July 17, 2025 • 17 mins
This recap episode captures a wide-ranging conversation between Joe Rogan and James McCann. Covering diverse topics from stand-up comedy and its challenges, including McCann's early struggles in Australia and his journey to performing in America, to broader societal and political issues. The discussion also touches upon conspiracy theories surrounding historical events like the JFK assassination, controversial medical beliefs such as the HIV/AIDS debate, and cultural differences between Australia and the USA, particularly regarding freedom and regulation. Furthermore, they explore human nature and societal practices, examining things like body modification traditions, the concept of "monsters" in the wild, and the allure of wealth and fame in modern culture.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Joe Rogan recap. Today we're taking an in depth
look into JRE Tag 2351 with James McCann.
Our mission, as always, is to extract the most important
knowledge and give you a conciseoverview.
This one's a really wide-rangingconversation, you know, spanning
comedy, some surprising history,and pretty compelling social
(00:21):
theories. Think of this as your shortcut
to being well informed with somereally interesting facts and
just enough humor, hopefully, tokeep you hooked.
So if you're a regular listener to the Joe Rogan Experience, you
know, it's a unique environment.Joe himself seems incredibly
comfortable there, but even he talks about moments where he
feels a bit out of his depth or spinning out, as he put it.
(00:41):
What did the conversation revealabout those times?
Yeah, it was. Interesting to hear how, you
know, relatable. Those spin out moments are even
for Joe Rogan. He admitted being awestruck by
certain guests, like having Trump on or Elon Musk or
Hollywood legends like Mel Gibson, and they brought up that
classic Mike Tyson anecdote. You know the the.
Comment. Right.
And the point wasn't just how shocking the comment was, but
(01:04):
more how it shows even someone like Rogan can just be kind of
floored by the raw, unfiltered stuff people say.
It really highlights that vulnerability, that authenticity
that makes the show what it is. That unpredictability, it seems
like a theme. Did they also dive into how that
plays out in the stand up comedyworld itself?
Because it sounds like it's definitely not just jokes and
(01:25):
laughs all the time. Oh, far from it.
Yeah, this discussion really pulled back the curtain on the
the Unseen battles. You could say a big part was Joe
Rogan talking about his own self-imposed ban from the Comedy
Store. Seven years, right?
Seven years, yeah. That was huge, and it all
stemmed from the Carlos Mencia plagiarism thing.
Rogan mentioned that the managerwho actually banned him got
(01:46):
fired anyway, and Mitzi Shore, you know the.
Owner Mitzi. Yeah, legend.
She still gave him a spot that same night, kind of secretly,
but he did lose his agent over taking that stand.
And the guest, James McCann, He shared a similar story from
Australia. Getting banned or finding it
hard to get work because he was seen as unpleasant.
Unpleasant how? Apparently for telling other
comedians they they sucked and criticizing the Melbourne Comedy
(02:10):
Festival leadership, it just shows.
It's kind of a universal thing in comedy circuits.
Yeah, Brian Simpson, other comics, they have similar
stories. That happens a lot.
So, OK, beyond these personal conflicts, what about the comedy
itself, the different styles, the philosophies?
Yeah, they really contrasted thedifferent scenes, like the
Australian scene was described as having a lot of what he
(02:32):
called I got raped shows or I wanted to commit suicide shows.
Wow, OK. Yeah, more like, you know,
theatrical spoken word pieces, sad stories basically that end
with maybe 1 gag. And there's this intense
pressure there to produce a brand new hour every single year
because there aren't that many venues.
He mentioned specific examples like Corey White doing shows
(02:52):
about being molested, Dave Cork about having an affair, lots of
dad's got cancer type themes. Right.
And how does that compare to theUS approach they discussed?
Well, it contrasted it with whatthey called the funny heavy
American style. Colin Quinn was the example with
his theme shows like RedState, Blue State or his history ones
really blending interesting topics with, you know, just
solid comedy throughout. Funny first.
(03:14):
Almost. That brings up the craft, then
the actual grind of it. What did they say about the
dedication required? Well, Jimmy Carr came up how he
has that mix of brilliant like off the cuff stuff, but also
believes you can teach the work ethic part of comedy, even if
the talent itself is an 8. And the guest, McCann, He shared
some really personal turning points.
His wife getting pregnant and then tearing his ACL.
(03:36):
The ACL injury, right, that stopped him fighting.
