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Ninja and Dr. Lupo Respond to Joe Rogan Calling Video Games a “Problem”

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  • Joe Rogan called video games a problem on a recent episode of his podcast, arguing that they are fun but a waste of time. Instead, he suggested that time could be better spent on activities that have more potential for becoming a profitable career.
  • Gamers like Dr. Lupo called it a bad take, noting that anything can be harmful when done in excess and that video games have brought many people success, friendships, and more.
  • Others said nothing you enjoy is a waste of time or has to bring you financial benefits.
  • Tyler “Ninja” Blevin’s explained that there are many ways to make a living out of gaming and offered to go on Rogan’s podcast to discuss it more.
  • Still, others noted that Rogan was speaking from personal experience as someone who has admittedly been excessively consumed by video games in the past.

Viral Comments 

Some of the biggest names in gaming are responding to comedian and podcast host Joe Rogan after he characterized gaming as fun but a waste of time. 

The comments from a recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” made Rogan a trending Twitter topic this weekend. In one widely shared clip, Rogan said, “Video games a real problem…You know why? Because they’re f**king fun.”

“You do them, and they’re real exciting, but you don’t get anywhere.”

He used Martial Arts for comparison, saying someone could become obsessed with Jujitsu for example, and spend years becoming an elite athlete. Then he said they could turn that into a profitable career by entering competitions and maybe one day becoming an instructor and opening their own school. 

“You [could be] doing something exciting and fun, or you could just be playing fucking video games. Three years later you could just be that same kid, just playing video games… waiting for the next whatever the fuck game is… and you’re gonna waste your time,” he added.

Those remarks were made during a discussion with Joe De Sena, the author and fitness guru behind Spartan obstacle course races. Before making those remarks, Rogan was discussing a child’s need for positive role models in their life so that they don’t seek refuge in activities that stimulate them like drugs or video games. 

He did hold back from saying that finding success in gaming is nearly impossible because he said he heard the same comments about pursuing comedy. Instead, he said, “There are kids that make a lot of fucking money playing video games, but you have to be adaptable, you have to able to play multiple video games because the one game you get really good at, what are the odds it’ll be around in five years time?”

However, that last comment was not included in the clip that went viral. And most people online seemed to have only caught wind of his general message about gaming being a waste of time. 

Reactions 

The message prompted a wave of different reactions online. Many agreed that there was some truth to his words, sharing personal experiences about gaming consuming their lives.

However, plenty of other people shared how gaming has had a positive impact on them, allowing them to find great opportunities and friendships, among other things.  

One person to hit back at Rogan’s claims was DrLupo, one of the most successful streamers in the gaming world. In a tweet, Dr.Lupo said, “Listening to this podcast is a waste of time if it’s all you do all day and wait for the next episode. Generalized bad take is bad. Anything can be harmful in excess. Video games have made many people successful, they’re the cause for a majority of my friendships, etc.”

Other gamers echoed that statement like Tommy “ZooMaa” Paparatto who said, “Nothing you do that you enjoy is a waste of time. Sure there needs to be balance so you don’t build unhealthy habits, but his take goes for literally anything you do in life. Do what makes you happy & follow your passion, don’t let someone telling you it’s a waste of time stop u!”

Careers in Gaming 

A lot of internet users also felt Rogan put too much emphasis on finances, saying that not everything in life has to provide a monetary benefit. Still, many pointed out that there are plenty of opportunities to make money in the realm of gaming.

One of the most notable figured to address this point was Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, who uploaded a video response to social media on Sunday.

Ninja began by saying he watched the viral clip as well as more of what came before and after to get more context. After that, he said, “It sounds like he’s talking about the top 1% or the odd or one-off chance that you’re going to be a professional player- an esports player, and a successful one at that.”

“I just don’t think…Joe doesn’t really understand the full context of what the gaming community is and how many different avenues you can be successful in in gaming,” he continued.

