#2523 - Ali Siddiq

[00:00] the joe rogan experience train by day joe rogan podcast by night all day what's happening what's happening good to see you same we were just talking sorry i had a pause jamie before the podcast so you were telling me that lebron james is [00:24] Not going to go back to the Lakers. How old is he now? [00:29] One. [00:30] 41. Yeah. What is the oldest that an elite athlete has been? Tom Brady's 44, I think. [00:37] NFL QB, that'd be pretty... [00:39] High up there? Howls was... Howls was... [00:42] was Kareem.

That's a good question. How was Kareem when he retired? Bernard Hopkins, I think, would be the next. Bernard Hopkins is number one. Yeah, Bernard Hopkins. We were talking about how he beat Kelly Pavlich at... [00:53] Forty-two. [00:54] But Bernard had a couple of years to... [00:57] incubate a little bit. Oh, yeah. You know about that. Yeah. Not take damage and steal up the mind. [01:07] He had the most intense discipline. That guy never got out of shape, which is also a giant contributor to longevity. Never was building back. He wasn't like a 42-year-old who was like, he took six months off.

I haven't been in the gym. No, no, no. Every day, it was running, nutrition. Everything was always on point. [01:28] Never buried. Kareem was like 42, I think. So he might be the oldest of the past guys. But this was before all the science, right? Yeah, the science changes things. The science. So we were just talking about the science. [01:42] So, Jamie, what are they allowed to take and not allowed to take? I don't know. [01:46] It's like the NBA used to, like, I think for, like, weed stuff, they used to say that they'd get tested, I think, October 1st, which is, like, right when preseason starts.

For weed? Yeah. And so, like, as long as you were clean on October 1st, then you're good because they wouldn't test the rest of the year. That's ridiculous. But now, like, I know in the NFL, if you have a crazy game, you're going to get tested the next day. They're just going to check you for weed. [02:10] what was going on with you yesterday. Yeah, why would you play good? [02:14] Ridiculous. I don't think the NBA does that specifically, but I don't know, honestly. So what are the rules in the NBA in terms of marijuana now?

I thought that was part of the thing that they negotiated in the contract to make sure, because a lot of players like to be high when they play. [02:29] I think they might just have just stopped testing for it as well. [02:32] I wanted to mention names. [02:34] But I'm friends with some guys, and they tell me they can't play unless they're high. [02:39] That's the same thing with pool players. I know a lot of pool players. They like to get lit before they get on the table. Yeah, pool shit.

You should be lit playing pool. Yeah, you feel things better. [02:51] Here we go. NBA can randomly drug test each player up to four times during the season and two times in the offseason with additional tests allowed anytime there is reasonable cause. But marijuana is no longer part of the standard testing panel. Yes, sir. Yeah, so they can smoke weed, which makes sense. Let them. It's not. What are you doing? [03:09] It's not hurting anybody, and they play better with it. [03:12] I think leave him alone. That's what I think.

[03:15] Unless they're doing meth. Unless they're doing, you know what I mean? They also had another big betting scandal that's kind of broken recently in the last 24 hours there. Oh, no. Where a player has been called out for throwing at least four games. [03:32] Oh, no. [03:32] And then where that's going to go from here is kind of being speculated online. I'll tell you where that goes. [03:38] If people find out, it goes to bullets. [03:41] That's the problem. The problem with someone throwing a game is somebody bet on that fucking game.

[03:45] A lot of people bet on that game. The two cases I've seen, though, are like... [03:49] the over so like they had player props and like he needed 4.5 rebounds and he has four and he's just trying extremely extremely extremely hard to get that extra rebound [03:58] Which is like, no, that's wrong. Wait a minute. That's not that bad. That means he's playing well. And the other one, which was he was fixing a spread in the last second. He sprinted down the court to get an extra basket with three seconds on the clock when they were down by ten.

[04:11] or seven technically. [04:13] to beat the eight and a half point spread. [04:15] Yeah, but so what? He's just scoring. How can you ever? It's just when you watch basketball enough, you go, like, that doesn't happen that often. Why would you do that? That's gross. Yeah, especially. You're used to people throwing the ball and just throwing it down there, not you running down. I know, but if you can do it and score, why wouldn't you do it? I don't even understand why anybody would question that. You're down by 10.

It's five seconds to go. The game is over. Fuck you. I want that ball in the net. Fuck you. Man. Woof. [04:45] So... [04:45] But why? Because that's not going to change. Oh, we lost by eight. Well, it just means you're competitive to the end. You never give up, even though you know you're losing. And no starters on the floor at this time. You down by 10, it's five seconds to go. No starters on the floor. Yeah, but it's not like he's missing on purpose. So it's one thing if the guy's missing on purpose, but if he's scoring on purpose, leave him the fuck alone.

