Haters…are all failures. It’s 100% across the board. No one who is truly brilliant at anything is a hater.1
– Joe Rogan
[Author’s note: everything in this article falls under social critique which is protected by fair use. If you have a problem with anything below, please cancel me so I can make millions of dollars like the comedians I criticize. Thanks.]
Joe Rogan is the Lars Ulrich of comedy: certainly not the best to ever do it, but he made millions because he got in at the right time with the right guys. Joe is an actor, stand-up comic, and has hosted prominent television shows for NBC and the Ultimate Fighting Championship. But what made Joe Rogan a household name is his podcast, aptly named the Joe Rogan Experience. Through these episodes, the listener gets to know Joe on an intimate level. We learn about Joe through his banter with his friends, his activities, and what he says, but many times it’s what Joe doesn’t say that makes for better stories.
This article serves as a sort of sequel to this article lambasting Joe and his comedian friends for being tone-deaf and refusing to read comments. Content creators gain their best feedback (both positive and negative) from their comments. Sometimes your harshest detractors give the best advice. However, like many things that Rogan espouses, this is also not true. Someone in his camp (or one of his dick-riding, status-seeking ilk) is reading comments and watching critiques.
In August 2024, Joe Rogan released his live comedy special Burn the Boats on Netflix. The special was panned and ruthlessly mocked, and with good reason. As a Thirty-year-veteran of stand-up, to release a special as hated as Brendan Schaub’s Gringo Papi or Amy Schumer’s The Leather Special is derelict of the reps Rogan has put in at his craft. YouTuber The Elephant Graveyard expertly sums up the internet’s collective disdain for this special in this video2
However, it doesn’t stop there. Less than two weeks after the video’s release, someone launched several takedown requests and copyright strikes on Graveyard’s videos and account.
I wasn’t going to release this article, even after a week researching and outlining it, because it seemed petty to aggregate all of Rogan’s public failures and foibles and continuously dunk on him. But after someone in the Rogan camp exposed their inability to take criticism, I said, “Fuck it! I got some boats of my own to burn.” If Rogan did this himself, then he’s officially worse than Amy Schumer, who changed their rating system from a star-ranking to thumbs up/down.
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To be fair, we don’t know that Rogan directly had the videos pulled. It could’ve been Netflix. It could’ve been Kill Tony regular David Lucas. The Elephant Graveyard had two videos dunking on Lucas which were also struck. Even at 500 lbs., Lucas getting trounced by Harland Williams proved he’s got thin skin under all that visceral fat.3
Several Rogan-ites have launched false copyright strikes in the past, including Tony Hinchcliffe, Andrew Santino, Brian Redban, and Brendan Schaub. It’s an indictment of the spinelessness of modern comedians. In spite of Rogan telling his friends to never read the comments, they can’t seem to help themselves.
It’s important to note that in addition to middling comics, Rogan has an army of elk-eating, kettlebell-swinging, “Alpha Brains” who collectively got their feelings hurt when the internet went after their surrogate father. In response to having his video taken down, The Elephant Graveyard released this video mocking the “Cult of Rogan-ality.”4
Until I see some hardcore proof that Rogan was behind it, I reserve my right to be skeptical. It would be weird if Rogan asked one of his friends to do this. Rogan doesn’t need a trojan horse—he fits inside of a rocking horse! Hell, it’s spurious to even accuse Rogan of gatekeeping, since the gates he keeps have “Fisher Price” printed on them. However, when you discuss heckling and censorship your entire career, and then you open an anti-heckling comedy club, complete with CCP-style surveillance techniques, you make yourself suspect.
But before I discuss Rogan’s double-speak, I want to discuss Rogan’s sphere kettlebell of influence: the flunkies that Rogan surrounds himself with to embiggen himself and his aura.
The Rogan-Sphere
If I wasn’t doing this fuckin’ podcast if I was just a regular comedian and I, and that’s what I did for a living, and I wouldn’t pay much attention to alternative media and podcasts that were discussing this [vaccines], and people like Peter McCullogh or Robert Malone, or all these people that were sounding the alarm. If I was one of those people that didn’t have the access to these kinds of conversations, I WOULD NOT have a nuanced perspective.5
– Joe Rogan, Joe Rogan Experience 1919
I’m not here to question the efficacy of vaccines or skepticism of the modern-day healthcare system. We’re four years removed from COVID; you should have made up your mind by now. However, Joe Rogan made himself a lightning rod bashing their efficacy and championing Ivermectin as therapy. I don’t have a problem with this stance, but it is indicative of Rogan and his sphere of influence: while he may have access to some of the best minds (and the best grifters) of our time, he doesn’t use his sphere of influence to better the conversation. He uses it to highlight a group of goofballs and to push shoddily-researched and half-baked theories. If you get your political, scientific, historical, psychological, or sociological research from Rogan and his cohorts, that’s on you. Rogan has said that his fans shouldn’t take advice from him multiple times. However, when you reach Rogan’s levels of reach, one would hope he would be a bit more selective.
In Rogan’s own words, there are only about 500 legit comics in the world, and that’s being generous. In his 2024 podcast with Katt Williams, they joke that there are only about 250. Based on Rogan’s wording, he’s intimating that he’s one of the 250:
Joe Rogan: [Comedy] It’s vast, but it’s also small, cuz there’s so few of us, and worldwide..? We were talking about this the other day—there’s maybe 500 of us… on the planet…
Katt Williams: [smiles silently]
JR: You know, you gotta be real generous and say 500, cuz it’s really probably about 250?
KW: Right
JR: Like, legit comics… Guys you wanna hang out with… Guys who are fun…Guys who you’d recommend?
KW [shaking his head] your number—your number’s going down.
JR: Number’s going down! Guys who’d you recommend, leave your house, get a babysitter…the number’s going down…It’s not a lot of people.6
The question, in Williams’ mind, though he’s nicer than me to admit it, is, “How would you know when you hang around with the same six knuckleheads who’s never been funny?” This podcast aired roughly six weeks after Katt Williams went on Club Shay Shay and said as much to Shannon Sharpe: “…That would be like me being on Joe Rogan. Joe don’t want me on there. I need to be on Shannon. Joe got six comedians that never been funny he wanna push out. [Laughs] But that’s really how it is.”7
Joe Rogan is a hyper-concentric circle. A 3-foot kettlebell of dark matter so rotund and dense he’s attracted several unfunny orbiting bodies. Like parasites, they’ve attached themselves to Joe and leech off him because they know he’s their meal ticket. Rogan’s old guard were his old Comedy Store and Sober October regulars: Tom Segura, Bert Kreischer, Joey Diaz, Ari Shaffir, Brian Redban, and his openers (now headliners) Tony Hinchcliffe and Andrew Santino. Some of these men had success and accolades before attaching themselves to Rogan, but the “Rogan bump” is undeniable:
These men represent the Los Angeles Rogans. Some stayed in L.A. or New York when the team moved, but many went where the money went.
After Rogan (and his CPAs) did some quick maths and realized that Spotify money would spread further in Texas, he packed his kettlebells and elk freezers and headed for the land of opportunity: Austin, Texas. Where can a man who hates everything about Los Angeles go to get away from it all? The Los Angeles of the South, of course. Upon arriving, Rogan realized there is no comedy scene in Austin (barring two failing clubs and the SXSW festival once a year) and decided he would be like Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams: “If you build it [a comedy club], they [mediocre comics] will come.”9 And come they did!
Much to Rogan’s chagrin, the 250 elite didn’t all come. Some needed to get babysitters or had their own multimillion-dollar advertising studio to run, which meant that Rogan needed new hangers-on: His old buddies Brian Redban and Tony Hinchcliffe (and their lackeys), Tim Dillon, came along for the ride, with prominent shills such as Andrew Schulz, Mark Normand, Shane Gillis stopping by when in town. Again, many of these men knew Rogan in the L.A. scene but became new staples once Rogan was established in Austin. They saw dollar signs and followed the money.
I’ll state this many times throughout this article: comedy is subjective. I don’t think any of these comics are particularly witty or insightful, but if you enjoy their work that’s for you to decide. My overall gripe is much like Papa Rogan, they use comedy as a marketing funnel. Comedy is the gig that gets them eyeballs, but it’s the podcasts (and the subsequent advertising revenue) that pique their interest. They’re not the top 250 comedians in the world because they have unique takes or they’ve honed their craft through tens of thousands of hours. They’re considered the top 250 because they’re Rogan’s drinking buddies; because Rogan’s show gets millions of impressions. The “Rogan bump” can be the difference in millions of dollars earned in comedy gigs, Netflix specials, and podcast sponsors. Appearing on the Joe Rogan Experience can make or break an up-and-coming comic or a former UFC fighter with CTE and delusions of grandeur. Of course, Rogan thinks of himself as one of the 250, as evidenced by him shoe-horning his comedy albums in with Robin Williams, George Carlin, and Richard Pryor’s work—gaslighting at its finest:
This is why Rogan surrounds himself with these younger comics. It’s not about mentoring or helping younger guys learn the craft. It’s an opportunity to keep the gates; to be the decider. Rogan attributes his break in comedy to Mitzi Shore signing him to be a paid regular at the Comedy Store:
When I came out to Hollywood, I didn’t give a fuck about that TV show I was on, that stupid baseball show, I didn’t give a fuck about that. All I was thinking was, like, “I gotta get to the Comedy Store.” And the Comedy Store was terrible. It was terrible… It was a bunch of ‘boat acts.’
