Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0loSsJ1mHVE
Joe Rogan podcast. Check it out. >> The Joe Rogan Experience. >> TRAIN BY DAY. JOE ROGAN PODCAST BY NIGHT. All day. >> [ __ ] it. >> Working so far. >> Right. >> Right. >> I told my wife the other day, I said, "If I live to 85, I'm going to go to Long John Silvers every day for [laughter] lunch. I'm just going to eat [ __ ] that like everything that I dream of right now that I can't eat, I'm I'm going to eat all of it. I'm going to drink whiskey all day long and just eat everything I want. >> Yeah, [ __ ] it. You're at the end of the ride. >> Yeah. >> Unless that's the problem is like on your deathbed they come up with some new [ __ ] that fixes everything. >> Oh, I know, right? That'll be my luck. >> New stem cell [laughter] stuff that regenerates every cell in your body to a 25year-old. Like, oh, >> exactly. I know. >> That'd be a real problem. like a 70-y old brain, a 25 year old body, like you would have a lot of knowledge. A giant advantage. >> Oh, yeah. I fantasize about stuff like that. [laughter] I I I fantasize about being able to like like I imagine, you know, like my version of heaven, it would be like if I could go back to when I'm 12 years old, [clears throat] >> live through junior high, high school again. >> Oh, you'd be the king. >> And have the knowledge I have now. and just I would know exactly how to navigate everything. >> Yeah. >> You know what I mean? >> Yeah. >> It's But that's the fun of growing up and the the not so fun of growing up. >> Sure. >> Is you don't know what the [ __ ] is going on and you're so confused and then you get older and you go, "Man, if I could just go back, [laughter] >> I'd [ __ ] kill it." >> I think about it all the time. Yeah, your lovely co-host uh co-star rather Demi Moore uh that movie that she did, The Substance,
>> right, >> is [ __ ] crazy. That's a great piece on this whole like fear of aging thing cuz >> that movie is wild. >> Oh yeah, >> it's so crazy. But it's like, >> you know, how many women would agree to that deal >> if it was a real that's it was realistic enough where you're watching like, I know a lot of ladies who would agree to that. >> Right. Right. >> I know a lot of ladies. >> Have you seen that South Park episode where they uh uh uh it was it was about that that type of thing, but it was about how they have all these apps that you can make yourself look better in, >> you know? I mean, it's like make you look filters that make you look younger and all this kind of stuff. >> And they have this episode about that where like all these girls who aren't like the hot girls, but their Instagram stuff they are and they actually start to think and so all the guys start going for these girls even though when they're in front of them they're not [laughter] like that but that's what they look like on there and yeah it's [clears throat] pretty crazy. >> It's probably accurate too. M >> as as long as a couple people start doing it, >> a couple of guys start going for those girls, then everybody else will as well. >> Yeah. >> Which is most of our world. >> Yeah. >> Most of our world is some [ __ ] idiot decides bell bottoms look good. [laughter] >> And we're all like, "Shit, I got to get I got to get bell bottoms. I want to get laid. I want to be cool." >> I had bell bottoms when I you know, cuz I was playing in bands and stuff. So whatever was trendy, you know, we wore that stuff. I can remember those bell bottoms that were so big you couldn't see your shoes. It just looked like a pair of jeans walking down the street. [laughter] It was so dumb looking. >> Yeah, >> it's a crazy thing that lasted for a little while like regular jeans.
Somebody invented that [ __ ] in like the 1800s and everybody's like, "Yeah, you nailed it." >> Yeah. >> And it's like a Jeep. A Jeep still looks like a Jeep. They made a Jeep in like the 1950s. We had a Jeep in 2026. You could see the difference. It's like it's a little bit more advanced, but that's a Jeep. >> Yeah. >> Jeans. They nailed it. Bell Bottoms are like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not what the [ __ ] were we doing, >> right?" [laughter] Oh, I mean, I had shirts with like bell sleeves with like pictures of sailboats and stuff on it. It's like, are you kidding me? I mean, you know, like lime green and orange and [ __ ] like that. >> Remember the Elvis style collars? Giant collars? Like what happened? >> I know. >> I have a theory cuz all that stuff happened after they passed the sweeping psychedelic schedule one act in 1970. And I think they cut everybody off from mushrooms and acid and anything that makes you think. >> And then they started giving them coke and no one knew what to do. And they were all just like and it was disco and the music kind of sucked and everybody got real weird. >> Wow. It's I think that's what happened. >> Yeah, I I don't doubt that at all. >> That's when the clothes get really [ __ ] up. >> Yeah, it is. [laughter] >> It's the same exact time cuz before like there was like a hippie style, you know, like >> Hrix and you know a lot Clapton a lot of guys. It was like a flowy hippie but it looked good. It was kind of cool. >> Sure. >> But something happened in the 70s which just lost all perspective. >> Oh, I know. I mean, when you look at some of the 70, like especially like sort of late 70s, you know, the disco era and stuff like that, and you look back at some of these TV shows they had, and you see a lot of these bands and stuff on there, and it's like, who thought that looked good? I mean, who [laughter] said who said this is the thing now? It looked like [ __ ] I mean, horrible, horrible stuff. >> Well, I I talk about this all the time,
but it's the cars, too, man. I I love 1960s muscle cars, but I check out around 71 and I only allow a 71. Barracuda and a Challenger in that group. Everything else after 71 is useless to me. Oh yeah, >> except Corvette. Corvettes still stayed cool looking. >> They stayed cool looking deep into the 80s. >> Yeah, that's that's true. Yeah, I'm I'm a muscle car guy. I've got a 67 Chevel 396. >> Oh, nice. >> And uh muscle cars are my thing. I have a 70. >> Oh, do you really? >> Yeah. I would like to get a 64 GTO the first year they were made. That's what I'm looking for. But to get one that's perfect, it they're pretty pricey, you know? >> They're very pricey. >> And I grew up poor, so I don't like to buy stuff for myself. I buy my kids stuff all the time. >> And uh I don't mind how much money I spend on my family, but for me, I just I don't spend money on myself. So, >> old habits die hard. >> Yeah, they really do. When I was a kid, my sister's boyfriend's brother, the older brother was the cool guy in the neighborhood. He had a 65 GTO convertible. >> Oh, yeah. >> And he would I used I worked at a gas station and he would drive by the gas station. We'd all go like this, like, "Oh." >> Oh, yeah. >> Can't believe he owns that. That's really his car. It was He was the coolest guy in the world. >> Oh, yeah. We had those >> Terry Red. >> Yeah. Oh, that was >> There was a guy named Mike Paige in our town. He was older than my group, you know. He when we were seniors, he was probably already 25, 26, something like that. >> And you never really cuz, you know, cruising was a thing. And you'd cruise through Sonic or whatever it was, you know, and see who was there and all that crap. And everybody parked on the bank parking lot >> and you'd drink beer and then the cops would come by and you'd hide all your
