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Brick Wall Comedy

Triggered

Joe Rogan

Netflix · 2016 · 63 min

Joe Rogan yells about edibles and modern absurdity in San Francisco.

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Joe Rogan paces the stage with the wide-stanced intensity of a guy who might try to leg-kick a microphone stand, shouting himself hoarse about the perils of unregulated pot gummies. He walks onto the stage at The Fillmore in San Francisco claiming to be “high as fuck” before immediately launching into a bit about a pot store clerk who warns him to only eat the leg of a cannabis-infused gummy bear. It is an aggressive, sweaty hour of comedy that relies as much on high-energy act-outs and mock terror as it does on conventional setup-punchline delivery.

Released in 2016, the special caught Rogan at a transitional peak in his career. His podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, was already massive, and his UFC commentary had made him a ubiquitous voice in sports. Triggered served as his Netflix debut, designed to prove that his stand-up remained his core discipline. The material leans heavily on his signature obsessions: the absurdity of modern technology, the weirdness of parenting daughters, and the bizarre nature of the human animal. Memorable bits include a breakdown of the man who hopped the White House fence to run into the East Room, a critique of the Kardashians, and a riff on how eating too many edibles makes people believe they can communicate with dolphins.

While the performance captures Rogan at his most physical and animated, the reception from his own massive fanbase was mixed. Hardcore listeners of his podcast noted that many of the premises had already been thoroughly debated and worked through on air, making the stand-up versions feel slightly redundant. Still, for viewers unfamiliar with his weekly, multi-hour broadcasts, the show offered a loud, energetic look at a seasoned performer shouting his worldview into the San Francisco night.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Pot gummy bears and talking to dolphins

    Contrasts the metabolic processes of eating versus smoking weed, noting how potent edibles lead to deep realizations about animal intelligence and human connectedness.

  2. Physical equality and the White House intruder

    Argues that acknowledging physical differences between sexes is not sexist, highlighting a female security guard during a White House breach to illustrate workplace dynamics and incompetence over conspiracy.

  3. The difference between cults and religions

    Riffs on Scientology, friendly Mormon culture, and violent fundamentalist reactions to God cartoons.

  4. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Bruce Jenner living with the Kardashians closer

    Acts out the Kardashian women as nocturnal demons climbing onto his stage stool and whispering into Bruce's ear to convince him to transition into a woman.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, raunchy, cerebral, and unapologetically provocative.
On stage
Inquisitive, intense, cocksure yet nuanced and controlled, self-aware, and openly stoned on California weed.
Pace
Smooth, high-tempo, and intensely energetic, culminating in red-faced, sweat-soaked, roaring delivery.
About
Marijuana edibles versus smoking, Gender politics and physical equality, Incompetence versus conspiracy theories, Parenting and Santa Claus, Cults and religious extremism, The Kardashian family and Caitlyn Jenner

What the critics said

Praised as a refined, energetic, and laugh-out-loud funny showcase of Rogan's evolving comedic craft, though critics and reviewers noted polarizing and risky material regarding gender and transgender topics.

In the room: Rapturous and lively crowd that cheered his drug philosophies and occasionally interjected comments from the floor.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: allmovie.com, vulture.com, thefutoncritic.com, holdingsteadfast.com, decider.com, letterboxd.com, imdb.com, entertainment.ie.

Backstory

Filmed in San Francisco after compromising with Netflix on a smaller venue, with Rogan performing high on marijuana and incorporating his personal experiences as a father raising a six-year-old daughter in a female-dominated household.

Details

Released
Taped
The Fillmore, San Francisco
Runtime
63 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Anthony Giordano
Topics
Before
Live from the Tabernacle (2012)
After
Strange Times (2018)

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