EVERY SPOKEN WORD
150 min read · 30,159 words- 0:00 – 2:17
Old comedy friends reunite: early ’90s memories and TV crossovers
- JRJoe Rogan
(drum roll) Joe Rogan podcast, check it out.
- JBJim Breuer
The Joe Rogan Experience. (drum roll) Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day. (drum roll)
- JRJoe Rogan
(upbeat music) Hello, Jim Breuer.
- JBJim Breuer
'Sup, Joe?
- JRJoe Rogan
We're doing it. It's happening.
- JBJim Breuer
Oh, it just started?
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're rolling.
- JBJim Breuer
Oh, okay.
- JRJoe Rogan
Good to see you, brother.
- JBJim Breuer
Good to see you, too.
- JRJoe Rogan
Dude, you're like one of my long- longest term comedy friends. Like, we've known each other since the early years, man.
- JBJim Breuer
I want to say like '91?
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, I think it's around '91.
- JBJim Breuer
And what a lot of people probably don't even know is, like, the way your TV career, your- Hardball.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, you were- (laughs) you were on Hardball. Jim, uh, and I did a, a pilot for a sitcom that was on Fox in like '93.
- JBJim Breuer
Yep.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right?
- JBJim Breuer
Yep.
- JRJoe Rogan
Like '93?
- JBJim Breuer
Yep.
- JRJoe Rogan
And Jim was, uh-
- JBJim Breuer
(laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs) He was the mascot-
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
... for the opposing team.
- JBJim Breuer
Right.
- JRJoe Rogan
And it was fucking hilarious. Goddamn, we had fun. I have a photo of you and I, and we look like babies. I gotta find it. We look like babies.
- JBJim Breuer
I would love to see that photo.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, we were both like 26 and we're little cute face little babies.
- JBJim Breuer
And I remember, I remember watching the show so excited for you. And then, and then after Hardball, 'cause I'd always follow you, you then... Was it News Radio?
- 2:17 – 2:54
Chasing the “Hollywood success” look: leather pants, tigers, and MTV fantasies
- JRJoe Rogan
What did you want?
- JBJim Breuer
Dude, f- the first time I went to LA-
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
I went into a place and I bought like satin blue cloth- I wanted red-
- JRJoe Rogan
Really?
- JBJim Breuer
I wanted Eddie Murphy leather pants wit- wit- i- wit- wit- like a tiger. I wanted to walk down Melrose with a tiger just so people'd go, "The fucker's successful."
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs) So you had some like, uh-
- JBJim Breuer
And-
- JRJoe Rogan
... high school boy, like the posters on the wall, like these kinda thoughts-
- JBJim Breuer
Y-
- JRJoe Rogan
... about success?
- JBJim Breuer
Well that- Well, MTV showed me that.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, uh-huh.
- JBJim Breuer
So I wanted to be a-
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh right, right.
- 2:54 – 6:32
Judas Priest, Rob Halford, and the era of ‘which ear is the earring in?’
- JBJim Breuer
... I wanted to be, uh, Judas Priest.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JBJim Breuer
I wanted to... I didn't know the guy was wearing an S&M outfit as far as you know.
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs) Nobody did. He taught so many guys.
- JBJim Breuer
He came out with a bullwhip and-
- JRJoe Rogan
When he came out as gay, a lot of guys were like, "Hey, well wait a minute. Oh, duh." I mean, look how he's dr- Go to g- give me a photo of Rob Halford. I met Rob Halford, he's a really nice guy. I did, uh, this, uh, VH1 show that I hosted once and he was one of the guests on it. Super cool guy.
- JBJim Breuer
Great guy.
- JRJoe Rogan
You got another thing coming.
- JBJim Breuer
And, and I would-
- JRJoe Rogan
Look at him.
- JBJim Breuer
... I would-
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
... I would argue with people. They'd go, "Breuer, you know this guy's gay?" I'm like, "No he's not!"
- JRJoe Rogan
Look at the chaps, you don't even see the chaps in that picture, you just see the top of 'em with the-
- JBJim Breuer
He's got, he's got a bullwhip, he's wearing an S&M outfit.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yes.
- JBJim Breuer
He's-
- JRJoe Rogan
Look at that one, go to that one with the open shirt and the vest.
- JBJim Breuer
Right there!
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, yeah.
- JBJim Breuer
He's screaming, "I'm gay."
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
And I'm yelling at people going, "No he's not, he's metal, you moron."
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
And, and the reason why I would d- argue is 'cause I'd say, "He doesn't have an earring in his right ear," 'cause that's what defined-
- JRJoe Rogan
That was the thing back then.
- JBJim Breuer
... what was gay.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JBJim Breuer
I had dangling cross earrings, so everyone that was gay knew, "Hey, Breuer is not gay, he's got it on the left side."
