EVERY SPOKEN WORD
150 min read · 30,004 words- 0:00 – 0:25
Tom Segura becomes a bestselling author (and the reality of writing a book)
- NANarrator
(drumbeats) Joe Rogan podcast. Check it out.
The Joe Rogan Experience.
- JRJoe Rogan
Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day. (instrumental music) Tom, you're a fucking author.
- TSTom Segura
I'm an author.
- JRJoe Rogan
Not only are you an author, but you're a New York Times bestselling author.
- TSTom Segura
Pretty crazy, man. Pretty crazy.
- JRJoe Rogan
That's pretty crazy.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah. Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
That's pretty crazy.
- TSTom Segura
I know. I really didn't think that would happen, to be honest.
- JRJoe Rogan
It's wild.
- TSTom Segura
(laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
You had a wild following though, pal.
- 0:25 – 3:20
Deadlines, editor bloodbath notes, and writing while injured
- TSTom Segura
I know. It's just, um... I remember there, you know... That's the whole thing. They... Once you s- once you have, like, everything in, they start talking about the sales, obviously. Like, first is the work of writing the book.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- TSTom Segura
Which is its own thing, and everybody's like, "Don't do it." At least comics are. They're like, "Don't fucking do it." You know? 'Cause-
- JRJoe Rogan
Everybody I know that's done it said exactly what you said, "It's a grind."
- TSTom Segura
Yeah, yeah. It is. It, it... What it is, too, is that for somebody that's out of school work for so long, it's the, it's the thing that feels like going back to school the most.
- NANarrator
Mm-hmm.
- TSTom Segura
'Cause you, you, you have deadlines. And we, we don't, we don't write dead- you don't have deadlines in standup, you know?
- NANarrator
Oof.
- TSTom Segura
It's like... And you send it and you get notes back, and they're like... There's blood all over the pages, right? Like, you got-
- NANarrator
(laughs)
- TSTom Segura
You're like... And they're like, "This doesn't even make... How do you connect these two?" And you're like, "I don't, I don't know." And they're like, "Well, that's what you have to do now. You're writing it." And you're like, "Fuck! Okay." So it's just, like, it feels like you're back to work, you know? You're back to doing work again.
- JRJoe Rogan
How's your typing?
- TSTom Segura
Um, it i- th- it was rough with the arm, with the hand, right?
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, that's right.
- TSTom Segura
So, I actually... I started writing this book... I, I got the deal for it in, at, when the pandemic was, like, just had t- when they, when it was clear everything was shut down. So everything started in March, and then it was like April, May. I feel like in that window is when I got the deal to do this, and I was like, "Yeah, I'm not gonna do any touring." Like, they were like... Remember? Touring is, like, done. So I'll write a book. I sent in, like... I don't know. I sent in 10,000 words, um, and then a little while later, I sent in 20,000 more, and I remember (laughs) that I, I gave it to the publisher, and she took her time with it. You know? Like, to do the, to do her notes. I mean, it's, it's, you know... I don't know how many pages that is, but it's like... Let's say it's like 100 pages or something, so it took a while. So I'm just, like, waiting to get notes back, and then when they come back, it's, like, right before I get injured. So I think I... I'm then in the hospital, and I have an arm that doesn't work for a while, and they go, "How's the, uh, how's the notes coming?" I'm like, "I'm not doing them. I, I can't write right now." (laughs) Like, 'cause I was-
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
... up in... And when I finally did get to them, it took a while. Like, some, some chapters you get notes on, say things like, you know, "Just add something here and there," and, uh, "This, this works great." You know? "Make this more clear." And you're like, "Oh, that's not bad at all." And you flip the page, and the next thing is like, just, "We don't know what the fuck this story is about," and it's just, like, lines all over the place. "Lose this, add this, add humor, add..." And you're like, "Oh, my god."
- JRJoe Rogan
Add humor?
- TSTom Segura
Add humor, yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh.
- TSTom Segura
That's definitely one, where they go, "This story is a good story, but it, you need to add humor to it." And you're like, "Er."
- JRJoe Rogan
Why do you have to add humor to a story?
- TSTom Segura
'Cause you're a comedian.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, but you're also a podcaster.
- TSTom Segura
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right?
- TSTom Segura
Mm-hmm.
- JRJoe Rogan
Isn't that the best thing about podcasting?
