Joe Rogan Experience #1991 - Protect Our Parks 8

This is the eighth 'Protect Our Parks' panel episode, an intentionally chaotic comedy hang rather than an interview, with Joe Rogan joined by Shane Gillis, Ari Shaffir and Mark Norman. Over the course of the episode the comics eat psilocybin chocolates, shotgun beers and steadily lose their train of thought while bouncing between bits. Recurring threads include the Bud Light controversy (with Ari defiantly drinking it on camera), cult stories tied to Rogan's Mothership comedy club, the death of Comedy Central's comedy slate, and a long run of UFC fight breakdowns. They also detour into conspiracy theories about the moon landing, UFOs, cattle mutilations and demons. It is almost entirely raunchy improvised banter with very few genuine product or media recommendations.

• Rogan cites research (via 'The Immortality Key') that ancient Greek wine was laced with ergot, an LSD-like fungus, which he argues inspired Greek philosophy and democracy.
  00:02:35
• Rogan reveals his Austin comedy club building (originally the One World Theater) was built by the Buddhafield cult, the subject of the documentary 'Holy Hell.'
  00:11:28
• Ari Shaffir recounts that Comedy Central threatened to fire his entire crew on two weeks' notice unless he turned down a superior Netflix deal, which he says collapsed the network's comedy output.
  01:17:56
• They discuss research that leaded gasoline lowered the IQ of half of Americans, costing over 800 million cumulative IQ points before being banned in 1996.
  01:26:14
• Rogan notes the MyPillow founder lost roughly $75 million in revenue and was pulled from Sam's Club, Costco and Bed Bath & Beyond over his Trump ties.
  02:25:05
• They recount Brian Redban's legendary troll of buying PepsiSpice.com and posting a fake diary of Pepsi Spice destroying his health.
  02:29:41

• Ergot fungus with LSD-like effects was found in ancient Greek drinking vessels, opening a field of study at Harvard.
  00:02:35
• Suspected Chinese spy 'Fang Fang' (Christina Fang) allegedly courted multiple US officials, including a congressman and an Ohio mayor, for intelligence.
  00:27:37
• Cattle mutilation reports describe organs removed with surgical precision and blood drained with no clear method, with over 10,000 incidents by the end of the 1970s.
  01:01:11
• Canadian beer such as Molson is described as having a higher alcohol percentage than American lagers.
  01:37:34
• A study cited suggests the intensity of a psilocybin mushroom experience does not depend on body mass index.
  01:38:36
• The UFC's Apex Center uses a cage about 40% smaller than a standard octagon, with only around 100 spectators.
  01:41:40
• Leaded gasoline for cars was banned in the US in 1996.
  01:26:45
• The John Wayne Bobbitt severed-penis story is recounted, including that it was found, reattached, and led to him making adult films ('Frankenpenis').
  00:41:21

Books, products and media the guest or host genuinely endorsed here — with the buy link.

Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.