Exactly, it took away his other option and he said it forced
this huge mental shift from like, I don't give a fuck what
you think to realizing oh wait, I have to get you to like me
moving from just being funny with friends to connecting with
strangers, making them laugh. And they talked about
consistency to how hard that is.Like there was an anecdote about
(03:59):
a female Sam Kinison who apparently destroyed one night
but never sustained it. Right.
Like a one hit wonder. Almost.
Kind of. And Amos Gill doing this
incredibly powerful set about heartbreak, but he's just you
can't manufacture that emotion every single night.
So given all that, the grind, the vulnerability, what about
the very top, the legends? Yeah.
(04:20):
The dedication there is just staggering.
They talked about Dave Chappelleperforming almost every single
night building this Prince vaultof material.
He doesn't release the. Prince Vault.
I like that, yeah. And his whole system of creating
comedy from just riffing on stage, letting moments turn into
bits, it's incredible. Then there's Richard and I,
(04:40):
performing four different hours in one weekend. 4 hours
different material. Apparently, yeah.
And Ken Dodd, the comedian from Liverpool, doing those marathon
7 hour sets, sometimes recyclingold stuff just to keep going.
It really drives home that success at that level isn't just
talent, it's this insane work ethic that.
Discipline is truly something else.
OK, so from the world of comedy,where did the conversation shift
(05:02):
next? Sounds like it went into broader
societal stuff. It really did, and into some
pretty controversial territory. They discussed Peter Duesberg,
the UC Berkeley biology professor famous for Cancer
Research but also for his highlycontroversial theory, which, you
know, the vast majority of scientists reject, that HIV
doesn't cause AIDS. Right, that's a very fringe
view. What was his argument as
(05:24):
presented in the discussion? His assertion as they talked
about it was that AIDS was linked more to like hardcore
partying and drug use in the gaycommunity back then, and that
HIV itself is a weak virus oftenjust found in people whose
immune systems were already compromised.
This whole narrative got linked to RFK Junior's book, Doctor
Fauci's role back then, and the use of AZT.
(05:46):
AZT, the chemotherapy. Drug, Yeah, prescribed
permanently. And the view expressed was that
some believe AZT itself was killing people faster than the
disease. It brought up this cynical idea
of a profitability standpoint, sometimes driving disease
management. And Speaking of profit, Olympic
got a quick mention. Is the number one most
profitable drug in the country right now.
So definitely touching on some strong opinions around health
(06:08):
and big pharma. Did they bring it down to
personal experience too? They did?
Yeah, with the raw milk thing, the guest told this really vivid
story about drinking a whole gallon of raw milk.
A gallon, Yeah. And then experiencing, let's
just say, very unpleasant gastrointestinal effects, green
bile, vomiting, diarrhea. He thinks it actually made him
(06:30):
lactose intolerant, which led tothe whole debate, you know, the
supposed benefits versus the risks, the lack of regulation.
He bought his from a muddy van. Apparently bacteria concern.
Right. That definitely raises that big
question about individual freedom versus safety and where
regulation fits in. Exactly, and they got right into
that contrasting Australia's system, which was described as
(06:50):
pretty heavily regulated, high housing costs, strict driving
fines, even needing a degree forhairdressing A.
Degree for hairdressing. That was the example given,
yeah, contrasting that with America's more freedom side
approach. And look, there was
acknowledgement that some regulations crucial, right, fire
safety in houses, avoiding dangerous building material,
(07:11):
stuff like that. But the argument was also made
that sometimes regulations can stifle things or maybe just help
big businesses like USDA standards, making it tough for
small farms. It's that double edged sword
idea. And once regulations are in
place or rights are taken away, it's hard to get them back.
Did that come up? Definitely.
Marijuana prohibition was the prime example.
(07:32):
How long that took to even startrolling back with the influence
of the alcohol lobby being mentioned as a historical
factor. They talked about America's
primary system as maybe one way people can try to force change,
but also pointed out its flaws like RFK Junior being kept out
of the presidential primaries. And historically, they mentioned
Biden citing the American Revolution violence having a
place, while also condemning theJanuary 6th violence and
(07:54):
Benjamin Franklin supposedly advocating for like periodic
armed uprisings. Interesting historical
parallels. Did it go beyond the US global
power dynamics? Yeah, Branched out, talked about
Fidel Castro, how he initially hit his communist ideology and
later justifying banning a film called PM by saying the
revolution is in control. Shows how power tightens its
(08:15):
grip, restricts freedom. There's also some speculation
mentioned about potential CIA involvement in Castro's rise and
then the removal of Australia's Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.
Whitlam, right? Potentially linked to his stance
on the Pine Gap military base and US energy subsidies
suggesting these big unseen global power plays which led to
(08:35):
this point about calculated state actions.
