The Joe Rogan Experience #2455 – Donnell Rawlings

Date: February 17, 2026
Guests: Joe Rogan (host), Donnell Rawlings (comedian, actor, Chappelle Show alum)

Overview

This episode features a wide-ranging, free-flowing conversation between Joe Rogan and Donnell Rawlings. The main themes revolve around the culture of stand-up comedy—its changes, challenges, and backstage realities—especially through the lens of aging, health, jealousy and beefs within the comedy community, the impact of fame, and the importance of appreciating one’s journey. The episode mixes humor, real talk, and behind-the-scenes stories from two comedy veterans, with Rawlings candidly reflecting on everything from his Chappelle’s Show days to his experiences in the current stand-up scene.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Aging, Health, and Habits in Comedy

• Getting older and health changes:

  • Digestive issues and red meat come up (00:13–02:20). Donnell jokes about needing a “handler” in middle age and how certain foods knock him out compared to his younger years.
  • Exercise:
    • Donnell: "Usually during sexual intercourse is when I get most of my cardio." (04:33)
    • Joe stresses that getting your body right helps your mind: “Getting your body right fixes your mind.” (05:56)

• Vices:

  • Donnell’s love/hate with Tito’s vodka and red meat
  • The cultural gossip around trainers, dietary struggles, and therapy.

Smoking, Health Myths, and Marketing to Black Communities

• Cigarette brands and racial targeting:

  • Donnell discusses how brands like Newport deliberately targeted black consumers through advertising and community pricing. (10:54–11:33)
  • Menthol cigarettes’ “coolness” and how marketing shapes perceptions:
    • “That makes so much sense. Why the brand cool cigarette? ... Damn, what white people do to destroy my community, man.” (13:36)

• Salt, sugar, and health misinformation:

  • Joe breaks down the myth that salt is bad for you, linking the demonization of fat and salt in black communities to sugar industry lobbying and misinformation. (20:49–21:26)
  • Donnell: “Why are all of these diseases more happening in the black community?...”
    Joe: “It’s diet, 100%. Processed food. Sugar.” (21:26–21:59)

• Comedy on cultural differences:

  • Funny debate over “macaroni and cheese” vs. “mac and cheese” as a test of cultural authenticity. (17:16–17:44)
  • The reputation of bland “white food” vs. heavy seasoning in black cuisine.

Faith, Belief, and Scams

• The Bible, oral tradition, and translation:

  • Joe and Donnell riff on misunderstandings about the Bible, translation issues, and how faith serves as a way for people to structure their lives. (24:04–27:26)
  • Discussion of mega-churches and televangelist exploitation: Joe calls their tactics “a scam that’s legal.” (28:51)

• Lotteries are a scam:

  • They break down how lotteries, like religion, prey on hope in the desperate. (29:40–35:21)
  • Rogan exposes how lottery payouts are structured to be a losing proposition for players, with state-run systems extracting profit from the most vulnerable.

Comedy Scene—Beefs, Jealousy, and the Search for Validation

• Why comedians beef on podcasts:

  • Donnell laments that “the only way I can find myself interested [is] if I talk shit about people” (41:10); worries younger comics now focus on exposure and beef, not the craft.
  • Joe: “They’re never bigger than the comedians they’re shitting on. Never.” (47:14)
  • Both agree that most career negativity comes from resentment and a desire to be in someone else’s position.

• Handling internet hate:

  • Donnell struggles with ignoring online criticism: “It’s so hard.” (50:06)
  • Joe: "If I paid attention to all the haters… I would go crazy." (50:07)
    Emphasizes being “undeniable” as the antidote.

Standout: Donnell’s “Kill Tony” Experience

• Donnell goes into detail about his “bad show” on Kill Tony, issues it caused, and his comeback, revealing the way comedians perceive slights and how internet narratives can get distorted. (51:58–63:11)
• The “Juanita” transgender segment illustrates Donnell’s mixture of brashness and vulnerability, with plenty of jokes about not always reading the room but growing as a performer. (61:59–65:02)

Fame, Social Media, and What Really Matters

• Social media and comedy success:

  • They discuss how genuinely great comics like Dave Attell are overshadowed because they don’t promote themselves aggressively on social media, even as less skilled acts blow up online. (77:17–78:50)
  • “Specials aren’t special anymore. …Just joke dumps.” (82:08)

• Comedy as a craft:

  • Donnell and Joe reflect on the evolution of the scene: being validated at legendary venues, the grind of the road, and the gap between “clout” and real skill. (76:54–77:53)

Friendship, Perspective, and Satisfaction

• Navigating fame:

  • How riding with Dave Chappelle shaped Donnell’s life and career, but he had to learn not to get lost living in someone else’s dream (106:24–107:14).
  • Importance of being supportive to old friends, seeing the journey over just the reward.