There was all these people that she passed that were, like, I’m telling you, talentless! And this is not a knock on them, and I would never name any names, but these people just weren’t… they would bomb…
…She passed me as a non-paid regular after my audition, she let me go up at the end of the show and I was there every night. I didn’t have any friends; I didn’t know anybody…It’s huge—everything—everything—who knows what kind of bullshit act I would’ve had if I didn’t run into Mitzi. If I didn’t get passed at the Store. But um…
One of the reasons why she passed me is a trick we all used to do I learned from The Todd, who was on Paulie Shore’s show on MTV—he would sit in the back of the room, and he did it for me, and he goes, “you’re gonna do this for somebody else someday.” [And] he sat next to Mitzi when Mitzi watched me and he would laugh hard and he laughed really hard… and then Mitzi just grabbed my arm and she goes, “you’re really funny…” and she’s like, “call in for spots, you’re a paid regular.”10
Thus, the comedy co-sign is exposed. This is how an influential comedian can gatekeep and make or break people’s careers: peer influence. For her crimes against comedy, Mitzi is now memorialized with a mural inside the Comedy Mothership. Not even her son Pauly thinks as highly of her. I want you to remember this story when I discuss Rogan’s new special. If only Mitzi could see Joe now…
But I don’t want to jump the gun. Like that first sip of Buffalo Trace, I wanted to briefly whet your whistle regarding Joe Rogan, the Comedy Mothership, his comedy career, and its future demise. Before I discuss these, I need to touch on one character flaw: the dubious double-talk of the ad man.
The Whoa-Rogan Experience
I talk shit for a living. That’s why this is so baffling to me.11
– Joe Rogan
Joe Rogan is a multi-millionaire due to his dubious double-speak. The man who claims to want freedom and creativity seemingly utilizes neither in his comedy nor his businesses. Rogan has told his fans many things for many years. Rogan’s words are sometimes in complete opposition to his actions, which makes me think of Rogan and his ilk less as comedians and more as advertisers and professional auditioners. They’re willing to say (and do) anything that the ad copy or script says to get the attention, the part, and the money. Let’s start with one of Rogan’s favorite hobbies driving fast cars:
Rogans Against Drunk Driving: (R.A.D.D.)
In the past, Rogan has been critical of friends’ cavalier attitude regarding driving drunk. UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones once famously drove drunk, got into a DUI hit-and-run accident, striking a pregnant woman’s car. Rogan had Jones on the show to discuss the incident and give him some advice.
On JRE #710 (one of the episodes pulled from YouTube and Spotify), Rogan and McInnes discussed driving drunk:
Joe Rogan: Oh, so you wanna be able to drunk drive? That’s why you want an American citizenship?
Gavin McInnes: Uh, that’s not why, but I DO thoroughly enjoy drunk driving. I think it’s, uh…
JR: Really!?
GM: Yeah! Do you drive drunk?
JR: NO!
GM: It’s the best. It’s like playing a video game.
JR: What? Oh, come on, man.
GM: I don’t mean blackout… like seven beers? That’s a fun little drive.
JR: What? Oh, goddamn dude, that’s really drunk. Like, your fuckin’ reaction time is terrible. If something happens you can slam right into things.
GM: Drunk driving is a myth!12
Rogan was critical of McInnes driving after drinking seven beers, but what about Rogan driving after seven whiskeys? Maybe Gavin convinced Rogan to loosen his stance on drunk driving. Once he moved to Austin, Rogan drove drunk with his podcast guest Adam Curry after his first show. Curry recalls his experience on the Experience on his show: “We wrap up the show…And then you go to dinner with Joe, that’s kind of rolling, rolling with the Rogan, you know? He’s, “Oh here, I’ll drive.” So we drive in his car…”13
Remember, this is the same episode in which Rogan bemoans that the lockdowns closed comedy clubs, but alcohol is still legal: “[The Comedy Store] it doesn’t exist right now and it’s currently banned. You know what’s not banned? Alcohol! Alcohol is somehow or another better than jokes! People are drinking themselves to death and hanging themselves from ceiling fans!”14 Cheers, boys! Now maybe some people can drive after a couple of shots of whiskey and a couple puffs of weed, but the average person probably shouldn’t. Rogan definitely should not be driving in a new state, blown out on whiskey and high on weed! I suppose when you’re friends with Governor Abbott, you have carte blanche to drive drunk. I don’t know how anyone can speed in Austin with permanent construction on the I-35.
Well, it isn’t just Red Bar or me who thinks that Rogan drives drunk. The Comedy Curator also assembled this for the jury to deliberate:
Rogan the Political Pundit:
As America geared up for the 2020 election cycle, Rogan (still in Los Angeles) had Democratic hopefuls Tulsi Gabbard, Bernie Sanders, and Andrew Yang all on the Experience. In subsequent podcasts, Rogan stated he would vote for Bernie.16 He also stated that Gabbard has “some of the best ideas and the most healthy perspectives” from anyone running for president.17 He also praised Yang’s Universal Basic Income gambit, so which one is it, Joe?
Perhaps, none of the above. Once that Spotify check cleared, he was on the first private jet to Texas to evade California state taxes. On his 2020 election night special, he rejoiced when Texas went red:
Joe Rogan: Ohh… Texas went red, bitch! Wooo! I’m just—listen, I’m not rooting for anybody. This is one of the reasons why this is so fun…
Tim Dillon: Yeah, it doesn’t sound like you are. “Texas went red—WOOOOO! I’m neutral.”18
That’s Joe “I’m not even rooting for anybody!” Rogan. You know you’re out of control when Tim Dillon has to reel you in Of course, Dillon can’t afford to rock the boat and question Papa Rogan. Dillon moved to Austin after a series of Airbnb fiascos and he needed the “Rogan bump” to get his co-signer.19
In 2024, Rogan doubled down and said again he would vote for Tulsi Gabbard.20 He also endorsed RFK Jr. and had him on the Experience, ultimately before Kennedy dropped out of the race.21 You’re allowed to vote for whomever you want or pretend you play a role in the process. But don’t flip-flop. It just looks weak.
Rogan the Free-Speecher:
Rogan has also been vocally critical of big government and big tech censorship. This will play a role when discussing his Comedy Mothership in a later sections. Remember Rogan constantly mentioned that he disliked that YouTube would take down his stream if he played copyrighted music. When Rogan took $250 million from Spotify, he never asked them if he would be allowed to play copyrighted music. He remarked on his 2020 episode with his favorite band, HoneyHoney:
… I wish we could play it. Jesus, I hope when we go to Spotify we can play some fuckin’ music! You know what I’m saying? Just play some Robert Johnson. Give him the shekels. Let him have the cash, I just wanna hear it. I just don’t wanna get pulled.22
So, you take millions of dollars from a company and don’t even ask if you can play music? I thought that was a major bone of contention with you. Once the ink was dry, the media was in an uproar. The first complaint levied at Rogan and the Experience was having episodes with far-Right pundits. Rogan and Alex Jones both took to YouTube to calm the herd and assure them the non-ported episodes would eventually be ported over. The next controversy surrounded episodes with Rogan saying the “N-word” multiple times. Between alt-right guests, COVID ballyhoo, Neil Young/Joni Mitchell pulling their music in protest, and the N-word Spotify scrubbed nearly 120 episodes but missed a big one—the very first episode of the Experience.23 Rogan did his apology song-and-dance, and was a quarter of a billion dollars richer, but never did ask if he could play some Robert Johnson. This article handles the timeline better than I could summarize here.24 Boy Gavin McInnes sure would be pissed to see what’s become of Vox after his ousting!
It was later revealed some of the money from Rogan’s Spotify deal came from the Chinese Communist Party: the masters of propaganda and “Big Brother” censorship. “Spotify’s parent company Tencent and its owner Pony Ma upholds the goals and desires of the CCP.”25 Rogan was such a big proponent of Huawei phones, even before his big Spotify payday. However, he still discusses how China makes all our phones: “I think it’s China. I think they got us with TikTok. The craziest thing is they make our phones. That’s supposed to be our enemy and they make our phones. Do you know how dumb that is? I just want to say, honestly, I admire what they’ve done.”26 It’s interesting how Rogan can shit on TikTok for being Chinese propaganda, then also take a payday from Spotify, which is partially owned by the CCP:
Oh my God. I read TikTok’s terms of service, cuz this is so crazy…Bad: “We collect certain information about the device you use to access the platform, such as your IP address, user region—this is really crazy—user agent, mobile carrier, time zone settings, identifiers for advertising purposes, model of your device, the device system, network type, device IDs, your screen resolution and operating system, app and files names and types, keystroke patterns or rhythms. We will be able to use your profile information to identify your activity across devices. We may also associate you with information collected from devices other than those you use to log into the platform.” That’s what you’re agreeing to. That’s wild!27
It’s interesting how the champion of free speech took money from the CCP, allowed them to pull episodes from circulation, and all the while decrying China for censorship.
