SXSW hosted more than just film, music, and media festivals this year. The annual event was also home to a very special flyer featuring a full-color picture of podcaster Joe Rogan’s face. Its message? “Joe Rogan isn’t funny!” Compared to platforming fascists like Elon Musk and sexual predators like Andrew Tate, being unfunny might be Rogan’s smallest offense. What is funny is the dedication required to pay for full-color prints, knowing they’ll likely be removed or destroyed. Commitment to the bit is a hallmark of good comedy, something Austin and its Joe Rogan flyer seem to get.
SXSW Hosts Films and Anti-Rogan Flyer
The Austin flyer didn’t stop at saying Joe Rogan isn’t funny. It also called on him to “lay off the supplements and propaganda.” Rogan doesn’t just platform fascists like Elon Musk. He also helps a variety of conspiracy theorists, misogynists, and other regressive voices spread their message. When the flyer says “propaganda,” it means it. Unfortunately, Red Pill arguments like those of Rogan, Tate, and Jordan Peterson have deep roots in America.
A Reddit post by u/SamAcacia about the flyer garnered over 7.5k upvotes and many supportive comments. As one commenter said, “He really isn’t funny. I don’t even think that’s a subjective opinion.” The problem is that it doesn’t matter much whether or not someone finds Rogan funny. Another commenter was quick to point that out, saying,
Humor is subjective, who cares if people think he’s funny. The real problem is people think he’s smart.
Flyers opposing Trump and Musk are a common sight these days. It’s little surprise that fellow reactionary fanboy Joe Rogan would also get an Austin flyer. Respectability politics don’t matter when one side is angling for genocide. While Rogan might not have been the star attraction at SXSW, his face at least made a full-color appearance. It might’ve been two-dimensional, but so are his jokes, so it evens out in the end.
