The Joe Rogan Experience #2409 — Brian Redban

Date: November 11, 2025
Host: Joe Rogan
Guest: Brian Redban
Producer: Jamie Vernon

Overview

This episode reunites Joe Rogan with longtime friend and comedian Brian Redban for a characteristically freewheeling, irreverent conversation. The discussion ranges from rapid advances in technology (quantum computers, AI, smart devices), American and international politics, the culture of digital surveillance, the evolution of entertainment (from ringtones to massive immersive spheres), and the oddities and anxieties of modern life, all filtered through the duo's blend of skepticism, cynicism, and offbeat humor. The result is an episode that captures the disordered energy and curiosity that defines The Joe Rogan Experience.

Main Themes & Key Topics

• Artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and exponential technology
• Surveillance, privacy, and the commodification of personal data
• American and Chinese approaches to tech, drones, and trade conflicts
• The evolution of mobile phones, gadgets, and consumer tech culture
• Censorship, media manipulation, political polarization, and the problem of narrative control
• Social changes wrought by technology: from OnlyFans to VR to incels
• Entertainment, comedy, and the changing landscape of live performance, Vegas, and immersive screens
• The simulation hypothesis and existential speculation about the future of civilization
• Lighthearted and explicit stories about bodily functions and public behavior

In-Depth Breakdown

1. Quantum Computing & AI (00:13–03:56, 132:09–139:16)

• Jamie describes reports about China's new quantum computer capable of solving problems in minutes that would take traditional supercomputers billions of years — and muses about how few people on Earth could actually reboot or recreate such a machine.

  "If all those people got assassinated and those machines were just sitting there just, like, off, how long would it be before somebody came along that could figure out how to start that up again?" — Jamie Vernon (02:20)

• They riff on the mysterious, possibly multiversal power of quantum computing and riff on the fragility and secrecy of knowledge at the frontier of technology.

• They later revisit the topic when discussing the simulation theory, arguing that a quantum computer’s power makes simulated realities plausible:

  "If [a quantum computer] could run a calculation...in a few minutes...what kind of rendering could that thing do? What kind of experience could that thing provide?" — Joe Rogan (132:13)

2. Tech & Privacy—From Foldables to Surveillance (03:56–07:37)

• Tangential tour of foldable phones (Samsung, Apple), memories of failed tech (Newton, Palm, Blackberry), and the progression to always-on digital lifestyles.
• Jamie laments, "Now look. Now we're doomed. We're doomed, son. And then there's, you know, there's tracking of everybody everywhere." (07:01)
• Real-world examples of how detailed digital tracking enables law enforcement.
• Conversation shifts to ChatGPT, Grok, and the ways AI systems enforce social norms (e.g., refusing to assist with dangerous or illicit requests), with jokes about circumventing safeguards.

3. The Invasive Economy of Data (13:56–14:26)

• Joe: "We never thought that data was a commodity...find out what you're interested in, what stuff you buy online, what websites you visit. That's a commodity."
• Discussion of how the smallest actions (signing up for a newsletter) can expose and commodify vast stores of personal data.

4. Energy, Infrastructure, & Environmental Hypocrisy (15:31–19:13)

• Discussion on the contradiction of green policies outpacing grid capacity (e.g., electric cars in California versus brownouts).

• Critique of solar and battery technology, especially the moral implications of "conflict minerals" mined in conditions verging on slavery.

  "It's one of the weirdest things ever that the most advanced thing that we all possess, a cell phone, is made in the most barbaric way possible." — Jamie (18:03)

5. American vs. Chinese Tech, Drones, and Geo-Politics (22:37–26:01, 49:25–58:39)

• Praise for functionality in banned or niche devices (Sony, DJI drones).

• US–China trade tensions, tech bans (DJI), and the intertwining of state and corporate strategies in China.

  "China's way ahead on drones...their government and their corporations are like this. They work together and they work together for China, like, and you don't have a choice." — Jamie (55:54)

• Insight into US government drama around drone procurement, conflict of interest, and domestic innovation versus foreign threats.

6. Censorship, News, and the Narrative (26:01–33:50)

• Dissection of how media manipulation, selective editing, and “woke” ideology have warped news coverage, specifically concerning figures like Trump.

• Example: BBC editing a Trump speech to misrepresent his intent, with Jamie highlighting the dangers of such distortions.

