Joe Rogan

You may have seen him on Fear Factor or commenting on UCF, but Joe Rogan is most successful as a podcaster and comedian. Three of my male friends listen to his podcast regularly. Three might not sound like much, but given my circle of friends, it is a decent ratio. What is interesting is that, much like Rogan, there are many social issues in which these men could be considered progressive. But when it comes to the area of gender, they could not be more ill-informed. There also seems to be a coherence of thought that underlies the Rogan's of the world, Bernie Bro's, and the Alt-Right. All seem to hold different views on everything from economics to race to the drug culture. The underlying misogyny and myth that masculinity is under siege are astonishingly homogenous.

Rogan has made his way into the upper echelon of the comedy world while not being very funny. His ending bit to his most recent special is a mediocre joke that hides its transphobia behind the easy to target Kardashians. To be clear, if he were a real comedian, I would have no problem. Good comedy can be transgressive across all borders. Males like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Bill Burr, Louis C.K., Doug Stanhope and Patrice O'Neal all crossed bounds, but all were hilarious and thought provoking. This is not good comedy. This is the same "man box" b.s. wrapped in a package people feel they can applaud. This historically oppressive thinking masking as humor.