#2302 - Ron White

Summary

Summary of The Joe Rogan Experience Episode #2302 - Ron White

Release Date: April 9, 2025
Host: Joe Rogan
Guest: Ron White

---

Introduction

In episode #2302 of "The Joe Rogan Experience," host Joe Rogan welcomes renowned comedian Ron White for an in-depth conversation. Released on April 9, 2025, the episode delves into Ron's recent health challenges, the intricacies of the comedy world, personal anecdotes, and broader societal issues. This summary captures the essence of their dialogue, highlighting key discussions, notable quotes, and the overall flow of the episode.

---

Ron White's Battle with COVID-19

The episode kicks off with Ron White sharing his harrowing experience battling COVID-19. He describes severe symptoms that went beyond the typical presentation of the virus.

Ron White [00:25]: "I had... my girlfriend raised two kids and she said she's never seen anybody puke as much as I did for two days."

Ron recounts how his girlfriend observed his intense vomiting, a symptom not widely recognized as associated with COVID-19, leading them to believe he might have contracted a more severe variant or perhaps multiple illnesses simultaneously.

Joe Rogan [00:49]: "That's interesting. I wonder if you got multiple things at the same time."

---

Steroid Shots and Recovery

Amidst his illness, Ron discusses receiving a steroid shot that significantly alleviated his symptoms, allowing him to maintain his performance schedule.

Ron White [01:06]: "I had a shot of steroids and felt way better... I’m like, fuck, I want to do steroids. Every guy."

Joe Rogan probes further into the specifics of the medication, but Ron remains casual about the details, focusing instead on the relief it provided.

Joe Rogan [01:33]: "Is that cortisone shot?"

Ron White [01:34]: "I don't know. She said steroids. She gave it to me."

---

The Dilemma of Performing While Ill

As Ron's condition deteriorated closer to his scheduled show in Las Vegas, he faced a tough decision: cancel the performance or push through despite his worsening health.

Ron White [02:02]: "I thought I would need another shot of steroids."

Ron details his interactions with doctors and the pressure to perform, ultimately deciding to proceed with the show with MGM Grand's support.

Ron White [04:13]: "I've disappointed them. Everybody's here. Fuck, let's do the show."

---

The Success and Impact of "Kill Tony"

Transitioning from personal health, Joe and Ron discuss the success of the podcast "Kill Tony," now featured on Netflix. They commend the show's host, Tony, for his relentless work ethic and vision.

Joe Rogan [07:06]: "He works really hard at that show... It's a product of hard work."

Ron shares his admiration for Tony's dedication and the show's role in fostering emerging comedians.

Ron White [09:57]: "It's a bucket pull. That's the only way he can do it is to get his name in there."

---

The Importance of Community in Comedy

Both hosts emphasize the significance of community among comedians. They reflect on how "Kill Tony" serves as a supportive platform where comedians can hone their craft and build meaningful connections.

Joe Rogan [10:57]: "It's fun to be around that, that comrade spirit."

Ron adds that the camaraderie among comedians helps everyone improve and stay motivated.

Ron White [14:04]: "It really is a gym. To me, and... everybody there is just getting better."

---

Personal Struggles and Mental Health

Ron opens up about his struggles with depression and difficult relationships, sharing poignant moments from his past, including a tumultuous period in Mexico.

Ron White [25:19]: "I lived in Mexico for a while with a woman who eventually took her own life."

Joe offers support, and they discuss the broader implications of mental health challenges within personal and professional lives.

Joe Rogan [32:39]: "I don't want to be mad at anybody anymore."

---

Exploring Psychedelics and Personal Growth

The conversation shifts to the use of psychedelics like ayahuasca for personal transformation. Ron describes his experiences at Rhythmia, emphasizing the importance of a safe and guided environment during such intense journeys.

Ron White [43:02]: "You have to be in a really safe place where people know how to guide you through it."

Joe and Ron discuss the potential benefits and the societal barriers preventing broader acceptance of these practices.

Joe Rogan [47:52]: "It should be so simple."

---

Education, Taxation, and Social Policies

Joe and Ron engage in a robust discussion about the flaws in the current education system, the burdens of student loans, and taxation policies. They critique the high costs of education and propose more equitable solutions.

Joe Rogan [64:10]: "Harvard has long sought to open its doors to the most talented students, no matter their financial circumstances."

Ron underscores the unsustainable nature of student debt and its long-term impact on individuals and society.

Ron White [65:36]: "Nobody should have that burden for an education."

---

Reflections on the Comedy Industry and Community

Both reflect on the evolution of the comedy scene, particularly in Austin, Texas, and the creation of their own comedy club. They celebrate the vibrant community they've built and the support they've received from fellow comedians.

Joe Rogan [111:22]: "You're patient zero in the Austin invasion because I remember calling you in 2018 when you moved here."

Ron acknowledges the collective effort that led to the establishment of their successful venue.

Ron White [112:06]: "That was a moment. That was a moment. I don't know what that was."

---

Anecdotes and Comedic Insights

Throughout the episode, Joe and Ron share numerous anecdotes about fellow comedians, personal mishaps, and the unpredictable nature of stand-up comedy. They highlight the importance of timing, audience connection, and maintaining authenticity on stage.

Ron White [125:48]: "I'm going to get a drip and come do a set."

Joe and Ron reminisce about past performances, emphasizing how shared experiences strengthen their bond and enhance their comedic synergy.

---

Concluding Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Ron addresses his recent health setback, reassuring listeners of his recovery and commitment to performing.

Ron White [125:48]: "I'm going to get a drip and come do a set."

Joe and Ron express gratitude for their friendship, community support, and the resilience they've shown in overcoming challenges.

---

Notable Quotes

• Ron White [00:25]: "I had... my girlfriend raised two kids and she said she's never seen anybody puke as much as I did for two days."
• Joe Rogan [01:33]: "Is that cortisone shot?"
• Ron White [04:13]: "I've disappointed them. Everybody's here. Fuck, let's do the show."
• Joe Rogan [07:06]: "He works really hard at that show... It's a product of hard work."
• Ron White [25:19]: "I lived in Mexico for a while with a woman who eventually took her own life."
• Ron White [43:02]: "You have to be in a really safe place where people know how to guide you through it."
• Joe Rogan [64:10]: "Harvard has long sought to open its doors to the most talented students, no matter their financial circumstances."
• Ron White [125:48]: "I'm going to get a drip and come do a set."

---

Conclusion

Episode #2302 of "The Joe Rogan Experience" with Ron White offers a candid exploration of personal health battles, the dynamics of the comedy industry, and reflections on broader societal issues. Through their engaging dialogue, Joe and Ron provide listeners with insightful anecdotes, thought-provoking discussions, and a heartfelt portrayal of friendship and resilience within the comedic community.

Transcript

[Joe Rogan]

Joe Rogan podcast. Check it out. The Joe Rogan Experience. Train my day. Joe Rogan podcast by night. All day. We up. Hey, fella. We're up. What's going on? Ron White?

[Ron White]

I'm feeling good finally after my little bout with COVID They gotcha.

[Joe Rogan]

They got you with the new covet?

[Ron White]

They got me with the new code.

[Joe Rogan]

I thought the new coveted was total. I thought it was like a baby cold.

[Ron White]

I had. You know, my girlfriend raised two kids and she said she's never seen anybody puke as much as I did for two days.

[Joe Rogan]

Wow.

[Ron White]

And it was brutal. It was just bile. And I don't even know if I ever. I've ever been that sick. It only got that part of it a couple of days.

[Joe Rogan]

That's interesting. I wonder if you got multiple things at the same time. Do people usually puke a lot if they get Covid? Jamie, do you know, I don't remember.

[Ron White]

That being a symptom.

[Joe Rogan]

I don't remember having that either. You might have had a couple things. You know, there was a bad flu going around too.

[Ron White]

Well, I went to, you know, I went to Vegas and early and I had kind of. I just thought I had a cold. When I went and my doctor here gave me a shot of steroids and I felt way fucking better. I mean, I felt better everywhere. I was more flexible. I was like, fuck, I want to do steroids. Every guy.

[Joe Rogan]

What kind of steroid was it?

[Ron White]

I don't know. But whatever it was, man, I could touch the floor without bending my knees, without stretching at all.

[Joe Rogan]

Is that cortisone shot?

[Ron White]

I don't know. She said steroids. She gave it to me. I don't ask a lot of questions.

[Joe Rogan]

So you just felt loose?

[Ron White]

I felt loose and good. I played really good golf. And then I got there and it started catching up with me. I had my girlfriend. I'm staying in the mansion down at MGM grand, which is pretty sweet. And I had that show just on Saturday. We got there on Wednesday and I'm like, fuck it. I'm not gonna make it. I felt it all starting deteriorate. So I called this dad.

[Joe Rogan]

It was so bad. You didn't think you were going to make it on Saturday?

[Ron White]

I didn't. I didn't. I thought I would need another shot of steroids. That's. So I called a doctor. I had the hotel call a doctor. And I thought I was getting the doctor. That was, you know, whatever it takes to get through the show.

[Joe Rogan]

Right.

[Ron White]

And, you know. But that's not the doctor. I got the doctor I got. Was we needed. Let's test you for Covid. I'm like, no, no, I don't have Covid. He said, I won't charge you if it's negative. Which didn't make any sense to me. And I said, well, okay. And then it came up positive for Covid. And he said, see there the T and the X and the thing? And I said, yeah, I see it. Let's do it again, because I don't think I have Covid. So we did it again. Came up positive again. Not only would he not give me the COVID shot, he told me to quit taking the antibiotics I was already on. And he did nothing except for. Called the CDC to tell them I had Covid. And they both said, you cannot do the show. I'm like, wait a minute. You're the wrong doctor. I don't want the fucking retire today shit. I want to. Here's the. Your drummer's a junkie. He's out of heroin. Get him some fucking something to get him through this goddamn.

[Joe Rogan]

So they were telling you you can't do the show because you had a specific kind of a cold, a Covid cold. So if you had the flu, would he have stopped you from doing the show?

[Ron White]

I'd say absolutely not.

[Joe Rogan]

That's so weird.

[Ron White]

I don't think it would even come up.

[Joe Rogan]

That's so weird, because right now, like, the deaths from COVID now are so low. Like, the idea that this is still a pandemic and they still have to treat it differently than they do a cold.

[Ron White]

They do. Why? Well, you know, I was faced with, do I cancel a show? Well, that's not the same as St. Louis when they just moved the date and the people from St. Louis come back out. This is Las Vegas, right? People come specifically to see me because I don't do all those shows that I used to do. So it's kind of. If you want to come see it, and that's a good place. And so it's a problem, you know, it's a refund. You got to refund them all, because those people aren't going to be there.

[Joe Rogan]

Most importantly, your fans are bummed out.

[Ron White]

Yeah, my f. I've disappointed them. Everybody's here. Fuck, let's do the show. So I just. Sitting there, I didn't know what to do. So I'm like, well, I'm just going to call MGM grand and tell them what the fuck's going on. Let it be their call, you know? And they were like, so how do you feel? I'm like. I feel like I can make it through the show. And they're like, well, I say, let's just go ahead and do it. You're. You know, it's a big room. You're not within six feet of anybody.

[Joe Rogan]

It's 2025.

[Ron White]

It's 2025.

[Joe Rogan]

You. If you told me you had. You did tell me you had Covid, and I gave you a big hug on Monday. I saw you on Monday.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

When we did Kill Tony, Right?

[Ron White]

That was bad.

[Joe Rogan]

You were a super spreader on Kill Tony, you son of a bitch.

[Ron White]

I'm an asshole. The biggest asshole ever. It would be so horrible.

[Joe Rogan]

Nobody got sick.

[Ron White]

I know. Nobody did.

[Joe Rogan]

Nobody got sick.

[Ron White]

And it wasn't until the next day that I got sick. That's when the vomiting started. Wasn't in Vegas. It was day two. It was Tuesday after Kill Tony. That's when I got sick, and it was fucking awful. I mean, for two days, just.

[Joe Rogan]

Did you get another steroid shot?

[Ron White]

No, nobody would give me one, so. I don't know, man. I just got the wrong guy.

[Joe Rogan]

You got to go to Gold's Gym, right? Find the biggest guy in the room.

[Ron White]

Dude, you got something, don't you?

[Joe Rogan]

You know you got something, bro. Come on, man. Aren't you a Ron White fan? Give me some steroids just to get.

[Ron White]

Me around the corner. So, yeah. So I'm back. I feel fine today, and that's good. And. Which is really good news.

[Joe Rogan]

Coming to the club tonight.

[Ron White]

You know, they asked me to. I don't know who's got the set tonight. I don't know who's got the show. Me do.

[Joe Rogan]

Fuck it. Let's go.

[Ron White]

Okay, let's go. I'll go.

[Joe Rogan]

Let's go. Ron White plus bottom of the barrels tonight, too.

[Ron White]

The Kill Tony was on Netflix.

[Joe Rogan]

Isn't that amazing? I'm so happy. I'm so happy for Tony and Red Band and for everybody on the show. I'm just so happy that that show is now on Netflix.

[Ron White]

It's sweet. You know, I always believed in it, and you know that. And I always saw something in Tony. I know I was never sure what exactly it was, but I saw something. You know, that this kid works hard. You know, he's got a dream that he's fucking making it work, and he's making it work with hard work.

[Joe Rogan]

He works hard. He works really hard at that show, man.

[Ron White]

Really does.

[Joe Rogan]

I mean, I call him in the middle of the day sometimes, and he's just laying out like how he's gonna do the show, what he's got. He's like, he's planning it. He's wandering around his apartment writing, not down, just planning it out in his head. He's legit, Tony. This is the thing about success. It's a product of hard work. And in that example, I know it's a product of hard work. Those guys did that show every Goddamn Monday for 10 plus years, starting with.

[Ron White]

Six people in the crowd.

[Joe Rogan]

I was one of them. This episode is brought to you by the Farmer's dog. We all want to do the best for our dogs, but there's a lot of mixed messaging out there, especially around dog food. Take kibble for example. You'd have to do a lot of digging to learn that Kibble is actually ultra processed. They put the words like premium on their bag next to pictures of real ingredients. But food doesn't end up as burnt down pellets without extreme processing. For decades it was the default dog food, but not anymore. The farmer's dog is healthy food made with real meat and vegetables by people who care about what goes into your dog's body. The recipes are developed by board certified nutritionists to be complete and balanced and their food is made to the same safety standards as human food. It's lightly cooked to retain vital nutrients and then it's pre portioned to suit your dog's needs. So try the farmer's dog today and get 50% off your first box of healthy freshly made food plus free shipping. Just go to the farmersdog.com rogan tap the banner or visit this episode's page to learn more. The offer is for new customers only. There when they were doing the Belly room show, but I always encouraged it. I encourage people to do shows when no one's watching because I think that, you know, the only way something builds is you got to get it started. You can't think you're going to launch a podcast and it's going to have a million downloads. It's not that way and you don't want it that way anyway. You want to get good at it. You want to learn how to do it. You want to iron out the kinks.

[Ron White]

I agree. I agree.

[Joe Rogan]

And they did it. They fucking did it. They did it. Now it's one of the best shows in the world. It's the funniest fucking show on television for sure.

[Ron White]

You know, as far as just a fucking entertaining thing to goddamn do. I mean, just to come down, you know, my, my last girlfriend was so addicted to the show, she Would come almost every Monday. And it's hard for me to go down there on Kill Tony night because they got the, you know, the green rooms hawked out to 19,000 people. And there's no place for me to go.

[Joe Rogan]

Right.

[Ron White]

And so, you know, but she was addicted to it. I mean, just as something fun to do, you know, it's a fun thing to do because you're gonna get some great comics. And it doesn't matter if the comic eats it on stage. Cause it's still funny, you know, that's not the point. The point is that everybody has access, you know, in some way. And there's no shortcut to get there. Because I tried to shortcut it. Cause I thought I could because I was Ron White and I. My banker said, yeah, I've been doing stand up and I'd love to get. I'm like, no problem. I'll tell him, I'll fix this for you. And he was like, yeah, yeah, no, you can't. It's a bucket pull. That's the only way he can do it is to get his name in there.