  "This is the only country legitimately where it's up for grabs...it’s a crazy evil battle." — Jamie (26:51)

7. Societal Fragmentation, Violence, and Civil Strife (30:23–32:38)

• Comment on increasing polarization and celebration of violence, e.g., reactions to Charlie Kirk being shot.

  "As soon as you celebrate that, like, man, you're in dark territory. You're in dark territory." — Jamie (32:09)

8. The Tech Arms Race, Gaming, and Gadget Musings (39:30–44:30)

• Deep dive into new phone tech, water-cooled gaming phones, and the addictive pull of mobile and VR gaming.
• Celebrity and comedy world anecdotes, e.g., William Montgomery’s unique comedic stardom.

9. Free Speech, Comedy, and Global Performance (66:53–68:10)

• Jamie and Brian muse on the difficulty (and risks) of performing comedy in countries with severe speech restrictions (Saudi Arabia, UK).

  "If someone says, you can't say this or you can't say that, I'm like, okay, yeah." — Jamie (67:41)

10. Social Change: OnlyFans, Relationships, and Sexuality (164:01–172:37)

• Explosive OnlyFans growth: from $238M (2019) to $8B (2024), with half of American men reportedly holding accounts.

  "Half of the population is on OnlyFans in America." — Jamie (166:59)

• Discussion of declining in-person intimacy for young men, the rise of “incels”, and the potential for AI and VR to further change sexual and social experience.

11. Simulation Hypothesis & Existential Anxiety (131:16–135:18)

• Brian: "I'm leaning more towards simulation theory. More and more the older I get."
• Joe and Brian view emergent AI, quantum computers, and the odd trajectory of civilization as evidence for a simulation or programmed universe.

12. Lighthearted and Explicit Commentary

• Anecdotes about public masturbation, the weirdest dog stories, and the mechanics of porn consumption in the age of VR—endlessly veering between crude jokes and genuine curiosity.
• Joe: "You got to be a special kind of creep to be jacking off on a plane with a bunch of people." (155:09)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On quantum computing and knowledge silos:
  "If all those people got assassinated and those machines were just sitting there just, like, off, how long would it be before somebody came along that could figure out how to start that up again?" — Jamie Vernon (02:20)

• On digital surveillance:
  "Now look. Now we're doomed. We're doomed, son. And then there's, you know, there's tracking of everybody everywhere." — Jamie Vernon (07:01)

• On the ethics of green technology:
  "The most advanced thing that we all possess, a cell phone, is made in the most barbaric way possible." — Jamie Vernon (18:03)

• On media manipulation and trust:
  "You're lying about what he said publicly, which is on the Internet, which anybody could see…like, it is the clearest, like, indication of how that woke shit was rotting people's brains." — Jamie Vernon (27:43)

• On societal risk and polarization:
  "As soon as you celebrate that, like, man, you're in dark territory." — Jamie Vernon (32:09)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:13–03:56 | Quantum computing, AI, and knowledge bottlenecks | | 03:56–07:37 | Foldables, mobile tech history, digital surveillance | | 15:31–19:13 | Energy policy, batteries, Congo mining, environmental costs | | 22:37–26:01 | Banned tech, DJI drones, China–US trade and tech race | | 26:01–33:50 | Media editing, fake news, Trump, BBC scandal | | 30:23–32:38 | Violence, polarization, and the Charlie Kirk shooting | | 39:30–44:30 | Gaming phones, tech advances, VR's addictive potential | | 66:53–68:10 | Comedy and censorship worldwide | | 131:16–135:18 | Simulation theory, quantum computers as evidence | | 164:01–172:37 | OnlyFans statistics, impacts on relationships, decline of sexual activity among young men |

Tone and Language

Throughout, the language is frank, often explicit, and unapologetically comedic. Joe and Brian’s banter alternates between alarm at the pace of technological change and a playful, sometimes crude, cynicism about the direction of civilization. There's a constant thread of skepticism, but also fascination with progress and the strangeness of digital life.

Conclusion

This episode is a sprawling, sometimes chaotic, always candid overview of the year’s most pressing themes—technology’s relentless march, media unreliability, social fragmentation, and the disruption of entertainment and relationships. Rogan and Redban use humor and incredulity as tools to probe the profundity and absurdity of modern existence. For those interested in where culture, technology, and irreverent comedy collide, this episode is a microcosm of our bewildering times.