The Joe Rogan ExperienceJoe Rogan Experience #1431 - Owen Smith
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:55
Yoga with Russell Simmons: celebrity classes, breathing, and “voluntary difficulty”
Joe and Owen start mid-conversation about yoga, Russell Simmons, and why yoga can be brutally hard despite its public image. They connect breath control in difficult poses to handling stress and adversity in everyday life.
- •Owen’s month of free yoga at Russell Simmons’ studio and doing class next to him
- •Russell’s takeaway: breathing through difficult situations
- •Joe’s idea of “voluntary difficulty” (yoga/jiu-jitsu/training) as adversity prep
- •Why yoga gets underrated compared to running or lifting
- 0:55 – 7:05
Raw vs. polished comedy—and Owen’s Def Jam baptism by fire
The conversation pivots into standup craft: being raw versus polished, and how authenticity beats any single style. Owen tells a formative Def Jam story—getting applause breaks yet not airing—plus the long emotional arc of wanting Russell Simmons’ approval.
- •Joe’s view: comedy is art; raw and polished both matter (Diaz vs. Jeselnik)
- •Owen’s Def Jam audition, applause breaks, and still being cut from airing
- •Identity pressure and the feeling of not fitting what a brand is “selling”
- •Years later: a full-circle moment when Russell acknowledges him mid-set
- 7:05 – 10:01
Celebrities in yoga class: Usher’s work ethic and the stigma of stretching
Owen describes the surreal mix of celebrities in high-end yoga classes and how it changed his respect for the practice. Joe adds that Usher is legitimately skilled in striking, and they riff on how yoga is hard but socially undervalued.
- •Russell’s studio scene: mats/towels provided; celebrity drop-ins
- •Usher’s flexibility and Joe’s claim he’s a legit trained fighter
- •Owen’s “Usher is the Kobe of R&B” (outworking peers)
- •Why people dismiss yoga even though it’s physically punishing
- 10:01 – 11:56
Hot Bikram humiliation, ego bruises, and why people actually pass out
Owen recounts his first hot Bikram class—initially motivated by flirting—and getting checked by the instructor mid-pose. Joe explains the real danger of heat training and why instructors monitor students closely.
- •Owen’s first hot yoga experience and the “Are you alright?” moment
- •Ego, embarrassment, and practicing at home before returning
- •Joe on 105° rooms, overheating, and legitimate blackout risk
- •How ‘no judgment’ environments still trigger self-consciousness
- 11:56 – 13:50
Gym culture stories: dead body at Bally’s and the ‘membership trap’ business model
They trade absurd gym anecdotes, including Owen seeing a dead body in a Bally’s pool and the dark humor that followed. Joe riffs on how big-box gyms profit from non-attendance and membership complexity.
- •Bally’s early-morning line: “Somebody’s dead in the pool” story
- •Contracts and cancellation nightmares as gym folklore
- •Joe on 24 Hour Fitness selling long commitments because most won’t show
- •Crowding, tiered access, and ‘you don’t have that membership’ nonsense
- 13:50 – 19:29
Basketball proximity: rebounding for Magic and getting cooked by Grant Hill
Owen shares how he inserted himself into Magic Johnson’s workout routine just to be on the court with him. He then recounts the moment his NBA dreams ended—trying to guard Grant Hill in high school and realizing what ‘world class’ really means.
- •Equinox era: Owen’s ‘rebound and assist’ moment with Magic Johnson
- •Grant Hill matchup: length, footwork, and an unstoppable scorer
- •The shock of seeing elite athleticism before the athlete is fully developed
- •Jordan/Shaq size talk: physical outliers and why they dominate
- 19:29 – 23:21
Greatness, obsession, and the Jordan vs. LeBron framing (family, motivation, variables)
Jordan’s Hall of Fame grudge-holding becomes a springboard to discuss the psychology of greatness and its unhealthy edges. Owen offers a nuanced lens on the GOAT debate: comparing starting lines, including LeBron’s upbringing without a father, while Joe argues adversity can also become fuel.
- •“Greatness and madness are next-door neighbors” and competitiveness as pathology
- •Why Jordan’s grudges may have powered his peak performance
- •Owen’s ‘different starting lines’ argument in the LeBron debate
- •Joe’s counterpoint: hardship can create drive, but variables are complex
- 23:21 – 27:44
Heavyweight chess: Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder tactical breakdown
Joe dives deep into why Fury solved Wilder: forcing him backward, changing trainers, and adopting a Kronk-style seek-and-destroy approach. They discuss power vs. technique, endurance training, and what makes Fury unusual for his size.
- •Fury discovering Wilder’s weakness while backing up (first fight, 12th round)
- •Wilder’s ‘eraser’ right hand and how it covers mistakes
- •Fury’s footwork/feints and technical sophistication at 6'9"
- •Trainer change to Sugar Hill and Kronk Gym’s aggressive philosophy
- 27:44 – 35:40
Owen’s audience-building pitch: textowen.com, specials, and TV’s collapse for comics
Owen thanks Joe for spotlighting his standup and plugs a direct-to-fan strategy via textowen.com to distribute unseen material. They discuss how the comedy business shifted away from TV gatekeepers and why a special on a major platform can still change everything.