All right, so similar thing. [05:15] like two, three nights ago, where... [05:18] They just got into the knockout round, you know, so the big tournament was every team plays three games to figure out where you end up to play the next part of the tournament. Ten teams get eliminated. Uh-huh. [05:29] third place team for the first time ever can make it through. And so there was a, I think it was Algeria and I forget the other team. Sorry, but, [05:37] if they both tied... [05:39] They both moved through. [05:40] If one team wins and one team loses, one team goes through.

[05:43] And then the, like... [05:45] With four minutes to go in the game... [05:47] They're kind of just passing the ball around. The score is tied, and one team goes ahead and scores. [05:51] And it kind of starts a fight on the field where you see the other team yelling at the other team like, [05:56] Fuck you. Like, I don't know exactly what they're saying, but, like, what? And then with, like, two minutes to go, the other team sort of just stops playing defense and kind of seems to, like, let them score.

Oh, God. It's like, I don't know if it's a big collusion or if they just sort of, like, made an agreement. [06:14] Don't they have mics on those guys? It's such a crazy. They have to have mics on somebody. They have strong mics now, and they have people that can lip read. [06:26] Leave this a tie. If that happens, you can't play anymore, right? What happens to those guys? They have to get suspended for... That'd be both teams, the coaches. It'd be everybody. I don't know. Oh, my God. I don't really know how it's going to pan out, but it was very...

What a conundrum. Yeah. [06:42] How could you do that? [06:44] I hate that. This is what I don't like about sports betting. Not that, because that's about advancing. But about sports betting is even the consideration that a person is playing a certain way because they're worried about a spread or because they've been paid off to not score or they've been paid off to foul. [07:04] You know, like there's the problem with these things is you could bet on anything. You can bet on anything. Anything. [07:11] Anything. So if you're a crooked and what has been like the most crooked aspect of the fucking human race over the past like 100 years, other than the legal system, the most crooked aspect has been sports betting.

It's always crooked. Sports and politics. Politics. They damn near. They're all the same. Yeah, they're the same. It's the same. It's money. [07:34] and decisions can be shifted, influence can be used to make something happen. But it seems like that with most things that [07:43] people you know have some type of [07:47] you know, hierarchy desire for. They- 100%. They gonna put something in. [07:53] Even with awards. This is a. Who can promote. [07:59] the best and who can if you can take all the [08:03] people [08:04] that vote to dinner.

[08:07] and, you know, smuse them at dinner. It's gonna be a... [08:13] a thing where who's going to beat you when you have all the voters. Right. Or you have a situation where you have people that work for your company that can vote. [08:23] How are you not going to vote for the project that the company put out? [08:28] we got 60 voters we at least got 60 votes [08:34] This episode is brought to you by the farmer's dog. Here's a fun fact. Research shows that dogs who maintain a healthy weight can live up to two and a half years longer on average than dogs who are overweight.

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[10:14] or need coverage for lost wages because work also had to take a backseat, LifeLock has your back. Plus, there's coverage if you need to pay fees for lawyers and experts to resolve your case. Don't face the burden of identity theft alone. Protect your future and finances with LifeLock. Visit com slash JRE and save up to 30% your first year. That's com slash JRE for 30% off. Terms apply. [10:43] I think you said it best when you said the hierarchy. [10:46] That's really what it is. It's in anything that has any kind of a hierarchy.

[10:49] Politics is the ultimate example. Politics is the ultimate example. But there's that hierarchy shit in everything in the world. [10:58] Everything. [10:59] And trips people up. But with politics... [11:02] it is a little more detrimental than with sports. You know, sports is, you know, you gambling, people trying to win things, but with... [11:10] politics is like [11:13] if you're not [11:15] Somebody that's not qualified [11:18] can... [11:19] be in a position where... [11:21] You know, they they make a decision on on the masses of people's lives. Not just that they can appoint judges.

[11:27] Which is negative point crazy judges like this. Obviously judges like they have disputes. Well, why do they have disputes? Because they're ideologically captured on both sides. There's people that are like, you know, like certain right wing judges, you throw some case out there that's a right wing case. [11:44] abortion rights, whatever it is, immigration, you know how they're going to vote. Same thing with left-wing people. Like hardcore left-wing people, you guarantee trans women in sports, trans women are women. [11:55] Let him play in sports. That was a recent Supreme Court order.

Three judges... [11:59] said that trans women should be able to play in women's sport. The rest of them said, fuck no. [12:04] The other six? [12:05] Canceled it out, luckily. And, you know, those people are not taking into account [12:10] the sport like it's a it's a difference if you uh was originally something and now you playing something else your strength is different everything and you know you don't feel that until your daughter getting knocked out the ring when she's supposed to be boxing somebody that that's the same gender then now she's her whole side her face broke from you know it's insane it's insane it's and it's not cruel to not let that happen in sports that's what title nine is

[12:40] In an equal time as men. That's a good thing. [12:45] Having men that think they're women play with women is fucking crazy. It doesn't mean you need to cast those people out of society. It doesn't mean anything. Live and let live. I agree. [12:56] But get the fuck out of the women's room. You have a dick. Get the fuck off the team. You're running track at a literal women's Olympic level, and you're 15. [13:08] Why? Because you have a dick. This is crazy. You're not really a girl. This is nuts.

