The Joe Rogan Experience #2445 – Bert Kreischer (January 29, 2026)

Guest: Bert Kreischer
Host: Joe Rogan

Overview

In this engaging and wide-ranging episode, comedians Joe Rogan and Bert Kreischer trade stories and insights about health, comedy, generational legacies, the evolution of podcasting, fame, media manipulation, health trends, and personal growth. With their signature mix of candor and humor, they revisit pivotal moments in their lives and careers, reflect on the changing landscape of stand-up and media, and delve into contemporary topics like the COVID vaccine, lucid dreaming, social media, and the oddities of fame.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Red Light Therapy, Vision, and Biohacking

• Red light therapy for eye health
  Bert asks if red light therapy can improve eyesight; Joe swears by it and brings up using powerful red light beds and newer, more affordable devices (00:12–01:16).
• AI, Perplexity, and Personalized Information
  Joe discusses how he uses AI (Perplexity) to research the benefits and drawbacks of therapies and health trends (01:16–02:00).

“I use AI so much now. Instead of searching things online, I just ask the phone… Then it gives me an answer. And then I could say, well, what's the benefits… And then it'll list out the benefits.” – Joe Rogan, (01:16)

2. Generational Experiences and Technology Shifts

• Reflections on Gen X
  Bert contends Gen X “had the greatest run,” experiencing life before and after cell phones, the internet, and landmark events like 9/11 and the pandemic (02:17–03:44).
• ChatGPT and Who Had It Best
  After querying AI, Bert concedes the “Greatest Generation” may truly have had the wildest life changes, from horse-and-buggy to the moon landing (03:14).
• Nostalgia for Prank Calls and Analog Era
  Both recall prank calling as a lost cultural phenomenon, referencing groups like The Jerky Boys and comedian Greg Fitzsimmons’ legendary prank call stories (04:19–05:49).

3. Comedy, Mentorship, and Influence

• Pivotal Comedy Influences Bert reminisces on learning from Greg Fitzsimmons and Louis CK, who pioneered material about fatherhood that was raw and out of bounds for its time (06:05–06:56).
• Comedy's Evolution
  They discuss how “meta” and self-promotional comedy has become, but praise those like Brendan Walsh and Shane Gillis who “do it to make themselves giggle” (09:36–11:37).

4. Parenting, Partying, and Family Dynamics

• Bert’s Daughter Sneaking Beers
  Humorous exchange about how Bert’s daughter was “ratted out” by Shane Gillis for sneaking beers, and Bert’s own party-parent reputation (11:39–12:32).

5. Media Narratives, Podcasting, and False Stories

• Shannon Sharpe Incident: False “Lost Everything” Story (12:49–14:21) Bert relates accidentally conforming to a totally false narrative on Shannon Sharpe’s show and the tendency of media to spin or misunderstand personal stories.
• Internet vs. Reality in Comedy Careers
  They discuss how fame can be inflated or torqued by the internet, and how pivotal viral moments can “make” a comic’s career (16:06–19:43).

6. Viral Moments and the Power of Luck

• Career “Breaks” From Viral Content
  Big careers jump up unexpectedly: Joe’s Mencia video, Bert’s Machine story, Burr’s Philly rant, Jim Jefferies’ viral punch, Tom Segura’s Netflix special—each rests on some luck or unforeseen exposure (16:30–19:43).

“For me, it was the Machine story going viral. For Bill Burr, it’s the Philly rant… Every comic that pops always has that. Tom… got on Netflix when there were two comics on Netflix, Bill Burr and Tom Segura.” – Bert Kreischer (17:39)

7. Coping with Criticism & Social Media

• Negative Press and Personal Impact
  Bert outlines how negative comments online devastate him, while Joe encourages not to read it and emphasizes the irrelevance of critics (28:20–30:37).
• Social Media Habits
  Joe avoids managing social media, only posts infrequently, and stresses the dangers of absorbing negativity online (31:15–32:11).
• Algorithmic Negativity & Stand-Up Parallels
  The discussion parallels social media’s power to target weaknesses (one negative comment among many) with how a comic can obsess over a single dissatisfied audience member (33:54–35:02).

8. Whitney Cummings, Ms. Rachel, and The Mob

• The Perils of Apology Culture
  Discussion centers on Whitney Cummings’ run-in with “the mob” over Ms. Rachel, a children’s content creator. Joe cautions against engaging with bad-faith online mobs (36:01–38:20).

“You can’t apologize to the mob. They come for you… They don’t care if you’re, like—if you were a person and you were someone’s friend… but these people… they just want to destroy your life.” – Joe Rogan (37:43)

9. Scientific Curiosity: Lucid Dreaming and Sleep

• Breakthrough in Sleep Communication
  Jamie shares news of scientists attempting two-way communication between lucid dreamers (38:56–41:08).
• Lucid Dreaming Experiences
  Joe and Bert riff on their “control” in dreams, influences like Alpha Brain, and “dream adventures” including sex and flying (41:08–45:46).
• Joe’s “Alien Encounter” Dream
  Joe recounts a hyper-realistic dream of encountering non-human beings—reflecting on memory, consciousness, and the surreal impact of dreams (46:00–52:54).

