At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Tom Segura on filthy new Netflix series, comedy, risk, and reality
- Joe Rogan and Tom Segura dive into Tom’s new Netflix sketch-anthology series “Bad Thoughts,” how he backdoored it into existence with self‑funded short films, and why it feels like finally realizing his original dream of making comedy movies. They expand into a broader critique of modern comedy and studio risk‑aversion, the economics of making truly funny R‑rated films, and Tom’s upcoming summer comedy movie project. The conversation then sprawls through standup craft, hypnosis‑like crowd control, killing material, and the pressures of touring, before veering into health, addiction, fitness, food, AI, gambling, combat sports, and even simulation theory. Throughout, it’s a long, loose hang between two veteran comics reflecting on careers, risk‑taking, and the strange incentives shaping entertainment and society.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasIf you can’t get a green light, build proof of concept yourself.
Segura knew Netflix would never buy his show from a script, so he self‑funded several short films, showed them finished episodes, and only then did they agree to a six‑episode order. Executing first and pitching with something tangible can bypass gatekeepers’ fear.
Remember your original dream and realign your career accordingly.
Tom’s initial dream was movies, not standup; touring success accidentally pulled him away from that. Consciously opening his schedule (leaving 2026 free) and prioritizing filming has re‑energized him and is a model for mid‑career course correction.
Great comedy requires risk, low budgets, and backing the funniest material—not committees.
They argue studio comedies faltered because budgets ballooned and executives became too risk‑averse and tone‑policing. Truly funny R‑rated comedies can be made for ~$5M if you start with a killer script and surround it with strong comedic performers.
Standup is partly ‘hypnosis’: audience feels when you’re genuinely invested.
Rogan and Segura describe comedy as a trance created by confidence, rhythm, and authentic enthusiasm for the subject. When comics rush new hours or fake laughs, crowds sense the disconnect; material hits hardest when the comedian truly wants to talk about it.
Strategic breaks from touring strengthen both material and mental health.
They both note that nonstop touring leads to scrambling for material and performing sets you’re not emotionally invested in. Building in rest years or club‑only periods lets perspective form, avoids “filler” material, and keeps standup joyful instead of mechanical.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotesSometimes you have to remind yourself of what your original dream was.
— Tom Segura
They sent me to film school and said, ‘Make your fucked up movies.’
— Tom Segura
So many studio comedies fail because they’re not actually funny. It’s not a funny comedy.
— Tom Segura
A lot of standup is kind of unspoken. I think a lot of it is hypnosis.
— Joe Rogan
Our society is infested with bitches, like an apartment filled with roaches.
— Joe Rogan
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