Joe Rogan Under Fire After Mocking Theo Von: ‘Shame on Joe’
Joe Rogan has been criticized after mocking fellow podcaster Theo Von on his show.Rogan, who hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, had Theo Von, of This Past Weekend, on his podcast, in what became an at times tense episode, as Von discussed politics and current affairs.After Von said that “Satan is amongst us,” Rogan replied, “We’ve got to get you off those antidepressants, son.”These remarks have prompted backlash online by people who defended Von’s position and by those who thought it was irresponsible of Rogan to weigh in on someone’s medication. Von's comments also drew backlash online.Newsweek has contacted a representative for Rogan outside of regular business hours via email for comment.Why It MattersThe conversation between Von and Rogan has quickly caught attention online. Both had President Donald Trump on their podcast during the 2024 presidential campaign and were part of the podcast cohort that was key in Trump’s reelection and his move to appeal to young male voters.Both men, though, alongside others in the podcast "manosphere," have since vocally criticized the Trump administration and its policies. The podcast tapped into many concerns held by Americans at this tense political moment, amid ongoing economic uncertainty and the war in Iran, and has been met with an intense and polarized response online.What To KnowVon and Rogan spoke at length about politics and current events, and Von shared concerns. “Everybody is scared out of their wits right now. It’s like our religious leaders are afraid to speak out. It’s a time where it’s like, Satan is amongst us and our religious leaders are f****** talking about b*******… It’s just like, what is going on, I don’t know, man,” he said.Von also criticized money being given by the United States to Israel, and said “All of our f****** money goes to Israel and they’re using it to f****** genocide people.”It’s not the first time that Von has spoken about Israel in this regard. In 2025, a video of him saying that there is a “genocide” in Gaza and that the U.S. is “complicit” went viral.Following a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, where 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, Israel launched a war on Gaza. Some 70,000 people in Gaza have been killed in Israeli attacks. A United Nations commission of inquiry has said that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, which Israel has denied.Rogan said that Von should go off his antidepressants and added “You’re losing your f****** marbles,” and said he should “just chill out.”While Von’s remarks sparked criticism and concern among some, they also appeared to resonate with many social media users who were quick to criticize Rogan’s response.Stand-up comedian Na'im Ali wrote in a post on X viewed over 450,000 times, “He’s not going crazy. This is how a lot of mfs feel.”Social media user @eshanbuilds wrote on X: “the most dangerous line here isn’t anything theo said. it’s 'we gotta get you off those antidepressants.' that’s a guy with the biggest podcast on earth telling his friend on camera in front of millions of people to stop taking prescribed medication because he’s expressing strong emotions…”Von made specific comments about the military during the episode which prompted backlash, saying “I’m sick of rich people not putting their f****** kids over in these wars. Put your f****** honkey a** kids up there. Let them go shed some f****** blood.” He addressed the backlash in a post on X, writing: "I meant the elites and politicians that are leading us into these wars might make different choices if it was their children."He added: "I am thankful for to our troops who serve and are far braver than me. And also wtf do i know."In a separate post on X, he wrote: "I was angry and kind of scared. and i wouldn’t even have the freedom of speech if all types of people braver than me hadn’t sacrificed for it." What People Are SayingThe account @AutismCapital, which says it delivers "citizen journalism with a humorous flair," in a post on X viewed over 700,000 times: “Theo Von is crashing out on the new Rogan and it’s understandable. Theo is super sensitive and he’s easily influenced by the settings he’s in. His crash out represents how a lot of people are feeling right now. Theo is the cultural canary in the coal mine.”Adam, who describes himself as an analyst and a comedian, in a post viewed over 50,000 times: “Joe Rogan is a gatekeeper. He represents the system. When you accurately describe what’s going on. They call you crazy. You’re not crazy."Social media user @Rothbard1776, in a post on X viewed over 90,000 times: “You’re not losing your mind, @TheoVon. You’re having a perfectly normal reaction to a world that’s gone mad, and shame on Joe for suggesting otherwise.”