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- 6:32 – 8:06
Why Joe avoided Hollywood parties: shallow networking vs real conversations
- JRJoe Rogan
Well, I got lucky. Uh, the, those things didn't have an appeal to me, like going to parties and all that stuff. It just di- there was no appeal, uh, for whatever reason I just didn't find it interesting. I mean, occasionally.
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
Occasionally.
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
Go to a party, talk to some interesting people, it's fun. But for the most part, it felt like it was a lot of standing around and in Hollywood, the conversations that were really interesting were few and far between.
- JBJim Breuer
(sighs)
- JRJoe Rogan
They weren't that f- Like, I've been to parties at friend's house that have, like, really cool friends and you, you meet interesting people and you have, like, really fun conversations. But in Hollywood it was a lot of, like, "Who you know and what are you doing and what we're planning and how we're gonna take over and-"
- JBJim Breuer
"Did you... Has a deal?"
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh.
- JBJim Breuer
"Oh my god, I know him. I could hook you up with that producer."
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, the deal thing. The deal thing. And getting to know actors was such a... It was like these poor folks had, uh ... You know, you know how a lot of kids today have a real problem with social media because they're looking at other people's stuff and other people's faces look perfect 'cause they're wearing filters. And they have this, this, they see other people partying and they have the, the FOMO, the fear of missing out and it's just, it's, they're constantly comparing themselves to other people. Well, for actors, when I saw, when I lived, uh, in, uh, you know, in the '90s in Hollywood, it was, uh, The Hollywood Reporter and, like, uh, Variety and all of the, the industry magazines-
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
... they would all sit around reading 'em the same way, like, a jealous person looks at someone's Instagram. Like, you look at some guy's car. "God, he's got a fucking '69 Camaro. Shit."
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
You know? And they just, they look at her with her Gucci bag and her this and her that.
- 8:06 – 10:56
Show-off culture and burnout: the used Lamborghini story and escaping LA
- JBJim Breuer
And they'd also flaunt. I, I remember being with, uh, some ... I don't even want to give the person credit. So I'm working with some person and-
- JRJoe Rogan
What's their name rhyme with?
- JBJim Breuer
... um, Hats. (laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
So Mr., Mr. Hats-
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
... who's literally like a Dr. Seuss character anyway-
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JBJim Breuer
... um, would try to impress his people and I'll never forget, he's like, "I've got this brand new Lamborghini. You gotta check it out." And so I ... But Mr. Hats didn't buy a brand new Lamborghini, he bought a used one, and he goes to this lot which is next to Jay Len- It's just, that's all they do is name drop-
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JBJim Breuer
... name drop, money, name drop and so he's pulling out of the garage, the side view mirror starts dangling- (laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
... and the b- and the back f- and he's six foot three so he's in this fucking thing like this.
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
"Hop over there, Papa-"
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
"... while I try to abuse more young minds like yourself and rape your ideas." (laughs) (claps hands) And so he hopped in there and then the thing bottomed out and, you know, broke down two days later. But going to that distance just to show off is g- is just exhausting, thank God.
- JRJoe Rogan
Some people, they think that that's the only way in their head they've ever made it. They have to have that thing where they show, "I've got the Lamborghini, I got the house in the Hollywood Hills, like, here I am." Like, that's one of the reasons why people like to sh- th- throw parties. It's not just to have a bunch of people over to their house; it's to show you what they have, like, "Look."
- JBJim Breuer
And I was-
- JRJoe Rogan
"Look at all I have."
- JBJim Breuer
And thank ... I was falling for that in the beginning.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JBJim Breuer
I fell for it hard but, um-
- JRJoe Rogan
How'd you get out of it? 'Cause you live, uh... I, I love the way you live. You live in New Jersey, you live in a, like, a nice, beautiful community with trees and shit-
- JBJim Breuer
(sighs)
- JRJoe Rogan
... and everything's calm and-
- JBJim Breuer
Yes.
- JRJoe Rogan
... and you're a family man.
- JBJim Breuer
Yes.
- JRJoe Rogan
Like, I, I love the fact that you, you just, you just went, "No, no, no. No, no, no."
- 10:56 – 16:08
SNL as a ‘bar fight’: competitiveness, paranoia, and self-medicating
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, you went from SNL to just going, "Fuck it. I'm just gonna do standup. I'm gonna do my radio show, I'm gonna do standup."
- JBJim Breuer
Right after th- Well, okay, so when you ... At the end of the day, uh, uh, I didn't even want SNL. I didn't want SNL. Uh, you and I both know that was, uh ... Nobody came out of there going, "That's the greatest gig." It's very rarely people came out of there.
- JRJoe Rogan
They come out of there like they were in a fight.
- JBJim Breuer
Absolutely.
- JRJoe Rogan
Like they just got out of a fucking bar fight, like, "Ugh."
- JBJim Breuer
Abs- (laughs) Exactly. Fucking-
- JRJoe Rogan
That's how Phil Hartman was. When, when I first started working with Phil Hartman in '94, he had just left SNL and he ... It took a while for him to be comfortable around us.
