CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 3:34
Cold open + vintage watch nerding (Heuer, Seiko, Omega gifts)
Joe and Brendan kick off by geeking out over watches—Brendan’s 1950 Heuer, Joe’s Grand Seiko, and the quirks of hand-wound pieces. They also trade stories about meaningful watch gifts, including Joe giving Lex Fridman an Omega moon-phase.
- •Brendan’s 1950 Heuer (pre-TAG era) and the appeal of rare/old items
- •Hand-winding vs. convenience; why it’s “annoying but worth it”
- •Grand Seiko craftsmanship and finishing details
- •Joe gifting Lex an Omega Speedmaster Moon Phase
- •Rolex vs. Omega: showiness, culture, and taste
- 3:34 – 5:19
Performing comedy during COVID: tested crowds, exposures, and precautions
The conversation pivots to standup during the pandemic—Joe’s shows with Chappelle at Stubb’s and how COVID spread in Dave’s circle. They compare regional attitudes (Texas/Florida) and talk about how often comics and productions test.
- •Stubb’s Amphitheater shows and testing protocols
- •COVID spread through Dave’s circle (not from Grimes, per Joe)
- •Crowd behavior differences by state; “people don’t give a fuck”
- •Showtime/production testing frequency
- •Navigating public judgment when someone gets COVID
- 5:19 – 9:04
Supplements, immunity talk, and obesity as a major COVID risk factor
Joe brings up nutrient protocols (quercetin + zinc) and references a prior podcast with Mark Gordon. They discuss how obesity correlates with severe outcomes, including a tragic story of a 22-year-old dying after infection.
- •Quercetin as an ionophore and pairing it with zinc
- •Joe’s strict consistency with vitamins and supplements
- •Brendan’s experience having COVID early among comics
- •Outlier severe cases vs. typical outcomes for many
- •Obesity, diet, and comorbidities as a key driver of COVID deaths
- 9:04 – 11:42
Tim Dillon appreciation hour (and the Rachel Levine parody clip)
Joe and Brendan celebrate Tim Dillon’s output, work ethic, and ranting style. They play and react to Dillon’s parody video and talk about how he dominates conversations on podcasts and shows.
- •Why Tim Dillon is uniquely prolific and fast-reacting to news
- •The ‘one-person audience’ format—Tim rants, producer laughs
- •Reaction to the Rachel Levine parody clip
- •Tim on King & The Sting: “bring up something and back off”
- •Tim with Alex Jones: conspiracy literacy as comedic fuel
- 11:42 – 21:03
GameStop/WallStreetBets: short squeeze, media panic, and ‘regulation’ hypocrisy
Joe lays out how Reddit traders targeted hedge funds shorting GameStop and how platforms, media, and regulators reacted. They watch a Saagar Enjeti segment framing the moment as exposing entrenched Wall Street manipulation and double standards.
- •How shorting works and why the coordinated buying mattered
- •Hedge funds losing billions; the ‘David vs. Goliath’ framing
- •CNBC/NASDAQ leadership calling for regulation when elites lose
- •Selective enforcement: outrage at retail traders vs. silence on big players
- •Bill Ackman example: panic messaging + profiting on the crash
- 21:03 – 23:25
Studio chaos + whiskey talk: missing roaches, Buffalo Trace barrel, and celebrity spirits
The stock-market segment breaks for in-studio banter about missing joints and the logistics of getting drinks poured. Joe explains a Buffalo Trace promotion tied to Fight for the Forgotten and they talk about tasting barrels and other fighters’ whiskeys.
- •The ‘missing roach’ interruption and studio side chatter
- •Buffalo Trace collaboration and picking barrel samples
- •Why most people can’t tell fine differences in tasting flights
- •Brendan’s own whiskey drop and sampling process
- •Josh Barnett’s whiskey and branding/label importance
- 23:25 – 26:38
Leaving LA, guns in Texas, and helicopter hog-hunting detours
They riff on people fleeing Los Angeles, Brendan debating whether to stay, and Joe’s Texas adjustment (including being gifted guns). The talk meanders into Tim Kennedy’s helicopter lifestyle and wild hog eradication—plus whether the meat is usable.