“I mean there’s streaming, content creation, YouTube, being a professional player, being a fricking coach. You can be incredibly understanding of the game and not have the physical capacity to be able to get pentakills every single game.”

“That doesn’t mean there’s not a job for you, right? That doesn’t mean there’s not a place for you in the gaming community where you can be successful, especially when coaches are being valued more and more which is a beautiful thing to see because coaches have been in sports forever.”

Ninja closed by saying he would love to appear on Rogan’s podcast to talk more about this but reminded those in the gaming community that there are many different ways to make a living out of gaming. 

Still, there were some who noted that Rogan is someone who has logged a lot of hours gaming himself and is not exactly an outsider speaking on the community, but rather speaking from his own experience of being consumed by games. 

In fact, in an episode of his podcast from a few weeks ago, Rogan said he had a problem with video games and would play for hours a day. “I’m like an alcoholic and its a bar,” he said when talking about his gaming room, saying it affected his health. 

Esports consultant Rod Breslau even hit on this note, tweeting, “Joe Rogan has been playing Quake for like 20 years and has brought on pros and devs as guests, his comments come from a place of being borderline addicted to video games more than anything. if you’re gonna get mad at Joe Rogan there’s way better stuff to choose from.”

Like Ninja, he also invited Rogan to reach out to him to talk more about how esports can be a “lucrative full-time career.”

Ninja later also hit on the point that Rogan is familiar with esports, writing, “Joe Rogan is a gamer, hands down the dudes loves them and is pretty well informed on the competitive side/aspect of it. I just believe there is a huge gap of the last 5 years where gaming has catipulted into a different era and would love to explain”

As of now, Rogan has not commented on any of the responses or outrage.

See what others are saying: (Dexerto) (GameRant) (Complex)

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Max to Agrees to “Properly” Credit Writers and Directors After Facing Backlash For Lumping Them in As “Creators”

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The company said the credits were laid out incorrectly due to “an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max.”


After film and television writers slammed Max for crediting all writers, producers, and directors as general “creators” on its platform, the company said it will be adjusting its credits display.

“We agree that the talent behind the content on Max deserve their work to be properly recognized,” the streaming service said in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. 

Max — the new rebrand of HBO Max that incorporates Discovery content — launched on Tuesday to much criticism. Amid glitches and app-switching confusion, the biggest backlash it faced was over the choice to lump creative roles into one credit section called “creators.” As one viral tweet noted, if a user were to select the film “Raging Bull,” the service’s display would not specifically credit Martin Scorsese as the director, rather, his name would be included at random with half a dozen other people, including writers and producers. 

The decision was condemned by many in the industry who argued it minimizes writers and directors by not properly giving them credit where it is due. Especially amid the ongoing writers’ strike, and with directors and actors starting negotiations with studios, some took it as a slap in the face. 

“The studios don’t want anyone to know our names,” writer Christina Strain tweeted. “It’s easier to pay us nothing if we’re faceless.”

“Another move from studios to diminish the role of writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople. Miss me wit this nonsense,” Jorge Rivera, the Vice-Chair of the Writers Guild’s Latinx Writers Committee, added. 

In a statement, Directors Guild President Lesli Linka Glatter said that Warner Bros. Discovery’s choice to “collapse” these roles into one credit “while we are in negotiations with them is a grave insult to our members and our union.”

“The DGA will not stand for it,” Glatter continued.

WGA West President Meredith Stiehm claimed the move was “a credits violation,” as well as an insult “to the artists that make the films and TV shows that make their corporation billions.”

On Wednesday, Max said it would rework its crediting. 

“We will correct the credits, which were altered due to an oversight in the technical transition from HBO Max to Max and we apologize for this mistake,” the platform said.

See what others are saying: (Gizmodo) (The Hollywood Reporter) (The Los Angeles Times)

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A Quarter of Young British Men Support Andrew Tate’s Thoughts on Women

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U.K. residents at large, however, do not view him favorably.


