June 25, 2024 • 2hr 30min

#2168 - Tyler Fischer

The Joe Rogan Experience

In this episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan sits down with comedian Tyler Fischer, who recently moved to Austin, TX to perform at Rogan's new comedy club The Comedy Mothership. They discuss Fischer's experiences with discrimination in the entertainment industry, criticize "woke" culture and censorship in comedy, and praise the creative freedom at Rogan's new club. The conversation also covers COVID-19 policies, politics, and Fischer's new comedy special about the 2024 election.

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Key Takeaways

- Tyler Fischer moved to Austin, TX recently to pursue comedy at Joe Rogan's new club The Comedy Mothership, finding more creative freedom there compared to New York - Fischer discusses experiencing discrimination as a white male comedian/actor in recent years, including being told he couldn't be represented or hired due to his race - They criticize "woke" culture, identity politics, and censorship in comedy, arguing it stifles creativity and free expression - Rogan emphasizes The Comedy Mothership operates as a meritocracy focused solely on being funny, not meeting diversity quotas - They discuss the negative impacts of COVID-19 policies, questioning the effectiveness of masks, distancing, and vaccine mandates - Fischer filmed a new comedy special about the 2024 election at The Comedy Mothership, releasing it quickly due to concerns about Biden's health

Introduction

In this episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan sits down with comedian Tyler Fischer, who recently moved to Austin, TX to perform at Rogan's new comedy club The Comedy Mothership. They discuss Fischer's experiences with discrimination in the entertainment industry, criticize "woke" culture and censorship in comedy, and praise the creative freedom at Rogan's new club. The conversation also covers COVID-19 policies, politics, and Fischer's new comedy special about the 2024 election.

Topics Discussed

Tyler Fischer's Move to Austin (0:02:00)

Fischer explains he recently moved to Austin after visiting to perform at The Comedy Mothership:

"It's like a dream. This has been a weird... Including this, it's all a weird dream."

He describes the club as feeling like "comedy camp" and says landing in Austin feels like "Camp David or something." Fischer was impressed by the caliber of comedians he saw at the club, including Roseanne Barr and Sebastian Maniscalco.

Fischer has been doing comedy for about 20 years, starting in high school
He was drawn to the creative freedom and supportive environment at The Comedy Mothership
Moving to Austin was a big change from New York, but Fischer felt it was the right move for his career

Discrimination in the Entertainment Industry (0:24:00)

Fischer shares his experiences facing discrimination as a white male in comedy and acting in recent years:

"I had an acting agent who whenever I would do stand up... every couple months, someone would go, 'Why aren't you on SNL? We gotta get you on.' And I'd go, 'Well, sure, sign me.'... I'm waiting around going, what's going on? No auditions. Is SNL coming to check me out? And he emails, and he goes, 'It's too tough out there for white guys.' He kind of was like, we're done here."

Multiple agents and managers told Fischer they couldn't represent him because he's white
He was turned down for roles and replaced by non-white actors
Fischer recorded one agent admitting on a phone call it was company policy not to represent white men
He is pursuing legal action for discrimination

Rogan and Fischer criticize this type of discrimination, arguing it's counterproductive and racist. They see it as an overcorrection stemming from "woke" ideology.

Criticism of "Woke" Culture and Censorship in Comedy (0:49:00)

The conversation turns to criticizing "woke" culture, identity politics, and censorship in comedy:

Rogan: "Imagine having a place where you learn where you can't take chances in a business that's wrapped around taking chances, where all the great, whether it's Don Rickles, Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, all of them said wild s**t. Yeah, all of them. And the only way you develop wild s**t is by performing it on stage in front of people with freedom, where you get a chance."

They argue comedy requires the freedom to take risks and say controversial things
Many clubs and institutions are overly concerned with avoiding offense
This stifles creativity and prevents comedians from developing their craft
The Comedy Mothership aims to provide a space for creative freedom

The Comedy Mothership's Approach (1:16:00)

Rogan explains the philosophy behind The Comedy Mothership:

"This club is going to be 100% a meritocracy. I do not give a f**k about any mandates. I don't give a f***. All I care is if you're funny. If you're a funny trans person, you're a funny gay person, you're a funny white guy, you're a funny black lady. Who f**king cares? Are you funny? And if you're funny, you're in."

The club focuses solely on being funny, not meeting diversity quotas
This has resulted in a naturally diverse lineup of comedians
Comedians have complete creative freedom to try new material
The club provides a supportive environment for developing acts

COVID-19 Policies and Skepticism (1:29:00)

The conversation shifts to criticizing COVID-19 policies and expressing skepticism about masks, distancing, and vaccines:

Fischer: "I wasn't allowed home for Christmas. I had to sit outside on a porch with half my family outside wearing masks on. And I'm standing on the other side, it's 38 degrees out. And I'm going, what am I? Like the first AIDS patient here."

They question the effectiveness of masks, distancing, and lockdowns
Rogan discusses his quick recovery from COVID using alternative treatments
They criticize vaccine mandates and passports as government overreach
Fischer lost work opportunities due to being unvaccinated

Fischer's New Comedy Special (2:04:00)

Fischer discusses his new comedy special about the 2024 election, filmed at The Comedy Mothership:

"It'll be out probably tonight... It's all election stuff. And I'm not a big fan of themed comedy specials, but it was just... I changed course and I saw that Biden thing where he's sitting on the imaginary chair and I go, I gotta get this out now."

The special focuses on the upcoming 2024 presidential election
Fischer rushed to release it due to concerns about Biden's health/cognitive state
It was filmed over one weekend at The Comedy Mothership
Fischer praises the club as a "magical" venue for comedy

Conclusion

This wide-ranging conversation between Joe Rogan and Tyler Fischer touched on many controversial topics in comedy and culture. They were highly critical of "woke" ideology, identity politics, and censorship in entertainment, arguing it stifles creativity and free expression. Both praised The Comedy Mothership as a venue focused purely on being funny rather than adhering to political correctness. Fischer shared his experiences facing discrimination as a white male in the industry, which he is pursuing legal action over. They also expressed skepticism about COVID-19 policies and vaccine mandates. Overall, the episode highlighted their shared belief in the importance of creative freedom in comedy, even if it means saying controversial things. Fischer's move to Austin to perform at Rogan's club represents his desire to work in an environment that allows that kind of artistic liberty.