Joe Rogan Experience #1370 - Brian Grazer
all right here we go. what's up Brian how are you hey good. thanks for being here man appreciate it. yeah I'm psyched about it I'm psyched. about having you yeah I'm getting now. adjusting to the sound Oh in your ears. yeah my ears and is it muffled it has it. all sounded all right perfect. all right cool so we were just talking. about your books and I said let's save. it let's save it for the podcast because. I wanted it to sound fresh I'll get you. to read it so tell me about you wrote. two books I wrote two books and you know.
as you know I'm a you know movie writer. the movie and television producer say it. mildly yeah I made some [ __ ] amazing. movies Wow thanks thanks Joe my pleasure. yeah and in all this I you know my whole. life and whatever those stories are the. movies are and the successes I kind of. think anyone that's really focused can. can do what I do so that was kind of the.
end product of the first book which was. it was called a curious mind the secret. to a bigger life and that book is really. about I mean how much do you want to. know about it everything whatever you. tell me okay. so basically I couldn't read it all in. elementary school and it caused a lot of. trouble out of shame and then a lot of. trauma did you have dyslexia I dyslexia. very very quite acute dyslexia and I.
think we're out in Woodland Hills which. was the fancy part of the valley I grew. up in the flats of Sherman Oaks actually. as a little kid going to Riverside Drive. Elementary School and then later two. Nobel junior high and then later. Chatsworth high school and in elementary. school I couldn't read it all and they. didn't classify it as dyslexia they it. was just you're slow you're dumb you why. can't you answer this and then you'd say.
I can't read and then that didn't make. sense. it just didn't compute 'add really that. somebody couldn't actually read a word. and I really couldn't read a word. so when you can't read a word then you. find ways to survive cope and not have. the teacher look you in the eyes and say. okay. Bryan come to the board and answer this. question because you're never it's just. going to produce more shame because.
you're not you don't know the answer. it's not possible so I found that as. that went on for a little while for. quite a while around the fourth fifth. sixth grade I really looked at people I. really looked them in the eyes to learn. and I found that by looking somebody in. the eyes you could engage I didn't know. this then. but you engaged their heart if you're. really doing it with sincerity and. interest you can engage people and move.
them and evangelize things young get. people to like play on your team and or. you play on their team they pick you and. stuff good things happen except the. reading part but it it enabled me to. learn a lot just by looking at people. and talking to people and my guide this. one mentor this little grandmother uh. her name is Sonia and a little Sonia. she's like 410 I guess you know and she. would always say to me she'd see me once.
a week. minimally always once a week and she'd. say you're going all the way you're. gonna make it big think big be big and. she had all these isms because a half my. mom's side of the family was Jewish my. dad's side of the family's Catholic the. Jewish side the grandmother was my. mentor and the worst that really was the. single person that I could kind of count. on in life and she'd constantly tell me. how how things I'd go great you have a. gift for gab she'd say and and every.
time she said you're gonna go all the. way I'm thinking there's like absolutely. no empirical evidence I'm going all the. way anywhere except my parents were. always arguing let's put him back the. teacher Miss Stig said let's put him. back so I just wasn't going anywhere I. didn't think so so that gave rise to me. give rise to the fact that I thought the. way it can really learn a lot is. have these kind of curiosity. conversations and once I graduated.
college I did this on a weekly basis and. have still do it to this day once a week. sometimes once every two weeks but never. more than once every two weeks I never. I'm pretty militant I'm extremely. militant about it like how do you do it. like what do you mean well what I do is. I think about it's often and I know you. do something possibly similar to this. and and and but my system would be I. borrowed myself with now I can read of.
course and I was able to start to read. like in high school can you tell me how. they fix that they couldn't fix it it. wasn't fixable how to dyslexia reverses. words on you right versus the way you. view letters and yeah well it's great. initially as a kid it scrambles the. letters then when it gets better it. reverses the words and to this day I. still start on the right and go to the.
left so it takes like really thoughtful. discipline to make sure I'm always. starting do you mean what the sentences. or the sentences with the sentence. really so you'll start at the right end. of you should read Hebrew or something. isn't that nice or something different. languages do that yeah I guess they do. but incidentally when you have dyslexia. it's very hard to learn other languages. yeah so I don't imagine very very hard. so um but I can read and I bombard. myself so how do you switch it around.
like when when your your brain is making. you read right to left yes I started to. learn just create like just like an. exercise a discipline where I could like. in cut way as in college I was able to. read I could force myself to start on. the left and go to the right is there a. certain mechanisms that's causing you to. do right-to-left like do they know what. the cause of this is not that I know of. hmm not that I know probably something.
neurological and certainly genetic I. mean I have no genetic trace but it has. to be a letter within your genome right. having to guess so you learned how to. read you learned how to figure it out. and then you said you you have these. conversations at least once every two. weeks so how do you do this like what do. you you organize them they're structured. they're structured they they're they see. there's a randomness to them because.
often you'd have to I have to it's not. like getting on your show where. everybody wants to be in the show I say. that with a compliment of course but I. I'm begging people because even though. it down with you I'm begging him to sit. down with me and I'm groveling and I'm. calling assistance directly I still I. have three assistants but I make all of. my own phone calls always you know why. because I have this discipline of. getting to know assistants and going hey. it's Brian is Richard around or and I.
just like I do that that's so refreshing. from a guy who's successful as you are. because so many times when people get. that successful you insulate yourself. with a bunch of other people who do all. the calls for you and open all the doors. for you and you just kind of you stay. insulated and more aloof yeah well thank. you thanks. well I yeah they do people do I mean. look there are producers that are sort. of that are you know let's say we're in. the same category same ilk that just do.
it differently I made a lot of. deliberate choices through trial and. error I saw I went through the 80s where. Power guys had desks above the other. chairs that are on the other side I the. power guys always had black lacquer. furniture and they did all these power. things and I thought I want to I want. artists to like me relate to me and I.
always did everything to create a. democratic environment because not that. I was such a cool guy but more like you. just get so much more out of a creative. person by not intimidating them sure. yeah and I just saw you know my peers. and sometimes often you know someone. maybe a decade ahead of me you know I. was so close to saying names but but. just those sort of tough. guys you know um and I I didn't think. that was an effective I just didn't. think was effective and I wasn't making.
these really hardcore action movies I. was doing movies that were they're. designed to a might ignite emotion hmm. and feeling in fact even when I do. public speaking I say oh they're you. Brian Grazer Ted or whatever they might. say but I goes I'm I always say I'm in. the feelings business not a movie. producer so I'm just I'm in the feelings. business because I feel like that's what. we want out of a cinematic experience. for me sure the movies I'm interested in.
doing or TV shows that so because I I. grew up loving those movies of the 70s. and I'm captivated by things that move. me emotionally and elevate me emotion so. you make these phone calls and your. conversations so your range basically a. podcast that no one's listening to. exactly I never thought of it in those.
words that is really funny you should. probably record them I step so I've done. it for say 35 years really and you. didn't record any of them the first 15. years nothing I didn't write not really. notes either and then the second 10. years that was you know I would say 15. was nothing I just did it because I felt. like that could inhibit somebody or I. felt like I was trying to do these sort.
of down low in a way like I didn't want. to commodify them you know I can just. realize my conversations right and I had. friends go like oh can we be part of it. and I tried it once with a couple other. guys it during my thing and it. fractionalized. are my attention yeah and it it what I. found the great thing about the. conversations the one-on-one with no one. else in the room which that's all I do. again I've tried it different ways is it.
it it create your do what you're trying. to do I'm trying to do is like create. the best date that Isaac Asimov. Everett had or or you know or I mean. have so many people you know just. Margaret Thatcher I'm trying to like I'm. trying to be have no idea of time and. space and I want them to have no idea of. time and space and because that is like. your best date yeah and I always think. like Mont what is my best date with a.
girl at my very from me Brian cuz I my. best date is I'm not even thinking about. time and it's just becomes almost like a. biochemical event it's just things are. evolving yeah and I felt like I could do. this with noble with many Nobel. laureates with Sheldon Glasgow who. converted the four forces of days of. nature to three and I brought his name. up because well first of all I knew that. your show you could you could do. whatever you want and and with Sheldon.
Glasgow it's like I usually do an hour. or two hours but I hung out with this. guy shut up my whole day down for six. hours. Wow just because I was so captivated by. him and he talked about multiple. subjects so basically I always got. somebody that I'm really wanting to meet. and it takes a year at least. or sometimes year to organize this to. get them to say yes or to be in the same. city or be willing to say yes and week.
fly to New York or some other place it. sounds like you have figured out the. benefit that I've experienced from. having podcasts and having these kind of. conversations one-on-one conversations. but you did it just for your own. personal edification yeah yeah it's it's. kind of amazing but it's I I have gotten. more out of talking to people like this. and it's it made me grow more as a. person and make made me understand more. about communication and how to talk to.
people than anything I've ever done in. my whole life because yeah you don't. normally have this completely unfilled. it's one of the reasons why I like. headsets as well because it locks you in. it's like you're your volume of you. talking is the same level in my years as. it is in your ears we're all on this one. it's not like. there's distance between us or in each. other's ears and we're talking there's. no phones there's no nothing we're. sitting across from each other how would. I ever organize this I thought about.
that with so many different people that. I've had a chance to talk to like how. would I ever get Sean Carroll the. astrophysicist says to sit down and just. talk to me for three hours you had to. cultivate him I would never get him to. do that no I would never get him to hate. let's put headphones on and you just. tell me about stuff like explain to me. about no one no one would ever do that. because of this thing called the podcast. because I can share it with all the. other people that are listening I've had. this chance to have these kind of.
conversations and it sounds like you've. done the same thing but without an. audience it's really brilliant it's a. brilliant way that you figured out that. this is a great way to to to expand your. own understanding of people being one on. one with these brilliant folks yes. exactly and and and maybe you'd do this. too but I've found I mean I do meet a. lot of people I reach out to meet people. that are you know expert it's many.
different things that I that I don't do. of course but sometimes I just become. really motivated just to meet somebody. because they're so uniquely committed to. something yeah they're so obsessed yes. and I've even found that I've learned a. lot from uber drivers and baristas and. stuff for you so III but I do reach out. to me you know people that have really. had a very intense committed to a really.
intense journey and often have triumphed. and that's very contagious yeah they're. kind of energy that those people look. sooo yeah it is it's inspirational yeah. isn't it yeah yeah because like even who. is that Josh you might know this guy. Josh wait Nick yeah okay. the guy that was the subject of. searching for bobby fisher' chess master. the chess master now is like Marshall. Marshall exactly and he was able to like. succeed in both templates or formats.
yeah you do we say his last name. right uh wait kins so it's wait I don't. know it's wait Nick he's uh he's a. student under marcelo garcia exactly. yeah one of the ball down that's right. yeah he's very proud very proud of that. he should be he's amazing yeah he's he's. excellent and Josh is uh wait yeah wait. skin. oh wait skin you ever write thank you. very much want to get right but uh. brilliant brilliant guy and and he's.
amazing on have you ever heard him on. Tim Ferriss pocket I did accent yeah. excellent episode I think he's done more. than one episode in fact yeah so your. chance with him what were you saying no. I just thought like this guy he's so. committed to excellence like it's just. not and it made me like as you were just. saying made me think about that as a. premise like just complete commitment to.
excellence yeah because I don't really. think of it you know that you know these. sort of creative puzzles that way you. know what creative puzzle would be like. you know a movie or a TV show or a. documentary and you know I could go on. and but you okay jay-z asked me because. I knew jay-z because he was very. obsessed with wanting to do the. soundtrack to a movie called American. Gangster which I produced great movie.
love that movie did you oh great thanks. I like that one a lot too but so and I. said as much you know as a as impressed. as I am with jay-z and his level of you. know mastery himself. I said look we've already done the. entire score I mean you can't do it it's. been done he said well look I feel a. kinship to Frank Lucas who was played by. Denzel Washington because it ends up.
being a drug dealer like the biggest. heroin dealer in America at the time and. head of like his own mafia that he. creates and so anyway the bottom line is. he feels this kinship to him he wants to. do this he's very dedicated I say it's. already done as much as you know. superstar. how great you are and he said look I. will do a second album I don't have to. be the primary album that's on the. screen I'll do a second album and I said. but I only have three weeks he goes I. will do the whole thing in three weeks.
and he did it whoa and I went and saw. him he did the singing he did the. writing he did he engineered it he did. every single thing so the guy is the. king of hip-hop. he goes to work and I was really blown. away because he still you know how he. has that grit in him and and it turned. out to be like for real hip-hop lovers. they really liked this album I guess it. was. everybody loves everything he does. though jay-z put out something that was.