Rogan the Supplement Guru:
As stated earlier, Rogan became a lightning rod for controversy in 2020 for his opinions regarding the COVID-19 vaccines and the use of Ivermectin as a treatment method. He famously went to war with CNN after they launched a public health campaign against him. It’s important to note that Rogan is against pharmaceutical companies and misinformation, which makes this next move so staggering. In his own words:
One of the most egregious offenses by the pharmaceutical drug companies is distorting the data…28
When it comes to things like drugs, and especially when it comes to anti-depressants, when it comes to these things that they’re advertising CONSTANTLY on television, CONSTANTLY on YouTube, and just constantly, the amount of money is so extraordinary. Advertising for pharmaceutical drugs is illegal in every country of the world except for New Zealand and the United States.29
Rogan and his long-time business partner Aubrey Marcus co-founded Onnit in 2010. Investigative journalist and YouTuber Scott Carney also notes that Rogan and Marcus met while Marcus was a salesman and the scion of the Fleshlight empire30 So if you ever wondered why Fleshlight was one of the Experience’s earliest advertising partners, there ya go. In the same video, Carney notes several studies that showcase that Onnit’s flagship product, Alpha BRAIN does not do what it purports, that it does not improve memory, focus, and mental processing speed.31 When Marcus and Rogan laugh that they’ve been compared to snake oil salesmen, it’s not far from the truth. But if you can’t beat the pharmaceutical industry, join them. According to a 2021 press release, Unilever announced on April 26, 2021, they signed an agreement to acquire Onnit.32 So, within a year, Rogan took money from a company partially owned by the CCP and one of the largest household multinational pharmaceutical conglomerates. I don’t think it’s fair to call Rogan a mouthpiece for the CCP or the pharmaceutical industry, but this is what controlled opposition looks like: voicing disdain for institutions while taking money from them behind-the-scenes.
Rogan the Podcast Studio Designer:
Devotees will remember that when Rogan first moved to Austin he unveiled his red “tube” podcast studio. The people did not like it. Tom Green goaded Rogan into revealing his true thoughts on the podcasts after the fans ripped on the set and lighting:
Tom Green: I mean, here we are in, first of all, the UFO studio, which I love, and I wanted to ask you some questions about it.
Joe Rogan: Okay
TG: What is the inspiration for this incredible…Oh! Oh oh oh!
JR: Chinse restaurants! No disrespect. I LOVE Chinese restaurants.
TG: Oh wow. I didn’t, I actually didn’t even notice that until now.
JR: I’m joking. I hope people don’t get mad at me for that.
TG: No.
JR: I love Chinese restaurants. It’s not a negative. This was the whole idea behind it… We, uh, Matt Alvarez is the guy who built it, and I, we were thinking about what to do with this space…[Yammering about wall tiles] …and we just put it together. He did it all within five or six weeks of the time we decided we were gonna move here, so it happened so quick. So what he’s done with all this design and everything is we just ran with it.33
Sure, Joe. For those of you who don’t understand body language this is what “incredulity” looks like:
The problem with this is that Joe Rogan was just paid an estimated $100 million, and that was the best he and his designer could do in 5 weeks? When Tom Green called him out, Rogan went on the defensive and said the studio was “a spaceship” and they were on their way to the real podcast studio:
JR: People are like, “God, it’s weird in there!” Like, yeah, I get it. Yeah, it’s weird. I don’t know? I like it? [stammering] But, this is not the end. This is what I needed to get in here. This is like, think of this as the spaceship that takes us from the L.A. Podcast Studio to the Texas Podcast Studio. The Texas Podcast Studio is under construction currently…
TG: Yeah.
JR: So when all that’s–this is our spaceship…
TG: This is not the Texas podcast studio?
JR: We’re in a spaceship. We’ve traveled from one podcast studio, through this spaceship, into the next—
TG: Oh, so this is not the studio?
JR: This is not the ultimate destination, Tom Green…
TG: Oh, we’re not in the studio?
JR: No.
TG: Oh.
JR: This is the spaceship, leading us from one studio to the next studio.
TG: Oh okay, I thought I was in the studio. So there’s a new studio coming?
JR: [whispers] New studio coming.
TG: When’s that gonna be?
JR: When Odin blesses us with his praise. We’re gonna have to wait… No one’s bringing back Odin…34
Sneaky Joe Rogan, trying to change the subject. Translation: there’s no new studio coming. He thought he pulled one over on Tom Green. However, Tom is a comedy (and podcasting) vet and he knows when someone’s trying to bullshit him:
TG: Hey, let me ask you a question: If this is the spaceship—
JR: Yes.
TG: and the new studio, is it gonna be an enclosed environment like this? This is kind of really interesting to me…
JR: Do you like it better?
TG: [Pauses] Yes.
JR: Really?
TG: Now that I’m sitting here. Before, I might have said, “Well, it’s Joe fuckin’ Rogan, he could have as much space as he wants. He could put himself in a big, giant thing, colosseum kinda place with background…deep, deep background…” As far as the experience when you’re in an intimate conversation with one person for an hour, it’s kinda nice feeling like there’s not people back far in the distance, you know? I think it creates an interesting environment, acoustically it’s really cool.35
Tom Green softly calls him out about it, while still praising the intimacy of the colon-shaped room. Credit to him. Wait—I thought Rogan didn’t read the comments? He must have learned the “studio pivot and deflect” cope from his good friends Tom Segura and Christina “Piss.”36
They even spelled “sponsorship” wrong in their lie. Good thing their fans are too stupid to realize they’re being finessed. Rogan’s new studio, er spaceship, wasn’t sponsored by McDonalds, but it should’ve been. Rogan did eventually get a new UFO-themed podcast studio, that ironically looked more like a spaceship than the red room.
The Tom Green exchange is funny for two reasons: One, Joe Rogan tried to bullshit his way out of it and Tom Green immediately called him on it. Two, Rogan has been critical of his friends’ podcast studios in the past. Let’s take another spaceship back in time to Rogan’s L.A. studio when Rogan was grilling Andrew Santino on his low-effort podcast studio (and low-effort attempt at podcasting) for Bad Friends:
Joe Rogan: …What’s with the shelf? Who’s the designer?
Andrew Santino: [sputtering] Well, Joe this is half of the stuff we get—we talk shit about from our fans…
JR: Well, who put that together?
AS: [sputtering] The—our producer.
JR: You have a producer that decorates? [Laughs]
AS: No, we just told him to throw stuff on the walls. You know? “Just put some shit on the wall.”
JR: Why don’t you put some stuff on the walls that represents what you like?
AS: We’re gonna. We’re gonna. It’s brand new! We just started the whole thing. We haven’t done it yet. Also, you know…
JR: You need an American flag behind you. That should be what we all do now. [laughs]
AS: [To Jamie] Go to, uh, go to episode 3…
JR: Imagine if we all decided that every podcast, we’re gonna have an American flag in the background…we all decided to do it that way…37
Turns out these comedians don’t like when you talk shit about their studio space. Pivot and deflect; change the subject. Get off that “Bad Set” talk.
Point of interest: neither the “Spaceship” nor the “Texas Podcast Studio” have American flags behind Rogan, either. Oh well. Maybe Rogan is just an improv comedy expert. The simplest explanation is that Rogan and his comedy clique don’t give a shit about set design, audio quality, or video quality. They’re just trying to get these episodes recorded and uploaded so they can start making that sweet, sweet, ad revenue. This is the perfect transition to my next Rogan gripe…
Run, JR-Greed!
Well, first of all, I have what you call “Fuck You Money!” and if you have “Fuck You Money” and you don’t say ‘fuck you,’ what’s the point of having the “Fuck You Money?” You’re wasting it. Like you’re wasting the position…38
– Joe Rogan, Lex Fridman Podcast #127
I agree with this sentiment as well! Joe certainly has “Fuck You Money” but Joe doesn’t say, ‘fuck you.’ Joe says he “doesn’t read the comments,” and then Spotify tells him to do an apology tour, so as to not disappoint the sponsors. Half a billion dollars in any country is certainly “Fuck You Money,” but it seems insulting to the fans when you don’t put some of that money back into your craft. It’s great being able to open a comedy club, drive sports cars, give money to your middling friends, and seemingly abandon your family in their Lake Austin mansion anytime you please. At what point does that “Fuck You Money” become “Yes, Sir Money?”
Since taking the first Spotify deal, when has Joe told anyone “Fuck You?” Maybe to CNN for the Ivermectin thing? He was a dick to Tom Green and the CEO of Whole Foods, but I wouldn’t call that saying, “Fuck You.” If anything, I’ve seen more apology or “light corrections” videos. If we’re keeping score at home:
- YouTube would pull his stream if he played copyrighted music – bitch move
- Rogan deflected about the Texas podcast studio – bitch move
- Has done multiple apology/correction videos since moving to Spotify – bitch move
- Has lied about porting/took down some of his “favorite” episodes with Alt-Right/controversial guests – bitch move
- Opened an “anti-heckling” comedy club – bitch move
Where’s Tyler the Creator when you need him?
It sounds to me like Joe is wasting the position. However, if he used his millions to drive drunk, smoke weed, and bribe the local police and the governor of Texas, I would say that’s at least putting his money where his mouth is! If anything, Joe is the Macauley Culkin version of Richie Rich: using his money to bribe middling comics to be his friend.
As Mike David of Red Bar Radio warns Joe:
“…people don’t like a man who has $100 million of the Earth’s money. We just don’t. ‘You don’t need it, you don’t deserve it, you’re not doing anything good with it, you didn’t earn it, it was a fluke.’ The people hate that, cuz it is unfair. So now everything you do is under the scope of, ‘Oh, you have $100 million? You better be fuckin’ perfect! You better be fuckin’ perfect then if you want that cash, cuz we’ll take it away!’”39
But it’s easy to cite a Rogan critic for confirmation bias, what does Uncle Joey think? Appearing on Your Mom’s House, Diaz had this to say about Rogan’s controversies:
Things look good in the basement, dawg. Once you take that Spotify money, you gotta start apologizing, and making believe you care about trannies and stuff. Now he’s gotta go to a tranny parade and donate $10 every month. Any day now you’ll see Rogan hanging out with trannies down in Austin, jumping up and down. Poor guy—that’s what happens when you get that money! You cash that big check, you gotta watch what you say. Aren’t ya lucky you’re independent now… “My name is Joe Rogan; I can’t go kill deer no more.” He can’t do nothing no more… $100 million.”40
In all seriousness, I would love to see Joe Rogan going to Austin pride events and dancing with the trans, especially after his father had some stern remarks regarding Rogan and his sexuality: “Joe knows he’s sweet and he’s got sugar in his tank and he knows he can’t be a tough guy. He can take up all the karate in the world, go to all the dojos you want, lift all the weights you want… if you ain’t got heart, you ain’t gonna do shit out there. Joe’s a phony.”41 According to Rogan, this is the guy who came home one day after work and abused his then-wife for buying hamburger meat instead of steaks for dinner.42 But I’m getting side-tracked. At what point do you stop doing ads?
