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The Joe Rogan ExperienceThe Joe Rogan Experience

Joe Rogan Experience #1892 - Sober October 4 Recap

Ari Shaffir, Tom Segura, and Bert Kreischer are stand-up comics and podcast hosts. Ari is the host of "The Skeptic Tank" podcast. His new special, "Ari Shaffir: Jew," is available now on YouTube. Together, Tom and Bert are the co-hosts of the "2 Bears, 1 Cave" podcast. Tom also co-hosts a podcast with his wife and fellow comedian Christina Pazsitzky, "Your Mom's House," as well as his own Spanish language podcast: "Tom Segura en Español." His new book, "I'd Like to Play Alone, Please: Essays," is available now. Bert hosts his own podcast, "The Bertcast," and can be seen starring on TBS's "The Go-Big Show," and the YouTube cooking program "Somethings Burning." https://www.youtube.com/c/arishaffir www.tomsegura.com www.bertbertbert.com

Joe RoganhostBert KreischerguestTom SeguraguestAri ShaffirguestGuestguest
Jun 26, 20243h 14mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Sober October recap: drinking, discipline, standup craft, and chaos

  1. Joe Rogan, Tom Segura, Bert Kreischer, and Ari Shaffir reunite right after finishing Sober October, celebrate with whiskey, and unpack what a month of sobriety and mandatory workouts did to their bodies and minds.
  2. They dive deep into standup-writing process, how their comedy evolved from chasing laughs to doing material they genuinely find funny, and why long development cycles make for better specials.
  3. The episode also spirals into stories about drugs, pranks, bullying and fighting, kids and schooling, Garth Brooks and internet trolling, and the economics and ethics of things like sweatshops, American-made products, and modern social outrage.
  4. Throughout, they promote Ari’s new YouTube special “Jew,” Bert’s upcoming movie “The Machine,” and recommit to ongoing fitness challenges while negotiating their complicated relationships with alcohol and excess.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Long development cycles make standup significantly better.

They all agree that giving a special two to four years (or more) sharpens material—setups get tighter, ideas deepen, and you end up with work you’d actually pay to see, not just jokes that “work.”

Write freely first, then find the jokes later.

Rogan describes morning weed-fueled, stream-of-consciousness writing on topics (almost like essays) without forcing punchlines; he then extracts “seeds,” takes them on stage, and lets them evolve into bits over time.

Make the comedy you think is funny, not just what kills.

Several of them admit early sets had big laughs but weren’t shows they’d buy tickets to; shifting to their own taste—rather than pandering to the room—was key to developing a unique, sustainable voice.

Hard daily exercise dramatically lowers anxiety and improves clarity.

The 500-calorie-per-day plus 100-pushup requirement in Sober October left them calmer, clearer, and less anxious; Rogan argues this is from burning off the body’s “threat” energy more than from being sober alone.

You don’t have to quit vices, but you must contain them.

Bert openly loves alcohol and partying and doesn’t plan to stop, but the group pushes the idea of setting guardrails—like limiting heavy nights and pairing indulgence with medical monitoring and consistent training.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

The first draft of anything is shit.

— Joe Rogan quoting Hemingway, on why waiting and rewriting makes specials better.

I started realizing I was getting laughs with stuff I wouldn’t pay to see.

— Joe Rogan, on shifting from crowd-pleasing to doing material he personally finds funny.

If you’re not obsessed with doing it, don’t do it.

— Joe Rogan, on fighting and high-risk pursuits, and why obsession is required to survive at the top.

Hard daily workouts burn out that part of your body that’s worried about threats.

— Joe Rogan, explaining why intense exercise slashes anxiety more than sobriety alone.

I think I’m magic… when you say I can’t do it, I can.

— Bert Kreischer, describing his compulsion to chase improbable, over-the-top challenges.

Sober October: rules, experience, benefits, and post-challenge drinkingStandup comedy craft: writing methods, editing, and long-term bit developmentAri Shaffir’s special “Jew” and self-releasing comedy on YouTubeAddiction, identity, and balancing partying with health and longevityFitness, aging, and the Sober October workout/pushup challengeFights, bullying, and the leveling effect of jiu-jitsu and real combat skillsCultural commentary: schools, racism pledges, sweatshops, Garth Brooks trolling, and Kanye

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