Joe Rogan Experience #1524 - Ron Funches

Ron Funches is a comedian, actor and writer. His podcast "Gettin' Better" is available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify. On September 5 , his live stand up event "Awakening" will be streaming on YouTube and tickets are now available here: eventbrite.com/e/ron-funches-awakening-tickets-113410704470 @ronfunc1

Joe RoganhostRon FunchesguestGuest (third voice, likely Jamie reading/providing info)guest

Aug 13, 20202h 12mWatch on YouTube ↗

EVERY SPOKEN WORD

150 min read · 30,117 words

0:03 – 1:38
Settling in: nutrition prep and the challenge of maintaining major weight loss
1. JRJoe Rogan
  Hello, Ron.
2. RFRon Funches
  Hello, Joe.
3. JRJoe Rogan
  How are you?
4. RFRon Funches
  I'm good, man.
5. JRJoe Rogan
  You are good. You got double water bottles.
6. RFRon Funches
  One water, one protein shake.
7. JRJoe Rogan
  Oh.
8. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
9. JRJoe Rogan
  You're not fucking around.
10. RFRon Funches
  No. And new... You know, last time I wasn't aware how long I would be here.
11. JRJoe Rogan
  Ah.
12. RFRon Funches
  Now I'm prepared, I'ma settle in. I'm not gonna be hungry. My wife got me all set up.
13. JRJoe Rogan
  Nice.
14. RFRon Funches
  Water, protein shake. We're all good.
15. JRJoe Rogan
  Make sure that your blood sugar doesn't drop.
16. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
17. JRJoe Rogan
  Maintain energy levels.
18. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
19. JRJoe Rogan
  You are, uh, a man who has done one of the most difficult things a person could do. You lost a ton of weight.
20. RFRon Funches
  Yeah, and then maintain, keeping it off.
21. JRJoe Rogan
  Yes.
22. RFRon Funches
  That's the harder.
23. JRJoe Rogan
  Right, that's the hard part.
24. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
25. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah. The momentum of losing the weight is f- good but most people, they get to a point and they wanna take a break.
26. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
27. JRJoe Rogan
  And then once they take a break, then it all slides.
28. RFRon Funches
  Yeah. It's a bit of both. Sometimes I wanna take a break, but then I wanna get to that next level.
29. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
30. RFRon Funches
  So then-
1:38 – 2:47
Workout structure, treadmill discipline, and the power of positive feedback
1. JRJoe Rogan
  There you go. What do you do for working out?
2. RFRon Funches
  Uh, I have my trainer about three days a week. Um, sometimes two days a week. And then on top of that... And we'll do, you know, just different circuits, back, chest, you know, whatever, whatever, legs. And then, um, then the other days, I'm always just trying to make sure I hit the treadmill twice a day for two miles on a incline.
3. JRJoe Rogan
  Twice a day?
4. RFRon Funches
  Yeah, yeah.
5. JRJoe Rogan
  Really? You do it twice a day?
6. RFRon Funches
  Yeah, in the morning and night. I don't do much otherwise. So, you know, all, a lo- especially now, a lot of my stuff is sitting in front of a computer-
7. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
8. RFRon Funches
  ... podcasting, playing games on Twitch, and stuff like that. So I feel like, "Oh, if I'm gonna spend, sit, uh, that long, I gotta start the day, treadmill, end the day with treadmill."
9. JRJoe Rogan
  That's discipline. I like that.
10. RFRon Funches
  It is. I fucking hate it. So... (laughs)
11. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs) .
12. RFRon Funches
  It definitely is discipline. (laughs)
13. JRJoe Rogan
  But you like the results?
14. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
15. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
16. RFRon Funches
  I like how I feel. I like the compliments. You know, I was just doing this thing the other day. And, um, uh, Jake Johnson, the guy from New Girl, I'm in a cartoon with him. And like, that's like, you know, he's like a leading man, Dreamboaty guy. And he's looking at me and he's like, "Man." He's like, "You're looking fucking good, man. You got your shit together. You looking like you about to lead your own show."
17. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
18. RFRon Funches
  And I hear shit like that and I'm like, "Okay."
19. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
20. RFRon Funches
  "I better get, get on that treadmill again."
21. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah. Yeah, that helps, right?
22. RFRon Funches
  It really does.
2:47 – 4:35
Choosing positivity: envy, ambition, and staying on the ‘good path’
1. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah. The positive feedback and positive energy. That's one thing that I like about what you do. You are very positive. Like, you're, you're very warm and friendly. Like, all the shit that you do online, you're all smiley-
2. RFRon Funches
  (laughs)
3. JRJoe Rogan
  ... and positive, and friendly. It's cool. It's, it's got... It gives off a good vibe. Like, when I look at your Instagram posts or, or read something that you post, it's like-
4. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
5. JRJoe Rogan
  ... Ron is on the good path.
6. RFRon Funches
  Yeah, I try to.
7. JRJoe Rogan
  You're on the good path.
8. RFRon Funches
  You know, 'cause it's just, it's so easy to go the other way. And, and-
9. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
10. RFRon Funches
  ... you get caught up in what other people are doing and h- what you think you should be doing.
11. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
12. RFRon Funches
  Which I battle all of that too, so I don't ever try to act like, "Oh, I'm just like, oh, everything's great." It's like, of course, I go through shit all the time, but like, I think I choose to support my friends, I choose to support positive things because that's what I can control. And that's, to me, fighting against that negative as, as opposed to like just joining everybody in the fray.
13. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah. What do you mean? But like how do you feel, like when, when you say like you feel that too? Like, the feel... You feel the, the draw to the negative.
14. RFRon Funches
  Oh, I mean, 'cause we all like, you know, we just want things, you know?
15. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
16. RFRon Funches
  So I wanted a Netflix special. I wanna be a lead in a show. I want my own show, you know? And I've already do a lot of great things, but... And that's why I have to balance it all. 'Cause I'm like, "Oh man, I'm in such a great position. I do so many wonderful things." I... What always helps me actually is talking to people like you, or talking to people like Burt, talking to any comedian that's been doing it like 20 years plus, when I'm at like 14 now.
17. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
18. RFRon Funches
  And when I talk to them and then they are like, "Oh, hold on. Slow the fuck down, man."
19. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs)
20. RFRon Funches
  Like, "You g- look at where you are and what you're doing, for how long you've been doing it. You're fucking aces, man. So chill the fuck out and play it out."
21. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
22. RFRon Funches
  "Don't freak out." And that that always... You know, having faith, that always helps me out.
4:35 – 10:34
Stand-up as a long game: early hustle, Conan lessons, and quarantine adaptation
1. JRJoe Rogan
  Well, we're all stalled right now, you know-
2. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
3. JRJoe Rogan
  ... unfortunately, 'cause we can't work. But, uh, d- standup is a long haul. Like, you're a... At 10 years people start taking you seriously. You know, if you're really precocious, people start looking at you at seven like, "Damn, this motherfucker's good." But at 10 years they go, "Okay, that guy's a pro." Or "She's really got it. She's legit." At 10 years usually.
4. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
5. JRJoe Rogan
  So for 14, man, you're cooking, you know? 14, you got things happening, you know? You're putting together like real sets. You got str- like you get off stage, you're like, "Damn, that's... That was legit."
6. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
7. JRJoe Rogan
  "That was legit." It's fucking... It's a long road to get good at standup, you know? It's like that AC/DC song, "It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll." (laughs) I was on stage, or not... About to go on stage rather, at The, uh, Improv once. And there was this lady who was on stage and she... You could tell she's real recent. And, uh, she was just eating it, just eating shit up there. And me and the DJ were just like, "Whew." And I just looked at him, I go, "It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll." (laughs)
8. RFRon Funches
  (laughs) .
9. JRJoe Rogan
  And then the DJ played that song as I went on stage.
10. RFRon Funches
  Nice.
11. JRJoe Rogan
  << It's a long way to the top >> It is, man.
12. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
13. JRJoe Rogan
  It's a fucking long way.
14. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
15. JRJoe Rogan
  You know?
16. RFRon Funches
  No, and I'd agree. I... And that's what... I had to change my mindset very early 'cause, you know, I came from not having money, not having anything, and having my son really early. And so I was like, "I need to make it. I need to da, da, da."
17. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
18. RFRon Funches
  And then like I remember...Um, I got on Conan the first time, and, and I rem- they were like, "Oh, what are you promoting? You gotta promote something, you know, when we introduce you." And the only thing I had to promote was a open mic that I was doing in Portland the next day. (laughs)
19. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs)
20. RFRon Funches
  You know? (laughs) And I was just like-
21. JRJoe Rogan
  Ugh.
22. RFRon Funches
  ... this is always gonna be a part of this. This is always gonna be here. It's always gonna be a n- there's, will be highs and then there'll be another day.
23. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
24. RFRon Funches
  And so, I gotta g- learn to not, you know, fear that next day and just be like, "This is, I mean, this is just my life." And that's what's helped me through all of this quarantine stuff-
25. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
26. RFRon Funches
  ... is why I'm back doing weird Zoom shows. I'm doing my own livestream show September 5th. And-
27. JRJoe Rogan
  People adapt.
28. RFRon Funches
  Yeah, exactly.
29. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
