For a while there after Fear Factor when Joe started doing announcing for UFC he got on my nerves. I'm not sure exactly why that is. Over time and many really good podcasts later, I think he is not only very funny but also quite intelligent. This Netflix 1 hour stand-up special is (I think) a great example of both.

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How do you explain who Joe Rogan is? I think you kind of already need to know who he is. The first time I ever saw him he had a bit part on a TV show called News Radio that did pretty well but kind of lost its way after the star Phil Hartman was murdered! (yeah, real story.) Joe played Joe Garrelli on the show and he had hair.

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You can see in that picture that he already had a receding hair-line so it must have gotten pretty bad. He looks good with a bald head and I am not getting on anyone's case for not wanting to be balding. I know this because I am going through that right now :)

Then I think he gained most of his fame from being in Fear Factor, which was a silly show in my mind that consisted of people doing things they were meant to be scared of such as riding a bicycle along the edge on the top of a skyscraper. It was ok, but mostly it was about people eating bugs.

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Now unless you are not a fan at all you already know that Joe is the quintessential host on UFC. Others come and go but Joe is the only one that anyone really remembers. He is a staple there, has a background in martial arts, and really does a good job. This is what he does with a lot of his time but he has a weekly podcast that is one of the most popular ones in the world as well. So yeah, dude has done ok for himself and his career.

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Strange times consists of Joe on a stage in Boston for an hour. He uses no props, he has no video assistance, there is no music, it is just Joe Rogan with a microphone and a black shirt that I really want to find in a store. The comedy is quite loud in that he shouts a lot, but that is a massive part of his delivery. He is a loud dude. I haven't really paid much attention to Joe's comedic side for many years but he is really good. He focuses a lot on how difficult it is to be a comedian these days because everyone is so sensitive about everything - everything is so PC and this is something that I really enjoy hearing because I agree completely. It seems you can't say anything anymore without some whiny social justice warrior trying to get some fame at your expense.

Throughout the special he makes certain to explain what he means by his jokes in order to not get in trouble with the media although I don't think he really cares if he does get in trouble. It is just a bit ironic that he is edgy by telling "high risk" jokes but at the same time realizes that if you say the word "gay" or talk about women at all you better explain that you didn't mean any offense!

He does get political a bit but I like the way that he delivers his comedy about politics because he doesn't take sides. He makes fun of everyone and you leave the show not feeling as though Joe was trying to convince you of anything, he just wanted to make you laugh.... and in my mind that is how comedy is supposed to be.

This trailer isn't really that well-made but you do get a few of the jokes in there for a "taste." Overall, i would say that this one probably isn't as good as Dave Chappelle, but come on! Almost no one can compete with Dave. However, I liked it a lot more than I thought I was going to and now I can say I am a bigger fan of Joe than I was when I started. This is a good hour and it comes highly recommended.

7.5 / 10