David Cross on Joe Rogan: Why Boston Clubs Ran on Mob Money

1. 0:02 – 5:11

   Catching up after NewsRadio: hair, beards, and the barber hostage situation

   1. JRJoe Rogan0:02

      Joe Rogan Podcast, check it out.

   2. SPSpeaker0:04

      The Joe Rogan Experience.

   3. JRJoe Rogan0:06

      Train by day, Joe Rogan Podcast by night. All day. [upbeat music] David.

   4. DCDavid Cross0:13

      Joseph.

   5. JRJoe Rogan0:14

      Good to see you.

   6. DCDavid Cross0:15

      Good to see you.

   7. JRJoe Rogan0:15

      Dude, I haven't seen you in a long fucking time. When was the last time we were actually in a room together?

   8. DCDavid Cross0:20

      I, well, I was trying to think of that. I don't know... I would imagine post Newsradio, we hung out at some point, at some show somewhere.

   9. JRJoe Rogan0:30

      Somewhere.

   10. DCDavid Cross0:30

       But I don't know. But I do remember, uh, 'cause I did Newsradio a couple times, and we, we hung out, and I remember, I think we both... No, just you had more hair then. [laughs]

   11. JRJoe Rogan0:44

       [laughs]

   12. DCDavid Cross0:44

       Uh, I was probably already at this point, um-

   13. JRJoe Rogan0:47

       I was fighting-

   14. DCDavid Cross0:48

       Yeah

   15. JRJoe Rogan0:48

       ... to keep it. I was hanging on.

   16. DCDavid Cross0:49

       Do you, are you, do you shave or is that it? Is that bald-

   17. JRJoe Rogan0:51

       Oh, it's, I mean, I'm bald.

   18. DCDavid Cross0:53

       Yeah.

   19. JRJoe Rogan0:53

       If I didn't shave, I'd be bald all the way up here.

   20. DCDavid Cross0:56

       Yeah.

   21. JRJoe Rogan0:56

       But I got a hair transplant, and it was useless.

   22. DCDavid Cross0:59

       It's, yeah.

   23. JRJoe Rogan1:00

       I jo- I did a joke about it. I go, "Having a hair transplant is like taking people that are healthy and moving them into a neighborhood where everyone's dying."

   24. DCDavid Cross1:08

       [laughs]

   25. JRJoe Rogan1:09

       This is just like, "Where did Bob go?" He just fucking flew off the face of the earth.

   26. DCDavid Cross1:13

       So, uh, yeah, you'd say you just, uh, accepted it-

   27. JRJoe Rogan1:17

       Yes

   28. DCDavid Cross1:17

       ... and said, "Fuck it," yeah.

   29. JRJoe Rogan1:18

       I should've done it a long time ago.

   30. DCDavid Cross1:19

       Yeah.
2. 5:11 – 9:38

   Art Bell and Coast to Coast: respectful weirdness, time-traveler lines, and late-night radio magic

   1. JRJoe Rogan5:11

      Art Bell.

   2. DCDavid Cross5:12

      I was gonna guess Art Bell.

   3. JRJoe Rogan5:13

      Yeah.

   4. DCDavid Cross5:13

      I swear to God.

   5. JRJoe Rogan5:14

      Yeah.

   6. DCDavid Cross5:15

      I swear to God. I don't even know if I've ever seen him.

   7. JRJoe Rogan5:18

      Yeah, that's him.

   8. DCDavid Cross5:18

      Coast to Coast.

   9. JRJoe Rogan5:19

      Yes. Yes.

   10. DCDavid Cross5:20

       Holy shit.

   11. JRJoe Rogan5:21

       From the Kingdom of Nye.

   12. DCDavid Cross5:23

       Wow.

   13. JRJoe Rogan5:24

       I fucking loved that show. That was the show that I listened to coming home from Hollywood, 'cause I lived out in the Valley, and I would drive home at night, and I'd listen to Late Night with Art Bell.

   14. DCDavid Cross5:33

       Oh.

   15. JRJoe Rogan5:33

       Oh, it was the best.

   16. DCDavid Cross5:33

       Art, Coast to Coast with Art Bell. I used to do a whole bit about, uh, the, like, um... 'Cause who's the news guy? George-

   17. JRJoe Rogan5:42

       Noory

   18. DCDavid Cross5:43

       ... Noory.

   19. JRJoe Rogan5:43

       Yeah.

   20. DCDavid Cross5:43

       George Noory, right. And I'm gonna, uh, digress for one second. Did you ever p- uh, do you play video games at all?

   21. JRJoe Rogan5:50

       Yes.

   22. DCDavid Cross5:50

       Okay.

   23. JRJoe Rogan5:50

       Well, I try not to.

   24. DCDavid Cross5:52

       Um-

   25. JRJoe Rogan5:52

       But I used to play a lot of them.

   26. DCDavid Cross5:53

       Did you ever play Prey?

   27. JRJoe Rogan5:55

       No, but I know what it is.

   28. DCDavid Cross5:57

       A great underrated, underrated game, got ripped off, uh, or just people bit certain things that they, um, started. But one of the coolest thingsSo it's about like this, uh, it takes place on a, a, a reservation. Like, you know, uh, in the '90s I guess or something like that. And there's a bartender and her boyfriend and, and it takes place in this bar, and then aliens come. And b- uh, he, then this guy goes on the alien ship to, uh, go rescue her. But, um, they did this really cool thing. So first they have this, in the video game right at the bar, there's a TV and as you walk towards it, it, there, it's playing, it's like static-y until you get closer to it. And then as your character gets closer to it, it's Art Bell talking about aliens and stuff.

   29. JRJoe Rogan6:54

       Ah.

   30. DCDavid Cross6:54

       And I know, I know I'm not doing it justice, but it was such a cool, smart idea. And, uh, God bless him. Um-
3. 9:38 – 16:26

   Phil Hendrie’s genius: characters, live switching, and the Pizza Hut call

   1. DCDavid Cross9:38

      And, and you, so did you also listen to Phil Hendrie?

   2. JRJoe Rogan9:42

      Yes.

   3. DCDavid Cross9:42

      Oh, God.

   4. JRJoe Rogan9:43

      He was the best.

   5. DCDavid Cross9:44

      Just super genius.

   6. JRJoe Rogan9:45

      The best thing about Phil Hendrie was the people that didn't understand what was going on-

   7. DCDavid Cross9:48

      Yeah

   8. JRJoe Rogan9:48

      ... they would call in and be really upset. [laughs]

   9. DCDavid Cross9:50

      Well, the first, the first two times I heard him I didn't understand what he was doing. He's, he's that good too. Uh, then I, and I would be like, "This is crazy, this guy." And then eventually you're like, oh, he's doing characters, uh-

   10. JRJoe Rogan10:05

       Yeah

   11. DCDavid Cross10:06

       ... 'cause he'd, you know, repeat characters and stuff. But I, I got the chance to watch him do a show. So he's got, he's, he's got the, he's got three mics I wanna say. Uh, they, i- like two mics like this, and then a phone mic. Uh, well, or, you know, a phone, like a ha- a, a old time, you know, cradle phone. And he was doing himself, uh, the ca- the woman who's, uh, runs the, uh, HOA or whatever that, uh, whatever her name was, that, that character, and then somebody else calling in. Like he did somebody calling on the ph-

   12. JRJoe Rogan10:46

       Yeah

   13. DCDavid Cross10:46

       ... and it was, uh, I, I mean, it was like a magic act.

   14. JRJoe Rogan10:51

       Yeah.