[ __ ] you know. And um I mean it was literally like uh the American graffiti days, you know. And uh so this guy Mike, he had a 65 candy apple red vet. >> And he had a mustache. Remember Chuck Negron, singer in the Three Dog Night? The one with the mustache. Yes. >> He looked like Chuck Negron. So [laughter] we would see him pass by and he was like Harrison Ford was in uh American Graffiti. It's like you never he would just you'd just see him in his car, you know. And uh so he was it was like seeing Elvis Presley go by [laughter] and everybody go like, "Wow." And uh that's actually how the box master's name came about. >> Really? >> Yeah. Yeah. >> How? >> Well, in the South in those days, there was a uh there are two stories how the box master's name came about. Uh there's a Uh there's the politically correct one and there's the one that's not. Uh and the one that's not is um if somebody was a playboy type, you know, it was called a box master. [laughter] And and so and we had a >> I would have never guessed that. Yeah, >> that's hilarious. >> And then in the old days, uh people would say, "Oh, look, there goes the box master when Mike would pass by cuz he just knew." But you only saw him driving his Corvette up and down cruising. You never saw him, you know, actually doing stuff. And he never got out and drank beer with us or anything. >> He was just making an appearance. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Just letting everybody know. Look at this. >> Second generation Corvette. >> Yeah. >> 65. I have a 65 convertible. >> Oh, yeah. >> Oh, yeah. I love them. >> Awesome cars. I mean, yeah, muscle cars are the thing to me. Do you remember uh there there are two uh sort of car uh times that confused me? Uh I mean, first of all, how can a Mustang ever not be cool? But remember in the late 70s, early 80s, there were >> It may as well have been a Ford Fiesta. I mean, it was garbage.
>> What was that? >> It was the gas guzzler. The gas crisis crisis. >> Oh, okay. >> That's what it was. So, they had to make all these cars gas efficient. So, they got rid of V8s. >> They started having these like very uh economical on gas, V6s and like really shitty engines and they made the cars plastic and lighter and and cheaper and yeah, they [ __ ] everything up. They [ __ ] everything up. Like the fact whoever imagine working at Ford 1969, [clears throat] you know, you got the Mach 1 which is like you just look at that and you go, "God damn." [laughter] Every time you see to this day I see one of those on you god >> they just nailed it. >> Yeah. >> Like you just stare at that car just walk around it for hours just looking at it. >> Yeah. >> And then 10 years later they got something that you would never want to own. >> No. >> This is a hunk of [ __ ] This is a [ __ ] box. This is a it's like [laughter] a literally like a box that a washing machine comes in. Garbage. >> People didn't even want to steal them. >> Yeah. [laughter] Crazy. Who Imagine being the CEO of that company going, "What did we do? What the [ __ ] happened? We had it. We had magic, >> right? >> Like legit magic. >> Remember the Toronado and the Riviera? >> Oh yeah. Oh my god. >> I mean, you talking about different looking. >> Yeah. And >> but they were cool. >> They were They're very cool. >> Very cool. But weird. And huge. >> And huge. >> Yeah. >> And uh the opposite end of the spectrum was AMC. What were they thinking? >> They were weird. That was a weird car to own. >> Weird. All of those. Yeah. They had one that looked kind of okay, but but you know, they had the pacer and the uh what was it? What was that other weird looking little the Gremlin?
>> Yeah, the all those kind [laughter] of things. I mean, it was like what in the hell is this? >> That was a strange company. It was almost like a fake company. >> Yeah. >> Like it didn't make any sense. >> It didn't make any sense at all. >> It was like an Australian Remember like Mad Max? He drove that Australian muscle car. I remember watching go, what the [ __ ] is that thing? was an Australian muscle car. I don't know what it was. I still to this day don't know what it was, but that's like what what those AMCs were. They were like >> weird looking. >> Oh, yeah. >> Just off. >> Yeah. Strange strange looking >> from a different timeline or something like >> Yeah. There was a movie called uh it had uh Raquel Welch was in it and Donald Pleasants and all these people called uh uh Fantastic Voyage where some politician uh or scientist or something. He'd uh he'd I guess it was an assassination attempt, but it was there was a brain thing. So they shrink all these scientists down on a little, you know, glass thing, whatever those things are called for chemistry or whatever. They shrink the cats down >> and their little submarine thing and and they shoot him into the guy and the [laughter] Yeah, that that >> Well, see that's a pacer. You [laughter] know, I used to watch it. I go, "That's a damn pacer. >> That's hilarious." >> Yeah. And so they go through the guy all through his veins and arteries and stuff and get to the place where they need to fix it and all this kind of stuff, but antibodies kept attacking them and all this kind of stuff. It was weird. But I saw it in the theater and uh I was pretty impressed actually. >> I remember that movie. That's hilarious. That's hilarious. >> Shrinking people to [sighs] >> What's wild is how many ideas were burned up in movies by the time like the '9s rolled around. If you just stop and think about the fact that movies really >> were only like what movies I think are the absolute best mirror into the
culture, it's like a time machine. Like you could read a history book and you can kind of get a rough understanding of how people behaved back then, but you still think of them in a current context. You think of them like today, but you watch a film, you know, watch a like a James Kagy film and you're like, "Whoa, man. This is a different world." Yeah. Nobody knew [ __ ] right? >> Nobody had any idea what was going on in the world. You got all your news from the newspaper. So these dudes who own the newspapers essentially control the narrative for the entire world. >> Absolutely. >> And it's and it's people behave strange. >> Yeah. >> Open domestic violence. Domestic violence is normal. >> Like shut up. >> Oh yeah. >> And she would kiss him and like it was crazy. >> Oh, right. >> Nuts. Well, my my wife who was raised in the Bay Area, you know, around San Francisco and Marin County there, when I first told her what my dad did to me, she was like, "Oh my god, that's like," and honestly, that's what everybody's dad did. [laughter] It was like, you know, if he was working graveyard shift and you started making a bunch of damn noise at noon, you got your ass beat with a belt. And she was just, she couldn't believe it. I said, "Oh, no." Oh, it was like every day almost, you know, and you know, not that it was good, but it was just part of our life. We didn't know any better. We really didn't. >> No, no one knew any better and we're only figuring it out now. >> Yeah. >> It was like like cancelling people retroactively for stuff they did in the 80s. Like, okay, that's a different world. You weren't even alive then. That's a different world >> when people came like you got to realize like your parents like think about it this way. People were coming over on a boat from other countries with no knowledge of what was over here. They just got told, "Oh, there's jobs in America, you know, and you got on a boat from [ __ ] Europe." Like my grandparents came over here in the 1920s. Like they had no idea. They come
