CHAPTERS
- 0:02 – 2:12
Quitting weed, edibles vs smoking, and stomach issues
Joe and Joey open by debating the logic of quitting marijuana for 29 days and whether it’s worth staying off longer. Joey explains why edibles started bothering him physically, including stomach discomfort and intense late-night hunger.
- •Joey’s rule: if you make it 29 days without weed, why go back?
- •Edibles causing “weird feeling” and uncontrollable munchies after 11pm
- •Diet changes after discovering lactose intolerance (cutting cheeses, sandwiches)
- •Joe asks about alternatives: sprays, vaporizing, pens
- 2:12 – 4:58
Weight loss strategy: breakfast, fasting skepticism, and old eating habits
The conversation shifts to Joey’s weight-loss approach and why intermittent fasting doesn’t work for him. He contrasts his current structured eating with his past lifestyle of late eating fueled by stimulants.
- •Joey can’t do intermittent fasting due to blood sugar/blood pressure swings
- •Forcing breakfast to prevent all-day overeating
- •Weight Watchers points thinking; giving up bacon for Sober October
- •Stories of extreme past breakfasts (whole pack of bacon, eggs, Wonder Bread, Coke)
- •East Coast diner food and sugar-heavy breakfasts
- 4:58 – 6:33
Progress with Weight Watchers and fitness tracking (without gadgets)
Joey details his long-term, gradual progress on Weight Watchers and how he tracks activity points. Joe probes how the system measures exercise and Joey explains his preference for not using heart-rate monitors.
- •11 months on Weight Watchers: down ~30 pounds
- •Activity goal system (72 points) and logging workouts
- •Muay Thai, circuits, and estimating time rather than using devices
- •Joey dislikes hearing/seeing heart-rate data while training
- •Sidebar on Everlast’s artificial valve “clicking” sound
- 6:33 – 10:35
Sober October mindset, stage comedown rituals, and late-night writing
They return to weed and the psychology of stopping, especially for performers who need to come down after sets. Joey describes using music and marijuana to unwind and explains his routine for journaling and writing projects.
- •Joe’s experience: after a month off, restarting weed made him nervous on stage
- •Quote: quitting being high can be weirder than being high
- •Joey’s post-Store routine: smoke to come down, listen to music (Prince)
- •Writing reflections on sets; correcting material rather than heavy writing at night
- •Morning coffee-shop writing habit: thought pages, book chapters, post-special material
- 10:35 – 14:39
Mitzi Shore’s Comedy Store “technique” and the art of managing a room
Joey and Joe reflect on Mitzi Shore’s influence and instincts running The Comedy Store. They revisit Joe’s notorious “old billionaire/Anna Nicole” bit and why Mitzi restricted it to protect the main room’s flow.
- •Mitzi’s genius: knowing what plays in which room and why
- •Joe’s bit about J. Howard Marshall and Anna Nicole Smith
- •Why some bits are hard to follow and can “kill the room” for comics after
- •Mitzi’s sensitivity to certain themes as her health declined
- •How club owners shape comedy development through constraints
- 14:39 – 16:38
Wealth, rich women lists, and the Theranos/Elizabeth Holmes fraud story
The discussion jumps from billionaire tabloid stories into how extreme wealth is accumulated and perceived. Joe explains the Theranos scandal as an example of a ‘self-made’ narrative collapsing into fraud.
- •Questioning how the richest women gained wealth (inheritance/divorce vs startups)
- •Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos, and fraudulent blood-testing claims
- •Holmes’ Steve Jobs persona and investor deception
- •Broader point: media narratives of self-made success can be misleading
- •Quick reality check via Googled lists and commentary
- 16:38 – 19:51
Classic scams: Crazy Eddie, marketing hype, and investor deception
Joey recounts the rise and fall of Crazy Eddie, the iconic NYC electronics pitchman. They outline the alleged fraud tactics—fake inventory and manipulation—plus the colorful way authorities caught him.
- •Crazy Eddie ads and the era of memorable local commercials
- •Fraud methods: warehouses staged with boxes filled with bricks
- •Going public and fooling auditors/investors with fake inventory
- •Fleeing to Israel; story of being lured/caught via his weakness for women
- •Nostalgia for regional ad culture and its influence
- 19:51 – 23:44
Imus vs Stern and why shock radio changed entertainment
Joe contrasts the stale feel of Imus with the chaos and innovation of Howard Stern’s show. They discuss how audiences responded to outrageousness and how addiction and on-air encouragement can trap performers.
- •Imus’ regional fame vs Stern’s national impact
- •Stern’s “chaos radio” and why it felt new and addictive
- •Imus’ downfall after offensive comments
- •Artie Lange as a case study in addiction + audience reinforcement
- •How being loved for dysfunction can prevent recovery
- 23:44 – 27:47
Old neighborhood stories: nicknames, delis, and rough-edged nostalgia
Joey launches into vivid stories from his youth—local characters, casual cruelty, and street-level hustling. The tone is comedic but reveals how normal dysfunction felt in that environment.