Even under house arrest in Romania, misogynist influencer Andrew Tate still holds substantial sway over young men. 

According to data from YouGov that was obtained by The Independent, 26% of U.K. men between 18 and 29 years old who know of Tate agree with his views on women. That figure was largely the same for men between 30 and 39, as 28% agreed with Tate’s opinions on the subject. 

Men in their 30s were slightly more likely to agree with Tate on his thoughts about masculinity. Three out of ten supported those views, compared to just a quarter of men 18 to 29.

Those statistics only include the thoughts of men who have heard of Tate, but per YouGov, most have. In the 18 to 29 group, 93% were familiar with him, and 86% of men in their 30s knew of him. 

The U.K. at large was less aware of Tate, with just 63% of British adults having heard of him. Of that group, only 6% held a positive view of him. 

Tate has faced substantial backlash for his sexist rhetoric over the years. In the past, he said that men should have “authority” over their wives or girlfriends, and that women should “bear some responsibility” for being raped. He was previously banned from Twitter over his extremist views on women but has since been allowed back on the platform. 

He is currently being investigated in Romania for organized crime and human trafficking. He was arrested and held in custody in December but was released to house arrest earlier this year. No formal charges have been filed against him yet and he has maintained his innocence. 

Tate currently boasts a Twitter following of 6.7 million. It has grown significantly since he was enveloped in legal controversy, and many of his supporters have demanded his release. 

See what others are saying: (The Independent) (Glamour U.K.)

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Involved in “Near Catastrophic” Paparazzi Chase

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“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” a spokesperson for the couple said.


“Aggressive” Paparazzi Chase Couple in New York

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a “near catastrophic” paparazzi car chase Tuesday night in New York City, according to a spokesperson for the couple.

In a statement, the spokesperson described the photographers as “highly aggressive.”

“While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone’s safety,” the statement added.

“This relentless pursuit, lasting over two hours, resulted in multiple near collisions involving other drivers on the road, pedestrians and two NYPD officers,” it continued. 

Details of the incident are still emerging, but BBC News reported that there are claims the chase involved roughly six cars driving recklessly by running red lights, driving on the sidewalk, carrying out blocking moves, going backward on a one-way road, and taking pictures while driving. 

The chase happened after Harry and Meghan were leaving the Women of Vision Awards with Meghan’s mother, Doria. They did not want photographers to learn where they were staying and attempted to avoid them in what turned into a 75-minute chase on a main road in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. They eventually ducked into a New York Police Department Precinct to hide out before getting into a different vehicle.

The NYPD released a statement confirming that they assisted in protecting the couple as “numerous photographers” hindered their transport. Officials said they made it to their destination and there were no collisions, injuries, or arrests. 

The couple’s spokesperson is asking the public to not share or post footage of the incident. 

“Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved,” the spokesperson said. 

Memories of Princess Diana

The chase evokes the brutal press hounding Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was subjected to throughout her life. The paparazzi’s obsession with her ultimately resulted in her death in 1997, when she was killed in a car crash after being chased by photographers in Paris. 

Since marrying Meghan and later bowing out of the Royal Family, Harry has made it explicitly clear that he fears those events could happen again. Meghan has been the subject of endless tabloid scrutiny, enduring racism and harassment from the press. Part of the reason they left the Royal Family was to keep their family protected from such attacks.

Mayor Eric Adams brought up Diana’s tragic passing while speaking about Tuesday night’s chase. 

“I don’t think there’s many of us who don’t recall how [Harry’s] mom died,” Adams said while speaking to reporters. “And it would be horrific to lose an innocent bystander during a chase like this and something to have happened to them as well…I think that was a bit reckless and irresponsible.” 

Adams also questioned whether or not he believes a chase could go on for two hours in a city as congested as New York, but noted that even a 10-minute chase would be dangerous. He said he will be briefed on the exact timeline and details later. 

See what others are saying: (BBC News) (Associated Press) (Yahoo News)

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