You know, that's the world we live in. I'm not even going to say that's the world we live in. That's the world that's being presented to us at this point. That's right. [13:23] You know, there's a lot of things like this, man. You... [13:26] This is why in comedy... [13:29] I choose not to go the... [13:32] current, the current affair or the political route. Because I don't have time to separate the room. I'm too busy trying to do things to bring the room together. And that's, I [13:43] more of a writer's aim for me.

[13:46] Well, you – I said this before, so I'll say it live publicly. What you've done is very extraordinary because you've made a giant following online completely organically. It's very inspiring because all you do is just do your thing the best that you can and put it out there, and it just keeps growing. It's amazing. I appreciate it. It's very cool. It's very inspirational, and it's – you should be proud of it because – [14:11] What you've done, like I said, it's totally organic. You don't have a bunch of production companies pushing you and trying to make you more popular than you are.

No, it's all just – [14:22] putting it out there and getting this gigantic following just from your work, just the work. Appreciate it. And then, you know, even with that, you still have. [14:32] Um... [14:33] some type of responsibility to [14:36] not see things the same as other people. Like, I just got all this flack about... [14:43] me talking about the [14:45] how this business of people inflating things [14:48] has caused depression in comics you know that we supposed to be a happy craft but now it's this big push about if you're not on social media you're not on this you're not on that a lot of these comics are [15:02] you know, going through this mental health thing where they always sad about their numbers, you know, or this and that.

They're like, yo, man, it is a it's a thing. And some people inflate things and everybody wants to be on the same level. [15:19] Sometimes you... [15:21] You can't be... [15:23] but people look at it as a certain way where when you're proud of the steps that you've taken and [15:31] If I played in the G League, that's not the NBA. [15:35] So I wouldn't say that I was playing. I played in the league because I know what the league means. I know, you know, I know this is the G League.

But when I present myself, yo, you know, I play in the league. People automatically think the NBA, you know, it's not it's not the G League is not knocking the G League. But that's not the first thing that comes to my mind. You know, [15:57] You know, it's just a... [16:00] Playing for the Washington Generals is not the NBA. [16:04] Even though you played against the Globetrotters, they were great players. But we know how this game goes. But that's how people see things now. [16:13] Well, the number thing is real.

The numbers thing is a real problem with people because it gives you a quantifiable measure of whether or not you're doing well. [16:23] And if you already have anxiety, which a lot of comedians have, you're already like... [16:28] socially awkward, which a lot of comedians are. You don't feel accepted, which [16:31] That's how a lot of comedians feel. And then you look at those numbers. [16:34] You know, like 2,400. [16:36] I only have 2,400 followers? [16:38] I've been doing comedy for seven years. Why do I only have 2,400 followers? And then you go to someone's page that you've never even heard of, and they have 1.2 million.

You're like, what the fuck? And so this is about... [16:49] about being... [16:51] grateful in the position that you you're in i remember when they would [16:56] People were pushing me, how you need to get on the internet, you need to be on social media. Okay. [17:01] But I would see those people that had all those followers. [17:04] And that same year... [17:06] The year before that, I did a half hour special with Comedy Central. [17:10] Then, year 2018, I did a full hour special with Comic Central. [17:16] 500 followers on Instagram.

I had 300 followers, 300 subscribers on YouTube on a page that I didn't own. I had to fight to get this page. I had less people on Facebook. [17:33] but I was efficient in what I was doing. [17:36] So the numbers didn't. [17:38] they didn't pick me because i had these numbers they they picked me because [17:42] I came and I did what I did. And then they, oh, he's great. So then we started... [17:49] going, you know, a route to build it up, but we were already getting things prior to the numbers.

Right. What year is this again? This is 17 and 18. Okay. So the difference is that in 17 and 18, people were just starting to be aware of [18:06] of the power of social media, and then they were really – [18:10] concentrating on different comics that had a large social media following. [18:15] You know, I think that was like right when it first started happening. Dane Cook had blew up before that. That was it. Yeah, that was a MySpace. That was a MySpace thing. Yeah. Internet. Another Internet thing. That's true.

That was different. But the difference is, like, he had gotten so huge just from that that he was already doing, like, arenas. Yeah. [18:33] So he was already huge, and then they just went with him. But he was super popular. Now it's super popular on social media. It's one of the most important things. [18:44] so now moving up to this because I have a strong arm with this so [18:49] I have a million followers here, a million followers there, all these specials. I still didn't get invited to the BET Awards.

[18:57] I still don't get invited to a bunch of things. I still get looked over for things, even though I have numbers of success. But I don't worry about it. I'm just in my I'm not watching. [19:07] to judge myself against what somebody else is doing. It's guys who have less everything, but they're in this round where they had everything. I see guys as that everything with no [19:21] um with no specials and no proven thing they just around and i'm like okay but it's i'm not i think the point that i'm not judging myself up against [19:33] what somebody is doing socially but that's also easier when you're successful and you're successful you're very successful so the difference is like when you sell out these shows and you put out these specials like I've seen your specials have millions of views [19:47] So it's like, obviously, you have a following.

