you’re DUMB enough to be taking medical advice from Joe Rogan or the like (or even Neil Young!) then you get what you deserve.

      That said, the more empathic answer is that we have a duty of care to those who are easily influenced or a bit dim or even just take a wrong turn on the internet from misinformation.

      How you manage that and who defines what misinformation is when people can’t agree on what facts actually are any more is the hard part.

      1. Gavin

        yeah, not easy…sterilizing dumb people is not an option I assume…maybe just a good aul parental advice sticker, but for dumb people

    2. Rob_G

      Jesus, but the word “censoring” gets thrown around like snuff at a wake these days; no-one is censoring anyone. Neil Young does not approve of a way a business partner’s way of doing business, and is taking his business elsewhere.

      1. Gavin

        Yes Im sure artists removing their music that’s worth millions of dollars from the 2nd largest music streaming service in the world had nothing to do with wanting Rogan shut down

  4. Kim The Cardassian

    Has anyone any evidence of Neil Young’s homophobia that isn’t 37 years old?

    Of course not, because he has matured since his previous disgusting comments. He was an advocate for same sex marriage in the US, wrote a song for the film Philadelphia. In fact director Jonathan Demme specifically wanted Young to write a song for the film that would”reach an audience in desperate need of sensitization on the issue of homophobia. We thought how the right movie could help young males”. He was asked numerous times about his views on being gay since then and has had more supportive and progressive views.

    While it doesn’t excuse his past behaviour, whoever unearthed this isn’t doing it for love of the LGBT+ community either, but out of support for Joe Rogan.

      1. Rob_G

        Ok so antivaxx Clapton’s 40-year old racists comments get an easy ride, but covid-consensus Young’s 40 year-old homophobic comments get their own article (one that necessitated a google scholar search, even) – gotcha.

        1. Bodger

          Rob.G, Clapton isn’t trying to cancel anyone. He’s vaccine injured. He has repeatedly apologised for the comments he made. This post is about an Irish Times writer saying that Neil Young’s efforts to cancel a podcaster is in a long tradition of sound ‘protesting instincts’ by the singer. without offering any specifics. I guess she meant saving the whales. Never trust a hippy, as I am wont to say.

          1. Johnny-ny.

            Oh man where to start,Sweet Home Alabama was written in response to Southern Man and Alabama,which called out endemic racism in the south.

            Sweet home Alabama
            Where the skies are so blue
            Sweet home Alabama
            Lord I’m comin’ home to you

            https://youtu.be/6GxWmSVv-cY

            -is this a music post :)

            Southern man, better keep your head
            Don’t forget what your good book said
            Southern change gonna come at last
            Now your crosses are burning fast

            https://youtu.be/rxSP5E5va-g

            After that it’s coffee and a spliff,when in a dive bar what ya play?

          2. Bodger

            “Alabama (the song) richly deserved the shot Lynyrd Skynyrd gave me with their great record (Sweet Home Alabama). I don’t like my words when I listen to it. They are accusatory and condescending, not fully thought out, and too easy to misconstrue.” Neil Young, Waging Heavy Peace (memoir), 2021.

          3. Johnny-ny.

            Lost me ?
            You asked for a example is that not one ?

            … an Irish Times writer saying that Neil Young’s efforts to cancel a podcaster is in a long tradition of sound ‘protesting instincts’ by the singer. without offering any specifics. ….

            Would you like another ?

          4. johnny-ny.

            …would that would be specific enough to refute,quite honesty your kinda sad smear and accusation against Young,grand so.

          5. SOQ

            It is kind of interesting how the covid cult will dismiss the bounce back of pervious conditions which have been cured- or at least in remission.

            There are reports of cancers coming back in a very aggressive manner but to the covidians, that is merely coincidence.

            You are not allowed to question Big Pharma according to the Left- even when it has been proven that they knew those vaccines were going to cost thousands of lives, and that the FDA wanted to hide the documents for 75 years.

            It stinks of corruption to the high heavens.

        1. ian - oG

          @Kim, disagree.

          He’s gotten worse. Him and the grumpy gnome are besties now. Two of them now leading the field in alt-right-rock.

          Van will only be singing about blue eyed girls at Erics request from now on.

