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The Joe Rogan ExperienceThe Joe Rogan Experience

Joe Rogan Experience #1874 - Dave Attell

Dave Attell is a stand-up comic, actor, and writer. He can currently be seen in the series "Life & Beth" on Hulu, "Bumping Mics with Jeff Ross & Dave Attell" on Netflix, and "Crashing" on HBO. When not on the road, Attell makes regular appearances at the Comedy Cellar in New York City. www.daveattell.com

Dave AttellguestJoe RoganhostGuest 2 (unidentified friend/producer)guest
Jun 26, 20242h 36mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Dave Attell, Rogan Deconstruct Stand-Up, Cancel Culture, and Comedy Clubs

  1. Joe Rogan and Dave Attell spend the episode talking shop about stand-up comedy: the evolution of club scenes, how new comics develop today versus the 80s/90s, and Rogan’s new Austin club as a ‘mothership’ for comics.
  2. They dive into the changing audiences and cancel-culture sensitivities, Attell’s obsessive joke-writing process, the ethics of not stepping on younger comics’ stage time, and the joy of playing to crowds who truly love jokes.
  3. Along the way they veer into long, darkly funny tangents on crocodile and rat horror, massive guard dogs, psychedelic history, cold plunges, obesity TV, crime waves in big cities, and bizarre news stories.
  4. Underneath the jokes is a recurring theme: comedy as a necessary pressure valve in a tense, chaotic world, and the importance of building spaces where comics can be fearless, work constantly, and be judged only by audiences.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Great comedy clubs are built by people who love comedy, not just selling drinks.

Rogan and Attell praise rooms like Cap City, Helium, the Laugh Stop, the Cellar, and Comedy & Magic for being run by owners who prioritize comics, sound, and audiences over food and revenue—Rogan’s Austin club is explicitly modeled on that ethos.

Modern scenes give young comics a clearer, faster path—but the grind never changed.

Compared with the 80s/90s, new comics today have more mics, podcasts, and visible paths to headlining, but Attell notes it’s still years of bombing, working day jobs, and stretching 5‑minute sets into 20 before you’re truly a pro.

Serious comics obsess over originality and constantly rework material.

Attell describes calling friends with cryptic questions to make sure a joke isn’t stolen, writing ideas out, taping every set, and listening for bad habits or better angles—Rogan similarly writes several days a week and treats stand-up like a craft to practice, not just perform.

Audiences have grown more reactive to topics, not jokes—and comics have to navigate it.

They talk about young crowds buffering in silence and some people responding to keywords as activists rather than listeners; both still push edgy material but accept they must weather groans, whimpers, and cultural “choppy seas.”

Comedy communities thrive when headliners lift locals and share stages.

Rogan emphasizes giving Austin comics real spots, Kill Tony slots, and club support; Attell admires tours where big names like Bert Kreischer and Chappelle bring multiple comics, creating “event shows” that inspire fans and younger comics.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

When the owner of the club gets it, and it’s not just beer and beverage, you can always tell. It feels different.

— Joe Rogan

My crowd is so good. They love jokes, there’s no line, they know I don’t pick sides. They just want the joke.

— Dave Attell

Some of us fell apart in this wonderful world of what’s okay to talk about and what’s not. Come on.

— Joe Rogan

I don’t want to be up there like, ‘Oh my God, I gotta pay that alimony.’ I’d like to do comedy forever, but I don’t want to have to.

— Dave Attell

The only gatekeeper should be the audience—do people like your stuff? Are you funny?

— Joe Rogan

Evolution of comedy clubs (Cap City, Laugh Stop, Comedy Cellar, Improv, Ice House, Hermosa, Vegas/Atlantic City)Rogan’s new Austin ‘mothership’ club and building a real comedy communityHow comics develop: open mics then vs now, road work, writing habits, checking for joke overlapAudience changes, cancel culture, young crowd sensitivities, and defending edgy materialAttell’s career mindset: crowd relationships, staying off social media, late-night spots, humility about stage timePsychedelics, history, and religion (LSD, ergot, Eleusinian Mysteries, ibogaine, sacred mushrooms)Urban decay, crime and homelessness (NYC, Portland, smash‑and‑grabs), and societal order vs chaosAnimal and nature tangents: crocs and gators, rats, giant Caucasian shepherd dogs, sea turtles, cold plunges, big old dogsAddiction, obesity, and extreme human behavior (My 600-lb Life, fentanyl crisis, compulsions)

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