Joe Rogan Experience Review Podcast

Episode 486 – 2025 Year End Recap!
Originally aired: January 6, 2026
Hosts: Adam Thorne, Peter

Overview: A Reflective Recap of Joe Rogan’s 2025 in Podcasting

This episode delivers a lively, critical, and affectionate year-end review of the Joe Rogan Experience through the lens of its dedicated companion show. Adam Thorne and returning co-host Peter revisit the highlights, controversies, and evolutions in Rogan’s ever-expanding universe. The conversation bounces between numbers, fan sentiment, guest moments, and the overall state of the podcast, maintaining an irreverent, candid tone throughout.

Key Themes and Discussion Points

The Changing “Energy” of Rogan & His Audience

• Long-Term Evolution:

  • The hosts reflect on how Rogan’s topics and energy have shifted after 15-16 years on the air. Earlier episodes featured stoner talk, comedy, fringe conspiracies; recent years are marked by “more serious” or “angrier” themes (“AI gonna kill us all”, “elite government” conspiracies).
  • Adam: “Back then it was just smoking weed, talking to comedians… not so much the government ones… not so angry about things.” [03:00]
  • Peter: “It seems like he had more fun up until about 2016.” [04:03]

• Audience Perception:

  • There’s a sense that older fans hear Rogan differently today, as both he and the world have changed.
  • Both note Rogan faces more “pressure” as the “most-listened-to human ever.” [04:49]

Rogan’s Influence and Controversial Reach

• Cultural & Political Impact:

  • Adam and Peter riff on Rogan's ability to "sway elections," both humorously and semi-seriously, even suggesting butterfly-effect-level geopolitical consequences.
  • Adam: “He’s the most listened to human being that has ever existed... Swaying elections in countries like the United States.” [04:16–05:06]
  • Peter: “The most listened to human ever. That is… a huge achievement.” [04:41]

• Platform Numbers:

  • Over 2 billion views across major podcast platforms in 2025. Despite “dwindling” numbers on some episodes, Rogan remains the clear #1 globally.
  • Adam: “Even if he is on a bit of a downswing... he’s still going to be holding that top spot for a while.” [09:31]

• Deals and Money:

  • Discussion over Rogan’s renewed Spotify deal: more rights, posting to Apple and YouTube, uncertainty over which side got the better bargain.
  • Notable episodes, like the Elon Musk (50M+ views) and Trump (1M downloads/day) shows, still outperform most internet content. [08:04]

Fan Culture: Shifting Sentiments, “Sellout” Critiques

• Fan Frustration:

  • Through emails and subreddit sentiment, Adam notes an increase in fan pushback, especially around Rogan’s proximity to “billionaires” and shift in interview priorities.
  • Adam: “There is some frustration with…the billionaires that he has on him, buddying up to them. People see that as a bit of a sellout move.” [13:08]
  • Adam claims Rogan’s not above criticizing powerful guests, e.g., “he was just recently talking some shit about Trump going off the deep end.” [13:12]

• Shift from Platform Promotion to “Grifter” Concerns:

  • Rogan’s history of launching successful podcasts (e.g., Two Bears One Cave, Huberman Lab, Lex Fridman, Theo Von, Jocko, Steve Rinella) is acknowledged.
  • However, many now see Rogan’s platform as also enabling “grifter” or “irrelevant” acts.
  • Peter: “They have just milked that thing and are no longer relevant. And they’re not funny—maybe never were.” [14:35–15:09]

State of Comedy Spin-Offs: “Kill Tony” and Stand-Up Scene

• Kill Tony:

  • The “bucket pull” format is dissected; it’s always been about roasting amateurs, and the hosts defend it as more “entertainment” than select for stand-up purists.
  • Adam: “It was kind of set up to be a cruel show in a sense, unless the person was kind of good.” [19:32]
  • The rise of live shows at Mothership (Rogan’s Austin venue) and the way these formats play with authenticity and “shock and awe.” [20:28]

• Stand-Up Community:

  • Stories about comics like Harlan Williams, Jeremiah Watkins, and Mitzi Shore (legendary Comedy Store owner), including audience and host perspectives.
  • Peter on Harlan Williams: “He makes you cringe... but he was hilarious.” [21:21]

Deep Dive: Notable JRE Episodes of 2025

Elon Musk (#2281, Feb 2025)

• “A three hour banger” (Adam) that covered Dogecoin, government audits, money laundering, and a “black eye” conspiracy (the infamous “Black Eye Club” theory riffed on humorously). [25:06–27:56]
• Adam: “He’s the richest guy in the world, and people more powerful than him were like, whack, shut up.” [26:35]
• Notable for Rogan’s “pushback” against Elon’s frustration over protests at Tesla dealerships.

