I want to know the exact date and time, “expertise” was put in a corner. I don’t know who did it or when they did it, but it has been done.

Experts are ignored. Long live the “influencers.” They built their virtual audiences by being entertaining or “flamboyant”. Then flipped to ranting about politics, economics, philosophy, science and history — things they know nothing about.

Latest example: Joe Rogan’s rant on vaccines and “freedom.”

Of course everything he says in this rant is completely fucking wrong — from the history of democracy (Athens, Roman Republic…) to mandates of vaccines to the US and world organizations not funding weight loss and healthy lifestyles (we spend about $4.5 trillion a year on wellness). Ohh and being healthier does not “save” you from Covid.

Perfectly healthy people (and children) die every day from this disease.

But of course this is going to happen when you have a comedian (or any human) talk for 2-3 hours a day. Some fucked up thoughts are going to bubble to the top of these dope-addled brains. Unfortunately, millions of people are listening, and some of them believe it.

Joe often says, “I’m an idiot” and people should not follow his advice.

But he also makes $100 million from Spotify for his podcast.

He can’t have it both ways. All influencers can’t get paid like an expert with a huge audience, shout their opinions on life and death issues across the globe, and then claim they are not responsible for what they say.

If people get sick or die from an infected person who did not get vaccinated because they believed this kind of shit, the family should sue Rogan (and his ilk, and publishers, and sponsors) for their share of that $100 million.

If they accept the money for the having the audience, they should accept the consequences of their influence on that audience. It’s a basic responsibility of making a living by public speaking.

At this point, Rogan’s no longer a comedian just talking nonsense in a club. Joe and his ilk have become “publishers.” They are taking all the ad money and funding that used to go to newspaper and journalists. They should have the same responsibilities. If they say something this fucking stupid (and you don’t retract or clarify) and people die, they pay.

Rogan is just the obvious tip of this iceberg. Experts in every field have been replaced by Youtube videos and tweets from the uninformed, the lazy, and the propagandists with an agenda. It took the US a long time to find ways to hold publishers accountable through libel suits, FCC licenses, public opinion and competition. It wasn’t perfect, and most of the time it didn’t work. But at least people sort of understood “the rules.”

The opinion section had a clear label, and usually it was written or said by someone who knew a little about the subject.

But the move to “democratize” social media, the internet and phone apps have circumvented the idea of “publishers.” Even the traditional publishers (the newspapers, TV networks and new organizations) have fallen into the entertainment industry. Cable news looks like ESPN. Topics are switched from quarterback contracts to elections.

Content, ads and opinion have all been mixed together on purpose, so it’s nearly impossible for the audience to tell the difference.

Peer review has been replaced by anonymous comments. It’s all “platforms” and “de-platforming” with wily-nily consequences that don’t do anybody much good.

Louis CK lost his show and most of his career for jacking off to a small audience. He may have harmed a few dozen women. He probably deserved what he got. Maybe large direct payments to his victims would have been a better solution?

Rogan spewing this kind of shit could potentially kill hundreds or thousands. Call me crazy, but death seems like much more harm than a horrible view to a belittling and “icky” experience.

Louis CK gets cancelled. Rogan gets more free publicity (like this bullshit) and probably a bigger contract from Spotify next time around. That’s fucking wily-nily right there.

I’ve been a listener of Rogan — on and off. When he has them on, he is good at interviewing “experts”. He has a genius skill as a listener and brings an obvious curiosity to a wide variety of topics. He’s often funny — usually ranting about inconsequential shit with other inconsequential guests.

But when he starts lecturing on science, or handing out “free” medical advice without a license, he’s just another “influencer” jumping the shark.

It would be better if he went on such rants while interviewing an epidemiologist or an immunologist — or in this case even a historian with a basic knowledge of democracies and a well-rounded definition of “freedom.” That way at least the expert could get equal time.

But as we have removed experts from most of the media in almost all fields, we too often get ignorant “influencers” talking with other “ignorant influencers.” We see it on cable news too with MSNBC, CNN and Fox — who had to say in court no reasonable person would take Tucker Carlson as a credible news source.

Hitting these influencers in the wallet seems to be the only tool we have to keep them from spewing dangerous ideas and then hiding behind their own ignorance as entertainment.

It’s time we stopped these idiots from going rogue.

Updated Sept. 2, 2021

Now Joe Rogan got covid. Of course he took some steroids and horse dewormer…

The best thing he could do for society is get very ill and come out supporting vaccines from his hospital bed. But in this version of reality, we are all fucked. So he will be fine and come out shouting in his little high-pitched voice that covid is no big deal, and “healthy” people don’t need a vaccine. Shit.