The Joe Rogan ExperienceJoe Rogan Experience #1983 - Kim Congdon & Sara Weinshenk
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 1:52
Kill Tony origins, Tony Hinchcliffe’s hosting, and why some comics are “unwritable”
Joe reconnects with Kim Congdon and Sara Weinshenk as early “Kill Tony” alumni and reflects on how massive the show has become. They praise Tony Hinchcliffe’s off-the-cuff hosting and discuss the hard-to-define quality of naturally funny performers.
- •Kim and Sara’s early history with Kill Tony and meeting through the show
- •Joe’s take: Tony Hinchcliffe as the best comedy-show host, lightning-fast improviser
- •How Kill Tony’s one-minute format helps comics learn what works
- •Theo Von as an example of humor that’s impossible to translate to paper
- •Bits about joke-writing vs. comedic presence and delivery
- 1:52 – 4:44
Trader Joe’s “alien grocery store” snacks and a Bronx sandwich pilgrimage
A riff about Trader Joe’s bizarre snack inventions turns into Joe’s story of going far out of the way to eat a famous Bronx deli sandwich. They bond over the willingness to detour for great food and the downsides of ultra-indulgent meals.
- •Trader Joe’s odd flavor mashups and why they somehow work
- •Jokes about products feeling “made by ChatGPT”
- •Joe’s G&R Deli sandwich story: Instagram-driven food missions
- •Travel logistics: Manhattan → Bronx → Newark for fights
- •Eating like that: addiction, calories, and the “once in a while” approach
- 4:44 – 5:50
Diet philosophy, carnivore experiment, and traveling for food (plus Muay Thai dreams)
Kim and Sara ask Joe about his eating regimen, and he explains he avoids extreme restriction despite a brief carnivore month. The conversation shifts to travel as a food experience and Joe pitches Thailand for authentic Thai food and Muay Thai training.
- •Joe rejects “super strict” dieting as unsustainable and boring
- •Carnivore diet month: fat loss vs. monotony
- •Food as culture and a primary reason to travel
- •Thai food in Thailand and why it’s different
- •Muay Thai invitation; Kim mentions stopping after a concussion
- 5:50 – 9:27
Zuckerberg’s jiu-jitsu medal, celebrity competitors, and tournament belt reality
Joe marvels at Mark Zuckerberg competing incognito and winning a jiu-jitsu gold medal. They riff on how embarrassing it would be to lose to a disguised billionaire nerd, then Joe breaks down what a blue belt level actually implies in tournaments.
- •Zuckerberg using a mask/hat/alias to compete secretly
- •The humor of getting “strangled by a super nerd”
- •Other celebrity grapplers: Mario Lopez, Tom Hardy, Ashton Kutcher mention
- •Joe explains belt levels and why blue belts can be highly skilled
- •Jokes about DMs, surveillance, and Zuckerberg reading everything
- 9:27 – 13:36
Podcast branding wars: “Shank,” “Shanky and Your Ear,” and why “This Bitch” works
A playful tangent about catchy podcast names leads to Kim and Sara confessing their first, embarrassing show title. Joe argues that internet creators can iterate publicly, and they land on “This Bitch” as a perfect, sticky brand identity.
- •The running joke: “Shanky and Your Ear” as a spinoff concept
- •Naming matters: examples like Your Mom’s House and Call Her Daddy
- •Their original title: “Sticky Kimmy and Shank” and sponsor awkwardness
- •Why “This Bitch” feels natural to their friendship dynamic
- •Joe on the internet lowering the barrier to entry and enabling growth
- 13:36 – 19:40
Pandemic comedy survival: solo pods, Zoom shows, and the weirdness hangover
They revisit pandemic-era content creation, including Sara doing solo podcasts and the collective trauma of Zoom comedy. Joe recalls thinking standup might be gone forever and describes how long it took to stop reacting to coughs and sneezes.
- •Sara’s “talking to myself” solo-pod survival and mental toll
- •Zoom standup as a doomed format; late-night shows without laughter
- •Joe’s fear early in the pandemic and canceling shows as shutdowns began
- •Comics as “junkies” needing a last show; window sets at The Comedy Store
- •Lasting social conditioning: cough/sneeze anxiety and shared awkwardness
- 19:40 – 24:40
Masks, goggles, and bee-sting folklore: viruses through the eyes and weird cures
A story about someone wearing snorkel goggles in CVS becomes a discussion about catching viruses through the eyes—confirmed live. Kim pivots into bee-sting “therapy” and folklore-like health claims, highlighting how pandemic life fueled odd medical beliefs.
- •Snorkel/goggle PPE in public and why it might’ve been rational
- •Jamie confirms pathogens and infections can enter via the eyes
- •Bee-sting claims: longevity, Lyme symptom relief, and diabetes folklore
- •Face shields and mask effectiveness arguments and confusion over airflow
- •Reggie Watts’ full “space helmet” filtered travel mask and practicality
- 24:40 – 28:43
Psychedelics, microdosing utopias, and MDMA-assisted therapy for trauma
They joke about mushrooms making Kim too compassionate to gossip, then Joe explores how a society-wide microdose might change behavior—until criminals exploit it. The conversation turns serious on promising psilocybin/MDMA therapy for PTSD and trauma, and why legality lags science.