Like all his comedy friends, Rogan LOVES sponsors and ad revenue. The Comedy Curator showcased comedians’ love affair with money:
But specifically, how does Rogan feel about the multitude of advertising partners he pairs with:
Patreon is so weird… Listen this is what I think… If I, a lot of people think you shouldn’t do sponsors. This is what I think: Let me… talk about some sponsors that I actually believe in, and then, let’s pretend I never said it… and then just go…
No, because all my sponsors are like good companies! Like, you wanna buy a Yeti cooler—that’s a good cooler. You wanna buy Black Rifle Coffee—that’s great coffee. But let’s forget about all that…44
[Guys, I wanna take a brief second from this article to mention today’s article sponsor…yeah, right!]
So, post-signing a $100 million Spotify deal, Rogan is now drunkenly begging for clemency from HoneyHoney and the audience: just let me do the ad reads, you don’t have to buy anything, you don’t have to listen to them. But I need more money, but let’s just forget it… Oh, sure. Pretty sure that’s defrauding advertising partners. On second thought, I’m in favor of defrauding advertising agencies and companies.
Colin Thompson and Kast Media tried running off with advertiser money, screwing many of Joe’s comedy friends on their podcasts. Perhaps Joe’s onto something here: screw over the ad agencies, before they screw you first. Is “what’s good for the goose really good for the gander?” Food for thought.
They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I couldn’t think of a worse hell than listening to Joe Rogan shill Athletic Greens and then have a 4-hour conversation about the nuances of an artform for which he’s demonstrated zero aptitude. At least with the MMA shows, I’ve seen him kick and choke people out before.
Back to HoneyHoney…Rogan briefly mentioned Patreon. So, how does Rogan feel about Patreon? “…Cuz if you want money, [mocking] ‘uhh, I don’t want any sponsors. I just want the support of my fans.’ It’s weird. I would submit that it’s better, to take money from sponsors, and then say what you feel…Say what you feel. Say what you feel. That Patreon shit is whack!”45 Well, that may work when you’re a start-up podcast that has Fleshlight money backing it. That might work for a show with an established audience that already has a financing infrastructure in place. But this is the same guy, in the same podcast, that was talking about how he can’t play Robert Johnson, cuz YouTube will pull the stream down. So, you can say what you want, but you can’t play what you want. It’s also important to note that pre-Spotify, Joe Rogan was making an estimated $30-100 thousand per episode based on sponsors and ad revenue. So when a millionaire many times over tells you, “Just take sponsor money and say what you want,” that’s a bit heavy-handed.
So why is Joe so afraid of Patreon? “That Patreon shit is whack… No, it’s not. It’s a bunch of creeps, that want you to not sell out! ‘Do what I tell you to do, [Ben Jaffe!] You’re a fucking pussy!’ …YouTube commentators… ‘I’m a hypocrite, you’re a hypocrite, would you like to be a hypocrite, too?’”46 Yikes. Another sobering vignette into Joe’s psyche. On the one hand, Joe has no problem taking advertiser money and encouraging fans to ignore it. On the other hand, Joe calls hypothetical patrons/YouTube commentators “creeps” who’ll accuse you of selling out. But I thought Joe didn’t read YouTube comments? So, Joe is saying that he wants advertising money, he doesn’t care if you buy the products he shills, and he needs a platform where he can play copyrighted music and not have to read comments. How is a man who is so versed in martial arts and hunting this afraid of online comments?
Now, let’s fast forward to the first Spotify exclusive episode: November 24th, 2020—you’ve just poured yourself a cup of Black Rifle Coffee from your Yeti Thermos, you’ve got your elk meat stew chilling in your Yeti cooler, you’ve settled in at your desk to listen to the very first Joe Rogan Experience on Spotify. You cue the episode up on your monitor, and you press play…
The Joe Rogan Experience
Train by day; Joe Rogan Podcast by night; all-day
…
Joe Rogan: JRE is supported by UbiSoft with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla…
“What the fuck is this!?” You exclaim. “An ad? Why is there an ad? I have Spotify Premium. I pay $10/month so I don’t have to hear ads.” Maybe this is a mistake. You reload Spotify and reload the episode…
Joe Rogan: CBD MD has products I use every day. This is an easy ad for me to do. I don’t even have to read their copy. I’m a gigantic fan of their oils…
“What the fuck!” You try to skip the ad, but you can’t. You try to click away. Then you notice a scroll bar at the bottom. Every ad is a two-minute timeline. You can’t outright skip the ad, but at least you can fast-forward to the end of the ad. Finally, time to start the show…
Joe Rogan: ButcherBox makes it easy to get high-quality, humanely-raised meat…
ButcherBox! “Another fucking ad! Unbelievable.” Three unskippable ad reads before you even get to hear the show. “Why is Joe shilling a meat membership company? I thought he only hunts elk.” You start to become disillusioned. “Maybe this 5’3” Alpha Brain isn’t the surrogate father I thought he was…”47
…and scene…
To some, this may sound like a play, but this is exactly what happened to JRE fans when they tuned in to hear the first Spotify-exclusive show. So, it turns out that Rogan was priming his audience to be ready for several unskippable ads when he moved over to Spotify. “Just let me say some stuff and then we’ll forget about it.” “Just let me put up this terrible red tube studio, but this is a spaceship and the real Podcast Studio is coming.” Are you beginning to understand Rogan’s character now? Scroll back up and re-read what Rogan told HoneyHoney; these are sponsors he believes in. I must have missed the episode where Rogan talks about all the nights he stayed up playing Assassin’s Creed with young Jamie Vernon. There’s a reason why Rogan’s relationship with money and advertising has its own section: it’s his greatest source of double-talk. Here’s a list of all the advertising partners Rogan has ad reads:48
It’s a good thing Joe doesn’t just take money willy-nilly; only the best of the best for JR-Greed! Back in 2015, Mike David from Red Bar Radio discussed podcasters’ greed and ad reads. He made the distinction that fellow Man Show alumnus Adam Carolla’s podcast content is just filler so that he can have ads. Meanwhile, David praised Rogan for doing minimal ads, stating that Rogan’s show and guests were way better, and even posited that one day Rogan would realize how bullshit ads are and would abandon them:
…yeah, well, Rogan is troubled as well, but it’s nowhere near what Adam is doing, and also it doesn’t cut people off to get in an extra dime, and his product is worth the ads. That’s the bottom line. His product is awesome. So I am willing to be like, “You know what—he’s gonna do the ads, I’m not mad at [Rogan] cuz the product is so good.” Adam’s product is just filler so that he can have ads; Rogan’s product is, like, from the heart… and I believe Rogan will wise up and get rid of the ads. I think he eventually will. It just hasn’t clicked in that, “Oh yeah, this is completely stupid.”
Rogan is the type of guy, who, if enlightened about the ads, he’d be like, “holy shit. Yeah, that’s fucking stupid. I’m not doing those anymore. I believe he would do that anymore.” Whereas Corolla is like, “Ahh, you need ads to keep Sonny in college. We’ll do whatever it takes for me to get money! I sell boxed wine… That’s business, baby, and that’s all life’s about!”49
Ten years later, all comedians’ content is just garbage so they can have ads. Sitting in a studio that some advertising company built (and poorly designed, in Joe’s own words), talking about news stories, and doing three ad reads is an easier way to make $10,000 than sitting at your computer, scripting jokes, and then standing on a stage every night and honing your craft.
On his first Spotify podcast, Rogan told Adam Curry, “Listen… I’m a moron! You’re not supposed to be taking advice from me. If I connect you to people that are interesting, congratulations. but trust me—I, like you, am trying to figure my own things out.”50 Okay, great, then give Spotify back the money, go figure things out, then get a podcast. But understand when you take an 8-figure payday (and still do ad-reads on top of that) people are gonna listen to things YOU say. Not just your guests!
This is my biggest problem with modern comedy. By all means, everyone should have varied hobbies, everyone should have artistic pursuits, and if the opportunity comes to monetize them, then you should handle every opportunity on a case-by-case basis. However, when you are already a headlining comedian, AND you have one to three podcasts that you do ad reads on AND you post the clips to YouTube, which you can then monetize AND you have a Patreon with bonus shows and content, AND you go live on YouTube and take Superchats—at what point is enough enough?
All comedians want to be famous; they all want to be actors and entertainers, fine. But in my eyes, they all want to be professional advertisers first and foremost. Not because they agree with and identify with their sponsors, but because it’s such an easy racket. You just have to be good enough at comedy to get noticed by the Rogan-sphere. Once you get that “Rogan bump,” your social media numbers explode, your podcast numbers explode, and you’ll get more advertising partners because now you’re a commodity. If you don’t have a podcast, one of these advertising firms will approach you and offer to do all the legwork.
