[IMG:L]You probably know Joe Rogan as the host of Fear Factor, which ran for six seasons on NBC. Or you might know him as resident electrician Joe Garrelli on the networks’ sitcom Newsradio (1997-1999). And die hard fans remember him from Comedy Central’s The Man Show, a guy’s guy comedy/variety show with segments such as “Household Hints from Adult Film Stars” and “Man-o-vations.”
But Rogan’s got other things on his plate. He is a UFC pay-per-view telecast commentator and hosts Spike TV’s Inside the UFC, a weekly series revolving around the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He’ll also host UFC Wired for the 2007-2008 season. All of this is hardly surprising, considering Rogan’s been practicing mixed martial arts since he was 13.
But Rogan’s first love is stand-up comedy. Yep, the
Hollywood.com: You have a new comedy album, Shiny Happy Jihad. Are you sick of hearing, “The Fear Factor guy does stand-up?”
Joe Rogan: No, because it’s a good question [Laughs]. If I didn’t know that I did stand-up, I would probably be acting the same way, so no, I don’t get sick of it. As long as people enjoy the comedy and long as people come and see me in the clubs, that’s all I want. If I’m still the Fear Factor guy to them, that’s fine too. I really was the Fear Factor guy! You can’t erase it.
HW: You’ve been typecast!
JR: Remember in school there was that one kid who shit his pants? That dude just needs to accept it. You’re the dude that shit his pants. Just embrace it.
HW: Life as a stand-up comedian can be tough. Bernie Mac, for example, recently announced his next comedy special would be his last. What drives you?
JR: It is kind of a grind going to different towns and going all over the place. But on the other hand, there’s something beautiful about it. I don’t like being away from my friends and my house and I miss my girlfriend and my dog and stuff like that, but there’s something cool about traveling places and seeing people that come out and see you. There’s something really badass about that. It’s not for everybody. Bernie’s done all these big movies and he’s making big money and he’s chilling in a trailer. The easy life for sure is to stay in L.A. and do films or television shows.
HW: You’ve kind of done it backwards then.
JR: Yeah, because in the easy life, there’s no fulfillment. The real fulfillment is live stand-up–it’s not CDs, or DVDs even. The CD is basically a tool to get people to know I’m a comedian, to let them hear my stuff and to get them to come out to the clubs. Ultimately, everything I do is to get people to come out to the clubs. I was tempted to the “dark side” very early on with television, first with Newsradio then with Fear Factor. I’ve been on that side of it: Hanging around in your dressing room waiting to go on. It’s a much easier life, for sure. The accolades are far greater and the money’s bigger, but it’s not as rewarding and it’s not as fun. Live stand up comedy is electric! When you’re right about to go onstage and they announce your name and everybody goes fuckin’ crazy? There’s nothing like that in the world. You’re going to go out there, you’re going to talk into a microphone and you’ve got this whole rhythm going on of all your ideas. They’re going to flow into all these different segue ways, you’re going to have hills and valleys in your act and you’re going to set it up for big closing and all these people are going to leave and feel better—and the reward is all immediate, for them and for you. That’s the real shit.
HW: So if a network like Comedy Central offered you Dave Chappelle-type money for you own show, you would pass it up?
JR: Let me tell you, when Doug [Stanhope] and I did The Man Show, what we were told we were going to get to do and what we were able to do was a completely different thing. We were told we could do nudity, they’d just blur it out. We swear, they’d bleep it out. They go, “We just want you guys to be you, be wild, be crazy, be funny… If we get sued, that’s great, that’s publicity. So just go nutty!” Doug and I are very similar in that we’re both very uncensored and we both don’t believe in doing something and sugar-coating it just so it will appeal to the masses. So we said, “You know what? Let’s fucking try it if they’re really willing to take a chance like that.” But once we got in there, boy they hosed us! They were like, “No, you can’t do that, and that’s too outrageous…” What happened to all the shit you guys were telling us before we signed? It was just bullshit. The same thing happened to Dave Chappelle. One of the reasons Chappelle left was because he was getting all this input from all these people. They were telling him he couldn’t say “nigger” anymore, you can’t do this, you can’t do that. They wanted to turn that show into something that was as palatable as possible for advertisers so they could reap the financial rewards of his creative efforts. And that is the real problem when you combine commerce with art. It’s just a horrible marriage. It’s like a porn star and a preacher. My point is that it’s very difficult to do a very free, open show with what you think is really funny without having a bunch of people have their input on it. And rarely is their input any good. So would I do another show like Man Show? Maybe you can trick me one more time, but it’s not ideal. The best way to do any kind of a show now is the Internet. Three or four years from now, you’re going to be able to go on to your fucking TV and you’re going to be able to watch someone’s show, whether it’s Hollywood.com’s show or Tom Green’s show. You’re going to be able to watch uncensored, uninfluenced content that’s created by the artists.