30. RFRon Funches
  Exactly.
10:34 – 15:29
Comedy Store camaraderie: meritocracy, the hang, and missing the room
1. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah. Well, that was one of the best things that we had at the Store.
2. RFRon Funches
  Absolutely.
3. JRJoe Rogan
  We were all working together. And, you know, we'd have a show on. It'd be you and me and Burr and, you know, and Iliza and Whitney and, uh, fucking Ali Wong and bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. These shows were fire. It was just ... And you had to warm up in the back. I'd be in the back, I'd be jumping up and down on cushions and shit and-
4. RFRon Funches
  (laughs)
5. JRJoe Rogan
  ... shadow boxing and touching my toes and (exhales) taking deep breaths. And you, you gotta, you know, you gotta get your body charged up, you know. I miss that. I miss that a lot.
6. RFRon Funches
  Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
7. JRJoe Rogan
  I miss that a lot. I miss that feeling of being in the main room, green room, getting ready to go on. (claps hands) Woo! And just the hang, man.
8. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
9. JRJoe Rogan
  I miss the hang.
10. RFRon Funches
  Oh, truly. I mean, espe- for me especially 'cause I was still always looking at it as like, "Oh, I'm g- the young guy on the totem pole here," and it's cool that n- you know, 'cause one thing ... The original room is awesome, but when you're doing these main room shows, you know, like, "Oh, they're putting me on here because they also think I'm w- a part of a draw." And so, to be on that wit you guys, but being younger in the game than you guys and, and being like, "Oh, fuck, I have to follow Ali, Joe, Joey Diaz, you know, Whitney."
11. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
12. RFRon Funches
  "I have to follow them all and then I don't have the credits (laughs) that these people-"
13. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
14. RFRon Funches
  "... are gonna care about." It was the thing I've learned to crave of being like ... Because when I got them, I was like, "They are on my side because I'm fucking good."
15. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm. Yeah.
16. RFRon Funches
  "They don't know anything else. They don't know what I've done."
17. JRJoe Rogan
  Right, right.
18. RFRon Funches
  "They have now figured out I'm good." And that-
19. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
20. RFRon Funches
  ... I miss so much.
21. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs) I was there once, and, uh, I brought you up and you, you said something to, along the lines of, "Joe reminds me of that teacher that got arrested for having sex with a..." he said, "with a senior." (laughs)
22. RFRon Funches
  (laughs)
23. JRJoe Rogan
  Or something. Like, he's like that cool teacher-
24. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
25. JRJoe Rogan
  ... that you find out-
26. RFRon Funches
  He tells you all the cool stuff. He tells you how the real world works, and then you find out he was having a relationship with- with... the teacher's aide.
27. JRJoe Rogan
  Oh. I was crying. It was-
28. RFRon Funches
  It was-
29. JRJoe Rogan
  I was crying. But it's, like, those kind of moments, man, it's like the c- the, the comradery of the store. Um, one of the best things about the quarantine is being able to do this podcast and have guys like you on and have all, you know, all of our friends come here and, and just sit down and just at least spend time together.
30. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
15:29 – 29:37
Surviving lockdown professionally: diversification, podcasts, and socially distanced shows
1. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah. Um, you have a podcast luckily.
2. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
3. JRJoe Rogan
  I felt bad for dudes who didn't.
4. RFRon Funches
  Yes.
5. JRJoe Rogan
  For the folks, the guys and the gals that didn't have podcasts, I was like, "Ooh," like, you got no way to keep in touch with people.
6. RFRon Funches
  Yeah. It, I mean, and that was exactly the reason why I started my podcast 'cause I was like, "Oh, I'm like, everything I'm doing is a guest in other people's shit."
7. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
8. RFRon Funches
  Like, "I'm, I'm a guest in everyone else's home and I don't have a home for people to come hang out with me."
9. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm. Yeah.
10. RFRon Funches
  And so, I was, been thinking that for a long time and that's the reason why I started my podcast. And when all this stuff happened, I was like, I was very happy, um, because I've always been of two minds when it comes to comedy. I love specialists. I love people who are just like, "I do standup, straight standup. I'm gonna be the best fucking standup in the world." Like, I love being that competitive, but I also have this part of me that's just like, "I love new challenges of all types." And so I got into voice acting, regular acting, all that stuff. And when this thing came down I was like, "Oh, fuck. Actually, you know, just like in business, it is good to diversify."
11. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs)
12. RFRon Funches
  Because voice acting is saving my-
13. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
