August 9, 2024 • 2hr 50min

#2186 - Ari Matti

The Joe Rogan Experience

In this episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan sits down with Estonian stand-up comedian Ari Matti Mustonen. They discuss Ari's background in comedy, Joe's recent live Netflix special, the current state of stand-up comedy, and Joe's comedy club in Austin. The conversation covers a wide range of topics including comedy writing, political correctness, AI, UFOs, and more.

#2186 - Ari Matti

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Key Takeaways

Ari Matti Mustonen is an Estonian stand-up comedian who has been doing comedy for 12 years and recently started performing at Joe Rogan's comedy club in Austin
Joe Rogan discusses his approach to preparing for his recent live Netflix special, emphasizing the importance of over-preparing and writing to polish the material
They talk about the current state of comedy, with stand-up becoming more prominent compared to other forms of comedy like sketch and improv
Rogan's comedy club in Austin focuses on developing new talent and creating a supportive community for comedians
They discuss the challenges of political correctness in comedy and the importance of being able to freely express oneself on stage
Rogan emphasizes the value of writing and preparation in developing as a comedian, even for those who prefer to improvise on stage
They touch on topics like AI, UFOs, and the potential dangers of downloading human consciousness into computers

Introduction

In this episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe Rogan sits down with Estonian stand-up comedian Ari Matti Mustonen. They discuss Ari's background in comedy, Joe's recent live Netflix special, the current state of stand-up comedy, and Joe's comedy club in Austin. The conversation covers a wide range of topics including comedy writing, political correctness, AI, UFOs, and more.

Topics Discussed

Ari Matti Mustonen's Background (0:00)

Ari Matti Mustonen introduces himself as an Estonian stand-up comedian who has been doing comedy for 12 years. He recently started performing at Joe Rogan's comedy club in Austin.

Ari describes his journey from doing open mics in Estonia to now performing regularly in the US
He talks about his experience seeing Joe Rogan perform in Australia years ago when he was still an open mic comedian
"The first time I saw you was in Australia...We're all haters at that point, you know, open micers...And you were murdering so hard" - Ari Matti Mustonen

Joe Rogan's Live Netflix Special (6:41)

Joe discusses his approach to preparing for his recent live Netflix special and the challenges of doing a live recorded show.

He initially turned down the offer to do a live special out of fear, but then decided to challenge himself
Joe emphasizes the importance of over-preparing and writing to polish the material
He compares it to archery - if you want to be proficient at 50 yards in a high-pressure situation, you should practice at 100 yards
"I super over prepared. I listened to recordings, I watched videos, I wrote for like, I prepared for like 5 hours the day of the show. I never left my computer." - Joe Rogan

The Current State of Comedy (18:23)

They discuss how stand-up comedy has become more prominent compared to other forms of comedy like sketch and improv in recent years.

Stand-up used to be a smaller subset of comedy but has grown significantly in popularity
Joe talks about how his podcast platform has allowed him to continue practicing and developing as a stand-up comedian
They discuss how stand-up allows for more freedom of expression compared to other media

Joe Rogan's Comedy Club in Austin (31:54)

Joe talks about his comedy club in Austin and its focus on developing new talent and creating a supportive community for comedians.

The club has open mic nights twice a week to give new comedians opportunities
Door staff are required to audition with their comedy acts
There's an emphasis on comedians supporting each other and hanging out together
"We're all the same thing. We're all together. We're all the same. We're all hang out together at Mity's bar. We're all the exact same thing. Just some of us been doing it 30 years. Some of us been doing it twelve years, some of us doing it five years." - Joe Rogan

Political Correctness in Comedy (37:04)

They discuss the challenges of political correctness in comedy and the importance of being able to freely express oneself on stage.

Joe argues that most people understand what jokes are and it's only a vocal minority that gets offended
They talk about how corporate control and virtue signaling online has created artificial boundaries
Joe emphasizes that his club is a place where comedians can express themselves freely
"We speak this language. We're here for this art form. Everything else is fine. Like, you just be a nice person, be nice to us, we're nice to you, we get nice to each other. We're all gonna grow from this experience." - Joe Rogan

The Importance of Writing and Preparation (51:15)

Joe emphasizes the value of writing and preparation in developing as a comedian, even for those who prefer to improvise on stage.

He argues that even great comedians who don't write would be even better if they did
Joe talks about keeping an "orphan baby folder" of unused jokes to revisit later
He stresses that writing allows you to develop ideas beyond just what's in your mind at the moment
"Every now and then you come up with some of my best lines. I've come up with that way. It's not a nowhere." - Joe Rogan

AI and Technology (1:04:13)

They briefly discuss artificial intelligence and its potential impacts on society and entertainment.

Joe mentions concerns about AI being able to generate fake audio and video content
They talk about advancements in video game graphics and how they're becoming indistinguishable from reality
Joe expresses worry about the ability to manipulate information and reality through technology

UFOs and Alien Life (1:15:14)

Joe shares his thoughts on UFOs and the possibility of alien life visiting Earth.

He talks about the increase in UFO sightings after the atomic bombs were dropped in World War II
Joe speculates that advanced civilizations may be monitoring Earth due to our development of nuclear weapons
"If you believe that we were visited multiple times by alien life and a lot of it happened after 1947, makes sense." - Joe Rogan

Dangers of Downloading Consciousness (1:19:50)

They discuss the potential dangers of trying to download human consciousness into computers.

Joe expresses concern about the idea of transferring consciousness to a machine
He speculates about the possibility of trapping souls or consciousness in computers
They talk about the philosophical questions surrounding consciousness and identity

MMA and Combat Sports (1:37:00)

Joe and Ari discuss various MMA fighters and recent fights.

They talk about fighters like Umar Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and Jon Jones
Joe shares his thoughts on recent matchups and potential future fights
They discuss the challenges of weight cutting and performance-enhancing drugs in combat sports

Conclusion

The conversation between Joe Rogan and Ari Matti Mustonen provides insight into the current state of stand-up comedy, the challenges and rewards of developing as a comedian, and the importance of creating supportive spaces for artistic expression. They touch on a wide range of topics beyond comedy, showcasing the breadth of interests that often inform comedic material. The episode highlights the value of hard work, preparation, and community in pursuing a career in stand-up comedy.