[Joe Rogan]

It's a legit bucket pull. It really is. And sometimes one of our guys gets in. Like Hassan's been on a couple of times now, you know, and sometimes not. You put your. Put your name in the bucket. You'll see there's hundreds of names in that bucket. It's a great idea. It's a great idea.

[Ron White]

It really is. And it's inclusive to anybody. I mean, it's amazing to me who he saw that had the vision to put anybody, anybody, no matter what kind of physical shape, if they can't even say a word, right? And handicapped on top of that and, you know, is just give it a go. Give it a go.

[Joe Rogan]

Give it a go. Try to be funny. Best. Just do your best. Yeah, a lot of people doing their best.

[Ron White]

I'm thrilled. I'm thrilled for the success of it.

[Joe Rogan]

It's incredible.

[Ron White]

Yeah, it really is.

[Joe Rogan]

It's fun, too. It's like. It makes everything more fun when. When there's a fun thing like that out there in the world. More of us have fun. We have more fun at the clubs. We have more. More fun talking about comedy.

[Ron White]

Yeah. And, you know, it made me really proud, too. I mean, just to walk out on stage and it's, you know, it's you and Shane and Segura and Tony. And these are my friends, you know, these are my buddies. This is my tribe right here. And we're doing something really special. And it's a fucking hoot.

[Joe Rogan]

It is a fucking hoot.

[Ron White]

It's a fucking hoot.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. And it's. That club's the best place for it.

[Ron White]

I had a nightmare the other night.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh no.

[Ron White]

Yeah. And it was about the club.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh no.

[Ron White]

And that I was the headliner that night. And I got down there and there were like 9, 11 year old girls and that's all the tickets we could sell. And I was like, did you tell them I was coming? Yeah, we put it in the thing and nobody showed up, Ron, except for these chicks.

[Joe Rogan]

If I was your psychiatrist, I'd sit down to go, ron, what do you think this means to you? What inside of your subconscious makes you think that only 11 year old girls would come to see you do comedies?

[Ron White]

That's cause for 38 years I've been waiting for the end, you know, and it finally happened that night in the middle of that dream. See, I knew it would happen.

[Joe Rogan]

I knew like that. And it drives me crazy. I don't understand how you can think like that.

[Ron White]

I just always have because I, you know, it never works as good as it worked for me, you know, I mean, it's worked okay for you, but I mean, you know, these kind of careers don't last forever until. Unless they do. And there's not very many of them that do, you know, last fucking four decades.

[Joe Rogan]

It's a different world now, Ron. I think they do last now, I guess. I think the thing that was going on before was everybody thought you did comedy to get to something. You did comedy to get to the movies, you did comedy to get to tv. And if you didn't, then you were a failure and you thought of yourself as a failure and other people thought of you as a failure too. And that would diminish your confidence, that would diminish your draw. And only a few people survived that and escaped. And a lot of great comics like Richard, Jenny, for instance, he got caught up in that and felt like he was a failure and a loser and wind up fucking killing himself. Meanwhile, he was one of the greatest comics that's ever lived. He just missed the boat. He missed the Internet boat. He would have been.

[Ron White]

Yeah, but I missed it too.

[Joe Rogan]

You didn't though. But you didn't, you didn't miss it. You didn't. You caught us. You caught the whole wave, brother. You came to the.

[Ron White]

I did catch a great wave.

[Joe Rogan]

And it, it's great for all of us that we all know each other. It's great for all of us. There's no more you know, waves like in. In terms of, like, your career is gonna die off. Your career is dependent entirely on your work, and your work's.

[Ron White]

No, I don't think it has.

[Joe Rogan]

It's never been better. You're on fire right now. You were killing it the other night. We were in the green room and we're watching for the balcony howling. It's great. It's great. There's no reason it shouldn't be great. Like, you've been doing it forever. You love doing it. You're passionate about it. You work hard. You're always writing. Of course it's great.

[Ron White]

And it's. And it's fun, you know, it's the best. It's there. I don't think there's any environment that's more conducive to getting chops than. I mean, that really is a gym.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

To me, and. And everybody there is just getting better, and it's that stage time. There's no substitute for stage time.

[Joe Rogan]

Substitute stage time. And a good tribe.

[Ron White]

Yeah, you gotta have that because everybody's killing it.

[Joe Rogan]

Like, when I see Hassan up there killing it, I'm like, whoo, let's go. I get excited.

[Ron White]

Everybody's come a long way.

[Joe Rogan]

A long way. And you see these guys, like, Ari Mad, these young guys coming up. You see all these people in the camp. Patterson on kill. Tony Monday night was on fire. On fire. You see the growth. You see these guys emerging, and you're like, this is incredible. We're in a. We're so lucky. We're in the, like the. We have the luckiest job in the luckiest place in the world.

[Ron White]

I think so, man. And if I was a young comic now, I would go to Austin, Texas, 100%, because there's just all that stage time, and you don't actually automatically get to go to the mothership, but that can be your goal.

[Joe Rogan]

You can get in there, man. You can get in there if you're good. You can get in there if you're good. There's a lot of guys get in there. All you have to do. A lot of women get in there. A lot of non binary people. All you have to do is just be good. Yeah, there's showcases all the time. Adam's picking people all the time. People see you. If you're funny, your shit's on the Internet. It's like the path has never been clearer now for a young comic. I mean, when I was young, starting out, it's like, how do you do this? How do you get on stage? How do you get a manager? How do you get paid? How do you do right. You know, now it's like, it's kind of laid out.

[Ron White]

It is. And there are people also hanging around like me, that. That have been through all this stuff before, you know, the growth spot, to know how to get better, you know, because I was like you. There was no direction. There was nobody giving advice. There was, you know, you just looked at it and went, okay, I'll try this.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, let's see. And, well, you made it late in life, too. You know, that's probably why you have this thing in your head, because, like, when did blue collar was like, how old were you when that, that tour kicked off?

[Ron White]

45, I think.

[Joe Rogan]

See, that's, that's, that's why. That's the thing. You know who else had that same sort of feel? Phil Hartman. Phil Hartman didn't get on Saturday Night Live. I think he was 36. That was his first break.

[Ron White]

36?

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure.

[Ron White]

Now, did he do stand up also, or is he.

[Joe Rogan]

He was going to. He would do some stand up to warm up the crowd sometimes.

[Ron White]

Okay.

[Joe Rogan]

And he would around and he and I talked about it, and I said, anytime you want to do it. I go, I'll take you to the store. I go, you. You can get on stage. I go, you don't need a lot of time. You just, like, put together five minutes. I'll help you. I know you could do it. And he had some really funny impressions. He had a really funny Bill Clinton impression.

[Ron White]

Right?

[Joe Rogan]

He was a funny fucking dude. And a hard worker. You want what a hard worker. That dude used to make me. Everybody felt like they weren't a professional when they were on that guy because he'd have, like, tabs and a notebook where all the scenes were. Everything was organized.

[Ron White]

Yeah, I already feel unprofessional.

[Joe Rogan]

While he was doing that, he was also trying to take his pilot's license. In between scenes, you'd be reading airplane books.

[Ron White]

Jesus Christ. What a tragedy, man. What a tragedy.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, bro, you don't know the half of it. I tried to get him to divorce her a long time ago. I told him, like, right when he was struggling, I said, man, just give her half. Just get out. You'll make more money. And he was like, well, it's not half. It's a scam. The lawyers get a third.

[Ron White]

Yeah, it's a third.

[Joe Rogan]

You get a third of your money. Okay, okay, okay. Just give her the money. Just give her the money. Money is fun. Coupons right? If you're having money and you're not having fun, then what are you? You gotta cut something off, you know, you got to figure out what. Where's the cancer? Hack it off. Hack off that melanoma and let's get this party rolling. Like, you shouldn't be involved with someone that you hate. That's crazy. You come home to someone who hates you. That's crazy.

[Ron White]

That is insane.

[Joe Rogan]

That's crazy.

[Ron White]

You know, and I've been in bad relationships before that I. That I cut off and of course. And. And then all of a sudden, you can breathe again.

[Joe Rogan]

You know, you're a different person when you're in a bad relationship. Like, you're bad too. Like, you're not your best. Just like a bad friendship. Like you're not the best friend if your friend is a. You know, you're. You're good friends with good friends. Like, we all inspire each other. And if you got a one way street or if you are one of those unfortunate people that hooked up with a hot lunatic, because that's the problem. You got a hot lunatic, right? And they're sexy and they're fun for short bursts, right. A few hours at a time. And then you're like, oh, my God, this person is in my life. And if you move in with them.

[Ron White]

Oh, Christ, I know.

[Joe Rogan]

And if you have kids with them, oh, cry. And if you're married to them, oh, Christ, you married a hot lunatic.

[Ron White]

The hole gets deeper and deeper and deeper.

[Joe Rogan]

This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Summer is almost here, and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. What do I mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parmesan delivered. Catamaran. That's a no. Lemon meringue. That's a yes. A day in the sun. No. A bottle of rum. Yes. Uber Eats can definitely help you out with that. Get almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. For alcohol, you must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly. Product availability varies by region. See app for details. You know you're Johnny Depp and you're on tv.

[Ron White]

Yeah. And you're in the court with the whole thing falling to pieces.

[Joe Rogan]

Whole thing falling to pieces in front of the whole world because you married a hot lunatic. And that's the thing about symmetry and beauty and. And women who are sexy, they just can trick you. And then in men are so easily tricked or so vulnerable.

[Ron White]

Oh, I'm. I'm the worst I'm so easy to lead me down a road I'll just sniff my way oh, this is bliss.

[Joe Rogan]

Love we're gonna elope it I don't care about my money.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

She used to, like, insult him at parties. And Phil Hartman's wife, it was really rough. I remember, took him. We all went to this party once, like some industry type party. And she was insulting him, and I was like, oh. I just. I had to bite my tongue, which I'm not very good at, you know?

[Ron White]

No.

[Joe Rogan]

And I was like. And then, you know, he and I were in his green. His little dressing room, and I was telling him, man, like, there's another way, you know? You're a great guy. Like, you're a great guy. You're a lot of fun. You'd be a better person if you were with someone better. Like, you'd feel better about yourself. Like, you can't be feeling good about yourself. No, no, you gotta, you know? But he had kids, too, which complicates the. Out of everything.

[Ron White]

He had kids with her?

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

Oh, fuck.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ron White]

What a horrible fucking story.

[Joe Rogan]

Did I ever tell you the story about, like, the worst I ever bombed on stage? Right after that. Like, easily the worst I've ever bombed on stage. That would tell you a story.

[Ron White]

I've never seen you bomb on stage.

[Joe Rogan]

I was at the gas station, and I was getting gases two weeks after he was murdered. And it was the first time I was gonna go on stage again because I was. Everyone was wrecked. I didn't even know, like, how long it would take before I felt like I could do comedy again. So I'm at the gas station getting gas and just randomly run into a buddy of mine who's a cop, and I go, hey, what's up? What's going on, man? He's like, how you. How you doing? You. You doing okay? I'm like, man, we're all up, you know? And he goes, did I tell you that I was there? I go, no, you were there. He goes, dude, what? He goes, I was there when the kids ran from the mom. I go, what do you mean? He's like, after she killed herself, she barricaded herself in the. After. Excuse me. After she killed Phil Hartman, she barricaded herself in the bathroom, and she had the kids in there with her with a gun. And a lot of times when moms kill themselves, they'll kill their kids, too. And the cops saw that, and so they kicked open the door. And when they kicked open the door, the kids ran from the mom. The kids ran out of the bathroom, and then the mom blew her brains out.

[Ron White]

Fuck. I forgot about. I forgot about that part of it. I mean, I forgot that she killed herself.

[Joe Rogan]

I'm seeing my friend at the gas station right before I go on stage. I'm going on stage in about 45 minutes.

[Ron White]

Jesus.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. Half hour drive to the comedy store. Fifteen minutes before I'm gonna go on stage. And this. This is my face. I'm just like, there's nothing funny in the world. There's nothing funny in the world. And then after I recovered, you know, I took like another week off and then I came back and I was like, he would just. He just wanted me to keep going. I had a dream about him once. It was like the most realistic dream I've ever had about anybody in my life. Ever in my life. He was sitting a lawn chair, and I ran into him and I was like, what do you. How are you doing? What are you doing? And he's like, oh, I'm fine. He goes, we made up. He goes, it was a lot. He goes, obviously, we had a lot to work out. And he laughed about it. And I said, well, that's great, man. And then he pushed the chair back and he was gone. And then I woke up like, he was gone. It was the. One of the most. I've had two very realistic dreams in my life that seemed so realistic, they didn't even make sense. That was one of them where it was like, I felt like he was there. I didn't. I didn't feel like he wanted me to let it go. Was so weird. I felt like, you know, he wanted. It's like that's how he was whenever they would fight. Because, like, I'm not. I don't like fights in real. Which sounds crazy because I commentate on fights, but I don't like. I don't like conflict. I wish it didn't exist. The reason why I got good at fighting like, martial arts is because I was scared of conflict. I don't like it. I understand it, but I don't think it's necessary. And I don't think fighting in a relationship, I think that's the worst. And the people that get in these relationships, they scream and yell at each other and call each other horrible names and. But with a lot of people, it becomes this cycle of getting mad at each other and then making up. And then the making up sex is, like, very addictive to a lot of people. It's like. It's a different kind of thing and you get on this weird roller coaster ride of I hate you, I love you, I hate you, I love you. And he was, he was on that roller coaster ride and he was letting me know, like it just went too far. It went crazy.

[Ron White]

Well, you know, I lived in Mexico for a while with a. With a woman who eventually took her own life. And I mean, I was already out of the picture for a couple of years and when that happened. But when I was in Mexico with her, I knew that I was. I was trapped, number one. I was. I moved down there to start a fucking pottery company because I was frustrated with stand up comedy. They had just cut my. The funny bone chain had just cut my pay by a third because they realized that I just worked for them and I couldn't patch this schedule together without them.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, what a bunch of ass.

[Ron White]

So they. And I told the guy that ran the funny bone, Gerald Kubach, to go eat a steaming bowl of fucking. And I don't even know what that would look like. I don't know. But it cost me a lot of work to say it, but it was still fun to say. But I moved with her down to Mexico and I knew that she was crazy. And the way it came up was she had called a friend of mine and told her that sometimes she stands over my bed with a knife and just stares at me. And my son was there also part of the time. And I'm like, well, that's over. I got to get out of this. But the big thing was I was depressed because of my situation, because I didn't see a way out of it, you know, I didn't see a way out. I just couldn't see. I just couldn't see a path. And it got to where when I was around people, I couldn't talk. And, you know, I had no tribe, you know, at all. I was cut off from all my friends. And it's just something I did to myself with that move down to Mexico, which I was there for three years and it was just the worst time of my life. And I really didn't think I'd ever come out of it. I mean, I never thought I could even get back to a place where I could sit down and have a conversation with somebody. That's how depressed I was. And when I. It was funny because I moved into Mexico, I had the biggest truck that Ryder makes pulling the biggest trailer they make, my van pulling the biggest trailer they make, all headed down south, all your shit to everything moved to Mexico.

[Joe Rogan]

Why Mexico?

[Ron White]

Because My girlfriend at the time did this mosaic tile application to existing pottery, and she would sell it at art shows or craft shows, you know, whatever. And it would sell really fast. But it took her six months to make any of it. So I thought, why wouldn't you just go down to Mexico and train a bunch of women how to make it and let her orchestrate it? And I did it. Sucking sound that Ross Perot was talking about going to Mexico. Three years later, I had the exact same equipment headed on north out of Mexico with same exact truck trailer, everything. That was a bad idea. Three years and wow. But. But she must have hot. Once I. Oh, she was so hot. Oh, she was so hot. And I'd never been with a hot woman before. I had never been with. I mean, that was my girl, you know?

