Joe Rogan: Burn the Boats

What a let down. I don't think Joe Rogan is an actual stand up comedian (anynmore? Was he ever any good?) as the entire 'special' was unfunny. I was awaiting this special since announcement as I thought it would at least deliver some good laughs. In sum: It didin't.

The material seemed recycled, lacking fresh perspectives or originality. Overall, it didn't deliver the laughs expected from Rogan. Fans might find a few moments to enjoy, but it's not his best work. This 'special' felt more like Joe Rogan going through the motions rather than actually delivering am emergetic and funny comedy special.

The title should be 'Burn the Bridges' as I doubt he'll be making any more stand-up specials anytime soon after this bomb.

I like Joe Rogan's podcast. He often gets very interesting guests, seems genuinely interested in them, asks interesting questions and let's them talk at length. He's perhaps a bit 'conspiracy theory'-heavy for my taste but whatever - I enjoy his podcasts. So, I also wanted to enjoy this show and I'm not here as part of a "review bomb."

In short, Joe Rogan just isn't funny. He doesn't have "funny bones" or natural wit and he can't improvise. If a joke tanks (and many do in this show) he can't pivot to a fallback as even very-average comics learn to do. If he does come out with a smart gag, he will kill it with his delivery. He has weapons-grade confidence, but that won't save any set he does.

He's got a huge following but so did Dane Cook. There's a phenomenon where unfunny people can, by sheer force of will, generate a following. As someone who admires Rogan for his thoughtful, insightful podcasts, he really, really needs to stop doing stand-up.

I've enjoyed past Rogan specials, as well as seeing him live at Massey Hall and other venues in Toronto. You expect a certain amount of meathead nonsense and conspiracy talk which may or may not be genuine. But the thing I've always found grating has now become a constant in this show: yelling everything as though he doesn't have a microphone. I know that's how the show is going to start, along with the cheap pandering to San Antonio but it just never lets up and it becomes draining. And the ratio of actual laughs to applause breaks - excluding the times he solicits it by referencing his move to Texas, Fear Factor, the podcast, is not going in the right direction.

I realize that not giving a glowing review if this will result in the usual nonsense of having labels hurled but I'm not even American, so save it.

There are some funny bits but overall, it's just a lot of energy to try and sell the bits as being funnier than they are.

The "cope" in the positive reviews is just that, cope, specifically in the form of them pretending only liberals and haters disliked this show. Well, I'm a progressive and still enjoy the seemingly controversial humor of ACTUAL, highly talented comedians like Katt Williams and Dave Chappelle. Katt Williams has done entire political sets before that I've enjoyed and laughed my butt off at because he, like Dave, knows how to properly construct a joke that challenges you. It's no coincidence that they both happen to be black comedians, and that's relevant because they inherently understand the cheapness and ultimate failure of punching down, especially without seasoning your bits with self-deprecation. Katt Williams knows we know that he's been arrested 50-11 times, so he plays that up and makes it funny (like when he said he's been arrested so many times that he doesn't even have to take a photo anymore but can just choose from a book of them-hilarious stuff). He also makes fun of his own height. Dave Chapelle is a great storyteller who can also make you think by posing an alternative perspective (like how when an executive who had a problem with him using the f-word but not the n-word, he pointed out he's no more the n-word than a gay person is the f-word).

I think about a clip I saw of the likes of pillow-faced Brendan Shlob praising Joe for using the n- and r-words with great delight as someone clearly in a position of punching down. It's really weak when the top of the food chain--the apex predators, as it were--pretend to be field mice. No, you can't have it both ways. Neither their comedy, nor this special, are funny because they not only fail to understand humor on a fundamental level but they are so insecure and fake societal injury to the point where they're even cringeworthy to look at. Both PEDs-bloated, insecure lames who pretend to not want to be seen as legit while desperately wanting it. And it keeps bringing me back to Joe's assumption that there are only 250 comics in the world (you'd best believe he thinks they're all Americans) and counting himself among them. The look on Katt Williams' face when he said that spoke VOLUMES. Joe even admits he essentially cheated to get on at The Comedy Store (by having someone else pretend to find him funny), so he's even more of a mediocre charlatan.

Katt and Dave aren't really good people, imo. However, they're two of the legitimately greatest of all time because they're actually, naturally funny AND know how to construct effective narratives. They're constantly saying things lames like Joe (and Jerry Seinfeld) claim you can't say now. It's just cope, that claim.

Beyond that, no one wants to see a bloated, juiced-to-the-gills tiny tot with sexxual orientation issues do bug eyes, scream, and simulate sexxual activity for one minute, let alone one hour. Joe Rogan HIMSELF said he would like to experience being a woman and getting screwed by a man with large genitals, AND he said he wanted to know what it was like to be pregnant, yet he comes after gay and trans people. Thus, this "special" was a lot of projecting and self-hate. He's clearly envious of people who can live their truth. Meanwhile, we have to be subjected to the self-soothing antics of a pretender.

In conclusion, the only good thing about this "comedy" "special" is that it resulted in an epic takedown (IYKYK) that snowflake Joe and friends tried to have taken down. Because free speech and edgy jokes and ridiculing others are just for them. Ironic given how this hypocrite attempts to opine about people being too sensitive nowadays.

Burn the boats? Yeah, you did, Joe, the ones that led to a comedy career.

What seems obvious to me is that Joe doesn't have any real friends left in his circle and is surrounded instead by sycophants who are too afraid to tell him that his jokes just aren't funny. I guess it doesn't help that he's mega rich and has a ton of influence in the scene.

The special was bottom of the barrel material that is dated, out of touch, and repetitive. The constant yelling, the bulging eyes, and other overexaggerated facial expressions certainly didn't help make his jokes any funnier.

Also, if you watch some of the reviews on YouTube, you'll find that he actually stole a couple of jokes and even reused a few from some of his older specials.

I don't think anyone can doubt that he's a great podcaster and MMA announcer, but comedy just isn't his thing. If he didn't constantly go on and on about him 'honing his craft and making his jokes fat-free and tight' or constantly mentioning himself among the greats like Louis, Burr, Chappelle, etc., I'd spare him this 1 star review, but the guy obviously thinks very highly of himself. He is clearly delusional about his comedy.

If you want a good laugh, look up Nick Mullen's free special on YouTube.