14. RFRon Funches
  ... fucking life right now.
15. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. You, as a person in show business, you must have as many forms of revenue as you can. You really ha- and you have to save for a rainy day. You have to do those two things. And I've been real lucky that I have weird taste. I'm into weird shit, so I have, you know, cage fighting commentary.
16. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
17. JRJoe Rogan
  And then I also have the podcast and I also have this standup thing, which is just on hold indefinitely, you know? You could do it right now. I mean, uh, have you thought about doing one of those, uh, drive-in movie shows?
18. RFRon Funches
  I talked to my Bert about it. He made it sound interesting.
19. JRJoe Rogan
  He loves it.
20. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
21. JRJoe Rogan
  He loves it.
22. RFRon Funches
  He, the way he sells it-
23. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
24. RFRon Funches
  ... made it sound fun. Uh, but, but-
25. JRJoe Rogan
  You gotta realize he's drunk though.
26. RFRon Funches
  Yeah. D- I do, and I realize it's a thing. (laughs)
27. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs)
28. RFRon Funches
  I do realize that.
29. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs)
30. RFRon Funches
  (laughs) And he's like, "Horns, yeah!"
29:37 – 33:16
Freedom, weed, and culture: CBD, training high, and Amsterdam’s vibe
1. JRJoe Rogan
  You want a Kill Cliff on one of these?
2. RFRon Funches
  What is it?
3. JRJoe Rogan
  CBD drinks?
4. RFRon Funches
  Sure.
5. JRJoe Rogan
  Grape CBD drink. Delicious, good for you, no THC.
6. RFRon Funches
  Well, that's a ... Okay. (laughs)
7. JRJoe Rogan
  Well, you can ... I can get you some THC if you'd like that too.
8. RFRon Funches
  (laughs)
9. JRJoe Rogan
  We have plenty of that. But I got those for us.
10. RFRon Funches
  Oh, them not bad.
11. JRJoe Rogan
  Delicious, right?
12. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
13. JRJoe Rogan
  Good for you. 25 milligrams of CBD. Do you, do you take CBD at all?
14. RFRon Funches
  Yeah, a bit. Yeah. I'ma get my, get some to my wife whenever her back is hurting.
15. JRJoe Rogan
  That's one of my daily things, which is a thing that's so good for you. CBD is so good for you. Just anything you can do to reduce inflammation.
16. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
17. JRJoe Rogan
  It's fantastic for the body, for the brain. I didn't even know I had anxiety till I started taking CBD.
18. RFRon Funches
  (laughs) I'm telling you.
19. JRJoe Rogan
  How do you know?
20. RFRon Funches
  Well, maybe you didn't. (laughs)
21. JRJoe Rogan
  Well, it's relative.
22. RFRon Funches
  (laughs)
23. JRJoe Rogan
  I mean, I didn't have anxiety compared to people who have anxiety.
24. RFRon Funches
  (laughs)
25. JRJoe Rogan
  But, uh, I took CBD, I was like, "Man, I feel really relaxed." And I was like, "Oh, okay. I see what's going on."
26. RFRon Funches
  Yeah. No, I like a good CBD. I'll just smoke just a straight CBD sometimes.
27. JRJoe Rogan
  Oh, yeah?
28. RFRon Funches
  After a workout or something.
29. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah. I always say, "I'm gonna do that," and then I grab a regular joint.
30. RFRon Funches
  Yeah. Well, sometimes I'll mix them up too.
33:16 – 40:16
COVID realities: symptoms, vitamin D, and why America struggled
1. JRJoe Rogan
  Well look at what, what's happened with COVID.
2. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
3. JRJoe Rogan
  That's the best. I mean if you look at what... We're so bad at it.
4. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
5. JRJoe Rogan
  America is so bad. Our response to COVID and how, how we've handled it and allowed it to spread, we're the worst.
6. RFRon Funches
  Yeah. Well I mean, you know, I'm a big pro wrestling fan and that's the thing that's been making me angry because just as much as I miss comedy I miss... I used to go to my wrestling shows with my friends and my buddies and-
7. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
8. RFRon Funches
  And now I'm watching the Japanese wrestling that I love and seeing that they have full crowds all sitting there in masks just hanging out because they are c- good at handling their fucking business.
9. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
10. RFRon Funches
  And I'm just like... That's when it... 'Cause when you're just sitting here you're like, "Oh, well we're all falling apart and it's just how it is." But then you start looking over at other countries and you're like, "Well no, they, they, they figured some shit out."
11. JRJoe Rogan
  Well this virus is so sneaky man. Even Japan has had a resurgence recently.
12. RFRon Funches
  Yes. Mm-hmm.
13. JRJoe Rogan
  It's so weird man. It's the weirdest fucking virus. It's just like New Zealand even had a resurgence. New Zealand had over 100 days with zero cases-
14. RFRon Funches
  Zero. Yeah.
15. JRJoe Rogan
  ... and then they just got a, they got about, I think it was, was it four or something like that?
16. GIGuest (third voice, likely Jamie reading/providing info)
  They got it in one f- one family got it.
17. JRJoe Rogan
  One family.
18. GIGuest (third voice, likely Jamie reading/providing info)
  They're trying to figure out how that happened.
19. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