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
Like, the news radio people, the actors were super friendly.
- JBJim Breuer
Yes.
- JRJoe Rogan
Everybody liked to get hammered.
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
That was, like, the big thing, we would get fucking blasted drunk.
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
But we were-
- JBJim Breuer
(laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
... all, like, really, like, in terms of, like, actors, genuinely supportive. Like, Dave Foley was the most supportive guy ever, like, he was always writing jokes for you, he was always, like, wri- rewriting scenes for you, like, "Jim, why don't you come in and say this instead?" Or, and he would write, like, really great lines.... but, uh, Phil was like, he looked like he was in a competition at first. He thought, like, everybody was gonna be competi- and then he ... Once he relaxed ... Phil liked to smoke weed. And once he relaxed, he's like, "You know, going over there was like, everybody was like dog eat dog and everybody's at each other's throats."
- JBJim Breuer
I- it's dog eat dog. It's i- i- and there's no rhyme or reason.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JBJim Breuer
There's no rhyme or reason. It's, it's just like politics.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JBJim Breuer
In other words, I can't help with Congress what bill they're gonna pass, even they know, even they know this is gonna work, nope.
- JRJoe Rogan
Same kinda stuff.
- JBJim Breuer
It's the same exact thing.
- JRJoe Rogan
'Cause you're fighting to get your bits on, right? You're fighting to get your pieces on. You're fighting to get your, your little sketches on.
- JBJim Breuer
A- a- yeah, and the worst, the, the, the worst part is, you know something's gonna work, and you have someone come to you ... There were ... Towards the end, it made me such a dark human being, 'cause I- I'm the, "Hey, man, let's all-"
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JBJim Breuer
"... let's all p- be a team and ..." I used to ... W- when I, when I worked with Hats, I said, "Let's look at this roster. Holy crap. Let's see who goes in the Boston Comedy Club. Let's just buy a script and put everyone in it and let them play to their strength." Wow, you know, this one ... I'm like, uh, uh, I wish I had the business smarts to go back and do that, because you're ... Y- y- I ... It would've been, it would've been so much fun. I mean, uh, maybe it would've been a disaster. Maybe this guy ... Maybe I wouldn't end up getting leather pants, or I got my fucking-
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
... White Lion leather pant, but it makes you so ... You know, I- I- I don't wanna-
- 16:08 – 24:54
Idea theft at SNL: server snooping, sketch poaching, and near-violence
- JRJoe Rogan
How do they steal your ideas?
- JBJim Breuer
(clears throat)
- JRJoe Rogan
Here we go.
- JBJim Breuer
I'll give you ... I-
- JRJoe Rogan
You sure you don't wanna get high first?
- JBJim Breuer
No.
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
Let's go take a pee break.
- JRJoe Rogan
(claps hands) Let's take a pee break.
- JBJim Breuer
No. Here's ... And again, I've released all this.
- JRJoe Rogan
Okay.
- JBJim Breuer
You know? I got a strong moral backbone, I'm good. So, no, I don't have any bad feelings. So what happened was, and I'm not gonna put out any- I d- I don't wanna hash names and all that. But what would happen is something like this. You're writing a sketch, and then one of the head writers would come in, in the doorway, and go, "Hey, I see you're writing a sketch about blah, blah, blah," 'cause we have the main server and we check everyone's sketches. "I just wanna let you know I'm writing the same thing." He goes, "You can continue yours, but, you know, I'm in the room with Lorne. I'm just-"
- JRJoe Rogan
Whoa.
- JBJim Breuer
Oh, yeah. So, this is at-
- JRJoe Rogan
So they would go onto the server. They would see the sketches that you're writing, and then-
- JBJim Breuer
Then there was, then there was times where a cast member would come in and look at, look at my board and go, "Oh, what does that mean?" Like, "Oh, that's, that's a, that's a sketch, and I know so-and-so's coming, and I know the ratings are gonna be high that week, so I'm waiting to bring my A stuff for that p- everyone's gonna come out with their fangs out when this one's on, so I'm gonna save that sketch for when they're on." And then this person would ask me, "Oh, my Go- Wh- what exactly..." I said, "Well, I'm gonna take it out of its element," you know, like, for ... Like, I would ... Back then, I was like Pesci. I'm like, "Pesci's gonna read to children about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and tell- explain why his nose is red, and the big joke is 'cause he's a rat, and, and c- compared to a whole neighborhood. He's a rat, that's why his nose is red, and when you got ..." And so you end up beating certain kids, blah, blah. The next week-... the whole room is set and, and you're sitting there and then this person, you know, Lorne goes, "Well, next sketch is, uh, you know, Al Pacino as Scarface reading to ch- schoolchildren Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." And you go, you, you, y- and you look, you see their, their eyes are down. You know what's going on, you know what happened.
