Top 10 Most Disturbing Joe Rogan Interviews With What We Know Now

#10: Elon Musk

At the time, the most controversial aspect of this interview was the fact Musk at one point took a hit of Rogan’s blunt. More relevant is their discussion of how AI could be used against us – today, Musk is a champion of AI. He’s also acquired a significant amount of authority, becoming Donald Trump’s right-hand man and the head of DOGE. After Trump’s inauguration, Musk gave two back-to-back fascist salutes at a rally. This was a dark sign of things to come, as Musk’s tenure has already been consequential for many, from marginalized communities to working-class federal employees. In hindsight, it’s easy to be upset that Rogan gave him a platform that helped his power to rise.

#9: Jamie Kilstein

During his interview, comedian Jamie Kilstein defended jokes about sexual mistreatment, which escalated into a debate over whether murder was a more serious crime than sexual assault.
Later, Kilstein was dropped from the “Citizen Radio” podcast and his record label after being accused by multiple women of unwanted sexual advances. Throughout his career, Kilstein had painted himself as a progressive. So, his views and behavior were a surprise to his followers. He was accused of using his supposed position as a male feminist as an excuse to act inappropriately.

#8: Milo Yiannopoulos

In the late 2010s, British journalist and conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos became infamous for his free speech advocacy and college campus tours. Yiannopoulos was a controversial figure for many reasons, including his open homophobia, despite once openly identifying as gay, and his opposition to feminism. His level of right-wing extremism meant Joe Rogan faced criticism for platforming the divisive figure. During one of his appearances, Yiannopoulos even talked about “boat parties” he attended, held by major Hollywood figureheads, at which he admitted boys who were “very young” were abused. In the wake of his defense of such abuse, Yiannopoulos resigned from his position at conservative news outlet Breitbart. He was also banned from Twitter, which severely lessened his influence.

#7: Gavin McInnes

Disgraced alt-right commentator Gavin McInnes was once the cofounder of Vice. During the 2010s, however, he became known for his harmful rhetoric as founder of neo-fascist organization the Proud Boys, which has been taken to court for acts of violence. When McInnes appeared on Rogan in 2017, he had formed the “gang” only eight months earlier, and few had heard of him, which raised questions about who Rogan was willing to platform. When the “Joe Rogan Experience” moved to Spotify as part of a $100 million deal, the McInnes episode was one of a handful that did not make it to the service. But the damage may have already been done. “You wouldn’t believe how much that one podcast changed my life,” McInnes said in a resurfaced clip.

#6: Candace Owens

Candance Owens is a conservative commentator known for her alt-right positions and criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement. During her Rogan appearance, Owens advocated for Donald Trump and engaged in climate change denial, saying the climate was not impacted by the use of fossil fuels. As climate change continues to be an ever-growing threat to humanity, the spreading of misinformation on the topic has become an even greater issue. In 2023, only 54% of Americans viewed climate change as a major threat to the country. Despite Rogan’s pushback at the time, it’s questionable for him to have guests with these stances on his show in the first place.

#5: Steven Crowder

Steven Crowder is another conservative commentator Rogan guest who has seen his fair share of controversy throughout the years. He’s been demonetized on YouTube twice due to racist and homophobic slurs, in addition to spreading misinformation about the 2020 election results. So, again, this is another Rogan guest who was always questionable – and that’s before we even mention his terrible stand-up. Crowder became even more difficult to like after allegations of spousal abuse surfaced in 2021, alongside a disturbing video in which he criticized his ex-spouse for failing to perform her "wifely duties".

#4: Dr. Robert W. Malone

Dr. Robert Malone was an original contributor to the technology behind mRNA vaccines. Malone used his time on Rogan, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, to criticize vaccine mandates and distribution. He called the public reaction to the pandemic “mass formation psychosis.” Fact-checkers were quick to point out the misinformation that was being peddled on Rogan’s platform, which at this point was being mass-distributed by Spotify. To date, over 7,000,000 lives have been lost to the coronavirus – a staggering number and a stark reminder of what vaccine misinformation helps contribute to.

#3: Jordan Peterson

So-called free speech advocate Jordan Peterson has made multiple appearances on Rogan’s podcast over the years. In his first, he voiced frustration with what he called enforcement of gendered pronouns in Canada. He claimed that someone could face jail time for not using an individual’s pronouns. Another controversial topic he’s discussed on the program is climate change, with Peterson saying that our planet’s climate is too difficult to accurately model. Peterson has been criticized by everyone from social justice advocates to climate scientists for the stances he has taken on the podcast, with many wary of the influence he has especially on young white men.

#2: Alex Jones

Far-right conspiracy theorist and radio host Alex Jones is known to be extremely vocal about his controversial opinions in a manner that is damaging to both others and his own reputation. In his out-of-control appearances on the “Joe Rogan Experience,” Jones loudly criticizes world leaders with an almost infectious enthusiasm. At the end of the day, his misinformation and unfounded views should not have a platform. Remember, this is a man who even stooped so low as to criticize the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting.

#1: Kanye West

Rapper and fashion designer Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, appeared on Joe Rogan’s show in 2020. There have been many tumultuous periods throughout Ye’s career. However, this was a particularly eventful time for the artist, during his catastrophic run for president. His appearance on the show was characteristically erratic, with Ye expressing so many personal and political ideas that it was hard to keep track of what he was saying. At this point in his career, Ye has fallen even farther into disgrace, with his praise of Hitler and spreading of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. In hindsight, we really wish Ye would have gotten help during his past struggles, instead of his issues constantly being ignored for the sake of entertainment.


Is there another Rogan interview that’s chilling to watch with the context of today? Let us know in the comments!