[ __ ] he doesn't really yeah he's kind of. brilliant actually. he's yeah he doesn't he's a brilliant. marketer he's when he said he says. things that are very insightful so he. wanted to do he's after that he we got. to know each other and then he said hey. I'm gonna do I'm gonna I want to do a. festival a festival with 24 22 different.
artists and all different types and this. can be in love park and it's called. we're calling it made in America would. you produce it and and I said yeah and I. knew that Ron Howard could get a chance. at directing it and I thought it would. be really good for Rhonda me around. jay-z that's a good thing for him it's a. good he's got a good aura and the right. one for Ron and I thought well so we. joined him I said what is this about you. know what's the premise and he said it's. about democratization of of music itself.
there's no record stores anymore and and. the walls are down you could you know. you can get you know there's the. crossover between hip hop and you know. trance music and all that stuff so and I. thought that was kind of cool and then I. said if you ever seen this movie called. because it didn't have a story that this. concert that she ever see Amadeus he. goes I never seen Amadeus and I said. well it's about genius and he.
asked about it he goes that's what the. premise of this will be and he. immediately thought had this idea that. it should be every artist every human. being has a little bit of genius in them. and he made it very relatable and that. became the thesis of what this. documentary became and he only had that. like a week before we were shooting so. it was kind of remarkable that's pretty. remarkable so you've been doing this for. 35 years and you haven't recorded any of.
these these conversations you've had. with people okay. stay in the last 10 years I've said I've. recorded some and sometimes I do face. times and they allow me to like Admiral. William McRaven who I really wanted to. meet you know that Navy the Navy SEAL. that created SEAL Team six and just. recently sort of but doesn't speak out. publicly but had a point of view about. the president and the whole Oval Office.
and stuff like that and and he's he's a. really amazing guy but I said can i. FaceTime you because that was the only. way so if somebody can't meet with me I. now say would you Skype with me or. FaceTime at the time I started there. weren't that did the tool didn't exist. right so you would fly to them I just. lie to them his conversation yeah that's. so amazing you've had this commitment to. do this I have this acuity I do I feel. it's it really am yeah. it's important to my life and I just.
it's like a hobby that you're completely. committed to doing and it's it's for me. I'm a person that gets better I can get. better all the time I'm open every. minute of every day for self-improvement. like if you said Brian did you think if. you gave me a note about this experience. or something and you said you know. you're probably better if you did it. this way I I if I could integrate it or.
assimilate it I would then do it good. for you that's a beautiful attitude well. I know how fallible I am oh yeah all of. us if you're human if you think yeah. yeah it's just that's part of being. yeah yeah so you embrace that ourselves. too oh yeah yeah yeah yeah you have to. constantly seeking self-improvement yeah. yeah they did the big part the big. problem is holding yourself prisoner to. the mistakes of the past don't ya. and and just constantly looking to get.
better at anything you're trying to do. yeah and I think having these kind of. conversations like you're talking about. will make you a better more thoughtful. person - yes because it gives you a. level of communication with human beings. that it just it's very rare in this. world very rare that you get to sit down. across from someone and sometimes I have. these conversations with people where. there's no one around like you know the. back bar at the Comedy Store. sitting down with a buddy and we'll just. sit there no one's around just he and I.
will just shoot the [ __ ] for an hour and. a half two hours no one around just. talking and like those those are rare. moments where you're not distracted or. you could just talk about things you. have ideas and someone bring something. up and you consider it and then you add. your own thing and then they consider. that and then you just go back and forth. and you get a better understanding of. each other yeah I agree with you I it's. amazing that you're able to do it and. get away with yeah yeah I mean see we're. both sounds like open-minded to if it's.
long as were kind of disrupting our. comfort zone I think and and being. open-minded to that you're you're then. being open-minded to like the value of. human error yes yes. oh yeah the value of human error that's. a great way of putting it because it's. sometimes some of the it's not exactly. human error but human error for sure but. you know some it's often the thing you. failed at or the ugly thing that. happened and that sticks in your head. and your makes a difference in your life.
makes you better fuel for improved yeah. feel free of them yeah the feeling that. you get when you fail up things is very. valuable because even though it sucks. and it feels terrible it does force you. to sort of recommit and reconsider. first of all reconsider the consequences. for failure the feeling that you get. when things don't go well which is a. terrible feeling and then it also makes. you aware of the commitment that's. necessary to not fail to do well at. things yes exact. yeah it's enlightening chore yeah. because sometimes you think that's as.
far as as far even if you feel like you. have you've accrued all the facts you've. been able sometimes you don't know that. there's that going back to Josh there's. this extra level of excellence that. exists there there's still more room to. go and you realize oh I could fill in. those inches they can be filled in yeah. yeah well something like what he did. chess and also jiu-jitsu there's so many. levels to it there's it's such a. multi-faceted discipline there's so many.
different possible moves with both. activities chess and jiu-jitsu yeah and. you just see there's the physical. element as well which is a big part of. it physical fitness and then also mental. conditioning and your ability to stay on. task even though your body is physically. exhausted and then the discipline to. make sure that your body is conditioned. so that it doesn't get physically. exhausted as quickly or as easily right. yeah I mean there that's a very. intellectual discipline that people.
don't consider they think of physical. things as being like meathead things or. grunt things there is actually a lot of. mental stress and Metin and strength. that's involved in discipline that you. you you need to have in order to get. your body into a position you know where. it can perform like Josh's can on the. Manns yeah it's very very hard mentally. to do that because you you have to have. all these battles where you want to quit. you want to give up early we're going to. take a break you want to rest you don't.
want to you don't want to go today but. you know you should you know all those. things must be overcome in order to. achieve the level of excellence that. he's achieved yeah and probably because. you've done this yourself so you know. what that feels like when you use that. when you said you don't want to get. exhausted or get yeah you that probably. takes tremendous amount of focus because. you get exhausted when you're nervous. right because you your heart beats. faster you breathe less air blah blah. that's when you know in like swim and.
surfing or something that's when you can. choke you know sure yeah yeah that's. when you run out of air cuz you're so. nervous and you're scrambling around. but it's the guys that are relaxed like. you were like outside you have Laird. Hamilton mm-hmm he's so trained to be. able to be under the water for I don't. know how long he can do it yeah he's. very very awesome to that kind of it and. it doesn't freak him out he goes okay. there's a very good chance I'm gonna get. caught in the impact zone I'm gonna be. taken under hmm and he doesn't freak out.
if he freaked out it would be a problem. yeah I mean that's his business and. death yeah business is riding the. biggest waves yeah yeah you got to be. able to keep it together when that water. wall comes crashing down in your head. yeah so I have to imagine it's a. different thing but in you know in. jiu-jitsu or fighting that you've done. which I think you still do jiu-jitsu. Craig yeah that those things those. factors they're just different. environment you don't necessarily get. nervous what did you just do that much.
unless you're in a competition but what. you do get is exhausted it's very. physically demanding yeah bet you get. very very tired and you really should. the more conditioned you are physically. like the more strength and conditioning. routines you you you go through the more. your body is in shape the more you can. perform it's sort of like racing right. with a race car but you can actually add. horsepower to the racecar through. discipline and you can add better tires. and you can add a more supple suspension.
through thought and activity really yeah. through yoga and different kinds of. training it's like you know like you're. involved in this thing that's a physical. thing but it's also a mental thing in. racing no no in what you in jiu-jitsu. yeah like your body is the race car yeah. right got strength and conditioning yes. you could actually add your hires yes. actually a cigarette again yeah yeah I. get it could do more yeah that makes so. much sense yeah and through repetitive.
drills you actually can hone your nur. your your your your neuromuscular system. to the point where these grooves are cut. so you know exactly how to turn and how. to move when you're moving and you're. doing jujitsu and everything sort of. goes and flows automatically and that. that requires extreme amounts of. discipline yeah bet that yeah. and I'm just imagining it as you say it. because I don't know that much about you. Jitsu I've gone to some fight you know. some fights with a friend of mine are.
Emmanuel oh yeah. one's the UFC the Yossi guy yeah so he's. a really good friend and my daughter's. obsessed with she's obsessed with. martial arts jujitsu she trains mm-hmm. so what she does for a living but she. trains and she loves the community of. people yes she got injured pretty. seriously injured and then she she. didn't want to be indulgent but I said. look just I'll pay for you to start back. early and you can just do one on ones.
which cuz she didn't want to well how'd. she injure herself she got like choked. off from the back I don't know how that. had it her neck. yeah created a stroke and whoa yeah it. multiple strokes in her brain but it. didn't affect any part of her. intellectual capacity but it was really. pretty it was very serious she so she. got caught in a rear naked choke yeah. that's right yes and the chicken I don't.
give her multiple strokes I've heard of. that before. I will let you I will email you exactly. her what happened he was due but she got. through it and even went fast to. training again she goes back to training. she is my phone l showed you later. I think multiple strokes they'll be like. alright that's a wrap we tried that she. just loves it and she now you know. people are little she does one-on-one so. they don't do that move mm-hmm whatever. that move would be again I'll get all. the information and just for your own.
curiosity I send it to but she's back in. it she loves it and she's just fully. recovered she's fully recovered and did. it have any she had a little nerve. damage which I'm weird honestly she had. a little nerve damage that that is now. in her foot so periodically her foot. will become completely black and blue. whoa I know so but she'll get through it.
cuz she's really strong meant mentally. she's. she wasn't always that way but but we've. you know my wife and I've sort of helped. her with tough love like you can do it. you know that kind of Ashmore because. she's she's a she's a therapist she's a. you know she's a psycho. she'd her name is sage grazer on the Joe. Rogan show I mean everyone loves her.
kids right and so that's so that's what. she does she's an actual therapist with. the you know like patients well I'm glad. to hear that she recovered from now if. she heard of anybody having a stroke. from that before that must be terrifying. yeah it was so back to these. conversations yes you've had over these. 35 years the ones that you've recorded. what have you done with them you just. you're holding on to them I just keep. keep them people get so mad at me yeah. because I tell everybody they should do. a podcast how mad do people get at me.
okay I think that you definitely should. well I should because I like doing this. so much I just I really probably like. you I'm just super interested in people. yes I'm curious really curious part of. the title of your book yeah so in the. kitna so that was so curious mind mm-hmm. I realized that cheese I've done 35. years of these at that time I might have. been 30 and my kids my four kids don't. really know what I'm doing you know like.
