The Joe Rogan ExperienceJoe Rogan Experience #1712 - Bert Kreischer Part 2
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:56
Comics as motivation: admiration vs jealousy in stand-up
Bert and Joe talk about how seeing great comics can be fuel—pushing you to work harder rather than feel threatened. They discuss how jealousy and petty sniping can creep into the comedy world, and why it’s important to resist that instinct.
- •Getting inspired by elite performers (Chappelle, Burr, etc.)
- •Jealousy as a common trap in comedy circles
- •Using admiration as productive energy
- •Touring/seeing peers succeed as motivation
- 0:56 – 1:43
Reappraising Chris Rock’s greatness and influence
Bert explains how a scare (Chris Rock getting COVID) made him re-evaluate Rock’s impact on his life and comedy. Joe and Bert cite Rock’s classic specials as all-time stand-up benchmarks.
- •Chris Rock’s cultural importance and personal influence on comics
- •"Bring the Pain" and "Bigger and Blacker" as historic specials
- •How legends can become underappreciated when they’re too famous
- •Reflecting on comedy heroes after health scares and losses
- 1:43 – 3:19
Martin Lawrence in the ’90s: “unfair” levels of killing
Joe argues Martin Lawrence is a forgotten dark-horse GOAT, describing watching him repeatedly destroy rooms at The Comedy Store. They explore how comedy changes over time and why some performances still feel transcendent.
- •Martin Lawrence’s 1990s peak and legendary club sets
- •Comedy’s dependence on era/culture and what “holds up”
- •Joe’s firsthand memories of Store sets and crowd reactions
- •Comparing “prime” greatness across decades
- 3:19 – 6:32
Following killers: how pressure forged Chris Rock (and humbled Joe)
Joe recounts how Chris Rock talked about being forced to tighten his act after following Martin Lawrence. Joe also shares how Mitzi Shore repeatedly made him follow Martin, leading to brutal bombs and hard lessons about stage “RPMs.”
- •Chris Rock learning from the pain of following Martin Lawrence
- •“White rooms” vs tougher rooms and pacing/energy
- •Joe bombing after Martin and audiences walking out
- •The “high RPM” metaphor for elite performance intensity
- 6:32 – 9:38
Talent vs work ethic, and why the best obsess differently
They debate whether greats are simply “built for it” or if relentless work separates them. Joe highlights structured preparation (Chris Rock paying comics for feedback) and compares elite drive in comedy to top athletes.
- •Natural talent vs deliberate practice and career strategy
- •Chris Rock’s feedback loop: paying peers for notes
- •“How crazy do you have to be to be the best?” (Armstrong analogy)
- •Longevity vs burnout among high-intensity performers
- 9:38 – 14:50
Heroes, discipline, and learning from every perspective
Bert asks Joe who his heroes are, given Joe’s emphasis on discipline. Joe reframes it as admiration across many domains—seeking contrasting viewpoints (warrior vs pacifist, meat-only vs fruitarian) to understand the world and himself.
- •“Heroes” vs “people I admire” and why the distinction matters
- •Valuing diverse perspectives to become more balanced
- •Curiosity as self-knowledge: learning about yourself via others
- •Judgmental culture vs growth mindset
- 14:50 – 19:58
Authenticity, “brand” talk, and a detour into barbecue obsession
Bert critiques the word “brand” as a lazy substitute for authenticity, then the conversation veers into product love (YETI) and hardcore Texas barbecue. They break down brisket as both science and art, including Austin spots like Terry Black’s.
- •“Brand is a lazy term for authenticity”
- •YETI gear praise and travel/food logistics
- •Texas BBQ technique: resting brisket in a cooler
- •Terry Black’s and regional BBQ styles
- 19:58 – 23:51
From smoked meat history to salt wars and Portuguese conquest brutality
Joe reads about the ancient origins of smoking meat and the role of salt in preservation—then they riff on how people once went to war over resources. Bert pivots into a book about Portuguese empire-building and the shocking violence of early conquest.
- •Cavemen origins of smoking meat and preservation
- •Salt as a historically strategic resource worth fighting over
- •Book discussion: Portugal forging a global empire
- •How lack of accountability enabled extreme cruelty
- 23:51 – 32:56
Modern tribalism: cruelty, COVID shaming, and left-vs-right team thinking
Joe argues people remain capable of cruelty today under ideological pressure, citing calls to deny treatment to unvaccinated people. The conversation expands into tribal psychology—how “team” identity drives conflict more than policy substance.
- •Parallels between historical atrocities and modern ideological cruelty
- •Critique of shaming/denying care based on vaccine status
- •Lab-leak discussion framed as misdirected outrage
- •Tribalism as a deep human instinct (sports, politics, religion)
- 32:56 – 36:13
Vaccines aren’t binary: risk tradeoffs, kids, and institutional trust
They explore how public health debates break down when people demand black-and-white answers. Joe cites myocarditis discussions for teenage boys and argues that hiding nuance breeds suspicion and distrust.
