“The truth is out there, and I want to believe.” The iconic line from the legendary TV series The X-Files has echoed across decades, sparking curiosity and skepticism in equal measure. From alien encounters to government cover-ups, it has nudged countless minds to question the world around them. Among those inspired is long-time television host A.J. Gentile. Like many others, he was deeply affected by the chaos of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. But rather than letting time slip away, Gentile used that period of uncertainty to spark something new.

Drawing inspiration from The X-Files, he launched The Why Files on YouTube, with its first episode uploaded on October 5, 2020. The show didn’t just dabble in oddities; it dived headfirst into the realm of the mysterious—unexplained phenomena, fringe theories, covert operations, and more. It’s captivating blend of deep research, gripping storytelling, and sharp production quickly found a devoted audience. That growing popularity soon gave rise to its podcast counterpart, The Why Files: Operation Podcast, now a top contender across platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, and others.

Still, one burning question lingered: Where did the idea come from? How did Gentile make the leap from television to creating one of the most talked-about conspiracy-themed shows online? The answer finally came during a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, episode #2327. A close friend of UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan, Gentile shares Rogan’s passion for UFOs, hidden truths, and the unknown. During their conversation, the podcaster asked him directly,

“How did you get involved with making a show like this, involved with the Anunnaki, aliens, even secret bases? Is this something you’ve always been interested in?” To which Gentile replied: “Always.”

& Then came the pandemic. As A.J Gentile described it:

“When COVID hit…We didn’t make any money, but it was a cool setup. But then they locked down the city — impossibly — and we didn’t really know what to do. So, we just started packing — and that’s it, we got out. I didn’t know what to do. You know, I’d been working in showbiz — not super successfully, like on the cusp — but I’d been a professional host, editor, producer, writer for TV. So I thought, YouTube? Easy. I’m a natural.”

But, as with many creative ventures, success didn’t happen overnight. Early episodes didn’t gain much attention—until Gentile released one that would change everything: “Operation Highjump.” The episode, centered on a rumored military operation involving Antarctica and potential alien encounters, struck a chord with viewers.

It went on to surpass 50,000 views, marking a major breakthrough for the channel and setting The Why Files firmly on its path to success. At the heart of that breakout episode was the mysterious Operation Highjump—an ambitious U.S. Navy mission to Antarctica carried out between 1946 and 1947, under the command of Admiral Richard E. Byrd. While the official narrative claimed the mission aimed to test military equipment in extreme cold and train personnel, its sheer scale raised eyebrows.

With over 4,000 men, a fleet of ships, and numerous aircraft deployed, conspiracy theories soon followed. Some speculated that the real objective was to locate secret Nazi bases or investigate strange UFO sightings in the region. To this day, however, no concrete evidence has surfaced to support those claims.

Joe Rogan called out by guest for pushing conspiracy theories

Beyond his UFC commentary, one of Joe Rogan’s favorite topics is undeniably UFOs and conspiracy theories. It’s no surprise, then, that he frequently revisits one of the most debated events in history—the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing. For decades, skeptics have questioned the mission’s authenticity. However, in 2019, Professor Anu Ojha of the National Space Centre addressed many of these doubts during a lecture at Greenwich.

Ojha remarked, “More data has been produced in the last two years than in the entirety of human history. This ocean of information is growing more turbulent every day,” while providing clear refutations of the most common moon landing conspiracy theories. Despite this, Joe Rogan continues to voice skepticism about the Apollo mission, a stance that has drawn considerable criticism. Detractors accuse him of spreading misinformation and promoting conspiracy theories without sufficient evidence. The conversation took a sharp turn in April when British conservative columnist Douglas Murray appeared on Rogan’s podcast.

In a rare moment of confrontation, Murray challenged the podcaster’s position, saying, “If you throw a lot of shit out there, eventually saying ‘I’m just raising questions’ doesn’t hold up. You’re not asking questions—you’re telling people something. I feel you’ve opened the door for many others. You have a big platform and have been sharing counter-historical claims—and a very dangerous kind at that.”

What’s your view on Joe Rogan’s fascination with conspiracy theories? Do you think his podcast sometimes takes things too far? Share your thoughts below.