over here and there's a bunch of people that also did the same thing. and every they're basically just savages. They're basically like one one or two steps above like absolute savages, you know? They're they're savages with metal, >> you know. They've got metal and rubber, >> right? >> And you know, and they're raising kids and of course they're going to raise kids in a rough way cuz the world is rough. >> Yeah. >> It's like everybody got beat up. It was normal. Like bullying was not there was no anti-bullying campaigns. >> God, no. >> You just had to fight for yourself. Like that's just how it is. This is life. This prepares you for life. It sucks, but this is life. >> Absolutely. We had guys in our town that >> you just stayed away from. >> Yeah. >> I mean, guys who were, you know, relatively the same age, and I lucked out cuz I, you know, I was a skinny, long-haired little hippie and playing in bands and stuff and and for some reason, uh, I always liked hanging out with, uh, you know, the guys who are a few years older than me. They had more fun than we did. And so, [clears throat] uh, I remember the first time I ever, well, the first time I ever had a drink of beer, uh, my uncle Don, he drank schlitz, and this was back when you had to have a church key and you open both sides of it, you know. >> Wow. >> And he would pour it in a our glasses, you know, like I said, we were pretty poor. We all lived at my grandmother's house. And it was the jelly jars when you finished the jelly that became the glasses we drank out of. But he would have a jelly jar glass of beer that just looked like apple juice to me. And uh I would always ask him, you know, six years old. I'd say, "Hey, can I can I have some of that?" And he goes, "You don't need this." Well, finally one day he goes, "Yeah, here have a drink. Tastes like apple juice." And I like, "Oh, God mighty." And uh but the first time I got drunk in my life was on uh uh Boone Farm wine, apple wine, and these two guys uh Gary and Eddie were their names. And they were just trouble. And Gary had a a 64 GTO. That's probably
where I got that thing from. But >> uh I mean, we rolled it one night. No seat belts. I mean, we never even thought about a seat belt. And uh so uh they took me to the Dairy Queen and uh uh we were going to, you know, get a hamburger or whatever it was. Well, they ended up like hanging me out the window just puking all over the Dairy Queen parking lot, you know, cuz I drank an entire bottle of this and never been drunk in my life. I was 12, 13. And uh so these guys, I just I was fascinated by them. They were all James Dean and Elvis Presley to me, right? And uh there were a few guys in town that everybody knew not to mess with at all. It's like they will literally pull your eyeballs out of the sockets. They kind of consider me a mascot and they all protected me. So, the other guys who were, you know, pricks or whatever, you know, uh, if one of them messed with me, there was a guy named Calvin, a guy named Billy Bob, actually, who was probably 10 years older than me, and, uh, a guy named Harry and, uh, who whose family came over from somewhere. They were like, you know, from the Czech Republic or somewhere, but they they grew up they grew up here, you know, so they didn't sound like they were from someplace else. Harry was about 56 and stocky, you know, and uh there was this dude [clears throat] who who was just mean to everybody. Excuse me. But um somewhere in between our age uh you know when we're teenagers 17 18 and Harry and Billy Bob and uh uh Calvin and those guys they were like 30 and there are these other guys who were the mean guys in town who were in between those ages and they were the real problem because they were just [ __ ] They weren't The other guys were cool as long as you didn't mess with them. One night, uh, this guy, uh, two of them were both named, uh, Steve, who are the real pricks. And, uh, one of the Steves, uh, got me by my hair and drugged me around, beat me up a little bit, you know, and I was a fighter, you know, I wasn't bad, you know, I I fought a lot of guys. I quit fighting my early 20s, but back then, you know, it was just a way of life. And uh this cat ruffed me
up, a lot bigger than me and Harry found out about it. Well, we had a bonfire party out of a guy's trailer home that night. And so this cat that had beat me up showed up and Harry had heard about it. And Harry's, you know, I'm like Harry's little mascot guy, right? [clears throat] So the guy gets out of his car and comes over there. Now we got a big bonfire going on, right? The guy comes over. But Harry didn't say a word to him. He walked up to him. This guy's like a foot taller than Harry. Harry got him, reached up, got him by the hair, hit him one time, broke his jaw, and threw him in the bonfire. Whoa. >> And a bunch of people had to put him out. I mean, this was just like a Friday night in Arkansas. [laughter] All right. How's your schedule looking? Feeling busy? Got a lot on the horizon? Well, yeah. It's that time of year when life gets crazy and demands more of your energy. More work, more plans, holiday travel, all while it's getting darker and colder. It can really drain your energy or you can get out ahead of it. Listen, I talk a lot about AG1. is the daily health drink that can help you stay one scoop ahead of all the energy drains coming your way this season because the superfoods and B vitamins and every scoop of AG1 supports steady energy production without the crash. In fact, just shaking up one scoop of AG1 in water covers your multivitamin, your pre and probiotics, antioxidants, superfoods, and more. It's one simple step to start your day ahead of anything that might come your way. And that's why I've partnered with them for so long. Subscribe today to get this clinically backed formula in the flavor of your choice, tropical, citrus, berry, or original to help you stay one scoop ahead. If you use my link, you'll also get a free bottle of AG D3 K2 and AG1 welcome kit, plus a few bonus AG1 travel packs. Just head to drinkagg1.com/joan or visit the link in the description to get started. That's drinkagg.com/jogan. [laughter] >> Oh my god. >> Yeah, [clears throat] >> that's a rough part of the world, man. Especially back then. >> Yeah. you know, um, Malcolm McDow, he wrote a book about like, uh, where he was talking about why certain