Describing Israeli assassinationtactics as gangster as fuck.
Such as? Like the example given was using
a fake phone call to lure Iranian military leaders into
one bunker, then blowing it up or using tracking pagers.
And this perceived like competence in that area was
contrasted with perceived U.S. government inefficiency and
other things. Fixing potholes in the Midwest,
(08:57):
high speed rail poverty. It's a jarring contrast.
OK, so from government and powerplays, did the conversation
shift again, maybe to some unusual cultural things or
nature? It did, and some pretty
unsettling stuff, like the history of Argentina's black
population. Apparently there were over a
third of the population around 1800, but by the 1870s they had
(09:20):
largely disappeared. Disappeared.
Factors mentioned included war, a yellow fever outbreak, but
also what some historians apparently call a covert
genocide orchestrated by a president named Sarmiento and
later Argentine presidents denied it.
It's a stark contrast to Brazil's history with slavery.
Shows how whole histories could be, sort of.
(09:40):
That's incredibly disturbing. Were there other unsettling
traditions discussed? Yeah, Aleku Bride kidnapping in
Kyrgyzstan. Bride kid wrapping is that.
A merely yes, though it was noted that maybe 80% of cases
are now consensual role-playing,but that leaves 20% that are
full on non consensual abductions.
And interestingly this was somehow linked to Kyrgyzstan
being really good at women's freestyle wrestling.
(10:03):
Strange connection than other body modifications.
Chinese foot binding. The last factory for those tiny
shoes closed in 1999. Wow, that recent?
Yeah. And Cameroonian chest binding
done by Christian progressives, apparently to flatten girls
breasts to delay early marriage.Plus, you know, lip plates,
those extreme neck extensions. It makes you think about how
(10:23):
culture shapes our bodies in really extreme ways sometimes.
Definitely. And what about the animal
Kingdom? Any wild facts there?
Oh yeah, the ferocity of Wolverines, how they can scare
off bears despite their size. Australia came up a lot, of
course, kangaroo calling from helicopters.
The whole dingo ate my baby. Folklore stemming from that
tragic case and the saltwater crocodiles.
(10:45):
Politician Bob Katter's quote was mentioned.
People getting torn to pieces every three months.
Cheerful, right? And they have that cage of death
tourist attraction. Also a critique of the wolf
reintroduction in Colorado. Wolves brought from Oregon.
We're used to eating cattle, so they just kept eating cattle in
Colorado instead of elk or deer,causing problems for ranchers.
Not quite the ecological balancethey hoped for them.
(11:06):
Seemed like it. Then there was a Tasmanian devil
facial tumor disease. That communicable cancer spread
by biting. Horrific stuff and it emerged
pretty suddenly in the 90s. And female hyenas having a
pseudo penis. And the really high cup
mortality rate, like 60% becauseof suffocation during birth.
Nature's brutal. Sometimes it.
Really is Oh, and the Mexican boxing gene, ACTM 3A possible
(11:30):
genetic link to Mexico's boxing success, raising that chicken or
egg question with poverty also being a factor.
So many fascinating, sometimes strange observations tying some
of this together. What themes emerged around
identity, culture, reproduction in the modern world?
Well, it connected to things like the history of lady boys in
Thailand. Homosexuality was illegal,
(11:50):
creating certain societal pressures.
Now same sex marriage and adoption are legal.
They're big shifts. It led to ethical questions
about modern surrogacy, distinguishing it from
traditional practices. The whole renting A womb
concept. Elon Musk having many kids came
up this idea of Genghis Khan with science, which prompted
speculation about artificial wombs down the line.
Genghis Khan with science, that's a phrase.
(12:12):
Isn't it? And they briefly touched on
biological oddities like virgin birth and dolphins and animals
that can switch gender. It all points to how fluid
things are becoming biologicallyand societally.
And culturally, too. Do they talk about shifts over
time? Absolutely, the huge cultural
changes in America say from the 1950s onward.
Looking at music evolution from guys in suits to the 60s
(12:35):
psychedelia, the 80s cocaine eraand how corporations got savvy
at Co opting counterculture. Which ties into the demands on
stars aging rock stars still performing Iggy Pop, Brian
Johnson from ACDC, Anthony Kiedis, the physical toll.
Right, compared to someone like Neil Diamond, maybe more
stationary. Exactly, Mick Jagger's longevity
(12:56):
was mentioned, his relationshipswith much younger women, Al
Pacino having a baby recently athis age.