- TSTom Segura
Mm-hmm.
- JRJoe Rogan
'Cause, like, you don't have to, like, hit a very specific note. You can kinda talk about anything. Serious, goofy. Sh-
- 3:20 – 5:31
Standup rhythm: pauses, crowd energy, and when to skip slow bits
- TSTom Segura
And y- you get comfortable. It's weird, because most comedians, you see it, are so uncomfortable with moments without laughter sometimes.
- JRJoe Rogan
Marc Normand.
- TSTom Segura
And, and... Marc... Oh, really? Comedy.
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- TSTom Segura
Uh...
- JRJoe Rogan
He's not uncomfortable. He's just-
- TSTom Segura
But it... No.
- JRJoe Rogan
He just can't help himself with the one-liners.
- TSTom Segura
Oh, yeah, yeah. He just zings. Uh-
- JRJoe Rogan
He, it's kinda like he- he's got, like, a file in his head that just comes flying out.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah, it does. It comes flying out.
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- TSTom Segura
Yeah, I just did his podcast with, uh, with Sam Morril. It's fun.
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, yeah?
- TSTom Segura
Yeah, very fun. Uh, We Might Be Drunk, it's a great podcast.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah?
- TSTom Segura
Um, but, you know, you, you see comics who also, on stage... I mean, obviously, you wanna get laughs on stage, but there's comics who can't even take a beat, a moment.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right. They get scared, yeah.
- TSTom Segura
They get real scared. Like, "There's not laughter right now." And then you see people who really are super comfortable-
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
... setting up those moments.
- JRJoe Rogan
Gillis is great with that.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
He's locked in.
- TSTom Segura
It's one of my favorite things to watch in standup, is I c- I really enjoy being taken on a ride.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
You know? And that-
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
And that, and a comic who's really masterful at pauses-
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- 5:31 – 11:21
Hecklers, theater crowds, and the “balcony pisser” incident
- JRJoe Rogan
There was a guy the other night at the Vulcan. Like, while I was on stage, everything's like, "Yeah, definitely."
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
"Oh, no way."
- TSTom Segura
That's the worst. That's one of the worst.
- JRJoe Rogan
"Don't do that." Like, oh, Jesus, bro. Shut... And everyone around him is like, "Shut the fuck up."
- TSTom Segura
Yeah. "You tell them, Joe."
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- TSTom Segura
And you're like, "That's what I'm doing." Uh, do you know what I just had, had happen at the show that... I don't know. I mean, this is so crazy that this happened at a show. I'm in Baltimore and doing a great venue there, like, the Lyric. Um, and it's, it's probably 30 minutes into the show.... and somebody says something, you know, and it's a b- it's a theater. There's, I don't know, 2,500 or something people at the show, so... But somebody says something on the, on like a pause, right? So everybody hears it. Sometimes you, you navigate whether to deal with something or not in... The bigger the rooms get, you know, you ignore things. This person says it like, "Why is Bert fat?" Or something like that. Um, because he eats too much. I don't fucking know, right? But my response made other people go, "Oh, this is when we can..." Right?
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, no, I've had that happen. Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
Right. So they start going, they start saying other things like podcast jokes or, you know, "Bikes," and like s- shit from like other standup shows and I'm like, "Okay." And then at one point it ha- it happens, you know, like 10 people in a row. I go, "Do you guys... Do you wanna keep doing the show or do you want me to not do this?" And they're all like, "Yeah, do the show." And when I say that, another guy jumps in from the balcony with another comment, you know. Like, "Do you like Old Bay on your crab?" Or (laughs) you know, something like that. And I go, "I hope you die in a house fire." Or so- something like-
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- TSTom Segura
... aggressive and rude. And people laugh and I, you know, I just... And then I turn back and I do, I just continue with the show. But moments after that, you know when you can... You don't even hear something, you feel commotion.