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

And she was just so. She was so beautiful. I'm like, I'm gonna. I'll be with her even though I hate her, just so I can look at her, you know, I just stare at her. That'll be enough. That's all I'll need. Turns out I needed a little more than that, so.

[Joe Rogan]

But you can only tolerate so much.

[Ron White]

And then I ended up marrying this other girl. That was horrible. I mean. I mean, I know she's probably listening to this right now, so I don't mean horrible, but horrible. And. But she always searched the Internet for things about me so she could say, hey, this person said, thanks for signing my girlfriend's tickets. What are you out there signing girlfriend's tickets? Yeah, I'll sign anybody's ticket. You know, just always looking. Every time she'd turn on her computer, it'd make me sick to my stomach because I didn't know what she was gonna come up with. You know, I'm no angel anyway, and. But. So that girl's sister, when she killed herself, sent me a post that. That my ex wife found. She printed it saying that she had killed herself. She brought it in and handed it to me, and all I did was sit down on the couch and she goes, oh, now you loved her. I'm like, just give me a minute. Okay? Just.

[Joe Rogan]

This is her sister doing this?

[Ron White]

No, this is my wife. She got the note from her. She got the letter from her sister and handed it to me, and she saw it affected me, and she's like, oh, now you loved your sister?

[Joe Rogan]

Jesus Christ. What are you supposed to do? Yeah, a lady that you used to live with kill herself?

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

What the.

[Ron White]

Yeah, just give me a minute.

[Joe Rogan]

Give me a minute.

[Ron White]

Yeah, give me A minute.

[Joe Rogan]

Jesus. It's a human being that, you know, they killed themselves. How many people do you think you know that have killed themselves?

[Ron White]

Oh, man. Let's see. Not very many that I really knew. My best friend, one of my best friends from childhood killed himself and. But we thought he died at the massacre in Waco because he was a big Koresh guy.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, boy. You missed the massacre.

[Ron White]

Yeah, he missed the massacre. But we thought maybe he's there when it was all going down, but he wasn't. And eventually, it was an odd thing. Anyway, he was. He was a dear friend from childhood. His dad was the music director at my church, and he and I used to buff the floors of the church with those big bluff. That was our job on one day a week that we'd go down there and we'd actually sing Neil Young songs to the top of our lungs. Cause we. Well, I Dream I Saw the Nights, you know, we just sing the fuck out of Neil Young songs. That was the only tape I had. You know. Know, I know you and him had a little problem, but I don't have no problem. I know. You were so sweet about that.

[Joe Rogan]

I love that guy. I love his music. He just had. He didn't get it.

[Ron White]

No, he didn't.

[Joe Rogan]

That's all it is.

[Ron White]

That was a. That was a dumb thing.

[Joe Rogan]

Well, he just missed. He didn't understand what was happening, and nobody did. I don't blame him. Nobody did. I. I'd talk to him in a heartbeat. Even though he pulled his music and tried to get me removed from Spotify.

[Ron White]

Right.

[Joe Rogan]

That was a. I still don't care. I love that guy and I loved his music. Even after he did it, I still listened to his music. He just got. He missed. He didn't know what was happening. He got tricked. A lot of people got tricked. You know, a lot of people thought that this was the only way out. We had to listen to these evil, lying fucks that were telling us that everybody had to take this vaccine. There was no other medicine available, and if you didn't, everybody was going to die. And, you know, he got caught up in it. They got us all, though. They got the whole country. You can't be mad at the whole country, Right?

[Ron White]

That's crazy, right?

[Joe Rogan]

I don't want to be mad at anybody anymore. Ron White.

[Ron White]

I don't either.

[Joe Rogan]

As I get older, I'm less and less inclined. There's people I don't wish to talk to.

[Ron White]

Right?

[Joe Rogan]

Like, I don't need that in my life. I don't need whatever you bring in my life. But I don't wish bad.

[Ron White]

Yeah, I have really, really healthy boundaries when it comes to people that don't make me feel good, you know, I just don't. I just won't hang around.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. I don't want to be around them and confront them, like, who cares?

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

No, good luck to you. I'll give you a hug.

[Ron White]

I got some other shit going on.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, I have friends.

[Ron White]

But you know what? I'll tell you what makes you a good friend. When you get successful, and I'll just talk about successful like I am, it's hard to find anybody that'll disagree with you. You know that. Because there's something to gain. And that's true with you, too. I mean that, you know, you hold a lot of power and you have something a lot of people fucking want. And I know that because I have a box of. And I should have brought them and given them to you. Anyway, I'll bring them to the club tonight. But it's just a guy I met that owns a sunglass company, and he makes sunglasses for hunting. Hunting anybody. And so he said, wait a minute.

[Joe Rogan]

Who wears sunglasses when they hunt?

[Ron White]

I don't know. Nobody.

[Joe Rogan]

You can't wear them when. Well, I guess maybe some people probably do. I bet rifle hunters do.

[Ron White]

Yeah, they. He said that one of them are specifically for bow hunting. That makes you see the target better or something. Oh, interesting.

[Joe Rogan]

Okay. So he's got an invention.

[Ron White]

I, you know, I don't know. I don't hunt, so I don't really know anything about hunting in glasses. He just said he was going to send a box. Would you give them to Joe? And I said, yeah, I'll give them to him. And I didn't.

[Joe Rogan]

So I would think that glasses would get in the way because, you know, when you shoot with a bow, there's a thing called a peep sight. So you have your string. And in your string is what? One of the things that's sewn into your string is this little plastic circle.

[Ron White]

Sure.

[Joe Rogan]

Do you know what it is?

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

Okay, so you know it lines up with the scope, the housing of the bow.

[Ron White]

No, I don't know that.

[Joe Rogan]

So with a peep sight is when you draw back and you. You don't look through the string. You look to the circle that's on the string. It's sewed into the string. And that circle, you line it up exactly with your sight housing. And so where your pin is, it's all about, like, staying calm and keeping that pin There. And you want to keep it all like, connected together. So my eye is like right there, like right next to this, this, this peep site. If I had glasses, it might get in the way, you know what I mean? Like, because the string is touching my nose and the thing is right there and I'm just drawing back and I'm looking at it like that, right through.

[Ron White]

I'll give them to you. See what you think.

[Joe Rogan]

I don't know anybody who shoot, but I knew. I know some hunters that have glasses, so there must be a way to adjust.

[Ron White]

I don't know. I don't know. That's what he told me though.

[Joe Rogan]

Okay, we'll try it out.

[Ron White]

All right.

[Joe Rogan]

I'm open to anything. You never know. And anything that makes you good at that, that's a difficult thing to do, you know, like if I meet a guy and he's like, I'm a bow hunter, I'm like, oh, okay.

[Ron White]

Oh. Anyway, what I'm saying is this.

[Joe Rogan]

Go ahead.

[Ron White]

What I'm saying is this, that, that you're one of the only friends that I have that'll say no. That's fucked up, Ron. You, you, you don't agree with me to make me feel better because you have something, I have something you need.

[Joe Rogan]

Right?

[Ron White]

You know, you'll go ahead and go, nah, every now and then.

[Joe Rogan]

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. It's the end of tax season, and I know by now you all are probably sick of numbers, but there's one more expense we need to talk about, and that's how much you're investing in your well being. The cost of traditional therapy can be outrageous. Between a hundred and two hundred fifty dollars a month or even more. So how do you get the help you need without blowing your monthly budget? Use BetterHelp. With BetterHelp, you pay a flat fee for weekly sessions, saving you money and time. It could even help you save up to 50% per session and you still get quality care. Therapy is a good tool everyone can use. Whether you've experienced a major trauma or not. It can teach you valuable skills you can use in your everyday life, like how to better manage all that stress tax season brings, or how to communicate better with your partner, or even how to be more mindful. Use better help to work towards your goals at a reasonable cost. It's also more convenient since everything is online. It's easier to work in a therapy session no matter how hectic your schedule gets. And as one of the largest online therapy platforms, BetterHelp has access to thousands of therapists with all sorts of specialties so you can find the right fit for you. Your well being is worth it. Visit betterhelp.com jre to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp h e l p.com jre well, that green room's great for that. A lot of. Because everybody knows that everybody loves everybody. So everybody can just talk openly about anything, you know, like, and if you have like some dumb argument with someone, someone will come in and go, yeah, I think he's right. Yeah.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

And you gotta go, oh, really? What? Okay, let me think about it. You need that in your life. You don't want to be a tyrant.

[Ron White]

No.

[Joe Rogan]

You know, and that's what happens to a lot of successful people is they get real insecure and so they become kind of a tyrant and they don't want to listen to anybody else. You know, you see that with people that are, like, on shows and they run the show. It's. The show's all about them. You know, they're the show and they're, you know, they're the producer and executive producer and the cast all kisses their ass and they're at the top of the casting call or whatever it is. The call sheet.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

It's a bad place to be. You don't want to be there. Don't do it. Don't do it. You just, you got to resist the urge.

[Ron White]

So I went back to my ayahuasca place down in Costa Rica. So I, I went four years ago. Right. And. And that's when I quit drinking.

[Joe Rogan]

Right.

[Ron White]

Which, you know I did.

[Joe Rogan]

Right.

[Ron White]

You know I quit drinking.

[Joe Rogan]

I quit, too.

[Ron White]

When?

[Joe Rogan]

A month ago.

[Ron White]

I knew that you weren't drinking.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

But I didn't know.

[Joe Rogan]

Stop drinking.

[Ron White]

I didn't know that it was a.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, I think I'm done. Yeah. For no reason other than it's not good for you.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

No, I didn't have to. I enjoyed it.

[Ron White]

Right. No, you were having a good time. I was watching.

[Joe Rogan]

But the, the days after drinking were just too rough. And I'm like, what. What kind of a moron who takes so good care of his body is poisoned himself a couple of days a week for fun? You know, why am I doing that? And then I'm like, well, will I have the same amount of fun if I don't poison myself? Turns out, yes, exactly.

[Ron White]

Right. Well, there's more than one way to skin a cat. I mean, you haven't quit everything. Right. Exactly. Yeah. And I'm just Skinning the cat a different way.

[Joe Rogan]

Tell me about your cat. Well, I'm gonna play some Ecoros. Did they play those while you went through the. Here we go. Jamie's got them already.

[Ron White]

So what's that?

[Joe Rogan]

This is the songs that a lot of the shaman like to play while you're tripping balls.

[Ron White]

Okay.

[Joe Rogan]

And if they play the song while you're under the influence, the hallucination will dance to the songs.

[Ron White]

Oh, wow.

[Joe Rogan]

It's. There's certain songs you like. I don't get it. Like, the Grateful Dead. I've never been on acid at a Dead concert, but they say if you are, you get it. So, like, I'm missing that part, right? You know? So to me, it's like. It's just this jam music, which is fine, but I'd rather listen to Skynyrd, you know what I mean?

[Ron White]

I saw Skynyrd Monday or Sunday night.

[Joe Rogan]

The original skin, the real skin entered before the plane crash.

[Ron White]

No, I'm just saying these guys are putting a show together.

[Joe Rogan]

I'm sure.

[Ron White]

Ricky Medlock playing Alan Collins's play. They have two other guitar players and. But it is a band. I mean, they are nailing this shit. I had tears coming out my eyes during fucking Freebird for a lot of reasons. Number one, I saw him in 73. Me and Steve Cook, who was my best friend till the day he died, and. And Ronnie Van Zant was lighting joints and he was handing them out into the crowd. Well, me and Steve had worked our way up to the front. He handed one of them to me, and everybody else was taking a hit. I just stuck it in my pocket and went in the bathroom and smoked it because they were cotton, it was illegal then. And I was listening to Skinner. Well, Sunday night, I'm at the Skinner show. There's Cops where I was, and there was outhouses right next to it where you go through this fence. And I told my girlfriend, I'll be right back. And I was over there. I was in the outhouse smoking a joint, listening to Skinner. And I'm like, well, I haven't changed much in 50 fucking years. You know? The exact same thing.

[Joe Rogan]

So some. Some songs, people just nail it and it stays great forever. Yeah, you never get tired of Free Bird guitar solo.

[Ron White]

Yeah. And they just fucking hammered it home. I mean, it was so good.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, nice.

[Ron White]

That it was just. I couldn't believe it, you know? But I brought him on stage at the Greek one time, maybe 20 years ago or 15 years ago, I don't know. And it was fun. Because I got to say that when I was 16 years old, we were at the skirt show, and we had taken enough mushrooms to kill an average teenager. But we weren't average teenagers, ladies and gentlemen. Leonard. Scattered. It was great fun.

[Joe Rogan]

Cool.

[Ron White]

And so it kind of brought back all those memories, you know? And then watching them play it again was kind of. It's weird because especially when I come back from Rhythmia, which is my place out there, that I always come back emotional.

[Joe Rogan]

Right.

[Ron White]

And. And kind of full of love and forgiveness and those kinds of things. That's what I learned from. From those hallucinogens. Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

Isn't it crazy that that's illegal?

[Ron White]

Yeah. To feel good, you got to go to another country.

[Joe Rogan]

To be a better person.

[Ron White]

You got.

[Joe Rogan]

To go to another country. You got to leave the land of the free, Right? Leave the land of freedom to go to another country that's much more lawless and. And take in the divine and come back a better person.

[Ron White]

It's. And it's crazy. And I also. And I don't think it's for everybody, you know, I'm out there just going, yeah, you gotta. You gotta do this, because I think you have to be open to some things, you know, you have to be open to, hey, maybe I'm wrong about everything. You know, maybe there is.

[Joe Rogan]

If you're not open to it, you'll get hit hard.

[Ron White]

Well, and that's why it's not for everybody, because I, you know, I've seen people wig down there, and. And which is why I, you know, I know you can get ayahuasca locally and have. They have, you know, people that are. I don't know where they got their shaman title from, but you can do it here. Yeah, but I know that there, you know, it's a licensed medical facility with doctors. It's the only one in the world that's a licensed medical facility. And it's. And they're prepared when people wig. You know, they know what to do.

[Joe Rogan]

They know to hold you down.

[Ron White]

Yeah. And they do, too. They'll fucking bind you up and wait till it to clear because they know that you're at a point in this that you're going through some heavy shit. One of them was an NFL player last time I was there. And this guy was fucking huge, plays for Buffalo. And he just. And I was like, God, if you had to pick somebody to wig, you would say, please don't let it be that fucking dude.

[Joe Rogan]

Did he wig?

[Ron White]

He wigged.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, no.

[Ron White]

He wigged big time.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, no.

[Ron White]

And Started and started just screaming, get the fuck away from me.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, no.

[Ron White]

Which will, you know, that kind of, you know, you got 70 people in this room that are tripping. And so.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, no, what a. What a bummer.

[Ron White]

And it was. And. But they've got big guys, too.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh.

[Ron White]

And so they just got him out of the room, got him calmed down, and he didn't leave. You know, he just. He was going through some shit. The first time I went there, this girl from Japan started kicking and screaming, and they took her outside, and they had to fucking subdue her. But at the end of the day, the person with the biggest smile on their face was her. Because she worked through some shit that I can't even talk about that I happen to know what it was, but it ain't worth knowing. But she found pure fucking joy and peace in her life, and you could see it in her face, you know? And I was wondering why, when she was wigging out, why is nobody flipping out but me? Because the people that worked there weren't flipping out at all, because they've seen it, and there's nothing they haven't seen. There's been 18,000 people through that facility, and so they've seen it all, but they just know how to. They know how to handle it. Well, I wonder if you're just in some mansion in Beverly Hills or whatever, if there's somebody there that knows how to handle it.

[Joe Rogan]

Probably not.

[Ron White]

Probably not.

[Joe Rogan]

Probably not. Especially if you don't know what you're gonna get hit with.

[Ron White]

Yeah. And you need to be in a really safe place where people know how to guide you through it.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

You know, you don't. It's not something I think you want to grab a handful of and go sit in a fucking closet, you know, and try to figure it out for yourself.

[Joe Rogan]

So that's the real weirdness of any kind of a psychedelic journey is that you're probably gonna be going through some shit, and someone could either manipulate you during that time or help you during that time.

