There’s no denying the popularity of Joe Rogan’s podcast, the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience), with its array of high-profile guests and staggering 14.5 million followers on Spotify, according to a report shared by Bloomberg. But can podcasting be considered an art form? The fans don’t seem to think so! The criticism stemmed from Joe Rogan’s comments on what makes a good podcast, which many listeners found pretentious.

In a video shared on Reddit by a fan, Rogan can be heard talking about his thoughts on podcasting in an interview. He stated, “I never thought of podcasting and conversations as like an art form before I did it. But then once I did it and started seeing people that su*k at it, like some people just talk over their guests, they don’t listen.”

The UFC color commentator further went on to lament how some people “just talk over their guests” and fail to listen, resulting in a “sh**ty product”. He further stated, “There’s an art to having a conversation and it’s so painful when you hang out with people and they’re not good at it, and they’re clunky and they talk over everybody and they don’t listen… it’s just not fun.”

However, the video then shifts into a compilation of Rogan’s friend and host of ‘The Fighter and the Kid’ podcast, Brendan Schaub engaging in the same behavior Rogan had criticized in his comments. As such, Schaub also became a target of critics as the former UFC heavyweight’s podcasting style came under fire for his “awkward” habits and lack of conversational skills. Here’s a look at what the community had to say!

Joe Rogan and Brendan Schaub get a reality check for their podcasting style 

Fans blasted Joe Rogan by making fun of his name and highlighting the fact that his comments appear to be an attempt at presenting podcasting as a philosophical endeavor by referencing Socrates, the Greek philosopher credited as being the founder of Western philosophy.

“Art form??? F*cking hell. Joe thinks he’s Socrates”

Brendan Schaub’s ‘low-lights’ from the video were also pointed out as fans dubbed his podcasting style as “The Schwab Shutdown”, a tactic that makes his interviews awkward and frustrating to watch.

“Ah, the ole Schwab Shutdown. Ask a question and then answer it. That’s how you out-awkward your opponent.”

Some users claimed that the host of the JRE has an over-inflated ego as they contended that Rogan is unable to catch jokes from his guests and, as such, isn’t qualified to refer to podcasting as an “art form”.

“Art form lol.. toes ego knows no bounds.. Mudder f*cker sits there not getting jokes and thinks it’s an art form”

Fans also humorously asked a “serious” question, as they wanted to know if Rogan referred to every mundane activity as an ‘art’.

“Serious question, does Joe think there is an art to everything like taking a sh*t?”

Users brought up Brendan Schaub’s interview with baseball pitcher, Trevor Bauer, where he repeatedly interrupted and answered his own questions, leading to a ten-minute monologue.

“The one with Trevor Bauer was hilarious he asked him a question then cuts him off proceeds to cut him off instantly and answers it for him with a 10 min response.”

Others claimed that while the compilation of gaffes by Brendan Schaub is “infuriating to watch”, they cannot look away due to their fascination at watching his lack of conversational skills.

“So infuriating to watch but i cant look away while Schaub gives people another reason to dislike him even more.”

As seen from the comments, fans were left unimpressed by Joe Rogan’s claim that podcasting is an art form, while also being frustrated with Brendan Schaub’s interview style. As such, the wave of criticism suggests that even the most popular podcasters in the world may need to adapt their styles to reflect the demands of the audience. Do you agree with Joe Rogan’s claims that podcasting is an “art form”? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!