Article By TJ Adams // Controversy // EEW Magazine Online

Former Democratic presidential hopeful Andrew Yang has offered an apology after saying that embattled podcast host Joe Rogan who referred to a Black neighborhood as “Planet of the Apes” isn't racist because he works with Black people.

The 47-year-old politician defended Rogan Sunday by tweeting: "I don't think Joe Rogan is a racist — the man interacts with and works with black people literally all of the time."

Yang, who appeared on “The Joe Rogan Experience” in February 2019, added: "Do I know black friends of Joe's who would swear by him? Yes I do."

Did Yang get absolutely roasted and decimated for that tweet? Yes he did—and rightly so.

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The obtuse Forward Party founder, who also unsuccessfully ran for mayor of New York City, backtracked Sunday with a new Twitter thread: "I like to believe the best of people - especially if I’ve met and spent time with that person. Sometimes it makes me miss something. I think we should have the capacity to forgive people - whether a podcaster or a mayor - if they mess up. Maybe it’s because I mess up too."

He added that "racism is real, deep, corrosive and even lethal," admitting, "I made a mistake in an earlier tweet tonight that downplayed these realities."

Yang said he deleted the tweet because it was "wrong-headed."

"It also hurt people, which is never my intent. I’m sorry. I’m learning and appreciate those who reached out to express their feelings."

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EEW Magazine Online tweeted from its account Monday: “It’s fascinating to see non-Black people defending Joe Rogan for offending Black people through his repeated use of the N-word and referring to a Black neighborhood as ‘Planet of the Apes.’ How do you offer forgiveness on behalf of a community of which you aren’t a member?”

Rogan issued his own apology Saturday for using the N-word, saying he "never used it to be racist" and called his behavior "the most regretful and shameful thing that I've ever had to talk about publicly."

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His podcast, Spotify's most popular, had been targeted mostly for allegedly spreading COVID misinformation, until Grammy-winning musician India Arie changed the narrative. The “I Am Not My Hair” singer uploaded a damaging compilation video of Rogan’s  racist remarks, citing them as her reason for leaving the platform.

Amid outrage and calls for Rogan’s podcast to be pulled, in a memo to Spotify employees Sunday, CEO Daniel Ek said that the company had discussed with Rogan his history of using “some racially insensitive language” on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which resulted in Rogan choosing to remove over 100 episodes from the streaming service last week.

Ek said that while he condemns what Rogan said, he does “not believe that silencing Joe is the answer.”