Podcast Summary: You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes — Seth Rogen (Re-Release)

Host: Pete Holmes
Guest: Seth Rogen
Date of Original Recording: 2017 (Re-released June 4, 2025)
Theme: Exploring personal weirdness, creativity, comedy, self-expression, and the meaning of life with comedian and filmmaker Seth Rogen.

Overview

In this lively and insightful conversation, Pete Holmes sits down with Seth Rogen for a deep-dive into the comedic mind, the creative process, and the nuances of being “weird.” This episode—originally recorded in 2017—is a wide-ranging dialogue on everything from acting and writing to relationships, anxiety, psychedelics, and existential questions, peppered with sharp observations, self-deprecating humor, and memorable storytelling.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Work, Rest, and the Artist’s Lifestyle

• Reluctance Toward Socializing After Work
  • Seth describes podcasting as the LA equivalent of “driving someone to the airport,” reflecting on how, after a day of performing, he craves solitude.
    • “After what I do all day, the last thing I want to do is listen to two comedians talk to one another.” (03:31, Seth Rogen)
• The Pull Between Doing Nothing and Doing Things
  • Pete and Seth connect over their introvert-extrovert nature, acknowledging the need to overcome the comfort of home to experience happiness and growth.
    • “I like doing things, which is a weird thing as someone who's always identified as liking doing nothing.” (06:26, Seth Rogen)
  • They praise Judd Apatow as a “do-er,” noting that sometimes pushing oneself to be active is the key to fulfillment.

2. Relationships and Being Wrong

• The Value of a “Witness”
  • Seth discusses the checks and balances his wife brings to his life, especially in situations where he might default to less ethical choices.
    • “I am acutely aware that she's constantly telling [me I’m wrong].” (10:02, Seth Rogen)
• Resetting the Relationship Clock
  • Comic discussion about how marriage “resets” the years together, undercut with familiarity and mutual self-deprecation.
• Cultural Differences in Admitting Wrongness
  • Comparing Boston stubbornness (Pete) to Canadian apologetic tendencies (Seth):
    • “Canadians are okay admitting that they're wrong and apologizing.” (13:40, Seth Rogen)

3. Comedy, Movies, and the State of Entertainment

• Evolving Movie Landscape
  • Seth reflects on how the types of comedy films that succeeded historically—such as “Superbad”—would now struggle for a theatrical release, pointing to “marvelization” and streaming dominance.
    • “I question if like Superbad would get a big theatrical release today..." (17:22, Seth Rogen)
• Making Comedy for Theaters
  • The unique communal energy of a comedy packed theater is explored—the “cathedral” experience as described via Joseph Campbell.
    • “It’s the only way I know how to write a movie, is considering what it’s doing to a theater full of people.” (23:17, Seth Rogen)
• Pushing Creative Boundaries
  • The importance of genuine creative risk is highlighted, with examples like “Sausage Party” and “Deadpool.”

4. The Mechanics & Philosophy of Comedy

• Comedy as Dialogue, Not Monologue
  • Seth likens stand-up and film comedy to an interactive relationship with the audience, aiming for laughter, surprise, and emotional resonance.
• Comedy-Horror Parallels
  • They discuss tension as both a comedic and horror tool.
    • “My favorite movies this year were ‘Green Room,’...’10 Cloverfield Lane’...I think miseries are funny—it becomes comedic.” (24:20, Seth Rogen)
• On Writing for Laughs
  • Balancing leaving “air” for audience laughter in film vs. timing for home viewing is discussed.
    • “We were so enamored with the laughs that we were like, clear out room there...then you got a lot of room—too much room.” (27:41, Seth Rogen)
• On Being Personal in Comedy
  • Early stand-up lessons encourage specificity and authenticity.
    • “You're the only person here who can talk about what it's like to try to get a hand job for the first time in real time, not reflecting on it, you're experiencing it.” (88:01, Seth Rogen quoting Daryl Lennox)

5. Anxiety, Creativity, and Self-Expression

• Comedy as a Coping Mechanism for Anxiety
  • “Doing things reduces my anxiety. Doing this podcast reduces my anxiety.” (33:31, Pete Holmes)
  • Seth admits to high anxiety as a kid, leading to intense ambition.
• Socioeconomic Influences
  • Both recall how exposure to wealthier peers heightened awareness of status and ambition.
• Motivation to Be Understood
  • Seth frames his creative drive as a need to be heard, seen, and to have his perspective recognized.
    • “I liked the idea of, as lame as it sounds, expressing myself...tell jokes that made people laugh, but also made them understand my perspective on things.” (38:11, Seth Rogen)