populations, like certain parts of the world are rougher. And he was talking about certain parts of America [clears throat] where they were settled initially by um people that came from a hurting community like in so they were like sheep herders in other countries and they when they came over to America >> when you when you have a a flock of sheep someone could steal all your food in the middle of the night. They could just take all your sheep. If you're growing corn [clears throat] >> you know it's hard to pick all that [ __ ] corn. You got to throw it in a truck, drag it out. You could just steal someone's sheep. So they're accustomed to extreme violence to protect their sheep and they're accustomed to acting fast and doing things quickly and violently. >> And so that's how you got the Hatfields and the McCoys. Yeah, >> that's what that shit's about. People like, why are those people such [ __ ] psychos? [laughter] They came from a psycho community in Europe [clears throat] and then when they made it over to America, they just kept that tradition going. >> Oh, for sure. >> Yeah. I mean, you know, people talk about, you know, the Irish and the Scots. >> Did I say Michael McDow? Did I say Michael Malcolm Gladwell? That's what I meant. Malcolm Gladwell. Sorry, Malcolm. >> Yeah. [laughter] >> Malcolm [clears throat] Gladwell. It's early. >> Yeah. But that's uh, you know, we still to this day we talk about, oh yeah, those Irish cats and the Scottish guys, the English guys. If you're in the, you know, like say South London or whatever, some rough guys over there. Where do you think we came from? >> Yeah. I mean, you know, I did one of those tests about my genealogy and all that kind of stuff. And uh uh you know, you hear stuff from your family growing up that I grew up thinking I was part Italian and Native American and all these different things, right? And then I do this thing. It's like I'm a full-on English Scottish guy, you know? It's Irish, English, Scottish, almost all of me except for as my daughter says. She goes, "Daddy, why aren't we randomly Swiss?" I got a little bit of French
Swiss, you know, it's like 11% something like that. The rest of it is just that stuff. So all those people come over here and North Carolina or Tennessee, uh, Arkansas, you know, all these places. There are words that we use, you know, which, you know, we call the hillbilly language, which actually wasn't considered a hillbilly language in England, you know, but that language was left over. Like we say, reckon you want to go do something? Reckon over there, they still use it. >> Yeah. >> Uh Aaron, we uh meaning one. It's like if you said to me, "Hey, can I have a beer?" And I say, "I ain't got Aaron." You know, it's a I r I ain't got Aaron. And all that stuff came from uh England and Ireland and Scotland. >> Well, that's the idea of the southern accent, right? The southern accent is an English accent just morphed. >> Yes. >> In a new place. >> Yeah. Exactly. >> Yeah. And and morphed particularly pro probably because of the climate. >> Like the climate changed a lot. And one of, you know, one of the weirder things about these stereotypes about the South is the hookworm thing. Do you know that thing? >> No. Tell me about that. >> Okay, this is crazy. So, for a long time, a giant percentage of people that lived in the South had hookworm. And hookworm is a parasite that you get in your feet from walking around barefoot. >> Okay? >> And hookworm affects your cognitive function in a massive way. makes you slow and stupid. And so this myth of the the southern person being slow and lazy and stupid was all because they were infected with hookworm. >> Wow. >> Like the like a giant percentage of these people had hookworm. Like throw that into our sponsor, Perplexity, and tell me how much hookworm was in the south. >> I'm going to cancel I'm going to cancel my therapist. [clears throat] The phrase hookworm southern draw refers to historical connection between hookworm infections in the American South and certain stereotypes about southerners, including the way they spoke and
behaved. In the late 19th and early 20th century, hookworm infestations were rampant with estimates suggesting that up to 40% of the people in the region were infected. So, hookworm causes symptoms like severe fatigue, anemia, and mental fog, which led to slowness in speech and thought. This contributed to the stereotype of southerners being lazy or slowwitted often associated with the southern draw. How do they fix that? Like what uh what medication did they use to fix that? Some sort of a dewormer, >> health campaigns. >> I mean, I've heard of hookworm, but I had no idea that that had any association with this. >> Yeah, I didn't either. When when I found that out, I was like, "Oh, that makes sense, >> right? >> That makes sense." Uh, Rockefeller Sanitation Commission surveyed infection rates 40%, mobile dispensaries, travel throughout the region, free deworming medications, and educating local doctors. Okay, so they use some sort of an antiparasitic. >> All measures including latrines to improve sanitation, educating communities about the risk of soil contamination, and encouraging the routine of wearing shoes. Isn't that nuts that shoes probably fixed it more than anything? People wearing shoes >> probably. So, yeah. >> Yeah. >> So, that's where it all came from. That's that's the hookworm thing. >> That's wild. >> Isn't that nuts? >> That is nuts. >> Cuz when I was a kid, I mean, this to this day when someone talk like if if someone wants to make a stereotype about someone being stupid, >> they use a southern accent. >> Yeah, it's true. >> All the time. Yeah. >> I grew up with that. I mean, there was a prejudice in Hollywood when I first got out there. There still kind of is. Uh I I can't I mean especially coming up now I mean you know once you reach a certain level you know you can walk into Universal Studios and say u I want to play Betty Davis and they're hey that's a great idea but [laughter]
you know there and but but when you're coming up you know uh I was uh the first thing I ever auditioned for in LA was a student film like one of those USC student films and I go in there and the part was some guy that just got off the turnup truck from Alabama and I thought, well, I probably got this. And uh so and I was broke and everything and it wasn't going to pay anything, but I didn't care. I was like, well, maybe I get my foot in the door because I didn't go to be an actor anyway. I I just thought, well, try this stuff. And uh I go in there and I I think the casting person and the director are both East Coast people like New York or somewhere. And I did my little audition and they said, "Uh, can can you do it more southern?" And I'm like, "Are you [ __ ] me?" It's [laughter] like, "You got to be [ __ ] me." I said, "Well, [snorts] what you have to understand is I actually did just get off the turbo truck from back there and this is how you talk, you know." And of course, my accident is not as thick as it was then. But, uh, they just said I wasn't southern enough. And it was like, "Oh, I I see what they're getting at." >> Yeah. >> So, they wanted the fog horn leg horn. Yeah. You know, now over here, what we have is I never heard anybody talk. I grew up down there. I never heard that. >> And so, that's what they would do. There are a lot of performances over the years where people who are not from the south played the part that actually use that accent and they win Academy Awards and stuff and I'm like, "Wow." So anyway, I didn't get this part and the guy who got the part literally sounded like he was in the Bronx. [laughter] Everybody was doing that thing, you know. I thought, "Wow, this is going to be tough out here." you know, but Southerners don't often get uh picked or even noticed for things like, let's say you're doing a gangster movie in the 30s in New York, you know, if even if you can do the the accent, you know, whatever. Uh but people from New York can get parts playing Southerners. That still goes on. >> That's so weird. Yeah. >> It's a It's a such a weird stereotype. You know, it exists in music too, doesn't it?
