Joe Rogan has faced repeated accusations of running what critics call “stealth ads” during his podcast.
A recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience featuring comedian Joey Diaz provided another clear example, this time involving ZYNs, the popular nic0tine pouches.
The moment emerged naturally, or at least appeared to, when Rogan reached for ZYN pouches during a conversation. Diaz immediately noticed, setting off an exchange that touched on product variety, nic0tine strength, celebrity preferences, and personal recommendations.
As he pointed out the different products on the table, Rogan explained, “These are Alps. Those are Tucker Carlson’s one.”
He then compared the available strengths, saying, “Those are good. It’s six milligrams. These are threes. This is athletic nic0tine. That’s threes. I like those. They don’t make you jittery.”
Rogan followed up by highlighting the stronger option’s effects.
“Those take a h*ll of a hit,” he said. “Tucker likes them strong.”
When Diaz mentioned accidentally swallowing ZYN pouches and brought up focus-oriented varieties, Rogan confirmed that those products existed.
“Yeah, that’s these ultras,” he said.
Rogan then explained why those particular pouches were no longer in the studio. “I don’t have them in this room anymore,” he said. ”
After Diaz agreed that they worked well, Rogan broadened the discussion into a defense of nootropics and cognitive-enhancing supplements.
“There’s a bunch of really good things for your focus,” Rogan said. “People that think it’s all nonsense, you know, like that nootropics are nonsense and you’re allowed to think whatever you want.”
He then offered a personal endorsement based on his own experience.
“But trust me, from someone who uses his brain for a living, there’s a difference between taking nootropics and not taking them,” he added.
The pouch discussion also fits into a pattern that critics have pointed to in past JRE episodes. During a conversation with Brian Redban, Rogan spent several minutes enthusiastically showcasing a Samsung Fold phone, delivering what amounted to an extended product demonstration.
Holding up the device, Rogan told listeners, “This ladies and gentlemen is the new Samsung Fold and i swear to god when you’re holding it in your hand it feels like a regular phone.” Comparing it to his iPhone, he added, “It’s so thin yeah if you compare it to my iphone it doesn’t feel any different it feels smaller it actually feels smaller.”
Rogan then walked through the device’s practical benefits, describing it as “the perfect size for texting where your thumb goes across easy like easy one hand hold.” After unfolding the phone, he enthusiastically highlighted its larger display, saying, “Decadence right now you have a little ipad ipad with you yeah now you’re answering emails you’re watching youtube videos.”
Much like the ZYN exchange with Diaz, the segment combined product identification, feature demonstrations, and a personal endorsement.
