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Dave Chappelle (2021) - Comedy, Fame and Life · The Joe Rogan Recap

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  Welcome to the Joe Rogan recap. Great to be diving in.
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  Today we're looking at a really fascinating wide-ranging chat
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  between Joe Rogan and Dave Chappelle.
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  This is from JRE episode hashtag 1647.
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  Yeah. Big.
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  One, our mission here is basically to pull out the the
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  best bits, the most insightful moments, maybe some surprising
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  stuff. Do they cover a lot?
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  Everything from Chappelle leaving his show, fame, comedy,
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  scene, it's all in there. Right.
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  And our source is the full transcript from the powerful JRE
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  YouTube channel, so let's jump right in.
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  OK, so First off, Chappelle leaving his show, it's it's a
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  big part of the conversation. Definitely.
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  And Rogan sees it as Chappelle kind of beating the system, you
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  know, going public, getting his money eventually.
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  Which Rogan thinks is like almost unheard of.
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  Yeah, unprecedented, he says. Chappelle actually gives credit
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  to Chris McCarthy at CBS, Viacom.
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  Right for being constructive, actually working with him to
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  sort it out. Which suggests that's not the
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  norm. Yeah, artists often feel pretty
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  raw after those kinds of fights, right?
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  Oh absolutely, feeling like they got the short end while others
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  cash in on their work. It happens a lot.
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  But Chappelle's attitude, he talks about not being bitter,
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  just joking about it over time. He has that line biddiness is
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  quite cumbersome, like carrying a heavyweight.
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  And the analogy about jealousy being poisoned affecting the
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  person holding it, that really stuck with me.
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  Yeah, it's powerful, this idea that holding on to negativity
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  just hurts yourself in the end. And here's a key thing he
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  suggests Court might not have worked.
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  Right he thinks the the court of public opinion was actually more
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  effective for him getting people on his side that's.
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  Interesting. Shows the power of public
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  sentiment, maybe especially now. Yeah, though they do touch on
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  how you know, regular people hearing about a millionaire
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  wanting more money. It can be hard to relate, sure.
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  If you're struggling yourself, it's about perspective.
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  But then they get into this business idea.
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  People play incentives. Yeah, understand the motivation
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  and you can kind of predict the behavior.
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  Exactly. And Chappelle walking away from
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  that massive show that went completely against the usual
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  incentives. Which is why Rogan called it
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  that gangster move. Right, because it seemed like he
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  was prioritizing something else. Staying himself, maybe?
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  Remaining the same, I think, he said, Protecting his integrity
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  over just the cash. And I ironically, that move
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  probably cemented his legacy even more.
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  So what happened after he left? He actually thought his career
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  might be well over. Yeah, initially, but then it
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  sort of freed him up. He got back into stand up, but
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  for different reasons. Not just about climbing the
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  ladder anymore. Exactly.
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  More about just loving it again, finding the joy and performing
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  itself. He talks about how success can
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  make travel really detached too, like playing venue, hotel,
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  repeat. And he made a conscious choice
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  to actually experience the world, build real memory.
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  Not just read about places or hear about them.
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  He wanted that first hand stuff. And he mentions that
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  neurological link. You know how remembering
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  something can feel like reliving it?
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  So creating those memories was really valuable to him.
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  Seeking out new perspective which.
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  Feeds the comedy, feeds life. It's all connected.
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  He calls it expensive knowledge. Yeah, I love that phrase.
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  The insights you get from tough, unique experiences.
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  The stuff you wouldn't trade. But he's also clear, right?
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  Don't try this at home. Yeah, he says.
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  His exit wasn't some cool calculated plan.
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  It was just troubleshooting a bad situation step by step.
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  Acknowledging that show business careers are just unpredictable,
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  winding roads. Totally.
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  It shows there's no single formula, you know.
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  Sometimes the weird moves are the right ones for you.
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  OK, moving on. They talk about fame itself, the
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  downsides. Yeah, how the system can kind of
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  inflate. You control how people see you.
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  The gaslighting aspect and they bring up Gandhi interestingly.
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  As an example of context, right His early writings being a
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  lawyer in racist South Africa. Plain the incentives of that
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  system to be effective is the idea.
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  Yeah, and they also mentioned some of the less known
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  controversies about him too. Adds complexity.
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  Definitely makes you think about judging historical figures.
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  Then they shift gears to Austin versus LA.
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  And Chappelle clearly prefers Austin.