- JRJoe Rogan
Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- TSTom Segura
Where it's like an energy.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
You're like... So I'm, I'm up there and I'm moving on and I'm like, "What is that?" But I, I don't say it, I just... 'Cause I just got through dealing with chaos. But I feel it and I look up there and I'm just like, "Whatever." And it, it kinda dies down after a moment and I just keep doing the show. So when I get off stage, I see, uh, Dave Okin, uh, who, who you met, uh, my tour manager who was at the, the party, and he's like, "You're not gonna believe what happened." I go, "Where?" He goes, "Up in the balcony." I go, "Oh, yeah. I, I, I sensed that something was going on there." He goes, "A guy pulled his dick out and started pissing on people in the audience." And I'm like-
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- TSTom Segura
... "What?" (laughs) What? And he goes-
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- TSTom Segura
He goes, "Yeah." But, you know, we... What we learn is that he was aiming for somebody, but sprayed-
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- TSTom Segura
... a bunch of other people. And... (laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- TSTom Segura
And the reason we know this is that one of the people that got-
- JRJoe Rogan
Ugh.
- TSTom Segura
... some collateral damage is a friend of another guy I work with on the tour, Kier. So he's like, "Yeah, my friend was sitting in that section," and he goes, "I see this guy pull his dick out," right? And what we learn is that... Remember the guy that said the thing and I'm like, "I hope you die in a house fire."
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
The guy behind him was like, "You don't fuck with Tom's show." Pulled-
- JRJoe Rogan
So he's... (laughs)
- TSTom Segura
So he's, he's on my side.
- 11:21 – 13:52
Comedians behaving badly: peeing in bottles, nudity, and legendary “balls” lore
- JRJoe Rogan
Ari's done it in the studio 100 times.
- TSTom Segura
In the studio?
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
Oh.
- JRJoe Rogan
He pulls out his dick and sticks it in a kombucha bottle.
- TSTom Segura
He always likes pulling out his dick, though.
- JRJoe Rogan
He loves pulling out his dick. He did it the other day. We had a podcast and he, he went... He left to go pee-
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
... but he didn't pee in a bathroom. He pissed in a whiskey bottle in the hallway and we got video footage of it 'cause we have cameras.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
We have security cameras. He's like, "Why are you filming me?" I go, "No, no, we're filming everything 'cause you have security cameras. The real question is, why are you pissing in my hallway?"
- TSTom Segura
He didn't see that? Like...
- JRJoe Rogan
Look at him.
- TSTom Segura
Why couldn't he walk... The bathroom's 10 feet away.
- JRJoe Rogan
'Cause he's Ari. It's part of his fun. Part of his fun is he's just completely inappropriate.
- TSTom Segura
The pull your dick out move is usually for-... having a real nice-looking dick, a big one-
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm-hmm.
- TSTom Segura
... or comically, if you have a very small one. It's like a-
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- TSTom Segura
... fun move too.
- JRJoe Rogan
Like a Bobby Lee move.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah, yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
So, what has he got?
- TSTom Segura
I don't know. I mean, I don't remember the la- I haven't, I've seen it before but I don't really remember it. I've, I dare to say-
- JRJoe Rogan
Hmm.
- TSTom Segura
... it's not a memorable dick.
- JRJoe Rogan
It's a regular dick.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
It's not a bad dick.
- TSTom Segura
No, it's not bad.
- 13:52 – 23:43
Bert Kreischer as ‘The Machine’: when your persona consumes you
- TSTom Segura
Him and, I feel like him and Bert probably have the most like, "I don't wanna know the results."
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
Mentality (laughs) .
- JRJoe Rogan
For sure.
- TSTom Segura
You know? They're like, "Don't tell me."
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah. Bert got his blood work done. He's like, "Oh, thank God, my liver panel's good."
- TSTom Segura
Mm-hmm.
- JRJoe Rogan
I'm like, "How? How is it, how is it possible that it's good?"
- TSTom Segura
He got, he got a call, he said, from the cardiologist, and he was in a panic. And then she goes, "I don't know how you did it, but looks good. Go, go celebrate, like go have a good time." And he was like, "You just gave me orders to do that? Okay." And then he just-
- JRJoe Rogan
(laughs)
- TSTom Segura
I was like, "She doesn't really mean that. It just means congratulations."
- JRJoe Rogan
We were talking about it today, like he is becoming The Machine.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah, yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
He's not Bert Kreischer anymore.
- TSTom Segura
No, no.
- JRJoe Rogan
He's now The Machine.
- TSTom Segura
He's morphed, yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah. It's like how Andrew Silverstein became Dice Clay.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah, yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
For people that don't know, The Dice Man was part of Dice's act, um, part of Andrew's act. Andrew had an act where he does great impressions. Dice has-
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
... fucking fantastic impressions. He used to do John Travolta and a bunch of other people.