   15. DCDavid Cross10:51

       It was crazy to watch how... To, without missing a beat. And I could see, uh, you can see how he strategically takes breaths so that he can go from one character to another and interrupting each other.

   16. JRJoe Rogan11:07

       Yeah.

   17. DCDavid Cross11:07

       You know? It, it, it was fascinating. But he's a genius.

   18. JRJoe Rogan11:10

       It's, the only thing that ca- I, right away I was like, oh, wait a minute, there's no crosstalk. Like right... Well, the f- one of the early times I listened I was like, "I think this is the same guy."

   19. DCDavid Cross11:20

       Yeah. Well, he's, he bumps it up. Like, he's really good at-

   20. JRJoe Rogan11:24

       Yeah

   21. DCDavid Cross11:25

       ... at, uh, almo- you know, making it sound as if, like, uh, 'cause he'll interrupt himself and go, "And I... Okay, but-"

   22. JRJoe Rogan11:34

       Yeah.

   23. DCDavid Cross11:34

       You know?

   24. JRJoe Rogan11:34

       Yeah.

   25. DCDavid Cross11:34

       And stop, and then just go right into the other voice. It, it's fucking phenomenal.

   26. JRJoe Rogan11:39

       And, and, and completely original. Like I don't know of anybody else that did anything like that.

   27. DCDavid Cross11:45

       No, no. Did you ever, um... He used to put out stuff for charity like, uh, CDs and things, and he has, uh, I don't know what it would be called, but it was one of the, one of the things he put out for charity that was, um, a guy called into the station. I th- he was probably super high. But he called in thinking it was Pizza Hut. And-He fucks with this guy in the best way where he's like, uh, and who's the w-what's the woman character he does? It's kinda like, uh, like, a Black woman who's like, "Mm, honey, it is the be-" I don't know. Marjorie, I think maybe. Uh, but he, it, then he does that woman answering the phone, uh, at, you know, Pizza Hut, and then he does the automated f- uh, thing. Like, uh, she's like, "Um, I'm gonna put you on... Uh, it's easier to do the automated, uh, thing, so..." And the guy's like, "Uh, okay. All right." And, and then he gets on and he's like, "W- thank you for calling Pizza Hut, the best pizza in a three block radius. And if you want, [laughs] if you want..." Uh, I'm not doing it justice. You gotta go do it. Hear it. Listen. Can you-

   28. JRJoe Rogan13:04

       [laughs]

   29. DCDavid Cross13:04

       Yeah. You got it?

   30. JRJoe Rogan13:05

       I think so. All right. Headphones.
4. 16:26 – 20:51

   Improv at the highest level: TJ & Dave, terrifying skill, and the “rant muscle”

   1. DCDavid Cross16:26

      And you're, you're doing multiple characters. You ever see TJ and Dave?

   2. JRJoe Rogan16:29

      No.

   3. DCDavid Cross16:30

      Oh, dude. The best.

   4. JRJoe Rogan16:31

      Yeah? What is it?

   5. DCDavid Cross16:33

      The best. It's TJ, uh, Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi, who are, like, the kings of that stuff in, uh, out of Chicago, and they come, they tour around. Uh, and they're just, they're two guys who, uh, it starts off, you know, it's, none of it's planned. None of it's, uh... And they have, like, a dedicated cult following. When, when they're in New York, it sells out [snaps fingers] like that. And you gotta go to, uh, at least two shows to see i- how wildly different it is. I mean, they're two guys that come out on stage. Usually, there's, like, three chairs, and it'll just start with, like, uh, you know, "How's it going?" "Good, good, good." "Are you in line?" "No, no, no." And it, and then you watch it, like, oh, they're in line. Where are they in line at? Do they know each other? And, and then it's, it turns out they're at the DMV, but they're not. It's, like, a room outside of the DMV, and then they will leave and come back and be somebody else, right? A, a kid that was mentioned or a wife or something, um, or be in a car. And, and it all wraps up. It's all a big story. And, and I have seen, I've probably seen them 30, 40 times, and I've seen, uh, shows where, that were more, that were funnier and more poignant than some plays that have been worked on for years, you know, and better.

   6. JRJoe Rogan18:00

      And it's completely improvised?

   7. DCDavid Cross18:01

      Completely, 100%.

   8. JRJoe Rogan18:03

      Wow.

   9. DCDavid Cross18:04

      Oh, they're, they're... I mean, I, uh... Do you know Tim Meadows?

   10. JRJoe Rogan18:08

       Yeah.

   11. DCDavid Cross18:09

       So Tim was a guest. Sometimes they'll have a third person.

   12. JRJoe Rogan18:12

       I know who he is. I don't, I don't-

   13. DCDavid Cross18:13

       Yeah

   14. JRJoe Rogan18:13

       ... never met him.

   15. DCDavid Cross18:14

       Yeah. So-I was... And Tim's been, you know, uh-

   16. JRJoe Rogan18:18

       SNL

   17. DCDavid Cross18:19

       ... yeah, and ensconced in that-

   18. JRJoe Rogan18:21

       Yeah, middle, million things, yeah

   19. DCDavid Cross18:21

       ... Second City, uh, world for decades, and he said it was the most terrifying thing he's ever done because you're- they're like genius level... I mean, the, the detail you have to remember. And then, and then on top of it, if one of them is, you know, "I'm a marine biologist," or whatever, it slips out, then that person has to know [laughs] about... The real person playing the fake marine biologist has to know enough about marine biology to keep the thing going, you know? And it's just next level.

   20. JRJoe Rogan18:56

       It's almost time for spring break, so maybe you're headed to the beach, or maybe you're taking the kids on a road trip, or maybe you're just taking some extra time for yourself. No matter what, you deserve a break and a reset, and AG1 can help. AG1 is your daily health drink. Just one scoop combines your multivitamin, pre and probiotics, superfoods, and antioxidants to help support a healthy immune system and digestion. Plus, it travels really well, so you can start working it into your routine even when you don't have a routine. Just slip a few travel packs into your luggage and have a nice flight. Uh, I've talked about AG1 for a long time, and it's not just me. I know a lot of people enjoy it. It's very easy, it's very convenient, and you deserve to take care of your health. Visit drinkag1.com/joerogan, and for a limited time, get a bottle of Omega-3, vitamin D3+K2, and an AG1 flavor sampler for free in your welcome kit with your first subscription. That's an $111 value at drinkag1.com/joerogan. Well, I, I'd imagine that's, like, a muscle that you just get really strong with.

   21. DCDavid Cross20:09

       Yeah.

   22. JRJoe Rogan20:10

       Like ranters. Like, like Tim Dillon is the best at ranting on a podcast alone. He doesn't, he doesn't have anybody with him. Most of his podcasts are just him ranting.

   23. DCDavid Cross20:22

       Yeah.

   24. JRJoe Rogan20:22

       And I've watched the development of it. I'm like, "That's an amazing muscle to develop," because you just get accustomed to that kind of scenario, that situation where it's just... And your mind just gets used to producing content just-

   25. DCDavid Cross20:36

       And like old-school AM late-night radio guys, right?

   26. JRJoe Rogan20:41

       Right, right, right.

   27. DCDavid Cross20:41

       Who don't have people calling in, who are, like, talking about whatever, and they gotta do it, you know, four or five times a week-

   28. JRJoe Rogan20:48

       Yeah

   29. DCDavid Cross20:49

       ... for three hours by themselves.