20. GIGuest (third voice, likely Jamie reading/providing info)
  So they shut down the city where they're at sort of, like they are at-
21. JRJoe Rogan
  Hm.
22. GIGuest (third voice, likely Jamie reading/providing info)
  ... stage three or something.
23. JRJoe Rogan
  One family?
24. GIGuest (third voice, likely Jamie reading/providing info)
  Yeah. It's one family of four has it.
25. JRJoe Rogan
  Sneaky fucks. What have they been up to?
26. GIGuest (third voice, likely Jamie reading/providing info)
  Maybe they got some bad tests, but probably not.
27. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
28. GIGuest (third voice, likely Jamie reading/providing info)
  Maybe they're trying to trace how it happened.
29. JRJoe Rogan
  It's such a weird, weird, weird disease man. I know so many people that have gotten it now-
30. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
40:16 – 44:03
Creative process and personal rules: love/hate/fear grid, ‘the muse,’ and MR AWE
1. JRJoe Rogan
  Have you been writing?
2. RFRon Funches
  I've been writing a bit, yeah, yeah.
3. JRJoe Rogan
  What-
4. RFRon Funches
  Uh... Go ahead.
5. JRJoe Rogan
  What's... Oh, sorry. What's your process?
6. RFRon Funches
  Uh, my process is usually... From, like... If we're talking about from the start, um, I kind of work on this little grid, where I just break it down into, um, love, hate, and fear. And then I just kind of get stoned or, or just sometimes not stoned at all, and I'll just play some instrumental music. And I'll just write about what I'm scared about, what I'm pissed about, what I'm in love with. And then I then take those topics and try to figure out jokes about what's going on in my life.
7. JRJoe Rogan
  That's interesting. Have you always done it that way?
8. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
9. JRJoe Rogan
  Love, hate, fear?
10. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
11. JRJoe Rogan
  What, what, uh... Where'd you get the inspiration to do it that way?
12. RFRon Funches
  I think I just got it from a writing workbook from when I was in, like, an English class in high school.
13. JRJoe Rogan
  Really?
14. RFRon Funches
  Yeah, it was just about b- how you would brainstorm writing a, um, paper.
15. JRJoe Rogan
  It's a great idea.
16. RFRon Funches
  Yeah, I mean, it helps me get the basics down. And so instead of like, "Oh, I'm writing this joke about this," it's like, "Okay, I'm writing about my wife because I fucking love my wife," or, "I'm writing about my son," or, "I'm scared about COVID," or, "I'm scared about this," or, you know... The, the more specific I can get about what exactly I'm a-scared of or I'm... (laughs) A-scared.
17. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs)
18. RFRon Funches
  I'm afraid of, uh, you know, or what I'm in love with, and just the more specific I can get, the better the jokes are. And so it's a lot of work that way. And then sometimes at 2:00 in- in the morning, I'll just be stoned, and something will pop in, and I gotta go chase down a notebook.
19. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah, the stoned ideas that just pop out of nowhere are the weirdest ones. Like what... That's not even my idea. That's the universe's idea.
20. RFRon Funches
  Yeah, giving it to you.
21. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
22. RFRon Funches
  But I usually find that they... it doesn't give it to me if I haven't put in that earlier work.
23. JRJoe Rogan
  Right. Right, yeah.
24. RFRon Funches
  It'll give me a gift for putting in the, the shitty work of trying to figure out this, "How the fuck am I gonna break this down?" And then in the middle of the night, some completely joke... Some other, other left field joke will just pop in, and it'll be fully formed, set up, punchline, everything.
25. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah, yeah.
26. RFRon Funches
  And I'm just like f- I was just... Always, I'm just like, "F- thank you." (laughs)
27. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah, it is crazy like that, right? It is crazy. Tha- that's, that putting in the work part is, uh, what Pre-... You ever read Steven Pressfield's The War of Art?
28. RFRon Funches
  Mm-mm.
29. JRJoe Rogan
  It's a great book. It's a real small book, too. It's... I used to... I'd buy stacks of 'em in the old studio, and I'd just hand 'em out to guests, like especially comics. I'm like, "Trust me, just read this." Because, uh, one of the things it's about is about establishing the, the, the laws of your work, like the way you wor-... You, you are a professional.
30. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
44:03 – 49:27
Career guidance and representation: rare great managers and long-term strategy
1. JRJoe Rogan
  Have you had that issue with like representation, like agents or managers trying to tell you what to do, or guide you into a way that you didn't think was you?
2. RFRon Funches
  Oh, no, no, not for me. I, I have been truly blessed in that. Truly blessed. I have, like... I think I have, like, one of the best managers in the, in the fucking world. Like, she, she's amazing. She's, um, married to the game. She's, um... My name's Melanie Pas- Truit, Brian Posehn's wife, and she's been my manager since before I moved outta LA. Like, she paid my fucking rent when I couldn't afford to pay my rent. Like, she's looked out for me every step of the way.