[Ron White]

Right.

[Joe Rogan]

And there are people that will manipulate you.

[Ron White]

Absolutely. And. And that's why. You know, that's why I go to this place that's not that easy to go to, just because it's so safe. You know, it's just. It's set up perfectly for what they're trying to do. And. And it was. It was this guy's dream to do that, to make it accessible to regular people. So back then, when he opened up, you had to go to a corrugated tin shack in Peru or Wherever to get this stuff. And he said, I want to make a place that's safe to go and people feel comfortable and, you know.

[Joe Rogan]

So isn't it kind of crazy that that's illegal? I mean, it's kind of the weirdest thing of all time that we haven't just as a society went, okay, why are all these people going to these places? Okay, when they come back, do they have positive experiences? Does it help them? Yeah, a lot of them. Okay, why don't we do that here? It should be that simple.

[Ron White]

Should be that simple.

[Joe Rogan]

It should be so simple.

[Ron White]

Yeah. There was a guy there that was on a scholarship they had for basically wounded warriors that are going through heavy ptsd. There's an organization that's sending guys to arrhythmia. I got to talk to him a lot while he was there, and he was a psychologist, and. But. And he was. He was fucked up, and. But I kind of got to watch his transformation a little bit, watch this guy coming around. And I'd seen that, and I'd seen the transformation in myself where I could just not be so angry and not be. And not hold all this hate, you know, that. That I. That takes so much energy to fucking control and to have them really show me a way to let all that stuff go, you know, to. And to be a happier person, you know, and it's hard to. I really don't understand ayahuasca, so it's really hard to explain it to somebody else, you know, but.

[Joe Rogan]

But I don't think anybody really understands it.

[Ron White]

Yeah, right. And I know there's some stuff that's stronger than that, but I don't. I don't know what it's called. Ibogaine, you mean, Is that what it is?

[Joe Rogan]

Ibogaine is the one that people use for addiction. There's a place called beyond, that's in Mexico that does that. Rick Perry was telling us about that. A lot of former Governor Rick Perry is a part of that. He really wants to bring ibogaine to Texas and have treatment.

[Ron White]

We can't be gambling here.

[Joe Rogan]

I think they can get ibogaine. I think, especially with a Republican like Rick Perry who's really concerned about the mental health of veterans, because I think that's where it really shines. Ibogaine in particular helps a lot of people. It gives you, like, a review of your life. Apparently. I've never experienced it, but the people that have very positive things to say about it, and it's incredibly good at helping people get over addictions. It has A very high success rate for one treatment, I think it's in the 80%. And then if you do two treatments, it's in the mid-90s.

[Ron White]

That's fucking amazing.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. People that never go back to the drugs, never, never go back to whatever it is, gambling, whatever you have, whatever's wrong with you.

[Ron White]

All you got to do is figure out what's wrong with you.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, you got to figure out why you're doing that. Like, what is this pathway that I keep going down that's sabotaging my whole life? And why, why can I not resist it? Why do I keep reaching for the bottle? What is it? Why do I keep snorting coke? What is it? What is it?

[Ron White]

Well, that was the question I had with myself because I drank like a fool for years.

[Joe Rogan]

They don't say.

[Ron White]

It was funny because whenever I was single again and I was in the green room and I said, maybe I'll start drinking again. And everybody at one time went, no, no, no, no, no, that's not it. I was just kidding. I was just kidding.

[Joe Rogan]

Well, you quit like that, though. You did. Like you were gone.

[Ron White]

I did. And, but, but I went to. To rhythm me with intention. I wanted to know why I was doing this to myself and why I could not see a way to quit. And it was so tied up in my Persona, my stage presence, who I really was at the time. And I'm like, why is this all tied to me and why can't I shake it? And so with that, I also went through hypnosis because I had to get sober before I went to. Because that's not what their deal is. They're not a treatment facility. It could be a byproduct of it, but they're like, yeah, we're not going to. We don't have detox here, so you have to quit some other way. And once you've been sober for a month, you can come down here. Which is exactly what I did. I came up with a way to do that through hypnosis, which I thought was pretty effective. But I got sober once before in one of those rehabs in Malibu for 90 grand. And which was at the time, I was spiraling, you know, I was living in a five star hotel in Beverly Hills. I was doing a bunch of blow. I was screwing expensive hookers, which was exactly my life plan, you know, I'm like, okay, here it is. And it ended up feeling pretty hollow, you know, And I ended up going there and I stayed sober for about maybe six months or something like that. But it was white knuckle the whole fucking time of, you know, no fun. But when I. When I did it the way I did it, when I checked into that facility, I got the sweat. Night sweat so bad when I quit that I would. They had two beds and the new people's things, and I would soak the sheets in one of them and move to the other bed and soak the sheets in that one. I was detoxing big time. Never happened this time. I never had a night sweat, never regretted it, never thought about it again, never tempted to drink again. And, you know, and I. I own number one tequila still. And. And it's there at the Green Room every night. And I'm not even. It doesn't even bother me a bit.

[Joe Rogan]

That's interesting. So that's what the big fear a lot of people have is how I still be around bars.

[Ron White]

Right. And, you know, and. Yeah. Is it a little awkward at first? Yes. And do I hang out in bars all the time? Other than our club? No, I don't. I mean, I'll go listen to music if there's something, but just to go to a bar and hang out, I just don't do it.

[Joe Rogan]

Right.

[Ron White]

And for whatever reason.

[Joe Rogan]

Well, it's not that much fun being around drunks when you're so.

[Ron White]

No, it's really not.

[Joe Rogan]

You gotta be in the vibe of the drunks to appreciate drunk talk.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

When you're sober and someone's drunk and they're telling you some fucking story about their boss being a douchebag, it's like, whoa.

[Ron White]

Right? So. And I also have a tendency, a natural tendency to just kind of isolate anyway, you know? And so I really. That's one of the things I love about the club, is it gets me out of the house. It gets me to go down there where my friends are and do what I do for a living and what I do for a living and what I do for fun.

[Joe Rogan]

I think a lot of people have that problem, that isolation problem, you know?

[Ron White]

Yeah. Yeah. Because I think that. I think that people like you and I think a lot gets dumped on us, you know, because I'm the. Of all the friends that I know that I've known for a long while, I'm the only one that has. That's been very successful, not out of my comic friends, but out of my regular friends. And it seems like I get just. I have to take in a lot of stuff and I never knew how to get rid of it. So I would just get to the point where I Was full and I couldn't take anymore. And that's when I would isolate myself.

[Joe Rogan]

Right. Too many people want something.

[Ron White]

Too many people want something. That's why I gravitate towards you, is because I know you don't want jack shit from me except for me to be your buddy and let us be brothers in comedy and whatever, so. And life and so, you know, so that's really good for me, even today, you know, that's what gets me out of the house sometimes, you know?

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, me too. I mean, I love being home. I love being home with my family hanging out. But my comedy family, I love being around too. And that's what I feel like. I feel like when, especially when comics are in town, that I don't get to see that often.

[Ron White]

Oh, it's cool as.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, we all hang out together. It's beautiful.

[Ron White]

Who were those two actors that were at the club the other day? It was so much fun to have them in there. It was.

[Joe Rogan]

Which night?

[Ron White]

Fuck, I don't know. We. We get a lot of visitors when Woody was there. No.

[Joe Rogan]

Will Arnett and Brad Cooper.

[Ron White]

Yeah, Bradley Cooper. And. Well, it was fun to have him in the green room because, you know, we, we all, we're all around each other all the time. So it's fun to have a new people in there with stories we've never heard.

[Joe Rogan]

I wasn't there for that one.

[Ron White]

Yeah, it was, it was cool as, you know, just to have them hanging out, you know, good guys, you know.

[Joe Rogan]

Woody was there. You weren't here when Woody was there?

[Ron White]

No.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh my God, he was so much fun. He's so fun.

[Ron White]

Did he do your show?

[Joe Rogan]

No. Yeah, he did my show, but then this. That was nights before that and he just wanted to come to the club. He's been to the club a couple of times now.

[Ron White]

Harrelson.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, he's just been hanging out.

[Ron White]

Fuck, I always wanted to meet that.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, he's so nice. We just all hung out in the green room and he was just like one of the boys. It was so easy.

[Ron White]

How fucking cool is that?

[Joe Rogan]

So cool. So he's so easy to talk to. So like. And talks to everybody the same way. He's like so easy. He's just a genuine dude. He don't even have a phone. You can't even get a hold of him.

[Ron White]

Really? Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

You don't have a phone? Doesn't have email. It doesn't do email you.

[Ron White]

Oh, yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

He's like. He's got an assistant that handles everything. Yeah. It's just probably a freeing thing, you know, just, just be, just stop. Just stop. Leave me alone.

[Ron White]

Right.

[Joe Rogan]

You know?

[Ron White]

Well, I don't answer emails anyway.

[Joe Rogan]

It's also like, let me know what I actually, let me think about what I think about things. Instead of being inundated by all these other people's thoughts constantly, all day long, which is valuable. It's good to get other people's perspectives on things. I think it enriches you, but at a certain point in time become captive to it. And I think there's just too many people that are captive to other people's thoughts.

[Ron White]

I think so too. That's why I'm so close minded. And I really am. I'm truly closed minded. And I think you're open minded. And I try to be. And, and I, and I, and I struggle with that because just letting people pour information into my head, you know, I just tend to avoid it. I am engaged, you know, in that I do follow things closely. And not the stock market, but everything else. But that's been a little.

[Joe Rogan]

Don't follow the stock market right now. It's so baffling. It's so crazy. Like, what is going on? The whole world is mad at us. Trump's playing golf and in between swings, he's on the phone with presidents of countries. We're gonna need more money.

[Ron White]

Yeah, that's what somebody told me the other day. Is he playing checkers? Is he playing chess? He's playing golf.

[Joe Rogan]

He's playing golf. Like, what does that mean? Everybody wants to think there's some like, grand plan to it. Well, they think the grand plan is. Look, you know, we remember back when the, was it the 92 elections when Ross Perot was in. So when Ross Perot laid out what happened. Do you remember during that debate where Ross Perot laid out what happened with the tariffs? So that like they, when we try to sell stuff over there, we get a high tariff. It's like a 35% tariff, but they don't get tariffs when it comes over here. It's not the same. It's not like, you know, you guys, there's a tax on everybody if you want to sell your goods to encourage people to buy American products. If you want to sell your products in America, we get a tax. That tax goes to the grid or whatever the hell they're fixing with it.

[Ron White]

Right.

[Joe Rogan]

Ross Pro was laying it out like, this is how all the jobs went to Mexico. Because have you ever seen that, Jamie? It's, it's See if you can find it. It's a great speech because Ross, he.

[Ron White]

Talked about the giant sucking sound.

[Joe Rogan]

Yes, you actually mentioned that earlier in the podcast.

[Ron White]

That's what I was talking about.

[Joe Rogan]

Yes, that's it. That's funny. Did you just see that recently or something?

[Ron White]

No, I just remember it.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh boy, the Giants.

[Ron White]

He would have been a great president.

[Joe Rogan]

I voted for him.

[Ron White]

He had big ears, you know. He didn't come across.

[Joe Rogan]

He was an independent and nobody was voting for independent. By the way, they changed the whole way debates work after this because it used to be if you got 5% of the vote in the primary that you could be a part of the presidential debates. And that's not the case anymore. It was 5% in a poll. I forget what the number was that you had to reach, but it wasn't a high threshold and then you could be a part of the debate. And they changed the shit out of that after this because Ross Perot tanked it. They thought H.W. was going to go for a second term.

[Ron White]

Right.

[Joe Rogan]

And meanwhile Ross Perot fucked it up because a lot of people that would have voted for Bush voted for Ross. And the people that were already going to vote for Clinton voted for Clinton and Clinton won. Bill, play this, Jim.

[C]

$13, $14 an hour for factory workers and you can move your factory south the border, pay a dollar an hour for labor, hire a young 25. Let's assume you've been in business for a long time, you've got a mature workforce, pay a dollar an hour for your labor, have no health care. That's the most expensive single element, making a car. Have no environmental controls, no pollution controls, and no retirement. And you don't care about anything but making money. There will be a giant sucking sound.

[Ron White]

Going there it is right there.

[C]

If the people send me to Washington, the first thing I'll do is study that 2000 page agreement and make sure it's a two way street. One last point here I've called. I decided I was dumb and didn't understand it. So I called the who's who of the folks who've been around it and I said, why won't everybody go south? They said, we'll be disruptive. I said, for how long? I finally got them up for 12 to 15 years. And I said, well, how does it stop being disruptive? And that is when their jobs come up from a dollar an hour to six dollars an hour and ours go down to six dollars an hour, then it's leveled again. But in the meantime, you've wrecked the country with these kinds of deals.

[Ron White]

Jesus Christ. What a fucking smart man.

[Joe Rogan]

He was right. And that's exactly what happened. American manufacturing collapsed. Yeah. And they did it all for money, and they did it all because they were greedy. They were already rich.

[Ron White]

Right.

[Joe Rogan]

And if we could have just gotten those motherfuckers from Ayahuasca.

[Ron White]

Jesus Christ, they just smoothed the fuck out, man.

[Joe Rogan]

They would have said, oh, okay, okay, okay, okay.

[Ron White]

Yeah, let's be nice.

[Joe Rogan]

Let's make America great again.

[Ron White]

I don't understand the trade war with. With Canada because. Have you ever met a Canadian that had $35 in his pocket? No. They're all broke. They have $22. That's really. And they'll buy you a beer. You know, I love Canadians. I've always. Yeah, they're pro. They don't have any money up there.

[Joe Rogan]

How come they don't have any money?

[Ron White]

Because. Because it's socialism. You know, they just. They. I think it's a great place. Don't you love Canada?

[Joe Rogan]

I love it. Well, they have socialized medicine, but it's not. It's a capitalist society.

[Ron White]

It is, but socialized medicine and it's expensive. So they.

[Joe Rogan]

How much. What percentage did Canadians pay in taxes?

[Ron White]

So I don't know.

[Joe Rogan]

Let's find that out. What is. What's the Canadian tax rate? I know it's higher than Americans.

[Ron White]

I know mine's a bitch.

[Joe Rogan]

And when you go over there, you have to pay taxes, too. Like, if you do a gig.

[Ron White]

Yeah. You have to pay taxes.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. You pay Canadian taxes on.

[Ron White]

And you get paid in Canadian dollars. I'm not going up there much for shows.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

But, you know, so here it is.

[Joe Rogan]

Canadian. Canada's top federal income tax rate is 33%, while the US is 37%.

[Ron White]

Right.

[Joe Rogan]

However, when combining federal, provincial, state taxes, Canadians often face higher marginal rates across various income levels. That's interesting that theirs is only 33%. Ours is 37. I thought ours was lower than theirs.

[Ron White]

I thought ours was 40.

[Joe Rogan]

Well, it is when you get to a certain tax bracket. Correct. Isn't it? Ours changes when you get higher, right?

[Ron White]

Yeah, it does.

[Joe Rogan]

33% on the portion over $246,000. What's ours in terms of, like, the highest tax bracket? What's the highest US is it 37? That's what it is. What's really crazy to me is when people say the rich should pay more taxes. Okay, fine, but where do you think that's going? Where's that going? Where is the money going? Is the Money's going to the federal government. Do you think they're good at it? Do you think they're good at managing your money? Have you paid attention to all the Elon's uncovered? 37% is when you make over $69,000 a year. That's you.

[Ron White]

Yeah, well, that's, that's me last month.

[Joe Rogan]

This is the thing. It's like, like I'm happy to pay tax if I thought that they were doing a great job, but it's just you are being strong armed into giving money to people that do a really shitty job of protecting your money and, and investing it in the country. It's a lot of it is going to bureaucracy and, and a bunch of things that you don't have any say in. If you could like, opt out of it. If you could like, imagine if you like pick what you, you know, if you had like a whole tax sheet, would you like your money to go to. Would you like your money to go to overthrowing governments? No. Like, what if the federal government's budget was entirely based on the will of the people? Like, you get to choose, like, how much your money you want to put into drone strikes in Yemen. I say I don't want zero of my money going to that. You know, how many, how much money do you want to go to this or that or clean water? Okay, clean water sounds good. You know how much infrastructure? Fuck yeah. Fix the streets.

