I'd been thinking about writing up my two cents on the Joe Rogan issue, but Sam Harris has saved me the trouble.  I'm just going to link to Sam Harris's video.  It says everything I would want to say on the issue, much better than I would say it.

I'm with Sam 100% on this one.  Almost 100%.  I think Sam might gloss over the difficulties still being faced by minorities in work, study and social situations.  And unlike Sam, I think the "Some of my best friends are black" defense is viewed with skepticism for a reason.   But I'm 100% with him on his main point--the notion that using the n-word as a racial slur is completely different from using it in some other way.

Joe Rogan and the Ethics of Apology (Episode #273)