- JRJoe Rogan
And you can't say anything.
- JBJim Breuer
Well, when you say something, which I eventually did... Dude, I think I may be, and I, I wanna challenge all SNL cast and writers, I may be the last one that threatened violence. I was in, I was in a room with one of the guys and I literally said, "I will knock your fucking teeth down your fucking throat, you motherfucker! If you don't want to fucking be here, get the fuck out! You don't shit on my shit 'cause you don't wanna fucking..." Oh, dude.
- JRJoe Rogan
Whoa.
- NANarrator
(clears throat)
- JBJim Breuer
And I was... And I told him, said, "I'm knocking the f- I'll knock his fucking teeth down his throat. I'm not f- I'm not from the writing world." So that's where that place brought me.
- JRJoe Rogan
Wow.
- JBJim Breuer
And so, in that particular instance was... See, now I'm getting all over the place.
- JRJoe Rogan
That's gotta be coming from the top down because the, when, when I got alone with Phil, like Phil and I became close and, you know, we would hang out together, especially in his, his dressing room. He had a nice dressing room, had it all set up, had a guitar, was looking at his aviation books and shit, and,-
- JBJim Breuer
(sighs)
- JRJoe Rogan
... and he would, uh, we would talk about his time there and he's like, "It just made me, that's just bitter and angry."
- JBJim Breuer
Yes.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, and it... But it seems like it's always been that way, that it's been from the top down.
- JBJim Breuer
(sighs) And, and this particular inst-
- JRJoe Rogan
What year were you on?
- 24:54 – 30:04
Leaving SNL: wife’s intervention, Lorne’s comments, and choosing standup freedom
- JBJim Breuer
"... we'll both go talk to him." And then that's ... I knew right from that minute, I was done. I knew I was done. And then that summer, this guy named, uh, Gary Considine, he ran The Tonight Show, and he said, "Jim, what, what happened, dude?" I said, "What's the matter?" He goes, "So-and-so and So-and-so are, are really saying (smacks lips) you're out." And I went, "Really?" I go, "Well, I'll tell you what, I don't wanna be there anymore." My wife's like, "Just, please quit." She goes, "You said in your life, if any job, no matter how much money it paid, makes you a miserable human being and changes the person you are, you weren't gonna work there." She's like, "Look at you. You're angry all the time, you smoke pot all the time to numb yourself. You, you're not Jim anymore. Where's the goofy, uplifting Jim?" And I wanted to, I wanted to, I go like, "You're so stupid, but..."
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
"You're so stupid."
- JRJoe Rogan
But she was so smart.
- JBJim Breuer
She was so smart and it was the greatest. And I give Lorne a lotta credit because Lorne said to me, um, "Jim, you're too nice for this business." He-
- JRJoe Rogan
Wow.
- JBJim Breuer
And he said, which I'll never forget, it was a couple things Lorne said. And I never blamed Lorne. I always really admired Lorne. I said, uh ... Oh, he goes, "And if you ever want, wanna do something, I'm your producer. I'll produce it for you." Which I, I never took that opportunity up, but I'll never forget when he said that to me. So I was very thankful that he was understanding and let me go.
- JRJoe Rogan
You know, Mitch Hedberg had a great line once about how when you're a comic, everybody wants you to be an actor. (smacks lips) You know? Remember that bit?
- JBJim Breuer
Yes.
- JRJoe Rogan
It's ki- it's so true because as a comic, you're such a great comic and you're so funny. You're, you're, your comedy's so wild and it's so uniquely you. Like, even though you were great on SNL, you're so much better as a comic.
- JBJim Breuer
(sighs)
- JRJoe Rogan
It's, that's your world.
- JBJim Breuer
S- it's my world.
- JRJoe Rogan
And no one can fuck with you.
- JBJim Breuer
(laughs) No.
- JRJoe Rogan
And you could, you could do the whole thing yourself and then people come to see it for what it is.
- JBJim Breuer
Yes.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, and you don't have to deal with, uh-
- JBJim Breuer
And-
- JRJoe Rogan
... weasely writers, you know, backstabbing.
- JBJim Breuer
If I f- if I fail, I can live with that.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JBJim Breuer
I can live with my failure.
- JRJoe Rogan
Those ... The environments that they created in, in, in all the different seasons of SNL, uh, I, I, and I don't know, uh, from firsthand experience, but from everybody that I know that's worked there, it's been this super competitive, toxic, political, backstabby sort of a thing that you become like those show business cliches if you fall into it.
- JBJim Breuer
And to be honest with you, Joe, when I would see ... Each week, you'd see a new celebrity, like you do. You see people come in and out of here. So you start... I'm sure there's things that you see and you go, "How does the, how does the world have no clue that this person's like that?" Or, or maybe you don't, but I would see so many come in and I'd go, "How does no one know-"
- JRJoe Rogan
Know that guy's a cunt. (laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
Yes.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yes.