It's this relentless pressure tostay relevant, stay performing.
And the money side of that, the extravagance.
Yeah, this price of fame EvanderHolyfield's enormous one and a
nine room mansion now owned by Rick Ross, who apparently also
owns Buffaloes. Rick Ross has buffaloes, OK.
Seems so Mike Tyson's abandoned mansion in Ohio, Michael
(13:18):
Jordan's house struggling to sell for years, and that viral
hoax about the Burj Khalifa's plumbing.
The story that sewage gets trucked away was debunked as
Internet folklore. Then the gambling thing came
back up. Australia having the highest per
capita gambling losses globally.That's.
A grim statistic. It is linked maybe to the tight
(13:39):
regulations elsewhere and the rise of sports betting ABS
everywhere. The Drake curse in UFC betting.
Got to mention how he bets huge amounts publicly, often loses
those specific bets, but is apparently still profitable
overall. Interesting and the ethics of
fixed fights. Examples mentioned from Japan's
old Pride organization and even raising questions around the
(14:00):
recent Logan Paul versus Mike Tyson fight.
It feels like underlying a lot of this, the fame, the money,
the politics, is this question of what's real?
What systems are at play, Who totrust?
Did they get into that? Oh definitely.
Right into the conspiracy rabbithole, focusing heavily on the
JFK assassination, breaking downthe perceived absurdity of the
magic bullet theory based on Ballistics discrepancies in
(14:22):
autopsy reports. Lee Harvey Oswald saying he was
a Patsy the. Classic elements.
Right, and the suspicious deathsof journalists who are digging
into it. Jim Curry's supposed gay karate
top death. Dorothy Kilgallen, who claims
she had a major scoop, then diedsuspiciously.
Possibly linked to an M culture figure.
Tom O'Neill's book Chaos about the Manson Family and potential
(14:42):
M culture links was also broughtup.
The overall suggestion wasn't necessarily what happened, but
that these historical conspiracies hint that the
underlying systems are all stillthere, just maybe evolved.
Which leads to trusting institutions today.
Exactly, the cognitive load, themental effort it takes not to
trust official stories. That desire we have to believe
(15:03):
the government, the medical establishment generally has our
best interests at heart. Even when there's conflicting
info, like the whole myocarditisdebate during COVID, it's hard
to question the consensus. And yet the conversation also
circled back to the US as this unique experiment in self
government, acknowledging its huge impact, cultural, artistic,
scientific, despite the flaws, the assassinations, the meddling
(15:27):
in other countries. It's a real tension there.
How did they discuss navigating that, especially with political
polarization today? They talked about how rights get
framed, abortion rights, gun rights, how loaded those terms
become in public discourse, the massive role of Supreme Court
decisions like on gay marriage and shifting norms, and the
historical shifts in the partiesthemselves.
Democrats once linked to slavery, now debating free
(15:49):
speech issues differently. The whole state control argument
came up again, drawing parallelsto Castro or Marxism.
It ended on this idea of seekingunity, referencing Ronald Reagan
wishing for an alien invasion tobring humanity together.
A classic Reagan line, yeah. Contrasting that desire for
unity with a division we see now, and maybe suggesting
there's potential for finding a comfortable middle on some of
(16:11):
these really divisive social andpolitical issues.
OK, so bringing it all back, towards the end, the
conversation seemed to focus on something more personal and
positive, the Mothership Comedy Club.
It really did. The guest, McCann, share this
really heartfelt gratitude for the mothership in Austin.
He described how it basically revolutionized his life,
(16:33):
provided a real community, a genuine pathway for talented
open mic comics to develop, which isn't always there.
He felt it helps reduce that incredibly high dropout rate you
see in comedy. And he gave a shout out to Shane
Gillis for helping bring him to Austin.
That sense of community sounds crucial.
Absolutely. Oh, and kind of randomly, the
idea of UFC fights on the White House lawn in 2026 got mentioned
(16:56):
with some excitement. OK, that's a visual right?
But the core point was about that supportive environment
being transformative, especiallyin a tough business like comedy.
So we've really covered a massive range today from the
nitty gritty of stand up personal struggles all the way
to huge societal theories, bizarre history, animal facts.
It's definitely a packed conversation, which maybe leads
(17:18):
us to the final thought for you,the listener in this world just
flooded with information, with narratives constantly clashing,
where even figuring out the truth feels, I don't know,
slippery? How do you decide what actually
matters? What values do you choose to
live by when faced with all this?