   30. JRJoe Rogan20:51

       Yeah.
5. 20:51 – 24:54

   Talk radio rage and early shock-TV: Rush Limbaugh, Wally George, and spectacle politics

   1. JRJoe Rogan20:51

      I used to always like to listen to them. I used to like to listen to those crazy right-wing, angry political talk shows, 'cause I don't, I didn't know anybody like that.

   2. DCDavid Cross20:59

      Mm-hmm.

   3. JRJoe Rogan21:00

      So I was like, "Oh, what, what is this guy doing?" Like-

   4. DCDavid Cross21:03

      I... Well, uh, that's, that was the bulk of the radio... I mean, that's why, you know, you have, like, Art Bell and Phil Hendrie, like, a nice, a like, "Oh, okay."

   5. JRJoe Rogan21:13

      Yeah.

   6. DCDavid Cross21:13

      There's... 'Cause I got all this, I got Mark Levin, and I got, uh, you know, uh, uh, fuck, what's his name? You know, the-

   7. JRJoe Rogan21:20

      Rush Limbaugh

   8. DCDavid Cross21:21

      ... Rush Limbaugh, yeah.

   9. JRJoe Rogan21:22

      Yeah.

   10. DCDavid Cross21:22

       And, uh, and when you, when you first start listening, or f- when I first started listening, uh, and I came out to LA from Boston, you know, and people were like, "There's this guy out here who's fucking nuts," you know? And, uh, uh, yeah, I'd never heard of him in Boston. And then, and you're like, "Does he... How much of this stuff does he believe? Does he really believe? And how much has he come to believe?" Does that make sense?

   11. JRJoe Rogan21:50

       Yeah.

   12. DCDavid Cross21:51

       Yeah. And, uh, and those guy... That was a whole fascinating thing. And Wally George. Do you remember Wally George?

   13. JRJoe Rogan21:57

       I do, but I don't remember much about him. I remember the name. What did Wally George do?

   14. DCDavid Cross22:00

       He, he was the guy who originated what... I mean, now it's really familiar. He w- You remember Morton Downey Jr.?

   15. JRJoe Rogan22:08

       Mm-hmm.

   16. DCDavid Cross22:09

       He was a little after Wally George.

   17. JRJoe Rogan22:10

       Oh, that's right. That's right. Uh. [laughs]

   18. DCDavid Cross22:12

       And he would... Look, uh, '83, and he was... And it was a super low budget, like, uh, cable access type thing-

   19. JRJoe Rogan22:22

       Mm-hmm

   20. DCDavid Cross22:22

       ... back when that was a, a whole thing. And he'd get, the audience would be hooting and hollering, and he'd have people on, like, somebody who... And sometimes they, I, I think because it became popular, sort of like with Morton Downey Jr., where people came on to, quote-unquote, "fuck with Wally George." Like, "I'm gonna pretend to be a, you know, a, a furry wi- and I'm gonna, you know, have gauges and, and..." You know what I mean? Like, just the archetype of the thing they wanna yell at. And, uh, and I think people started... It was, there were some bullshit people on there, you know, people lying about who they were. But he'd have people on and then, uh, and then kick them off. [laughs] It would happen all the time. Like, "Come on, sit down. Uh, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" And everybody would yell at him, the person, they'd start talking. And like, "Get the fuck out of here."

   21. JRJoe Rogan23:12

       [laughs]

   22. DCDavid Cross23:12

       And that was, [laughs] that was the show. Really, you know? And, uh, here's something really crazy, uh, and tell me if this is rumor, uh, look up at your magic computer, Rebecca De Mornay's dad, the actress.

   23. JRJoe Rogan23:31

       That's-

   24. DCDavid Cross23:31

       Yeah

   25. JRJoe Rogan23:32

       ... Wally George?

   26. DCDavid Cross23:32

       Yes.

   27. JRJoe Rogan23:33

       No.

   28. DCDavid Cross23:34

       Yeah.

   29. JRJoe Rogan23:34

       Really?

   30. DCDavid Cross23:35

       Look it up. Look it up. Casey, right?
6. 24:54 – 28:49

   Marriage, divorce, and kids: why commitment changes when children are involved

   1. DCDavid Cross24:54

      And, and you're married?

   2. JRJoe Rogan24:54

      Yeah.

   3. DCDavid Cross24:55

      Yeah. How long you been married?

   4. JRJoe Rogan24:57

      17 years.

   5. DCDavid Cross24:58

      Oh, nice.

   6. JRJoe Rogan24:58

      Yeah.

   7. DCDavid Cross24:59

      Um, it'll be 14 in October for me.

   8. JRJoe Rogan25:02

      If I get divorced, that's a wrap.

   9. DCDavid Cross25:05

      What do you mean?

   10. JRJoe Rogan25:05

       Like, I'm happy, happily married. I don't wanna get divorced, not saying that, but if I ever get divorced, I'm never-

   11. DCDavid Cross25:11

       Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

   12. JRJoe Rogan25:12

       Uh-uh.

   13. DCDavid Cross25:12

       Oh, same here.

   14. JRJoe Rogan25:13

       Yeah.

   15. DCDavid Cross25:13

       Oh, I feel the same. I don't-

   16. JRJoe Rogan25:14

       Silly.

   17. DCDavid Cross25:15

       Yeah.

   18. JRJoe Rogan25:15

       I'm not having any more children.

   19. DCDavid Cross25:16

       Yeah.

   20. JRJoe Rogan25:17

       So if I don't have any children, it makes no sense-

   21. DCDavid Cross25:19

       Yeah, it, it's-

   22. JRJoe Rogan25:19

       ... to legally be bound to some person. Can't we just hang out? [laughs]

   23. DCDavid Cross25:23

       I am 100% with you. I, I... And I was, I was never a, um, anti-marriage guy, but I just didn't think I'd get married 'cause I didn't wa-

   24. JRJoe Rogan25:35

       Right

   25. DCDavid Cross25:35

       ... I didn't want to. And then eventually I met somebody who I wanted to marry, you know?

   26. JRJoe Rogan25:38

       Yeah. It's like you just have to, it has to... I mean, that's the thing. It has to be the right person. Everybody always says that, except Wally George.

   27. DCDavid Cross25:45

       [laughs]

   28. JRJoe Rogan25:46

       But the idea of doing it 10 times is fucking insane.

   29. DCDavid Cross25:52

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan25:52

       Like, that, that's a d- they're doing a different thing.
7. 28:49 – 36:16

   Growing up everywhere: San Francisco counterculture, Florida shock, and Vietnam-era memories

   1. JRJoe Rogan28:49

      ... in Florida. Fucking everywhere. I was born in New Jersey, moved to San Francisco when I was seven.

   2. DCDavid Cross28:55

      Mm.

   3. JRJoe Rogan28:55

      Lived in San Francisco from seven to 11-

   4. DCDavid Cross28:58

      Mm-hmm

   5. JRJoe Rogan28:58

      ... in the height of the Vietnam War, um, in Haight Ashbury, like, hippie town.

   6. DCDavid Cross29:02

      Mm-hmm.

   7. JRJoe Rogan29:03

      And then, uh, Florida from 11 to 13.

   8. DCDavid Cross29:06

      That's the opposite of-

   9. JRJoe Rogan29:07

      Yeah

   10. DCDavid Cross29:07

       ... San Francisco. [laughs]

   11. JRJoe Rogan29:08

       Oh my God. Yeah. That's the first time I found out about the N word. I didn't know what it meant, and I remember I had to ask my mom.

   12. DCDavid Cross29:13

       No way.

   13. JRJoe Rogan29:14

       Yeah, I had to ask my mom. I never heard it in San Francisco.

   14. DCDavid Cross29:17

       Wow.