If you didn't... [19:51] and you were doing the same thing, then it would be a problem. But then also, it's like... [19:56] Comedy in a lot of ways, not always, but in a lot of ways is a meritocracy. [20:01] If you're good, [20:02] People will come. It's that simple. [20:04] Fight Night is here. Title shots, debut killers, and the rising contender nobody's talking about yet, and only DraftKings has you covered every step of the way. The DraftKings app is now available in all 50 states and includes all markets, bringing the game straight to your fingertips wherever you are.

No matter where you're watching, you're always connected and in the game with one app. [20:34] With Code Rogan, spend $5 to get $200 in rewards within 21 days. That's Code Rogan in partnership with DraftKings. The crown is yours. [21:04] bets that expire in seven days. Trade to get $50 in predictions dollars that expire in one year. Issued every seven days via click to claim for 21 days. One non-withdrawable reward redeemable. Predictions offer void in New York. Ends July 19th. Terms at co slash audio. [21:19] but I also have no desire [21:22] to [21:23] inflate.

[21:25] things and compare myself [21:28] to some mile i'll make myself seem like [21:31] I'm more than what it is. Like, guys are, hey, man, I got... I'm at this room. I got... [21:37] 50 tickets all. [21:39] Okay. [21:41] how much the room seat [21:42] On the room, C300. [21:44] Okay, cool. [21:45] You have 50 people more [21:47] than if you didn't play the role. [21:50] Who knows you in Utah? It's a building thing. I got all of this going on. But if I go to Utah... [22:01] I'm in a comedy club.

[22:04] It doesn't matter what happened the night before. I was just in the arena. But in Utah, it's like it takes me back to on trading places. He said, hey, man, this is he gave he gives all this elaborate what this watch is. And that man said, this is what this calls a St. Louis. I don't care about you. Ponding the watch. Right. And so I don't have. [22:27] that and i'm not if i it's like you you you own a club [22:31] OK, it's guys that can come to your club and sell your club out.

[22:36] And then it's guys that come in the club and you pay for the room. [22:40] Okay? Then these guys... [22:42] like when you're in the theater, you can scale a theater down. Some theaters hold 4,600 people, but you can scale it down to 2,000, but then... [22:53] The... [22:54] I'm not going to say if the room holds [22:57] $4,600. [22:59] I put 2,000 tickets on sale. I didn't sell out. [23:04] The theater. [23:06] I sold what I put on sale because I'm not to the point where I can get the $4,600 yet.

If I could sell the room out, then I would need to relish the real accomplishment versus the lesser accomplishment. Inflating. Yeah. [23:22] And that's [23:23] And because I don't have this thing where I'm in competition with what happened before me. You know, so with other people. So I'm in San Antonio. We at we at the theater. And because people can make you feel bad about anything. If you if you a person that feels bad, just think. [23:45] Um... [23:46] Minnesota [23:48] It's all these people that's on the team. [23:51] that play for the Boston Celtics that are millionaires.

They're already millionaires. They play in the league. [23:57] Boston traded. [23:59] seven people [24:01] to Minnesota [24:02] for one person. [24:05] Kevin Garnett. [24:07] They got rid of seven human beings for one person. [24:11] So it's like if I was a person that felt bad about my career, this would make me feel bad. Like they they like the first person that they ask, oh, I'm a trade this person for that. Like, no. [24:23] Well, I'm going to give you two more people. They're like, no. [24:25] I'm going to give you four more people.

[24:28] Okay. [24:29] And a lottery pick. [24:32] Okay, I'm going to feel horrible. They traded me for seven people. Y'all don't even want me. [24:37] Realistically, so Boston went, they got Kevin Garnett. [24:42] I mean, yeah, Kevin Gornett and seven other millionaires. They got all this money. They got all this. They went to. [24:51] Minutes out. [24:52] He was saying, so [24:54] if somebody wanted to make you feel bad about something, [24:57] They could if that's how you are. So I'm in San Antonio. The line is around the block. [25:05] The place is sold out.

[25:08] sell out no matter who comes as solar that lady said to my face tomorrow you should have saw it when matt rife came [25:13] I was like in my mind I was like and I asked I said was it a different theater she said no same theater [25:23] So when Matt Rife came, he sold it out. I sold out two nights. I mean, two days in the same night. But her thing was, you should have saw it when Matt Rife came. [25:34] I was like, okay. She probably wanted you to feel bad.

I was like, but I'm not. Good for you. Good for you. But the thing is, a lot of people would. That's what it is. A lot of people are in competition with other people. I think you should be inspired by other people. If you want to compete in that way, be inspired. But the moment you turn it into a negative, it's like, you're a fool. You're being a fool. Compete in charity. Also, [25:57] Inspiration is power. It's fuel. [26:00] If you see someone doing well, so you see someone set and you like it, that's fuel that makes you want to go work, makes you want to get some shit done.

