But then there is an awful lot that Rogan — a college dropout, former mixed martial-arts fighter and comedian — does not know. He admitted last year: “I am a f---ing moron. I am a cage-fighting commentator. … I am not a respected source of information even for me. But I at least try to be honest about what I am saying.”
If Rogan is, by his own admission, a “moron” and not a “respected source of information,” then why he is granted one of the biggest megaphones in America? The same question might be asked about Goldberg and Ben & Jerry’s. That anyone would pay any attention to what they say about public policy is a damning indictment of our society.

...

We are the land where every covid crackpot says, “I’m doing my own research” — which usually consists of googling the views of other crackpots. Why not listen, instead, to the scientific experts? Because, in our “idiocracy,” entertainment is more important than expertise. Lack of knowledge is practically a prerequisite for influence. Knowing things makes you suspect as a snooty, out-of-touch elitist.
That’s why a former reality TV show host became president, and a former cage-fighting commentator became the top podcaster in America. We are paying a significant price for the lack of gatekeepers — and the resulting surfeit of ignoramuses — in both our politics and our media.