   15. JRJoe Rogan29:17

       Never heard it.

   16. DCDavid Cross29:17

       Wow.

   17. JRJoe Rogan29:18

       San Francisco in the 1970s, uh, when I was, you know, between seven and 11, was kind of a wild, amazing time. It was really weird. It was... 'Cause we were in the middle of, like, the counterculture-

   18. DCDavid Cross29:31

       Yeah, yeah

   19. JRJoe Rogan29:32

       ... movement.

   20. DCDavid Cross29:32

       Berkeley, all that stuff.

   21. JRJoe Rogan29:33

       Uh-huh. Yeah. We lived right down the street from Lombard Street.

   22. DCDavid Cross29:37

       Mm.

   23. JRJoe Rogan29:37

       So we're, you know, we were, like, in the middle of it all, you know? And, uh, [laughs] it's funny because it was during that time that the Vietnam War ended, when I was, I think I was... When did Vietnam end? Is it-

   24. DCDavid Cross29:52

       '74? I think '74.

   25. SPSpeaker29:58

       Officially seven, April 30, '75.

   26. JRJoe Rogan30:01

       Okay.

   27. SPSpeaker30:02

       US withdrawal '73.

   28. JRJoe Rogan30:03

       Yeah, so that was, like... How old was I? Whatever. The, the point is, like, at that time, I remember thinking, "Thank God they figured out war is bad. We're never gonna do this again." I liter- literally had that thought.

   29. DCDavid Cross30:15

       Oh.

   30. JRJoe Rogan30:15

       However old I was.
8. 36:16 – 46:17

   Early stand-up paths: managers, Boston clubs, and stumbling into TV

   1. JRJoe Rogan36:16

      I was in New York... I moved to New York in '91. Nine... Yeah. So I started stand-up in '88 in Boston, and uh, I got picked up by my manager, who I'm still with, when I was essentially an open mic-er. He was-

   2. DCDavid Cross36:32

      Who was that?

   3. JRJoe Rogan36:33

      Jeff Sussman.

   4. DCDavid Cross36:35

      How do I not know Jeff Sussman?

   5. JRJoe Rogan36:36

      He handles Kevin James. He's-

   6. DCDavid Cross36:39

      Was he a Boston guy?

   7. JRJoe Rogan36:40

      No, he was a New York guy.

   8. DCDavid Cross36:41

      Oh, okay, okay. I see.

   9. JRJoe Rogan36:42

      So the story was he had, um... What was his name? Fucking, the guy who had all the crazy costumes, he was on the Rodney Dangerfield special. Bob-

   10. DCDavid Cross36:52

       Oh

   11. JRJoe Rogan36:52

       Bob Nelson

   12. DCDavid Cross36:53

       Bob Nelson, yeah

   13. JRJoe Rogan36:54

       So he handled Bob Nelson

   14. DCDavid Cross36:55

       Cleve- he, the Cleveland Browns-

   15. JRJoe Rogan36:56

       Yeah

   16. DCDavid Cross36:57

       ... character.

   17. JRJoe Rogan36:57

       He put the helmet on

   18. DCDavid Cross36:58

       Yeah

   19. JRJoe Rogan36:59

       And he had boxing gloves. He'd do-

   20. DCDavid Cross37:00

       Yes

   21. JRJoe Rogan37:00

       ... Jiffy Jeff's Gym. He had brain damage.

   22. DCDavid Cross37:02

       [laughs]

   23. JRJoe Rogan37:02

       He did, did a bunch of different characters

   24. DCDavid Cross37:04

       I remember. [laughs]

   25. JRJoe Rogan37:05

       So Bob, who is a, a big act, you know, he had a HBO special-

   26. DCDavid Cross37:08

       Oh

   27. JRJoe Rogan37:08

       ... the whole deal, at the time, um, he found Jesus.

   28. DCDavid Cross37:12

       Oh.

   29. JRJoe Rogan37:13

       And, uh-

   30. DCDavid Cross37:13

       Where was he?
9. 46:17 – 56:37

   Boston comedy war stories: owing comics money, Nick’s intimidation, and the cocaine era

   1. DCDavid Cross46:17

      Um, what was I gonna say? Something... Oh, do you know, uh, Fitzsimmons', um, Paul Barclay story, or Bill Downs, The Watch? Bill Downs. It was Bill Downs.

   2. JRJoe Rogan46:30

      Which one? How's it go?

   3. DCDavid Cross46:32

      Oh, I, I don't... You should get it from him, 'cause it's his story. But... And I, I don't wanna... I feel like it's his to tell, but it's fucking great. It's genius.

   4. JRJoe Rogan46:44

      It's, it's bringing up something in my memory.

   5. DCDavid Cross46:47

      So, so Bill owed everybody money, right?

   6. JRJoe Rogan46:51

      Right.

   7. DCDavid Cross46:51

      And, uh, like, he still... You know, those guys owe me whatever it is at this point, you know? What, 300, $500.

   8. JRJoe Rogan46:59

      [laughs]

   9. DCDavid Cross46:59

      It's just... And you'd go there, a- and they would just do-

   10. JRJoe Rogan47:02

       Everybody was big guy, remember?

   11. DCDavid Cross47:03

       Yeah.

   12. JRJoe Rogan47:04

       I'll pay you soon, big guy.

   13. DCDavid Cross47:05

       Ugh, the wor- And then do you remember when Bill adopted the girls?

   14. JRJoe Rogan47:12

       Yes.

   15. DCDavid Cross47:12

       And then-

   16. JRJoe Rogan47:12

       Korean girls, right?

   17. DCDavid Cross47:14

       He... Yeah. And he would use them, like, as... Because a- a- at, at a certain point, it didn't help to go to The Connection or go to the clubs, and you had to go to their fucking office. If you want it, nobody's gonna call you back or whatever, and you'd... Like, "I gotta get on the T and go to the, go to their office," and that's only way I'm gonna get money, is if I show up and he's in a good mood, and it's [laughs] not gonna happen from a phone call. And I'd go there every single time. It's like, "Dude, I gotta pay my rent, man. I mean, I, I got nothing, and you owe me, you know, $385." And back then, that was huge. And, uh, oh, Cross, I... Listen, so I got these, my kids. One of my kids is sick, and, you know, whatever.

   18. JRJoe Rogan48:05

       Ugh.

   19. DCDavid Cross48:05

       It was always this fucking excuse. And then, and then, uh, you know, with still the coke residual in the bottom of his nose.

   20. JRJoe Rogan48:12

       [laughs]

   21. DCDavid Cross48:12

       And, um... But, so Fitz- he owed Fitzsimmons a chunk of money, like s- uh, like, a significant amount, like 1,500, 1,800 bucks.

   22. JRJoe Rogan48:25

       Oh.

   23. DCDavid Cross48:25

       Like, something, something meaty, you know, especially for back then. And, uh, y- y- you ask Greg, 'cause I feel, I feel like it-

   24. JRJoe Rogan48:35

       No, tell the story.

   25. DCDavid Cross48:36

       Really?

   26. JRJoe Rogan48:36

       I'm sure Greg's told it to me.

   27. DCDavid Cross48:38

       Okay.

   28. JRJoe Rogan48:38

       Greg and I are pretty close.

   29. DCDavid Cross48:39

       I just mean, I just mean-

   30. JRJoe Rogan48:39

       I, I remember it some, in, in my head. I do remember part of it, but I don't know the whole story. I don't remember it.
10. 56:37 – 1:03:20

    Barry Crimmins and the scene’s conscience: integrity, activism, and confronting abuse

    1. JRJoe Rogan56:37

       I had Barry on, like, right after it came out. I had him on the podcast.