- •Being nicknamed ‘Belushi’ while heavily using substances
- •Pizza-parlor owner ‘Nick the Greek’ and chaotic interactions
- •Petty neighborhood economics (crossing street for cheaper iced tea)
- •Food hygiene jokes and the ‘hair in the sandwich’ deli stories
- •How these environments shaped identity and behavior
- 27:47 – 34:49
Aging quirks: alopecia, eyebrows, and the body’s weird trade-offs
From hair in food they pivot into hair loss and aging bodies. Joe discusses alopecia’s effects while Joey jokes about eyebrows and ear hair taking over as other body hair disappears.
- •Alopecia: losing eyebrows/eyelashes and patchy hair loss
- •Joey’s aging trade-off: receding hairline but bushier eyebrows
- •Ear hair and nose hair maintenance on the road
- •Hotel lighting/mirrors as brutally honest about aging
- •Humor as coping mechanism for bodily change
- 34:49 – 39:53
Marriage economics: massive divorce settlements and ‘lifestyle’ arguments
They revisit the richest-women topic via high-profile divorce payouts and the logic courts use. Joe argues the system can become absurd when long-term payments continue without kids involved.
- •Examples of huge divorce settlements (Jordan, Murdoch, Wynn, etc.)
- •Debate over fairness: support with kids vs perpetual lifestyle maintenance
- •California time thresholds and factors that affect settlements
- •Joe’s anecdote about long-term alimony despite remarriage and no children
- •Gender-reversal thought experiment to highlight perceived imbalance
- 39:53 – 47:02
Rockstar longevity: Mick Jagger’s discipline, touring at 70+, and Keith Richards’ hands
They marvel at aging rock stars still performing at elite levels, especially Mick Jagger’s fitness. The conversation includes band politics, ticket-selling ruthlessness, and the physical toll of decades of guitar playing.
- •Mick Jagger’s intense workouts and discipline in his 70s
- •Story about refusing to go on stage until behind-stage seats sold
- •Keith Richards’ swollen knuckles; comparison to gi-based jiu-jitsu arthritis
- •Band ‘feuds’ as marketing/book-selling strategies
- •How modern touring and screens changed concerts vs the 80s
- 47:02 – 52:35
Rocky/Creed love letter: Stallone’s legacy and real fight injuries
Joey explains how watching Creed changed his opinion of Stallone’s artistry and perseverance. They dig into behind-the-scenes stories, including Stallone being hospitalized after taking real punches on set.
- •Stallone as franchise architect and underappreciated storyteller
- •Creed’s appeal despite predictable premise
- •Dolph Lundgren’s legit martial arts background and dangerous power
- •Stallone ICU story from Rocky IV; insurance initially refusing payout
- •Tarver reportedly KO’ing Stallone during later boxing-movie filming
- 52:35 – 58:46
Martial arts deep dive: Kyokushin, Muay Thai clinches, sweeps, and wrestling rooms
Joe breaks down Kyokushin rules and why it produces tough fighters, then ties it into Muay Thai and MMA effectiveness. They swap stories about old-school karate sweeps, wrestling practice misery, and childhood playground injuries.
- •Kyokushin: body punches full power; kicks to legs/head/body; brutal stand-and-trade style
- •Muay Thai clinch work, sweeps, framing, and crossover to MMA
- •Joey on old tournament sweep tactics and why they’re rarer now
- •Joe’s brief high-school wrestling; Joey’s hatred of the wrestling room conditions
- •Monkey-bar injuries and how tougher playgrounds used to be
- 58:46 – 1:00:58
Modern culture and accountability: parenting daughters, Kavanaugh/Weinstein, and high school scars
Joey connects current cultural scandals to how fathers think about raising daughters today. They discuss the difficulty of adjudicating decades-old accusations and how high school trauma can define people for life.
- •Joey’s frustration with retroactive judgment for high school behavior
- •Joe on ‘drunk jock’ environments and frat culture as risk factors
- •Joey’s harsh anecdote about a girl exploited in youth and later addiction
- •Joe reflecting on bullying and how it led him to martial arts
- •How formative years can permanently shape identity and fear
- 1:00:58 – 3:17:14
Horror and storytelling craft: Stephen King, The Exorcist, Scarface, and ‘show vs tell’ directing
They riff on horror’s cultural impact (It and clown backlash), then praise classic filmmaking that relies on restraint and imagination. Joey argues modern cinema overuses CGI and loses the director’s ability to build tension through implication.
- •Clowns allegedly losing work after It; cultural ripple effects of horror
- •Stephen King stories: On Writing, Carrie’s origin, and his accident recovery
- •The Exorcist as masterclass in tension and implication; Joey’s vivid scene breakdown
- •Scarface’s ratings battle and the value of suggestion vs explicit gore
- •Critique of CGI-heavy films; American Werewolf in London as contrasting example