- TSTom Segura
You can find them on YouTube. He-
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
He does really good impressions.
- JRJoe Rogan
And then he had this character that he created called The Dice Man, and he would put on the leather jacket and, "Oh," and then it became his whole act. It became him.
- TSTom Segura
Mm-hmm.
- JRJoe Rogan
S- uh, Sam Kinnison, same thing. He became The Beast, you know? Like he even talked about it, how it kinda like ruined his life. Hunter Thompson talked about that, that he-
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
... he became Gonzo. He became this guy.
- 23:43 – 25:51
‘I’m Coming Everywhere’ tour: 198 shows, arenas, and why some cities rule
- JRJoe Rogan
Dude, you're going so hard.
- TSTom Segura
It is, it's wild.
- JRJoe Rogan
I don't know anybody who, who's doing a tour like you.
- TSTom Segura
I don't, I-
- JRJoe Rogan
I've never, I've never done nathing- anything like that.
- TSTom Segura
No, I've never even honestly heard of it.
- JRJoe Rogan
(clears throat)
- TSTom Segura
Totally. Uh, I mean, people... We tour aggressively, but this is kind of other level.
- JRJoe Rogan
The name of it, though, is amazing.
- TSTom Segura
It's pretty great.
- JRJoe Rogan
I'm Coming Everywhere (laughs) .
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
Is this what you're doing? (laughs)
- TSTom Segura
And we haven't even announced-
- JRJoe Rogan
(clears throat)
- TSTom Segura
... the, uh, the final leg.
- JRJoe Rogan
That is so crazy you have more legs.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah. So we, we have everything remoun- announced through this year.... uh, domestically, so I do- I do so many ... This just-just ... So, the tour started in '21, right? And just in '22, this year I'll do 198 shows.
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, my God.
- TSTom Segura
And I did, I think ... Because I started in August of '21. I think I did 70-something between August and December of last year.
- JRJoe Rogan
(sighs)
- TSTom Segura
And then I do Australia/New Zealand in January. And then I announce the final leg, which is more international shows.
- JRJoe Rogan
Are you doing mostly theaters, mostly arenas? Are you doing, like, half and half?
- TSTom Segura
It's, uh, it's a lot of theaters, and then the arenas have started to increase, so I, you know, I started to do a couple. I have a few, uh, Canadian, uh, arenas, and then I'm doing ... Well, I'm doing ... I have a big ... I'm doing two ball arenas in Denver, July 23rd and 24th.
- JRJoe Rogan
Nice.
- TSTom Segura
So that's- that's- that's big. I'm doing-
- JRJoe Rogan
Double, double arenas.
- TSTom Segura
Double arena.
- JRJoe Rogan
Ooh.
- TSTom Segura
Mohegan Sun Arena, um, and we have a couple others on the- on the books.
- 25:51 – 30:50
Homelessness and city policy: Austin cleanup vs LA sprawl
- JRJoe Rogan
The homeless thing's out of control there, though.
- TSTom Segura
In Denver?
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, they have a very liberal mayor, and they're- they're nuts.
- TSTom Segura
What did we do with them here?
- JRJoe Rogan
We killed them.
- TSTom Segura
When I got ... (laughs) Did we throw them in the- in the river?
- JRJoe Rogan
No, the river's not gonna get polluted by homeless people.
- TSTom Segura
Oh. I, uh, I remember when I got here, it was a library.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
Like, on Cesar Chavez, was, um-
- JRJoe Rogan
(coughs) Totally taken over.
- TSTom Segura
Completely taken over.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
And then just one day, you go- you drive by and you're like, "What happened here?"
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah. They did a good job. They fixed it. They brought them into shelters. They brought- they- they bought hotels. They spent a lot of money, and they cleaned it up. And they cleaned it up substantially. Like, no other city that I've ever been a part of, and it was a- a- just a great relief that this city is doing the right thing.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
The gate, they got them shelter. They took care of them.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
You know? And they- they moved them out of the streets. You can't litter on the street.
- TSTom Segura
Right.
- JRJoe Rogan
You also can't camp there.
- TSTom Segura
Sure.
- JRJoe Rogan
Both those things are true. And you-
- TSTom Segura
But you have to have a solution, right?