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  He likes the vibe there. Says no ones trying to be
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  famous. Yeah, unlike LA, where fame is
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  like this weird currency, this constant status game.
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  Rogan remembers Chappelle early on, being serious about comedy,
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  not just a hangout guy. Focused on the craft and Rogan's
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  own podcast kind of grew without him chasing fame either.
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  They talk about that LA winter circle too, how the industry
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  treats you based on how hot you are right now.
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  That kind of elitism and social climbing.
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  Chappelle moved to Ohio partly to escape that pressure.
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  Right? Yeah.
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  Untethered his life geographically from show
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  business. And Rogan really admires how
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  Chappelle stayed, you know, cut despite all the success.
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  It's. A good point.
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  And those little anecdotes. Punky being a bar back before
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  SNL. Yeah, Idris Elba as a security
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  guard. Totally reminds you, everyone
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  starts somewhere, often in unexpected places, different
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  paths. Which leads them to how comedy
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  itself is changing. Right, younger comics can get
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  financially successful now without the traditional like Rd.
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  grind playing clubs for years. They talk about Boston
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  specifically. Tough crowds, high standards.
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  A unique circuit, but maybe a bit of a trap.
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  You could make decent money locally.
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  And maybe not feel the need to tour nationally, potentially
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  limiting growth. Exactly.
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  The Teddy Bergeron story sounds like a cautionary tale about
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  that brilliant guy but maybe got stuck locally.
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  It all comes back to managing success, doesn't it?
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  Not letting it change your personality too much.
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  Rogan notes how Chappelle seems to handle the pressure, the
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  scrutiny consistently well. Maybe life itself keeps you
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  humble. Could be Rogan talks about his
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  own early days doing comedy but also fighting, teaching martial
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  arts. All those different things feed
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  each other now, he says. The podcast, the stand up.
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  Gives you a broader perspective, which is huge for comedy.
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  And Rogan emphasizes following his gut, his interests, like
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  getting into MMA way early. Even when people thought it was
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  like weird or lowbrow. He faced ridicule for it back
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  then. He was just interviewing
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  fighters, doing it for free sometimes.
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  Out of passion, long before it blew.
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  Up it was his friendship with Dana White and a chance
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  opportunity that led to commentary again, initially for
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  free, just for access. It really highlights following
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  passion over just the paycheck. Then fear factor money gave him
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  freedom. The fuck you money to do what he
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  wanted to do. Like the podcast?
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  Like MMA? And Chappelle did something
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  similar, right? Saved money strategically so he
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  could take a risk on his own show even with low pay
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  initially. Yeah, betting on yourself.
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  That mix of excitement and nerves.
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  OK. So then the conversation shifts
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  a bit broader. View State of America.
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  Chappelle mentions moving to Austin lower taxes than
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  California. And that conversation he had
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  with Jon Stewart in Copenhagen about taxes in a socialized
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  country versus the US. Different mindset about what
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  your tax money gets you maybe? Chappelle suggests maybe
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  socialism works better with smaller, more homogeneous
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  population, which. The US isn't.
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  The size and diversity here create different dynamics.
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  True, they also note how the Internet makes global culture
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  more connected now. International audiences get
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  American references more easily than they used to.
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  Like Chappelle performing in Tokyo, some people might not get
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  every word, but his fame itself is part of the spectacle.
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  He reflects on that period after leaving his show.
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  Been quietly raising kids? Doing stand up occasionally, but
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  only when he genuinely wanted to.
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  And doing these marathon shows apparently just fueled by the
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  love of. It yeah, like 3-4 hours times.
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  Then there's the cross country motorcycle trip.
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  Seeing America up close. The scale, the diversity.
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  And that impromptu birthday set in Austin just jumping on stage
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  like his Old Street performing days.
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  Amplified by social media, of course.
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  Around age 40, he says he decided to just prioritize fun
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  life. Short people you know pass away.
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  Yeah, that hits home. He mentions a really dark night
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  on tour. Oh yeah, the Dayton massacre
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  near his home and a comedy club owner murdered in New York same
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  night. Awful, but it highlights the
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  support comedians have for each other in tough times, like after
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  911. There's a sense, he suggests,
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  that comedians provide the subconscious message.
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  Everything's going to be OK. We can still laugh.
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  Which leads into the attack on comedy cancel culture.
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  Chappelle feels comedy is under fire because it's easier now for
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  people to complain, to weaponize outrage.