6. Religion, Meaning, and Morality

• Movies as Vehicles for Exploring Deeper Themes
  • Many Rogen projects examine faith, goodness, and existential doubt (“This Is The End,” “Sausage Party”).
    • “Religion's a thing we talk about a lot and think about a lot—the reasons for it, the good parts, the bad parts, the evolution of it, the perversion of it.” (44:46, Seth Rogen)
• Ethics of Action vs. Inaction
  • Discussing complicity, neutrality, and the responsibility to do good.
    • “By doing nothing, are you just making people's lives shittier? Is inaction the same as negative action?” (48:08, Seth Rogen)
• Starfish Parable
  • Attempting to avoid overwhelm, do “the good that you can do”—every positive act counts.

7. Psychedelics, Empathy, and Emotional Intelligence

• History with Mushrooms
  • Seth shares early, frequent psychedelic use and its impact on social awareness and empathy.
    • “Mushrooms did make me very aware of energy...you'd be very aware of, like, someone ruining other people's vibes.” (56:22, Seth Rogen)
• The Need to Be Seen and Understood
  • Both compare artistic expression to the universal human need for validation and connection.

8. Acting, Directing, and Working with Others

• Filmmaker’s Perspective on Acting
  • Seth sees himself as a director/filmmaker first—even while acting, he’s piecing himself into the larger puzzle.
• On Giving and Receiving Direction
  • Memorable odd directions recounted, e.g., Judd Apatow on 40-Year-Old Virgin:
    • “Less semen, more emotion.” (69:32, Judd Apatow via Seth Rogen)
• Trust and Collaboration
  • Trust in collaborators to “go there” in scripts/performances and not betray that trust.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Needing Solitude:
  “How do I get home to do nothing? Yeah.” (06:09, Seth Rogen)
• On Comedy and Therapy:
  “Paranoid people are correct sometimes.” (07:32, Pete Holmes)
• On the Creative Process:
  “It’s all about perception…I did things.” (09:03, Pete Holmes)
• On Being a Good Person:
  “Start by not making things shittier for people.” (47:45, Seth Rogen)
• On Movie Writing:
  “The thing that seems the least important at the beginning of the movie is the most important at the end...” (46:25, Seth Rogen)
• On Mushrooms and Empathy:
  “I think I'm a very sensitive person…when it comes to what people are feeling in any given moment.” (61:39, Seth Rogen)
• On Comedy Advice:
  “Talk about this shit that only you can talk about.” (88:01, Seth Rogen)
• On Meaning and Happiness:
  “The happiest I've been is when I don't put a lot of thought into where it all goes and instead put…The journey is what counts in every way.” (77:40, Seth Rogen)
• On Kindness and the Little Things:
  “You could go up to any person…any person you see and you don't know them…and if you just go, ‘coward’…it would fuck up their whole day.” (53:35, Pete Holmes)

Important Timestamps

• Introductions & Podcast Context
  • 00:00–03:16
• Doing vs. Not Doing
  • 03:46–08:58
• Being Wrong, Family, and Culture
  • 09:03–14:43
• Comedy Movies & Audience
  • 17:20–23:17
• Film vs. Stand-Up Comedy
  • 23:17–29:30
• Creative Goals, Story vs. Plot
  • 44:33–47:35
• Ethics of Action/Inaction
  • 47:45–51:35
• Psychedelics, Emotional Intelligence
  • 56:22–62:13
• Acting, Directing, Advice
  • 63:28–71:39
• Meaning of Life, Legacy, and Being Present
  • 75:45–80:51
• Weed & Functionality
  • 81:44–85:42
• Writing & Comedy Lessons
  • 86:02–90:48
• Hardest Laughs, Friends, and Wrap-Up
  • 90:36–92:29

Tone & Style

• Candid, reflective, and often self-deprecating
• Loose and conversational, peppered with anecdotes
• Philosophical but rarely pretentious; grounded in real experience
• Safe space for “weirdness,” anxiety, and artistic vulnerability

Summary Takeaway

This episode reveals how Seth Rogen’s journey—marked by anxiety, reflection, risk, and relentless honesty—fuels the creation of work with emotional and comedic resonance. Key insights include the role of action in happiness, the necessity of becoming vulnerable to connect artistically, and the ongoing quest to understand and express what it means to be a good human. Both Holmes and Rogen model a humor that’s as much about self-exploration as it is about getting laughs, making this episode a time capsule of candid wisdom for anyone fascinated by comedy, creativity, or the human experience.