Joe Rogan criticized actor Rainn Wilson for his response to Oliver Anthony’s viral song “Rich Men North of Richmond.” The song gained popularity and topped the Billboard charts for two consecutive weeks. Part of the song’s lyrics sparked controversy, particularly the lines referencing obesity and welfare.
Rainn Wilson, known for his role in “The Office,” criticized the song on Twitter, suggesting that if he were to write a song on the same topic, he would focus on CEOs with high salaries and corporations that avoid taxes.
During an episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” Joe Rogan mocked Wilson’s response as being out of touch. Rogan discussed how the song’s success had turned into a cultural phenomenon and criticized Wilson’s comments about billionaires and their taxes, calling them humorous coming from a millionaire.
Rogan challenged Wilson to visit areas in West Virginia and Appalachia to witness the struggles of regular people, particularly in coal mining communities, where poverty and addiction have taken a toll. Rogan’s remarks implied that Wilson’s critique of billionaires was ironic given his own millionaire status.
“If I were writing a song about “rich men north of richmond” I wouldn’t talk about obese people on welfare, I’d sing about CEOs who make 400 times their average workers salary (up from 50 times 30 years ago) & corps that pay zero taxes & offshore tax shelters for billionaires.
I mean, it’s a subject of discussion. So, like, everybody is getting involved and then somehow or another it became cultural,” Rogan said of the song’s success.
“And then there was Dwight from The Office. He chimed in that if he was going to write a cultural anthem, what did he say? Something like he wouldn’t write about overweight people on welfare. He would write about billionaires and their taxes,” Rogan laughed.
Rogan challenged the actor to visit West Virginia to witness how regular people are struggling first hand.
“There’s nothing funnier than millionaires talking shit about billionaires. There is nothing funnier about millionaires pretending these billionaires are out of touch. Take Dwight from The Office down to West Virginia. Take him through those coal mining countries. Take him to those places in Appalachia where people have extreme poverty and pills have ravished those areas. Take him to there,” Rogan challenged.
