CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 2:27
Kill Tony’s rise: discovering comics and Tony’s hosting evolution
Joe praises Kill Tony as a uniquely effective live comedy format and credits it with launching multiple comics. Redban describes how the show matured over nearly a decade and how Tony became a sharper, more professional host.
- •Kill Tony as a major pipeline for new standups (Hans Kim, William Montgomery, earlier alumni)
- •Why the live format works: band, timing, and tight production rhythm
- •Tony Hinchcliffe’s growth as an off-the-cuff host
- •The show’s longevity: weekly schedule and high output over ~10 years
- 2:27 – 3:49
Portable podcasting & recording setups for touring shows
Redban breaks down the practical tech that lets Kill Tony (and other shows) run anywhere. They discuss splitters, multitrack recording, and how modern gear makes “studio on the go” realistic.
- •Plug-and-play touring rig: multitrack recording per mic
- •Splitter to feed house sound while keeping consistent recording levels
- •Minimal requirements in odd venues (e.g., banquet rooms)
- •General discussion of podcast kits and why many are mediocre
- 3:49 – 8:42
Podcast explosion: from a few hundred shows to ~4 million in the index
They reflect on how small podcasting was when JRE started in 2009, then compare it with today’s massive ecosystem. Adam Curry, Leo Laporte, and early podcasting history come up as they try to estimate early counts.
- •Current index count discussed as ~4,079,717 (context: shows/episodes ambiguity)
- •Early pioneers: Adam Curry (‘podfather’), Leo Laporte, Dvorak, Carolla, Maron, Kevin Smith
- •Barrier to entry and distribution tools accelerating growth
- •Speculation about where to find historical podcast counts and archives
- 8:42 – 12:53
Who’s ‘funny’ vs who can do stand-up: Eddie Bravo, Kill Tony auditions, and realness
Joe and Redban compare naturally funny people with the skill of doing stand-up onstage. They use Eddie Bravo’s late return to stand-up and Kill Tony first-timers as examples of how delivery and authenticity matter.
- •Eddie Bravo’s long break, then comfort speaking from teaching/seminars
- •Kill Tony examples of first-timers who aren’t funny despite being ‘the funny friend’
- •Stand-up difficulty: translating stories into stage-ready truth and timing
- •Joe’s private investigator boss as an example of offstage comedic talent
- 12:53 – 20:33
Alcohol, weed crowds, and genetics: what changes people’s behavior
The conversation shifts into drinking culture around comedy and how substances shape crowds and performers. They also touch on ancestry, tolerance, and the uncertain genetics of alcoholism across groups.
- •Sober October idea: realizing you don’t need alcohol to have fun
- •Weed-smoke comedy room stories (Toronto ‘Underground’): ‘greening out’ incidents
- •Debate: alcohol crowds vs weed crowds; both have downsides
- •Alcohol tolerance, ancestry speculation, and limited research on Native American alcoholism claims
- 20:33 – 24:32
Diet, gluten avoidance, and the glyphosate-in-foods worry
Joe explains his personal diet preferences (meat and fruit) and why wheat products make him feel sluggish. They explore a theory that glyphosate residue (Roundup) in grains may contribute to health issues and compare organic vs conventional exposure.
- •Joe’s self-experiment approach vs formal gluten testing
- •Bread/pasta effects and the ‘when did bread become bad?’ question
- •Glyphosate residues found in bread, oats, legumes, protein powders (article cited)
- •Uncertainty about what trace levels mean biologically and desire for clearer science context
- 24:32 – 32:51
Microplastics and reproductive health: sperm counts, phthalates, and ‘feminization’ fears
They discuss microplastics ingestion claims and then move into endocrine disruptors like phthalates. Joe references Dr. Shanna Swan’s work about declining sperm counts and potential reproductive impacts, while they riff comedically on the implications.
- •Microplastics ‘credit card per week’ claim and how studies may extrapolate data
- •Phthalates as a suspected driver of reproductive system disruption in animal/human studies
- •Claims discussed: lowered sperm counts since mid-20th century, shrinking reproductive markers
- •Speculative implications: long-term species-level changes and cultural anxieties around gender
- 32:51 – 38:37
AI sentience debate: Google’s LaMDA, ‘souls,’ and what it means to be alive
Redban raises the fired/quit Google engineer story; Joe frames it via a recent conversation with Marc Andreessen. They unpack how language models can convincingly argue any side, and why humans look for a “soul” as the missing ingredient.
- •Andreessen’s argument: systems can generate persuasive ‘I’m alive’ or ‘I’m not alive’ responses
- •Blake Lemoine’s religious framing and media portrayal as an outlier
- •Philosophical pivot: why ‘alive’ matters and what consciousness could mean
- •Humorous speculation about extracting souls and mixing biology with machines
- 38:37 – 44:11
Bug empathy, crickets vs roaches, and the locust transformation (serotonin swarms)
A tangent about which insects deserve mercy becomes a mini biology lesson on grasshoppers turning into locusts. They read definitions of ‘gregarious’ behavior and discuss serotonin’s role in swarming phases.