- •Joe’s argument: Owen should be ‘arena famous’ based on skill
- •Owen’s offer: never-before-seen standup via textowen.com
- •Decline of Comedy Central as a cultural pipeline for standup
- •Why streaming/platform distribution now matters more than network prestige
- 35:40 – 41:08
‘Notebooks’: a show idea to reveal the craft—and why YouTube beats executives
They revisit Owen’s series concept ‘Notebooks,’ where comics revisit early joke notebooks to show the messy evolution of material. Joe pushes Owen to stop waiting for TV permission and publish it on YouTube, where the audience—not executives—decides.
- •Concept: comics never throw away notebooks; revisiting them reveals growth
- •Behind-the-scenes craft: economy of words, finding gems, abandoned premises
- •Why TV meetings/notes stall good ideas; fewer voices = faster execution
- •Joe’s repeated directive: “Put it on YouTube” and Owen agreeing to do it
- 41:08 – 45:47
Comedy Central half-hour mirage: the Carlin night, a broken promise, and self-funding
Owen tells a painful story about chasing a Comedy Central half-hour after being encouraged by a producer—only to be told she’d never heard of him. The gut punch becomes a turning point: he stops waiting for Hollywood approval and bankrolls his own special using college money.
- •Meeting at Comedy & Magic Club during George Carlin’s last-special era
- •Scrambling to tape 21 minutes because clubs wouldn’t grant the time
- •Dave Becky call: producer claims no memory of Owen (career whiplash)
- •Lesson learned: create independently rather than chase gatekeeper validation
- 45:47 – 49:26
Comics helping comics: Ian Edwards stories and the economics of being ‘vegan tired’
Joe and Owen celebrate Ian Edwards’ generosity and talent, recalling early New York days and Def Jam-era Ian. The tone shifts to affectionate roasting—sleep-on-planes photos, frugality, and nutrition jokes—showing the camaraderie that sustains comics.
- •Joe’s long friendship with Ian Edwards and early-career scenes in NYC
- •Ian’s generosity: bringing young comics to meetings/sets
- •Running gag: vegan diet, sleeping on planes, and ‘spy vs spy’ photo payback
- •Frugality bits (smoothie recipe vs. ‘or I could just eat a banana’)
- 49:26 – 56:21
Learning standup in real time: Chappelle booed, Tony Woods’ mastery, Donnell’s command
Owen flashes back to coming up in Prince George’s County/DC-area comedy, watching legends before they were legends. He describes Dave Chappelle getting booed in a Black room, Tony Woods destroying right after, and Donnell Rawlings’ ability to control a crowd with “requests.”
- •Chappelle’s defiant exit line: “Fuck y’all, I’ma be famous”
- •Tony Woods as a quiet architect of comedic excellence and influence
- •Donnell Rawlings’ crowd command and the illusion of ‘requested’ bits
- •Early exposure to fearless styles that didn’t yet match Midwest rooms
- 56:21 – 1:12:26
How Owen writes: newspapers, ‘reader’s block,’ playing on stage, and risky race bits
Owen explains his writing inputs—especially reading newspapers—and how it sparks premises beyond his personal-style act. They discuss the difference between writing tightly and remembering to ‘play,’ plus the real-world blowback that can come from provocative race material.
- •Writing triggers: physical newspaper, word choice, and idea explosions
- •Chris Rock’s line: ‘I don’t suffer from writer’s block, I suffer from reader’s block’
- •The need to ‘play’ onstage vs. over-engineering material
- •Owen’s rap-concert bit and how audiences sometimes weaponize a joke afterward
- 1:12:26 – 1:37:49
Hollywood vs. the internet: auditions, sitcom money, and why podcasts win
Joe recounts his rare audition history (two shows, two bookings) and why not ‘needing’ acting helped him relax and win roles. From there, they broaden into why network TV is creatively shackled, how executives ‘cuten up’ edge, and why lean, creator-controlled internet shows outperform legacy formats.
- •Joe’s audition run: Hardball and NewsRadio; callback/test process
- •Why comics have an advantage in auditions over anxious non-performers
- •Streaming vs. network constraints; executives removing edge for ‘repercussions’
- •Podcasts as the future: fewer gatekeepers, on-demand, real conversations
- 1:37:49 – 2:24:31
‘Standup is easy’ takes: Malcolm Gladwell beef, bombing realities, and brutal early gigs
Owen brings up his frustration with Malcolm Gladwell diminishing standup as a ‘tightly controlled setting,’ and Joe breaks down why that misses the psychological and performance complexity. They trade examples of uncontrolled rooms—bars, bowling alleys, strip clubs—and how those disasters build a comic’s resilience.
- •Gladwell quote: standup as an ‘easier’ social circumstance—why comics disagree
- •Joe’s ‘hypnosis’ framing: audiences let you think for them when you’re killing
- •Reality check venues: strip club gigs and being ignored rather than booed
- •The ‘levels’ lesson: mastery makes things look easy from the outside
- 2:24:31 – 2:33:57
Mitch Hedberg, opioids, and the dark side of soothing: acid night to morphine button
Owen shares a wild, intimate story about doing acid with Mitch Hedberg, seeing his process, and later learning of Mitch’s death—plus how addiction was hidden from many peers. Joe connects it to the broader opioid crisis, explaining firsthand how morphine’s comfort can hook vulnerable, creative people.
- •Owen’s friendship with Hedberg: festivals, road stories, notebook mentality
- •Acid trip story: surreal hotel night, filming, and chaotic comedy insights
- •Hedberg’s heroin use, health scares, and the difficulty of quitting
- •Joe on opioids: morphine drip euphoria and why it’s so addictive
