Will Kamala’s refusal to go on Joe Rogan’s podcast be remembered like Hillary not visiting Wisconsin before the election?
Early Wednesday morning, as Donald Trump declared victory, he invited Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White onstage during his speech. “This is what happens when the machine comes after you,” White boomed, sounding like he was teeing up a cage match. “This is karma, ladies and gentlemen!”
Why exactly, on the eve of one of the biggest political comebacks in American history, was the man responsible for mainlining mixed martial arts to the mainstream given top billing?
After congratulating Trump and his family, White gave a shout-out to a motley crew of men: Twitch streamer Adin Ross, the YouTube collective called Nelk Boys, plus podcasters Theo Von and Joe Rogan—all media that either Trump or J.D. Vance appeared on this election season. With the exception of Rogan, these names might be unfamiliar to many Americans, but not young American men.
None of these podcasts or streams are inherently political, and neither is the UFC. They are not right-wing media, in any traditional sense of the word. They are, though, the young male mainstream, representing a large but silent minority—one ignored by politicians at best and demonized at worst.
Each program in this system differs a bit: The Nelk Boys started out as a prank show on YouTube, Adin Ross plays video games, and Von has a successful stand-up career. Rogan is rather thoughtful, while Ross and the Nelk Boys are more interested in making the audience laugh. The Barstool Media Universe, presided over by Dave Portnoy, has a loose sports focus. What they all have in common though is that they involve men talking, mostly to other men, off the cuff. The audience doesn’t view them as journalists or thought leaders, but rather as para-social friends. They have natural, long-winded conversations that could go anywhere. It’s like hanging out—in a way.
I’m a 28-year-old man, and it’s virtually impossible to not encounter this media ecosystem, particularly if you’re online, whether through YouTube’s suggestion algorithm or as clips on TikTok. The fact that most streamers comment on the news, but don’t focus on it incessantly, is a reprieve from the 24-hour news cycle.
https://www.thefp.com/p/trumps-podcast-offensive-worked-rogan-kamala