- JBJim Breuer
And how does no one know this one's a militant, uh, militant, uh, g- gay? Which, if that's what you are, fine, but-
- JRJoe Rogan
But they hide it.
- 30:04 – 35:28
Remembering comics: Kevin Meaney & Richard Jeni, and the hunger for “more”
- JBJim Breuer
Y- you know who, who I'd always tried was, was, uh, Meany. Kevin Meaney, I, I would ... He made me laugh so hard.I got stoned with Kevin. It was one of the hardest I ever laughed in my life. And anybody-
- JRJoe Rogan
So, this was before he came out?
- JBJim Breuer
Before he came out.
- JRJoe Rogan
Did you know he was gay?
- JBJim Breuer
Not ... He didn't admit ... I knew.
- JRJoe Rogan
You knew something was going on?
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah, because when he'd come on my radio show, th- this is what they, what, what a lot of gay people, or if you're into drugs, like, I'll sit there, I'm like, "You know, it'd be great if I was high right now." And that's my, that's my cue. I'm putting it out there for someone to go-
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JBJim Breuer
... "Oh, do you want to get high?" "Well, no, uh."
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
You're like, "You know, when it comes to penis." "Oh, are you ... " "No, I'm just ... Eh."
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
Just th- I just throw the joke out there. And so he would ... He, along with two other people I knew, would always put certain references out. I would, I would see this other person. This person would ... I remember spending time with them. We had a condo and they came out and they had their donkey hanging out. And I went, "Dude, what, what are you doing?" And he's like, "Is this intimidating?" I went, "No."
- JRJoe Rogan
Intimidating? (laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
But I've never ... I went, "I've never hung out with another male friend that walks around holding his donkey, showing it to another male." It's just, it's weird, dude. We don't ... Do girls do that? I don't know. Like, uh, it was just, it's just-
- JRJoe Rogan
I don't think they do.
- JBJim Breuer
N- No. So-
- JRJoe Rogan
Th- Then, if your pussy's hanging out, that's ... There's a lot of other issues.
- JBJim Breuer
There's issues. Something going on there.
- JRJoe Rogan
Something's happening.
- JBJim Breuer
You need a friend.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JBJim Breuer
You need a friend. So, Kevin would ... He's talking about show tunes and he's talking about-
- JRJoe Rogan
He's wearing a bow tie.
- JBJim Breuer
He's wearing a bow tie. Enough said.
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
And like, "I love you, man." Just, and I said, "Is there something you want to say? Because I think the world is okay with it." He's like, "What do you mean?"
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, yeah.
- JBJim Breuer
"Kev."
- JRJoe Rogan
You can't get a guy to say that on the radio.
- 35:28 – 56:49
Politics isn’t funny anymore: social media division, distrust in news, and COVID experiences
- JBJim Breuer
So, I, I got a question for you. So, when you do your shows-
- JRJoe Rogan
Standup shows?
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah. I've seen you done ... You're doing Chappelle. Right? Do you touch any political stuff whatsoever?
- JRJoe Rogan
No, I don't ... Not necessarily. I don't think politics are very funny.
- JBJim Breuer
Me either.
- JRJoe Rogan
And I think the division that we have in this country is very disturbing, and I think there's a weird, almost like a mental contagion that's going on through this country of division, of left versus right, where people are choosing sides and people are, you know, either everyone's a communist or everyone's a racist. It's like there's these absolutes that people are trying to ascribe people in these ways and it's, it's, it's very disturbing to me, because I don't think I've ever been a part of ... For sure, I've never seen society this divided.
- JBJim Breuer
And where do you think that comes from, honestly?
- JRJoe Rogan
Social media.It's a big part of it. It's a big part of it. It's a, a big part of, uh, looking for like-minded groups and finding them and also being afraid to deviate from any lines that have been established. Like, if you don't agree with this, you're a that. If you don't agree with that, you're a this. And there's these people getting in these echo chambers, and then there's these algorithms that unfortunately feed into natural human patterns of behavior, which is to gravitate towards things that infuriate you. So, whether it's Facebook or... Did you ever see The Social Dilemma?
- JBJim Breuer
No, I heard about it.
- JRJoe Rogan
It's great. You should watch it.
- JBJim Breuer
I heard about it.
- JRJoe Rogan
It's just so disturbing because they're essentially setting this up, and it reinforced w- how I felt and explained things even better to me. And in that documentary, what they're essentially saying is that if, if this keeps going, we're on the verge of civil war, that the, these social media algorithms, whether it's for Instagram or Twitter and, and the w- the way these things affect the human mind and how these people are profiting off of this stuff in a m- a massive, massive way, that they're leaning us closer and closer towards the ultimate division, like literally a civil war. And I, I feel that way. I really do feel that way.
- JBJim Breuer
And what about regular media, though? Don't you th- do you think they're also part of, if not sometimes more the culprit?