3. JRJoe Rogan
  That's awesome.
4. RFRon Funches
  She's ta- There's been ga- There's been fucking, like... "This show is going to series, they are making an offer on you. This will give you a bunch of money, but it's not the right project. Let's fucking pass."
5. JRJoe Rogan
  Wow.
6. RFRon Funches
  You know? And that was like, in the past and... I mean, that happened a couple of weeks into COVID. We were both scared shitless. I know she was scared shitless about that 10%.
7. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs)
8. RFRon Funches
  A guaranteed season.
9. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
10. RFRon Funches
  And she was like, "No, this isn't..." She's like, "This will..." She's like, "You've already done parts like this three or four times. You, you, you can do this. This will be there for you. We're shooting for bigger things for you." And just, like, her belief in me and, and drive for me have always been there. Like, I never ever feel like she's ever sold me short so that she can get a check. Ever.
11. JRJoe Rogan
  That's huge. That's huge. It's rare.
12. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
13. JRJoe Rogan
  You don't get-
14. RFRon Funches
  I do, I do know that.
15. JRJoe Rogan
  I have many friends that have really bad managers that give them terrible advice, that take projects that are just short-term financial gain for... At the sacrifice of long-term career options.
16. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm. Oh, my manager, if she sees the word exclusive in any contract, (laughs) she's just like, "We ain't fucking with them." (laughs)
17. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs)
18. RFRon Funches
  "You are not exclusive to anybody. You are dating around." (laughs)
19. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs) That's great. That's, that's a great attitude, man. That's what's interesting about today's climate. It's like, you don't get a lot of real managers anymore.
20. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
21. JRJoe Rogan
  You almost get... Y- you almost have, like, comics who have two agents. You have your agent-agent, and then you have your manager who's kinda acting as an agent instead of acting as a manager, because they're all desperado. Or, maybe they don't really have faith in you so they just want that money.
22. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
23. JRJoe Rogan
  They, they, they don't really think that you're going to be that person who has a, a long career or that you could keep accelerating and-
24. RFRon Funches
  They don't believe in the development.
25. JRJoe Rogan
  Yes. Yeah.
26. RFRon Funches
  Yeah. I feel like, yeah, m- my manager's always been the... Uh, she's always kinda seen me two years ahead of where I've been at. Like, I'm, I'm... I have that story about recently, but I remember when I first was in Portland and there's this commercial that reached out to me and they wanted me to play a roach in a fucking bug spray commercial. And I was broke as fuck, and she was just like, "No." She's like, "Because we don't know what you're gonna be in the next couple of years, and that commercial could be around forever."
27. JRJoe Rogan
  Smart woman.
28. RFRon Funches
  "And so if you need the money that bad, I'd rather just give you the money." (laughs)
29. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs) Wow. Good for her, man.
30. RFRon Funches
  Yeah, she's dope. And I have many friends who, like, they just are tremendous, tremendous comedians, tremendous joke writers. One friend who's, uh, comes to mind immediately, and I've always told him, I was like, "You need to... You need to dump your manager and get a better manager because you're doing... You're doing your part, and I don't see why you're not getting more money, you're not getting more chances, you're not advancing at things, they're not putting you on these talking head shows."
49:27 – 56:23
Vision boards, goals, and mental reframing from survival to thrive
1. RFRon Funches
  Yeah. I mean, to me that's ... I, I have that manager. I also have my, my vision board. I have my shit that I do on my own.
2. JRJoe Rogan
  Oh, you're one of those motherfuckers.
3. RFRon Funches
  I am.
4. JRJoe Rogan
  You have a vision board
5. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  Oh, yes, Joe.
6. JRJoe Rogan
  What's at the t- top of the v- vision board?
7. RFRon Funches
  It's on, uh, my show. Getting my own fucking show about my son, being a single dad of a son with autism, making it a fucking dope-ass comedy.
8. JRJoe Rogan
  Why ... What's ... Why ... N- Netflix should do that.
9. RFRon Funches
  Oh ...
10. JRJoe Rogan
  That seems like a perfect thing.
11. RFRon Funches
  You would think. (laughs)
12. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs) That seems like a really good idea for a show.
13. RFRon Funches
  I think so. We found a spot. We're working on it.
14. JRJoe Rogan
  Okay. All right. You gotta keep ... Mum, we'll talk later.
15. RFRon Funches
  (laughs)
16. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  (laughs)
17. RFRon Funches
  There's that. Just more ... Um, I wanna be leading some movies. I wanna do m- more. I always see myself as, like, this ... Rick Moranis, Billy Crystal type of unconventional, charming, leading man. And I just keep-
18. JRJoe Rogan