I'm really spending a lot of time. hustling to get Edward Teller to meet me. took a year and a half two years or. Daryl gates it was the craziest meeting. of all time Daryl gates the at least. geez Wow. well how was that the craziest okay I'll. give it to you very quick I'll give it. to you okay so I really thought this guy. he was you know one he's one of the most. well known and most accomplished. police chief's in America I think there.
are three of them and he was one of the. three in a century and and then Daryl. gates. I knew created was one of the creators. the fundamental curator of SWAT which. was bringing paramilitary tactics to the. LA Police Department he started. as a bright-eyed strong-minded clean-cut. guy working for the police department. and because he was sharp he was the. driver to the police chief which was.
chief Parker and then chief Parker the. LA there was a riot called the Watts. riot not the LA riots but the Watts riot. and the police went in and they were not. qualified to be in that situation and. they've kind of failed at and they felt. they failed at it and Daryl gates was. liked by the Chiefs side the entire time. and he kind of vowed to himself I'm not.
gonna let that happen again and when he. had the opportunity because he became. later police chief and I'm not not much. later became police chief of Los Angeles. Police Department he instituted SWAT and. other you know paramilitary tactics and. a mind discipline that was pretty um you. know it was like creating you know like. martial law people would argue and and. then we went that kind of produced an. environment that I think many think in.
my eyes I think myself helped an. environment that caused the LA riots. because there was a lot of inequity I. think human inequity felt I know I'm. getting this again a political and you. should tell me what your point of view. please I'm on the LA riots yeah well I'm. I moved here after that okay I wasn't. here while that was going down right it. was pretty intense yeah and the LA riots. were a direct response to the Rodney. King trial yes exactly and yeah that was.
a crazy time I mean the reaction first. of all the reaction to the video the the. video was horrible watching Rodney King. getting beaten like that and then you. also heard that they had been on the. high speed pursuit with him and that. there was more to that video like that. was yes end of their altercation. apparently there's much more physical. altercation before that video maybe if. someone saw the full thing they would. understand well okay you're dealing with. a wild person who's on PCP and these. cops are doing everything they can to.
detain him yeah but there's a distrust. of the police in. these communities in the first place. because they had seen so much police. brutality right so that reaction that. riot was not just because of that one. graduation yeah it was an accumulation. of different events yes different. interactions that people have had with. abuses of buildings hot yeah yeah you. know and then the whole rampart unit and. there was there was so much corruption. there's a lot of [ __ ] going down yes. during that time so all that just oh. yeah all that exploded exploded and so.
that the thing about this story is. they're saying about I spent I I took I. got a meeting with Daryl gates it was. ten months on the book ten months Wow. and ironically the day of my meeting. with him was the day of the LA riots so. I thought and it already happened 2,000. buildings on fire and everything and my.
office gets a phone call from Daryl. gates office confirming my meeting with. him I'm thinking oh my god Parker center. is under siege you know it's like the. whole city is under siege he still. wanted to keep the meeting at a meeting. that was on the books for ten months I. thought that's really crazy. so I went down I had a guy drive me and. I went down and they zigzag through like. a security clearance thing where Cano.
other cars could get through that was. really bizarre you know like we see this. now often but they initiated this this. kind of maze that the car would go. through I get to the I get to the I'm. get to the front door a couple of police. chiefs of police officers escort me in. they put me in a room they they died Joe. guys they didn't give me a cavity search. but just about everything but you know. took my clothes off did everything they. really yeah I did they think that you.
just a scrawny little guy movies I don't. know that you would go rogue no I know. there's like that there's no evidence. over sure. so and then I got upstairs and he is. sitting so calmly he'd already ordered. two tuna fish sandwiches very uh you. know utility you know very utilitarian. the sandwiches and we had the potato. chips and he said you want an iced tea I. I couldn't even swallow I couldn't eat.
my food because it was so shocked by the. whole thing that he had so much he was. impervious to everything that was going. down and the City Council was on his TV. and on the TV out there and you know. guys a police officer running and go. chief you're on TV right now and they're. yelling and he goes he says to me and to. them ah this is nothing they'll never. get me out of here he had so much hubris. it was it was it was amazing and I.
thought what and he's so calm about it. and of course they did they did get him. out I think the next day actually. because the City Council was really at. very liberal guys on that board people. on that board rather and it's it's a. long insane story but I had my meeting. lunch meeting was the meeting normal. like an hour you know it was a full hour. so you just have lunch and just pick his. brain and yeah just have lunch and ask. questions you know and try to act not be.
nervous or upset about the end what's. going on the environment and the TV's. flashing you know like archival footage. that they shot days before you know or. the day of and buildings on fire and the. Korean Koreans shop Market somebody. getting killed and all that stuff they. were showing on television and he he was. just kind of matter-of-fact like this is. just what's going down as time will just. pass Wow I know it was crazy well it. sounds like someone designed for the job. so I couldn't record that one obviously.
but so so anyway I did think that my. kids should know about all this stuff. and and actually Charlie Rose of all. people said you should write a book and. so it got on my mind I mentioned it to a. couple people they say oh yes you write. a book and so then I thought okay I'll. write a book because I'm gonna write. notes on this anyway these 35 years for. my kids so that when I pass they'll have. this. they'll know this was a very big part of. my life beyond my career but my life and.
so that's what the first book is about. it synthesizes many of the important. one-on-one conversations I had over the. 30 years and then it connects the the. synthesis of those stories to narrative. storytelling for example in 1985 1984 I. met sting you know the lead singer the. police because I thought how he'd be. fascinating to meet because he was like. a schoolteacher in England and now he's. like a rock star I just thought that's. kind of an interesting transition like.
the biggest one of the biggest rock. stars I meet him I get him to say yes. wasn't horribly hard and then a year. after I met with him. he calls up in 1985 and he says I'm. having a barbecue at my house I think. some interesting people will be here and. that was right after the amnesty tour. and he took a woman named Veronica de. negra in 1985 along with other superstar. she wasn't a superstar she was a held in. print a Chilean prison and tortured.
every single day of her life for 18. months and she went on the embassy tour. only for a few days as evidence of. somebody that can survive you know like. she was hopeful you know still like most. people don't survive torture either from. the torture itself or they sadly they. commit suicide because they're they're. just so much trauma so much PTSD so it's. just so she survives I meet her and I. say how do you survive and she tells me. that while she's being she creates a.
story that she's living in the entire. time so there's reality and then there's. an alternate reality the alternate. reality is the story that she creates. that she can live in that alleviate some. of the pain and the unpredictable pain. of torture so now that's pretty. fascinating to me and I really sat with. those those insights now many things. happened after that that I was able to. use that like I became when I was stuck.
on a beautiful mind because it wasn't. cinematic. I thought well how can I make it. cinematic and I thought Veronica did a. great she lived in an alternate reality. well that's exactly involuntarily what a. schizophrenic has to do they live in. alternate realities so in the movie A. Beautiful Mind to make it really. compelling we started at an alternate. reality and made it a thriller and. realized oh my god there's this epiphany.
and you realize that was not even. reality right and and that's what blew. people's minds and that's why the movie. kind of worked because it was it drew. you in so deeply into this character. that it became like the subjective. experience that every audience every. audience member could feel like the pain. of that and the insanity of what that. must feel like. that was another brilliant movie when. you say make it cinematic what do you. mean by that exactly well Ron and I.
realized that Ron Howard who directed it. and won an Oscar and he we realized that. in order to make it really interesting. you have to see you have to understand. the mind of a schizophrenic so therefore. you have to see somebody's mind mm-hmm. how do you see somebody's mind other. than just graphically you know or you. know like through graphic design and and. without that's not very interesting you.
know like the insertion of graphic. design or voice-over narration that. makes it kind of a documentary so but we. thought like but if you could if you. could have an entire story kind of with. the military and paranoia and all that. that's exactly one of the dimensions or. realities of a schizophrenic smight so. you get to film it with other actors and. other people and that's that was that's. why I mean when I say cinematic so.
basically when you're seeing the 25. minutes of living in this alternate. reality with Ed Harris and all that. stuff craziness it blows your mind as an. audience and then you reflect later like. wow that wasn't even real and wow that. guy is that guy really going to come. back and you know you may. get seamlessly cinematic with the rest. of the narrative him of him trained to. cope with schizophrenia itself it. becomes the merging of an alternate.
reality and actual reality and the. actual reality is when he's you watch. him in that level of pain and just. trying to survive. you know like cope with meds and the. wife and and then then we we we found. the way to make it you know kind of work. triumphantly because it was love that. was the most powerful force it was that. one person decided to stay with this. other one person the wife Alicia stay. with John Nash that's so interesting.
that you pulled that from that woman's. experience exist surviving torture I. credit her for that well always because. she yeah so so that's so I found that. all of these insights you know that. we're referring to the ones that you. have when you're you know behind just. getting off stage you realize why I. could talk to my buddies or this new guy. for a minute those random moments that. you get to talk to somebody can often.
produce a story or an insight an. emotional insight that you can transport. to something else you know that I found. that all these conversations that I was. having were like kind of like I see. these stars behind you they were like. stars or a constellation of dots you. know of and and that you just have faced. it they somehow inform you and make you. better and smarter and that they connect. someday well it's so insightful that you. look at these conversations that way. because I mean I really haven't felt.
that affect on me personally over doing. this but the fact that you've like. sought it out just as an education just. as something that expands you because we. really are a combination or an. accumulation of all of our experiences. and the more experiences you can have. even if it doesn't feel tangible in that. moment it broadens your perspective it. broadens yeah well I think for you as. well because you still do stand-up we. were talking about that some of them.
might works in my office saw you the. other night. remembered who she was she goes he won't. remember me and you did she used to be. on kill Tony kill Tony is a great. podcast that my friend Brian Redman and. Tony Hinchcliffe do and this podcast. involves comedians going up and doing. one minute of material in front of these. professional comics and the professional. comics either say hey that was great or. they [ __ ] all over it or everybody makes. fun there's a band it's a bunch of chaos.
and it's all done in front of a live. crowd and the nessa was on it for quite. a while Wow okay that's good yeah she. tries hard I know that I mean she went. hard best yeah but as I saying like when. I watched you do stand-up because I made. a point to catch up on it you're really. really good and you're telling I'm. watching you tell stories that are. comedic story you make them comedic and. I could I think I can tell and you tell.
me if I'm wrong but sometimes you don't. know all the answers to that story and I. see that you're grabbing things that. lived in that you experiences or. insights that lived in the environment. that you've have or had because I. watched a couple of scenes very closely. and I know you didn't have it figured. out and you got the bigger laugh from. the thing that you pulled from someplace. I thought this earlier just a really.
good actor okay there's a little bit of. recreating that yeah when you're doing. that in stand-up but often times that. it's a combination of all those things. it's a combination of actually. improvising in the moment and figuring. it out in the moment and then figuring. out in the moment and recreating it. again yeah and recreating it again the. same way you did before but being in the. moment and and being able to bring it in. to someone's attention as if you're. recreating it or give them the feeling.
that it's being recreated so that they. can they can experience it thinking it. can so when that's what stand-up is like. there's revelations that you repeat. right there's a there's a moment you. know and then I'm like wait what the. [ __ ]. is that about but you have to be able to. recreate that oh yeah over yeah even. though like a beginner's mind I have to. yeah like it's brand-new values right. right and so that is how you're thinking. for the people and in the sense yes say.
if you go to see a great comic like Bill. burr right and you're sitting in the. audience and Bill's on stage you're. allowing him to think for you in a way. right like he's taking you on a journey. so it has he's pointing left and right. and yeah we're going straight and you're. you're just going along with it this is. the rock like I'm letting him take over. the reins of my attention in my mind. yeah yeah so you it's a there's a craft. to that yeah you're the passenger he's. the driver in the Formula One car yes. and so any great comic whether it's.
Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle or figure. whoever it is yeah when they're on stage. and they're killing you are allowing. them to think for you yeah oh that's. interesting. so I love it so they're trying to take. you on an organic journey of. understanding whatever the [ __ ] they're. talking about yeah explaining it to you. in a way that's gonna like resonate like. this is how you would know that are. loving this is how you but and I'm like. Jolla who the [ __ ] brought the baby. moment yeah yeah it has to feel like.
you're really realizing that somebody. brought a [ __ ] baby to a gun range or. whatever it is whenever you joking. around it's funny right yeah yeah so so. it is these conversations are are really. kind of valuable on so many levels they. yeah they're not like like sometimes. people will go people sometimes just. want to get to the end you know like how. do I make the money you know but it's. the the journey is really valuable you.
know sure yeah. there's a lot of people that get into. podcast specifically because of that. they think there's money in podcasts. like how do you make money in podcast. yeah yeah I've had that conversation I'm. like well make a good podcast that. people like yeah but then you got a. simple yeah that's why I do that is to. actually enjoy doing podcasts right. that's really the best way yeah and then. people like you also have to do it over. a long enough period of time where. people you know like one person tells. another person tells one thing that I've.
never. done with this podcast I've never. advertised it it's in the sense that I. never did anything to make it grow and. there I just did it I just kept doing it. I never did anything like I never took. out ads I never went on shows to promote. it I never did anything to promote it I. just did it. mm-hmm and I did that on purpose because. I wanted to never have any thought and. all about growing it I only want to. think about doing the best that I can. right make it a commercial experience it. makes it became that it came to this but.
even while it's become that I haven't. changed I've changed how I do it because. I got better at it and because I became. a different person as I've gone through. my own personal evolution but I don't. change my thought on it which is just do. it. just enjoy it and do it and do the best. I can and try whoever I'm talking to try. to connect with them you know and some. people like you I'm connecting with. really easily it's okay that's great I. enjoy its conversation it's great it's. easy okay then some people it's like a.
little bit of pulling teeth you know. some people it's harder it's you're. doing heavy lifting yeah but still. enjoyable yeah of it it's like when it's. heavy lifting it's like okay how do I. solve this yeah I totally know you're. talking about. I had this female rapper in my house. like really big and I'm good good at. like creating conversation it wasn't. almost impossible freaking out oh my god. I'd like to hear that one yeah yeah and.
then finally you hit something no. finally a hits to thing or something. finally two things one thing was she. liked to talk about was gonna reveal who. it is and I ended up liking her so much. she liked to talk about stripping and. prostitution okay I know those and and. she's like she's got a master's class on. this like she's genius okay. so that that she could do but it took a.
long time to get there hmm like really a. lot of very polite to me but kind of. looking around a lot and then. comfortable with you well just not. knowing that we weren't really. and then she's very Street and then what. she hit it yes I thought it was really. funny and how she diagnosed the street. that thing wow she's like a scientist in. this hair oh yeah well the hustlers are. people that are you know hustling so she.
was really good then then she and her. husband decided they're really. interested in some art that I had on the. wall and that produced more interest in. more art and then she they wanted to. know like why is this worth so much. money well house house pricing work. I said well dealers you go what do you. mean by dealers I go what's a diva so I. explained what dealers were like Larry. Gagosian kind of sensed the market what. does that mean and then so then I then. they were very interested in that Wow so. then it then it got to be kind of longer.
and then I had to go someplace it worked. out but it worked out really well it. worked out with and so to your point it. was really really hard to figure out. this puzzle and then we act I. accidentally cracked that puzzle and. that was really gratifying and it was. good enough that I'm talking about it on. your show so it was memorable for sure. so it elevated your people skills and. assets you did yes I did yes I did and.
you learned about pimps and hos and. pricing and pricing in that field you. know in that field that feel like. there's a field it's just a suppressed. field yeah she was really mad about the. idea of a pimp like why would anyone. give a pimp money I understand I don't. get it yeah okay so yeah but yes. protection all right yeah I guess she. wasn't acknowledging that his particular.
so so there's that and and so the other. book I wrote because this kind of ties. in you know this is kind of interesting. because you asked actually so what. happened is in my house there was a new. person that started working on our you. know like our staff at home kind of. thing and you know like you know working. on the house. staff kind of thing I don't have like. I'm not like Butler's I'm not gonna what.
do you mean by how staff just like we. have a we have people that you know. House keepers you know then either cook. or they clean or they but it's a team I. have a team okay there's it th yeah but. I don't want to mislead you and make you. think like I'm living in like you know. it's not this is a picture and I'm. picturing the dude with a napkin no. please don't. yeah it's not bad I'm glad you pointed.
that out and then he gives you a top hat. no yeah yeah yeah gets my texts ready. every day to the rolls-royce and it's a. rose petals yeah yeah Thurston Howell no. yeah no is that that it just it's just. like an organized place so get it you're. ballin talk something. and so she apparently should work that's. funny so so apparently she worked at our. house for like almost three months and.
my wife's she says to my wife I really. like Brian a lot and my wife said we'll. see if you talk too much she said well I. haven't talked him very much but every. time he speaks to me he always looks me. directly in my eyes and it makes me feel. like a human being and I thought of the. simplicity of that I thought wow just by. looking at somebody directly in the eyes. with real not looking behind them are.
you just looking at them it immediately. is an equalizer it says we're both equal. we're words both species on this plant. the same species on this and it makes me. feel like a human being gives me dignity. mmm and then I thought that's pretty. powerful I mean this is only like two. years ago and then I retrofitted back. all of those conversations I was. alluding to like 35 years of every week. a curiosity conversation and I thought.
well the only reason these conversations. were good is I've must have been really. looking at these people in the eyes and. we were really dialed in otherwise they. wouldn't. these private things or these insights. they wouldn't share their heart with me. if they didn't feel I was present with. them right and so that became kind of. the thesis of this book and that's why. it's just called face to face the art of. human connection because then I set all.
of this I thought to myself we're living. right now in the loneliest deck the. loneliest time you know in our. generation it's like an epidemic of. loneliness is that it is actually that. all statistics point Millennials will. admit that one quart of well one quarter. of them will admit that they're. incredibly lonely like where they can't. almost cope with their loneliness what. do you think that's digital lives. I think it's digital lives for sure cuz. they don't they're not even used to.
talking now because everything is a text. and you know with kids and I have a 16. year old kid he was just turned 16 they. text each other when they're in the same. room mm-hm they're sitting there. watching Netflix and they're what. texting each other like who you texting. him to Johnny. John Johnny's right there talk to him. yeah yeah so here is weird and this like. dating you know that's why these kids. they just ghost girls or ghost guys like. just vaporized because they don't have.
feelings they don't when you don't talk. to people yeah because you're really out. there you're feeling when you're doing. you're feeling people all the time when. you feel people you have empathy you. feel connealy lings right yeah for sure. and when you feel people's feelings you. try not to hurt their feelings right. yeah yeah yeah when you're actually in. the presence of yeah instead of. digitally and when you feel people's. feelings and you meet them and demystify.
whatever you think you heard about them. you tend to like them more for the most. part and you tend to love as opposed to. have war you know so it it really is. important in our in our lives from. multiple levels like just looking at. people and going out of your way to. connect yeah. no I agree that's what this books about. basically and doing that reaffirms it in. yourself it does it. exactly it reaffirms it myself because. it right it's like a tool you're right.
exactly you get it. beyond get it but it's like it I learn. off of it every day because I'm not. perfect but I make sure that when I get. into elevators I I practice what I. preach I put my phone away I don't go in. the elevator and just look at my phone I. look at people all right I'm just cool I. can relax you know yeah and then often. you make just you make people feel. better if you're actually looking at for. sure yeah sure I've the last week I put.
a 1 hour limit on my phone use oh wow. yeah I'll put a 1 hour limit on whether. whether it's a birthday yeah okay yeah. yeah. apps whatever yeah never amusing and. thought about using the foot like. thought about looking at the phone. aimlessly yeah she's not you know I've. got this thing now that I'm doing where. I just grab my phone I go no no and then. I put it away. I just because people are really really. addicted to film they're really addicted. and you don't realize until you look at.
that screen time yeah that reading that. you get at the end of the day you like. five hours. I'm sure I'm in that maybe four yeah but. this that digital connection the. connection to you're missing you're. missing this connection to other people. and they're also there's a certain. amount of anxiety attached to it where. people are constantly checking their. social media and checking checking their. their emails and their mentions and in. going back and forth with this and that. looking at this and that and it's like.
you're not in the real world you're only. living on this little tiny device it's a. little rectangular yes it's weird yeah. and it contributes to loneliness and. disconnection and unhappiness and. happiness yeah yeah and I don't know. what the solution is other than. abstinence yeah other than getting. putting them away well at some point I. think we're going I have this feeling. that the privileged people or sensitive.
I don't want to say it that way I think. it could be the most scarce and valued. commodity is being present with human. beings yes. it's like you know the cool kids they do. you know they they're listening to. vinyls right well I think the people. that are good at it are rare the people. that like what you've done you've. practiced this idea of sitting down and. talking to people on a regular basis. looking them in the eye and having. meaningful conversations.
that's a you've taken you've made a. choice you've a concerted effort to do. that and that's not common and most. people don't have good people skills. I mean I've learned how to not interrupt. people I've learned how to not talk so. much I've learned how to listen I've. learned how to interact and I'm also. learned when people are not good at it. you know some people you're talking to. them and they're not even listening to. you they're just waiting for their turn. to talk yes there's a couple of guys I.
know that do that it's frustrating it is. frustrating. yeah yeah well cuz you kind of go what's. the hole what's the point is it yeah. we're not connected we're not like we. both like or I'm sure I'm sure you've. meet people that will ask you three. questions basically at the same time. like bam bam and you're trying to answer. the first question then you realize now. we're sharp enough to know that they. don't really want to know the answer. yeah they're just just on adderall. firing questions about this guy's blue I. know it's blue I just had lunch with one.
of my funniest close friends his name is. Jimmy Iovine and he's a music producer. music producer and he and Drake created. this beats and we have known each other. like oh I guess 30 years we were out of. this restaurant called wanting to say. it's a Greek restaurant Beverly Hills. and our waiter Jimmy goes that dudes on. adderall because he was like I mean like. he'd just I said it's too much Tony. Robbins from he said no it's adderall.
yeah but he was just like you couldn't. finish his sentence or we said okay we. think we know we want we're gonna have. the branzino and he rattled off like ten. dish as we go we realized we couldn't. stop him mmm we knew what we said what. we wanted right he didn't want to hear. he wanted to do the other nine. yeah so that's a common thing today. incredibly common there's a lot of. people on speed a lot and the doctors. are just actually on speed.