10. Pandemic, Health, and Media Manipulation

• COVID, Vaccines, and Media Corruption
  Joe criticizes the mainstream media for failing to discuss vaccine injuries and promoting a single narrative (79:33–83:39). He shares stories of helping friends with alternative COVID treatments.

“The amount of money that pharmaceutical drug companies spend on mainstream media is… preposterous. And they… do it… because they don't want those media organizations to criticize… vaccines or… drugs.” – Joe Rogan (105:48)

11. Comparing Athletic Eras & The UFC

• Would Past UFC Stars Succeed Today?
  Bert wonders how fighters like Tank Abbott, Dan Severn, and Royce Gracie would fare against today’s elite (82:23–85:15). Joe explains how some skills still translate due to the heavyweight division’s thinness and the timelessness of wrestling and jiu-jitsu skills.

12. Fame, Podcasting, Awards, and Success

• Podcast Awards and “Winning”
  Discussion about the Golden Globes introducing a Podcast award, why Joe didn’t submit, and the subjectivity of awards for art (113:08–115:49).
• Fame, Identity, and Mental Health
  Joe talks about intentionally wanting to be “less famous” and why those closest to you matter more than anonymous fans (89:26–89:53).

“That’s why I took the Spotify deal. I was hoping I would be, like, 10% less famous.” – Joe Rogan (89:02)

13. Competition, Work Ethic, and Personal Growth

• Healthy vs. Unhealthy Competition
  Both discuss the value of surrounding oneself with high-caliber peers and how competition can be a healthy driver for self-betterment, rather than a source of toxicity (134:42–145:23).
• Joe’s Obsessiveness & Physical ‘Centering’
  Joe explains that hard workouts keep him grounded; it’s not about external achievements but defeating his “inner bitch” (86:35–88:39).

14. Media Manipulation, Historical Revisionism & Conspiracies

• Nixon, Watergate, and “Deep State”
  Joe and Bert explore recent theories reframing the Watergate scandal as a deep state coup, citing a 2026 interview with Glenn Greenwald and discussion of Bob Woodward’s intelligence ties (69:08–76:19, 70:53–76:17).

“So you have the naval intelligence officer working with the FBI official to destroy the President. Okay, so that’s a deep state coup.” – Glenn Greenwald, quoted by Joe Rogan (71:14)

15. Health Trends: Sleep, Eggs, and Biohacking

• Sleep Apnea And Nasal Breathing
  Recommendation to sleep with mouth tape and a mouthpiece to reduce snoring and improve health (106:43–109:28).
• Raising Chickens and “Karma-Free” Food
  Joe praises the rewards, satisfaction, and connection found in raising backyard chickens and eggs (130:56–132:23).

16. Fraud, Conspiracies, and Internet Myths

• Helen Keller and Stevie Wonder Conspiracies
  They joke about memes questioning whether Helen Keller was truly deaf and blind, and if Stevie Wonder is “faking it”—conceding the joy in wild theories, but also recognizing how these narratives catch fire online (149:07–164:32).
• Media and Narrative Construction
  They reflect on how legends, narratives, and viral stories can overshadow reality—whether in sports (Lance Armstrong), comedy (viral bits), or history.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We were in a time in stand up when competitiveness was the norm.”
  – Bert Kreischer (142:13)

• “The best thing is just do your best. All these awards… are crazy. Awards for art are crazy.”
  – Joe Rogan (116:27)

• “Those moments when you finish a brutal workout, you just did it – you feel centered for the rest of the day.”
  – Joe Rogan (132:42)

• “You absorb the atmosphere of the people that you surround yourself with. And like it or not, when you’re interacting with people on social media, you are surrounding yourself with their thoughts.”
  – Joe Rogan (145:23)

“Surround yourself with good people... If I hang out with the best fucking comics in the world, I’m gonna have to get better.”
– Bert Kreischer (146:17)

Section Timestamps

• Red Light Therapy & AI Search: 00:12–02:00
• Generational Reflections: 02:00–04:19
• Comedy Mentorship & Influence: 05:04–07:20
• Viral Career “Breaks”: 16:06–19:43
• Social Media, Press & Handling Criticism: 28:20–35:02
• Lucid Dreaming & Alien Encounter: 38:56–52:54
• COVID, Vaccines & Media: 79:33–99:36
• Sleep Apnea/Mouth Tape Discussion: 106:21–109:28
• Watergate/Deep State Conspiracies: 69:08–78:01
• Podcasting, Awards, True Success: 113:08–117:03
• Competition & Growth: 134:42–145:48
• Helen Keller/Stevie Wonder/Myth-busting: 149:07–166:43

Tone and Atmosphere

The episode is energetic, freewheeling, and irreverent with the trademark back-and-forth banter expected from two of the most popular voices in comedy/podcasting. Personal stories, pop culture, skepticism, and conspiracy thinking blend with sincere reflections on personal growth, health, and the comedic journey.

For listeners:
If you’re interested in the evolution of stand-up and podcasting, real talk about managing fame and negativity, health hacking trends, behind-the-scenes showbiz stories, and plenty of offbeat humor and myth-busting, this episode delivers in spades.

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