What does being genuinely well informed even mean anymore in an
(17:41):
age where everything feels like it's shifting and maybe there
are influences you don't even see?
That's definitely something to chew on.
Thank you for joining us on thisexploration, this deep dive.
We really hope you'll reflect onsome of these insights and keep
questioning, keep discovering onyour own.
Join us next time for another deep dive into a new stack of
sources.
Welcome to the Joe Rogan recap. Today we're taking an in depth
look into JRE Tag 2351 with James McCann.
Our mission, as always, is to extract the most important
knowledge and give you a conciseoverview.
This one's a really wide-rangingconversation, you know, spanning
comedy, some surprising history,and pretty compelling social
(00:21):
theories. Think of this as your shortcut
to being well informed with somereally interesting facts and
just enough humor, hopefully, tokeep you hooked.
So if you're a regular listener to the Joe Rogan Experience, you
know, it's a unique environment.Joe himself seems incredibly
comfortable there, but even he talks about moments where he
feels a bit out of his depth or spinning out, as he put it.
(00:41):
What did the conversation revealabout those times?
Yeah, it was. Interesting to hear how, you
know, relatable. Those spin out moments are even
for Joe Rogan. He admitted being awestruck by
certain guests, like having Trump on or Elon Musk or
Hollywood legends like Mel Gibson, and they brought up that
classic Mike Tyson anecdote. You know the the.
Comment. Right.
And the point wasn't just how shocking the comment was, but
(01:04):
more how it shows even someone like Rogan can just be kind of
floored by the raw, unfiltered stuff people say.
It really highlights that vulnerability, that authenticity
that makes the show what it is. That unpredictability, it seems
like a theme. Did they also dive into how that
plays out in the stand up comedyworld itself?
Because it sounds like it's definitely not just jokes and
(01:25):
laughs all the time. Oh, far from it.
Yeah, this discussion really pulled back the curtain on the
the Unseen battles. You could say a big part was Joe
Rogan talking about his own self-imposed ban from the Comedy
Store. Seven years, right?
Seven years, yeah. That was huge, and it all
stemmed from the Carlos Mencia plagiarism thing.
Rogan mentioned that the managerwho actually banned him got
(01:46):
fired anyway, and Mitzi Shore, you know the.
Owner Mitzi. Yeah, legend.
She still gave him a spot that same night, kind of secretly,
but he did lose his agent over taking that stand.
And the guest, James McCann, He shared a similar story from
Australia. Getting banned or finding it
hard to get work because he was seen as unpleasant.
Unpleasant how? Apparently for telling other
comedians they they sucked and criticizing the Melbourne Comedy
(02:10):
Festival leadership, it just shows.
It's kind of a universal thing in comedy circuits.
Yeah, Brian Simpson, other comics, they have similar
stories. That happens a lot.
So, OK, beyond these personal conflicts, what about the comedy
itself, the different styles, the philosophies?
Yeah, they really contrasted thedifferent scenes, like the
Australian scene was described as having a lot of what he
(02:32):
called I got raped shows or I wanted to commit suicide shows.
Wow, OK. Yeah, more like, you know,
theatrical spoken word pieces, sad stories basically that end
with maybe 1 gag. And there's this intense
pressure there to produce a brand new hour every single year
because there aren't that many venues.
He mentioned specific examples like Corey White doing shows
(02:52):
about being molested, Dave Cork about having an affair, lots of
dad's got cancer type themes. Right.
And how does that compare to theUS approach they discussed?
Well, it contrasted it with whatthey called the funny heavy
American style. Colin Quinn was the example with
his theme shows like RedState, Blue State or his history ones
really blending interesting topics with, you know, just
solid comedy throughout. Funny first.
(03:14):
Almost. That brings up the craft, then
the actual grind of it. What did they say about the
dedication required? Well, Jimmy Carr came up how he
has that mix of brilliant like off the cuff stuff, but also
believes you can teach the work ethic part of comedy, even if
the talent itself is an 8. And the guest, McCann, He shared
some really personal turning points.
His wife getting pregnant and then tearing his ACL.
(03:36):
The ACL injury, right, that stopped him fighting.
Exactly, it took away his other option and he said it forced
this huge mental shift from like, I don't give a fuck what
you think to realizing oh wait, I have to get you to like me
moving from just being funny with friends to connecting with
strangers, making them laugh. And they talked about
consistency to how hard that is.Like there was an anecdote about
(03:59):
a female Sam Kinison who apparently destroyed one night
but never sustained it. Right.
Like a one hit wonder. Almost.