          (That’s a joke before some sensitive little snowflake feels like leaping to Eric the millionaire coked up racists defence. Lol. )

      2. Broadbag

        But Bodger, surely as someone involved in deciding what gets posted on the site you can’t have it both ways, editorially? ie. taking a stance that what Clapton said years ago is irrelevant, but at the same time reposting a ‘gotcha’ article against Neil Young just because it suits your agenda this week?

        What I’m trying to say is commenters can flip flop all they like but content editors/curators should have higher standards and shouldn’t be talking out both sides of their mouth.

        1. Me so Harney

          Watching a variety of commenters wrestling with hypocrisy and confirmation bias is quite amusing.

          Maybe learn to not comment if you’re going to look silly by commenting.

          1. The Millie Obnoxious™

            That’s gas altogether.

            You should take a good look at your own contributions then, no?

        2. ANO

          My understanding from the discussion under the papers post the other day is that ‘Bodger’ owns Broadsheet so he’s the ultimate arbiter of what gets posted rather than someone who’s merely involved in those decisions.

          I kind of agree with your second paragraph but with the caveat that Broadsheet is a content curation blog with a very clear ethos and so readers probably shouldn’t expect it to adhere to the same editorial standards as actual news sites.

          In other words, they can post whatever they want!

          1. bisted

            …really, you haven’t a notion…you never complained about me to moderators and succeeded in having my comments cancelled while you daily make the most outrageous charges against people…

    1. Rob_G

      Joe Rogan also referred to an African town as ‘Planet of the Apes’, and misgendered Caitlyn Jenner, and, referring to her decision to transition, suggested:

      Maybe if you live with crazy b– long enough they f– turn you into one“.

      – but of course, he’s bravely ‘asking questions’, so of course Bodger is happy to throw in with him.

      1. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

        hang on now you haven’t gone off and gotten woke have you Rob, my heart can’t take it !

          1. Kim The Cardassian

            Oh wait, they have reappeared.

            Non argumentative question: Is the site still experiencing issues after yesterday.

      2. Duncan Wheeler

        It’s true thoough, if you live with crazy it will make you a little crazy too.
        Mis-gendered? good grief, nasty accident that.

        1. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

          but enough about the spouse…:)
          see what I did there, I was gonna say wife but got gender correct….

  5. Micko

    Conflating Neil Young’s opinion in the 80’s with what he said recently about misinformation is wrong. Sure it was an butthole thing to say – but it’s in the past, he was an entirely different person.

    Deal with the issue at hand and wha’s happening now. Even though it’s absolutely ridiculous – the whole Joe Rogan / Spotify situation like – completely crazy!

    By the way – this also goes for Sharon Keogan and Eric Clapton* and EVERYONE else people try to dismiss because of something misguided they said in the past…

    Heh…
    _____________

    *Did you know that Bowie was apparently spouting that stuff back then too.
    https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/white-riot-when-rock-fought-the-racism-of-david-bowie-and-eric-clapton-1.4355602

  6. in active

    And the pair’s older audiences are much less likely to rely on streaming in the first instance.

    They use Tixati, Flud, Pirate Bay mirrors and RARBG mirrors.

  7. Frank

    What’s really being said is:
    ‘Traditional media is right. New media is for nitwits’
    ‘We know better than you’
    ‘Listen to us. Do not listen to them’
    ‘If you so much as listen to them we will label you as one of THEM’.
    ‘We do not trust you to make an informed opinion yourself’
    ‘As soon as you question us (no matter how reasonable your question) you are no longer one of us’.

    1. Micko

      Heh

      Society’s response:

      “Joe Rogan grrrrr

      Spotify arrrrgh

      Neil Young grrrrrr angry

      Vaccines grrrrr aaaaarrrrg. ”

      ______________________
      Global elite’s response:

      “Hey – are the stupid plebs still distracted by all that Joe Rogan / Spotify / Neil Young / Vaccine / Masks rubbish and are we still going to the bank and shaping the world in the manner we see fit to set us and our families up for future generations?”

      “Yup”

      “Good stuff…. what a bunch of morons” ;p

          1. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

            some like their cages, with matching cushions and smeg fridges and tiny towels they don’t really cover your expanding arse

  8. Nullzero

    Progressives who historically railed against mainstream media and big business now demanding we all acquiesce to anything either say is puzzling.