[Ron White]

Well, I'm kind of. I agree with you and I've just heard you say this, that, you know, everybody should have access to health care and education 100%. And the whole country. The whole country, everybody that would rise us all up 100%.

[Joe Rogan]

Less losers.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

That's how you make America great. Less losers. Less people that are saddled down with a lifetime of debt because they broke their leg. That's crazy.

[Ron White]

Yeah, all my, you know, all my son's friends are all saddled with $90,000 worth of fucking student loan debt and subsidized. And my son was lucky enough to. That I had enough money to pay for his, you know, and, and so he doesn't have that burden. But God damn it, nobody should have that burden for an education.

[Joe Rogan]

And it's just a for profit institution that roped you into thinking that that was necessary, that you have to be. And by the way, you can get as good an education right now online as is available anywhere on earth if.

[Ron White]

You have the discipline.

[Joe Rogan]

If you have the discipline.

[Ron White]

Right.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. That's what's so wild. That's what's so fascinating about this time is that it is basically obsolete and yet people are still paying $70,000 a year for it. And more like, what does Harvard cost? How much is Harvard? What's Harvard's yearly tuition? Jamie, what do you guess? I was like at least 50?

[Ron White]

Yeah, at least 50.

[Joe Rogan]

I imagine if you're a middle class guy and you got two kids and they do real good and they don't have scholarships and you got to pay.

[Ron White]

For them, I can't imagine. I mean, I don't see how people do it. I mean, I really don't. Oh, boy.

[Joe Rogan]

The total cost of attendance, including fees, housing and food, reaching around $82,000. Undergraduate tuition is $56,550 for a year. That's a lot of money, man.

[Ron White]

That's one year. And if you drop out after one year, then you have nothing and you're down 80 grand.

[Joe Rogan]

But if you make it through those four years, now you're 200 grand in the hole that you owe. And then you have to get a job, and then you get a job that pays 50 and you're like, what?

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, my God.

[Ron White]

I don't wash this off. Right.

[Joe Rogan]

I'll never pay this off.

[Ron White]

And then you have to throw a couple of kids on top of that.

[Joe Rogan]

And you know something wild. There's people out there, their Social Security is getting docked because they owe student loans. So they take money out of your Social Security to pay for your student loans because the student loans is the one thing you can never escape.

[Ron White]

You can't bankrupt it, which is so crazy it's cruel.

[Joe Rogan]

It doesn't make any sense. You're saddling an 18 year old with the burden of a lifetime. Harvard will offer free tuition for families earning $200,000 or less a year. Oh, that's great.

[Ron White]

To who? Offering it to who? You can't even get into Harvard.

[Joe Rogan]

Right. But it's still good. Will be free for students, families earning $200,000 or less a year. College announced Monday. Harvard has long sought to open our doors to the most talented students, no matter their financial circumstances. That's great.

[Ron White]

Yeah, it is.

[Joe Rogan]

That's great. I just don't know if it's necessary. I think it's probably necessary for kids to go to school just to like a passage, rite of passage, you know, Like, I think ceremonies and rites of passages are missing in our society.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

And especially I could speak for young men. They don't know when they're a man. Like, am I a man yet? I'm like, there's some men that, you know in their 30s, their dad's still yelling at them, right? I mean, it's like, when am I. When am I a man? When am I an equal? When am I. You know, we don't have a ceremony, you know, in other tribal societies and all throughout history, people have had rituals, rites of passage, rituals where people feel like, okay, we fucking made it. You know, like, you have a black belt ceremony. You got your black belt. All right, I made it. You know, I'm in. But you know that. So I think there's a benefit in that society. But then you gotta, like, unlearn all this shit your fucking crazy professors are telling you.

[Ron White]

Did you go to college?

[Joe Rogan]

Yes, I went to UMass Boston.

[Ron White]

Oh, wow, that's good school.

[Joe Rogan]

Easy to get into. I was, I only went because I didn't want people thinking I was a loser. That's the only reason why I went. I just wasted my time there. I went for three years just wasting my time taking class so I could tell people I was going to college.

[Ron White]

Oh, I didn't waste any time. I, I got kicked out of high school in the 10th grade. So, you know, my mind is an open book there. A lot of the pages aren't filled in. And you know what? And I always kind of. I regret, I regret that a little bit, you know, that I didn't go to college, that I didn't.

[Joe Rogan]

What do you regret about it?

[Ron White]

Well, just, you know, I, I, Well, I. Number one, I think I'd be smarter. I. But I don't know what it is. And I. And, and I, I've made it just fine with what I've had, you know, and, and, you know, I've got attention deficit disorder and, and all these things. It really kept me from doing traditional schoolwork very well.

[Joe Rogan]

I'm not even sure that's real.

[Ron White]

Attention deficit disorder.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, I don't think it's real.

[Ron White]

You don't?

[Joe Rogan]

No.

[Ron White]

Let me change your mind.

[Joe Rogan]

I think there's a lot of people that aren't interested in a lot of things, but when they're interested, when I, when they say attention deficit disorder, why are good at video games? Like, why are they so good at things that aren't school? I think it's just you. I think the human. I think we could categorize it into a bunch of different, like, disorders and problems and. But I think a lot of that is a way to get you hooked on some sort of pharmaceutical drug that's going to fix whatever problem you have that doesn't allow you to sit in class and listen to some boring for six hours. You got no problem writing jokes. Ron White. You got no problem performing. Like it's, it's not like there's not a thing that you can't excel at that you can, you can pay attention.

[Ron White]

When you're on stage. I don't know about that. I think stand up comedy was the answer to every problem I had.

[Joe Rogan]

No, you're.

[Ron White]

Because that's what I was good at.

[Joe Rogan]

You're a comic. You're. You are a comic. Like that's who, what you're supposed to do.

[Ron White]

But let me give you an example.

[Joe Rogan]

That's my point, is that there's a lot of different, like functions in society. There's a lot of different roles in society.

[Ron White]

I think they probably tagged add to people that don't have it, but I know that I still have it. So if, let's say that I was going to put together a ceiling fan and hang it in my roof, which I'm not, I could no more do that than the man in the moon without an Adderall. If I take an Adderall, I'll read the directions, I'll put the whole thing together and hang it on. No problem without it.

[Joe Rogan]

I bet you can do it without it.

[Ron White]

Stare at it. Tried. You just tried.

[Joe Rogan]

You're bored. You need excitement. You just. You're a certain type of dude who needs a certain type of stimulation, you know, which is why you like the high wire act of performing live. I don't think it's a disorder. I think it's a superpower. Ah, I do.

[Ron White]

Well, I like the sound of that.

[Joe Rogan]

I do. I think the ability, the inability to pay attention to that's not interesting. Is not a disorder. It's just, you know, what's interesting and what's not. You know, to this day, like maybe I have it too. Because this day, when I'm talking to someone, they're saying something really boring. I go, I want to run away.

[Ron White]

Right? You don't, you don't hear a word that's coming out of their mouth.

[Joe Rogan]

And I just can't. It's like it's. I just want to get out.

[Ron White]

I'm the same way.

[Joe Rogan]

But that doesn't mean I have a disorder. I don't think I have a disorder because if I'm talking to you, I got no problem at all.

[Ron White]

Well, let's, let's, let's get two ceiling fans out here.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, I'm sure I'm not that good at putting together A ceiling fan either. I wouldn't enjoy it, but I could do it. You just follow the directions. Like you could follow directions. It's not hard. It's just. You wouldn't enjoy it. But if it was something that you enjoyed doing, like learning how to swing a golf club better, then you could pay attention.

[Ron White]

I do pay attention to that.

[Joe Rogan]

That's all I'm saying. I think there's roles in this world, and different personalities fit perfectly into mathematics. Different personalities fit perfectly in philosophy. Different personalities. Engineering, different personalities. It's like you just got to find out what. What vibes with the way you think. And we all think differently. We all have different backgrounds. We all have different biology. You know, you just got to find what is the thing that, like, syncs up with the way your mind works. And the problem with traditional education is there it was designed by the Rockefeller family. Like the school system in this country was designed to create better factory workers and soldiers and to get them real early. That's why they want to start you at 5, because they figured out when you start people at 12 or 13, they already got their ideas of what the world is and how the world works. And I'm not fucking shooting somebody for you, you know? So what they do is they get you when you're five. And when you're five, they can kind of indoctrinate you, separate you from your parents most of the day while your parents are at work. And so that's like, most of your day, you have other people other than your parents telling you how the world is, how the world works, what's happening in, you know, in your life and what you should be doing. And that's kind of crazy, because a lot of those people suck. I remember thinking that when I was a kid, like, thinking how strange it is that people that I don't respect and I don't enjoy are the ones that are in control of communicating to me most of the day. I remember very clearly thinking that when I was a little kid, like 10, 11 years old. Yeah.

[Ron White]

You know, I know that when I was a kid, I used to have this. This history teacher who was also a PE coach. Now, he had something as intriguing as history to teach me, but I could not listen to him talk. So he couldn't even make American history interesting. But a good teacher could have done it. A good teacher could have roped me in to what was going on and the story of it and how it affects my life and the lives of my parents and my grandparents. It's how it all went down. You know, that's an interesting story. But if you're a dull fucking assistant coach, basketball, and now you got a fucking one period of history and you have a monotone voice and I'm just out of it, imagine what it would have been like to have access to wonderful educators. Right?

[Joe Rogan]

But if you were listening, like, you ever listen to Dan Carlin's podcast?

[Ron White]

No.

[Joe Rogan]

He's got this podcast called Hardcore History. It's incredible. Incredible. It's amazing. It's such a good podcast. And this guy will, like, lay out the events of World War I in a way that you. You will hang on every word and you'll park your car. Like, if you got to go somewhere, you'll keep your car running because you just want to listen to where this is going.

[Ron White]

Wow.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. So if a guy like that was.

[Ron White]

Teaching you history, that would have been great. I mean, I think I would have been engaged.

[Joe Rogan]

You probably would have been a historian.

[Ron White]

Yeah. Making nothing.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. I mean, but. But this, he's. Dan Carlin's doing well, but that's someone who loves what they do. And that's the difference. School is this weird indoctrination fucking ritual that we all have to go through. And then we often feel real bad about ourselves because we don't want to be there and we're not doing good at it. I felt like a fucking complete loser in school. I never felt like I was. That I was supposed to be there. I never felt like I was smart, you know, But I remember, like, finally when I realized that I was never, like, when I was going to school for three years, when I went to college for three years, when I finally was like, what am I doing? I gotta stop doing this. Just wasting time. Because that's all I was doing. It's just completely wasting time. It was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I could just go, eh, this is not for me.

[Ron White]

Well, the one thing is, I didn't waste that time, you know? Right, There you go. I did the. But, you know, I think I'd have a better understanding of how the world works if I'd understood world history.

[Joe Rogan]

Right.

[Ron White]

You know, I mean, those kinds of things. I, you know, I just wish I was, you know, I wish I had an education. But what would I do with it? I have no idea. I'd still do stand up, so.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, well, hopefully.

[Ron White]

And I wouldn't be any fucking funnier.

[Joe Rogan]

Jesus Christ. Imagine if you did. Imagine if you did go down a different road. That would have sucked.

[Ron White]

I was. Before I started Doing stand up. I was a window salesman and I was broke and I had nothing and I was unimpressive and my in laws bought us a garage door opener. So I had a garage door opener. Now you're going to think this is really fucking weird. I used to wear that garage door opener on my belt so people would think I had a beeper. I just hang it, clip it right there.

[Joe Rogan]

People don't know about the beeper.

[Ron White]

Yeah, yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

A lot of people listening right now.

[Ron White]

Like, I have no idea what that is.

[Joe Rogan]

Ron and I have been through all the various stages of technological inter.

[Ron White]

Wizardry.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. But the intertwining of our. In our lives, the way it, you know, the, the first thing was the beeper. Like you would get a beeper. Like my friend Johnny had one. You could page people. You could page him and he would call the number.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

Hey, what's up?

[Ron White]

You stop at a phone booth, now that what a phone booth is, and.

[Joe Rogan]

You have to like put quarters in the phone book and look at the beeper and yeah, hey, what's up? Hey, what's going on? Where yet? And you'd have a conversation with someone. That's how you'd get a hold of them. You have to page them, right? Yeah. Joey Diaz had a pager forever. Joey Diaz had a pager deep into the like, maybe the 2000s.

[Ron White]

Wow.

[Joe Rogan]

Not kidding. Yeah, definitely in the 90s he had a pager because I remember sometimes he would go AWOL and I'd be paging him, like, where are you? Like, one time we were doing a gig in Jersey. We're doing Rascals in East Orange. And he never showed up. And I finally got a hold of on the phone, he's like, I'm not gonna lie to you, dog. I never left Vegas. God damn it, Joey. I'll never forget that conversation.

[Ron White]

Never left Vegas.

[Joe Rogan]

I'm not gonna lie to you, dog. I never left Vegas. It was just having a good time. But that's how you got a hold of him. You'd have to page him. That was it. And then when you got. Then one day he got a phone, phone. And when he got a phone, you better not text him. If you text him, he'll yell at you. Like, Brian Redband used to text him.

[Ron White]

He was, stop texting me.

[Joe Rogan]

And then Joey eventually got an iPhone and Brian got a text from him one day. I'm like, oh, he's texting. He's like, he texted me. Now we'll text you. But he doesn't like to text. He's good. Yeah, he's coming down soon. He's gonna be here in a couple weeks.

[Ron White]

Good, good.

[Joe Rogan]

He. He's gonna be coming real soon, right? When is he here? Two weeks.

[Ron White]

Okay.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, he would. He only wants to talk to you on the phone. I go, why? Why do you. Why don't you like talking to people? He goes. He goes, I'm insecure. I want to hear your voice. I want to tell you I love you. Yeah. I'm like, okay, I get it. I get it. He's old school.

[Ron White]

Yeah. Yeah. He calls me every once in a while, say hello.

[Joe Rogan]

Just say hi. Yeah.

[Ron White]

Just to say hi.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. He's like.

[Ron White]

He's checking on you.

[Joe Rogan]

He might be the number one dude that I just. Just talk to mostly on the phone. Very few text messages between me and Joey. Then I'll ask him, like, hey, is April 22 good? Yeah, we're good. Okay, see you then.

[Ron White]

So is he gonna come down to do sets and.

[Joe Rogan]

He's coming down, do sets. He's getting ready. He's gonna do a special. So he's doing a bunch of shows. He's got a residency. I think he's doing it in Philly. Is he doing in Philly? We'll find out when he gets here. But he's doing a residency. He's done a few of these residencies where he shows up, like, every weekend. He has a. Has shows, places. People love him. He did. He opened up for Tom in Madison Square Garden. Tom said when he went on stage, they went ape.

[Ron White]

Oh, how cool is that?

[Joe Rogan]

They went ape because they didn't know he was coming, you know? And then also. And ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Joey Diaz. He's like the snuffleuphagus. He's a mythical creature, right?

[Ron White]

He is. He is. There's nothing like him. Nothing like him.

[Joe Rogan]

Completely unique human being, you know, it.

[Ron White]

Was fun to watch him just stomp the. Out of the room at the. At the store. Man, he just beat the shit out of those crowds.

[Joe Rogan]

Some of the sets that I've seen him have in the. Or would. I think. I think it's the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life. I've seen everybody. I've seen everyone. Great, great, great comedians who I love to death, and I'll watch them every time they perform. But I think Joey hit RPMs that nobody hit. I think he. He hit these moments.

[Ron White]

Oh, I saw him wind them up, man. Just wind them up.

[Joe Rogan]

It's like when people say, like, who's the funniest guy ever. I'm like, come, man. I don't. You know, there's guys with great insight. Like, Patrice had great insight. He was really hilarious. But he also had, like, great insight. Joey Diaz. You ain't getting no insight out of Joey Diaz. He's giving. He's Rock Em Sock em Robots. He's here to.