• Therapy through comedy:

  • Donnell says: “This conversation is going to bode well with my mental health.” (142:38)
  • Joe’s closing advice: "Stay out of the comments." (155:40)

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On aging and need for change:

  • Donnell: “I need to be with somebody that understands when I go places and when I want to pig out, they gotta be like, he can't eat that.” (01:07)

• On health myths:

  • Joe: “Salt is an essential mineral. You need salt to survive. Salt is not the problem. ...It’s not true.” (20:49)

• On jealousy and beef:

  • Joe: “The reason why these comedians are doing it is because they’re never bigger than the comedians they’re shitting on. Never.” (47:14)
  • Donnell: “Everybody does not have to be Batman. …I don’t have a problem with being Robin.” (48:58)

• On comedy community vs. hatred:

  • Joe: “You know what I would happen to me if I paid attention to all the haters that I have? …I would go crazy.” (50:07)

• On validation:

  • Joe: “Just be undeniable.” (135:31)

• On happiness and success:

  • Joe: "Happiness and doing something that you enjoy doing...struggle, hopefully, is you trying to be better at the thing that you're doing." (130:16–130:40)

• On focus:

  • Joe: "Think of your focus and your attention like a number. Think of you have like 100 points in a day to spend on things...if you spend 30 of those points thinking about haters …that's 30 that you robbed from the hundred percent that you have to focus on your life." (101:28)

Memorable Moments

• Donnell’s Kill Tony saga & comeback: (51:58–67:02)

  • His recounting of being misunderstood and miscast by fans, and then intentionally coming back stronger, is equal parts vulnerable and funny.

• The 'Def Jam' Effect:

  • Bernie Mac’s “I ain’t scared of you motherfuckers” routine and Donnell’s tales of surviving brutal comedy club sets, reinforcing the idea of “made” men in comedy (151:18–153:19).

• Behind the scenes with Chappelle’s Show & touring:

  • Donnell describes how the “I’m Rich Bitch” tour with Charlie Murphy & Bill Burr started, including the unique challenge of launching into stand-up as an already famous figure (144:17–146:23).

• The reality behind online hate:

  • Donnell’s confessions of weakness—being affected by internet comments and perception—balance with Joe’s persistent counsel to ignore the noise (93:35–94:11).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:13–02:20 | Conversation on aging, digestion, and comedy lifestyle
• 10:54–13:39 | How cigarette brands target racial communities
• 20:49–21:26 | Salt, sugar, and health misinformation/disparities
• 28:51–29:40 | Mega-churches and televangelist scams
• 29:40–35:21 | Lottery as a scam on the desperate
• 41:10–44:21 | Comedian podcast beefs and negativity
• 47:14 | Why comedians criticize more successful comics
• 51:58–67:02 | Donnell's Kill Tony incident, comeback, and lessons
• 76:54–78:50 | The paradox of underappreciation in the social media age
• 106:24–107:14 | Friendship with Chappelle and finding one’s path
• 130:16–130:40 | Joe's definition of happiness and success
• 135:25–136:29 | Barry Katz and the lesson of being “undeniable”
• 151:18–153:19 | Bernie Mac’s legendary Def Jam moment

Conclusion

This episode is a raw, insightful, and often hilarious look at the stand-up comedy world, touching upon health, culture, fame, and finding meaning amid chaos and criticism. Donnell Rawlings opens up about his career highs and lows, the importance of authenticity, and maintaining mental health in a fickle, fame-chasing era. Joe Rogan, part therapist and part elder statesman, guides the conversation with wisdom, humor, and experience, ultimately reminding both Donnell and listeners that happiness comes from focus, friendship, continual self-improvement, and a refusal to be dragged down by the opinions of others.

Final advice (Joe Rogan, 155:40):
"Stay out of the comments."