- •Personal bug hierarchy: roaches/spiders/flies vs ‘save the crickets’
- •Grasshoppers vs locusts as phases influenced by conditions and behavior
- •‘Gregarious’ meaning: sociable/flocking; swarms and crop devastation
- •Serotonin implicated in shifting to swarming behavior and parallels to human neurochemistry
- 44:11 – 48:55
Avatar 2 hype & movie talk: theme recycling, theater tech, and recommended shows
They watch and react to the Avatar 2 trailer and discuss why Avatar became a franchise-worthy visual world. This leads into quick recommendations and comparisons (Pocahontas/FernGully/Dances with Wolves), plus Yellowstone and Dexter chatter.
- •Avatar’s visual impact and why it can spawn many spinoffs like Star Wars
- •Theme parallels to older stories and why it still works as a ‘feeling’ experience
- •Theater formats (3D, XD motion seats) and Disney’s Avatar rides
- •Quick TV/movie recs: Yellowstone praise, Dexter reboot mention
- 48:55 – 59:41
Violence, media, and mass shootings: multi-factor causes and family responsibility
Joe revisits a broader discussion about what contributes to violence beyond guns alone. They treat violent games/movies as possible factors but emphasize parenting, abuse, mental illness, medication, and social breakdown as key drivers.
- •Media as an influence vs a direct cause; ‘games play a part’ framing
- •Hollywood contradiction: anti-gun rhetoric alongside glamorized violence on screen
- •Parenting, upbringing, trauma, psychopathy, and medications as compounding factors
- •Homeschooling vs socialization; scouts and structured communities as alternatives
- 59:41 – 1:03:35
Age cutoffs, sports advantages, and the ‘hold kids back’ phenomenon
A conversation about unusually old students turns into how parents and schools sometimes hold kids back for athletic advantage. Joe references Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers and birthdate effects in youth sports selection.
- •Maximum age to attend high school varies by state (Texas as an outlier mentioned)
- •‘Redshirting’ kids for sports: development windows and competitive incentives
- •Outliers/hockey example: relative age advantage from cutoff dates
- •Broader commentary on physical development timing and selection bias
- 1:03:35 – 1:07:39
Combat sports tangent: Beterbiev’s dominance and ‘hard people’ from certain regions
Joe pivots into boxing, praising Artur Beterbiev’s record and power while watching clips. They contrast elite durability and speculate playfully about lifestyle, diet, and environmental exposures that shape toughness.
- •Beterbiev’s 18-0 record with 18 knockouts; technique and timing praised
- •Discussion of age and elite performance (Beterbiev ~37)
- •Comparisons with other fighters (Bivol/Canelo mention)
- •Humorous callback to plastics/modern living vs ‘hard’ traditional environments
- 1:07:39 – 1:23:16
Herzog documentaries, cave art, and imagining ancient humans (plus ‘monster Neanderthals’)
They recommend Werner Herzog’s Happy People and Grizzly Man, then marvel at Chauvet Cave art’s age and quality. The segment mixes real anthropology with a knowingly discredited ‘predatory Neanderthal’ theory for fun speculation.
- •Happy People: Life in the Taiga—fulfillment, survival skills, and low modern angst
- •Chauvet Cave paintings dated ~30–33k years; what art reveals about early humans
- •Speculation about ancient human appearance, body hair, and survival pressures
- •Discredited ‘Neanderthal predation’ theory: entertaining but treated skeptically
- 1:23:16 – 1:34:06
Extinction, megalodons, sharks, and why the ocean is terrifying
The talk widens to extinction rates and predation dynamics, then dives into megalodons and modern great whites. Joe explains why sharks scare him most and they react to stories of bites and close calls.
- •Claim: ~99% of species that ever existed are extinct; nuance about extinction rates
- •Megalodon size comparisons (teeth/mouth) and theories about why they disappeared
- •Modern great whites (e.g., ‘Big Blue’) and the helplessness of humans in water
- •Jackass/shark-bite anecdote and visceral fear response
- 1:34:06 – 1:55:14
Praying mantises as ‘aliens,’ viral predator clips, and bringing Marshall the dog in
They watch brutal nature videos of mantises eating wasps, lizards, snakes, and even mice, riffing on how terrifying insects would be if they were larger. The mood softens when Joe brings in Marshall, leading into dog ownership, predators, and pet safety.
- •Mantis predation: strength, ‘armor’ forearms, and hunting above their weight class
- •If insects were bigger, humans might never have evolved to our size
- •Marshall enters: golden retriever temperament, routines, and why Joe loves the breed
- •Trail dangers (rattlesnakes), coyotes/bobcats/hawks in Texas, and keeping pets safe
- 1:55:14 – 3:55:38
Pet ethics: neutering, declawing, testosterone, and unintended exposure stories
They debate castration/neutering tradeoffs, noting behavioral control vs potential energy/testosterone changes, and condemn declawing as mutilation. The segment escalates into a bizarre news story about a toddler exposed to a father’s testosterone gel, then ends with leg-shaving history and a sober note on comedian mental health.
- •Neutering dogs vs cats: necessity, behavior, and Joe’s experience with lethargy after fixing later
- •Declawing described as removing the last digit—ethical criticism
- •Testosterone delivery methods (cream/gel/spray) and risks of secondary contamination
- •Toddler puberty from father’s testosterone gel exposure; implications and dark humor
- •Leg shaving driven by 1920s–50s beauty marketing; depilatory cream dangers
- •Closing reflection: Brody Stevens, suicide in comedy, and the psychological toll of performing