[Ron White]

You up.

[Joe Rogan]

He's here to that crowd up. He. He used to have this bit about Terry Crews, like when Terry Crews accused some guy of grabbing his dick, you know? And he had this bit about Terry Crews in an underwear commercial. Oh, my God, it was so funny. You would. You'd be in the back of the room, just barely break. You couldn't breathe. Everyone, like, I was looking around, people are falling out of their chairs like they couldn't handle it. And he was on fire. Just purple, red in the face, screaming and yelling like, oh, my God, oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[Ron White]

Those are some of the first sets I saw you do at the store. And when you were doing that bit where you were standing on top of the stool.

[Joe Rogan]

Kim Kardashian bit. Yeah.

[Ron White]

And I just remember just how just Dick slapped those crowds. I'm like, God damn it, he's good at this.

[Joe Rogan]

It's a fun job, bro.

[Ron White]

It is the funnest job.

[Joe Rogan]

We're so lucky. We're so lucky in so many ways. Just. It doesn't make sense.

[Ron White]

When I think about a life without stand up, it makes me nervous to even think about.

[Joe Rogan]

But we almost did it, right?

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

I mean, when we all went through that with COVID I mean, you were basically saying, you're done.

[Ron White]

I thought it was done.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

I didn't like it anymore. It was halfway through every set. I couldn't wait for it to be over.

[Joe Rogan]

Wow.

[Ron White]

And now I go on stage and I have this whole new gratitude for these crowds, you know, that are still there waiting, bigger than ever. My shows sell out faster than they ever have. And part of it is just because there's less of them, I guess. But also, it's because of my friends, you know, the word gets out, you know, you guys didn't let me die.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. Yeah, we knew. I mean, I tell everybody, but it's true. Like, you're one of the reasons why we decided to buy a club. Because you. Because you grabbed me when you got off stage that first time. You hadn't been on stage, like, eight months, and you grabbed me by the shows, like, whatever the fuck we have to do, we're gonna keep doing this.

[Ron White]

Ye. And we did I never forget that moment.

[Joe Rogan]

I was like, okay, we're gonna do it because you're gonna get that club open. Like, we're gonna do it. I was already thinking about doing it very seriously because I realized, like, early on coming here, I was like, we need a place. We can't just be working out of these rock and roll clubs. They're not set up right.

[Ron White]

No. You know, no, there's a difference. I don't even like to do. I don't even like to do sets. Other places.

[Joe Rogan]

I don't either.

[Ron White]

That's really what's wrong with. With the Mothership. It'll spoil your fucking ass, you know, with great crowds and perfect acoustics and an amazing sound system and, you know, just. And then when you move over to another room, which I rarely do, do another set in town. I did one the other a couple months ago, and I was like, this sucks. If you guys want to find me, I'll be down at some other ship and. But yeah, we did it, Ron.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, we actually did it. You know, it's interesting when you look back at those conversations we used to have, like, we're in the Vulcan, hanging out in the green room, talking about what the club's gonna be like.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

It seemed like a pipe dream. And I know a lot of people probably did think it was fake. There's a lot of people in la, like, Tony used to talk to them all the time.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

When's Joe opening that club? Club's never gonna open. It's all, you guys move down there for no reason. Because the thing about you taking it, making a choice. That's a cigar. Yeah. If the thing about you making a choice to go and, you know, start something up, and the people that are left behind, they kind of want you to fail. Especially the haters, right? They want you to. So Tony was like, encountering that all the time. These people that just for whatever reason, they don't want other people to. They don't want ever people to escape the bomb that they're in, you know, it's like people from the neighborhood that don't want you to leave. And when you do leave.

[Ron White]

Oh, look who's back, right?

[Joe Rogan]

People, for whatever reason, people really like when people fail, you know, it's a gross feeling. It's a gross thing, but it's super, super common. Looking for a joint?

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

Jesus Christ, Ron. Don't. You know, we're in Texas, you know, that's the first thing they got to fix, is make this shit legal in the whole country.

[Ron White]

It's so crazy that what's stopping them?

[Joe Rogan]

Oh, I don't know. I don't understand it. I mean, it's a political beach ball. It's one of those things just gets tossed around that I think is good for the establishment that runs the country. It's good to keep it up in the air. Like, I'll promise when I get in office, gays will be able to marry. Yay.

[Ron White]

Right?

[Joe Rogan]

And then they're talking about, there's people that want to take that off the table. You know, it's like there's a bunch of those things like Roe v. Wade. That was a big one. There's a bunch of these cultural beach balls that are very important issues to some people and they get exploited by politicians as a way to promise you this and promise you that, but sure, but it never. Nothing ever gets fixed, nothing ever changes, right?

[Ron White]

Well, it's changing a little. You know, I didn't think marijuana would ever be legal in Oklahoma. I thought they'd be behind us, you know. But whether you go there now, it's billboards on every fucking street corner. Come get your weed.

[Joe Rogan]

You know, New Mexico just authorized psilocybin therapy.

[Ron White]

Really?

[Joe Rogan]

Yep. People with depression, I think depression and anxiety. Is that what it's for, though? They're using it, those terms which apply to basically everybody, right?

[Ron White]

Everybody. Everybody.

[Joe Rogan]

Everybody's had some depression and some anxiety. There you go. Now you can get some mushrooms and figure your life out.

[Ron White]

Maybe I'll give it a try.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. It's just the problem is federally, it's still not legal. And that which is. It's so dumb. It's so dumb, you know, And I don't think it's going to change, unfortunately. I don't think. I think Trump is too busy with all these other issues. I don't think he's interested in that. So co sponsor said, here it goes. The bill would establish an advisory board, treatment equity fund and research fund, as well as remove psilocybin from the Controlled Substances act to provide, to protect qualified and registered patients, clinicians and producers, according to a news release jointly. A news release released jointly by the office of the Senate and the House Democrats. If Pat. So this is what the Democrats have over the Republicans, freedom to explore your consciousness. Republicans, for whatever reason, yeah, they, they shy away from that. It doesn't fit with their conservative mindset of what you should. And it used to be it didn't fit. The freedom of speech didn't fit with their. Their mindset. And now the Republicans are all about Freedom of speech because they realize the consequences of it. During the last election cycle, you know, when things get censored and when you have a town square that's curated by not just the big tech companies, but also by the federal government itself, things can get weird. When you're trying to access the truth, you want to know what is actually going on. When certain stories have actually been suppressed for the news because the federal government deems them misinformation, even if they turn out to be true, that's not good. And so for. Because of that, the right is supporting freedom of speech, which I think is fucking great. That's great. That's what we all should be supporting. But we all should be supporting the freedom to expand your consciousness. And people have been doing it in certain ways for thousands and thousands of years. And you don't know better. If you haven't done it, it. If you haven't done it yourself and you're passing judgment on people that have, you're not qualified. If you. If you want to go, you know, do a psilocybin session, like a heavy. What Terrence McKenna would call a heroic dose, you want to do that and then talk shit. Okay.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

But until then, because the thing is, like, it would preclude you from doing the things that you're doing. Know this, okay? If you are a fucking rampant capitalist and all you give a fuck about is your hedge, and all you give a fuck about is the stock market and numbers and buying this exclusive that and that exclusive this, and getting tickets to this exclusive thing, and all you're about is, like, status and numbers, it will fuck that up. It will fuck that whole thing sideways. You won't be able to take any of that seriously anymore. But that's good. It's good for you. You're not supposed to be taking that seriously. If you've got half a billion dollars and you're still scrambling to try to make more money, like, like, pause. You're 67 years old. You're going to die. If you're lucky in 30 years, if you're so lucky to hit 97. Oh, yeah, 30 years happened so quick, man. We've been here for five, Ron.

[Ron White]

I know we've been here.

[Joe Rogan]

You were here for six. You were here. You were patient zero. I always say you're patient zero in the Austin invasion because I remember calling you. It was a 2018 when you moved here.

[Ron White]

17, I think.

[Joe Rogan]

17. I remember calling you, going, what are you doing down there? Like, we miss you at the store. I fucking love it down here, middle of the country. If I want to fly, I can fly anywhere real quick. People are nice, Food's great. I was like, fuck. And I live in Texas. I started thinking about it then. But then when the pandemic hit and I knew you were here, and then I had some friends in LA that were also real sketched out by all of it. They all wound up moving somewhere else. A couple of them move. Well, two families I was real good friends with. They moved to Dallas, and then another good family friend moved to Vegas, and then another one just decided to stay. And we all came out here together, you know, as groups of friends. And when we were looking around Austin, I was like, ron White lives here. I could live here. That was, like, one of the first things I thought. I thought, if Ron lives here, at least have her on.

[Ron White]

Yeah, I got a friend.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. And I was like, okay, I can't do stand up right now anyway. But then as soon as I move, Tony's like, it. I'm moving. I was like, you're moving, too. And then Segura's like, I'm in. I was like, holy. And then Brian Simpson came out real early, and I didn't really know Brian well at all until Tom introduced me to him. Tom was like, dude, you got to meet this guy. He's so funny.

[Ron White]

He is, too.

[Joe Rogan]

He's so funny. So he was here early, too. And then Hasan and Derek both moved out here early. I'm like, oh, we got something going on. And then Tim Dillon bought a house out here. I was like, oh, my. My goodness. What is happening? This is crazy. And then Duncan was like, man, North Carolina. I don't know. I'm like, come to Texas. And then all of a sudden, Duncan's out here. Holy. Holy. This is crazy. I'm like, all right, we're up and running. And by the time we decided to make that club, we had, like, 10 great guys living here. Yeah, 12. And more were coming, and they're still coming. Yeah. Dylan, Tony. There's so many different guys from the store that used to work at the store all the time.

[Ron White]

Yeah, I roped Tony in, man. I. I'm like, we need Tony here. I gave him my condo and let him use one of my Range Rovers to go out to Dallas.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

Live here for a week. I don't know where I was, but, yeah, you spend a week here, you'll go, ah, this is doable.

[Joe Rogan]

Well, we all were so excited because it felt like we were doing something different.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

You know, it felt like we were doing something different. I've always had this. This it. Part of me. I was like, it, let's go. I'm.

[Ron White]

That's me.

[Joe Rogan]

I love doing that.

[Ron White]

You do. You're impetuous. As I like it. From the time I. You told me you were gonna. I'm gonna move there, you had a house like, two days later. I'm like, God damn, this guy moves when he moves.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. My kids helped a lot because they.

[Ron White]

Really wanted to move that sweet ass place on the lake.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, that's good.

[Ron White]

That's good living over there.

[Joe Rogan]

It's also like, when we came here. No. Had masks on and everybody was acting normal.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

And so my kids are like, what's going on? Like, why? How come everyone's normal here? We should live here, you know? And then it just. It just happened. And then all of a sudden, the stores closed so I could get all the employees. And then I was like, look, I'll pay you now. You don't have to work. Just hang out. Yeah, let's. Let's. We're gonna do something special.

[Ron White]

That was more money than you were thinking it was.

[Joe Rogan]

But money is fun. Coupons.

[Ron White]

Yep. Fun tickets. That's right.

[Joe Rogan]

That's what it's supposed to be. If you're not. Not having fun and you have money, you're doing something wrong because you should be trying to have fun. And sometimes some things you have to pay for in order to have fun. A lot of fun is free, but there's a lot of fun where you go like, oh, we got to buy a building. We have to hire an architect. We have to pay construction crew. We have to, you know, we have to do a lot of things, but that's the way to do it. That's what you're supposed to do. And I was the person who was able to do it because the universe had decided that this thing wanted to get made. And we hit every green light. And then I was like, okay, well, clearly this is the thing I'm supposed to do. I know it sounds crazy, but let's go, you know? But the whole thing was crazy. Like, it was in the middle of the biggest deal I'd ever done ever, in my whole life. Spotify. This crazy thing. I was like, the show was already like, the number one.

[Ron White]

What does that feel like?

[Joe Rogan]

It was signed.

[Ron White]

That fucking deal.

[Joe Rogan]

Bananas, bananas. But I was also like, okay, well, what should you know? You have to figure out what you're gonna do. Like, you have to be. You can't be at the WHIM of all these other people's ideas and expectations. Like, what do you want to do? It's like, I want to get the out of LA la. So let's do it. So I moved in the middle of everything. So this is giant deal I have, and all of a sudden they're like, where are you going? I'm going to Texas. Like, don't go to Texas. It's crazy. Like, are you sure you won't be able to get gas? I'm like, look, I'm flying guests in three times a week anyway, right. I was already flying people in from New Mexico and New York, and New.

[Ron White]

York's closer than, you know. It's a great spot. Really.

[Joe Rogan]

Right. It's not like a six hour flight. That six hour flight across the whole country is a pain in the ass that, you know, the people were worn out by the time they got there. So, you know, they had to like have a night to rest and relax and rehydrate and then the next day maybe, you know, still they're probably not 100%, you know, this is like three hours, three hour flight, ain't. It's a three hour flight everywhere.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

So easy.

[Ron White]

It's a great spot.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. But it's also like, I feel like sometimes the universe calls you in a way and tells you, just like gives you a feeling again. I think ideas are like a life form. I really do. I think it's like an unexplored life form. I think that's why the concept of the muse is so enticing to people, because there's something real to it. Like when you decide you're just gonna sit there and write. And you said it doesn't always come. Like sometimes you get nothing. But sometimes because you sat there, you'll have some of the best lines you've ever written. Because I think they're like life forms that you have to call into your life. And I think sometimes these life forms, these ideas, they just exist in the ether and by circumstance they like kind of gel together and become more, more valid and more alive. And then they enter into your mind. And if you're ready to receive these ideas, you have to act on them, especially if they're positive. I'm not saying, you know, go the Capitol building because you have an idea. I mean, positive ideas, not vengeful. Like if you have a good, a good soul, if you're, you're, you're gold in life is a positive thing. These ideas will come to you. And you're supposed to, if you can. You're supposed to act on them. And I felt like, wow, what a unique opportunity I have to be able to do this. I shouldn't be scared because it's daunting and it's expensive, and it's like, what are you doing? Like, you just. Just do it. Just do what you do.

[Ron White]

Just do. You know, here's one thing that I believe. I believe that things disguise themselves and we call them coincidences, but there really are no coincidences. And if you'll look for things that look like coincidences, you could follow that line and go somewhere with it.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

And. And I feel like that that's what happened whenever, you know, with the mass exodus and people started coming to comed this the best comedy scene in the world.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

You know, those things fell into place because that's what was supposed to happen. And I think it all happened because of me, in that I needed it the worst. I needed this more than anybody else did. And I feel like I was able to cash in all my fucking karma or whatever and draw it all into me a little bit because I needed it. And so, you know.

[Joe Rogan]

Well, it needed. Makes sense. Like, it's a. Certainly a huge factor. Right. Because if you didn't inspire me to even think about Austin, I wouldn't have, and I wouldn't have moved here. If you weren't here, I don't think maybe I would have. But it helped a lot that you were here. I was like, this makes it so much easier that I know Ron's here. And because it was weird times then, man. Everything was. Even going to a restaurant. You felt like you were a rebel. Like, it felt weird. It felt weird to not be scared. Like, you, like, you wanted to hide the fact that you weren't scared. You wanted to just go out. It was a strange, strange, strange time that I think even now we look back on and we can't. Like, I watched a UFC fight the other day, an older fight, and all the cornermen had masks on. I'm like, this is the craziest thing that we watched.

[Ron White]

That's a timestamp right there. You know, it's bizarre.

[Joe Rogan]

It was a fight that took place in an arena in Florida with no crowd, no crowd. It was Justin Gaethje versus Tony Ferguson. It was one of the first fights we did back. It was like.

[Ron White]

And you were there.