So, the next time someone tells you comedians are all about “free speech” or “comedians are the social commentators of our time,” tell them they’re full of shit. Comedians are bought-and-paid-for shills for the media juggernaut. If they don’t believe you, send them this video:
Comedians’ entire job is working in words, but many don’t want to take responsibility for the words they say. This is a problem when you make the lion’s share of your net worth off the spoken word. If you speak enough words, eventually you’ll begin to contradict yourself. They’re not social commentators, they’re not interested in connecting you with excellent brands or extending the art of long-form conversations. They’re bullshit artists, through and through. Gone are the days of Bill Hicks shitting on Jay Leno for taking money from Doritos while hosting The Tonight Show.52
So Spotify came along at the perfect time for Rogan. They created a safe space for his podcast (unless you’re an alt-right commentator or you say the N-word), they allowed him to play copyrighted music, and they allowed him to do all the ad reads he wants (even though at the beginning you couldn’t skip them, even if you paid for Spotify premium) and he never had to read another YouTube comment again! Speaking of safe spaces, I want to discuss canceling, censorship, and safe spaces next before getting into Rogan’s comedy.
Get Canceled or Get Rich Tryin’
…just piss people off. You’re gonna always have people, you’re gonna have more people upset with you, and there’s more righteous indignation, I think, than I’ve ever seen in comedy. I’ve had more people furious at me for what are clearly jokes than ever, at any time in my career.53
– Joe Rogan, The Ben Shapiro Show
Let’s talk about that world-famous “cancel culture.” Whether it’s Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Joe Rogan, or even clean comic Jerry Seinfeld, you don’t have to go far to hear an aging-out comic whinging about language. As a comedian, if you want to say those types of words, then say them and accept the consequences. George Carlin was arrested in Milwaukee in 1972 for doing his famous “Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television” bit on stage.54 It wasn’t even a televised special. However, I’d argue modern comics cry about language because they want to say whatever they want, take no responsibility for their words, and still keep cashing those ad revenue checks. They’re not afraid of “cancel culture;” they’re afraid of losing sponsors.
The comedian’s gripe isn’t about how people are sensitive to language. If it were, then they’d all be indirectly ripping off Carlin, who famously discussed “soft language” and euphemisms thirty years ago. I think Katt Williams had the most nuanced take regarding comedy and language:
If they [Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy] were in this time, they would be according to our time. Just like then, we were going according to that, like, that’s how it is in the world. There are words we can use for a while and we use them for a while until somebody says “That ain’t a good word. We should stop saying that. That don’t make people feel good,” and we stop saying the word and we move onto another word.
You can’t say the “R-word,” you can certainly say “special needs,” you can certainly say “spectrum.” There are things you can say that get your point that don’t have to hurt people. But you would know that if what you did was construct the English language for a living. Then you would understand that part.55
It’s not so much about euphemisms or soft language, but if comedians were skilled wordsmiths, they could easily get their point across without using sensitive words. They’re just not adept writers, plain and simple. I’m all for people using hurtful words to get their point across. I like simple, honest, and direct language. However, I’m against people who hide behind language or people who think freedom of speech precludes them from taking responsibility for the words they use.
The “old-man comedian’s” gripe is they believe they should be able to say (and sometimes do) whatever they please and people should applaud them for it. Again, this is a fair argument, to an extent. I do think people are sensitive about language. Comedy is still a show, even if comics joke about real-world topics, and entertainers should be able to openly mock and discuss sensitive topics without losing gigs. But are comedians being canceled? Or are they being sensitive that people don’t give them carte-blanche to be shit-heels in public anymore? It’s a bit heavy-handed for comedians to be mad at people’s sensitivity to language when these same people get thrown for loop by people talking and heckling during a show.
Let’s discuss some comedians who were “canceled,” and let’s see if they’re still making content and earning a great living today: Chris D’Elia, Brian Callen, Louis C.K. Aziz Ansari, Chris Hardwick were all accused of sexual coercion, rape, or inappropriate chatting with underaged girls. Yet, all of them are still out making a great living in entertainment. Apparently, “canceling” a comedian means they have to sit in a room for two years with a belly full of guilt. Yes, they lost gigs at first; yes, their income took a hit, as it should. However, if any of them worked normal gigs, do you think their bosses and HR departments would’ve let them come back six, twelve, or 18 months later with full pay? I sincerely doubt it. Were they canceled? Or were they just revealed to be shitheads who used quid-pro-quo and tenuous status to get laid? Maybe that’s too extreme of an example. Let’s return to language—a weak comedian’s favorite crutch.
Ari Shaffir has been in hot water a couple of times. When he bullied fat, one-armed comedian Damienne Merlina, many female comedians, led by Iliza Schlesinger led the charge to “end bullying in comedy.”56 The entire article is Iliza taking something Ari said and then using her college degree, attempting to twist into a statement about a gender war. This must’ve been the “righteous indignation” Rogan referenced in the header quote. Anyway, the dust settled and Ari kept doing comedy, podcasts, and his show on Comedy Central. A few years later, Ari made a joke about Kobe Bryant’s death. When the backlash caught up to him, he ran from social media, “quit comedy” and pretended to be a yoga teacher on YouTube. As Mike David of Red Bar Radio argued, “I like that Ari did the Kobe thing, that doesn’t make me mad. What makes me mad is if you’re gonna do something like that, you can’t be a pussy and then run away and then lock your Twitter, and restrict your Instagram comments for two months and hide out. No no no—you gotta face the music. You have to be willing to face the consequences for being edgy. Otherwise, why are you being edgy?”57 Was Ari “canceled,” or was he just a pussy who dished it out but couldn’t take it?
Shane Gillis is no stranger to controversy. In a 2019 podcast, Gillis remarked about Chinatown, “Chinatown is full fuckin’ Chinee.”58 Not a laugh riot, and certainly not the most offensive thing either. Once he got his gig on Saturday Night Live, the cult-of-well-intentioned-idiots took to Twitter, writing NBC tattling on Shane. In response, Shane was removed from SNL. So he was canceled right? Another comedian was a victim of “cancel culture!”
Well, not so fast… Gillis was welcomed with open arms when he returned to SNL in 2024 to host. I guess the statute of limitations on television cancellation is 5 years or $5 million, whichever comes first. During his 5 year “time-out,” Gillis still made money doing standup and monetizing podcasts on both YouTube and Patreon. Gillis also self-released a stand-up special on YouTube, was paid millions for a Netflix special, and partnered with Bud Light for his 2024 tour.59 I’m starting to wish someone would cancel me!
Shane Gillis is such a greedster, it took Louis C.K. calling him out for having too many ad reads on one of his many podcasts: “Why are you making people [go] on Patreon? That way what? Do you need the money?! Really?! The ads AND the Patreon? You’re gonna make ‘em listen to ads and then switch to Patreon? Is it subscription or is it fuckin’ ads? Yeah, but you don’t have to put this on Patreon. You don’t need the money, Shane Gillis.”60 The video shows Shane doing ad reads for Manscaped and DraftKings: two companies with zero brand recognition. If only more people would shill these wonderful sponsors. Like Rogan, these guys will say anything if it means a quick buck. Let’s take a quick detour to New Jersey and check in on Uncle Joey’s Joint. Perhaps he can shed some light on comedy cancellation.
In his comedy career, Joey Diaz has confessed to kidnapping someone, propositioning Chelsea Handler, and laughing about trading stage time for sexual favors. Despite being a literal felon, he has never been canceled for his comedy. After Rogan left L.A., Diaz ran to Jersey to be irrelevant in that scene. Diaz spent his real life as a felon pretending to be a fake mobster, and his “cancellation” came in the form of a New York Times Bestselling book. Now I know I did something wrong. I should’ve gotten canceled! I don’t remember seeing any headlines along the lines of:
- The Sopranos Star Admits He Me-Too’d Chelsea Handler; Promised Female Comics Stage Time for Sexual Favors61
- SHOCKING CONFESSION: Spider-Man 2 Star Lies about Xanax Addiction; Uses Illegal Source to Procure Drugs62
- The Longest Yard Star’s Sordid Past: Drugs, Kidnapping, Sexual Quid-Pro-Quo63
Perhaps I should’ve spent the last half-decade arguing with Red Bar, hiring fake hitmen, and lying about a Xanax addiction. Maybe Diaz was an easy target. Let’s go to the roast master himself and see if Tony Hinchcliffe has struggled with “cancel culture.”
Shortly after arriving in Austin, Tony Hinchcliffe got black-balled from Antone’s Nightclub for calling comedian Peng Dang “a filthy little fucking Chink.”64 Now, we’re getting somewhere! Finally some hate speech in this article! Getting banned from a club could count as a cancellation. However, Tony still does his podcast Kill Tony, but from Rogan’s Comedy Mothership. On the Comedy Mothership’s opening night, Hinchcliffe explained the need to leave Los Angeles to ‘escape for their free speech’: “… unbelievable getaway out of fuckin’ Los Angeles and New York. We’re escaping to here [sic] for our free speech, and to have some fuckin’ fun.”65 But you were “canceled” in Austin, Tony. Antone’s isn’t in L.A. or New York, it’s right around the corner… Your safe space is two blocks up Trinity and a quick left:
Now I’m gonna get canceled for “doxing.” If anything, Tony is bigger than ever. The rumors are that despite being despised by nearly every Austin comic and waitress, Tony fancies himself as the littlest Napoleon of Austin. According to Tony himself, his new Netflix deal, “Wait til you see the deal me and Netflix are about to make…you never heard of anything like it before. The only thing comparable is the Spotify deal.”66 This doesn’t sound like a man who was canceled at all! Go back and watch past episodes of Kill Tony—the Iron Patriot era, Jeremiah Wonders era, The Austin era—Hinchcliffe is the worst part of the show (Aside from Brian’s Redban’s audio). The show only exists so that he and Redban can make ad revenue, and Tony can pretend to give up-and-coming comics like David Lucas and William Montgomery their big break. In the past, when the show was a little slow, Tony would wheel out his favorite ALS-gimp Michael Lehrer [RIP] so that Tony, the band, and the crowd could laugh at him; not with him.67 The two tiniest men in Austin are now comedy’s biggest gatekeepers. Tony has felt small his entire life, so comedy is his chance to have any real clout.