  Maybe you need a buddy.
19. RFRon Funches
  I could use a buddy.
20. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah. You need like ... You know Christopher Fa- ... Like, Chris Farley needed David Spade. Like, the two of them together, they played off of each other.
21. RFRon Funches
  Mm.
22. JRJoe Rogan
  You need a buddy.
23. RFRon Funches
  I do need a buddy.
24. JRJoe Rogan
  Who would your buddy be?
25. RFRon Funches
  I gotta think about that.
26. JRJoe Rogan
  Think about that.
27. RFRon Funches
  That would be fun.
28. JRJoe Rogan
  Think about that. Maybe Bobby Lee.
29. RFRon Funches
  Bobby Lee? Oh, he seems crazy for a buddy.
30. JRJoe Rogan
  He's crazy as fuck.
56:23 – 59:16
Marriage during COVID: building a calm partnership and family stability
1. RFRon Funches
  Yeah, that's why, like, you know, I got married on Friday, super chill. Super ass chill. That's what... The wedding was so chill that I was like, "This is gonna be a great marriage." Like, we just got dressed, I got my son dressed and went off with my friend. She got dressed with, with her friend. We met together at the place. The guy just went over his dumb spiel, and then we talked to each other, went home, took some pictures. We ordered in from one of our favorite restaurants. We watched 90 Day Fiance, and then we fell asleep and had sex the next morning-
2. JRJoe Rogan
  Woo.
3. RFRon Funches
  ... 'cause we knew we were gonna be there.
4. JRJoe Rogan
  Did you get married during COVID?
5. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
6. JRJoe Rogan
  Oh, wow.
7. RFRon Funches
  Yeah. No, this last Friday.
8. JRJoe Rogan
  Oh, you... Oh, well, congratulations-
9. RFRon Funches
  Thank you.
10. JRJoe Rogan
  ... man.
11. RFRon Funches
  Thank you so much.
12. JRJoe Rogan
  That's why you're so excited about it. Let me talk to you in a couple years.
13. RFRon Funches
  (laughs)
14. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs)
15. RFRon Funches
  Well, let me show you a picture of her. (laughs)
16. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs) I've seen a picture of her. She's beautiful. Congratulations.
17. RFRon Funches
  (laughs) Yeah.
18. JRJoe Rogan
  That's one of the things about being talented.
19. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
20. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah.
21. RFRon Funches
  (laughs)
22. JRJoe Rogan
  You get a box above your weight class. (laughs)
23. RFRon Funches
  Oh, weight, yeah. Oh, yeah. I was like, "Oh, if I didn't do comedy, I'd never even see you." (laughs)
24. JRJoe Rogan
  (laughs) That's cool though, that y- that's a bright spot. You'll always look back on the time you got married and go, "Damn, we got married during one of the weirdest times in the history of the United States."
25. RFRon Funches
  Yeah, man. Leaning into what's solid when shit's all falling apart. That was actually, like... We g- got engaged before it, of course, but I was just like, "Oh, I'm pretty sure..." I was a little gun shy 'cause I'd been... I got married when I was in my 20s. And obviously, that didn't work out too well, and I had my son. And, and I remember leaving my home there, and I was like, "This will never happen again, I will..." You know, and, and-
26. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
27. RFRon Funches
  ... it still will never happen again. But, um, I was still a little gun shy. But, 'cause I was like, "Oh, we're... We were in the good times." We'd go to Nice. We go to fucking wherever. And sure, we'd hang out at home, or we'd just... She'd go on set with me in some indie movie in Oklahoma, and we'd still have fun. And so I knew she was a good woman, and I knew that I could trust her. But it... Especially when the shit goes down, and everything's going bad. And she's out there like, "Okay, well, what do we do? What we need to pull back on? What can we, you know-
28. JRJoe Rogan
  Mm-hmm.
29. RFRon Funches
  ... purchase less of?"
30. JRJoe Rogan
  Right.
59:16 – 1:07:26
Vaccines, autism, and parenting realities: uncertainty, therapy, and independence goals
1. JRJoe Rogan
  I wonder when this is gonna end, the, the lockdown.
2. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
3. JRJoe Rogan
  When are we gonna get back to normal? Are you gonna be one of the first in line for a vaccine? Are you gonna wait it out?
4. RFRon Funches
  I gotta wait in the middles. I gotta be-
5. JRJoe Rogan
  Oh.
6. RFRon Funches
  ... somewhere in the middle. As a parent of a child with autism, vaccines scare me in, in some ways, but still obviously b-
7. JRJoe Rogan
  Do you think that vaccines cause autism?
8. RFRon Funches
  I don't believe they cause autism. I believe they can accelerate certain things in people who maybe are predisposed to, um, to having, to, to having it. I, and I can only just tell you my... I will tell you a personal story, and people can choose to f- like it or not. Um, but I just remember the day that we got my son his first vaccin- vaccinations. And he had been developing normally and just been chill and been talking and doing all the things pretty normally. And then we got him the vaccine, and me and my ex-wife, and we just remember he just kinda, like, was out of it. And we even... 'Cause me and my ex-wife are big potheads. We were both like, "Oh, he's... Look how stoned he looks. Look how fucking... He looks so stoned, and he's out of it." But he fucking never came back. And so that was a moment where I was like... You know? I was like, "I don't know if it caused it or that," but I was like, this is... That's the story I can tell you.