[Joe Rogan]

Uh huh. Yeah. And I was watching the fight the other day, and I was looking at the cornermen, they all had masks on. I was like, what a weird fucking time. What a Weird. I remember, like, people would get upset if I didn't wear a mask backstage. I'm like, what are we doing? What is this for? Like, this is crazy. These guys are beating the fuck out of each other and sweating on each other, you know, and all of us tested negative. That's how we got through here. Like, is someone gonna magically gonna get Covid while we're all wandering around together? Don't we all test negative? So you had to get in this room. They had to be able to test you. Everybody got tested.

[Ron White]

Like those shows that you did with Chappelle.

[Joe Rogan]

Exactly. So we're all in this room. Take that fucking stupid mask off. But even the shows we did with Chappelle, outside, the people were supposed to wear masks. Outside, outside, everyone's testing. Is this a mystery, magical disease that we're encountering that is like demons hiding in the woods?

[Ron White]

But it was too, at one time, wasn't it?

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

You know, I lost Vic Henley to that disease in New York City early on.

[Joe Rogan]

But Vic was not a healthy guy. What the disease did is exposed metabolic health problems. Didn't Vic.

[Ron White]

I'll admit that. I mean, he was a raging alcoholic, and he knew it and knew he was really considering making some changes in his life, you know, that he was talking to me about. And then, boom, you know, gone. So.

[Joe Rogan]

So in that sense, yes, it was, but it wasn't in the sense where all these healthy people who have been tested are wearing.

[Ron White]

No, no, no, That's. That's ridiculous.

[Joe Rogan]

Especially the athletes and the fighters. Like, what we would have to do is if one of the cornermen got Covid, even if the fighter didn't have Covid, the fighter was pulled from the card. So one of the cornermen tests positive for Covid because the fighter had been around him, even if he's negative. We treated it different than we treated anything ever. And especially for the fighters, it had, like. It was not gonna have an effect on them unless they did. There's one guy did have an effect on. He got Covid really, really bad. But it's because they kept training. These guys kept training while they had Covid. It. They never. A lot of these guys, they don't give a fuck. They have the flu. Who cares? They're showing up at the gym. It's part of being an animal is like, you'll show up sick and you'll train through a. But you shouldn't do that. You're just breaking your immune system down further. And especially if you're in camp. So being in camp for a fighter is very different than regular working out. Being in camp for a fighter is you are basically redlining your body trying to get it to recover, like trying to get it to keep pace so you can get to superhuman level. That's only achievable after like a 12 week camp. And you could only hold on to it for a couple weeks. They got it. They know when you're peaking sometimes and they'll back a fighter off. They'll go, we're done today. We'll, we're done today. You're peaking too early. You're peaking too early. You don't want to overdo it. So you want to back off your training when you're feeling absolutely perfect and get yourself a, just slow down. We're a little too soon. Like a really good trainer knows when you're peaking, but you can't maintain it forever. It's, it's really only for, that's why it's so crazy that a lot of these guys, they'll accept a fight on like 10 days notice. Like, that's nuts. That's nuts. Like, you need, you need to be peeking. You need to be like, you're gonna fight in a cage. And I know you're doing this as a financial decision, but that's why Jon Jones is the smartest. Jon Jones never did that. They changed opponents. Fuck you. Fights off. Off. John. John. Even guys like Chael Sonnen, who he eventually stomped in the first round, like absolutely destroyed. It was a, it was not even remotely competitive. It was an annihilation. It would have been an annihilation. 365 days a year for decades. It wouldn't have mattered how good Jon Jones is. And as great as Chael Sonnen is, Jon Jones was the bigger man. Chael had fought at £185. John was a big 205 and he was the most talented guy that ever fought in the sport. And he's going to win every time. But when they change the opponent, they try to make a chill son and he's like, nope, nope. We, we do things the right way. I go through a full camp, that's it. Fights off. Everybody's like, ah, because they want you to play ball. Get it? We need a new guy. But look, to this day, everybody says he's the goat. Well, why is he the Goat? Because he did everything the right way. He, he knew especially when he wasn't partying, he did everything the wrong way to too. I mean, he did a lot of partying and still beat the out of everybody, because he was that good, because he was that talented. One of the craziest things he ever said. Daniel Cormier, when they were having a rematch, they were talking in the press conference and Daniel Tormier said something to John. John goes, I beat you when I was on coke. Is the craziest statement. Because he says it and you're like, oh. And it's true, it's true. That's how good Jon was. But if you try to change opponents, Jon's like, try to call Jon Jones in for a late notice fight on five days notice. He'll tell you, go fuck yourself. Like, nope, I'd rather hang out at home. My dog, like, he's not doing it. Like, you gotta. So these guys, when they're peaking, they're vulnerable. They get sick a lot, especially when they're cutting weight because you're redlining your body and you could overdo it. And guys overdo it all the time. They overtrain, train, they just break themselves down when they just, they, they haven't. They've kept too much pace and not enough recovery. And they're declining and declining and decline. They show up at the gym, they have no energy. They're like. And if you get a guy to the fight that's over trained, it's horrible. It's horrible to watch. I've seen it many times. The guys just can't recover. They're too tired, they overdid it. They were too tough for their own good. So the one of those guys got coveted, this guy, Hamza Chamay, half. And this is a psychopath. He's a savage. Like one of the most savage guys that's ever fought in the sport. And he just kept training, just kept training. This trains like eight hours a day. He trains like a wolverine. He's an animal. He was training with COVID and he kept getting real sick, wound up, getting hospitalized, coughing up blood, gets out, goes right back to it, same thing, hospitalized again. He got hospitalized like twice because he wouldn't stop training, training, because he's that psychotic. But other than him, regular athletes that get it, they just take a few days off, right? Daniel Cormier had Covid trained through it and won the title, won the heavyweight title. Training through Covid in his camp. He was sick during camp and kept training. And everybody was like, let's just keep.

[Ron White]

I didn't get off the couch the whole time I had Covid.

[Joe Rogan]

So just imagine those level of athletes and we're worried about it so much that everybody has to Wear a mask. Like, shut the fuck up.

[Ron White]

Right?

[Joe Rogan]

This is nuts. So all that had to happen, too, where we were the reckless ones. We were the ones that, like, I don't. I'm not buying this. I'm gonna live my life. I'm going to Texas. And there was a lot of people that were really mad at that. Like, what are you doing? You're not scared? What are you doing? You're doing shows and doors. You're killing people. Blood is on your hands.

[Ron White]

They were screaming at you.

[Joe Rogan]

Mess of people that were just all caught up in this psyop. They were just the. You know. And it was great. Not good, really, but it was great in that it exposed these fragile thinkers. So many fragile minds. They couldn't see the forest for the trees. They couldn't see it. And when we all came out here, when we said we see it, like, this is bullshit. Yeah. Yeah. It'll make you sick. Yeah. You'll have to be at home for a week. Yeah. Get vitamin drips. You'll be all right. Like, yeah, this is what we're dealing with. For real. And a lot of people agreed. And then it turns out we were right. Right. It turns out we were right. At the end of the day, we were correct. We were correct to want to live our lives. We all went back to living too soon. Says who? Says who? The fucking government that's been lying to you about this disease.

[Ron White]

It's hard to even look back on it and realize that it happened, you know, that it really fucking happens that we were locked up, locked down.

[Joe Rogan]

It's not good. Because it's like when you find out your friend's a bitch and then you have to count on him again in the future. You're like, dude, don't fall apart on me here. Show up. Like, don't get scared. I need help. Like, you find out your friend falls apart under pressure. You're like, oh, great. Why are you crying, Mike? What are we doing? Don't cry. This is crazy. Like, now you can't count on Mike because Mike falls apart when chick gets hot. And this is how it feels. Feels like a good percentage of the country, you know? It was a joke from my last special, but I really feel this way. We lost a lot of people during COVID and most of them are still alive. I wrote that line thinking about specific friends. It's like, what did you think was going on? What did you think was going on? Yeah, it's a disease, but since when have you changed your entire fucking life? For years, for A disease. This is nuts. Since one of you listened to the entire government tell you you can't have outdoor dining because of a disease. Like a disease you've already had, you've already gotten through it, and they're still telling you this. And we're, we're a year and a half into this fucking thing. And so we were right. And so, so many people. Because we were right, so many people also came. And that's the beautiful thing. It's like people speak with their actions and, and the people that are willing to make a leap like that, Those are the ones you want there. Those are the ones. Like, we got the best of the best. We got the, the most you of the. Fuck you people. This comedians are you people.

[Ron White]

They are.

[Joe Rogan]

Something happens in society, like, hey, man.

[Ron White]

You right, you know, or eat a steaming bowl of.

[Joe Rogan]

Eat a steaming bowl of. No matter what it is, you know, and the world needs that. That. I need that. I need that. I need you here. I need Tony. I need. I need people like that the same way that you did, the way we all sort of collectively manifested it together. But without you, we wouldn't be here.

[Ron White]

Yeah. So you guys come on down to Austin, Texas, and check out the mothership and see how much fun we're having. If you don't believe it, if you think we're making this up because of you.

[Joe Rogan]

I also almost bought the cult house.

[Ron White]

Yeah, right. That would have been, you know, made it happen. I, I, People say, yeah, he did. That would have been horrible. It wouldn't have been horrible.

[Joe Rogan]

Would have been amazing because it was.

[Ron White]

A cool place and that, you know, it was.

[Joe Rogan]

It would have been amazing.

[Ron White]

Yeah, it would have been amazing.

[Joe Rogan]

It would have been amazing. It's an amazing spot, and it's hilarious. That a cult used to own. I feel terrible for all the people that were roped into building it and all the people that guy butt fucked.

[Ron White]

You were doing that piece that was so funny, and you quit doing it. You didn't do that on your special.

[Joe Rogan]

No, I didn't.

[Ron White]

No. That was so funny.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. It's a true story.

[Ron White]

Remember I gave you that line that it's okay to hypnotize people and butt fuck them because it's. That falls under the category of I talked him into it.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. It's basically the same thing.

[Ron White]

That's not illegal at all. Yeah. I talked the guy into letting me fuck him in the ass.

[Joe Rogan]

It's kind of technically not illegal.

[Ron White]

With a watch going back and forth his face. That's not illegal. That's not drugs.

[Joe Rogan]

The guy was a hypnotist and a gay porn star. Like what a combo, right? And then when they found the gay porn, like the doc. You watched the documentary, right? The documentary is incredible. But Ron, the people don't at all. Ron had performed at this. So you had performed at that point. You. I love that theater. You should buy that place. And then it was for sale. I was like, oh, we're in.

[Ron White]

Right?

[Joe Rogan]

And then Adam Eget is the one. He goes, have you seen a documentary that's on that cult? I'm like, oh no. Oh no. Ron White.

[Ron White]

What have you done?

[Joe Rogan]

What have you done? I watched the documentary.

[Ron White]

I don't think I even realized that at that time that that's what that building was. I don't think I knew that it was a cult.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

Building. Whenever I first took it.

[Joe Rogan]

Maybe seen the videos of the guy dancing around inside the building.

[Ron White]

Oh, yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

That was what.

[Ron White]

It was years ago. I mean, years and years ago. So I knew about that anyway, but I didn't realize that that was the building. Or maybe. Maybe I'd. I don't.

[Joe Rogan]

Those are the same people wearing masks in their cars. You know what I'm saying? It's like, that's why you can start a cult. If you just get everybody who wears a mask in their car. You could rope those into doing almost anything thing. And that's how cults get started.

[Ron White]

Yeah. Yeah. No, people are looking. Looking for leadership.

[Joe Rogan]

Well, they're also looking for community.

[Ron White]

Really dumb.

[Joe Rogan]

Like, think about the positive aspects of the mothership. Right. Like we're all having a good time. Well, this is what everybody really wants. But what if the only way you can get that is to believe Baba Kesh over there who's like, who changed his name and now he wears wooden beads and he sits in the lotus position and everybody's got to suck his dick. Like, I just wanted to do yoga and hang out with everybody. Why'd I gotta suck this guy. Guy's dick? This is.

[Ron White]

But they kept sucking his dick. And you know what? They're sucking his dick somewhere else now. In Hawaii.

[Joe Rogan]

In Hawaii.

[Ron White]

Yeah. He's still getting his dick sucked.

[Joe Rogan]

Some guys are just really good at. At like getting their dick sucked. It's like the thing where you need to be on acid to understand the Grateful Dead. It's like you need to be at the special frame of mind with a special 9 volt brain where you can get talked into a cult like that.

[Ron White]

But it happens every day.

[Joe Rogan]

Every day, every day, every day. All throughout the country. You know, I was talking to Mark Andreessen about this venture capitalist guy, brilliant guy, and he was telling me that there's a ton of active cults right now in California.

[Ron White]

Oh, yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

That are functioning like. You only hear about the ones that wind up getting in shootouts with the feds. There's a bunch of them that actually function. Somehow or another, they keep it together. You know, people leave, they tell the horror stories and some people join.

[Ron White]

Right.

[Joe Rogan]

But like, Wild Wild country is a great example. That Netflix documentary.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

The crazy thing is in the beginning, it looks so fun.

[Ron White]

Yeah, it looked completely doable.

[Joe Rogan]

So doable.

[Ron White]

You know, our leaders got really nice cars. Look.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

How can he be wrong?

[Joe Rogan]

He can't be wrong. He's at 20 rolls Royces. There's so many of them. It's. It's like, whatever. The way that we evolved in tribal society to listen to the chief, we all have this, like, strange desire to either be the chief or listen to the chief. Either be the alpha or listen to the alpha. And someone can pretend to be the chief. They can pretend to be the chief with magical insight. You know what the most fucked up thing about that documentary is? The thing that still fucks with my head is that that guy would do this thing to these people called the knowing, where he would. And they would orgasm. They would just have like, they literally meet God. To this day, they all say that it was real, that that thing actually did happen. Like the power of suggestion, the fact that he kept it from them for so long. And then the one day, or this is your coming of age ceremony where this is the one day you're going to get the knowing. And he would put his hands on them and they would really experience something. And they said it was like they were experiencing God. Like it was the most bliss they had ever felt in their life and that they never felt it again. So the circumstances and the ritual activated this innate part of our consciousness that's always there. This ability to talk to God, the ability to communicate with God, which is probably what every religion is trying to do. It's all like this whisper of the truth that's out there in the ether. And everybody knows that it's out there. There's something there. I just have to figure out how to. And this guy, this crazy gay porn star, hypnotist, butt fucking all these dudes still, even this guy was able to touch these people. And they were able to access that part of their brain. And they were in. They were in. They were like oh, we're in, man. I'm following this guy everywhere. This guy really is, like, connected to God.

[Ron White]

Well, you know, I think that prayer, I'll start with that, just with prayer is a physical thing, not a spiritual thing. And that's why it works for anybody. You know, I believe it's a way to channel energy and it changes the way you feel, but it's. It doesn't matter what you're praying to, that it's a physical transference of injury, not a spiritual thing. And because anybody can do it. And also, hypnosis is so powerful when it's done correctly. And I know that because I've experienced hypnosis done well. And so, boy, if you had both of those things, you could have power over anybody that's stupid enough to fucking lie.

[Joe Rogan]

That's the problem. That was what they did did during the Manson Family, MK Ultra, during those days. This is part of the Chaos book by Tom O'Neill. It's about the Manson Family. Excuse me, the Manson family murders. And one of the things that they went into is the fact that this guy who worked for the CIA at the time was a part of MK Ultra. His name was Jolly West. And Jolly west is this figure all throughout the counterculture resistance movement that the federal government had sort of concocted. And part of what he was doing was teaching people how to manipulate people with lsd. And he was teaching Charlie Manson in jail. Like, this guy visited Manson in jail. Then Manson would get out of jail, and Manson would get in trouble, get arrested, and then get released. And the sheriffs all say, it's over my pay grade. They were all told to let him go. Go. And so he was implicated in murders and violent crimes. And they all always let him go. They always had to let him go. And he was getting acid and he had sophisticated methods of manipulating minds. It wasn't as simple as, like, this is a charismatic dude and they all want to cut a baby out of fucking Sharon Tate's stomach. No, it was way crazier than that. It was sophisticated mind control from MK Ultra. And they wanted to see if they could get people to become homicidal maniacs. And they were right. They could. Good. They knew how to do it. They used it and they got Manson to do it. And it threw water on this whole anti war hippie movement. All that peace, love. Now hippies are murderers now hippies are Charles Manson now. You know, your kid wants to just like paint flowers and show up at Grateful Dead shows. No, your kid's a murderer. Your kids are these. All the. The hippies are suspects now.