    Plenty of things that were stated as fact in relation to this pandemic over the last year have been proved to be false, the mainstream media were by definition engaged in misinformation by virtue of their eagerness to toe the line.

    We’re at a point now where we don’t want any dissenting voices on any topic. That’s the danger of the modern world, dissent is one of the most important concepts in society without it no progress would have ever been made for any historically marginalized groups.

    So called progressives expect the systems they oppose to give them a platform to express their opinions, and to respect their right to those opinions in yet when they are in alignment with the consensus anybody looking to oppose it should in no circumstances should be afforded the same rights they expect when the roles are reversed.

  9. ian - oG

    Young is a miserable male appendage and so is Rogan. Just because Young is saying stuff I tend to agree with doesn’t mean I am “on his side”. He’d no problem taking their money while struggling artists were being mugged by Spotify before now or any about other problematuc content. As for the homophobic comments, he said them and cannot unsay them, same as Clapton.

    I think it was David Crosby who said he was the most selfush person he ever met.

    As for Rogan, a footnote in history before a combination of DMT and blows to the head reduce him to an (even more) drooling vegetable.

    1. Duncan Wheeler

      At least Rogans’ guests can be entertaining soemtimes. As for Mr tiny whiney voice, not so much. Am I a-teethist if I mention Joni’s facial imitation of a grand piano bar the black notes? Obvs the fact that pianos have more white keys than black ones that means pianos are rascist.

  10. SOQ

    Interesting how the narrative around Rogan has been shaped- who exactly is taking medical advice from him?

    He did however interview the two most credible US lockdown and vaccine sceptics- Dr Peter McCullough and Dr Robert Malone, whom were blacklisted everywhere else- and THEN all of a sudden he became a problem. Nobody seemed to be bothered before he interviewed those two?

    Despite all the wind and BS, nobody is asking the most obvious question- why do so many people listen to his podcasts? Because they do, in their millions- about ten million per day.

    1. Micko

      I think it’s the misinformation label tbh

      “He’s spreading misinformation. People could die if they listen to him”

      What that really means is;

      “You are a moron and you can’t discern the the difference between truth and lies and we (I) the smarter people have to do it for you”

      Not a good road…

      It’s similar to the people who say “ye know, communism has never really been tried properly”.

      That means “when I’M IN CHARGE it’ll bloody work properly!!!!”

      Bleeding authoritarians everywhere. ;-)

          1. SOQ

            Four and a half million regular viewers would disagree with you- and just like Rogan, that is what counts.

          2. Micko

            Ah I don’t think matters how many listeners they have though

            If it did, Taylor Swift would impress me. ;-)

            I think why people are drawn to people to Brand and Rogan is that they don’t really have any concrete answers.

            It’s very vague at times and they both bring the viewer along with them on the story and their own understanding (I believe – I’ve only seen clips of Rogan)

            Plus that they tackle topics that MSM would generally see as taboo.

            And yes, of course they are making money from their endeavours. But I wouldn’t hold that against them – makes the world go around dunit’

          3. SOQ

            I disagree MIcko- number of listeners very much matters. And the fact that Rogan commands such a high number is the reason he is not already toast.

            But it is the arrogance of the legacy media which gets me. They would rather try and take him down than ask the very simple question of why is he so popular.

    2. Duncan Wheeler

      Mass banning of stupid to be instigated worldwide. Don’t look or listen, it may harm your health.

  11. TenPin Terry

    I’m in the same camp as Telegraph writer Tim Stanley who is appearing on Question Time this week.

    https://mobile.twitter.com/timothy_stanley/status/1489023583133253634?cxt=HHwWhICy7ejDiaopAAAA

    If truth be told I’ve never listened to a podcast in my life.
    Or been on any social media.
    Or watched any popular television show like I’m a baking celebrity masterchef dancer get my X factor out of here on ice.
    Ignorance is bliss when it comes to things people take waaay too seriously.

    1. ANO

      You’re posting on a blog.

      Blogs are a spoke on the social media wheel.

      So consider that cherry, popped.