It makes you – it gives you energy. Or it could cripple you if you're a dummy. If you're a dummy and you get angry and you get bitter and then you just put all this negativity on the person who's doing better than you, which a lot of people do. [26:22] That's a weird – that's a weird dynamics in this business when you know that – [26:27] It's going to be people, no matter what you're doing. [26:31] There's gonna be somebody [26:33] doing better than you. When I was in comedy clubs [26:38] I remember being there and they were paper in the room.

[26:41] Thank you. [26:42] Okay. [26:43] I wasn't saying I was selling out. They was paying her. [26:47] Out of all, it's 300 people in here. [26:50] 240 of these people came because it was freezing. They sent out their email blast. But then what I looked at was... [27:00] They wanted to come yeah, they want to come they're probably comedy fans Which is why they're on the email list in the first place and then those people you give them a great show They'll come back then the next time I came I [27:12] They didn't pay for the room.

They sold the tickets. That's how it used to be, man. That was the old days before social media. You would build a market. [27:20] So you just show up at Philadelphia once a year. Show up. [27:23] Do your homework. Make sure you've got a tight set. You've been practicing. You're ready to rock. Fuck these people up and then leave. And then they're like, can't wait until you guys are back again. And then next time you come back, you know. All right. I've built an audience now. I can't disappoint these people.

I've got to get fired up. And that's what it used to be. It used to be a totally organic thing across the whole country. [27:46] Is it a difference, in your opinion, between me bringing... [27:52] my audience [27:54] to a [27:56] venue from whatever other thing that I do versus [28:00] people coming that don't know anything about me [28:04] and me winning. [28:06] that person over [28:08] versus the person that already knows you. Yeah, it's a different thing. People are coming to see you specifically. You've already won them over. It's a different thing.

Or they want to take a chance on you. That's a different thing because I've heard about you. But when [28:19] you know [28:20] that's a completely different thing because that's your you have an audience now you have fans and [28:26] When you are just performing at a club and it's a papered room, you have an opportunity. [28:31] You have an opportunity to turn these people into fans. You have an opportunity to give these people a great night and have a good time. And also you're doing your fucking thing, which is the most important thing of all.

Everybody is results-oriented. I try to be process-oriented. With everything I do, I'm process-oriented. I think about there's a goal that you've got to reach, but how do you get to that goal? The way you get there is not thinking about the goal. The way you get there is thinking about what you're doing. What's the process? [29:01] Writing bits, performing them, tweaking them, getting them tight, knowing, reviewing tapes, going over your material, going over your writing, talking with friends. And then every day it gets a little bigger. Every day it gets a little better.

Every day that knife gets a little sharper. That's the process. That's the process that leads you to become whoever, whoever you are. And then you add other little pieces in that process. I remember I – [29:28] I was talking to Bobby Lee and me and Bobby Lee talking. I said, Bobby, you don't realize where you met me at. [29:35] and he's like [29:36] well is this a good is this going to be a good story is a bad story a lot of bad stories i said you you you met me at um [29:44] at the Houston Improv [29:46] And they call me and ask me did I want to host.

A room that I already sell out [29:52] They asked me if I wanted to host. I said cool. [29:55] So I came [29:57] And I hosted [29:58] And I was... [30:00] not trying to, but I was destroying his feature. [30:04] I'm just hosting. We should not be hosting, especially at the Houston Improv. But my thing was, this was years ago. But I say, Bobby, you didn't understand. When I was hosting at the Houston Improv, [30:19] I was doing something [30:21] that most people didn't understand what I why I was even doing it well like what and they would see like why would you be hosting?

[30:27] I said, because I'm not going to be in front of Bobby Lee's audience. [30:30] but it's people that live in houston right that his audience that i have no i have no idea who i am right i said bobby but before you [30:38] I say I was coming to the Houston Improv hosting for multiple people, and I was... [30:45] just winning over [30:47] fans that would never had seen me if they wasn't coming to see you they wouldn't be coming to my show i said so before that it was you were last bobby it was you in the week prior to that it was monster brownie

[31:01] prior to that was um was my girl um [31:06] Angela Johnson [31:09] And before that, it was... [31:12] Some [31:13] random white guy. I said, I just came and I want to do, I'm a comic. So me hosting was no big deal. I wasn't working. So I said, well, let me just come host it. That's what they want me to do. So, [31:27] I gained fans from four different audiences. [31:31] in a month. [31:32] So when I came back, they was like, yo, I saw you with Miles Gibranee. And so I came back.

I came back to see you. [31:39] when you put your show up. I'm like, cool. So my process, that was a part of my process. It didn't matter who I hosted for. And I was like, okay, cool. You know, let me go like when I hosted for Bill Burr. [31:55] Bill Burr was like... [31:57] This is crazy. We in Austin at the Paramount. And I said, the worst thing about this was that at the time I was wearing all black. [32:06] And I went to the show and when I walked on stage, the first thing I said is, hey, I do not work here.