that's what adderall is yeah so you. think people are really that's the thing. I do I don't know that much about legal. speed the adderall's legal speed. prescribed by a doctor if you went to a. doctor right now you went to the right. doc yes and sad I just feel listless I'm. having a hard time connecting I'm having. a hard time getting motivated oh I got. the thing for your barn Wow here you go. and you'd be like [ __ ] kicking ass.
there's a lot of other people that are. slacking there are losers this guy's a. loser that guy's a loser that is that's. really it isn't that the hetero mindset. that is my adderall mindset it's. basically a low-level meth mindset yes. beat its agenda yeah exactly thing just. talking and it's almost like assaultive. yeah well you can get productive you can. get a lot of done with that but yeah. it's just there's a lack of connection. yeah there it's not really real as well.
yeah yeah it's a weird sort of vibe that. I'm gonna look for it and I'm gonna. prospect for you'll find it it's mining. for gold. I didn't realize there's gold in the. hills you go prospecting for people that. have a bedroom. you better have a large cargo train I. gotta check it out it was funny when he. said it and I thought he goes no no I'm. this is really true like what you would.
say to me right now. guys no no this guy he's actually on it. and I go yeah really and he says yeah. how does a guy become that guy he. literally was on that table. a lot of writers a lot of journalists. yes a lot of journalists a lot of people. that have two deadlines and they have to. push and they've run out of energy a lot. of them are on adderall it's extremely. extremely common extremely common with. very productive people very ambitious. people business people people that do a. lot of meetings people that work 12. hours a day 13 hours a day it's it gives.
you the energy to do that and then they. take ambien to crash and there's a. wammy go we know his head no no no no no. no yeah it's uh yeah it's there's. millions and millions of people that are. on that stuff. did they ever if you ever ask somebody. on the show like yo you pi-1 well I. don't send anyone ever tell you they're. honest yes. Oh Bailey tell me yeah yeah like at. comedy clubs or on the show. no I've had people tell me on the show. they take out all I've had people in.
real life tell me they've taken adderall. I mean I've had people justified I've. had people talk about it with a little. bit of shame that they would like to not. be on it but they're on it because it. helps them be productive and they got to. do what they got to do yeah but but the. real revelation was I have a friend. who's a journalist and he was talking to. me about how many journalists Orana he's. not on it I go how many he goes [ __ ]. Oliver I'm like seriously dude you would. blow your mind blow your mind how many. of cuz it's so effective he wouldn't I.
would ii wo no I've never messed with it. yeah if you do Jim you've tried it right. how was it did not like it I had to call. off the next day at work because I. thought I could go to sleep we took a. little bit yeah just to do some art work. because I know I'm gonna have to you. have an unusual Constitution like hey. maybe I guess edible marijuana does not. affect him well like literally he could. take a thousand milligrams to play video. games or more thousand milligrams put. most people under the couch for life. they'd be like no my watch Jamie can.
handle it I cannot do that. can't do it you know there was a minute. I was single and a girl said to me let's. tap five one of these lollipops she. pulled him out of her refrigerator. oh so we I took a little lick of a. lollipop she whatever and it was it was. interesting and it wasn't terrible the. next weekend I see the girl again. I'm at my house with and she I hope I'm. not going to me see if I don't think I'm.
okay here but she says I got I got any. more lollipops at it and I thought well. that was kind of fun. I take this I lick on this lollipop oh. my god it's so freaked me out I I called. my doctor dr. Dennis of an gelato. is that's his name I'm Nessa I'm saying. that's okay he's good and he I said I. need you to come over right now and. sleep and sleep over he goes he slept he.
did he slept in my bedroom at the foot. of that's that's a good doctor. he was so good I said he's right in. Westwood and I was in Malibu and I said. I said I'm serious he goes lucky this is. what will happen I can tell you exactly. what happened it goes up and it's gonna. come down everything I go I don't think. I can survive it I am too scared this is. so he said he'll sleep over and he slept. over in the whole new Wow yeah yeah. that's the problems it was a good these. those lollipops and candies and stuff.
like that you've never done this to you. what oh I don't know all the time man. yeah. constantly I don't think so yes honestly. you did really yeah. let's smoke a lot of pot I eat a lot of. pot swear oh yeah but you seem so. rounded by it. oh so you get actually this is all these. this is weed that's a weed you want to. smoke it and see if you go to blue. that's Mike Tyson to levy that fat one.
right there that's wait a second. that's weed right there yeah okay you. guys tell me the truth. let me see let me see that our big box. doesn't stay on the way not filled right. now we can open that for wow this is one. of these I put you on the moon like I. can't do anything my doctor was really. wowed but I like to smell of to pot and. stuff yeah that was good but I know it's. not good for me mmm not my thing. margarita tonight maybe tonight actually. I said tomorrow yeah I like margarita I.
do too. this is you got all your stuff careful. your snacks no I'm not gonna touch it. okay this is that one this is a real. issue can you do it during the day if. you want to die some spring oh yeah no. yeah of coral highly functional yes I. can yes yeah I really admire it works me. more than at me it works with your so. high-functioning yeah but it just makes. me more sensitive.
that's what marijuana. to me but the paranoia I kind of just I. embrace it. you know the paranoia that comes with. being really really high Wow I just. meditate calm down embrace it. enjoy a wave yeah yeah a lot of the. freaking out comes from freaking out. yes no that's it with me you like you're. freaking out and you're like oh my god. I'm freaking out yes watching myself I'm. going oh I'm out of control. yeah I think I'll freak out and then. that's what happened it sounds crazy but. it makes me a nicer person Wow yeah it.
makes me nicer I want to be better I. want to be a better person because I'm. five it highlights all the flaws that I. find in my own personality and my own. life. well whatever things I've done that I'm. not proud of or that I think are. mistakes it highlights them and it makes. me think you know more definitely be a. better person. g-good enhances my sense of community. makes you more sensitive me getting in. tighter.
can you do that I guess you can't yeah. yeah I'm not an addiction but my choice. you dig it yeah it's fun. I mean you your buddies are cool with it. yeah we do sober October so okay the. entire month of October every year we do. something like last year we did a. fitness challenge which they think it's. like Ramadan yeah it's like oh my god. for us in the year before that we did. hot yoga we'd do 15 hot yoga sessions. over the month yeah this year we have to. do 10 classes of any kind and we have to. read 500 pages of any book yeah so we do.
it like to test yourselves yeah but just. and it's fun in a cool little join along. and this year we're all wearing these. whoop straps so what is it loop strap. loop strap is it's it's a fitness. monitor that's it works with this. application that works on your phone. that it monitors heart rate variability. so it tells you how first of all it. tells you how much you're sleeping which. is very revealing. yeah tells you what kind of sleep you're. getting and it gives you like very. detailed analytics it shows it how much. you sleep we stay on that one absolutely.
bap Nia so I know because I go to a nap. I have an okay so do you use a CPAP. machine I do. yeah I do I do guys in a row use a CPAP. my friend Chris Ryan who's here right. before you use a CPAP. look at this yeah I've sleep apneas well. I got 87 haha I had a bad day seven. that's the score that's the quotation. it's like a coefficient how many okay I. I wear glasses but you could see it yeah. it says 87 but like what does that mean. like how many hours okay five hours and.
52 I think 30 set was at 5:52 yes usage. hours it says five hours and 52 it says. good good yeah okay and the seal seal it. says you had six many interruptions. event six events per hours but it says. no that's not good well it's probably. right I had a bad I didn't sleep. actually this is 0.6 is that the same. thing as six no what does that mean oh. so you didn't have six an hour. yeah six and hours a lot well it's weird. cuz it says zero point six and it says.
five in the corner what does that mean. five total over the spot he can do pound. a pot not a problem. it says mask on and off for so you took. your mask off for time to pee and no to. pee twice and then twice because I was. obsessing over something you know I had. to break the obsession oh yeah yeah okay. I wear a mouthpiece. those arrestees down on my tongue yes.
use my tongue from falling back over oh. the hole in my mouth oh so it's not. about your teeth it's about going back. yes yeah yeah what is that thing what's. that called that would happen who. doesn't matter what it's called dr. Kevorkian that his name kuroh peon no I. work in the murderer opiate whoops. mistake yeah it just keeps your tongue. from falling back I have a that tongue.
that's my problem is that fat closes the. air hole geez yeah so it keeps it from. doing that a lot to be said about yeah. yes yeah so um yeah okay so with the. whoop strap does is it monitors all you. management but it also measures heart. rate variability so it tells you whether. you're tired or not um so if you've got. a hard workout and then you're still a. little beat down the next day it'll show. you on the application. here's your heart rate your heart rate.
is responding to the fact that you had. an extremely stressful physically. stressful day so good stresses and bad. stress is exercise and lack of sleep all. those things are monitored and it gives. you like pretty detailed analytics so. we're all wearing these straps and we're. doing these 10 different classes like. we've done tactical gun classes yoga. classes and boxing classes and the whole. idea about the month is sort of just. helping yourself like doing doing things. that are good for you. self-help great got it I see yeah like.
yeah self-help yeah like this is the. month of getting smarter better getting. learning some new [ __ ] you know. meditating getting you know getting an. education reading you know 500 words the. guy's the f Segura I was a stand-up. comedian Bert Kreischer another comedian. and the Ari Shaffir and myself and we've. done this for the last well the first. year Tom and Bert had a weight loss. challenge and in the second year we said. okay we'll all jump in and we'll all be. sober this time because they weren't.
sober the first time I'm like they just. lost weight and we'll all be sober and. we'll have you like to fulfill these. number of hot yoga classes so with 15. 90-minute hot yoga classes and then the. next year we 15 90-minute yeah Wow and. then the next year we had a crazy. fitness challenge that got a little out. of hand so we decided not compete with. each other anymore because we were. literally going five six seven hours a. day of working out yeah seven hours a. day at cardia it was bananas it was nuts.
yeah yeah it was getting high on. exercise and so then this year on your. group I know I know why now this year. was just just just the fitness classes. different classes ten classes and then. 500 pages of any book just reading. something pretty great yeah it's fun. yeah it's gives me something to do to it. like we look forward to it and then a. lot of fans do it along with us so a lot. of people go sober through the month and. join in with us and you fans from the. show yeah say hey I want to be part of.
this now they just jump in I mean you. wear a whoop strap - you can compare the. amount of sleep and the amount of. exercise that you get to us. but more importantly for people it's. nice for people that maybe don't even. know that they have a little bit of an. issue with substances I mean maybe. you're not alcoholics or drug addicts. but maybe they just are indulging a. little too much and so they'll get this. break for October because they're. committed for the entire month and then. what they see is like you know what I. feel a lot better and you know I mean I. don't have a problem but I do feel a lot.
better when I'm not drinking all the. time because I know comedy clubs you. know have a couple beers hey you want to. do a shot alright let's do a shot and. then the next thing oh then I go to the. jam and it's like a little bit more of a. struggle you have this entire month you. know what does it say 23rd this yeah. there's none of that this entire month. it's just you feel your gun yeah yeah. and you realize like that is an. unnecessary tax around your system. alcohol in particular you know pot. doesn't make me feel like [ __ ] the next. day but it definitely does some wonky.
