Topline

Joe Rogan, the world’s most popular podcast host, rebuffed critics of “The Odyssey” who have railed against director Christopher Nolan’s diverse casting choices, saying on his podcast the movie’s entertainment value is more important than the culture war controversy.

Key Facts

On Wednesday’s episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” in conversation with Oscar-winning actor-director Tim Robbins, Rogan said he has not yet seen “The Odyssey,” but said “everyone that I know that's seen it” has told him to ignore the culture war backlash because the movie is “amazing.”

Rogan said he knows people who “wanted to go hate it because they were upset Elliot Page played this person and Helen of Troy is a Black lady,” adding, “who f—ing cares?”

Rogan referenced an ongoing culture war clash over “The Odyssey,” championed by conservative critics including billionaire Elon Musk, who have slammed the casting of Page, a trans actor, and Lupita Nyong’o, a Black actress who plays Helen of Troy.

Rogan said he doesn’t care about the casting backlash, saying, “Is it entertaining? Is it good? It doesn't have to be correct, that doesn't mean anything to me.”

Rogan added, “It’s a made-up story,” while Robbins said, “Exactly, it’s a myth.”

Why Is “The Odyssey” Facing Anti-”Woke” Backlash?

Musk has led a chorus of conservative critics who have slammed “The Odyssey” for allegedly erasing the source material’s Greek roots, pointing mostly to Nolan’s casting of Page and Nyong’o. Musk boosted a post on X that accused Nolan of being “racist against the Greek people and their cultural heritage,” and in other posts, Musk said the director has “lost his integrity” and accused him of “desecrating Homer.” Musk’s anti-”Odyssey” posts have been riddled with misinformation, as he has boosted posts that falsely claimed Page is playing Achilles in the movie, while also reposting tweets that misstate diversity standards for the Academy Awards. Other conservative commentators have joined Musk in criticizing “The Odyssey,” including Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh and podcast host Megyn Kelly, who claimed Helen of Troy was “written as a white person” (though classicists have disputed this, as she is a mythological figure and the ancient Greeks did not have the same concept of race).

contra

Film critics have largely rebuffed the conservative backlash against “The Odyssey.” The movie has a stellar 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 455 reviews, and some critics have specifically dismissed Musk in their reviews. In a five-star review, Arizona Republic critic Bill Goodykoontz called Musk’s comments on Nyong’o “racist and ugly,” criticizing him for using historical accuracy as a justification. “I mean, is the cyclops accurate? Come on.” Nolan has also called the casting backlash to his film “irrelevant,” saying in an interview much of the backlash occurred before anyone had even seen the movie. The movie was also an immediate financial success and has grossed more than $680 million worldwide so far.

key background

Rogan, whose podcast has been the world’s most popular for years, said earlier this year he considers himself “politically homeless.” He endorsed President Donald Trump in 2024, which was considered important for Trump to broaden his appeal to younger men, but has since criticized the president over issues including the Iran war and the administration's handling of the Epstein files. He criticized the MAGA movement on his podcast earlier this year, calling it a “movement of a bunch of f—ing dorks” who are lumped in with some “real, genuine patriots.” Rogan interviewed Vice President JD Vance earlier this month, in which Vance admitted the administration “did mishandle” the Epstein files release.

further reading

Critics Rave About ‘The Odyssey’—And Slam Elon Musk’s Anti-Woke Campaign (Forbes)