Kind of. And Amos Gill doing this
incredibly powerful set about heartbreak, but he's just you
can't manufacture that emotion every single night.
So given all that, the grind, the vulnerability, what about
the very top, the legends? Yeah.
(04:20):
The dedication there is just staggering.
They talked about Dave Chappelleperforming almost every single
night building this Prince vaultof material.
He doesn't release the. Prince Vault.
I like that, yeah. And his whole system of creating
comedy from just riffing on stage, letting moments turn into
bits, it's incredible. Then there's Richard and I,
(04:40):
performing four different hours in one weekend. 4 hours
different material. Apparently, yeah.
And Ken Dodd, the comedian from Liverpool, doing those marathon
7 hour sets, sometimes recyclingold stuff just to keep going.
It really drives home that success at that level isn't just
talent, it's this insane work ethic that.
Discipline is truly something else.
OK, so from the world of comedy,where did the conversation shift
(05:02):
next? Sounds like it went into broader
societal stuff. It really did, and into some
pretty controversial territory. They discussed Peter Duesberg,
the UC Berkeley biology professor famous for Cancer
Research but also for his highlycontroversial theory, which, you
know, the vast majority of scientists reject, that HIV
doesn't cause AIDS. Right, that's a very fringe
view. What was his argument as
(05:24):
presented in the discussion? His assertion as they talked
about it was that AIDS was linked more to like hardcore
partying and drug use in the gaycommunity back then, and that
HIV itself is a weak virus oftenjust found in people whose
immune systems were already compromised.
This whole narrative got linked to RFK Junior's book, Doctor
Fauci's role back then, and the use of AZT.
(05:46):
AZT, the chemotherapy. Drug, Yeah, prescribed
permanently. And the view expressed was that
some believe AZT itself was killing people faster than the
disease. It brought up this cynical idea
of a profitability standpoint, sometimes driving disease
management. And Speaking of profit, Olympic
got a quick mention. Is the number one most
profitable drug in the country right now.
So definitely touching on some strong opinions around health
(06:08):
and big pharma. Did they bring it down to
personal experience too? They did?
Yeah, with the raw milk thing, the guest told this really vivid
story about drinking a whole gallon of raw milk.
A gallon, Yeah. And then experiencing, let's
just say, very unpleasant gastrointestinal effects, green
bile, vomiting, diarrhea. He thinks it actually made him
(06:30):
lactose intolerant, which led tothe whole debate, you know, the
supposed benefits versus the risks, the lack of regulation.
He bought his from a muddy van. Apparently bacteria concern.
Right. That definitely raises that big
question about individual freedom versus safety and where
regulation fits in. Exactly, and they got right into
that contrasting Australia's system, which was described as
(06:50):
pretty heavily regulated, high housing costs, strict driving
fines, even needing a degree forhairdressing A.
Degree for hairdressing. That was the example given,
yeah, contrasting that with America's more freedom side
approach. And look, there was
acknowledgement that some regulations crucial, right, fire
safety in houses, avoiding dangerous building material,
(07:11):
stuff like that. But the argument was also made
that sometimes regulations can stifle things or maybe just help
big businesses like USDA standards, making it tough for
small farms. It's that double edged sword
idea. And once regulations are in
place or rights are taken away, it's hard to get them back.
Did that come up? Definitely.
Marijuana prohibition was the prime example.
(07:32):
How long that took to even startrolling back with the influence
of the alcohol lobby being mentioned as a historical
factor. They talked about America's
primary system as maybe one way people can try to force change,
but also pointed out its flaws like RFK Junior being kept out
of the presidential primaries. And historically, they mentioned
Biden citing the American Revolution violence having a
place, while also condemning theJanuary 6th violence and
(07:54):
Benjamin Franklin supposedly advocating for like periodic
armed uprisings. Interesting historical
parallels. Did it go beyond the US global
power dynamics? Yeah, Branched out, talked about
Fidel Castro, how he initially hit his communist ideology and
later justifying banning a film called PM by saying the
revolution is in control. Shows how power tightens its
(08:15):
grip, restricts freedom. There's also some speculation
mentioned about potential CIA involvement in Castro's rise and
then the removal of Australia's Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.
Whitlam, right? Potentially linked to his stance
on the Pine Gap military base and US energy subsidies
suggesting these big unseen global power plays which led to
(08:35):
this point about calculated state actions.
Describing Israeli assassinationtactics as gangster as fuck.
Such as? Like the example given was using
a fake phone call to lure Iranian military leaders into
one bunker, then blowing it up or using tracking pagers.
