Joe Rogan Experience #1304 - Brendan Schaub
Joe Rogan (host), Brendan Schaub (guest), Guest (guest), Narrator, Narrator
In this episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, featuring Joe Rogan and Brendan Schaub, Joe Rogan Experience #1304 - Brendan Schaub explores comedy, combat sports, and modern culture: Rogan and Schaub unwind unfiltered This episode is an unstructured, free-flowing hang between Joe Rogan and Brendan Schaub that bounces between stand-up comedy, combat sports, cars, and modern cultural absurdities. They open with Schaub’s Showtime special and the stress of releasing work publicly, then drift into comedy beefs, unique comedians like Theo Von, and dark true-crime obsessions. A large middle section revolves around combat sports—UFC and boxing matchmaking, fighter careers, safety, and the psychological realities of being a professional fighter. Along the way, they veer into climate change, social media toxicity, language taboos, parenting in the digital era, and the emptiness of materialism versus the satisfaction of doing good work.
Comedy, combat sports, and modern culture: Rogan and Schaub unwind unfiltered
This episode is an unstructured, free-flowing hang between Joe Rogan and Brendan Schaub that bounces between stand-up comedy, combat sports, cars, and modern cultural absurdities. They open with Schaub’s Showtime special and the stress of releasing work publicly, then drift into comedy beefs, unique comedians like Theo Von, and dark true-crime obsessions. A large middle section revolves around combat sports—UFC and boxing matchmaking, fighter careers, safety, and the psychological realities of being a professional fighter. Along the way, they veer into climate change, social media toxicity, language taboos, parenting in the digital era, and the emptiness of materialism versus the satisfaction of doing good work.
Key Takeaways
Releasing creative work publicly is inherently stressful, but essential for growth.
Schaub describes hating watching his own special and stressing over comments, while Rogan notes that putting work out, seeing its flaws, and incorporating fair criticism is how you actually get better as a comic.
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Some comics are so uniquely themselves that you can’t explain them—you have to see them.
Rogan talks about Theo Von (and Brody Stevens, Sebastian Maniscalco) as having a style that can’t be described by structure or premise; their comedic value is tied to an un-teachable personal weirdness and rhythm.
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Fighter careers are fragile and often mismanaged, especially in matchmaking.
They use Sage Northcutt vs. ...
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Deontay Wilder may be the scariest modern heavyweight puncher, but big fights must happen now.
Rogan and Schaub gush over Wilder’s freakish power and character, but argue that boxing fans only truly care about Wilder vs. ...
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Owning expensive, exclusive stuff rarely delivers the fulfillment people expect.
From Ferraris to watches to custom Broncos, they repeatedly admit that big purchases quickly feel empty compared to the lasting satisfaction of doing good work, improving at comedy, and having control over their careers.
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True crime and serial killer content can subtly darken your mood and worldview.
Schaub talks about binging murder books and podcasts (e. ...
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Social media amplifies cruelty and status anxiety, hitting teens especially hard.
They connect Kevin Durant’s sensitivity to online comments with teen suicide spikes, noting that likes/followers and group pile-ons follow kids home from school, and discuss platforms experimenting with hiding likes to reduce pressure.
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Notable Quotes
““I fucking hate everything I do… You put it out, you watch it, you hate it, you get better.””
— Joe Rogan
““With Theo it’s like he’s the LeBron James of comedy; I’m just that shitty coach on the side trying not to fuck it up.””
— Brendan Schaub
““That’s the problem with nice things. They become little velvet prisons.””
— Joe Rogan
““If they’re wrong, I don’t care. If they’re right, I care—because I haven’t done a good job.””
— Joe Rogan, on online criticism
““The UFC owes it to boxing’s legacy to have these fucks fight each other.””
— Joe Rogan, on Wilder–Joshua–Fury needing to happen
Questions Answered in This Episode
How does Rogan’s and Schaub’s attitude toward criticism compare to how most creators handle feedback, and what can up‑and‑coming artists borrow from it?
This episode is an unstructured, free-flowing hang between Joe Rogan and Brendan Schaub that bounces between stand-up comedy, combat sports, cars, and modern cultural absurdities. ...
Get the full analysis with uListen AI
Are promoters and commissions ethically obligated to stop aging legends like BJ Penn or Anderson Silva from fighting, even if the fighters want to continue?
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What does the Wilder–Joshua–Fury triangle reveal about the structural differences between boxing and the UFC in making the best fight the best?
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Does the explosion of true‑crime content actually change public perceptions of safety and trust, or mostly serve as morbid entertainment?
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If social platforms hid likes and follower counts globally, would it meaningfully reduce anxiety and bullying among teens—or would new status signals just replace them?
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Transcript Preview
Australia, two-
Salute, my brother.
Salute, brother.
Oh, yeah.
What does it feel like having a Showtime special?
(laughs)
(laughs)
I don't know. I feel the same. A little more stressed out.
A little stressed out?
Yeah.
Yeah, stay away from them comments, son. There's a whole deal with all that stuff, man. You put it out, you watch it, you hate it-
Yep.
... you get better.
Yeah.
It forces ya.
Yep.
Forces you to work. I fucking hate everything I do, so there's no- there's no (laughs) getting around it. You're gonna hate it.
You hate hearing yourself, right?
Ugh. Y- the editing is painful.
Oh, man.
Ooh.
The worst.
But you'll get better.
Yeah.
You just take the- some of the criticism to heart, understand what people are saying.
For sure.
And just, uh, fucking keep on keeping on, my brother.
Yeah, I'm- I'm happy about it. I just- I- I- I don't- I think I'm stressed out this week 'cause last week I was doing publicity for, like, New York-
Mm-hmm.
... like, hustling, doing all that.
Yeah.
And I-
I saw you did Breakfast Club, you did-
Charlemagne. You and Charlamagne need to get together.
Okay.
You guys would be great, man.
I was listening to his, um, his audiobook. It's very interesting. He's had- he's had some real bouts with anxiety.
Yeah.
Weird, weird anxiety.
Yeah, weird anxiety, right? Shook Ones-
You know what I think?
... I think is his book.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it comes from talking shit. I think when you talk a lot of shit, you worry about shit coming back at you, and you're like, "Jesus, what did I say?" At least, that's how it is for me.
W- it depends. If- if it's, like, legit-
(laughs)
... like when me and Dana were going at it-
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
... I was stressed.
Yeah. I bet he was too.
'Cause it- I just don't want that n- 'cause it-
Yeah.
... because it brings out, like, the-
Of course.
... the evilness in people.
Mm-hmm.
You know, everyone's like-
Oh, yeah, yeah.
... "Oh, I hope he tears him up. Oh, I hope he responds."
Where people jump in.
Yeah, and then you're like, "Ugh, I don't- I don't really want this."
Did you see Gaffigan and Neil- and Neal Brennan?
No.
Dude.
No way.
Gaff- Gaffigan lit Neal Brennan on fire-
For what?
... and shit on his embers.
F- no.
Yes, he did.
For what?
Neal started it.
Why?
Neal started it. I'm gonna- I'm gonna send it to Jamie. I'm gonna send it to Jamie in the-
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