465- Dealing with woke and cancel culture in Podcasting

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we deliver an editorial on podcasters’ dealing with the cancel culture and woke in today’s environment — and possibly in the future. Thus, what is delivered is my opinion on this topic.

With the recent acquisition of the Joe Rogan Experience show by Spotify, the podosphere was in a deluge of discussion about the millions that were offered to Joe for his content, both past and present or future. And that meant that after a certain date, you, the podcaster, would have to pay to get access to his content and consume it.

Well, there was a lot of controversy when not all the episodes of the JRE show were brought over to the new platform. In fact, many were missing — the controversial ones. This did not seem to bode well for this type of arrangement, since many of the JRE fans wanted to have available the older episodes, regardless of the controversy. And it seems that the employees of Spotify wanted to set policy and determine what would and would not be permitted to be available, due to the content. Obviously, these employees were part of the “noodle boy” demands of the woke and cancel culture. I was glad that the CEO of Spotify said that he would not allow this.

Well, now, it seems that the recent deplatforming of another show is causing waves of discontent and disgust in the podosphere. The “Podfather” — that is, Adam Curry of the No Agenda podcast show — has been capriciously removed from the Spotify app and has been deplatformed and taken down — again, by the same “noodle boy” tactics of self-appointed cancel culture employees whose attitude is that they will be the only ones who will act like “parents” and determine what will and will not be allowed to be available on that platform. And, of course, there was no notice given or reasons delivered for this decision and the subsequent actions.

This has definitely caused an uproar in the podosphere and has given Spotify a huge black eye of self-appointed censorship with the content that they once had made available to podcasters and listeners.

Why should these immature acts cause such concern for podcasters?

Well, suppose that you had planned your revenue-generating tactics for your podcasting business in dealing with the content on that platform. In other words, you had committed part of your business to the content being available; you had counted on this super directory and platform to help make you successful. And then, all of a sudden, without warning, the content was removed — not just an episode, but all the content and all episodes, from one minute to the next.

There was a story that a listener was consuming the content of the No Agenda podcast episode on his break while working; and he returned to work, for he had planned to listen to the rest of the episode after work. And when he did, the episode was gone. Not only that, but ALL the episodes and content, etc., of the No Agenda podcast show was totally removed. What a shock, especially when no mention was given either as a warning or any reason for this removal.

For this podcaster, I can only imagine the ire that was caused by those who pay to have spotify deliver content to them, but also ARE COUNTING on it for their business revenue streams or as part of their business plans.

I know that I, myself, have only the worst things to say about Spotify and the “noodle boy” mentality that the employees of that organization are now putting into action. At this point, we can equate this to the old tale about “the inmates are running the insane asylum.”

My hope is that the CEO will put a stop to this and remove these cancel-culture bigots who determine that they, alone, can decide what content is delivered to a paying audience — just because of their woke bigotry or social justice warrior causes.

But for my money, this “podcast wanna-be monopoly” is not worth the time nor money to be a part of, or to give hard-earned money to, or to even consider a part of the podosphere. They have proven themselves to be a CENSORSHIP group that willy-nilly determines what should be banned from the consumption of a paying audience. I am personally banning them from my life, and I am relating this story and promoting banning them from the lives of other podcasters — and I feel sorry for those whose businesses depended upon what was considered once as a good success story.

Now, with other alternatives around, Spotify will soon learn that these woke employees are going to be damaging the company right where it hurts — in the pocketbook. My only guess is that perhaps the determinants of this type of censorship may be related to the CEO or the owners of Spotify — and if that is the case, then what can you do if it involves family? That is always a possibility for the unreasonable.

So, as a podcaster, you may have to be very careful in the near future about which directories or platforms or partners you choose — because, if not, YOU may be deplatformed and shadow-banned or shouted down or erased from your own content due to their narrow-mindedness and childishness.

Thank you for your attention.