things to your memory pot the first or. oh yeah for sure. we all have a foggy memory oh yeah. definitely does something to you. remember I mean that's pretty much been. proven ok no that's interesting yeah so. do these go and you guys can afford to. do that because you can still work yeah. yeah stand up still do podcast still do. everything yeah and then we have no.
remember November where we get blitzed. ok look forward to really blitz you just. go for it yeah went went hard couple of. days in November last and your buddies. are funny guys yeah they keep each other. for yeah well it's a camaraderie thing -. yeah the four of us it's a lot of. bonding and it's very fun like the. podcast we have are very fun and the one. that we did when sober October was over. last year was ridiculous we were we were.
barbecued it was very fun yeah but it's. it's it is a good thing for people just. to have that monthly that one month. reset of their system yeah just to give. them a perspective like hey you know. maybe it'd be better if you didn't drink. you know maybe better if you took some. time off maybe better if you exercised. and and really thought about things this. way I mean we're only doing it once a. month but we even proposed to. times a year and appropriate and. approves too I guess obviously it's. which it does prove to you you can do it.
yes and that's important yeah thing it's. like having an exit right yeah you know. when you're trapped on a boat or you're. someplace would be what you have an exit. here yeah no you can do it well the. motivation for a lot of it was our. friend Bert who drinks too much and he's. calmed down quite a bit. apparently because of doing that first. podcast where we did go sober for the. whole month because we were we didn't. think he could do it because even during. the weight loss challenge Tom who won. the weight loss challenge Tom didn't.
drink anything but water the entire. month and worked out like crazy and lost. a ton of weight. Bert kept drinking the entire month and. also worked out like crazy and tried to. lose weight and what happened he lost no. can you compete with doesn't work yeah. it's just it was a dumb way of doing it. you know wasn't I wasn't as effective. right yeah of course. do you now there's this new like this. nutritional exercise or weight loss I. don't want to only call it that of like.
lettuce it 16 Ives I don't know it's ten. hours on 10 hours off oh it was fasting. so intermittent fasting yes basically I. can't lose weight so I mean I'm a happy. I don't need to lose weight actually but. I could get stronger and we have better. you know disciplines in Aries so but. that particular thing is about losing. weight I think mostly it's about losing. weight but it's also about feeling. better and raising your ketone levels.
which is one thing that does happen when. you go long periods of time and you get. your body accustomed to this period of. time where you're not eating you know. this is timed eating or whatever they. call it what it was that the term they. refer to it as it's not just. intermittent fasting there's time. restricted eating yeah okay. there's there's some benefit on your. digestive system as well you know so. your body's not eating you know 10 hours. a day 15 hours a day or you know even.
more with some people some people are. just eating constantly throughout the. day instead of this you have a four hour. window or a six-hour window or an. eight-hour window whatever you decide it. is and during that time you can eat but. after that it's over and then you cannot. eat for X amount of hours whether it's. 10 or 12 or 14 yeah you get accustomed. to it though ya see my goal because I. don't know if I could I'm sure you could. prove me wrong but I'm not sure I could.
do any of those really strict. disciplines of any type almost so I've. always thought if I do everything with. moderation I might not have to do one of. these things that I might find to be too. strong just wrecked it's not hard it's. not hard it's not no you seem sure it. does seem hard so you really hard yeah. get used to it though you honestly get. used to it and then once you do get used. to it then it becomes normal okay yeah I.
and there's what you get like a couple. three days four days or a week or. something yeah yeah once you get a few. days in it's no big deal. yeah is that a way of saying that if I. really committed to it it's possible I. could do it of course all right okay. look you're an accomplished man you can. do anything you want you just have to. force yourself to do it for ceman just. decide but I need a compelling reason. right do it sure well that's one of the. dancers said right yeah that doctor that. sleeps over your house.
write a prescription but like the thing. that we talked about like sober October. one of the things about it is that we. all know that this is coming October 1st. boom it's here yeah so you're committed. for the month it's not like a wishy. washy are you nervous about it no is. there any anticipate anticipatory yeah. you stressed no not really but you think. about it you've done it a couple years. ago now three years in a row but the. thing about it is that it's there it's a. real thing it starts and then you don't. you can't be wishy-washy like part of.
the thing that it has people have a. problem with diets and with exercise. routines is that they're wishy-washy. they give themselves a way out if you. know that you have to work out one hour. six days a week yeah every day you have. to work out one hour you get one day a. week off yeah no cheating. yeah and you write it down on schedule. and you decide all the month of November. I'm gonna work out one hour. a day six days a week period and then. I'm gonna write it down I'm gonna mark. my calendar with an axe every time I. accomplished that well if you just do. that you're gonna get it done but if you.
say um I need to work out more well. that's not a very specific they're a. little flexible yeah yeah doesn't. specifically. you have to go there's no this is this. is absolute. yeah these boundaries are inflexible you. have to hold yourself accountable okay. yeah you have to make sure that you're. accountable all right now what I pick. something up like that I'm gonna let you. know what would you want to do like if. you wanted to do something if you had a. thing and you say hmm but what I want to.
do maybe I'm not not drinking for a. month I've never havin done that how. about no booze November but that's. coming up maybe next year how much time. you need to prepare a year sounds good. so bright over why don't you do sober. October with us next year. Wow how about that that gives you in my. mind I got it not sure well I'm gonna.
try to I'm gonna try to think about. doing it yeah you don't have to do it. yeah. but but I can I can try to warm up and. think it's possible certainly could do. it yeah you should probably could do it. I mean I took a week off and then it was. very I know I could have gone well yes a. little bit a little bit but I thought. after the week I thought I could keep. going but that is that I don't know it's. kind of nice luxury to have a margarita. glass oh it is a nice luxury so I.
thought I don't know how does no one's. making me not I'll just go back to. drinking right yeah that's the thing I. mean I have no reason you know like but. if I had reasons and I'd like I didn't. want to wear that sleep apnea machine. and I put it off for five six years. really yeah and and then by the way. these sleep apnea machines got smaller. and smaller and smaller and less. intrusive so now they're very easy yeah.
but it still was somewhat intrusive and. now I it's it's. I always sleep with it I never thought I. would do that because I thought and I'm. laying my wife I like to feel like the. more oh manic guy or something or it. could be inside my Darth Vader. that's what it sounds like yeah start. Feiner it does I don't know I don't know. how she perceives it yeah. I will be honest she wants me on it she.
goes at the tube of life but you have. the tubule - oh that's me live like sure. yeah so thank God. well it really does you sleeping right. next to me I'm glad you want to feel. live it's probably just want you snore. either yeah I don't snore I never snored. really yeah the sleep apnea that I had. wasn't a snoring it was more like like. choking car yeah the choking kind of. thing where you'd um you you stopped. breathing right so it's not snoring got. it. yeah yeah yeah it's scary stuff a lot of.
people have it. well yeah it's terrible for your health. yeah your health and you lose oxygen to. your brain all these different things. and so many were to leave leave that. alone because I do do it I don't want to. jinx myself out here I'm very. superstitious so I really very very very. so if I doing something right I don't. want to I don't want to brag about it I. don't want to do it because I then I'll. think I just you [ __ ] it I don't yeah. I don't want to [ __ ] with things like.
this when an equilibrium has been found. whatever that thing is. hmm I just quiet down on it so you find. something that works you find a good. vibe yeah but I'll stick with it I don't. brag about it I don't say thing cuz then. I think maybe someone had bad a lot you. know right so I once was fat actually. really gif Chuck by can you know roles. like the guys that have rolls of fat and. the thing and I was with a girl who you. know was a very very serious young and.
everything inch we went to her Beach her. Beach was cut little doom you know doom. Beach and little doom and she's talks to. these she goes I have to go talk to. these guys and they were the cool surfer. dudes and it was like 25 years ago 30. years ago and she's talks these guys and. they start laugh. and I go what do you like what are you. guys laughing at to her because she's. now left these and they're back there. and I see it a chorus of them kind of. laughing they go well I guess they're. laughing because they said we never.
thought you'd be with like a fat guy and. I thought wow they look at me and that's. what they're that's what they're seeing. and they think it's funny I gotta fix. this and I that was like the straight-up. October forever for me that is what's. called fat shaming fat shaming yeah I. don't even know that there's a phrase. yeah you know you never heard of fat. shaming never heard it. well that's it's a very controversial. thought because some people think that.
fat shaming is terrible and that you. shouldn't do it to people and what other. people say that faith it's true it. doesn't work on certain people but it. makes people feel bad and some people. think you should protect people from. feeling bad whereas other people think. you should tell them that they're fat so. they feel bad so they act on it how do. you see it I say we call it. I'm the latter I think you should tell. people that they're fat if they want to. no I don't think you should I know you.
mean life they want to know I don't. think you should protect what's it what. say okay give me the signal um if you. want to know like your wisdom friendiy. hood yeah I'd say you're with someone. you only know a little bit I wouldn't. say anything then okay so now you're. with I said we're talking about like. relatives or no yeah about a husband. wife or yeah boyfriend girlfriend that's. tough because they can resent you. forever yeah you gotta be real careful. especially the ladies yeah yeah and if. you're a man and you resent your wife.
forever cuz she tells you're fat you're. probably not really a man that's really. funny. you might be a little [ __ ] oh my god. can't believe you said that really I. mean I like it because I don't know what. you liking you might be a little [ __ ]. it might be a little [ __ ] yeah if your. wife says you're fat and like if my wife. tells me I'm fat I'm like um I'm not fat. yeah are you talking about doesn't work. you only works if you're fat it's good. thing if they're saying so yeah yeah. yeah it's one thing if they're saying.
something about something you. can't control like I wish you were black. I don't like white okay I feel terrible. it sounds like you have no boundaries on. your show right okay the guys that have. really little dicks whoo that's a row. that's rough one. I hate yeah I got it I I'm hearing you. so do you think the girl the what list. do you think and the girlie-girl attire. to get there who did the girl ever say. yeah ever does it I'm sure some didn't. say it but here's the thing some girls.
we feel pretty like rough guys we can. talk some girls or some girls who are. beautiful beautiful girls yeah. are also lesbians oh yes right yes so. some girls popular did some girls who. are beautiful girls are bisexual so they. like girls and guys here's a question. with those girls be more likely to. settle for a guy with a little dick yes. or a rich guy with is it they like girls.
to be girls and like guys no matter what. to have a big dick all right the way. that's I think they're like probably the. latter. unfortunately evolutions a [ __ ]. really is yeah I think that uh that's. you know there's not a damn thing a. person can do about that one you know. you can suck fat out of your waist to. stuff in your ass you get fake boobs. this is like [ __ ] you do if you got a. little dick that's a rammasun I mean.
it's probably there's some operations. that can help you out a little bit I. think that but the most part yes yeah. cutting and dick makes guys crazy we're. sure I think it guaranteed you must yeah. must make them suicidal because it's. when I started throwing [ __ ] right now. that would mean like we had looked maybe. and if a crazy I think I think there's. certain things that you know there's. nothing you do about it you just have to.
hit handle that roll the dice whatever. you got yeah. I would guess yeah that's one of them. but I mean if if things like crisper and. genetic manipulation and things they're. working on now yeah that's probably one. of the first things they're gonna work. on that's fine I ever thought. oh yeah right on the show today I think. [Laughter]. I don't think I think there's anything. more profitable except yeah beauty.