And this perceived like competence in that area was
contrasted with perceived U.S. government inefficiency and
other things. Fixing potholes in the Midwest,
(08:57):
high speed rail poverty. It's a jarring contrast.
OK, so from government and powerplays, did the conversation
shift again, maybe to some unusual cultural things or
nature? It did, and some pretty
unsettling stuff, like the history of Argentina's black
population. Apparently there were over a
third of the population around 1800, but by the 1870s they had
(09:20):
largely disappeared. Disappeared.
Factors mentioned included war, a yellow fever outbreak, but
also what some historians apparently call a covert
genocide orchestrated by a president named Sarmiento and
later Argentine presidents denied it.
It's a stark contrast to Brazil's history with slavery.
Shows how whole histories could be, sort of.
(09:40):
That's incredibly disturbing. Were there other unsettling
traditions discussed? Yeah, Aleku Bride kidnapping in
Kyrgyzstan. Bride kid wrapping is that.
A merely yes, though it was noted that maybe 80% of cases
are now consensual role-playing,but that leaves 20% that are
full on non consensual abductions.
And interestingly this was somehow linked to Kyrgyzstan
being really good at women's freestyle wrestling.
(10:03):
Strange connection than other body modifications.
Chinese foot binding. The last factory for those tiny
shoes closed in 1999. Wow, that recent?
Yeah. And Cameroonian chest binding
done by Christian progressives, apparently to flatten girls
breasts to delay early marriage.Plus, you know, lip plates,
those extreme neck extensions. It makes you think about how
(10:23):
culture shapes our bodies in really extreme ways sometimes.
Definitely. And what about the animal
Kingdom? Any wild facts there?
Oh yeah, the ferocity of Wolverines, how they can scare
off bears despite their size. Australia came up a lot, of
course, kangaroo calling from helicopters.
The whole dingo ate my baby. Folklore stemming from that
tragic case and the saltwater crocodiles.
(10:45):
Politician Bob Katter's quote was mentioned.
People getting torn to pieces every three months.
Cheerful, right? And they have that cage of death
tourist attraction. Also a critique of the wolf
reintroduction in Colorado. Wolves brought from Oregon.
We're used to eating cattle, so they just kept eating cattle in
Colorado instead of elk or deer,causing problems for ranchers.
Not quite the ecological balancethey hoped for them.
(11:06):
Seemed like it. Then there was a Tasmanian devil
facial tumor disease. That communicable cancer spread
by biting. Horrific stuff and it emerged
pretty suddenly in the 90s. And female hyenas having a
pseudo penis. And the really high cup
mortality rate, like 60% becauseof suffocation during birth.
Nature's brutal. Sometimes it.
Really is Oh, and the Mexican boxing gene, ACTM 3A possible
(11:30):
genetic link to Mexico's boxing success, raising that chicken or
egg question with poverty also being a factor.
So many fascinating, sometimes strange observations tying some
of this together. What themes emerged around
identity, culture, reproduction in the modern world?
Well, it connected to things like the history of lady boys in
Thailand. Homosexuality was illegal,
(11:50):
creating certain societal pressures.
Now same sex marriage and adoption are legal.
They're big shifts. It led to ethical questions
about modern surrogacy, distinguishing it from
traditional practices. The whole renting A womb
concept. Elon Musk having many kids came
up this idea of Genghis Khan with science, which prompted
speculation about artificial wombs down the line.
Genghis Khan with science, that's a phrase.
(12:12):
Isn't it? And they briefly touched on
biological oddities like virgin birth and dolphins and animals
that can switch gender. It all points to how fluid
things are becoming biologicallyand societally.
And culturally, too. Do they talk about shifts over
time? Absolutely, the huge cultural
changes in America say from the 1950s onward.
Looking at music evolution from guys in suits to the 60s
(12:35):
psychedelia, the 80s cocaine eraand how corporations got savvy
at Co opting counterculture. Which ties into the demands on
stars aging rock stars still performing Iggy Pop, Brian
Johnson from ACDC, Anthony Kiedis, the physical toll.
Right, compared to someone like Neil Diamond, maybe more
stationary. Exactly, Mick Jagger's longevity
(12:56):
was mentioned, his relationshipswith much younger women, Al
Pacino having a baby recently athis age.
It's this relentless pressure tostay relevant, stay performing.
And the money side of that, the extravagance.
Yeah, this price of fame EvanderHolyfield's enormous one and a
nine room mansion now owned by Rick Ross, who apparently also
owns Buffaloes. Rick Ross has buffaloes, OK.
