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Burn the Boats

Joe Rogan

Netflix · 2024 · 67 min

A loud, high-energy recap of the podcaster's favorite talking points.

Joe Rogan spends much of his first stand-up special in six years shouting at a crowd that already agrees with most of his podcast. Filmed live at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas, the set operates as a high-volume recap of his favored talking points: Covid lockdowns, cultural sensitivities, and his skepticism of modern medicine. When he steers away from the culture wars, he leans into vulgarity, including a detailed memory of the horseshoe-themed donkey semen challenge that got Fear Factor canceled. He also touches on alien abductions, suggesting extraterrestrials use anal probes purely to make human stories sound too ridiculous to believe. His delivery relies heavily on volume and physical intensity, leaning on a familiar mix of weed, testosterone, and conspiratorial thinking.

The set list

7 bits
  1. Aliens visiting Earth compared to fishing

    Rogan rebuts the argument that aliens would announce themselves on the White House lawn by comparing human visits to alien abductions: humans trick fish with fake bait, take pictures, and throw them back without meeting the president of the lake.

  2. Being high at the airport

    Observes that being stoned at the airport is seamless because travelers naturally act bizarre, anxious, quiet, and terrified of dying, allowing anyone high to blend right in.

  3. Neanderthal DNA and intrusive thoughts

    Citing a DNA test showing high Neanderthal genetics, Rogan reflects on society's thin civilized veneer and the intrusive caveman impulses that drive violent urges in daily life.

  4. Disclaiming podcast vaccine advice

    Deflects accusations of spreading dangerous COVID-19 vaccine misinformation by arguing that listeners are fools for taking medical guidance from someone talking high and drunk on a podcast.

  5. Political team package deals and pregnant men

    Examines joining political factions where agreed-upon issues like universal healthcare and free education unexpectedly come bundled with concepts like pregnant men.

  6. Unaired Fear Factor donkey challenge

    Recalls a challenge deemed too repulsive by NBC executives involving contestants and reproductive emissions from donkeys, milked for visceral crowd groans.

  7. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Horny grandpa closer

    A brief routine detailing his horny grandfather, delivered at a rapid clip.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, raunchy, provocative, defensive, and gross-out.
On stage
A high-volume, sweaty provocateur playing the self-deprecating court jester and inquisitive everyman, adopting an aggressive 'just asking questions' persona while deflecting accountability.
Pace
Loud, frantic, and relentless, characterized by sustained shouting, darting eyes, blocky physical stage presence, and a rushed conclusion.
About
COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine controversies, gender identity and trans politics, aliens and UFOs, Neanderthal DNA and primal human impulses, airport paranoia and drug use, Fear Factor memories

What the critics said

Heavily panned by mainstream critics as an exhausting, derivative, and dated hour that relies on high-volume shouting, hackneyed trans tropes, and faux-naive defenses instead of sharp, developed jokes.

In the room: Raucous and partisan with intense applause breaks for Rogan's signature viewpoints, punctuated by sporadic heckles and moments of awkward pushback.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: imdb.com, variety.com, vulture.com, nytimes.com, newyorker.com, joerogan.com.

Backstory

Broadcast live on Netflix amid ongoing cultural debates over Rogan's contentious podcast discussions regarding COVID-19 vaccines, lockdowns, and trans issues, as well as his relocation to Texas and the opening of his Austin comedy club, Comedy Mothership.

Details

Released
Taped
Majestic Theatre, San Antonio
Runtime
67 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Anthony Giordano
Topics
Before
Strange Times (2018)

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