- •Mushrooms reducing judgment and shifting perspective
- •Joe’s thought experiment: mass microdosing and unintended consequences
- •Benefits for veterans: psilocybin and MDMA in PTSD treatment
- •MAPS studies and the importance of doing trials “the right way”
- •Sara’s funny MDMA anecdote vs. Kim’s roommate’s life-changing therapy camp
- 28:43 – 33:32
Weed legality absurdities: Delta-9, accidental “crack weed,” and comedian drug stereotypes
They debate how some cannabinoids are legal while classic psychedelics aren’t, then Kim tells a chaotic Harlem weed story that turned into an on-air panic. Joe and the guests broaden into how weed shapes comedy, the rookie learning curve, and cultural normalization after legalization.
- •Delta-9 as “weed’s neighbor” and an off feeling compared to cannabis
- •Kim’s Harlem purchase: reused baggie contamination leading to cocaine exposure
- •On-air fallout: heart racing, crying, Googling fentanyl symptoms mid-podcast
- •Comics and substances: weed as ‘comedy steroids’ and drinking vs. smoking paths
- •Legalization era: new users asking basic strain questions and edible confusion
- 33:32 – 39:39
Cannabis history and hemp’s suppressed potential: propaganda, textiles, and the “billion-dollar crop”
Joe recounts activist Jack Herer’s research into how marijuana was demonized through racist propaganda and media campaigns. The discussion expands into hemp as a superior industrial material—paper, clothing, construction—and why supply chains and politics slowed adoption.
- •Jack Herer and ‘The Emperor Wears No Clothes’ as a cannabis history cornerstone
- •Anslinger/Hearst-era propaganda: Reefer Madness and racial fear narratives
- •Why some prefer ‘cannabis’ over ‘marijuana’ due to historical baggage
- •Hemp vs. psychoactive cannabis: engineering low-THC hemp strains
- •Hemp’s utility: durable textiles, hempcrete, antibacterial clothing, and industry inertia
- 39:39 – 47:35
Plants feel alive: “forest bathing,” nonverbal instincts, and LA vs. NY road rage
From grow rooms feeling eerie to houseplants as “prisoners,” they riff on whether plants communicate and why nature feels healing. The talk shifts to intuition—reading people beyond words—then lands on road rage and Kim’s very specific grievances about LA driving behavior.
- •Grow rooms and houseplants: “you’re not alone” vibes and plant empathy
- •Plant networks and mycology: communication and resource sharing underground
- •Forest bathing as a real practice and nature’s mental-health benefits
- •Gut instincts, deception detection, and social ‘vibes’ as information
- •Kim’s LA traffic thesis (rule-following, merging fear) vs. NY’s aggressive drivers
- 47:35 – 1:19:02
Pop culture rabbit holes: lost Jim Morrison car, Elvis and Michael Jackson fame, and U2’s Vegas Sphere
Joe goes deep on the mystery of Jim Morrison’s missing Shelby GT500 and his preference for restomodded classic cars. The conversation pivots into the tragedy of extreme fame via Elvis and Michael Jackson, then they geek out over U2’s upcoming shows in the LED-covered Vegas Sphere.
- •Jim Morrison’s ‘lost’ GT500 lore and competing stories of what happened
- •Joe’s stance: classic cars should drive like modern cars (brakes/suspension)
- •Elvis: first-of-its-kind TV-era superstardom and exploitation through pills/management
- •Michael Jackson’s child stardom and the ‘unmanageable fame’ comparison
- •The Las Vegas Sphere: inside/outside LEDs, massive overhead, and software worries
- 1:19:02 – 1:30:05
Wildlife obsession: Chimp Empire, Roar’s dangerous big-cat set, and Thailand tiger tourism ethics
Joe recommends Netflix’s Chimp Empire and explains how chimp social hierarchies mirror human behavior, including war and resource control. They then spiral into the infamous film Roar—where crew members were seriously injured—and Joe shares his own discomfort seeing drugged tigers used for tourist selfies in Thailand.
- •Chimp Empire’s unprecedented close footage and how crews gained trust
- •Chimp behavior: territory, hierarchy, warfare, and hunting monkeys
- •Roar: real big cats, high injury rate, scalping and near-fatal attacks
- •Why people chase danger/adrenaline around apex predators (Tiger King parallels)
- •Thailand tiger ‘sanctuaries’: age-based handling and the ethics of tranquilized animals
- 1:30:05 – 3:17:19
From microplastics to UFOs to muses: sperm decline, alien crashes, and where ideas come from
A joke-filled detour about fertility trends becomes a discussion of microplastics and endocrine disruption claims. From there they pivot into UFO documentaries and personal “high strangeness” stories, then end in a reflective stretch on creativity—ideas as living forces, flow states, and the discipline of showing up.
- •Sperm-count decline claims (Shanna Swan’s ‘Countdown’) and petrochemical suspects
- •Phthalates and reproductive effects; humor around ‘taint metrics’ in mammals
- •UFO recommendations: Moment of Contact (Varginha, Brazil) and emotional witnesses
- •Kim’s family’s Costa Rica ‘muted reality’ experience and fear of ‘being watched’
- •Creativity as a muse/receiver mode: Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art and flow in driving/silence