>> For sure. >> Like southern bands until Skard came along, southern bands got no respect. >> Absolutely. Yeah. >> Skard [ __ ] that up just cuz they were so good. They were so good. Every's like, "All right, man. [laughter] >> You got to let Freeird is freeird. That guitar solo, you like ridiculous. Damn, >> it's ridiculous. I've known those guys a long time. Those guys in Skard. Yeah, it's u uh you're right. that whole and also anybody that was from the south got lumped into the southern rock, >> right, >> thing, right? You know, and >> they weren't all just people that sounded like Charlie Daniels. I mean, they were very, very different types of bands. The Almond Brothers combined jazz and blues and rock and pop and everything in their music. They were literally masters, the Almond Brothers. Alman Brothers Live at the Fillmore East probably the best live album ever made. >> But they just say they're all southern rock bands. It's like it wasn't really like that. You know, um >> very different styles. >> Very different styles. >> The Almond Brothers were masters. >> They were, >> you know, Midnight Ride are still one of my all-time favorite songs. >> Awesome. >> But if I used to have to do radio when I lived in LA, I have to do morning radio. I'd smoke a joint before I left the house, you know, cuz it's like 5:30 a.m. and I'd listen to Midnight Rider in the dark on the way there. like, oh, >> oh, it's a brilliant song. >> Oh, it's so good. It just gets you in the mood. >> And the and country guys, you know, back in those days when country was actual country music, uh, they would hear some of these songs by those kind of guys like the Almond Brothers or Marshall Tucker, whoever it was, and and cut them, you know, for country albums like Whan Jennings did Midnight Rider. >> Oh, yeah. >> A great That's right. Great version of that, you know. But uh yeah, it's it's kind of odd, you know, be being raised in the area of the country that people look at as the armpit and then you have, you know, and like I said, once you
overcome that >> uh within the business and it's not like they like you any better, you know, it's just that they can use you to make money with and [clears throat] once once you know that happens, then you know, you can go in and play Betty Davis. >> That's the stereotype of the the the coastal cities, right? It's a stereotype that comes out of New York and LA where it's like everything else is stupid. Yes. >> Like it's you're in New York or you're in LA and all these retards in the middle. That's the flyover states. They literally would call it the flyover states. Mh. >> And when you're in control of casting all the great films and all the great television shows and you decide where the great albums are, >> you dismiss like this people that are it takes like a Stevie Rayon who was like an undeniable talent where they go, "Okay, I don't give a [ __ ] where that guy's from. [laughter] >> Let let that guy [ __ ] play. Like that guy's got voodoo in his hands. Like whatever he's doing, I don't care where he's from. But other than that, you would like they would look at these places like they were less than, >> you know, or that that the people were not as bright. >> And that stereotype still exists today. I remember one of the good things about traveling and doing the road a lot as a standup is you get to perform all over the country and meet all these different people. >> And you know, when I would talk to people about Texas in particular, I'd be like, "Dude, I [ __ ] love it there. They're the most fun people. It's like it's so fun. It's and they're normal. They're normal people. They're not Hollywood people angling to try to get a some sort of a social relationship with you so they can progress their career. >> They're just cool people. Just regular [ __ ] people. >> And the the problem is that these people in these coastal cities are the ones who don't know that and they're dictating the narrative for the entire country, right? >> Based on some like very weird prejudices. Very weird. This episode is brought to you by Simplysafe. If you've been on the fence about getting a home
security system from Simply Safe, now's a great time to take that leap because they have their Black Friday sale going on, and it's an excellent deal. Plus, you'll get peace of mind knowing you, your family, and your home have top-notch protection going into the holidays. There's a reason Simply Safe continues to be named best home security systems by US News and World Report. It can help stop crime before it happens. Traditional security systems typically only respond after someone breaks in, but Simply Safe and their agents take action the moment someone is spotted outside your home. They can talk to suspicious people, scare them away, and dispatch police. You also don't have to worry about any long-term contracts or fees. Try it out, and if somehow it turns out to not be for you, you can easily cancel anytime. Get security and peace of mind this holiday season with Simply Safe. And remember to take advantage of their biggest deal of the year. My listeners can get early access to Simplysafe's Black Friday sale where you can save 60% on any new system. Just go to simplysafe.com/rogan. That's simplysafe.com/rogan. There's no safe like Simplysafe. >> Yeah, it's true. I mean, it happens all the time and people ask me, there was a very famous singer, movie star person. This is a long time ago. It was when I first started getting invited to the parties, you know, and I didn't know anything about this stuff. And I >> What year was this around? >> Well, it was around the time of Sling Blade, you I mean, I was working and had done some stuff that had been noticed like one false move and you know, done a few things, but uh this was around that time and uh it wasn't even out yet, I don't think, but screenings had started happening and there was a buzz about it, right? So, I get invited to a party uh and it was uh it was out at David Foster's house who was always real nice to me and at the time he was married to Linda Thompson who was you know Memphis girl and uh she always made southern food and she kind of took a liking to me and said, "Hey, I want to invite you cuz you know you're from the south and we always have the southern food at our parties and stuff."