beauty would be incredible for people. who both on that same depart somewhat. yeah area yeah yeah being like cousin. whatever it is cosmetics I guess yeah. yeah yeah not just cosmetics but even. you know people that are not a guy with. a frame you're not operational no I'm. not operational. I mean maybe one day they'll be able to. do something yeah. they shoot a little virus in your body. and then also yeah that'd be something.
it can happen yeah I mean it's not. insurmountable scientifically yeah. there's so many things there are they're. already doing genetic manipulation yeah. that's not outside the room it's not. outside the realm it seems possible. let's start calling our scientist right. now call him up yeah and see what's. nothing yeah so anyway that you learned. about fat shaming I got that that simple. you didn't know about that. that's like in the zeitgeist right now. is it yeah people admit that well for. fat shaming yeah hmm yeah James Corden. got mad at Bill Maher did Omar was.
mocking fat shaming and saying maybe we. should be shaming people more to him. directly no no oh just the omar was. talking about on his television show. that maybe we should be shaming people. no I see I see. then James Corden said I have a problem. with that and you know he's talking and. been made a bunch of fat jokes which I. found were kind of kind of weird I'm. making fat jokes while you're being. upset that someone's calling you fat. yeah he thought he could get that one by.
you we did that one didn't give by. nobody he also does have a comedy talk. show so it makes sense that he was. making jokes. yeah and comedic in here but it does. it's it's it's not something that you. can't fix and that's one of the things. that people have a problem with being. sympathetic about it and that was Bill. Maher's statement his bill is obviously. a very slim man yeah but it's not. something you can't fix. it's a problem to fix it's hard to fix.
hard probably requires discipline and. also your your gut biomes probably all. screwed up from eating bad foods and you. know you probably are accustomed to. certain certain behavior patterns that. are unhealthy for you yeah the times. you're eating the kind of foods you're. eating yeah I fixed I fixed mine with. them but I mean I wasn't fat in the wood. that really you fix it with shame. I fixed it was shame she shamed me and I. start jumping rope and I started with I.
do all everything with an achievable. goal I just did a couple minutes and I. just kept going and then pretty soon you. know I did the rope with the that had a. counter on it with those plastic beads. it gives a little weight on them and a. nylon rope a nylon cord and you could. really whack get it going so yeah I. could do 200 beats a minute for 30. minutes and you're holding your body. very tight so it actually I didn't think. of it that way but it really strengthens.
strengthen my core yeah jumping rope is. amazing yeah so you obviously do yeah. it's great. he's only to warm up or mostly yeah I. just do it going yeah yeah yeah but for. boxers that's why the boxers use it so. much I mean it's it's a staple of boxing. work yes it is yeah yeah yeah you're. always on your toes. yeah so it's it keeps your calves. conditioned and though helps your body. ability yeah shift movement I mean. strong calves and strong feet are very. very important for boxing and anything.
that requires movement football players. a lot of football players use jump rope. hmm to help their ability to move side. to side and help with mobility yeah. great work out too just great. cardiovascular hmm yeah all right it's. very trendy right now - is it another. trendy is another trendy thing yet the. antidote to fat shaming well there's a. lot of videos online where people are. doing like these YouTube workouts of. jumping rope and then they also have. weighted ropes which is makes me I used. a weighted rope - yeah I used to go.
everywhere with these ropes so further. in an airport I'd be doing it I remember. being on a tarmac in Greece in Athens. waiting and I was doing it I would. in the rain I would I always every day I. did it that I did with no fit without. fail for almost 12 years Wow do a. trainer a personal trainer I do now I. didn't then but I do now right because I.
think what helps me so much also it. helps me get into the gym without fail. because I don't want to him have him. wait Derek wait Derek I shouted to Derek. because I said some about I'm doing Joe. Rogan and he goes all right listen him. all the time I go. give me some mints I really start. collecting stuff he had fact I could. even show you. he wrote notes I didn't read them. because I didn't feel like I had to uh. but literally I'm sorry but anyway so.
Derek okay oh it's so long I mean this. is embarrassing and I didn't read it so. okay so every morning it's it's good. morning bro good morning bro good. morning bro that means he's here morning. bro and this is it hey bro you wanted a. text about boy yeah it's Derek a bro he. sounds like a bro he's a guy from. Detroit he says bro a lot yes I don't. he's not a I don't know how bro E but he. does know him bro and actually I've even.
said to him a nice way don't say hey bro. every morning because it just doesn't. roll like that and I want to say you got. to chop it up a little bit mix it up hey. fella. it'd be funny I call people who fell all. the time yeah I think it'd be funny you. say hey vet. I like that like strong guy good fella. so fellow I'm gonna try it I like funny. yeah hey fella I mean everyone you're.
all your millions of listeners will know. that I'm ripping from you what you gave. it to me you said you can say it that's. a mine line I say it all the time we're. gently or how do you think a fella I say. like that yeah like if I saw you I'd be. like hey fella I like it now I'm. thinking about though now it sounds. weird because I'm being self-conscious. but yeah but you'll get them off the. show. tomorrow you get back to go back to. normal I like it I'm gonna feel that. yeah it's not it's not an issue okay so.
what is Derek what kind of advice to. give you on the show yeah uh it said I. didn't look at it but when he gave me. some advice he said you know he told me. your background first of all I didn't. realize the chronology of your. background I didn't know he knew gee he. knows New Jersey right he just knew all. this stuff oh so he didn't America pedia. well I think you know he did more than. Wikipedia no no I know that sounds but.
yes that leads you to Wikipedia but I. popped that on him so it wasn't like. that was today so he didn't like go let. me just tell you about it he didn't do. the right looking at his smartphone. he knows your show really well he's a em. he's a guy's guy you know and he's bro. he's a straight talker guy he's a right. yeah he's a bro that expression is weird. because it used to be like first of all.
black dudes owned it Yeah right what up. bro it was like that and then it became. white guys like dorky white guys okay. I'm gonna give it to you right as you. seem interested in everything okay I. like I like the Rogan podcast because. it's casual conversation fellowship he. always sets the guests at ease and. weaves two topics seamlessly I leave it. alone okay. but he says everything is awesome I mean. you're saying bro you're so perfect.
what kind of stuff is Derrick having you. do Oh physically physically well okay so. I get in there and I do an elliptical. you know for me I do it as high as hard. as you could possibly do it for 20. minutes so it gets everything kind of. going and pulling my rotary cups so it. lubes that up a little bit and I have. some injuries they're a dying thing. about it the rotator cuff my doctor you. know him anneal elet raj okay he's what.
he does you have teams and stuff you say. I don't need surgery eventually I will. have to eventually I might have to have. surgery. he says I'm a surgeon that's what I do. but I don't want you to have surgery you. don't need it you're gonna have you have. the same strength you would have and it. just will hurt a little bit and and this. is a rotator cuff tear. it's a rotator rotator cuff tear have. you ever had stem cells no is that a.
good idea yeah oh tell me okay oh wow. I'm getting this from the man right on. Park I'll talk to you after it's over. and okay give you uh like places I would. go and talk to I had a full length. rotator cuff tear and it's gone from. stem cells is there any thing no no no. nothing negative not for me. and I I know of no negative. repercussions that's fantastic. the place where I go is the well the.
place I go is in Santa Monica and I've. been there I would go in there for years. what's the name of the place lifespan. medicine oh it's not mark Forester no no. no life spin okay I don't know you'll. I'll explain everything I would love. that thank you so much okay but there's. a lot of different treatments that they. they can do now that for soft tissue. tears things like rotator cuffs and. muscle tears and things along those. lines they can it's amazing what they. can do now Wow.
okay I'd be awesome so what does he have. me do I do you know variety of different. of weights you know multiple you know. curls he mixes it up so it's sort of. cross-training so I'll do different. things cool I'll use those little slides. that I love put on your feet and you. there's four different things you can do. you open them and you do the pushup. shoot and I like it because it's hard to. and I think I do it all in the morning I. do it at it start at 6:30 Wow he shows.
up at 7:00 this is what my Monday. Wednesday Friday he goes like this for. me. from 6:30 7:00 I do my own stuff just. lipstick or elliptical just getting a. few other things you might he might even. do those little slides he shows up at. 7:00 hey bro. he's hey bro and me and then he worked. we work out till 10:00. eight at 5:00 to 8:00 so and then for. five minutes he puts out that bolt on my. legs and CAF's you know - like Lube you.
know make my muscles more relaxed but. you talking about like a neuromuscular -. yeah yes thank you. okay all right electrical muscular. stimulator electrical musculars - yes. simulator and so we do that and then I. run next door and I play tennis for an. hour usually one on one tennis with a. pro named Buster the best a shoutout to. Buster so after that so a half hour lip.
to go and then you do the weights yeah. you do this different kinds of physical. work again you play tennis for an hour a. tennis for an hour so Wow. so you're done like what 10 a.m. no I'm. done exactly at 9 a.m. you know. sometimes I go I have to leave a few. minutes early but like 5:00 tonight or. so we've run right from the gym straight. over to tennis so no missing time and. right next door nobody right next door. yeah door skip written hams house okay. Bam Bam for him yeah and so then I play.
tennis and then I rush back and I take. shower really fast and then I'm on the. road and then you do you work now you go. to work Wow but I'm up early actually at. five o'clock I'm doing work and I'm. looking at videos and I'm reading things. and 5:00 a.m. huh I read every one. that's every morning I just wake up at. that time coffee coffee. yeah lots of coffees and but I get. excited about the day I bet that's great. I get really excited about that means. you're doing what you're supposed to be. doing okay you enjoy what you're doing I.
really excited about it I'm really. excited about it I really enjoy what I'm. doing and I joy enjoy my life I love. hearing that from people that are. successful well good because it's it. means you've found the thing that's. fulfilling yes and it's continually. fulfilling yes which is the real problem. with a lot of folks sometimes things are. fulfilling initially but then they lose. their luster yeah but for you as many. movies as you made as long as been in. the game that you're still getting up at. 5:00 in the morning yeah super safe. today I'm not feeling like I have to I.
just want to that's awesome thanks. ya know I mean it's really true I'm. really excited and I you know my my life. is good my kids are great you know. they've gone through some changes they. all kids do and they're really in the. right spot you know they're my youngest. kid just turned 16 he plays football at. Notre Dame he's not a big kid but he. wanted to own it he wanted to own a. choice and he's really disciplined. really really in and he's he's just so.
not a [ __ ] he's like the you know he's. just a tough guy that's awesome and I'm. really proud of him and happy and you. know I'd go through the rest of the. three as well for total what other kind. of things do you like to do with your. day I mean you're obviously a guy that's. into self-improvement yeah so one of the. kind of things you do meditate at all. I do meditate I do TM I do it once a day. but I know you're supposed to do it. twice a day are you supposed to it I'm. supposed to do it twice a day but having.
a night is how you supposed to do. something like that yeah but I don't I. can't pull that off so I don't demand. that upon myself. I don't demand upon myself things that I. they can't quite do I know I should and. I'm trying to my friend sorry my friend. Tom Popat does TM and he won't tell me. what his mantra is will you tell me what. your mantra is no I get I had two of. them because I'm actually de pecho Pro. 20 years gave me one back 15 years I.
have to be honest 15 years because I was. really in need of meditation to stop the. cycle gave you a mantra he gave me a. Mike came to my office taught me how to. meditate and gave me a mantra and then I. died you know I dropped it and then. recently about five years ago. Veronica was my wife was big shout out. to my wife she's a shout out to Veronica. thank you for third shout out today yeah. that's good. and so she and I took a TM from Bob Roth.
