Podcast host Joe Rogan has been criticized for his reaction to a song created with Indigenous Australians to raise awareness about substance abuse. During an episode of his podcast, Rogan and guest Andrew Wilson were heard laughing at a snippet of the track, which was designed to address the issue of petrol sniffing.
Wilson introduced the song to Rogan by stating, "What I'm about to show you is going to make you laugh to death." He also incorrectly claimed the song was produced by the Australian government. After hearing the music, Rogan described it as "catchy" and questioned its effectiveness, saying, "Imagine you got that and you think you're going to fix that problem with a catchy song?"
The criticism came from Tony Shaw, director of Indigenous Services Australia, who called the hosts' reaction "disgraceful." Shaw stated that Rogan, with his large audience, could have taken time to understand the context behind the song before mocking it. "Watching grown men sit in a studio thousands of kilometres away, completely ignorant of the context, laughing at those children and turning their efforts into a joke was disgraceful," Shaw told news.com.au.
Shaw explained that rock musician Adam Thompson's educational group, MusoMagic and Outback Tracks, collaborated with Indigenous communities, including children, to create the song. Thompson emphasized that the creative process involved the community, using their language and empowering them to express themselves. "When you have no lived experience, it's easy for the squeaky wheel majority on the internet to look from the outside and comment on things they know very little about," Thompson said.
Petrol sniffing has been a significant issue in remote Aboriginal communities in Australia, particularly in the 2000s. While community initiatives and the introduction of low-aromatic Opal fuel have helped reduce its prevalence, the song was intended as a means of addressing the problem and fostering pride among the youth. "If writing and performing a song gives those kids pride, brings them together and plants even one seed that petrol sniffing isn't something they want for themselves or their friends, that's a bloody good outcome," Shaw added.
During the podcast discussion, Wilson and Rogan also made remarks comparing petrol sniffing to the "crack epidemic" and discussing Australian government policies regarding Aboriginal land. They also made a comment about Aboriginal rites of passage involving "warm beer" in the desert.