- JRJoe Rogan
They're, they're... The, the problem with regular media is they're so often full of shit, yet they are trusted by way too many people.
- JBJim Breuer
There's 10,000.
- JRJoe Rogan
And I think there's less trust now than ever before. You know, did you see the shit that, uh, the, the Washington Post had to just retract, that, uh, they had attributed a bunch of quotes to Trump, um, after the election, uh, with Georgia, that turned out to be false? Like, he never said them. And one of them was like, "Find the fraud," and he told the person they would be a national hero. Well, then they got the audio record- and by the way, just to be clear, he did say a lot of things that he should not have said. There was a lot of shit that he said that is egregious. But this is one particular one that they attributed to him that was not true. He never said it. They got the audi- audio recording of the actual phone call, and it basically, what he said is, "You're doing the most important job in the world," so counting these, counting these ballots. He did not say, "Find the fraud." He did, di- didn't say these things that they were attributing to him. And so for months, since December, they've been saying this, that he said these things. Now here we are in March and they finally have to retract it b- when the audio recordings come out. But it means that someone who is an anti-Trump person, who was like an unnamed source, gave them these quotes and then they printed them. This is our trusted media. That's a real problem. It's a real problem.
- JBJim Breuer
And people, this is the greatest time in human history where there's absolutely zero thinking. When I say zero thinking and/or you're put in fear of thinking. I'll give you a little example.
- JRJoe Rogan
Okay.
- JBJim Breuer
I had... Uh, I came in, I had to have a COVID test before I walked in here, right? So I was talking to your nurse and, and, um, I said, "I had it." I had it in December and I didn't tell anyone 'cause I didn't... I put it on social media and I put it everywhere because I didn't want people like, "Oh, we're gonna cancel shows," and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It's just the hysteria that goes on.
- JRJoe Rogan
How bad was it?
- JBJim Breuer
It was like a very mild sinus infection. Basically-
- JRJoe Rogan
That's what Jamie had, basically.
- JBJim Breuer
It started, it started in my nose, all right? And then it had a little like (clears throat) . I had one of those. But I immediately... From the past, anytime I get sick, I'm traveling, so I know I've had, I've been sick on the road. I immediately put in nose spray, constant cleaning, and I have a, um, inhaler, you know, like a steroid (gasps) to, to get my lungs going. So I started that. The next day, body felt like I was getting something, and which I've had in the past. If I, I don't get the chills, my, my skin gets really sensitive. And then after that, a little tired, but I had... I can breathe, but clearly I had a sinus infection. That's the best way to describe it. Now, here's the thing... And I gave it to my wife and my youngest daughter and the other two... But my other two daughters were like, "We're outta here. We're getting tested." They both did negative. Shoom, they left the house.
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
"We're outta hair." And they got bubbles around their head and they're fucking wearing their space outfits. So they're gone. My youngest one comes home from school and she has to take a test and they say, "You're positive." And she was. She clearly got sick. My wife's sick, I'm sick now. None of us... I, I have an infectious disease doctor in New Jersey. His specialty is infectious disease. I said, "Doc, my daughter is positive. I clearly gave it to her." He goes, "You need to get tested before I see you." I said, "Okay, well it's a two, three day wait. In the meantime, don't you have every- anything?" He goes, "Take vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc." He goes, "Do you have a high fever?" I went, "No." He goes, "Do you have tr- uh, trouble breathing?" I went, "No." He goes, "Then don't worry about it." So part of me started getting infuriated. I said, "So you're telling me the world is shutting down and you're telling me to take vitamin C, vitamin D, and zinc?" He goes, "I need you to get the test." "Okay, I'll get the test." Now, I'm a little aggravated. I just want something to get rid of this.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JBJim Breuer
Okay. That's all I want.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JBJim Breuer
So now it's going on the second week and it's... This thing's annoying because I'm taking 2,000 Ds and 3,000 Cs and zinc and A and whatever he's telling me to do.... my daughter is getting better. My wife still can't... D, can't smell or taste. Um, and she's got stage IV cancer. So she's, like, super high. She's doing great and all that, not that... But she's doing great. She's on trial, she's crushing it. So if anything, she's the most danger because of her immune system. Week two, I get a test, the same test I just took here, which is a very reliable test. And I told my doctor, "Hey man, it's official, I tested positive." "Which test did you take?" I was like, "I took the rapid," he goes, "That... I can't... I don't accept that one." You don't accept that? Infectious disease doctor and you don't accept that test?
- JRJoe Rogan
What did he want, the PCR test?
- 56:49 – 1:03:48
Music, community, and healing: Metallica fandom and goosebump medicine
- JBJim Breuer
many people just don't question anything? It's mind boggling. Now, back to what you were saying before, this is a cool thing. (smacks lips) So, I, I did a Metallica tour, right? Now, on this tour, I start to get to know, like, people from around the world that go to every single Metallica show. It was d- and they, and they-
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs) That's so wild.
