Bozzi, Nicola ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1506-8078 (2026) Partisan podcasters: “roast” universalism and comedy as platform currency. First Monday, 31 (5). ISSN 1396-0466 (Print), 1995-2022 (Online) (doi:10.5210/fm.v31i5.15439)

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Abstract

This paper examines the convergence of platform-dependent comedy and political commentary through the lens of the “Rogansphere” and the 2024 re-election of Donald Trump. Situating the study within the framework of platformisation, I argue that podcasting comedians have transitioned from mere entertainers to “embedded skeptics” who navigate platformed personality capitalism (Rosamond, 2022). By leveraging an ethos of “roast universalism” — a belief in equal-opportunity offense, paired with strategic sensitivity to platform policies — these actors facilitate both the politicization of comedy and the “comedification” of political discourse. Analysis focuses on two contrasting phenomena: the “Roganisation” of the Austin comedy scene via Tony Hinchcliffe’s podcast Kill Tony, and the emergence of the “Rogan-Hatersphere,” a critical network of YouTube content creators. I argue that, while figures like Rogan and Hinchcliffe utilize “cancel discourses” (Ng, 2022) to frame their alliance with tech billionaires and Trump-adjacent ideologies as a defense of free speech, the Hatersphere acts as a subsequent counter-force. These “personality enforcers” hold comedians accountable, challenging the cynical use of comedy as a depoliticized platform commodity. Ultimately, this research highlights how the unique creative sub-class of podcasting comedians negotiates the boundaries between U.S.-exceptionalist digital values and partisan political influence.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	social media, platformisation, comedy, Donald Trump, Joe Rogan, Elon Musk, Tony Hinchcliffe, podcasting, digital culture, politics
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General) > PN1990 Broadcasting
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Design and Creative Industries
Related URLs:	Publisher
Last Modified:	02 Jun 2026 15:35
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/53675

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