[32:17] Don't like eight people ask me, where's the bathroom? I don't know. I don't work. But it was like, I look like an usher. [32:25] Like, yo, this sucks. But it was a cool gig. That's a smart approach. I mean, that's a great way to build. [32:33] Especially if you're already headlining. [32:35] Yeah, I think... [32:36] I think that thing about concentrating on the process, people should try to apply that to everything. [32:42] you know, um, [32:44] My friend John Dudley who taught me archery, he's a big believer in that, being process-oriented.

He gets better at archery and he used to compete all over the world, travel, compete in archery tournaments. [32:57] I think that applies to everything. I think it applies to music. I think that applies to everything. I think one of the things that trips people up about social media, a lot of these young guys in particular, young people in particular, is that they are thinking about other people and they are comparing themselves to other people and they are looking at those numbers. [33:25] on things that don't empower you and actually kind of fuck your head up.

[33:29] Not good for you at all. Instead of saying, wow, [33:32] I am chasing the fucking dream. [33:35] I am out here being a professional comedian, and I have a real chance to develop a real following. If I put my time in, I really care, and I really work hard, I could sell out of theater one day. [33:48] That's possible. Like, that's a goal. Right. [33:51] It should be a goal just like getting your PhD in chemistry or whatever the fuck it is your goal is. [33:56] The process is what's important.

[33:58] The process is like appreciating what you're doing, why you're doing it, and just – [34:03] Bearing down and doing your best. That's it. That's it. And other people, look at them as inspiration. Other people that are kicking ass, don't become a hater. That shit is so bad for you. I know so many dudes who have like hater tendencies and they never excel. Never. It's the counter thinking of an excellent person is a hater. Someone who's always trying to diminish people and downplay people and look at someone in the least charitable way.

[34:33] the worst possible way to somehow or another trying to make themselves feel better. But it doesn't work. [34:38] It does the opposite of work. It robs you. It robs you of your self-esteem. It robs you of your self-respect. You're spending so much time thinking about this other dude. Like, why? [34:56] And my dad had all these, these thoughts and he was, [35:00] I literally say he was a crazy man, but when you think about the things that he would say, it made sense. My dad, and why would you be telling me this at the age that, but he just gave them, I think I was like 11, and my dad out of nowhere just said, you know something?

[35:15] people spend the same time and money on being fake when they can put that same time and money into being real and I'm like I didn't know I didn't understand what that meant [35:28] But... [35:30] as I got older, [35:32] If you spend any money or time... [35:36] faking something [35:37] you could probably spend that money and time being real about something. Yeah. You know, why go buy a fake necklace online? [35:47] to act like you rich when you can go buy a real necklace if Zan at some point [35:54] and [35:56] You know, be actually be rich, you know, if that's what you compare it to necklaces.

But I just didn't understand it at the time. But then as I got older, I understood, like, why put this why put this time in to pretending when you can. [36:12] put that same energy and then become real at what you do. It makes no sense. My uncle Vinny, [36:18] When I was... [36:19] six or seven years old. [36:21] I was staying at his house with my cousins, and we were supposed to brush our teeth. And I didn't like following rules, period. And so I wouldn't brush my teeth. Instead, I would take toothpaste and smoosh it around on my teeth so that when they smelled my breath, they would smell toothpaste.

And my uncle explained to me, he goes... [36:41] He goes, uh... [36:43] I understand why you're doing it. He goes, but the amount of time that you're spending pretending to brush your teeth, you could have just brushed your teeth. [36:51] And I thought about that when I was six. I was like, damn... [36:54] I was just a little kid, but I was like, ah, he's right. [36:57] Why am I faking brushing my hair? I feel like I'm six years old. My uncle Vinny was like super patient, super calm. [37:08] Out of all my family members, he was the strangest.

Out of all these wild, crazy Italian people... [37:14] Like... [37:14] He was he was an artist and he was like very soft-spoken and never got angry about anything. I'd always speak really rationally. I was like, God, he's so smart. It's just so peaceful. He just but he looked the way he laid it out when he didn't say, hey, I know you're not brushing your teeth, you little fuck. It was the time you're spending pretending to brush your teeth. You could have just brushed your teeth. It was like sometimes adults will say something to you like that when you're six.

[37:42] And it just gets in your head, and you're like, whoa. [37:45] Okay. That just saved me a whole lot of time. Like, I can just brush them. Just brush your fucking teeth. Stop pretending. Stop faking. It doesn't help anything. It does the opposite. [37:59] This episode is brought to you by Dodge. I recently had the chance to get behind the wheel of the new gas-powered Dodge Charger Scat Pack, and it reminds me how much I love cars that give you an adrenaline rush the second you hit the gas. First thing that got me was the sound of the performance exhaust.