- JBJim Breuer
It's so wild, and it's so cool. They call themselves the Metallica family, which I thought was amazing. Which I think is also amazing about you, like, you ha- peop- you have followers around the world. I think that's amazing. It's mind boggling. You could probably tour Korea, in, in, in countries you never thought you can tour in because of who you are and who listens to you. So, with this Metallica thing, there's this one couple, Sarah and Pete, and Pete ... The, the story was, was so ... it's amazing. Pete's a, a vet. Um. Y- got his ass kicked in Iraq and blah, blah, blah. He came back, got in a motorcycle accident, destroyed, doesn't wanna live anymore. He's stuck to a, a hospital bed, blah, blah. She's, she's, she's depressed 'cause he won't, he won't, he doesn't wanna live anymore. He hears Metallica's touring, and he's, he said ... And he's got brain damaged that you c- irreversible brain damage. It's completely irreversible. And so, he has to get checked every six weeks, and they keep saying, "Yeah, nah. His ... N- man, nothing's going down." Okay, so forever, this part of the brain's gonna be dead. He knows Metallica's coming, and she said she came home and for the first time, he, he was trying to get up. And she said, "What do you want?" He's like, "I wanna see Metallica." And she said, "Oh, oh, okay. We'll, we'll, I'll, I'll bring you to Metallica." She goes to Metallica, brings him in the wheelchair. He's got all, all his stuff. And then she sees while she's waiting on tickets all these other Metallica fans, and, you know, they start like, "Oh, bad dude. Oh," you know? And they're taking care, and they, they become like a little, "Hey," and the next, then they s- ... You know what? And they s- she saw how happy he was and how much life was brought to him just from seeing Metallica. Right? Now, with that, now she goes, "Maybe, maybe I should follow them." So, she goes and buys a couple more tickets, and he's starting to ... He's got life. Now, they follow them every time they tour. And I saw them, and then they d- they come see me. And when I first met him, he was very, he- he's very subdued, very ... He doesn't smile a whole lot. He's like, you know, "Hi. Hi." Where she's got this big smile. She's always bringing sunche- great energy. By the end of the tour, uh, as soon as the tour ended ... I wish I had my em- I'm sure I could find the email. She goes, "Oh, my God, Jim. You're not gonna believe what's going on. I think we're going to the European tour. We're sorry the US tour We're not gonna see you, but the European tour." I said, "Why?" The doctors for the first time ever said his brain is starting to heal itself, and they truly believe it's from going to the Metallica concerts.
- JRJoe Rogan
What?
- JBJim Breuer
Maybe it's not the music. It's the community, the life, the people around him that's inspiring him, and they wanna hook him up and start doing this as a test, like perhaps this has the power of healing. Dude, how sick is that?
- JRJoe Rogan
That's pretty sick. You know, you know how when a song comes on and you get goosebumps?
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
That's a drug.
- JBJim Breuer
Of course it is.
- JRJoe Rogan
It really is. There's, it's a medicine. It's, there's something to it.... like it when a good song comes on, you're like, "Fuck, yeah."
- JBJim Breuer
(laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
Woo.
- JBJim Breuer
There's- there's songs in-
- JRJoe Rogan
(singing) I'm getting- I'm getting goosebumps right now.
- JBJim Breuer
(singing)
- JRJoe Rogan
Dude, look at that. Look at that, goosebumps.
- JBJim Breuer
(laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
Those are legit.
- JBJim Breuer
(sighs) Woo. Absolutely.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, I mean, m- music does something to you physically.
- JBJim Breuer
Yes.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- JBJim Breuer
Absolutely.
- JRJoe Rogan
And if this guy is, all of a sudden, around all these people, the music is doing something to him physically, and then he has this sense of community and all this fun and love and comradery, yeah, your- your fucking pistons start firing. Bang, bang, bang. Woo. (singing)
- JBJim Breuer
(laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
(singing)
- JBJim Breuer
How'd you- how'd you like talking to James?
- JRJoe Rogan
I loved it.
- JBJim Breuer
He's a cool guy.
- JRJoe Rogan
I loved it. He's a really cool guy. I mean, if you think about a guy that has been through so much craziness, like I- I think of fame as, like, redlining, like, redlining your personality, redlining your stress levels, redlining your life. And so for a guy that's been like, "Dude." And then, like, "Okay, I gotta get off this ride for a little bit." And then you talk to him, and he's- he's just aware that he redlined his life.
- 1:03:48 – 1:15:34
Breuer’s UFC night: McGregor chaos, Irish crowds, and a corrected memory
- JBJim Breuer
I- I remember I only been to one UFC fight, and I- I don't think I need to see another.
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
And what I mean by that is, you- you were like, "Jim, you gotta see it." And I was leaving that night, I was- I was in Vegas and I was leaving that night on a red-eye and I almost didn't get out. And you're like, "Jim, you gotta come tonight."