So if all these comedians are getting canceled and are still able to make a great living in entertainment, why would they need a “Safe Space” for comedy? It seems as though some of them make more money post-controversy. If anything, you’d think they’d be begging for negative press, like they stand on stage and beg for attention every weekend.
Do you think Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, or Eddie Murphy were afraid of being canceled? Again, other than ‘Chink’ or the N-word, these guys seemingly don’t say anything worth canceling! When they get in the tiniest bit of trouble, they block social media, restrict comments, and hide away for months until the smoke clears. Just like every other influencer, they think they’re a protected class, can say what they want, and never face consequences. If only someone would come along a build a space BY comedians, FORcomedians, free of censorship and restrictions…
A “Safe Space” for Comedy
It’s scary, and if we give into that kind of surveillance over here, there’s a real dark end to all that stuff. There’s a real dark end. The bright side is you’re like, “Oh, well maybe everybody will keep their shit together and be nice.” Or maybe the government will be watching every goddamn thing you do, all day long, and hold that over you. When we think of the United States, we think of freedom, we think of creativity. There’s so much innovation done over here. The moment you start clamping down on people and taking away freedom, you’re also gonna take away that creativity.69
– Joe Rogan
These comedians “canceled” their way into millions of dollars, book deals, Netflix and Spotify deals, and more podcasts than they know what to do with. Which begs the question, if comedians are profiting off “cancel culture,” why do said comedians need a “safe space for comedy?” Is Rogan pro-censorship or is he a freedom fighter, along with the other 249 killers in the space?
Can you imagine being a comedian and being afraid of being heckled? Why? You’re supposed to be able to smoke the hecklers. These are the top guys! Some drunk chick from Austin out with her girlfriends shouldn’t be a problem for Rogan, Diaz, Ari, or Hinchcliffe! Rogan revealed his fear of hecklers decades prior:
It wasn’t really that I get pissed off, it’s just when someone heckles in the audience, they disrupt the show and you gotta kinda stop it, and if you don’t stop it, it fucks with the show for other people around them… And I don’t remember what she said, but it was basically just trying to get her to shut up, and make some humor out of her intruding in the performance.
You know, I would rather people come and have a good time. I don’t want to, you know, have to shut hecklers down, yell at ‘em. I would rather everyone just be cool, but it comes to a situation where, you know, you have to do something, because the person, whoever it is, is disruptive in the audience—they’re ruining it for all the people around them. And they mess with your own head, because you hear them…and then you’re not giving your best performance.70
I read you loud and clear, Joe. First, we deal with the hecklers, then comedians will give their best performances. In response to Rogan’s terror of dealing with audience participation, the Comedy Mothership took its’ maiden voyage.
When you enter the Mothership, the staff takes pictures of your ID and your face: “At Joe Rogan’s comedy club, when you enter, you come in, you give ‘em your ticket, and then you stand just like at the DMV, and they take your picture and put it in the system with your name.”71 Seems weird and controlling, but I grew up in the age of terror, so I suppose this is just the price to pay for comedy freedom in Austin.
“Also at Joe Rogan’s comedy club, they make you lock your phone in what’s called a Yonder bag—it’s a little, small fabric pouch, you put your phone in it, they lock it, you cannot open this pouch until the end of the show when they unlock it for you.”72 Okay, so I can’t heckle and I can’t film. Just in case some rowdy tourists or Austinites get a couple $20 drinks in them and get the urge to yell something out, there are signs warning of your demise:
“So why is he doing this? We’ll tell you… He’s doing this because if you heckle, listen to this—there’s no heckling allowed at his shows, by the way. If you heckle, they have your picture, and…you’re no longer allowed back in. You’re on the list; they’ve got your picture.”73 The king of free speech and the leader of the 250 just wants audiences and comedians to have a good time, and to do so, he needs to make sure no one can film, heckle, or talk without permanent ostracism:
So they’re allowed to do crowd work and pick on people in the audience, but the audience can’t say ‘boo?’ Why? Why can’t the audience speak? And by the way, the tickets are $60. You come in there, you’re spending $100 on drinks, but no, you must remain quiet in your seat. The only time your mouth is open is if you’re laughing at Joe Rogan and his friends. “How dare you have a thought that comes to your head? Only we can do crowd work.”74
Remember Tony told the audience on opening night they moved to Austin for ‘Free Speech.’ Remember earlier in the article, Joe Rogan claimed TikTok and the CCP were too authoritarian. He said that the lockdowns in California were too authoritarian. But that didn’t stop Fox Business from doing a story about ‘Joe Rogan’s Cancel-Proof Comedy Club…’75 “His cancel-proof comedy club! Where they take your picture and you’re alienated if you heckle! They lock your phones—that don’t work, sorry guys. ‘Fighting free speech by restricting it more than any other business in town.’ If any other business did this to them, they would go ape-shit! This was their whole reason for leaving L.A., because of restrictions!”76 It’s a good thing these comedians have a safe space to try out their little comedy skits without being filmed or heckled. Heaven forbid a person who pays money for a show can’t voice their displeasure. A safe space for comedy and Rogan still couldn’t deliver a watchable special.
I’ve delayed this as long as I could. I have to discuss the elephant in the room: I don’t think Joe Rogan understands comedy any more than he understands free speech, censorship, or “Cancel Culture.”
The Ballad of the 250
…He looks like Inmate One—The Unexpected COVID-19 Release—where they sent a bunch of people back out in the streets…77
– Joe Rogan, bombing on Kill Tony 500
I’ve said this before but it bears repeating: Rogan is worth over half a billion dollars, money earned through comedic ventures, yet I’ve never heard him say anything funny. Maybe if I went back and watched NewsRadio or Fear Factor, he may have said something that made me chuckle. But definitely not in his comedy specials, which are supposed to be the business card of the professional comedian.
Again, comedy is subjective, but how are you worth a half billion dollars, a comedy club owner, and have the #1 comedy podcast on YouTube AND Spotify when your contribution to the medium is humping stools and screaming punchlines like Kinison? Remember this is the guy who had Kyle Dunnigan on, not once, but twice! Could a person who’s never lifted a hammer build and own a construction company worth half a billion dollars? Or is this something that’s only found in entertainment? Maybe this is what people mean by “gatekeeping?”
There are videos on YouTube dedicated to Rogan’s comedy friends joking with him or at him and Rogan not being in on the joke.78 I mentioned this in my Twilight Zone article, but watch Hannibal Buress confound Rogan with his game show jokes about and short-circuit Rogan’s comedic bustin’ out a harmonica like Mr. Frisby:
Even comedy podcast veterans like Red Bar Radio are flummoxed by Rogan’s inability to grasp comedy:
“It’s really odd that he’s a comedian because jokes fly right over his head! And I don’t know if it’s cuz it’s… so shiny. There’s never been a comedian out there who’s so flabbergasted by jokes, like Joe Rogan. This has been our favorite stuff to watch. Where Joe Rogan doesn’t get something—literal Joe—and he starts arguing with a premise. And the guy across from him is too scared to go, ‘It was just a joke, Joe.’ Isn’t that insane? Nobody will stand up to Joe and go, ‘Joe, it’s a joke. Aren’t you a comedian?’”80
Two of my favorite recent Experience episodes feature a couple of great Williams—Katt and Harland, no relation. Each episode is a master class of how an expert comedian can troll Rogan right to his face, him none the wiser. Again, if you’re gonna claim you’re one of the top 250, you gotta get in there and punch your weight, Joe. Rogan may not be as tall or funny as Harland Williams, but I think Rogan and Katt are close in height.
That’s the difference between being a 140-IQ genius. and a 100-IQ normie, I suppose. If psychology and ASD-literal are real, Rogan could make another half billion dollars as their poster child: “I’m not only the spokesman for ASD-Literal, I also play one on my podcast and on stage at The Comedy Mothership 5 nights a week…” On that note, I hate to do this 24 pages in, but I have to make a correction. Rogan has said something recently that made me laugh:
Harland Williams: I thought [owls] were wise. I had one “hoo-ing” outside of my house keeping me awake all night, and I’m like, “How do you deal with the wisest of all the birds, right?” So I go outside, I throw a Rubik’s Cube up into the tree, it comes back 30 seconds later, perfectly done! So, I don’t think they’re that dumb…
Joe Rogan: Wow…Maybe you got an autistic kid living in your tree.81
Okay, Joe, that’s funny. That’s my kind of humor! And in making me laugh, he proved my point. The best comedy isn’t scripted and rehearsed, it’s the off-the-dome stuff that doesn’t require tons of thought or years of polishing.
Thankfully, Harland Williams did us another favor and comedically destroyed Kill Tony underling David Lucas. This raises another valid point, if Rogan is to blame for bringing Brendan Schaub into comedy, how bad of a comedian do you have to be to put David Lucas on? Rogan, Tony Hinchcliffe, and Schaub all co-signed that bum. It’s a weird synchronicity that David Lucas would carry Rogan’s bathwater. Rogan got in trouble with Spotify for saying the N-word and Lucas can’t write a joke without saying the N-word:
David Lucas: Harland Williams gotta go home, cuz he left a Crockpot on, n—-. Fuckin’ old fuck!