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Visible is more than just a wireless plan. It's unlimited wireless designed to always keep you connected with no contract to tie you down. [39:38] Switch today at com, plan start at $25 a month, or get our premium Visible Plus Pro plan and save $10 on your first month when you use promo code ROGAN. Terms apply. See com for plan features and network management details. That is the opposite. And, you know, people... [40:00] the truth sometimes is, is, [40:03] hurtful to people. The truth doesn't feel good. [40:07] you know. [40:08] to a lot of people, unfortunately.

[40:11] You know, you have to look at it. [40:13] You have to have perspective. But that's the ultimate hate right there. That's the ultimate hate is for me to give you a falsehood instead of tell you the truth. Right. That's the ultimate. It's the ultimate hate. Especially if you're making up a background for yourself. [40:30] You're making up a story about your life that's not true. [40:34] You're pretending you're somewhere in life that you're not. You know? Yo, man, just do the thing. [40:40] Just do the thing. [40:41] Yeah, but it's hard for people.

It's hard for people. And then there's a lot of people that think you just fake it until you make it. And then you hear stories. This guy, I had $500 in my bank account, but I told him I got this. I got that loan. And next thing you know, my business is making all this money. And you go, wow, he faked it until he made it. And it worked. And you think it's going to work. It doesn't work most of the time. So few and far between them. Then they never tell you that that guy goes to jail later for fraud.

Yes, 100%. [41:11] What's that? The feds busted my house three years later and took everything. You're like, "Yo, okay." Exactly. Like when they arrested Carlos Mencia recently for all those counts of tax fraud. I was like, "Okay." [41:23] Thank you. [41:24] I don't want that to happen to him, but... [41:26] There it is. [41:31] Right? I mean, that's what it is. I'm not laughing at Carlos. I'm just laughing at the fact that you're like, yeah, when they bust his car. [41:40] I mean, it didn't bring me any joy to see that.

I don't like anybody getting arrested for taxes. I think – [41:46] I think taxes... [41:48] Until they have an accurate account of where the fucking money goes. And until you completely eliminate all fraud and waste... [41:59] What the fuck are you doing locking people up for not paying taxes? Like, you guys should get locked up for not doing a good job with our money. So what do you think about all the new purchases and redoing the White House and all this with tax dollars? Did they do it with tax dollars?

How much money did they spend in tax dollars to do the ballroom? [42:22] Let's find out. What's that? They need a ballroom, though. That's how that guy snuck in with a gun because they tried to do that White House correspondence dinner in a hotel. That dude who got arrested a few months back. What's this resolution? [42:38] pool something full of algae right now. Yeah, I don't know about that. That's something about making the pool look nice. That but whatever that is reflecting pool. Yeah, the reflect reports indicate the new White House East Wing ballroom is projected to cost about 600 million with roughly half just over 300 million coming from taxpayer funded government accounts despite earlier promises that it would be taxpayer free.

[43:02] Thank you. [43:03] 300 million sounds like a lot until you find out how much money... [43:06] They spend on other things. [43:08] When you find out just how much fraud... [43:11] is in NGOs? How much fraud is in nonprofits? How much fraud is in [43:18] insider trading and propping up companies so that they can get better deals. [43:23] The whole thing is fraud. The thing is... [43:27] If you're spending... [43:29] I understand how much money goes and other things, but if you're spending any money, [43:34] that... [43:35] that that's my money that I don't know that that [43:38] I need it or that's not really the aim, the goal.

You should be able to vote on it. You should be able to vote on it. You should be able to vote on where all your tax money goes. How much tax money is being spilled on getting smart people in places, making smart children? [43:53] That's the big one. That's the thing. The big one is... [43:57] If you look at our country as a community, and that's what we're supposed to be doing. We're supposed to be the United States of America. All that bullshit aside, that was the one good thing that happened about 9-11.

When 9-11 happened, after that, we were all united. It was crazy. [44:11] It was crazy. We realized we are actually on a team. So if we're on a team, [44:16] Why do we have [44:17] these deeply impoverished neighborhoods for decades and decades that are riddled with crime and drug abuse. Why? Is it impossible to fix? That's crazy. That's not true. [44:27] It's just no one's tried to fix it. [44:29] No one's done any effort to fix it. And if you did fix it, you want to make America great. [44:34] Here's the best way.

[44:36] Less losers. [44:37] And how do you get less losers? More opportunities for people, more opportunities, more support, more education, more everything that you need if that was your neighborhood. And if we did that, we'd have to switch the way our system runs. But that could be done, man. That's the thing. You don't have to have losers, not that many. That's the thing about Make America Great, right? Yeah. [45:00] If you trying to make anything great, don't you need intelligent people to do that? [45:06] Of course. That's the number one thing.

So when we have all these divisive people that's [45:12] on a lower vibration, uh, [45:15] How is that making the country great? [45:20] if we're putting [45:22] people in position to [45:24] that don't have the experience or the education in those, in those things. And then we just saying a bunch of divisive things, you know, you know, it, it, [45:35] It was... [45:36] If I'm watching... [45:38] the extravaganza that happened in the White House. What was the thing Michelle Obama is a man? Like, how did that help [45:45] How did that help?