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  Taking things out of context, labeling stuff offensive
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  sometimes just for the sake of being outraged.
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  Yeah, recreational outrage. Yeah, he mentions, ignoring
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  negative comments online telling Donald Rawlings to do the same.
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  And that story about replying directly to someone who said he
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  looked like he stinks? Hilarious.
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  Just. Pointing out the absurdity of it
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  all, his main point seems to be comedians got to be themselves.
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  Don't let the online noise dictate things.
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  That's a big question, right? Where are the lines and who
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  decides? Then they discuss tone deafness
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  celebrity behavior online during hard times.
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  Some celebs just seem out of touch, constantly flossing as he
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  puts it, not reading the room. Contrasting that with Kevin
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  Hart, who he sees as relentlessly hardworking but
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  also genuinely kind. They push back on the idea that
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  you have to be ruthless to succeed.
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  Though ambition can definitely lead people that way.
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  Stallone's quote about sensitive actors struggling in the harsh
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  industry. That makes sense.
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  They talk about different levels of acting too.
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  Fame seekers versus true artists like Denzel or Daniel Day Lewis.
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  And the stories about Day Lewis's dedication, his whole
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  unconventional life offset. Rogan loved his performance and
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  there will be blood, just pure. Craft and that connects back to
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  Chappelle seeking out greatness after his show ended going to
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  big boxing matches. Yeah, Pacquiao, Mayweather,
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  Marquez witnessing history. He was there when Marquez KO
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  Pacquiao. Wow.
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  They chat a bit about an upcoming Canelo fight to
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  analyzing styles. Mentioning how Canelo learned
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  and improved after fighting Mayweather.
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  But then the flip side. Physical toll of fighting.
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  Riddick, Bowe, Terry Norris. Seeing heroes diminished by the
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  sport, it's tough. Andre Ward is the
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  counterexample. Retired undefeated, became a
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  great commentator, very self aware.
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  Even though he had his own physical issues like shoulder
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  problems. This brings them back to comedy.
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  It's rare for comedians to just start performing for long
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  stretches. Unlike Eddie Murphy's long break
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  from stand up. Rogan is really hoping Eddie
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  comes back, calls him a genius. Eddie's apparently
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  self-conscious about some older material, looking back.
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  Chappelle's analogy is good. Good.
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  You don't get mad at an old photo for not being current.
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  It is what it was. And they marvel at how Eddie
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  Murphy just doesn't seem to. Age, seriously.
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  So, reflecting more broadly handling success?
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  Well, Seinfeld comes up. But also the terrifying trap of
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  fame, isolation, losing touch. Michael Jackson, Elvis.
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  Pioneers of that extreme, maybe unattainable level of global
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  fame today. Rogan remembers MJ's music just
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  breaking all barriers. But Eddie Murphy, despite the
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  fame, apparently stayed pretty down to earth.
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  Maybe stand up just doesn't hold the same meaning for him now
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  they speculate. And the comedy landscape keeps
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  changing. Internet money means maybe less
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  Rd. refinement for some younger comics.
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  But also innovation, right? Like Andrew Schultz's stuff
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  during COVID. Very visual, rapid fire online
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  comedy. True.
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  Though Chappelle definitely prefers live in person shows, he
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  talks about performing during the pandemic.
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  To audiences who are just so grateful to be out, to be
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  experiencing something live. That electric atmosphere
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  heightened appreciation. Rogan admits he was nervous
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  before his first pandemic set. Even with all his success,
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  Chappelle respected that. Yeah, keeping that edge, they
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  agree comedians need to stay true.
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  Say the wild shit sometimes. There's a worry some comics are
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  getting too cautious, losing their bite because they fear the
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  backlash. Chappelle seems open to stepping
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  back when it feels right. Says he doesn't live that
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  typical limelight life anyway. Needs exercise.
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  Clear head. Rogan's talked to so many
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  people. Elon Musk.
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  Malcolm Gladwell. And they get into the
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  controversy around Musk hosting SNL.
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  Chappelle kind of questions the criticism, defends Musk's
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  intelligence, his achievements. That suggests you can never be
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  woke enough. For some online critics, maybe
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  the outrage isn't always always fully justified.
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  He thinks Musks Covic comments, while maybe insensitive to some,
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  were more based on numbers data, not just disregarding emotion.
