6 Times Things Got Heated On The Joe Rogan Experience
Joe Rogan can talk to almost anyone, but it isn't always smooth sailing.
When Joe Rogan first sat in front of a webcam with fellow comedian Brian Redban back in 2009 to record the first episode of the Joe Rogan Experience he likely had no idea what it would become.
More than 10 years, 1400 episodes, and 200 million downloads a month later, Rogan has cemented himself as podcast royalty. The American comedian and MMA commentator's show has hosted a wide variety of hugely influential guests from the worlds of sport, comedy, politics, film, technology, and more.
In that time Rogan has hosted some incredible conversations that leave listeners feeling enriched and inspired at the end of the show, and also some that have had fans the world over trying to avoid awkwardly belly laughing while listening out in public.
However, despite the comedian's laudable ability to regularly adapt to match his guest's sense of humour and speaking styles, every now and then there's an episode where the conversation doesn't mesh quite so well.
Whether it is from an ill-timed joke, a timekeeping issue, or a fundamental disagreement in principles, sometimes sparks fly and Rogan can't help but let his emotions show.
6. Andrew Hill PhD
Sometimes it's clear when Rogan is going to clash with someone on the podcast, other times everything can be going swimmingly until something sets off Joe's bullshido detector in which case the vibe can change pretty quickly.
In this instance, Rogan is almost two and a half hours into a fruitful and interesting conversation with scientist and lecturer Andrew Hill PhD, with the pair talking about a wide-ranging array of subjects including addiction and the neuroscientific ramifications of substance use.
All good so far. But then Hill directs the conversation towards one of Rogan's wheelhouses, in this case with a discussion of martial arts. Hill mentions that as a practitioner of the Japanese art of Aikido, he is less than impressed with fellow Aikidoka Steven Seagal's lineage of technique.
Rogan humours Hill's observations for a short time before the pair begin discussing the efficacy of the martial art as a whole. Joe states that while he respects Aikido he doesn't think it is a very effective art:
Well, I don't understand Aikido that much so I'm sure you would know more than me. To me, it looks cool flipping people around, looks like you'd have to cooperate, doesn't look like it would work. I think if you shot a double on him and got a good grip and your hands squeezed he's going for a ride.
The pair continue discussing Aikido when Hill mentions that the founder of the art, Morihei Ueshiba, was so proficient that he could cause people to fall over without touching them by manipulating their balance. This sends Rogan's scepticism through the roof and the pair go on to watch a video of an Aikido master get repeatedly submitted by a skilled grappler that illustrates Rogan's point that it would prove largely ineffective when pitted against practitioners of other, more practical, martial arts.
The conversation remains on the subject of the martial art for a total of around 15 minutes before Joe mercifully decides to move it elsewhere as the pair conclude an otherwise good-natured and insightful episode.