    2. DCDavid Cross56:41

       Yeah.

    3. JRJoe Rogan56:41

       And yeah, Barry-

    4. DCDavid Cross56:42

       And he's, he's a, he's a legend and, you know, huge inspiration.

    5. JRJoe Rogan56:46

       He was an intimidating guy.

    6. DCDavid Cross56:48

       Yeah.

    7. JRJoe Rogan56:48

       That was the guy that I was scared of because he was like... He was the guy who was sort of the standard. Like, he made sure there was no hacks.

    8. DCDavid Cross57:01

       Yeah.

    9. JRJoe Rogan57:01

       He made sure there was... You know, like, he set the standard, you know? He-

    10. DCDavid Cross57:05

        And he was really equitable too.

    11. JRJoe Rogan57:06

        Yes.

    12. DCDavid Cross57:07

        You know? And, and-

    13. JRJoe Rogan57:08

        Yes

    14. DCDavid Cross57:08

        ... um-

    15. JRJoe Rogan57:09

        Very politically active, even, like, way back then, like, really knowledgeable and, like, really understood what was going on in the world and-

    16. DCDavid Cross57:17

        Did you ever see his, uh, or one of his, um, State of the Union shows?

    17. JRJoe Rogan57:22

        No.

    18. DCDavid Cross57:24

        I- They're fucking amazing. So he would go... I saw a couple of them at the, the old Stitches, and he would go up, and it was d- when the, the State of the Union w- uh, was happening. He'd go up, and he'd do his State of the Union. It was just him, and he would go on, and he'd have, like, um, you know, uh, it was pre-PowerPoint, but it was whatever the equivalent of, you know, a screen behind him with stuff. Uh, and he'd go up there with a, a cooler, like a legit big cooler of beer, 'cause that motherfucker could drink.

    19. JRJoe Rogan57:57

        Yeah.

    20. DCDavid Cross57:58

        And, uh, and he would just start... He had a podium, and he would just crack beers and just y- down a case of beer or half a case of beer and just do his stuff, you know, uh, uh, extemporaneous stuff. I mean, it's stuff prepared, but about the, you know, the State of the Union and all that. It was f- and it would always be packed. Like... And you'd see Denis Leary and, you know, every single comic would be there, you know, trying f- up against the wall 'cause it was packed, but it was great, I mean, legendary.

    21. JRJoe Rogan58:29

        Well, he, I mean, I think he was really responsible for a lot of what Boston comedy became, you know, 'cause he was the guy that was kind of the gold standard and-

    22. DCDavid Cross58:38

        And he started The Ding Ho.

    23. JRJoe Rogan58:39

        Yeah.

    24. DCDavid Cross58:39

        You know? Yeah.

    25. JRJoe Rogan58:40

        Yeah, yeah. And he... It's like becoming friends with him was like, phew, like such a relief 'cause I was so terrified of him-

    26. DCDavid Cross58:47

        Yeah

    27. JRJoe Rogan58:47

        ... when I was a young comic. Like, if that guy thought I sucked, if he hated me, I was like, "I'm fucking doomed."

    28. DCDavid Cross58:53

        Yeah.

    29. JRJoe Rogan58:53

        You know, because he was this character. He would go on stage with, uh, a sport coat on and reach into his inner pocket and pull out a Budweiser-

    30. DCDavid Cross59:01

        [laughs]
11. 1:03:20 – 1:14:17

    Creative traps: doing the same act forever, never leaving town, and the writers’ room ‘velvet prison’

    1. JRJoe Rogan1:03:20

       Yeah. Well, it's just such an unusual town in what happened there, that these guys became these local legends where they never had to leave, and they kind of did the same act for decades-

    2. DCDavid Cross1:03:32

       Oh

    3. JRJoe Rogan1:03:32

       ... which is also kind of crazy.

    4. DCDavid Cross1:03:34

       That to me was like I knew there was definitely a, a, a, as I started to separate from that world a little bit and, uh, and just ki- kind of evolving as a comedian, and there was like the Catch scene in, um, Catch a Rising Star, and, uh, that was a thing that was an early... I just didn't get it.

    5. JRJoe Rogan1:04:01

       Right.

    6. DCDavid Cross1:04:01

       Like, why are you doing the same... It, there's no joy in it.

    7. JRJoe Rogan1:04:06

       Right.

    8. DCDavid Cross1:04:06

       And then you'd, you would drive some of these guys, 'cause they'd get fucked up, and you were happy to have all the work, and you'd go up and do 15, and they'd do a half hour. You'd get in the car, you go somewhere else, and, and these guys doing [laughs] Mike, Mike Donovan doing... He would do his... Remember Rosie the Bounty, the quicker picker upper, the Bounty?

    9. JRJoe Rogan1:04:27

       Yeah.

    10. DCDavid Cross1:04:28

        Okay, so he had, there was a... [laughs] So the commercials were like, "Rosie," uh, and it was like the scrappy, uh, waitress at a diner. Remember? It was like a character-

    11. JRJoe Rogan1:04:40

        Yeah

    12. DCDavid Cross1:04:40

        ... that was in all the... It was like the, the, you know, mascot of whatever, Boun- Bounty, the quicker picker upper. And her character was kind of like feisty as, and these commercials ran for years, you know, different like, "Ah, you don't do this. Do this." And his bit was about taking a gun out and shooting her.

    13. JRJoe Rogan1:05:01

        [laughs]

    14. DCDavid Cross1:05:01

        Um, and it was funny. You'd see it the first time, but it's like, "Dude, that hasn't been on the air in [laughs] fucking 10 years."

    15. JRJoe Rogan1:05:08

        Yeah.

    16. DCDavid Cross1:05:08

        And he's still doing this, "Ah, yeah, Rosie, I got something for you. I got a, I got some advice for you." And he'd shoot.

    17. JRJoe Rogan1:05:14

        [laughs]

    18. DCDavid Cross1:05:15

        Like, what the fuck? And there was... Okay, wait. Joe, did you, were you there? [laughs] So, uh, Ed the Machine Regine.

    19. JRJoe Rogan1:05:25

        Oh, yeah.

    20. DCDavid Cross1:05:26

        Okay.

    21. JRJoe Rogan1:05:26

        I remember him.

    22. DCDavid Cross1:05:27

        So-

    23. JRJoe Rogan1:05:27

        He'd wear the suit?

    24. DCDavid Cross1:05:28

        Yep. Well, yeah, and he, his headshot was four different, his headshot was like four squares, and then he would do-

    25. JRJoe Rogan1:05:35

        In different characters.

    26. DCDavid Cross1:05:36

        Yep. Tina Turner.

    27. JRJoe Rogan1:05:37

        Right. [laughs]

    28. DCDavid Cross1:05:38

        And, uh, guy, the, the, like mob guy. Uh, I can't remember the rest of them, and then, you know, whatever.

    29. JRJoe Rogan1:05:44

        I think he had a turban in one of them.

    30. DCDavid Cross1:05:46

        [laughs] I'm sure he did. Uh-
12. 1:14:17 – 1:21:46

    Hollywood development chaos: analytics-driven decisions, bad execs, and why NewsRadio worked

    1. JRJoe Rogan1:14:17

       There's also not a lot of shows anymore.

    2. DCDavid Cross1:14:18

       Yeah.

    3. JRJoe Rogan1:14:19

       Which is, the, it's a real problem. If you-

    4. DCDavid Cross1:14:21

       It's a real problem. I mean-

    5. JRJoe Rogan1:14:22

       ... banked on being a showrunner in the '90s, and that's what you, you know, threw your hat into, and then all of a sudden that thing seems to have dwindled to, like, 20% of what it used to be.