- •Bas Rutten moving plans and the wider LA exodus
- •Joe receiving multiple guns after moving to Texas
- •Tim Kennedy’s helicopter travel and hog-hunting invites
- •Wild hog damage in Texas and eradication programs
- •Cooking wild pig safely (trichinosis, temps, sous vide)
- 26:38 – 39:17
California politics: Newsom recall, restaurant shutdowns, and corruption claims
Joe and Brendan go deep on Gavin Newsom, lockdown policy, and the recall effort—arguing restaurants were shut for optics and small businesses were crushed. They discuss potential challengers (Chamath, Major Williams) and cite examples of perceived hypocrisy and retaliation against critics.
- •Recall momentum and why reopening decisions may be political
- •Claims that outdoor dining shutdowns lacked evidence
- •Small business collapse and alleged regulator harassment (Craig’s)
- •Potential replacements: Chamath Palihapitiya and Major Williams
- •Broader critique: ‘rules for you, not for me’ politics (Newsom/Pelosi examples)
- 39:17 – 45:57
Comedy careers after Hollywood: building scenes, YouTube specials, and pandemic hustle
They shift to how comedy has migrated away from Hollywood gatekeepers toward podcasts and direct-to-fan platforms. Joe praises comics who adapted during lockdown (Normand, Schulz, Dillon) and argues location matters less if you can create and distribute your own work.
- •Austin vs. LA: what comics need to thrive (spots, clubs, community)
- •The internet as the real entertainment economy (YouTube/Spotify/podcasts)
- •Mark Normand’s YouTube special success and word-of-mouth growth
- •Andrew Schulz’s COVID-era strategy: short-form dominance + new formats
- •Pandemic as a filter for who adapts, hustles, and takes risks
- 45:57 – 1:03:21
UFC deep dive: Kattar–Holloway beating, title pathways, and GOAT debates
They analyze recent fights and matchmaking—especially the brutal Holloway performance and how refs/corners handle punishment. The discussion expands into lightweight title options (Poirier/Oliveira/Conor/Nate), plus broader GOAT debates (Stipe, Cain, Fedor) and the realities of fighter longevity.
- •Stopping fights vs. letting warriors continue; corner psychology
- •Poirier’s next move: ‘purist’ Oliveira vs. big-money Conor rematch
- •Nate Diaz trilogy as a cleaner business option outside the title race
- •Heavyweight legacy talk: Stipe’s accomplishments vs. prime Cain
- •Why ‘greatest of all time’ depends on era, rules, and context
- 1:03:21 – 1:25:29
YouTubers in combat sports: Jake Paul vs Ben Askren and the limits of late skill-building
Brendan frames the Jake Paul–Ben Askren matchup as a résumé vs. skillset debate, pushing back on assumptions that Askren gets instantly ‘starched.’ Joe emphasizes the problem: boxing removes Askren’s wrestling, and striking is a long-development skill with hard ceilings—similar to Greg Hardy’s MMA challenges.
- •Askren’s elite wrestling/MMA résumé vs. Jake Paul’s boxing reps
- •Why removing wrestling changes the entire equation for Askren
- •What Jake’s tape shows: timing, speed, and real technique progress
- •Adversity question: Jake’s gas tank and mentality in later rounds
- •Broader point: you can’t ‘catch up’ to lifetime strikers in a few years
- 1:25:29 – 2:51:25
Movies, Hollywood ‘juice,’ TRT realities, and ending on comedy integrity
The final stretch jumps from film talk (Gangs of New York, The Revenant, Tom Hardy transformations) into steroids/TRT candor—Joe’s hormone use, Brendan’s negative TRT experience and fertility issues. They close by discussing social media harms, Chappelle’s leverage, and comedy ethics—joke stealing, Carlos Mencia, and how real craft shows in specials.
- •Historical movie tangents: real ‘Bill the Butcher’ and NYC’s past violence
- •Actor body transformations and why steroids are often the hidden variable
- •Joe on TRT/HGH openness; Brendan’s TRT side effects and fertility recovery (HCG/clomiphene)
- •Social media addiction concerns and why some comics avoid it (Chappelle)
- •Comedy business + ethics: writers stealing premises, Carlos Mencia, and how plagiarists’ later work declines