Mel Gibson (#2254)

• Discussion of Mel’s partial Hollywood redemption, his conspiracy-laced critiques of Tinseltown, and his new sobriety.
• “If you’re drinking and also find yourself saying some outrageous things, cut back. That’s your first sign.” (Adam) [32:02]

Mark Zuckerberg

• The “Zuckerberg 2.0” illusion shattered when Rogan “called him out” for lacking basic bowhunting knowledge despite a rebrand as the “cool Zuck.”
• Adam: “You can’t bullshit Rogan. Not on bow hunting.” [34:05]
• Comparison to “Bezos 2.0,” who succeeded at the rebrand.

Bernie Sanders (#2341, June 2025)

• Rogan’s enduring respect for Bernie, with “solid” back-and-forth on wealth inequality and climate change.
• Adam: “Bernie brought up some points that were pretty decent, honestly. Just about the wealth inequality… the very richest people freaking have all the money and everyone else is just broke.” [38:31–39:13]

Shane Gillis (December 2025)

• Recap of Gillis’ “comedy gold,” discussion on “woke mob,” Trump’s White House antics, and riffing on “ridiculous” revisions to presidential history plaques. [41:10–41:41]

Jelly Roll (December 2025)

• The country/rap star’s major weight loss (claimed “250 pounds”), transformation, and candid emotional moments.
• Adam: “He really talked… honestly… said I was going to die.” [45:54]
• Discussion of health advocacy, Mitzi Shore’s legacy, and the motivating, inspirational effect of Rogan’s fitness messaging.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Rogan’s Influence:
  • Adam: “He’s a ginormous butterfly flapping a lot of wings, causing all sorts of things to go on.” [05:40]
• Audience Change:
  • Peter: “He had more fun up until about 2016.” [04:03]
• On Billionaire Guests:
  • Adam: “I don’t think he’s, like, in bed with them… he was just recently talking some shit about Trump going off the deep end.” [13:12]
• California Rants/Critique Fatigue:
  • Peter: “Often it’s the California stuff.” [14:05]
  • Adam: “If you’re a listener and you didn’t go through that… it probably gets old.” [14:29]
• Comedy Scene Reality Check:
  • Peter: “Burt has about 15 minutes of funny things to say, then talks about himself for two hours.” [17:24]
• Tech Billionaires’ PR Attempts:
  • Adam (on Zuck): “You can’t bullshit Rogan. Not on bow hunting.” [34:05]
• On Wealth Inequality:
  • Peter: “99% of the money, 1% of the population.” [39:13]
  • Adam: “That really is a type of slavery.” [40:00]
• Jelly Roll’s Redemption Arc:
  • Adam: “He couldn’t focus. He couldn’t perform. He couldn’t do much.” [45:54]

Timestamps by Major Segment

• 00:30 – Introduction and overall theme of the 2025 recap
• 01:36–06:00 – Rogan’s evolving tone, cultural relevance, and demographic shifts
• 06:13–10:13 – Listener stats, deal speculation, YouTube growth/no. 1 status, kids & internet views
• 13:08–16:13 – Backlash about billionaire guests; standup podcast “grifter” concerns
• 17:06–24:48 – Comedy scene: Two Bears, Fighter & Kid, Kill Tony history/format
• 25:06–33:34 – “Best of 2025”: Deep dives on standout episodes (Musk, Gibson, Zuckerberg)
• 37:56–44:57 – Bernie Sanders, Shane Gillis, Trump/White House, new political culture
• 44:57–49:39 – Jelly Roll’s transformation, comedy lore (Mitzi Shore), Rogan’s fitness advocacy
• 51:32–52:14 – Overall future direction, disclosure/aliens, hopes for more “fun” topics

Tone, Style, and Structure

• Conversational, candid, occasionally irreverent
• Mix of humor, honest critique, and fandom
• Deep podcasting/stand up scene knowledge
• Self-deprecating and unafraid to challenge Rogan while still recognizing his impact

Closing Thoughts

• Fan-Critical but Hopeful: The hosts acknowledge that while Rogan’s “anti-establishment edge is somewhat getting lost,” and the “sellout” critique is growing, he’s “stepping away from interviewing politicians” and could return to having more fun, speculative, and exploratory content.
  • Adam: “Just have some fun. I mean, he ended the year with the Age of Disclosure…” [51:32]
• On What Fans Want: More mysteries, more Graham Hancock, more “what’s under the pyramids,” and “aliens.” [52:02]
• Gratitude and Looking Forward:
  • Adam: “I think that overall it was a solid 2025. I don’t know what you guys think… send us a message, let us know.” [52:40]
  • Peter: “Yeah. Happy New Year.” [53:01]
  • Adam: “Happy New Year and God bless America.” [53:03]

For Newcomers: Why This Recap Matters

This episode provides sharp, entertaining insight into Joe Rogan’s place in podcast culture, the changing attitudes of his core audience, and a rundown of 2025’s most crucial JRE moments. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a casual observer, this review helps you track Rogan’s ongoing influence, evolution, and enduring controversies.

Listen to the original for the full blend of banter, critique, and comedy industry inside baseball.