    6. DCDavid Cross1:14:34

       It's, it's, yeah. It's, uh ... I used to be quite happy with the idea that I knew... You know, back in the day when you're pitching shows and stuff and trying to develop things and you go, "This, uh, let's not waste our time going to these five places. This is not a show for them. This is a show for these three places. Let's, this is the, this kind of show." Now I have no fucking clue. I, you know, uh, come up with, like, Bob and I pitched a show, sold the pitch. Uh, there was, like, even, there were, like, four, we, I think we pitched it at eight places. Four of them kind of bid. We took what we thought was the best deal. Um, and then wrote the... It was a limited series, eight episodes. Um, wrote the first four, and it, it was Bob and his brother Bill, who's big Simpsons guy, and, um, uh, and it was good. And then they said, "Nah." The, the, uh, the quote was, uh, "Marketing and analytics couldn't," that was the quote, "couldn't figure it out, what to do with the show." [laughs]

    7. JRJoe Rogan1:15:51

       Wow.

    8. DCDavid Cross1:15:51

       And so they didn't... And we, and we had four episodes that you could look at, and then we had the bible for the next four, and the outlines and everything was... And it was fucking funny. On the page, it was funny. Then we're like, "So here's the cast. We're gonna have these amazing people," uh, and Bob and I as different, uh, cult leaders. And, uh, um, I mean, and, and if... That's such a rare thing. When it starts off on the page funny, and by the time you get a great cast, and then you get on set, and you're like, "What if we do this?" And then you get into the post and, and start playing around with it. I mean, it's just, it was a really cool thing. And, uh, yeah, marketing and analytics. That's what you're dealing with now.

    9. JRJoe Rogan1:16:38

       Well, I mean, that has kind of always at least been the case. I-

    10. DCDavid Cross1:16:43

        Well, not anal- I mean, they c- they would have to say, uh... I mean, analytics is technical. I mean, marketing, I, I don't know how to help you, man. I can give you some advice. I don't, I, you know, I think that's a shitty way to market it, but you know the, you know that world. And, uh, but analytics is about the algorithm and all that shit.

    11. JRJoe Rogan1:17:07

        Is this recent?

    12. DCDavid Cross1:17:08

        Yeah. Yeah.

    13. JRJoe Rogan1:17:09

        Okay. Yeah.

    14. DCDavid Cross1:17:10

        Right after, uh, shortly after COVID.

    15. JRJoe Rogan1:17:13

        It's amazing how many incredibly unimpressive people are responsible for-

    16. DCDavid Cross1:17:18

        [laughs]

    17. JRJoe Rogan1:17:18

        ... putting out shows.

    18. DCDavid Cross1:17:19

        Yeah.

    19. JRJoe Rogan1:17:20

        The people that you communicate with, the, the executives, you're like, "This has gotta be a mistake." Like, "How did you get this job?"

    20. DCDavid Cross1:17:25

        Man.

    21. JRJoe Rogan1:17:26

        And I, I experienced that early on, like, at the first pilot that I was on. The, um, the firs- first pilot was on Hardball. The pilot was actually very funny 'cause it was written by Jeff Martin and Kevin Curran. They were from The Simpsons, and they also wrote on Married... With Children.

    22. DCDavid Cross1:17:42

        Mm-hmm.

    23. JRJoe Rogan1:17:43

        Great guys. But they were writers. They were, like, these, like, quiet, kind of soft-spoken guys and, you know, they ran the pilot, and then they brought in a showrunner from Coach. Remember that show Coach?

    24. DCDavid Cross1:17:54

        Yeah. Yeah.

    25. JRJoe Rogan1:17:55

        Yeah. And this guy just fucked the whole show-

    26. DCDavid Cross1:17:59

        Yeah

    27. JRJoe Rogan1:17:59

        ... and turned it into this, like, da-dum, dum, da-dum, dum. It was, like, this clunky, bad joke, like, really up. It was-

    28. DCDavid Cross1:18:07

        Yeah, that shit happens more than you think, you know?

    29. JRJoe Rogan1:18:08

        And the people behind the scenes, like the executives, it was astonishing how little of them had any creative ideas. It was, they were just hoping that it would work. And ego. It's like ego-

    30. DCDavid Cross1:18:23

        Yeah
13. 1:21:46 – 1:28:45

    Collecting and creative childhoods: baseball cards, comics, and teachers who crush (or spark) dreams

    1. DCDavid Cross1:21:46

       What... I get that, too. I mean, I will, on a much smaller scale, but when I, when I make a good payday, I'll buy some expensive boxes of baseball cards.

    2. JRJoe Rogan1:21:57

       Oh, you're a baseball card collector?

    3. DCDavid Cross1:21:59

       Yeah.

    4. JRJoe Rogan1:21:59

       That's the thing?

    5. DCDavid Cross1:21:59

       Yeah.

    6. JRJoe Rogan1:22:00

       Oh, interesting.

    7. DCDavid Cross1:22:01

       Yeah. Um, but have been, uh, going back. It's not like-

    8. JRJoe Rogan1:22:04

       Mm-hmm. Right

    9. DCDavid Cross1:22:04

       ... like I feel like I have legit, you know-

    10. JRJoe Rogan1:22:07

        Baseball street cred?

    11. DCDavid Cross1:22:08

        Yes. [laughs]

    12. JRJoe Rogan1:22:09

        [laughs]

    13. DCDavid Cross1:22:09

        Yes. Um, but that's the thing. And also it's, it's, I mean, the argument [laughs] can be made it's an investment. A shitty investment-

    14. JRJoe Rogan1:22:19

        Yeah

    15. DCDavid Cross1:22:19

        ... but an investment nonetheless. But it's also like gambling, 'cause it's like a scratch-off ticket, 'cause everybody's chasing the one of one cards, and you're opening-

    16. JRJoe Rogan1:22:27

        Mm

    17. DCDavid Cross1:22:27

        ... the packs and stuff.

    18. JRJoe Rogan1:22:28

        Oh, that's how you do it? You buy packs unopened?

    19. DCDavid Cross1:22:30

        I buy boxes. Yeah. So I buy a hobby box, which has a better... It's more expensive, but has a better chance of... Well, it has more, like, auto rookie cards or relic cards or some things like that.

    20. JRJoe Rogan1:22:44

        Oh.

    21. DCDavid Cross1:22:44

        Um-

    22. JRJoe Rogan1:22:45

        But those are, that is an investment though, because-

    23. DCDavid Cross1:22:47

        It is

    24. JRJoe Rogan1:22:47

        ... you could always sell them.

    25. DCDavid Cross1:22:48

        Yeah.

    26. JRJoe Rogan1:22:48

        People always want them.

    27. DCDavid Cross1:22:49

        Yes. Uh, I, I just mean since I started, you know, God, 30 years ago, 40 years ago, uh, yeah, 30. Like in the '90s, early '90s, maybe '80... No, '89. '89. So, uh, whatever money I put in is, there's nowhere near, if I sold everything, I mean, it's, talking about half the money I put in. But I have them, and I like them, and I'm not gonna sell them.

    28. JRJoe Rogan1:23:16

        No, that's fine.

    29. DCDavid Cross1:23:17

        I'm not gonna sell them.