- •Complexity vs “black-and-white” narratives
- •Teen boys risk discussion (myocarditis vs COVID hospitalization)
- •Testing/treatment strategies vs blanket policies
- •Kids’ compliance (masks/quarantine) compared to pre-internet upbringing
- 36:13 – 42:48
Early internet disbelief to MySpace marketing: Dane Cook ahead of the curve
Joe and Bert reminisce about first encountering the internet and assuming email wouldn’t last. Bert tells stories about Dane Cook, MySpace-era ticket selling, Napster exposure, and crude early-growth tactics like mass friend requests.
- •First internet experiences (Prodigy, early email confusion)
- •Classic clip: “What is internet anyway?”
- •Dane Cook as an early internet marketing pioneer
- •MySpace touring, spamming, and early follower-building hacks
- 42:48 – 48:18
Luck vs grind: Kevin Hart debate, imposter syndrome, and enjoying success
Bert revisits a time he criticized Kevin Hart, realizing later he underestimated Hart’s workload. Joe argues success isn’t reducible to one variable (luck or discipline), and Bert opens up about struggling to validate his own success.
- •Why “luck vs work ethic” is a false binary
- •Opportunity as something earned and then capitalized on
- •Bert’s imposter syndrome and self-sabotage instincts
- •Joe’s advice: focus on doing your best and enjoying the work
- 48:18 – 56:51
Psychedelics and policy: Fantastic Fungi, microdosing, and decriminalization
Bert describes post-surgery anxiety and renewed curiosity about mushrooms after watching Fantastic Fungi—then worries about explaining it to his teenage daughter. Joe argues psychedelics can offer perspective shifts for some people and critiques prohibition, citing Oregon’s decriminalization changes.
- •Fantastic Fungi and Paul Stamets as a catalyst for interest
- •Mushrooms as potential support for compassion/perspective (not a universal cure)
- •Legalization/decriminalization as a prerequisite for real research
- •Oregon decriminalization and broader drug policy debates
- 56:51 – 1:06:53
Music as a time machine: Steely Dan, Robert Johnson, and progress
A long music tangent turns into a meditation on how recordings let us experience past eras. They talk Steely Dan nostalgia, then Joe uses Robert Johnson and “sold his soul” mythology to explain how groundbreaking art looks in its original context.
- •Steely Dan love, backstage rituals, and generational taste gaps
- •How old recordings feel like stepping into another world
- •Robert Johnson myth as an early “fake news” phenomenon
- •Technological progress shaping what audiences think is “impossible”
- 1:06:53 – 1:12:01
From hemp history to anxiety chemistry: weed stigma, MDMA/PTSD, and 5-HTP
Joe connects historical drug crackdowns to hemp demonization and modern confusion about cannabis risks (including schizophrenia links and misinformation). They shift into MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, the brutal ecstasy comedown, and supplements like 5-HTP for mood/anxiety support.
- •Hemp vs marijuana stigma and the “billion-dollar crop” argument
- •Debating cannabis risks, psychosis, and what evidence can prove
- •MDMA therapy (MAPS-style protocol) and Bert’s Ari-drugging story
- •5-HTP as a neurotransmitter precursor and anxiety management
- 1:12:01 – 1:32:01
Golf monsters, genetic outliers, and Sober October turning “dark”
After a quick reset, they geek out on golf power—DeChambeau’s massive drive and Tiger’s era-changing athleticism—then celebrate John Daly’s chaotic legend (including Bert’s bar encounter). They also discuss genetic anomalies (myostatin), age-advantage in youth sports, and how Sober October competition escalated into obsessive cardio marathons.
- •Bryson DeChambeau’s 417-yard drive and strategy shortcuts
- •Tiger Woods making golf a true athletic spectacle
- •John Daly as a heroic (and self-destructive) archetype; Bert’s story
- •Myostatin “super” genetics and fairness in youth sports
- •Sober October arms race: heart-rate points, movies during cardio, John Wick loops
- 1:32:01 – 2:06:38
Mortality, wild predators, and why dogs break your heart
Prompted by funeral talk and Amy Winehouse’s authenticity, they spiral into mortality: burial vs cremation and “returning to nature.” Joe tells a vivid mountain lion encounter, then the conversation softens into pet stories—feral cats, Marshall the empath dog, aging mastiffs, and the grief of putting a dog down.
- •Tradeoffs: longevity vs living intensely (Amy Winehouse as symbol)
- •Funerals, embalming critique, and “become part of nature” ideas
- •Joe’s close-up mountain lion story and human fear reversal
- •Marshall’s personality and dog-human bonding rituals
- •Mastiff joint issues and the emotional reality of euthanasia