Bob Roth is is the founder of the David. Lynch men you know Meditation Center and. he's a very good guy. we could you know we're good okay and. and so we do that and sometimes we get. Bob Roth on the phone because he lives. in New York. and we'll just do it in the backyard and. we'll have him on speaker and we'll. he'll talk through the framework of it. and and then he's quiet and we're quiet. we meditate oh nice you meditate yes.
I just find it amazing how many TM. people won't tell you they're yeah. they're whatever they're chanting we're. told not to yeah that's why it's weird. it's like what why would somebody have. that much power over you write it as an. abracadabra is it Alakazam what are you. saying I the the style of meditation I. do. I just concentrate on my breath I think. only about guiding in only about. breathing in and only about breathing. out that's all I think about so the when. I'm concentrating I'm thinking only. about the breath in and only about the.
breath out and it goes off the rails I. think about other things and I have to. get back yeah track it oh it does. there's no way around that I usually. hold it's okay there right yeah yeah. it's okay I catch you yet I used to. think that it wasn't I used to think god. I'm weak I can't - can't stay on track. but now I realize that's not the point. the point is - it's just be part of. being a person just yeah let it happen. but keep keep on track keep on keep on. track and you get off track just get. back on track again.
don't ya don't freak out about it don't. beat yourself up and all that but I find. it very cleansing me - it does something. just something it when it opens you up. in a very nice way it's yours who who is. the who's the person that turned you on. to it or is it a type of meditation that. there's a name to it or no not really. just something it's tough I've read. about and I started doing it in an. isolation tank I started doing it I have. one here really yeah when I leave we. could look at those yeah yeah yeah oh.
yeah sensory deprivation tank shout-out. to the float lab never been to one ever. used one know how they're amazing you. should get one it's a great way to visit. portable ones who aren't there yeah I. have done one I have done one and I. liked it but I bet there's I can't wait. to see yours because I bet there's a. better way I did it so makeshift. yeah I'm sure yeah the float labs the. most advanced ones and they have a place. in Westwood and in Venice they have a. place where you can go in.
for an hour but the the best thing that. I found met is was in inside the tank. was to just concentrate on breathing. breathing in through the nose and out. through the mouth and in through the. nose and out through the mouth like and. that's all I would concentrate I was. breathing in and breathing out breathing. in and breathing out and then I kind of. go into this trance when I was inside. the tank and so then when I what didn't. have access to the tank I started. utilizing that outside of the tank and. so I just and when everything is any if.
something's bothering me if I've got. something that because I'm an obsessive. person so I get a thought in my head. about something I'm working on or. something I'm trying to fix and I just. start rolling over in my head to the. point where I can't get it I can't get. it away mmm. so then the way I can cleanse that and. put my brain back on a good cycle is. just concentrate on breathing so I use. the same method that would use inside. the tank and I use it outside the tank. but I want to try eeehm yeah I'm gonna. try I'm gonna try to do it this month.
while we're doing these different. classes this month I'm gonna try to take. a class maybe go to this guy Matt broth. show me yeah. well he's you know kind of all over the. in New York okay so but he comes out. here because he has many people in Los. Angeles and he makes sure to come I. think once a month or so okay yeah well. I'll talk to you yeah go figure no I. think he's you know for me I think the. best I've met a few of them but he he. made without saying take it seriously he.
describes it in a way that I understood. what it was and he has some authority in. him that made me take it seriously where. is the other times I didn't take it. quite as seriously it is it's kind of. important who introduces it to you yeah. I think I think so do ya yeah I mean. it's like what you were talking about. earlier about people that are really. enthusiastic about something yeah really. committed and and disciplined about it. that it's very it's it's very contagious.
it is I think the same thing about. meditation or about anything yeah. there's a certain energy you get when. you're talking to someone who's really. into what they're into yeah really into. it if they're really into TM you'll get. a feeling and then you'll be able to. recreate. some of that yes when you do it on your. own I'd imagine yes yeah and yeah well. you'll like how it's described it's um I. don't know if you've basically know I. listed okay do it yourself okay. now what other stuff do you do in terms.
of self-improvement should I ask for. Chanukah no I'm I'm can't buy think a. little like you as I've researched you. that I'm constantly reading things like. all of the time always nonfiction. however no friction at all no I I just. know that's interesting for someone who. produces a lot of fiction well I what I. like is I yes that's right what I've. found in my life the the like the for me.
the foundational creative ingredients. are in ingredient to a creative equation. like making a movie or a TV show or. painting or his counterpoint so I have. found that I'm dreamy enough myself you. know like I you know and I've read of. course all joseph campbell stuff so i. kind of understand formats of myths and. the hair with a thousand faces and and.
and i particularly like underdog stories. there are so many types of underdog. stories that it's um so anyway so i have. that basic knowledge and then when i. learn a subject let's say i learn this. subject of architecture or physics or a. little bit of chemistry or whatever the. you know it's it's all like from an. archaeological perspective because it's. all new to me so i found for example. when i produce the movie 8 mile which is.
about hip hop right it's about it. battles in detroit first i thought mmm. i could even go back further i'll could. do this quickly though i thought i me. should get like the hottest you know. video director the coolest guy and I. won't say those names but there there. were the guys they were very visible at. being the best at those video those hot. videos and then it occurred to me I. should get somebody that. approaches it again archaeologically.
where everything is a discovery so I. hired someone they knew nothing about. hip-hop what was passionate about. wanting to do the movie and he was named. Curtis Hanson he's deceased right now. but he won I think believe two Oscars. for LA Confidential hmm it was kind of a. classic American filmmaker that looked. at everything was sort of a discovery. lens and that's why you were able to see. if if I pick the video guy that thinks. he knows everything about hip hop then.
all the little nuances that are new to. the audience's eyes would have never. been shot because he'd think oh. everybody knows that stuff that to get. the good stuff you know yeah and so. sometimes Authority on top of authority. doesn't work out well and I found that. my career all I did was write and. produce comedies for the first 17 years. of my movie career starting with night. shift and then splash and Parenthood and.
Nutty Professor and Liar Liar and I. could you know a lot of comedies a lot. of five Eddie Murphy thing you know Jim. Carrey three times you know and what I. found was Jewish writers Christian. actors and the Jewish words they go Jew. writers [ __ ] actor and [ __ ] is like. when Jewish people say it's the. Christian mia the Catholic guy it's. always I made eight movies I think with.
Tom Hanks but he's he's like the Gary. Cooper or he's the Christian guy with. the Jewish writers always works. why do you want you know good Christian. and Christian not funny really yeah it. just doesn't play what's wrong with you. on Jew the comedy only one Jew on Jew. kind of worked in the last. Woody Allen and they weren't in meteoric.
hits he was just like you know he he was. sort of dominated the ethos you know of. you know I mean he of comedy in the 70s. and 80s but yeah. it just doesn't work you can't really. say but you could name. I mean judd apatow talented Jewish. writer director usually he's got these. guys that are like not they're just not. that they're Catholic Christian guys you.
know like our girls right I mean who's. the chicken train wreck the Melissa. McCarthy McCarthy she's Catholic right. he's a Jew is like that's the the. counterpoint is what works isn't train. wreck Amy Schumer. is it Melissa McCarthy so you might be. right oh it might be both yeah. it's both oh thank god thank every good. tiebreaker here so anyway do you prefer. to do comedy or do you prefer just a.
movie that interest you. he's just interest just whatever it is. but there was a point like at the end of. these 17 years of like make you know. what there's a point where I've. definitely made a lot you know did well. financially I'm making these movies and. I enjoy it cuz when you're around comedy. you're you're well happy you're laughing. yeah that's the whole vibe of the fair. um but I thought they just don't you. cannot get enough respect just doing. comedy so I thought I'm gonna have to. try to just do dramas cuz I I've come.
close I got nominated but that's as. close as I got there was no way on. splash they were gonna pick and the. writers are the funny guys over there. Robert Benton you know like the guy that. wrote a place in the heart you know or. places in art and Bonnie and Clyde like. they picked man guy the classy guys so I. felt like if I want to join the classy. guys I better start doing dramas and. then I did Apollo 13 and ransom and a. bunch of dramas that's interesting so.
that's what motivated you to switch it. up yeah that was my motive me I just. couldn't take the abuse any lack of. producing massively successful movies. yeah I mean I felt I felt grateful in. stuff but I just felt like I understand. you did you feel like you got the. respect you deserve yeah I just like. they're so comedies are so hard. they're um you do company comedy is the. hardest thing because when it doesn't. work you hear it it's embarrassed it's.
bad yeah drama is the great dramas I. could tell you that all those dramas. that we see in the last five years they. go it's great it's brilliant I mean I. don't even know what happened on some of. these things they're so slow right or. the my so I II can and you. there's no defining you know no one's. clap you know yours no God you hear. everybody was really quite they're quiet. cuz there was asleep what did you think. of the Joker okay I have to break the. Joker down because I know a lot of.
people that are moralistically very. against it. yes you know my generation is really mad. at it I thought as a movie that movie. was really badass that movie was I. thought it was really good masterpiece. masterpiece oh my god those sequences. and the going down the stairs and the. music choices that was a masterpiece it. was amazing I loved it. now the the other this other unit that. you you know if they're if the movies.
broken down into two units the one is. the master the masterpiece we're calling. of the movie itself and then what's you. know what are the themes that are giving. life to this movie or the purpose or. what are this what's the purpose I mean. you could go well that could be you know. that you know there could be some bad. stuff in there you know or but I'm not. deep enough to know I could identify it. exactly and having made so many movies I. can't be judgmental of it I liked it and.
so I just feel like people in glass. houses shouldn't throw stones I think. that's a good way of looking and how do. you see it can you ask I thought it was. brilliant but very disturbing yeah but. it was supposed to be disturbing and I. think they accomplished their goal you. know with flying colors I think it was a. very very unusual movie very difficult. to find any parallels with any other. previous movie exactly I thought it was. [ __ ] amazing.
yeah then when I left I didn't feel good. yeah I didn't feel like that it was like. wow I'm going to party great yeah. yeah I was like [ __ ] I walked out of the. theater like [ __ ] yeah just blows you. away yeah no good and me and my wife. talked about it for a long time you know. was she honest she loved it oh but she. it's not her kind of movie yeah but it. was there was something about it it was. so well executed and Joaquin Phoenix was. amazing it was kind of operatic and.
somehow I mean we're the music and. everything yeah I mean the build-up to. it too there was so much going on and so. much madness and yeah he understood you. you felt empathy for this guy who was. ultimately a monster and a murderer yes. spoiler alert but I felt you felt for. him yeah you know I mean in that sense. they they managed to navigate those. incredibly treacherous waters. brilliantly yeah I thought it was.
[ __ ] awesome yeah good me too no I. mean that directors great yeah no he's. great do you Phillips I'm sure you know. him but don't I hope friends who know. him yeah yeah my friend Brian Cowen he. was in the hangover and he's in I was in. this movie briefly too yeah okay but I. don't know yeah so that's that that's. that yeah Brian I got to wrap this up. but okay I've really enjoyed it man. thank you very very much. you're so welcome really appreciate it I. really enjoy talking to you Thanks I. feel really grateful to be on your show. I feel really grateful to be able to.
talk to you thank you thank you very. much thanks great bye everybody. wow wow wow wow thank you. [Music].