9. JRJoe Rogan
  Wow. It's not the first time I've heard that. You know, I have a, a friend, my friend Johnny, had a very similar situation. I don't... Yeah, I don't know. Uh, I know how adamant the people that make vaccines are that vaccines don't cause autism. And I know it's a fiercely debated issue. And in, in fact, uh, Dr. Peter Hotez, who is an expert in vaccines, who actually has an autistic daughter, um, is adamant about the fact that there's apparently, um, different environmental factors that contribute to autism. And, uh, they think it, all of it takes place during the womb, but I don't know. There's-
10. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
11. JRJoe Rogan
  I, I don't know if-
12. RFRon Funches
  I'm not... I, I can never be like, "Well, the vaccine gave my son autism." I would never say that. But I will just tell you that story.
13. JRJoe Rogan
  Yeah. The, the thing is, if that story... If that was the case, how much do you think would ever get out that all these people-
14. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
15. JRJoe Rogan
  ... who have this similar story all have a case?
16. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  ... against the pharmaceutical companies.
17. RFRon Funches
  Hmm.
18. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  I mean, do you... Just, just wrap your mind around the legal troubles.
19. RFRon Funches
  Hmm.
20. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  And I'm not saying that vaccines cause autism. But what I am saying is, if they did, there would most certainly be an effort to conceal that.
21. RFRon Funches
  Yeah. Absolutely.
22. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  Most certainly.
23. RFRon Funches
  Absolutely.
24. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  That would be, uh, that would be a crazy lawsuit 'cause, I mean, how many children are autistic in this country? Do you know?
25. RFRon Funches
  I don't know, but I know it's a, it's a lot.
26. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  It's a lot. And the question is, the question has always been, are there more now because fathers are older, mothers are older, environmental factors, or that we're diagnosing it now and we didn't diagnose it before-
27. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
28. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  ... we didn't understand it before? I mean, the first that I even heard of autism was Rain Man.
29. RFRon Funches
  Mm-hmm.
30. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  Remember the Dustin Hoffman movie?
1:07:26 – 1:45:26
Social media anger, leadership expectations, and finding hope in protest alliances
1. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  Yeah. I mean, God, social media is so fucking terrifying now. You just dive into this, this pit of animals eating each other. It's like, ugh, everyone's so angry. There's so much anger.
2. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.
3. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  And then also, it's like the worst timing ever, right? Trump and then the, the fucking elections are coming, so it's all this chaos and Joe Biden can't talk and the, the fucking, you know...
4. RFRon Funches
  (laughs)
5. GAGuest (fourth voice, reading a quote/clipped audio)
  And, and November's around the corner. It's like, oh my God. And then everything's still locked up and it's like, oh my God. And they're talking about dropping down the unemployment check to 400 bucks instead of 600 and then they want the states to pay 25%. The states are like, "We don't have the fucking money." Like, oh, Jesus.
6. RFRon Funches
  Yeah.It's fucking nuts. It's fucking nuts and ... But then, you know, it's overwhelming till you just go to the basics of it, that something I always believed from when I was very young and I think it's something as a young African American man, you ... P- pretty early, where you just go, "Nobody's got my fucking back. I gotta take care of me."

Episode duration: 2:12:33

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Settling in: nutrition prep and the challenge of maintaining major weight loss

Workout structure, treadmill discipline, and the power of positive feedback

Choosing positivity: envy, ambition, and staying on the ‘good path’

Stand-up as a long game: early hustle, Conan lessons, and quarantine adaptation

Comedy Store camaraderie: meritocracy, the hang, and missing the room

Surviving lockdown professionally: diversification, podcasts, and socially distanced shows

Freedom, weed, and culture: CBD, training high, and Amsterdam’s vibe

COVID realities: symptoms, vitamin D, and why America struggled

Creative process and personal rules: love/hate/fear grid, ‘the muse,’ and MR AWE

Career guidance and representation: rare great managers and long-term strategy

Vision boards, goals, and mental reframing from survival to thrive

Marriage during COVID: building a calm partnership and family stability

Vaccines, autism, and parenting realities: uncertainty, therapy, and independence goals

Social media anger, leadership expectations, and finding hope in protest alliances

Get more out of YouTube videos.