So I go out there and there were a lot of big people there and I found myself outside having a smoke and I was standing there in a little group of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mel Gibson and I think maybe Dan Akroyd was there and I remember uh Lionel Richie was in there playing piano in the living room and I'm just like wow we this is crazy and um but I felt it's like that poor kid from the South Syndrome like I really belong here. So, I was real shy and you know that kind of thing. Well, this I went into the kitchen to get another drink. And uh this, like I said, I won't name her name, but uh a very famous singer and actress from, you know, back in the 60s and 70s. And she very seriously said to me, she said, "So this sling vibe, [cough and clears throat] so sorry." Uh, she goes, "It's fascinating to me. A lot of people who didn't know me before that thought that I was actually that guy. It's like this mentally challenged guy made a movie and everything [laughter] like that." And they and they would meet me and they'd go, "You're the guy and that." I'm Yeah. So anyway, but she said it was fascinating to me and she goes, "And you came out here from what is it, Alabama or something like that?" And I said, "Are Arkansas?" And she goes, "Are Arkansas?" And with a straight face said to me, "What do you people do down there?" [screaming] I was like, "Wow." [laughter] Uh, and I said, thinking she'd get the joke, I [clears throat] said, "Uh, we mostly lay around on the porch with our hound dog and swat flies." She goes, "Oh, interesting. Interesting." [laughter] It's like, "Babe, I was I was [ __ ] with you there." Uh and uh but that was one of the moments where I realized that I really was a an outsider out there, you know, and people ask me about my longevity in this business. And I always say because I stay out of it >> and I tell people, "Do your acting on the red carpet, not in the movie." They say, "Well, you're so natural and stuff." It's like that's from ignorance. I don't know anything about acting. I didn't go to Shakespeare school and stuff. I, you know, I look at the thing I'm playing Tommy Norris and Land Man or I'm playing the guy in Goliath or Fargo
or Slingblade or Monstrous B, whatever I was in. I just go out there and do what it says, you know, and uh be myself in whatever role it is. And uh because, you know, people want to think there's a trick to everything, that you can learn everything, and it's it's kind of just not true. I mean, I believe artists, whether they're musicians, novelists, actors, whatever they are, I truly believe that you're born with most of it. I'm not saying that you can't learn and that you can't progress, you can't get better. I mean, just repetition makes you better. I mean, you know, just the more you do something, the more comfortable you get with it. But uh you know if if if you say like if you were to ask me what is my process? Hell, I wouldn't know what to tell you. I don't know what my process is. It's like my process is started when I was born. I've just I use my life experience and I do this stuff. I have lived a very eclectic life and uh I just remember all this stuff. I don't need to go in the hallway before a scene and think about when my dad ran over my cat or something, right? And, you know, start, you know, gobbling like a turkey and, you know, yelling and screaming and punching the wall and stuff like that and trying to get all this sense memory. My sense memory is here on the edge of my skin every [ __ ] night. [laughter] And I mean, if we were raised where I was, it was like, [snorts] you know, I I don't forget any of that stuff. and I've lived 50 different lives, so plenty to draw on. And I just believe that people want it. It sounds like you're smarter if you say, "Well, here's how I learn lines." Uh, I take this and then I have this mathematical formula and I I imagine these letters as numbers and stuff like that. And it's like cuz see the press loves that cuz it's like what a genius you know they don't qu they don't respect hell I don't I just go out there and do it as much because people want to believe >> right >> that anyone can do this if you get in the right school if you get the right uh you know teaching from someone if you go study Shakespeare whatever it is. >> Yeah. >> And you know I just don't believe that's true. I I believe you ever either have it or you don't have it. Like in music,
I you can learn to play guitar. You can learn to play piano. You can learn to play drums. No, I'll take that back. You can get better at playing drums, but if you're not born a drummer, you're not going to be able to do it. My brother, God rest his soul, passed away at 30. Jimmy, he brilliant musician. played every instrument in the world except when he got on my drums and he looked like he had some muscular disorder. [laughter] It was like he was just like he goes, "How do you do this? You use all both legs and both arms." >> That's crazy that he could play everything else. >> Everything. And uh he just couldn't play drums. Drummers can get better and they get to to be experts. But the thing in music that you can't teach is feel. >> You can't teach a vibe or a feel to people. Eric Clapton could play >> a lick on a guitar, give it to another guy, uh he plays the same exact lick, it's going to sound different just because of their feel. Yeah, that's like that Miles Davis quote >> about hitting notes that everybody can hit the same notes, but it's the attitude of the [ __ ] >> that's the important thing. The attitude of the person singing the notes is everything. That's most of it. >> Yeah. >> And you either have that or you do not. >> No doubt about it. >> And some of it's genetic and some of it's just learned experience in your environment and how you grew up. >> Yeah. >> But yeah, you don't got it. You don't got it. I mean, Levon Helm, who was a friend of mine, you know, played drums with the band. Uh, he and Richie Hayward, who uh was with Little Feet, uh, Frank Beard and Zezy Top, you know, in the especially on their earlier records, and uh, you know, Charlie Watts and Ringo and those guys, they all had feel, they had a thing. And uh then there are these other drummers in these sort of, you know, I call them science bands, you know, where the drummer has like 75 drums and they can do [ __ ] that seems humanly impossible. >> But what happens after the song's over? It doesn't stick
>> right? >> Do you know what I mean? It's like, but Leon just playing on a little fourpiece kit >> just had that feel and >> he played the song. >> So, anytime musicians start thinking it's all about their thing. Like if you're doing movies, the prop people think you need 11 watches on each arm. It's like about your department, everything. Five briefcases and watches everywhere and [ __ ] And uh and it's like, no, I'll just take an old Timex with a round face. I'm good. you know, but it's uh when when musicians start thinking that they have to make their part cut through and be noticed. >> The best drummers, you don't really notice them. You hear the song, if you go in there and dig deep and listen to them, if you isolate them, you know, and just listen to that, you're like, "Oh, okay. >> Yeah, >> listen to that cat." But in a in a perfect world, all you hear is the singer singing and telling you what they're trying to say, and the music is so good behind it that it's just part of it. >> Yeah. >> You don't really notice it. You know what I mean? >> Yeah. And you can't teach that. >> Yeah. [clears throat] >> That's it's the feel thing. Yeah. >> And you know it when you hear it. When a song just Oh, yeah. It just gets in there. You're like, "You guys nailed it." >> Yeah. You put it together and you you you [ __ ] nailed it. And the mo amazing thing like about bands and how long have the Box Masters been around now? You've been around for 20 years. >> 20 years. >> The most amazing thing is that people get together and they stay friends for that long and with all the conflicts and all the ego and all the [ __ ] and you m you know, you hang out and like that. To me, when someone makes great music, it's the most impressive thing is not just that you make great music, but you make great music with people that all get along together >> with all these different creative minds and egos and weirdness. Everybody's