Seems so Mike Tyson's abandoned mansion in Ohio, Michael
(13:18):
Jordan's house struggling to sell for years, and that viral
hoax about the Burj Khalifa's plumbing.
The story that sewage gets trucked away was debunked as
Internet folklore. Then the gambling thing came
back up. Australia having the highest per
capita gambling losses globally.That's.
A grim statistic. It is linked maybe to the tight
(13:39):
regulations elsewhere and the rise of sports betting ABS
everywhere. The Drake curse in UFC betting.
Got to mention how he bets huge amounts publicly, often loses
those specific bets, but is apparently still profitable
overall. Interesting and the ethics of
fixed fights. Examples mentioned from Japan's
old Pride organization and even raising questions around the
(14:00):
recent Logan Paul versus Mike Tyson fight.
It feels like underlying a lot of this, the fame, the money,
the politics, is this question of what's real?
What systems are at play, Who totrust?
Did they get into that? Oh definitely.
Right into the conspiracy rabbithole, focusing heavily on the
JFK assassination, breaking downthe perceived absurdity of the
magic bullet theory based on Ballistics discrepancies in
(14:22):
autopsy reports. Lee Harvey Oswald saying he was
a Patsy the. Classic elements.
Right, and the suspicious deathsof journalists who are digging
into it. Jim Curry's supposed gay karate
top death. Dorothy Kilgallen, who claims
she had a major scoop, then diedsuspiciously.
Possibly linked to an M culture figure.
Tom O'Neill's book Chaos about the Manson Family and potential
(14:42):
M culture links was also broughtup.
The overall suggestion wasn't necessarily what happened, but
that these historical conspiracies hint that the
underlying systems are all stillthere, just maybe evolved.
Which leads to trusting institutions today.
Exactly, the cognitive load, themental effort it takes not to
trust official stories. That desire we have to believe
(15:03):
the government, the medical establishment generally has our
best interests at heart. Even when there's conflicting
info, like the whole myocarditisdebate during COVID, it's hard
to question the consensus. And yet the conversation also
circled back to the US as this unique experiment in self
government, acknowledging its huge impact, cultural, artistic,
scientific, despite the flaws, the assassinations, the meddling
(15:27):
in other countries. It's a real tension there.
How did they discuss navigating that, especially with political
polarization today? They talked about how rights get
framed, abortion rights, gun rights, how loaded those terms
become in public discourse, the massive role of Supreme Court
decisions like on gay marriage and shifting norms, and the
historical shifts in the partiesthemselves.
Democrats once linked to slavery, now debating free
(15:49):
speech issues differently. The whole state control argument
came up again, drawing parallelsto Castro or Marxism.
It ended on this idea of seekingunity, referencing Ronald Reagan
wishing for an alien invasion tobring humanity together.
A classic Reagan line, yeah. Contrasting that desire for
unity with a division we see now, and maybe suggesting
there's potential for finding a comfortable middle on some of
(16:11):
these really divisive social andpolitical issues.
OK, so bringing it all back, towards the end, the
conversation seemed to focus on something more personal and
positive, the Mothership Comedy Club.
It really did. The guest, McCann, share this
really heartfelt gratitude for the mothership in Austin.
He described how it basically revolutionized his life,
(16:33):
provided a real community, a genuine pathway for talented
open mic comics to develop, which isn't always there.
He felt it helps reduce that incredibly high dropout rate you
see in comedy. And he gave a shout out to Shane
Gillis for helping bring him to Austin.
That sense of community sounds crucial.
Absolutely. Oh, and kind of randomly, the
idea of UFC fights on the White House lawn in 2026 got mentioned
(16:56):
with some excitement. OK, that's a visual right?
But the core point was about that supportive environment
being transformative, especiallyin a tough business like comedy.
So we've really covered a massive range today from the
nitty gritty of stand up personal struggles all the way
to huge societal theories, bizarre history, animal facts.
It's definitely a packed conversation, which maybe leads
(17:18):
us to the final thought for you,the listener in this world just
flooded with information, with narratives constantly clashing,
where even figuring out the truth feels, I don't know,
slippery? How do you decide what actually
matters? What values do you choose to
live by when faced with all this?
What does being genuinely well informed even mean anymore in an
(17:41):
age where everything feels like it's shifting and maybe there
are influences you don't even see?
That's definitely something to chew on.
Thank you for joining us on thisexploration, this deep dive.
We really hope you'll reflect onsome of these insights and keep
questioning, keep discovering onyour own.
Join us next time for another deep dive into a new stack of
sources.
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