HW: In that sense, you’re ahead of your time.
JR: I think a better way of putting it is I’m with a bunch of other people that are moving towards the future. The future, without a doubt, is the Internet. The whole idea of the FCC and restrictions on language has been brought about by commerce. That Janet Jackson nipple thing? That should have been nothing, but it really sent a monstrous ripple through the Hollywood community. When we were doing The Man Show, as much as we were restricted in the first place, all sorts of stuff that had been approved was pulled because of the Janet Jackson nipple thing.
HW: But revenue on the Internet is mostly ad based as well.
JR: That’s the problem. How do you sell things through the Internet? A show like the Tom Green Show (Video: Hollywood.com tours the set of the Tom Green Show). How the fuck do you make money? So it gets really squirrelly. Is it going to be a pay-per-view model? That’s not going to work. People aren’t paying for movies, people aren’t paying for songs, people aren’t paying for shit!
HW: Luckily for you, you have other things going on–you’re a UFC pay-per-view telecast commentator. Do you think the UFC can eventually eclipse boxing in mainstream popularity?
JR: It’s already eclipsed boxing in terms of pay-per-view dollars. The real question is can it eclipse football!? Can it eclipse soccer? I think the answer to that is yes. It’s a more exciting sport. The UFC has had problems in the past getting guys from overseas. There’s not just the UFC, there’s also Pride, a huge international organization that a lot of people believe has the best fighters in a couple of different weight classes. But now the UFC purchased Pride. We’re going to get to see incredible match-ups now that weren’t available just six months to a year ago.
HW: Your ‘70s HEMI ‘Cuda was featured on TLC’s Overhaulin’ in an episode tilted “Joe Rogan’s Sick Fish.” It is arguably the nicest ride ever featured on that show!
JR: It’s in my garage right now.
HW: You didn’t opt for pinstripes and you kept it subtle. It’s perfect.
JR: Thank you! It’s a gorgeous shape. Why would you want to mess that up? I had to argue with them, that was like a big deal. They were like, “You’re making a mistake.” And I was like, “No, I am not making a mistake. What are you talking about?” They were like, “I am telling you you’re wrong, it’s gonna look better the other way.” Better to who? It’s fucking subjective. It’s my fucking car. I am paying for this thing! It was a struggle. There was a conference call… They were literally telling me I was wrong. How could I be wrong about a color that I like?
HW: Are you still driving it?
JR: Yes. But it sounds like a monster and it’s the most ridiculous eco-unfriendly car ever! And it’s very dangerous to drive a car like that fast. There’s no handling to them, there’s no control. I have an Acura NSX, which is a sports car Acura built that’s all aluminum–and it handles fantastic. It’s a mid-engine car, and it’s very light, very fast and pinpoint head precise in the way you can drive it. Driving the Barracuda is like a rhinoceros on roller skates. It’s got giant brakes on it but it’s so heavy and it’s all metal, so it’s not the easiest car to drive safely. Plus, it’s only four inches off the ground. It’s all lowered, so I drive it pretty slow.
Get Joe Rogan‘s new comedy album Shiny Happy Jihad on Buy.com or on joerogan.net.
[IMG:L]Video Tour: Hollywood.com visits Tomgreen.com (the Channel) with host Tom Green and guest Joe Rogan.