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
You can't just be like, "Well, you can't do this, and we have nothing, no option for you."
- JRJoe Rogan
Right.
- TSTom Segura
So ...
- JRJoe Rogan
No, they did a good job.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- 30:50 – 35:15
LA crime stories, Subway chaos, and ‘bread that isn’t bread’
- TSTom Segura
I just read about the guy that... He killed a Subway worker, you saw that? Over too much mayo.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yep.
- TSTom Segura
And he had just gotten out.
- JRJoe Rogan
Shot her in front of her da- her daughter.
- TSTom Segura
(sighs) He's a career criminal too.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
Too much mayo.
- TSTom Segura
I like mayo. That's why it-
- JRJoe Rogan
I love it too.
- TSTom Segura
... really stuck with me, but-
- JRJoe Rogan
I like a juicy Subway sandwich.
- TSTom Segura
... but that story really stuck with me.
- JRJoe Rogan
Do you know the bread in Subway sandwich has so much sugar you can't legally call it bread?
- TSTom Segura
No. (laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
Yes.
- TSTom Segura
Really?
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, it's like a pastry.
- TSTom Segura
(laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah, pull that up.
- TSTom Segura
Eat fresh, man. (laughs) That's their fucking slogan.
- JRJoe Rogan
Remember when Jared the pedophile was eating bread from Subway and claiming that that's how he-
- TSTom Segura
You remember that he was my buddy and that I have his phone number?
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, that's right.
- TSTom Segura
We shot commercials together.
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh.
- TSTom Segura
(laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
Jesus Christ, that's crazy.
- TSTom Segura
We split a pizza at the W Hotel in New York.
- JRJoe Rogan
That's crazy.
- 35:15 – 1:29:30
Tax loopholes, Forbes obsession, and Trump’s ‘John Barron’ tape
- TSTom Segura
... there's the big tax loophole that exists in Ireland, right, which, uh, corporations funnel their money through them.
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh, yeah?
- TSTom Segura
Uh-huh.
- JRJoe Rogan
What is that? What's the loophole?
- TSTom Segura
So I believe the loophole has to do with, you know, when... If you, if you route your money through certain, uh, countries and they're, they have laws that allow, they allow you to go, like, "Our money is actually deposited here." They collect a tax on it, but it's far less than what they would pay if they kept it, let's say, here.
- JRJoe Rogan
Oh.
- TSTom Segura
So they end up... It's essentially housing that money there to pay less tax.
- JRJoe Rogan
Mm-hmm.
- TSTom Segura
So it's, I, I believe it's the Irish... It's called, like, the Irish corporate tax loophole or something like that.
- JRJoe Rogan
Just so many tax loopholes.
- TSTom Segura
It's loo- But it's a big one, and they, like, you know, there's, uh, American politicians who have, like, lobbied to try to get that done away with, like, uh, ban the ability to do that so that people would have to pay more taxes here. But so far...
- JRJoe Rogan
The problem with paying more taxes is they're just gonna find more ways to spend your money. I don't necessarily think it's gonna make anything better.... you know? I think the, the bureaucracy in this country is so clogged up and fucked up and ineffective. I just, I don't think they'd be better if they ... Like, if we all just gave 75% taxes-
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
... they, they're not gonna fix the streets, they're not gonna cure the homeless problem, fix all the crime.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah. They would just figure out more ways to spend.
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
They'll find new ways to tell you that the rich people are not paying their share, so you turn on them.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
You ever see ... There's like a ... I love memes. I've been fucking meme happy lately.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah? (laughs)
- JRJoe Rogan
Well, yeah. They're so funny. It's like when things are gone, gone crazy-
- TSTom Segura
Mm-hmm.
- JRJoe Rogan
... like, I love memes.
- TSTom Segura
Mm-hmm.
- JRJoe Rogan
Because it just seems like those are the ... That's the shit that makes-
- TSTom Segura
They sometimes summarize things perfectly, right?
- JRJoe Rogan
Yeah.
- TSTom Segura
Yeah.
- JRJoe Rogan
But, uh, someone just sent me one, um, about ... Here, let me find it for you. About people with pitchforks turning on the people with torches. Hold on a second. I'm fucking this up. It's not good? Bro, my vision is dog shit.
Episode duration: 3:11:13
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Transcript of episode DSzhHIFo22g