Harland Williams: Whoa, whoa, hey—take it easy, bro. You’re the only guy I know who has muffin tops on his fuckin’ ankles!82
Ten years as a roast comic and Lucas got put in his place by a legend with real chops, not pork chops! Thankfully it only took his mentor Schaub five years of constant failure to bow out of comedy gracefully to focus on his podcast grift “bet on himself.” It turns out that CTE is only good for reading ads for BetterHelp. After watching Rogan’s latest comedic effort, it may be time for Schaub to sit both Lucas and Rogan down and explain that this comedy thing isn’t working for them…
Comedy Seppuku
Joe Rogan: I’m not a bomb expert…
Mark Normand: You should see your act!83
– JRE #1834
I’m sorry but if you get dunked on by Mark Normand, you shouldn’t be allowed within 100 feet of a comedy club. Yet Rogan pals around with all these dorks so he can be a “mentor” to middling comics.
In August 2024, Rogan released his first special in six years: Burn the Boats. Most people consider Brendan Schaub’s special Gringo Papi to be the worst stand-up special of all time. Just like Rogan during Sober October, he can’t lose a challenge to his friends, and had to take that title too.
Again, comedy is subjective, but you can’t release a special that bad three decades into your career. In my research, I saw comments online stating that George Carlin’s last two specials weren’t as sharp or as crisp as his earlier work, but we’re talking about a man in his seventies, nearly fifty years and fifteen/sixteen specials into his career.
I won’t subject you to the special itself, it’s hard to watch a man self-inflict this many wounds and slowly bleed out on stage. It’s important to note that Rogan constantly discusses joke theft and comedy buccaneers to any comedian on the Experience. In Burn The Boats, Rogan gets so nervous, that he doesn’t just lift a joke from Brendan Schaub, he recycles one of his old jokes from years prior.84 I can understand nerves, a live comedy special, and having some sputters, but auto-joke theft is low for one of the 250 elites. Comedy sycophants raced to defend Amy Schumer’s accusations of joke stealing as “parallel thinking” when the YouTube compilations began piling up. So let’s call it nerves, which resulted in some “parallel thinking.” But this is Joe Rogan, the comedy club owner; the #1 comedy podcast in the world. One of the highest net-worth comedians. The confessed leader of the elite 250 comedians. And this is Brendan Schaub—the Gringo Papi himself— there are levels to this, Joe. If you’re gonna have “parallel thinking,” at least parallel one of the greats whose albums are posted on the Comedy Mothership walls.
After three decades, even a veteran like Rogan is bound to have a bad night. But you gotta tighten that set up before you release a special. Oh wait, he told another famous Conservative manlet Michael Malice that his set WAS tight:
Michael Malice: I’ve seen your set, it’s really funny.
Joe Rogan: It’s tight now. [grunts] It’s good, it’s like, I’m very happy with it.85
Never mind then. As long as Joe’s happy with it. The hater failures of the internet disagreed:
I used to think Rogan was mad that Carlos Mencia was stealing jokes. But after Burn the Boats, I realized Rogan was mad that his jokes weren’t funny enough for Carlos to steal.
I understand that Rogan makes great money from the podcast, enjoys a plurality of hobbies, and does commentary for UFC, but when you own a comedy club, maybe comedy should be your main focus. Either that or do what other comedians did and open a comedy club AFTER you retire. If you’re doing a live special, I feel that should take precedent. Maybe the ad reads for Traeger grills and Buffalo Trace can wait a week. Maybe Cam Hanes can go bear hunting without you this time.
A special of this caliber reveals the greatest problem within the Rogan-sphere: yes men. When you have that much money, clout, and reach, you can’t trust the people around you. Whether he wanted to or not, he’s surrounded himself with many symbiotic life-force suckers, all using Rogan for free gear, stage time, and fame. Even going back to the YouTube days, when a comic went on Rogan’s show, they had anywhere from 30-100,000 eyeballs on them. In our clout-chasing, status-obsessed hyperrealistic existence, the difference between a Comedy Store bartender and a featured act could be cozying up to Rogan and kissing his ass.
After this many years and this many co-signs how would Rogan know his material sucks? He famously doesn’t read comments or watch his specials. How can he better himself at his craft? After 30 years, he’s done the reps. It’s not like Brendan Schaub releasing a special after only three years in comedy. But no one around Rogan has the balls to tell him the truth. Even when someone like Mark Normand makes that joke, he knows it better land as a joke! A comic sitting Rogan down and telling him he sucks would get him alienated at The Comedy Mothership faster than recording a show or heckling!
Which one of the brave, intrepid comics is gonna sit Rogan down like he did Brendan Schaub and tell him this comedy thing isn’t working out for him? I’m guessing no one because they’re all sycophants. Comedians all cover for each other on the off-chance one gets something that they want: a TV show, a podcast, or a writing gig. None of them are willing to risk excommunication from the burgeoning Austin comedy scene and the Mothership. So Rogan will continue down this path failing upwards into billions because no one has the stones to be honest with him. And since he doesn’t read comments, the internet “critics” will continue to be dismissed as haters.
Congratulations, Joe—you’ve jumped the shark, humped the stool, and burned the boats. You’ve blundered your way into another $250 million deal with Spotify, this time without exclusivity rights.86 Hopefully this time, YouTube will let you play some Robert Johnson! You’ve made a complete fool of yourself and people continue to watch everything you do and sing your praises. So I guess, keep doing what you’re doing. It’s working great! Maybe I should sell out too? All evidence seems to confirm that the current system exists to exploits the Herd. Perhaps Herd Immunity means exploiting people who are too stupid to know better? But what do I know? I’m just an internet hater who isn’t truly brilliant at anything…
Unlike Rogan, I will read all your comments, so feel free to leave ‘em below.
I want to give a brief thanks to much better content creators who made this article a breeze to research and compile. If you enjoyed this, show them some love as well:
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1 “Joe Rogan Quotes.” A-Z Quotes. n.d. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://www.azquotes.com/author/12537-Joe_Rogan
2 The Elephant Graveyard. 2024. “Burn The Boats” is a Funeral for Joe Rogan’s Comedy Career,” August 11, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 36:04. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EuKibmlll4
3 The Elephant Graveyard. 2024. “Harland Williams Just Forced David Lucas into Retirement on Kill Tony,” June 11, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 14:30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIDu3ulmI6w
4 The Elephant Graveyard. 2024. “we got him.,” August 29, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:31. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3CuQQHT1dw
5 PowerfulJRE. 2024. ” Joe Rogan Experience #1919 – Bret Weinstein,” June 27, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:18:56. PowerfulJRE. 2024. ” Joe Rogan Experience #1919 – Bret Weinstein,” June 27, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:18:56. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGOkX9dZhCQ
6 PowerfulJRE. 2024. “Joe Rogan Experience #2111 – Katt Williams,” February 29, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:05:26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zb2SuW-jug
7 Club Shay Shay. 2024. “Katt Williams Unleashed | CLUB SHAY SHAY,” January 3, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 2:46:04. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oRRZiRQxTs
8 Crack Amico. 2023. “Crack Amico – Rogan Bump (Official Video),” August 27, 2023. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV2oPEZYhBg
9 Robinson, Phil Alden, director. 1989. Field of Dreams. Universal Pictures, 1 hr., 48 min. https://www.amazon.com/Field-Dreams-Kevin-Costner/dp/B000I9S668
10 PowerfulJRE. 2022. “Joe Rogan Experience #1686 – Ari Shaffir,” July 22, 2022. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:30:21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CefLCTEPLug
11 Bouza, Kat. 2022. “‘I Talk S—t For a Living’: Joe Rogan Taunts Critics in Defiant Stand-Up Set,” RollingStone. February 9, 2022. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/joe-rogan-stand-up-set-racism-austin-1297173/
12 OG JRE. 2017. “Joe Rogan Experience #710 – Gavin McInnes,” February 23, 2017. Accessed September 17, 2024. Odysee. Video, 2:55:49. https://ogjre.com/episode/710-gavin-mcinnes
13 Curry, Adam. “1274: Thugs on a plane.” No Agenda Show. Podcast audio, September 3, 2020. https://www.noagendashow.net/listen/1274
14 PowerfulJRE. 2020. “Joe Rogan Experience #1533 – Adam Curry,” September 8, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:18:22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTPQ9KR5j8k
15 The Comedy Curator. 2020. “DRIVING MR. ROGAN – thriller / horror MOVIE TRAILER parody,” October 9, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 2:34. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDsQOzKRt_U
16 Bernie Sanders. 2020. “Joe Rogan Says He’s Voting for Bernie,” January 23, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 0:50. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ve7ccl3YrHU
17 Tulsi Gabbard. 2019. “Rogan to Tulsi: president is a terrible job. Why do that to yourself?,” May 19, 2019. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 2:33. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hLgkqT92Ww
18 PowerfulJRE. 2020. “JRE End Of The World #2,” November 3, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:45:06. https://www.youtube.com/live/KkjxSKrcbOg
19 Tim Dillon Show Clips. 2021. “Rogan to Tulsi: president is a terrible job. Why do that to yourself?,” Jan 5, 2021. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 12:30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVn9myriWTU
20 Ernst, Douglas. 2024. “Joe Rogan claims he would vote for RFK Jr. if he makes it on ballot.” Washington Examiner. April 25, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/2980332/joe-rogan-vote-rfk-jr-ballot/
21 PowerfulJRE. 2024. “Joe Rogan Experience #1999 – Robert Kennedy Jr.,” June 27, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:05:35. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6LJXPOv4SM
22 PowerfulJRE. 2020. “Joe Rogan Experience #1486 – HoneyHoney,” June 5, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 4:44:37. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqXYKjkVf9Q
23 The Elephant Graveyard. 2023. “Spotify’s Clean-up Crew Forgot to Delete this Joe Rogan Podcast Episode,” November 6, 2023. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 5:38. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u7mgKIpOQM-
24 Romano, Aja. 2022. “How do you solve a problem like Joe Rogan?.” Vox. February 23, 2022. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://www.vox.com/culture/22945864/joe-rogan-politics-spotify-controversy
25 The Elephant Graveyard, “Burn The Boats,” 22:59.
26 Ibid., 22:46.
27 The Elephant Graveyard. 2023. “Joe Rogan’s Comedy Safe Space is a Totalitarian Nightmare,” March 17, 2023. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:48. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJy2bU3dM9Q
28 Scott Carney. 2024. “From Pharma Skeptic to Corporate Shill: The Joe Rogan Story,” July 30, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 13:19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u552ETDqHfM
29 Ibid., 0:39.
30 Ibid., 2:19.
31 Ibid., 9:16.
32 “Unilever to Acquire Onnit.” Unilever, April 26, 2021. Unilever. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://www.unilever.com/news/press-and-media/press-releases/2021/unilever-to-acquire-onnit/.