    30. JRJoe Rogan1:23:18

        Yeah.
14. 1:28:45 – 1:46:25

    Twilight Zone, EC Comics, and the early golden age of TV storytelling

    1. JRJoe Rogan1:28:45

       So that was my dream. My dream was to be a comic book illustrator, so when I was a young kid, from the time I was, like, God, like, six or seven, when I lived in San Francisco, would collect, uh, all these different comic books. That was what I would do. I would just go to the-

    2. DCDavid Cross1:28:57

       And that, uh, that, San Francisco was the... What's the, you know, uh, the counterculture comic, uh... They were, like, the big-

    3. JRJoe Rogan1:29:07

       Mm-hmm

    4. DCDavid Cross1:29:08

       ... R. Crumb-

    5. JRJoe Rogan1:29:08

       R. Crumb. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

    6. DCDavid Cross1:29:09

       But there was, like, a publisher, right, that's famous?

    7. JRJoe Rogan1:29:12

       Yeah. God, I don't-

    8. DCDavid Cross1:29:14

       You know what I'm thinking of?

    9. JRJoe Rogan1:29:14

       Yeah. I, I do know what you're thinking of. I can't remember the name of it.

    10. DCDavid Cross1:29:17

        Oh.

    11. JRJoe Rogan1:29:17

        But I was really interested... I, I really loved, like, the old Creepy and Eerie comic books, too. Do you know those?

    12. DCDavid Cross1:29:22

        You know what my grandmom did? Ugh, this is gonna hurt your feelings. Uh, my, I had a, a, my uncle, who eventually went insane, um, was a huge EC Comics, right? Early, uh, I, I don't know w- but all the EC stuff, and then, you know, early Mad, uh, Magazine stuff. But he had this collection, and I was r- probably eight maybe, and I had expressed interest in these, you know, can I... Not thinking in terms of, uh, investment, just, can I have them? I like them, and they're... And I would sit and read them, and they were really cool, and they're creepy, you know, and they're scary. Some of them are scary. And, uh, um, and she, I don't, I think she just threw them away. Like, original.

    13. JRJoe Rogan1:30:21

        Ugh.

    14. DCDavid Cross1:30:21

        And, and I'm gonna guess, I don't know, but I'm gonna guess, like, quarter of a million dollars worth.

    15. JRJoe Rogan1:30:29

        Ugh.

    16. DCDavid Cross1:30:29

        Threw them, threw them away.

    17. JRJoe Rogan1:30:31

        Ugh.

    18. DCDavid Cross1:30:31

        They're just comics.

    19. JRJoe Rogan1:30:32

        They were so good. I loved those old black and white, like, really, like, deeply illustrated.

    20. DCDavid Cross1:30:39

        It's, it was, like, super creepy, um, like, um-

    21. JRJoe Rogan1:30:46

        Yeah

    22. DCDavid Cross1:30:46

        ... oh, there we go. Weird Science. Tales from the Crypt.

    23. JRJoe Rogan1:30:50

        Yeah.

    24. DCDavid Cross1:30:50

        Vault of Horror. Yeah.

    25. JRJoe Rogan1:30:51

        God, those were great.

    26. DCDavid Cross1:30:52

        Look at that. Look at that.

    27. JRJoe Rogan1:30:54

        Yeah, some of them were really gory.

    28. DCDavid Cross1:30:56

        Yeah.

    29. JRJoe Rogan1:30:57

        Oh, I loved those.

    30. DCDavid Cross1:30:58

        The Crypt Keeper.
15. 1:46:25 – 1:52:22

    Video game obsession: Doom, Quake, LAN parties, and Joe’s $1,000/month T1 line

    1. JRJoe Rogan1:46:25

       The news radio guys would do something totally different. They would stay up late.

    2. DCDavid Cross1:46:29

       No.

    3. JRJoe Rogan1:46:29

       That was their whole thing.

    4. DCDavid Cross1:46:30

       That's, that's not-

    5. JRJoe Rogan1:46:32

       Their whole thing was sleep deprivation. Their whole thing was they would play video games.

    6. DCDavid Cross1:46:36

       No.

    7. JRJoe Rogan1:46:36

       Like those motherfuckers got me hooked on Quake, uh, 'cause they-

    8. DCDavid Cross1:46:39

       [laughs] I remember Quake.

    9. JRJoe Rogan1:46:40

       You remember that?

    10. DCDavid Cross1:46:41

        That was the first one with the Unreal engine. [laughs]

    11. JRJoe Rogan1:46:43

        Yeah. Well, Unreal is a different, that's a different game. You're thinking of Unreal.

    12. DCDavid Cross1:46:46

        No, no, no. It was called Unreal-

    13. JRJoe Rogan1:46:49

        Tournament. Yeah, trust me.

    14. DCDavid Cross1:46:53

        Yeah.

    15. JRJoe Rogan1:46:53

        Yeah, I'm a dork. Listen-

    16. DCDavid Cross1:46:54

        [laughs]

    17. JRJoe Rogan1:46:54

        ... Un- Unreal is a totally different engine. id Software was a different company.

    18. DCDavid Cross1:46:59

        Right.

    19. JRJoe Rogan1:46:59

        id Software was created with John Carmack and John Romero. They came up with Doom-

    20. DCDavid Cross1:47:03

        Right

    21. JRJoe Rogan1:47:03

        ... and then they came up with Quake afterwards. So that was a completely different engine.

    22. DCDavid Cross1:47:07

        All right. Sorry.

    23. JRJoe Rogan1:47:08

        They were the first ones. Wolf- Castle Wolfenstein was-

    24. DCDavid Cross1:47:10

        Yeah

    25. JRJoe Rogan1:47:10

        ... the first 3D shooter, and then Doom was the big one.

    26. DCDavid Cross1:47:13

        No, you clearly know your shit.

    27. JRJoe Rogan1:47:14

        Yeah.

    28. DCDavid Cross1:47:14

        I thought it was, I, the Unreal engine was the first used for Unreal the game.

    29. JRJoe Rogan1:47:20

        Right.

    30. DCDavid Cross1:47:20

        Got it. Okay.
16. 1:52:22 – 2:08:36

    Kids online and the AI acceleration: Roblox predators, deepfakes, VR porn, and mind-reading interfaces

    1. DCDavid Cross1:52:22

       Do your kids play?

    2. JRJoe Rogan1:52:23

       No. They play little games. Like, they'll play, like, Roblox and stuff like that. One of my kids likes to play-

    3. DCDavid Cross1:52:27

       Roblox. Uh-uh. You know about the chat thing-

    4. JRJoe Rogan1:52:29

       I do now.

    5. DCDavid Cross1:52:30

       Yeah, yeah, yeah.

    6. JRJoe Rogan1:52:31

       Yeah, yeah, yeah.

    7. DCDavid Cross1:52:31

       Um-

    8. JRJoe Rogan1:52:31

       Yeah, like predators are trying-

    9. DCDavid Cross1:52:33

       Yeah, yeah

    10. JRJoe Rogan1:52:33

        ... to find kids through Roblox.

    11. DCDavid Cross1:52:34

        Yep.

    12. JRJoe Rogan1:52:34

        Yeah.

    13. DCDavid Cross1:52:35

        That's a big thing at our school, like, don't-

    14. JRJoe Rogan1:52:37

        Weird, man.

    15. DCDavid Cross1:52:37

        Yeah.

    16. JRJoe Rogan1:52:38

        It's weird how many fucking creeps there are out there in the world.

    17. DCDavid Cross1:52:41

        Uh, well, my, uh, thankfully, my daughter, who's nine... How old are your kids?

    18. JRJoe Rogan1:52:45

        15 and 17 are the youngest ones.