weird. Every [ __ ] creative person I've ever met's out of their [ __ ] mind. >> Oh yeah. >> And you get all together and then you show up at practice at the same time, you know, and you rehearse together. You actually do it and you show up for gigs and you perform, you hit your notes on stage, you can all stay friends. Like that's the most important thing and the most rare thing and the most impressive thing. >> Absolutely. And and with our band in particular, I mean before that I, you know, played in a million bands and uh had a solo band that did four major label solo records and that's where I met some of the guys that where it rolled over into the box masters. Uh JD Andrew specifically who's still he and I are the longest running members. We started the band together and he and I still run it. And uh you know uh we're the opposite of what normally happens. Normally a band when they're younger, they hit it for a while, three or four years, uh maybe have a couple of hits or at least some things that people know about. And then as the years go on, you start to dwindle a bit, you know? I mean, unless you're the Rolling Stones or the Who. We just opened for The Who on our last tour, which is awesome. Yeah. >> Wow. >> And um so this band has started as you know it's like you know I got this crap about it's always an actor who wants to be a musician just like this guy and that guy. And it's like no no I I was a musician who came to LA to play music accidentally became an actor and next thing you know I made $381 on an episode of Matlock with five lines and I'm [laughter] like I'm broke. I better do this. And that's how I became an actor. >> That's crazy. And so one way or the other uh we started out fighting that stigma for you know 10 12 years and then all of a sudden it started to go away because we got more and more fans and became a big underground band and in the last five or six years got really popular. So here we are, old guys who are still making it, who are still on their way up at our [laughter] age. >> And uh so it kind of [snorts] went the
other way around with us. And uh [clears throat] and you're right, I mean to stick around that long, especially when >> it took us a while to get success, to make any money at it, and to get the fan base we have now. Um, >> is there a weird thing too about people like critics or people that are pay attention to the music that don't just >> listen to the music and see you guys perform, instead they think, "Oh, that's Billy Bob the movie star who's trying to be a musician." So there's this like stigma to it. So instead of like looking at you and go, "Oh, it's a cool band. Oh, I like them. This is great." They're like, "Oh, that's that [ __ ] Slingblade guy." >> Yeah. Oh, Billy Bob's trying to do something different. He wants to be a rock star. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I mean, that's that's what we put up with for about half of our career with the Box Masters. Uh, not as much anymore. That that kind of goes away. >> It goes away with the public, with the audience, >> with some of the critics. Uh, it's still there because they want to say that about you. It's it it has nothing to do with your music. It has to do with here's my angle for this article. >> Yes. >> My angle in this. I mean, I did an article with, you know, a magazine one time that was kind of more of a men's magazine, you know, talked about music the whole time and talked about sex for about three minutes. The whole article is about sex, you know what I mean? [laughter] So, I mean, it's just that's what they do because that's their vibe, you know? And, uh, >> so anyway, um, >> when when they say this stuff, >> uh, they're saying it because they want to dig at you, >> right? And if musicians, you know, famous musicians are at one of our shows, unless it's, you know, ones who are friends of ours, if they want to come back and meet us after the show and say hello, they'll come back there and most people wouldn't take this as an insult, but it is. They'll come back and they'll say, "Hey, it looks like you're really having fun up there."
Which means, "Oh, isn't it cute? You got a little hobby and you're having fun up there and you get to be a rockstar." That's what they mean by it. And I just kick him the [ __ ] out of the dressing room. [laughter] I mean, I'm I'm not joking. There was a very famous guy who came back to see us in Dallas one time and he came back and he goes, "You know, it's really nice. You get to do this." I said, "Get to do what?" And he said, "You know, get to go out on the road and stuff and, you know, get this part out of you and get to have fun up there and stuff like that." I said, "Well, you know, I have some songs about suicide." I said, "So, you think that's fun?" I said, "It's not fun." I I'm writing about [ __ ] from my soul that I grew up in. I'm also writing things that are hopeful songs. I'm writing a lot of stuff here. Uh we write original music and perform it. And people love this band. I said, "So don't ever [ __ ] come near me again. Don't ever come to one of our shows again if all you want to do is come back here because you're pissed that uh we just had a a record on the radio." >> Right. Right. >> You know what I and and then you were in a band from, you know, 30 years ago and now you're playing, you know, places that are smaller than where we are. So don't come back there and start that [ __ ] with me. And and I actually, he said, "Oh, no, no, dude. I'm just saying it really looked like I said, get the [ __ ] out of here." >> Oh, wow. >> I don't care who you are. >> Wow. >> And so, >> well, you know, when someone's digging at you. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. You know, when someone's saying, "That was a great show. Looks like you guys are having fun. They're they're smiling and laughing. That was [ __ ] great. I loved it. I loved it." And then you know, oh, it looks like you're having fun up there. >> Yeah, right. >> Oh, you're a [ __ ] >> Yeah, right. [laughter] >> Okay. Okay, [ __ ] >> Yeah. Some people just love to do that. They just want to dismiss the and fans think you're so dumb and you have no
memory that some of the people who come to your shows to get stuff signed, which, you know, a lot of them, they're not even uh well, they're selling them, you know what I mean? And uh and in certain cities, like in Kansas City, we're like the Beatles. I mean, there are just certain cities where we sell out the second it goes on sale and stuff like that. You got good places and places that aren't as good. You know, no rhyme or reason to it sometimes, but there there are people who come up to me that I've seen at shows before and I mean, if it's if if it's a guy that's just just average looking guy, you may not remember them. But if it's a guy who's 611 and has red hair with like this giant nose and two teeth, you remember that guy? I saw this guy last year, you know. And so I've actually had them come up to me and say, one of their favorite things to say is, "Oh, it's so funny. Yeah, we can't wait to come see your show tonight. We didn't even know you had a band." They love to say that. It's like, well, you obviously didn't see every TV show we've done. You didn't see uh you know me talking about it on the Today Show or whatever I'm on. You know, this has been going on a long time. Yeah, you knew that, but they want to say that to you, >> right? To dismiss you. >> And so, I've actually had guys on this tour, a guy came up to me who's been to three of our shows. I know he was there [laughter] and he's always in the front. On the third time, he comes up to me and he goes, "Yeah, man. This is really, really cool." And everything. will you sign these bunch of pictures from Bad Santa? Uh, I didn't even know you had a band. It's like, well, the first time you came, maybe you didn't, but then the second time you came, I I think you probably remembered, and then last year when you were here, and now you're here today. So, I think you probably do by today that we have a band, you know. But people love we we're in a society now where nobody wants >> to [clears throat] >> it's a it's a get me society. They're going to get you. >> Yeah. >> And however they can get you, they want to get you. >> Yeah. >> And uh nobody likes to see people
succeed. Like when I was playing the uh Carl in Slingblade, every critic in the world loved me and then all the other ones. A simple plan. and I'm playing this poor pathetic wretch and all this kind of stuff. You know, >> the second I got to, [clears throat] you know, have a love scene with somebody >> and I was a leading man. All of a sudden, it's like, wait a minute, you're not one of us. Where [laughter] did the hump on your back go and all that [ __ ] you know? It's like, >> and it's like, you actually look better in this movie than you did that. You know, what did you have plastic surgery or whatever it is, >> right? Right. >> And so, once you start to succeed, that's when they start to want to say [ __ ] to you, you know? Yeah. People love watching people fail at things. >> Yeah. >> And because it it takes away the pressure that they've they have in their own life and their lack of success, >> right? >> If if they could watch a great man fall, that's what's a funny thing is like the the the dismissal of your music. Like they can't dismiss you as an actor or your accomplishments. So they try to dismiss you as like, oh, like this is a thing you're kind of doing. You wish you were a rock star, >> right? >> This is a thing. You you can't possibly be also a musician. You're just you're just an artist and you do things that are cool that you enjoy doing. No, that's not possible. >> Why is this ugly [ __ ] married to Angelina? [laughter] >> You know that kind of stuff. You know what I mean? >> It's a Yeah. I mean, and you know, [clears throat] not that I disagree, but uh >> it's normal. I get it. I would be thinking that way too if I was 16, you know, if I was a kid. I'd be like, "Fuck that guy." >> Yeah. You know, you know what I [laughter] mean? >> Yeah. It's >> I remember when I first saw pictures of you with Angelina Jolie. I didn't think that, though. I was like, "Fuck yeah, dude." >> We're supposed to root for each other.