[Ron White]

It worked.

[Joe Rogan]

It was a fascinating thing they did. Like the. The way they threw water on this movement that was happening, like in 1970. Just threw it down and put Schedule 1 on everything. If the Nixon administration hadn't done that in 1970, who knows what the world looks like today? Like, who knows? Who knows if you can get ibogaine in ayahuasca in America? If psilocybin had stayed legal, it was made illegal in 1970. Yep. All that stuff became schedule one in 1970. Marijuana was always illegal. It was illegal from like the 1930s. And that was because it was a textile, and that was because it was a commodity. It had almost nothing to do with the drug itself. They were trying to outlaw hemp. They were worried because they had come out with a new way to process hemp fiber. It's called a decorticator. They invented this thing. It was big thing. Popular Science magazine, Hemp, the new billion dollar crop. It was like they were saying, we're all going to use hemp now because now there's an effective way to process the fibers. And they're superior to everything else. Make superior paper, superior cloth, superior everything.

[Ron White]

Right? Everything.

[Joe Rogan]

Much, much, much, much better plan. And William Randolph Hearst was like, fuck that. So William Randolph Hearst starts publishing stories in his newspapers about how blacks and Mexicans are taking this new drug called marijuana. They invented the name. It was a wild Mexican tobacco. That's what marijuana used to be. It was slang for a wild Mexican tobacco. So they put that name on cannabis. Something that people had. Had forever. People have been smoking it forever. It was literally the. The origin of the term canvas comes from cannabis. Yes.

[Ron White]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Joe Rogan]

It's all hemp. If you go like the Mona Lisa, those are all painted on hemp. The first draft of the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp. Hemp was a far superior paper. It's really difficult to tear. It's a crazy fiber.

[Ron White]

Hey, can we put this on pause? You gotta second? Huh?

[Joe Rogan]

Get a piss.

[Ron White]

Can we put it on pause for a second?

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

Okay.

[Joe Rogan]

So, ladies and gentlemen, Ron White had a moment there where he. The cold came back, the sickness came back, and, you know.

[Ron White]

Yeah, that was a moment. That was a moment. I don't know what that was.

[Joe Rogan]

Well, I was over here blabbing about the illegalization of weed and how crazy it is, and we were talking about ayahuasca and all these things, and all of a sudden you just got a little pale.

[Ron White]

Yeah. I got a little pale and started sweating. I don't know what it is. I just got a little sick. I feel a little better now. I had a nice yak.

[Joe Rogan]

And this is a. How long has this sickness been with you?

[Ron White]

I felt fine all day. I felt fine. Yesterday I played golf. I had, you know.

[Joe Rogan]

Has this happened before, though? It just comes on out of nowhere?

[Ron White]

No, this should be the first time.

[Joe Rogan]

So maybe it's like a. Maybe it's another thing, like a food poisoning thing or something.

[Ron White]

I don't know. I don't know what it is.

[Joe Rogan]

Wow. And you've had a couple IVs, right?

[Ron White]

I had two last week. And I'll go home and get another one and I'm sure I'll be fine in just a little bit. Damn sure I'll be cool.

[Joe Rogan]

Damn. And you played golf?

[Ron White]

Yeah, played golf with my son. Had a great time.

[Joe Rogan]

It's a nice day to play golf, too.

[Ron White]

Absolutely.

[Joe Rogan]

One of the things we have out here in Texas is real weather. I love it when it rains and everything's so green and pretty and you.

[Ron White]

Need to go down to Costa Rica.

[Joe Rogan]

I do need to go down to Costa Rica.

[Ron White]

That. Stay in your neighbor's place.

[Joe Rogan]

I do need to go.

[Ron White]

It's the sweetest thing.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

That I've ever seen.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

My big pet peeve is when people say, it's the best thing you've ever seen. I'm like, this is the best thing you've ever seen, buddy. I've seen some shit, you know?

[Joe Rogan]

Some shit exactly. Like. What are you saying? I've seen so many things.

[Ron White]

But. But that place down there, that. So it's another driftwood or like, you know, kind of like driftwood, but, yeah, it is gorgeous.

[Joe Rogan]

I heard that Driftwood place is amazing place out here.

[Ron White]

It's the best, man. It's so pretty right now because all the, you know, they blow in a bunch of wildflowers all over it and it's just gorgeous. It's a great golf course.

[Joe Rogan]

I almost wish I played golf.

[Ron White]

It's a waste of time and money. You don't have. You. You know, I know you don't have.

[Joe Rogan]

Time, so I. Yeah, I would love it. I'm sure. But. So we should probably wrap this up because you're not feeling that. That good, right?

[Ron White]

I feel a little better. Yeah, a little bit.

[Joe Rogan]

Okay. All right. Well, it's a. It's just when someone gets sick like that, you don't know what to do.

[Ron White]

Like. Yeah, I don't know what to do, but I. I Swear I feel better. I feel. I don't feel hot anymore. I'm so weird.

[Joe Rogan]

So weird. Like, what is that?

[Ron White]

I said you get something out of my stomach real quick. I think crazy quickest way to do it.

[Joe Rogan]

It's just crazy that something's been like, you know, you have a little invader in your body.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

That you're fighting off. Off. That's what we're doing all the time, fighting off these invaders.

[Ron White]

Yeah. I'm still coming to the club tonight. I'm. I'm going to get a drip and come do a set.

[Joe Rogan]

Of course. This would be fun tonight. It's Cam Patterson show tonight.

[Ron White]

Oh, good fun. Good.

[Joe Rogan]

That's an exciting time. Really is. And the world is so chaotic right now, which is great for comedy. Whenever the world's up, the comedy's had its best. Gaza and Palestine and ah. And it's Ukraine and the tariffs. It's great to come out and do some comedy.

[Ron White]

Yeah. You know what? I. And I stay, I stay away from all of it.

[Joe Rogan]

Good.

[Ron White]

And of that subject matter, any politics or anything like that. And the reason is, you know, I know my, I know my crowd. I know what they want and they want to laugh really hard and they want to. And I think that I've always taken the position as. I'm just not going to bring that into it. I'm going to let us do something. I love it when other people do that are really good at it and you know, it's fun to watch and it's entertaining as fuck. But I decided a long time ago that I'm just going to. I'm just going to go out there and make them laugh as hard as I can make them laugh and let them have some time off from tragedy or whatever. And I'm not that good at it anyway. So. You know, I've never been a political commentator. Right. So why be one now and then?

[Joe Rogan]

Well, the problem with politics is you're going to alienate 50% of the crowd.

[Ron White]

Dead split. Yeah, dead split.

[Joe Rogan]

And if you're one of those people that takes a stand on stage, like, okay, great, right now you're taking a stand. Okay. Just let's have fun.

[Ron White]

It's silly.

[Joe Rogan]

And unless what you have to say is so good that you can make someone laugh.

[Ron White]

Oh, if you're good enough. If you're good enough.

[Joe Rogan]

Right.

[Ron White]

You know, I saw people try to, you know, take on 9 11, right after 9 11, but I only saw like one person that was really. If, if you're good enough to write about that. Then write about it. But if you're not good enough to write about it, leave it the alone.

[Joe Rogan]

Leave it the fuck alone. That's some black belt material.

[Ron White]

Yeah, yeah. You have to be skill level, whatever, you know.

[Joe Rogan]

You know, Mitzi Shore wouldn't let Brian Holtzman on stage for two weeks after 9. 11.

[Ron White]

No, I didn't know that.

[Joe Rogan]

She's like, no way. Keep him off the stage. The Holtzman couldn't wait. Couldn't wait to say something completely outrageous. Whatever that demon inside of him that comes out when he's on stage.

[Ron White]

Yeah. I don't understand him, you know, I really don't. I love him. I love him to death, but he's such an original, original character. And the most.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, he's from a different time. It's like he was brought here from another dimension. He's like a different thing. Even the way he dresses. It's like he's from the 50s, right? And he's like my age. Like, he's. He's not. He was like that when I met him. He was from a different era. When I met him in 94, I.

[Ron White]

Was like, oh, you've known him that long?

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. Like, where is this guy from? Like, you're from a different time.

[Ron White]

People love him, though, man. They.

[Joe Rogan]

He's got a crowd now.

[Ron White]

Yeah, he does.

[Joe Rogan]

That's the difference between the way he was treated at the store. Unfortunately, he fell into this through nobody's fault. But it was like, everybody waited till the end and Holtzman would go up. But, like, why have him on the end? You know, it's like, have them on when the crowd's hot, right? Like, don't put them on at 1 in the morning, put them on at 10, you know, let's see when the crowd is, like, popping. Like, let them. Let him cook when the crowd's popping happen, you know? And now he sells out. People come to see him, right? And the headlines. It's like, people get excited, you know, He's a maniac. And he's got a crowd now. He's got, like, a legitimate draw.

[Ron White]

They get it.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, they get it.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

It's nice. It's fun. And, you know, that's also the difference between when a comedy club is run by a comic, you know, because Holtzman has always been a comic for comics. You know, we all would go to see Holtzman at the end of the night when he was doing these insane sets for 15 people in the main room, right? But now, like, we're running the shows. Like, give him a Weekend. Let's go. Give him a Thursday night. Let's go. Let's have some fun.

[Ron White]

A lot of Thursdays.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. Especially 10pm Shows. That's the best time to see him. When it's late. You've had a couple of cocktails, Right. You feel a little crazy about the world.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

Let that guy. Let that guy loose.

[Ron White]

You understand? It's a joke.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. You get jokes. You get someone saying something that he doesn't really mean.

[Ron White]

Right.

[Joe Rogan]

It's completely ridiculous to say. Yeah, that's part of the fun.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah.

[Ron White]

And then he acts like he means it, and you buy into it. No, it's a joke still.

[Joe Rogan]

But every now and then he'll show you behind the curtain.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

Every now and then he'll give you a little peek and you're like, okay, yeah, this is an act. He's having fun. Fun.

[Ron White]

He is. He's having a good time. And he loves Austin, too. I see him walking around downtown almost every time I drive through the city. He's just.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, it was a big get getting him here. It was a big get because we wanted to bring a lot of the. There was some magic that was trapped in the town of the Comedy Store. It was magic, and some of it wasn't being utilized correctly. And Holtzman's the best example of that.

[Ron White]

But what a fun hang it was, you know?

[Joe Rogan]

What a fun hang.

[Ron White]

Yeah, it was. It was great.

[Joe Rogan]

That's some of my favorite times in my life in that back bar.

[Ron White]

Yeah.

[Joe Rogan]

Just laughing. Just laughing. We would be back there, just laugh. That was a great thing the Comedy Store did when they put together that bar.

[Ron White]

Yeah. That.

[Joe Rogan]

It had Mitzi's actual bar from her house. Was the bar there?

[Ron White]

I didn't know that.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. That bar didn't used to be there, like, so the early days, that was like a storage room. And so at one point in time, when the store was, like, really killing it, they decided, like, we should turn this into a bar. And I don't know what year was that? That I want to feel like. I feel like that was, like 2014ish, which is right when I came back. And the. So was killing it. And we all were like, oh, yeah, we'll have our own bar. This is incredible. And you had to go through the kitchen to get through it. Like a scene from Goodfellas.

[Ron White]

Right.

[Joe Rogan]

And you get back there, and you could only be back there if you were cool. Like, you. You couldn't buy a ticket.

[Ron White]

It was police.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. You had to have a friend, you know, Somebody to get back there. But we would be hanging with some of the coolest people in the world.

[Ron White]

That was my favorite place to drink.

[Joe Rogan]

It was so fun. There'd be musicians back there. Everybody was just chilling the drinks for free. It was crazy. It was like. It was so fun. The store was a magical place, man. A magical place. And there's something about the fact that, you know, it had this insane history to it that you felt like, wow, I can't believe I'm even here.

[Ron White]

Right? Standing on the stage, same stages, Pryor. And.

[Joe Rogan]

You just. You're in the. The belly of the beast on Sunset in Hollywood. Like, right in the middle of everything. Right the middle of everything where everybody. I remember when I was a kid, kid in 1988, when I first started doing stand up, they would talk about the Comedy Store like it was Mecca, right? You had to make your pilgrimage to the store. And some guys would say they went there, but they bombed. I went back to try to do some meetings. I did a set at the store. I bombed. I fucked that place. Like.

[Ron White]

Yeah. My first trip out to la, you know, I was trying to get on at the Improv. I couldn't get on. And I was like, man. I went to the Comedy Store and I told them my story. It was Monday night, and they put me up first, which wasn't a really good spot, and I ate it. But they did put me on stage. Well, there it is, right there. There were about 10 people in there or whatever. Nobody. But. And it was a horrible experience. But. But I. But I always look back at it fondly, you know, because they did it. Yeah. They said, yeah, yeah, go get on stage.

[Joe Rogan]

First time I ever came out to the store, I was out in LA to do some pilot thing for mtv, and I was staying at a hotel, and I knew where the store was. I was like, I gotta get there. I just gotta see what it's like. And they let me in because I said, hey, I'm a comedian from New York. Can I just come in and watch the show? And they're like, yeah, sure. They just let me right in. And then I sat in the back of the room, and there was like, 19 people in there. And they were all like. The comics that were on stage were terrible. They were all like, Bodaks. They're like people that s. And then I realized years later that what had happened was a lot of these scenes, they go in these peaks and valleys. And I had caught it when it was out of valley and before it was at a peak like the Kinison years, it was a giant peak when people would come to. It was the wild place. Kinnison was there. They all come at midnight and watch him and celebrities. He'd be all there. And he had died in like 92, I think, and I got there in 94. So there's like. There was this, like, absence.

[Ron White]

Well, right.

[Joe Rogan]

It was a real lull. There wasn't. There's a lot of like, leftovers. People that didn't. That were in the 80s, that didn't make it right. But they were still around. They're still doing stand up and hoping that something was going to happen. But they had tired acts. They were just tired. It hadn't happened for them. They're out there doing pilot season. They didn't want to be at the store. Because you're at the store. There's no agents, there's no executive. No one comes to see you at the store at that time. They would go to the improv, go to the Laugh Factory. That's where the industry was. So if you really wanted to have an actual career, you wouldn't be doing sets at the store.

[Ron White]

Instead of do sets in front of Bud Freeman going, language, watch your language.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, there's a lot of that back then, right? The TV days, everybody thought you had to be clean.

[Ron White]

You know, when I came back to the store, it was in its heyday. You know, you were, you know, running the podcast and, you know, place was packed to the rafters and the comics were solid as, you know, we had a magical run.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah, yeah, it was a magical run.

[Ron White]

And we're having one now. So it's.

[Joe Rogan]

It's the same thing. I mean, it's basically. But it's our version of it, the new version of it, but it's the same thing. It's just like. It's a beautiful thing when. I mean, that term artist is very pretentious. So just say comics realize that we're all doing this thing together and there's not a lot of us. And it's fun to hang out together and enjoy each other's company and appreciate each other and appreciate the ride. We're all in this wild ride together.

[Ron White]

That's right. And it is quite a ride. Ride.

[Joe Rogan]

It's a beautiful ride.

[Ron White]

Quite a ride.

[Joe Rogan]

Yeah. We're very lucky. Ron White and I say it all the time, but it's true. You're. You're Patient Zero.

[Ron White]

All right, man, I'll take the title. I'll take the title.

[Joe Rogan]

You're really Patient Zero because you just threw up. Imagine if you have some new covet. Picked up some new covet in Vegas. It kills us all. Yeah. I love you to death, brother.

[Ron White]

I love you too.

[Joe Rogan]

Thank you for being here.

[Ron White]

You got. Thanks for having me out.

[Joe Rogan]

Goodbye.

[Ron White]

See you guys.

[Joe Rogan]

Sa.