That guy says that every time he but what is the what is the thing? First of all? [45:53] It's... [45:53] It's really divisive because you know that a large portion of the country is going to take this. [45:59] that's gonna have a problem with this [46:00] You know, clearly she's not a man, you know what I'm saying? But it makes no sense. [46:05] to [46:07] I've never seen this many people say so many damaging things about. [46:12] a past president. It's like he's still on the forefront and it's not like [46:17] we have a president that's doing the greatest job for this country, you know, which is which is weird or weird thing to me.

And people are going to ask, is that what's the belief? [46:27] That's the real belief of people. [46:29] That's the real thing. Well, listen, there's some crazy people that believe the world is flat. [46:33] There's a lot of dumb beliefs. There's probably people that do believe Michelle Obama's a man. What that guy does, he's like a pro wrestler. [46:41] Like, he's got a character called the Incredible Hulk. It's very... [46:45] corny in a lot of ways. Sometimes it's cringy, but the point is he gets a lot of attention. [46:52] A lot of attention because of all this.

That's what he's doing. So what he's trying to do is maximize the amount of attention that he can get for a very short window of career. This is not how he really feels, how he really thinks. When you talk to him in real life, he's very reasonable. This is an act that he does, like a pro wrestling act. [47:09] But what he can do is fight. He's really good. [47:13] And that's what's so confusing about it all. So you got this guy who's created like this fake persona where he puts on an American flag bandana, comes out the Hulk Hogan music, does all his interviews with sunglasses on, has a bunch of crazy, silly rhymes and says ridiculous shit.

Just trying to get attention. The most amount of attention. It is very divisive. Don't get me wrong. But that's by design. So he's Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage in the same person. But an actual fighter. But an actual fighter. A really fucking good one, man. [47:43] Derek Lewis has the most knockouts in the history of the sport Don't do that, Joe Don't do what? Don't say that so excited Because Derek Lewis goes to the same gym Main Street Boxing Gym in Houston I'm very close to that Dude, I love Derek Lewis I don't like the fact that Derek Lewis lost that fight I think Derek of 10 years ago Would have been a real fucking problem for that dude Because Derek of 10 years ago You couldn't hold him down He would just get up

[48:13] To hold Derek Lewis down we just gets a hand on you and just whoop you've his grip they did that UFC grip thing where they test the grip Everybody's like 140 the strong ones are like 160 one night Derek just squeezed it casual to 18 so they were like what the fuck so you see how problematic this was for me you already beat a [48:35] I know my friend. Then you turn around and say he beat a 40 year old Derrick. Yeah, a 40 year old Derrick Lewis didn't turn around and say Michelle Obama's a man.

I was like, OK, you know, I know what you're saying. I'm pissed. You're right. But I'm telling you, if you met that dude in real life, you would get it. [48:52] He's just a dude. He's just a guy who is a competitive wrestler, played in the NFL, and he's like, I got to do something. [49:00] to figure out how to get people to pay attention to me because they can't just be fighting. It's not enough. If you look at Conor McGregor, you look at Sugar Sean O'Malley, you look at these guys that have these flamboyant personalities, these big personalities.

[49:13] Cassius Clay is the original example. They get an immense amount of attention, and that translates into much more money and much more opportunities. There's no fucking way that guy would have gotten that fight at the White House if he couldn't fight. Because the fight that he had before that, he fought Curtis Blades, who was a top 10 UFC heavyweight, huge wrestler, and they went to war, dude. I mean, he put it on him for three fucking rounds. Like, Curtis just has an insane heart and survived it. [49:43] But just that alone is not enough.

You've got to get attention. I don't agree with it. I wouldn't do it. It's not my thing. I don't like it. [49:51] Right. But I get it. And it's smart with Muhammad Ali, though. [49:55] he was very respectful in his, in his, [49:58] in his act. [49:59] to get attention. No, he wasn't. I mean, he wasn't with other people, but he would show up at fucking Sonny Liston's house and scream about him on his fucking front lawn at four in the morning. He did wild, crazy shit. He did a lot of...

He was just all about getting your heart rate up, getting your emotions in there. He was so fucking smart. He knew before everybody that you could just get somebody into a frenzy [50:29] around fighting you and I can't let this guy beat me in the fear of losing he's gonna keep you weak it's gonna keep you you're not gonna be able to eat as much food you're gonna feel nervous but you see what happened when somebody called him Cassius Clay [50:42] Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Who was that? What fighter was that?

He kept punishing him. But that didn't work out for him. He beat the piss out of him. He carried him. He carried him while he was beating his ass. [50:58] Dude, he was a special, special guy. I'm not comparing him in terms of his cultural significance to Josh Hokett because my parents, my mother and my stepfather were hippies. They never watched fighting. [51:12] But when he had a rematch with Leon Spinks, that's how much of a cultural figure he was. [51:17] They wanted him to beat Leon Spanx. Oh, my God.

He's got to win. He's got to win. Hippies sitting in front of the fucking TV in like 1970, whatever it was. How crazy is they have Italian hippies?