    19. DCDavid Cross1:52:47

        Okay. So, so they're past. They're, they're-

    20. JRJoe Rogan1:52:50

        Yeah

    21. DCDavid Cross1:52:50

        ... they're safe. They got [laughs] , they got through it.

    22. JRJoe Rogan1:52:52

        They get it.

    23. DCDavid Cross1:52:52

        They're good.

    24. JRJoe Rogan1:52:53

        Yeah.

    25. DCDavid Cross1:52:53

        Um, but, uh, so m- so we had a, uh, a... My daughter's way into Minecraft.

    26. JRJoe Rogan1:53:02

        Mm-hmm.

    27. DCDavid Cross1:53:02

        Which I have no problem with. It's great, and she plays with her friends. They play online and help each other build things and, um... But the Roblox thing became a thing at our school, and our, and everybody at our... All the parents were, like, super on top of that shit. And there's, you know, WhatsApp chains and all that stuff. And, um, and we told our daughter. There's, like, this one game she was playing that had a chat thing, and, uh, and then somebody who was a, quote-unquote, "girl" who lived in, "I live on a farm in Ohio," or whatever, uh, asking her stuff. And she's like, "My name's Marla, da, da, da," and going back and forth. And then she asked the, the quote-unquote, "girl" said, "What is your, uh, Instagram login?" Or something like that. And my daughter was eight at the time, and she, uh, she was like, "Oh, I don't think..." She didn't say, "That's none of your business," but it was something that was smart that was equivalent to, "I don't think you need to know that," or something, and then told us, and we shut down the chat thing and, you know, disabled the chat. And that shit's real, man.

    28. JRJoe Rogan1:54:21

        Yeah.

    29. DCDavid Cross1:54:22

        I mean-

    30. JRJoe Rogan1:54:23

        It's creepy.
17. 2:08:36 – 2:19:15

    Robot warfare, quantum-sensing claims, and real-world geopolitics colliding with sci‑fi

    1. JRJoe Rogan2:08:36

       And then the robots will show up. Robot dogs. Didn't something happen in, uh, Ukraine recently where, uh, a, a, a, a robot engaged with people in war, and the people surrendered?

    2. DCDavid Cross2:08:52

       When you say robot, what do you mean? Like one of those-

    3. JRJoe Rogan2:08:54

       Uh-huh

    4. DCDavid Cross2:08:54

       ... Boston-

    5. JRJoe Rogan2:08:55

       Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like the, using a robot in war.

    6. DCDavid Cross2:08:59

       Yeah.

    7. JRJoe Rogan2:08:59

       That the robot infiltrated the Russian area and got them all to surrender, and they all, like with no loss of life-

    8. DCDavid Cross2:09:08

       Wow

    9. JRJoe Rogan2:09:08

       ... they just realize, like, "Fuck."

    10. DCDavid Cross2:09:10

        It's like, did you see that Black Mirror episode?

    11. JRJoe Rogan2:09:12

        Yes.

    12. DCDavid Cross2:09:12

        Yeah.

    13. JRJoe Rogan2:09:13

        Terrifying.

    14. DCDavid Cross2:09:13

        That's terrifying.

    15. JRJoe Rogan2:09:14

        Terrifying.

    16. DCDavid Cross2:09:14

        Absolutely terrifying.

    17. JRJoe Rogan2:09:15

        And not so far in the future.

    18. DCDavid Cross2:09:18

        Yeah.

    19. JRJoe Rogan2:09:19

        That this fucking thing that they supposedly used in Afghanistan... So it is, Ukraine forces Russian to surrender using only robots. Zelenskyy claims enemy position seized a- autonomously for the first time without any of his troops being put at risk.

    20. DCDavid Cross2:09:38

        Wow.

    21. JRJoe Rogan2:09:39

        I mean, if the fucking Terminators show up, it's game over. If there's biological human beings with guns and bulletproof vests, and the Terminators show up, and they can't miss, and they never get nervous-

    22. DCDavid Cross2:09:50

        Yeah

    23. JRJoe Rogan2:09:50

        ... and they're not worried about dying.

    24. DCDavid Cross2:09:52

        And they're not gonna get sleepy.

    25. JRJoe Rogan2:09:53

        Yeah.

    26. DCDavid Cross2:09:53

        They don't have to eat.

    27. JRJoe Rogan2:09:54

        This thing that-

    28. DCDavid Cross2:09:55

        FTD

    29. JRJoe Rogan2:09:55

        ... we were talking about yesterday, uh, this Ghost Burmer, supposedly... Now, my friend Andy, who is a former Navy SEAL, who, uh, he doesn't believe it's real, and I, I'm not sure if it's real either. But what they said is they found that pilot that was missing-

    30. DCDavid Cross2:10:12

        Mm-hmm
18. 2:19:15 – 2:23:02

    David Cross special plug and stand-up process: building new hours by testing material live

    1. DCDavid Cross2:19:15

       Which reminds me, I have a special, uh, that's-

    2. JRJoe Rogan2:19:17

       That was the segue. [laughs]

    3. DCDavid Cross2:19:18

       [laughs]

    4. JRJoe Rogan2:19:20

       What's it on?

    5. DCDavid Cross2:19:21

       Uh, there it is. Um-

    6. JRJoe Rogan2:19:23

       Is it on YouTube?

    7. DCDavid Cross2:19:24

       It's on YouTube.

    8. JRJoe Rogan2:19:24

       Perfect.

    9. DCDavid Cross2:19:25

       Yeah, The End of the Beginning: The End.

    10. JRJoe Rogan2:19:26

        Where did you film it?

    11. DCDavid Cross2:19:27

        40 Watt in Athens.

    12. JRJoe Rogan2:19:29

        Oh, nice.

    13. DCDavid Cross2:19:29

        Yeah.

    14. JRJoe Rogan2:19:30

        Nice.

    15. DCDavid Cross2:19:31

        Um, yeah, it was g- I, I, I'm, I'm happy with it.

    16. JRJoe Rogan2:19:36

        Great.

    17. DCDavid Cross2:19:36

        Um, uh, yeah.

    18. JRJoe Rogan2:19:36

        Fantastic.

    19. DCDavid Cross2:19:37

        Yeah.

    20. JRJoe Rogan2:19:38

        And, uh, it's out right now, and people can go check it out?

    21. DCDavid Cross2:19:41

        It is out right now.

    22. JRJoe Rogan2:19:42

        So are you in the process of writing new stuff now, or did you-

    23. DCDavid Cross2:19:46

        Yeah. I'm, I'm, uh, just beginning the process. Uh, uh, I was saying before, I'll go out and I'll do, you know... 'Cause I don't write, um, I can't sit down and write jokes. That's just not how it works for me. So all the writing is on stage. So I tape everything. I go up with my notes, and I have a couple guests, and I'll do 15 minutes, bring up guests, do another 15, bring up guests, do another 15.

    24. JRJoe Rogan2:20:11

        Oh, that's cool.

    25. DCDavid Cross2:20:12

        Yeah. And then-

    26. JRJoe Rogan2:20:12

        So you break it up into little chunks.

    27. DCDavid Cross2:20:14

        Yeah. And I... This way... 'Cause, you know, the first couple shows were terrible. I've got no-

    28. JRJoe Rogan2:20:20

        Right

    29. DCDavid Cross2:20:20

        ... you know, it's just me apologizing for not having anything yet. But people will... I mean, I have people now, uh, who will come to the second show and the sixth show, and then they'll come see me on tour, you know. So they want to see the-

    30. JRJoe Rogan2:20:32

        They want to see the process

Episode duration: 2:23:04