      1. TenPin Terry

        I disagree mon cheri.
        Social media is about drawing attention to oneself as a person.
        Broadsheet is entirely anonymous should one wish to remain so.
        As both of us do.
        I can see how social media is a great commercial tool but in my line of business discretion is paramount.
        Other than that it just appears to be a lot of ugly people telling no-one who is really interested all about their child’s first solid bowel movement.
        It’s like those round robin letters you get with someone’s Christmas card updating you on their life over the previous year – I mean who really gives a toss ?
        I do.Straight in the bin unread.
        I haven’t sent a Christmas card in years and still they turn up in droves every December.
        Can’t people get the hint ?

        1. bisted

          …methinks, TwoTon, thou doth protest too much…you seem to be a mine of information when it comes to the latest goings-on in soapville and you’d be lost for quotes were it not for your encyclopedic knowledge of sitcoms…why just yesterday you were an authority on all things cake!

          1. TenPin Terry

            Nonsense.
            All of it.
            Except for cake.
            I love cake. Except for carrot cake which isn’t really a cake even though it’s called carrot cake.
            I miss V’s cake recipes. Mrs TenPin tried a couple of them and they were gorgeous with a cup of Darjeeling to get us over the 3pm slump in time for the 5’o’clock feed of pints.
            Marvellous.

  12. scottser

    i cancelled spotify because of the shedloads of cash they threw at that pair of ex-royal gougers.
    rogan is in the ha’penny place compared to them.

    1. SOQ

      Apparently they have ‘expressed concern’ over Rogan too- although they have refused to give the $25M back.

          1. Nullzero

            Doxxy, if you were on a more substantially moderated platform you would have been banned years ago.
            Your contributions are so utterly puerile it boggles the mind.

          2. ian - oG

            Grand, don’t educate yourself so. Many autistic people have no problem with social cues.

            Some do, many don’t. But carry on, you might grow some empathy one day I hope.

          3. SOQ

            Lack of social queues are a well documented symptom of autism, there is noting controversial in saying that.

            Daisy’s style of communicating could be categorised as such because there is no nuance- ever.

            Either that or she deliberately goes out of her way to be obnoxious- which is likely to be a different type personality disorder of course.

          4. Doxxy Chainsaw

            Lack of social queues? There are loads of social queues with people keeping 2 metres apart.

            Did you mean “cue”? Learn to spell it before you use it.

            And you accusing another poster of going “out of her way to be obnoxious” is truly the most self sabotagin zinger I’ve seen today!!

          5. Me so Harney

            lololololols

            Nobody self owns like you Dox..

            Monday was a train wreck of faux pas’

            Still not learnt to show some humility

          6. ian - oG

            Fupp me, now you are confusing autism with a personality disorder and saying autistic people don’t do nuance?

          7. SOQ

            Either that or she deliberately goes out of her way to be obnoxious- which is likely to be a personality disorder of course. BETTER?

            There is cross overs between the two of course- but is your beef that people with autism might be tarred with the Daisy brush? In which case that is understandable.

          1. The Millie Obnoxious™

            And?

            That pair of morons are all talk and no trousers. There’s not a bandwagon they won’t hitch themselves to, so their carefully worded statement has as much weight as a puff of air.

            Of course Spotify will side with Rogan.

          2. SOQ

            The comparison was made between what Sportify paid to each- My point is that Rogan works a lot harder for his than the Royal rejects do for theirs?

      1. Janet, dreams of an alternate universe

        he is you know, he’s one of the more genuine people on here, warts and all.

  13. I can't stand the rain

    I like Neil Young
    It’s representative of what he says to say he’s a a bit homophobic alright.
    But not sure what that has to do with Rogan spreading misinformation

    1. SOQ

      Why was those who were so quick to dig into Clapton’s past not so keen to do the same on Young’s? Rogan has invited Young onto the show to discuss the issue, but no response.

      Personally I think Rogan should keep on the McCullough / Malone theme because it clearly has ruffled some feathers.

      1. SOQ

        Why was those who were so quick to dig into Clapton’s past not so keen to do the same on Youngs? Rogan has invited Young onto the show to discuss the issue, but no response- and no surprise, because Rogan would have dug into Young’s Pharma connections.

        Personally I think Rogan should keep on the McCullough / Malone theme because it clearly has ruffled feathers.

Comments are closed.

Broadsheet.ie