33 PowerfulJRE. 2020. “Joe Rogan Experience #1568 – Tom Green,” November 20, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 4:36:17. PowerfulJRE. 2020. “Joe Rogan Experience #1568 – Tom Green,” November 20, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 4:36:17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wk6SL4ofG0
34 Ibid.,2:05:35.
35 Ibid., 2:06:30.
36 YMH Clips. 2019. “McDonalds Sponsorhip for YMH? – YMH Highlight,” January 18, 2019. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 10:04. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH3qVNPHx-U
37 PowerfulJRE. 2020. “Joe Rogan Experience #1438 – Andrew Santino,” September 26, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 2:46:34. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDzGRT06er0
38 Lex Fridman. 2020. “Joe Rogan: Fear, Love, Chaos, and the Joe Rogan Experience | Lex Fridman Podcast #127,” March 6, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 1:16:03. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKCJWkPehdY
39 REDBAR x SCARSCLUB. 2020. “Joe Rogan CAUGHT DRUNK DRIVING?!? The Spotify Sell-Out is above the law!,” September 16, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 1:03:22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM-mQm3WFvY
40 Dimitri Goryenko. 2020. “Joey Diaz has problems with Joe Rogan’s apology,” September 22, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6XCvIx1Rwg
41 GG33 Knowledge. 2023. “Gary The Numbers Guy & Joe Rogan Dad FULL Interview – #GG33 Exclusive – HD Quality – @joerogan,” April 18, 2023. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooLxKfXTvx4
42 The Elephant Graveyard. 2023. “Rise of the Under Toad: The Tragic Life of Joe Rogan,” January 8, 2023. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 20:52. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiX5Nn4X-4Q
43 The Comedy Curator. 2021. “MONEY – It’s What Comedians WANT! – Ft. Joe Rogan & Friends,” March 18, 2021. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 2:22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO51iHlTgd0
44 PowerfulJRE, “#1486 – HoneyHoney,” 4:00:00.
45 Ibid., 4:00:50.
46 Ibid., 4:01:35.
47 David, Mike. “Season 19, Episode 14.” Red Bar Radio. Podcast audio, December 2, 2020. https://redbarradio.net/archives/red-bar-radio-s19-e14
48 “Joe Rogan Experience Podcast Sponsors & Promo Codes.” JRE Library. Last modified September 16, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://jrelibrary.com/articles/joe-rogan-experience-podcast-sponsors-promo-codes/
49 David, Mike. “Season 13, Episode 17.” Red Bar Radio. Podcast audio, June 5, 2015. https://redbarradio.net/archives/s13e17
50 PowerfulJRE, “#1533 – Adam Curry,” 54:30.
51 Redbar Paradise. 2023. “Redbar, The Only Show That Respects YOU! Mike’s War On Ads! The Salesmen Of Podcasting EXPOSED!,” August 16, 2023. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 46:19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSqoDRj5M0A
52 BobSeger1981. 2023. “Bill Hicks DESTROYS Jay Leno over Doritos commercials, “Tonight Show”,” February 5, 2023. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 4:58.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6LeytJ6BRc
53 Ben Shapiro. 2022. “Joe Rogan on Surviving Cancel Culture as a Comedian,” May 13, 2022. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 8:06.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTm9LBO-qJ4
54 Faillace, Adrienne. 2012. “The Seven Dirty Words That Got George Carlin Arrested.” Television Academy Foundation. July 21, 2012. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/news/the-seven-dirty-words-that-got-george-carlin-arrested
55 Williams, “Katt Williams Unleashed | CLUB SHAY SHAY,” 1:38:38.
56 Schlesinger, Iliza. 2016. “Looking Like That, She Was Asking For It. Right?” HuffPost. June 1, 2015. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/looking-like-that-she-was-asking-for-it-right_b_6980690
57 REDBAR x SCARSCLUB. 2020. “Ari Shaffir officially QUITS COMEDY! The Kobe-Yogi teaches Yoga now,” April 10, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 13:10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjSC5Gv5eKw
58 REDBAR x SCARSCLUB. 2019. “SNL’s Shane Gillis is RACIST!? Everything You Need To Know About the Scandal,” September 13, 2019. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 47:47. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM5Rq0RaU3I
59 Tolentino, Daysia. 2024. “Shane Gillis was fired from ‘SNL’ for racist and homophobic jokes. Now he’s going to host.” NBC News. February 5, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/shane-gillis-saturday-night-live-fired-now-hosting-rcna137161
60 Habbi Shadi. 2023. “Louis C.K calls out Shane Gillis for being greedy,” July 31, 2023. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 1:43. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MC_nUNPUcQ
61 Joey Diaz Clips. 2018. “Why Chelsea Handler Can’t Stand Joey Diaz,” November 8, 2018. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 10:04. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Eb4HxjupGY
62 REDBAR x SCARSCLUB. 2020. “ Joey Diaz RESPONDS to Redbar about his “Xanax Addiction” & exposes himself even more!,” April 14, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 1:33:45. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxqaiFeaiPk
63 JRE Clips. 2020. “Joey Diaz “We’ve All MeToo’d Somebody” | Joe Rogan,” January 13, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-1dPk0iApQ
64 David, Mike. “Season 19, Episode 32.” Red Bar Radio. Podcast audio, May 19, 2021. https://redbarradio.net/archives/red-bar-radio-s19-e32
65 David, Mike. “Season 20, Episode 28.” Red Bar Radio. Podcast audio, March 14, 2023. https://redbarradio.net/shows/red-bar-radio-s20-e28
66 David, Mike. “Season 21, Episode 26.” Red Bar Radio. Podcast audio, August 1, 2024. https://redbarradio.net/archives/red-bar-radio-s21-e26
67 Redbar Radio Replay. 2021. “REDBAR: Jeremiah vs. the ‘R’,” April 7, 2021. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 27:17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBjHeUPLR68
68 Crack Amico. 2024. “Crack Amico – Arena Hack (AUSTIN DISS),” July 28, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GICkOPOlbNk
69 The Elephant Graveyard, “Joe Rogan’s Comedy Safe Space,” 2:40.
70 basmnts. 2024. “Joe Rogan Addresses Why He Had Elephant Graveyard Videos Removed,” August 29, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 2:48. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw-N18D_pYE
71 Red Bar Radio S20 E28, 3:04:00.
72 Ibid., 3:04:30.
73 Ibid., 3:08:00.
74 Ibid., 3:11:45.
75 Hall, Alexander and Gabrielle Reyes. 2023. “Joe Rogan’s new cancel-proof comedy club cheered as free speech win: ‘Good for country’ to laugh without fear.” Fox News. March 10, 2023. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/media/joe-rogans-new-cancel-proof-comedy-club-cheered-free-speech-win-good-country-laugh-without-fear
76 Red Bar Radio S20 E28, 3:24:37.
77 Kill Tony. 2021. “KILL TONY #500 – JOE ROGAN,” April 12, 2021. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 2:41:31. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vLyw775Va8
78 Apologia Comedia. 2024. “Comedians Roast Joe Rogan for not Understanding Comedy,” August 3, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 13:21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOZFy-NoXfQ
79 JRE Clips. 2020. “Hannibal Buress Brainstorms Covid-19 Game Show Ideas,” July 9, 2020. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_Fffx8vDYo
80 David, Mike. “Season 19, Episode 29.” Red Bar Radio. Podcast audio, April 20, 2021. https://redbarradio.net/archives/red-bar-radio-s19-e29
81 PowerfulJRE. 2024. “Joe Rogan Experience #2158 – Harland Williams,” May 30, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 2:31:47. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCGCu_v77Do
82 The Elephant Graveyard, “Harland Williams,” 2:15.
83 PowerfulJRE. 2024. “Joe Rogan Experience #1834 – Ari Shaffir, Shane Gillis & Mark Normand,” June 27, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:18:13. https://youtu.be/x1GIUqy6_Bo?si=eP6gdk7AE1rjaRmm
84 The Elephant Graveyard, “Burn The Boats,” 18:00.
85 PowerfulJRE. 2024. “Joe Rogan Experience #2182 – Michael Malice,” July 30, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. YouTube. Video, 3:03:55. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3fA-zGu-EU
86 The Associated Press. 2024. “Controversial podcast host Joe Rogan signs a new deal with Spotify for up to a reported $250 million.” Associated Press. February 3, 2024. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/joe-rogan-spotify-deal-76fa0e2c9d4b137f510428528ea6226b