A year after signing $250 million podcast deal, Joe Rogan admits he’s walking on eggshells while speaking his mind: "It's super stressful"

Though he couldn't be credited for creating the format, Joe Rogan is widely regarded as one of the key figures that revolutionized the podcasting medium. His online talk show, the Joe Rogan Experience, launched the 57-year-old straight to mainstream consciousness, reaping millions of views nearly every episode.

His massive popularity came with inescapable scrutiny, however. The UFC commentator was subject to a few controversies, mostly stemming from his opinions of social issues, often dark sense of humor, and diverse roster of guests. Still, this didn't stop him from generating crazy amounts of revenue from his podcast.

With Rogan signing a new $250 million deal with Spotify, he finds himself in quite a tight spot every time he talks in front of a mic. While the lucrative deal allows him to post his content across multiple platforms, this also means he'll be subject to even more eyes and ears.

When asked by recent guest Simpson what it's like to have to watch what he says in front of the public, Rogan said:

"That's my whole life. It's super stressful especially when you're a little intoxicated. You know, you get a couple of whiskeys in, you start talking sh*t. You got to be responsible for every word that comes out of your mouth. Even if it's stupid. But, you know, I think people get it. They get that people are human beings."

Check out Joe Rogan's comments below:

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Joe Rogan on dealing with scrutiny from online community: "You're not supposed to be taking in the opinion of the world"

It is indeed difficult when you're thrusted under a microscope with millions of people observing and criticizing every word you say and everything you do. Joe Rogan handles this by simply keeping his focus on his work and ignoring all the noise.

In a rare podcast guesting in his friend's show, Lex Fridman podcast, two years ago, the MMA personality was asked he how kept his sanity when waves and waves of criticism hit his brand during the pandemic.

Rogan said:

"I kept doing shows. I kept doing stand-up. I ignored everything. I didn't read any of it. 100%. I ignored it all."

Rogan added:

"I don't ever let [my wife] read negative articles to me. I don't want them. I don't care. That's a person's opinion. [If] you take a person's opinion and you write it down, doesn't give it any more relevance... They don't like me, whatever. I don't want to read it. I don't want to absorb it. I don't even know them. Especially if I'm not there. And especially if it's biased and it's not an objective opinion of me... But I shouldn't absorb that. I shouldn't take that in. You're not supposed to to be taking in the opinion of the world."

Listen to Joe Rogan below (11:37):