Joe Rogan Experience #1523 - Joey Diaz & Brian Redban

Episode Summary

Main Topics

This episode details Joe Rogan’s desire to leave Los Angeles due to pandemic-related decay, crime, and political disillusionment. Joey Diaz shares personal coping strategies and recounts vivid tales from his criminal past and early comedy career. They critically examine government responses to COVID-19, the impact on live comedy, and historical political and drug cartel corruption, notably from Narcos.

Key Discussion Points

• LA Exodus & Economic Despair: Joe expresses urgency to leave Los Angeles, citing increased crime (e.g., catalytic converter thefts) and business closures. Both criticize state leaders (Newsom, Garcetti) for inadequate pandemic planning and lacking public health guidance. Joey estimates an 18-month economic recovery for businesses like the Comedy Store.
• Government Dysfunction & Social Unrest: Discussion highlights leadership failure, rising crime in cities, and the Chicago looting. Joey recounts youth in corrupt Hudson County, NJ, politics and the 1987 Mexican election rigging by cartels with alleged CIA involvement, as depicted in *Narcos: Mexico*.
• Comedy's Pandemic Struggle: Joey and Joe lament the cessation of live stand-up, missing the "7 o'clock adrenaline rush" and "murderer's row" community at the Comedy Store. Joey discusses mountain biking and avoiding news for mental health, and anxiety about returning to performance.
• Joey's Wild Comedy Origin: Joey details his unique journey, becoming a Comedy Store regular in just one month under Mitzi Shore. He recalls "hell gigs" like performing for an Elvis impersonator and mic cuts for table announcements, contrasting these with the Comedy Store's nurturing environment in later eras.
• Crime & Pop Culture Deep Dive: Joey recounts his kidnapping arrest, humorously "tormenting" police with false drug-dealing stories about Jamie to avoid conviction. Discussion of *Narcos* covers Pablo Escobar's rise, Cali Cartel's brutality, Diego Luna's Felix Gallardo, and historical CIA-cartel connections.

Notable Moments

• Kidnapping Interrogation Tale: Joey describes his arrest for kidnapping, where he cunningly wasted six months of police time by making up elaborate drug-dealing stories about Jamie, all to watch *Miami Vice*’s season finale.
• CIA-Cartel Hypocrisy: From *Narcos*, the hosts discuss the startling reality that the U.S. government, while promoting the "War on Drugs," allegedly facilitated drug trafficking and manipulated foreign elections for its own interests.
• "War Pigs" at The Comedy Store: Joe recounts Joey's legendary, spontaneous act of stripping his shirt off and belting out Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" to a tiny, late-night Comedy Store audience, perfectly encapsulating the chaotic, uninhibited spirit of live comedy.

Key Takeaways

This episode delivers a candid look into pandemic anxieties and the yearning for live entertainment, underscored by deep political cynicism rooted in personal and historical corruption. It highlights the resilience of the human spirit through dark humor and outrageous personal stories, emphasizing self-care and adaptability amidst societal breakdown. The conversation provides unique insights into the intertwined worlds of comedy, crime, and government, stressing raw truth.