Whenever Joe Rogan’s name is said aloud, it evokes a visceral reaction from people who absolutely hate him for some reasons that are justifiable, and others reasons that seem like they want to dunk on him for the sake of dunking on him. As a fan of stand-up comedy, I’m simply looking for a routine that’s funny because I like to laugh. Addressing a number of his most recent controversies in his latest Netflix special, Joe Rogan: Burn the Boats, the problematic podcaster doesn’t try to clear the air, but rather unapologetically acknowledges why so many people hate him.
And I’ve got to say, while this may not be the most groundbreaking stand-up comedy special that Netflix has to offer, it was refreshing to see somebody own their controversies instead of trying to change history.
As somebody who couldn’t even be considered a causal fan of Joe Rogan in the sense that I’ve probably listened to 20 out of 2,430 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast (I’ll check it out for the occasional musician or comedian interview), I really don’t have any strong feelings about the guy. I know he had some hot (read: profoundly stupid) takes during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he’s from the same graduating class as other comedians whose entire catalogs I celebrate, so why not give it a go?