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
He's like, "This is the one, dude. Bro, you don't wanna miss this one." I'm like, "All right, all right, I- I'll be there." And it was McGregor versus Spanish name dude. Uh ... He wasn't supposed to be the bill, and then Nate-
- JRJoe Rogan
Diaz?
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
Nate Diaz.
- JBJim Breuer
Yes.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- JBJim Breuer
And I'll n- I still remember that. It's so vivid in my mind. There was an underscore, okay? There was an undercard. All right, he looked like a- a- a- a guy like me, right? Against this-
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
... toolbox. And every time the kick would hit him, like I've seen on TV, but when you're there where you're standing, you hear ... Like, I kept smelling like ... It sounded like a bat hitting a leg. And then after three kicks, I'm looking at his leg, and it looked like someone spray painted a purple (choking noise) on the inside his leg. I went, "Oh my God, that's gotta be killing him."
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
"How is this human being standing? Oh my God." So smack, smack, smack. And I- I don't even remember who won that. All I remember is the McGregor fight. And McGregor's in there and he's definitely showboat and I loved everything about it, right? And I'm sitting there in the front and he comes in and they- they start the first round, and I feel like Diaz had the best of him the first round. I don't remember a lot of it, but I remember the second round starting and McGregor said something to him like, uh, "Is that the best you got?"
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
Something like that. I went, "Did he just say that to this guy?" And he's trying to intimidate, but then I remember he's getting his ass kicked, ass kicked and he was on the ground, it was ugly. The guy's on the ground and he's going for the final choke him out.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- JBJim Breuer
And his wife was right behind me. And I ke- it was like a movie, I kept looking at her going, "Greg, get up, Greg."
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- JBJim Breuer
I'm looking at my ... Oh my God, this must be a horror show. "Oh my God, Becky, come on, Greg." She covered her eyes and went, "Oh my God, this is a horror show," to watch her husband getting choked out and beat in his bla ... And then all of a sudden, he- he gets out of it and he makes it to his feet, and I think H- I think three-quarters of the arena was from Ireland, they're like, (cheering noise) hey, you can help, "Wah!" They were going ape shit.... and I remember like I'm, the hair- I- the hair on my back is standing up watching this. And I remember Diaz's eyes, I'll never forget his eyes. He just... If his eyes could talk they went, he- they said, "Oh, no. I'm done." The-
- JRJoe Rogan
Diaz? I think you got the wrong fight. You got this fight so fucked up. When m- when Nate Diaz got on top of Conor McGregor-
- JBJim Breuer
Ugh.
- JRJoe Rogan
... he fucking strangled him and Conor tapped out.
- JBJim Breuer
No. Then it wasn't that fight.
- JRJoe Rogan
Okay, it's a different fight.
- JBJim Breuer
It was, it, it was, it was a good five, six years ago. Four years ago?
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, it was Nate Diaz.
- NANarrator
Hold on. You said the Chad Mendes fight.
- JBJim Breuer
Mendez!
- 1:15:34 – 1:21:36
Standup during COVID and Austin’s comedy resurgence: testing crowds and new clubs
- JBJim Breuer
Where, where's the cool areas? Like, I, I don't even know where the hell I'm playing tonight. I'm playing, like, uh, is it outdoors?
- JRJoe Rogan
I don't know. What place is th- your place?
- JBJim Breuer
The-
- JRJoe Rogan
What's it called?
- JBJim Breuer
The-
- JRJoe Rogan
You don't know where you're (laughs) going?
- JBJim Breuer
No.
- JRJoe Rogan
Why don't you look at your phone?
- JBJim Breuer
It says-
- JRJoe Rogan
Why don't you find out where you're at?
- JBJim Breuer
It's something-
- JRJoe Rogan
Jimi, uh- It's a weird- Jimi'll find out. Jimi'll find out.
- JBJim Breuer
It's a weird name. It's like-
- JRJoe Rogan
It's not Stubbs Amphitheater, right?
- JBJim Breuer
It's an amphitheater.
- NANarrator
Oh, he's at Nutty Brown.
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, Nutty Brown's awesome.
- JBJim Breuer
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
That's the... Is that the place where, uh, Burr was?
- NANarrator
I think so, yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, dude, you're gonna love it. It's great. Nutty Brown's great. It's a beautiful amphitheater. So it's outdoors.
- JBJim Breuer
Burr was there.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, but it's warm out.
- JBJim Breuer
Burr packed that sucker.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, it was awesome. It was really fun. That was one of the first-
- JBJim Breuer
I had to pack that sucker.
- JRJoe Rogan
... first shows that I got to see-
- JBJim Breuer
So where do you play?
- JRJoe Rogan
... like, live. We've been doing-
- JBJim Breuer
Don't you play out here?
Episode duration: 3:12:07
Install uListen for AI-powered chat & search across the full episode — Get Full Transcript
Transcript of episode krMhxLj5VYs
