
Joe Rogan Stunned by Unlikely Force That Crashed America’s ‘Woke Era’: ‘It’s Insane!’
Joe Rogan and Tech CEO Credit Elon Musk with Ending "Woke" Culture
[Image: Joe Rogan and Amjad Masad discussing Musk during the podcast]
During a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Replit CEO Amjad Masad claimed Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter (now X) effectively dismantled what he described as an oppressive "woke" ideology dominating tech and society. Masad, whose cloud-coding platform Replit is valued at over $1 billion, argued that Musk’s approach to free speech revitalized open dialogue in industries previously stifled by censorship.
The “Woke Period” and Musk’s Impact
Masad recalled a recent era where tech employees faced backlash for discussing sensitive topics like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. When Rogan asked if this restrictive culture had faded, Masad replied, “Yeah, totally gone away,” crediting Musk’s Twitter takeover as the catalyst. “Buying Twitter is the single most impactful thing for free speech… It removed the stigma of sharing opposing views,” Masad explained.
[Image: Elon Musk at a tech event]
As a Jordanian-American with Palestinian roots, Masad revealed he’d been labeled anti-Semitic for advocating a two-state solution, despite supporting protections for Israelis. Rogan condemned societal divisions, calling it “insane” that power struggles and propaganda persist in 2025. Both agreed that platforms like X have helped dismantle propaganda by enabling uncensored discourse.
From Censorship to “Community Notes”
Rogan acknowledged initial efforts to curb hate speech but criticized how tech companies later suppressed “malinformation”—truthful content deemed harmful. “You’re turning adults into infants,” Rogan said, while Masad emphasized Western values of individual liberty.
Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022 marked a shift toward minimal content moderation, reinstating banned accounts and amplifying diverse viewpoints. While acknowledging a rise in hate speech, Rogan argued users now better distinguish facts from propaganda. “People recognize facts inconvenient to mainstream narratives,” he said.
[Image: Twitter/X logo with Musk’s photo]
Musk’s Crusade Against “Wokeness”
Musk has long criticized “woke mind virus” culture, blaming it for stifling humor and free expression. In a 2021 interview, he called wokeness “divisive, exclusionary, and hateful,” a sentiment echoed by Masad and Rogan. Following Musk’s moves, Meta and Google faced scrutiny for past censorship. Mark Zuckerberg admitted Meta censored conservative voices “on an industrial scale” under government pressure during COVID-19.
[Image: Mark Zuckerberg testifying before Congress]
Legacy of Free Speech
Masad highlighted platforms like X’s “Community Notes”—a crowdsourced fact-checking tool—as a model for balanced moderation. While debates over free speech continue, Rogan and Masad concluded that Musk’s influence has notably shifted tech culture away from rigid ideological control.
As Masad put it: “The internet is finally becoming a place to open minds, not silence them.”
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