#1761 - Jim Gaffigan

SPEAKER_2 (0:06)

Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day.

Jim Gaffigan (0:15)

I am thrilled to be here.

Joe Rogan (0:17)

And now we know that you had COVID.

Jim Gaffigan (0:19)

I had COVID.

Joe Rogan (0:20)

And you shook it off, like it was nothing.

Jim Gaffigan (0:21)

I shook it off. I mean, I didn't need those monoclonal, I mean, you're a weak person, Joe. And compared to you.

If you were like me, you wouldn't need that stuff.

Joe Rogan (0:30)

I wouldn't need anything. I didn't even know you had it.

Jim Gaffigan (0:33)

I had it. I was out there spreading it.

Unaware that I was spreading it. I feel so bad. I was wearing a mask.

Joe Rogan (0:42)

Most people, I don't think that works. Most people did that. Most people were out there spreading it.

I mean, what do they say, like the people that don't show any symptoms, the asymptomatic folks, they were in the high 40%.

Jim Gaffigan (0:56)

Wow, that's a lot of people.

Joe Rogan (0:58)

It's crazy.

Yeah, but this is not like even PCR tests, right? Because one of the things that, as of December 31st, the, I believe it was the CDC put this regulation in place, they stopped using the standard PCR test for COVID because there's too many positives. They cast, people with influenza, other coronaviruses, common colds were testing positive for COVID-19.

Jim Gaffigan (1:20)

Do you feel a certain responsibility, I have so many questions, I know it's The Joe Rogan Experience, but this is gonna be me interviewing you. Come with the questions. Do you feel a certain responsibility to, because just even chatting before, the breadth of knowledge that you have on this, I mean, and it's shifting constantly, right?

So Omicron is, for me, Omicron was a dateline episode. They're like, here's what we know, but now go to a commercial break. And they just kept, we still don't know, but you seem to know, and you obviously interview a lot of brilliant people like me that will give you some of this information. But look, when I met you, this was before a news radio, and you had stand up where you were imitating tigers fucking.

How do you go from that to like, particularly on COVID, because the information's changing. How can you stay updated?

Joe Rogan (2:26)

I don't know.

Jim Gaffigan (2:28)

It's a strange path.

Joe Rogan (2:30)

Yeah, it's a very, well, it's not a path that I took on purpose. That's what's weird about it.

Jim Gaffigan (2:35)

Well, you've always had a curious mind.

Joe Rogan (2:36)

Yes, I've always been curious. Yeah, I think so, for the most part. But with, not just with COVID, with pretty much every discussion that I have with people that's about something that's fascinating to me, I just have a very unusual memory.

And I also, I have this, I have this unique opportunity, opportunity to pick people's brains. And I have these conversations with people where I can ask them these questions.

Jim Gaffigan (3:03)

Right, and it's invaluable. Here's my other main question that I've been dying to know. How do you, because in the entertainment industry, or creative people, we all know that there's the drive, there's, but the downfall is ego. How have you navigated this empire where you now own three fourths of Texas?

And how have you managed to not succumb to some Shakespearean story of where hubris, do you know what I'm saying? How have you not self-destructed, where you're like, you know what, I go on my meth bender, you know what I mean? Like, you don't do any of that.

Joe Rogan (3:51)

No, I exercise really hard. That's the big, it sounds like bullshit, but that's really what it is.

Jim Gaffigan (3:58)

That grounds you, though?

Joe Rogan (4:00)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, because the training that I do, the martial arts stuff and kettlebell stuff and the strength and conditioning work, it's so hard that everything else is easy. And then I do like ice baths and saunas, and they're so hard that everything else is easy.

And so that's where I struggle. I struggle in those areas, so that I don't have this existential angst in the rest of life.

Jim Gaffigan (4:22)

Well, all right, so we strip away, we take, what if I stole your kettlebells? What if I, what if you, what would Joe Rogan be like without the exercise and the Instagram close up of a sweaty face? I worked out today, I didn't want to, but I did it. What would you be like without that outlet?

You'd be filled with anxiety.