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  Observing that online mobs often demand 100% agreement, nagging
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  people rarely works anyway. They touch on huge wealth gaps,
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  different perspectives of billionaires versus people in
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  poverty, the scrutiny that comes with Musk's level of fame and
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  wealth. Chappelle seems genuinely
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  confused by the SNL backlash. Like what specifically was the
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  problem? What's Musk even gain from
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  hosting? Maybe.
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  He just loves comedy. Could be that simple.
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  Then back to the Canelo fight. Texas opening up big events.
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  Contrasting that with the UFC in Jacksonville, no masks, wild
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  scene and their own early pandemic shows.
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  Smaller, distanced, rigorous testing protocols.
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  Logistical nightmares. Probably lost money doing it
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  safely. But remarkably, no reported
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  infections linked to their events.
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  They say. Looking back at the early
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  pandemic confusion, downplaying testing feels weird now.
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  Yeah, it leads to an interesting point about comedians often
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  being surprisingly sensitive people.
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  Empathetic. Despite the nature of comedy
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  sometimes sacrificing A victim for the room's overall joy, the
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  lowest anecdote. Right, the double amputee VAT.
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  It depends so much on the person's own humor and the
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  context. They agree most people are
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  generally dope, but online interactions strip away nuance,
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  enable meanness, anonymity. OK, winding down, Rogan mentions
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  his recent talk with Mike Tyson. Tyson's presence intimidating.
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  Rogan joked the desk size was influenced by nervousness.
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  But also, Tyson's depth knows boxing history inside out.
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  Surprising interests like tattoos of Arthur Ashe Mao.
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  Complex figures like Fidel Castro, who they touch on
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  briefly. Hard to judge history simply.
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  They loop back to needing incentives for innovation
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  despite wealth inequality concerns.
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  And how award shows feel kind of weird for comedians who already
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  have fame and money from their actual.
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  Work. Chappelle mentions wanting to do
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  Nollywood movies in Africa, admiring their ingenuity.
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  And the rise of African fighters in UFC France and incredible
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  journey. Yeah, powerful story.
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  And the final thoughts? That nice anecdote about Marlon
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  Williams buying Chappelle an ice machine.
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  A gesture of friendship, and Chappelle wants to open a comedy
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  club. Yeah, for comedians to
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  experiment, rock out like the old alternative scene.
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  Contrasting Seinfeld's refined style with the looseness of
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  podcasting, Rogan enjoyed being on Comedians in Cars.
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  Jay Leno's car knowledge. Kanye's design genius.
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  Just appreciating getting to know talented people as people.
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  Hoping we all survive the current cultural climate.
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  Chappelle's nuanced take on cancel culture.
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  Again, good intentions, potential for misuse.
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  Finds hope in his kids. Believes good people need to
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  have families. Shares that quote about kids
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  expanding your love capacity. They reflect on Thoreau's lives
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  of quiet desperation, quote feeling fortunate.
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  Rogan needs physical outlets for mental health.
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  Chappelle respects everyday people with strong will, genuine
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  public servants, finds inspiration and overcoming
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  adversity. Distinguishing between celebrity
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  buzz and real character depth, Rogan feels doing the show has
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  changed his perspective on life. Mentions age injuries affecting
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  his martial arts. Still sees Tyson as fighting
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  demons. The conversation circles back to
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  kindness, trust being fundamental.
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  And that feels like a good place to wrap the recap.
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  Yeah, a final metaphorical toast to Joe Rogan for that
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  conversation. Yeah.
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  So distilling this down, we've covered fame, comedies,
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  evolution, passion, culture shifts.
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  A lot. And here's something for you to
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  chew on. Chappelle's expensive knowledge.
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  Think about your own life. What are the really valuable
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  lessons you learned the hard way?
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  Right. Those unique, maybe difficult
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  experiences, how did they actually shape you?
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  Make you more resilient, perhaps?
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  No, obviously this deep dive just scratches the surface.
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  Oh absolutely, the full episode is packed.
• 16:23
  We really encourage you to check out the original JRE hashtag
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  1647 for all the nuances and moments we couldn't fit in and.
• 16:30
  It leaves us with a big question, doesn't it?
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  With entertainment lines blurring, digital platforms
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  rising, Yeah. What is the future for comedy?
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  For creative expression. How will artists adapt?
• 16:39
  How will audiences connect? Lots to think about there,
• 16:42
  definitely. We really hope this deep dive
• 16:44
  gave you a good overview. Maybe arksome aha moments.
• 16:47
  Until next time, Kee diving deeper.