>> Yes. >> You know, >> you can look at something and be like, "Oh, [ __ ] that guy. Why that guy?" Or you could look at the same thing and go, "Fuck yeah. Way to go, dude." Absolutely. That's awesome. And then you feel good and he feels good and everybody feels good and maybe you're inspired to do better for yourself like you know what I wish I was a little bit more like that guy. I got to maybe discipline myself a little more. Get my [ __ ] together. Get something going, you know? But instead of [ __ ] that guy sucks. He's [ __ ] overrated. That guy [ __ ] sucks. He's a joke. >> Oh yeah. >> Yeah. [ __ ] Sling Blade. Oh, you played a [ __ ] >> You're right. Exactly. But the beautiful thing about Sling Blade is you did that on your own. Like you you did that and you broke out like you were like, "Look, nobody's giving me a chance. I'm going to do something." >> And then everybody's like, "Oh my god, we love you. >> We love you. You did this on your own." >> Yeah. >> But even then, you try to do something different. You You like You try to like just be a normal human. They're like, "No, no, no, no. You're going to be a [ __ ] We like you as a [ __ ] >> [laughter] >> Absolutely. >> You're getting a little too big. I don't I liked it when you were underground. I liked it when nobody knew about you. I bet the box masters get that too, right? Like I liked you in the beginning before you guys made it. >> Yeah, we have people who like the first two or three albums back, you know, when we first started, which were kind of experimental albums. And but yeah, it's it's a that's a thing. It just is. And >> it's a human thing. >> Yeah. And we we do like more than ever to see people fail. I think I mean there was a time when we rooted for people. I think there's also too much exposure now. >> I think um for instance um when we were growing up, especially in my era, uh if we were going to see Jimmy Stewart, we were only going to see him in the movie. And it was on film and it had literally a film over it,
>> right? that made it look like [snorts] you were watching something magical. Now you got digital where you can see every [ __ ] mole on your face and [ __ ] you know, and uh and everything is a behind the scenes. Oh, and you know, the studio is doing this and now this group wants to come over and they're going to do a whole thing and they want to see you on the set. And so, but if I see Mel Gibson sitting in a director's chair dressed up like he was in Braveheart talking about the movie, >> it's like it takes away something from that. It's like we've had too much of a peak behind the curtain. I believe I think there's we're too exposed. There's too much access to people. When I was growing up in this business, I wouldn't have dared if if id seen Bob Dylan or Jack Lemon or whoever it was on the sidewalk, I wouldn't walk up to him uh to say Jack Lemon, punch him in the shoulder, and say, "Hey, dude, let's get a picture." >> I mean, in a million years, I wouldn't have done that. There's a respect. These are my elders. They're my heroes. and [clears throat] probably wouldn't have approached them at all, but if I did, I would be, you know, very apologetic and say, "I'm so sorry, but I'm such a huge fan of yours." And you still get that every now and then from decent people. But now cats will come up to me literally and just, you know, just come up and like grab me by the arm and say, "Dude, let's get a picture." The worst ones are, and this is usually guys, usually more guys than women. They come up and they'll say, "Hey man, you're supposed to be famous or some shit." And my wife said, "You, you know, you're like some famous dude, you know, so I don't really give a [ __ ] about that stuff, but can we get a picture?" And it's like, I I've put up with it for 30 years. In the last couple of years, I started saying, "How about when you do give a [ __ ] come back and we'll get a picture." [laughter] You know, because, you know, after a while, you just can't take it. I'm kind of a codependent guy. So, I'm nice to everybody I can be, you know, and it's just every now and then you get a ringer and uh >> uh and you get drunk people, men and women, who just come over. They they'll come to the bus when we're on tour and
just start banging on the door and saying, "Hey, you know, come out here. We got some whiskey. Take a shot with us." And it's like, can you imagine doing that to Jimmy Stewart? >> Right? You know, first of all, back then you would have just that thrown you in jail, [laughter] you know, but um there's something about having heroes that you that are unattainable for you. That way they can stay in that magic spot. So I think we've lost magic and mystery and all these things, you know. >> Well, it certainly happens when you hear actors talk about politics. When actors become activists, it's like, okay. >> Yeah. >> O, >> I donate to a lot of charities, mainly children's stuff, but nobody knows it. I I don't go to the award show and talk about it when I'm getting my award. It's like it's like Ricky Jerves said in that skit of his, you know, he said, uh, he said, "Look, you know, come up here, accept your little award, and [ __ ] off." >> Yeah. [laughter] you know, uh I I think first of all, unless you have really studied stuff and really know about a subject fully, uh who the hell would want to listen to an actor or a musician talk about politics, >> you know what I mean? It's like, are we supposed to follow this? >> I mean, if we are, what if they lead you down the wrong road? And you know, and and politically, I'm not a I call myself a radical uh moderate. I I'm like very strong in my opinions, but my opinions don't belong to any political party. And uh you know, I just look at what makes sense and I think we need a common sense party in this country. That's actually what I think we need. It's just just figure it out. It's pretty easy to figure out what this is all about, you know, >> a non ideologically captured party. Yes. >> Yeah. That just is like, okay, what do we need to do here? instead of it's us versus them, you know? Like you're seeing this a lot right now because uh Mom Donnie won in New York City and people are screaming we're winning now. We're winning. Like what is this we [ __ ] It's supposed to be we are all Americans. You are all New Yorkers. You're all we. You decided who's going to run your city now. We should all root
for this guy to do a great job >> for sure. And this idea that now [ __ ] all these other people that didn't vote for him. Like >> it's not a tribe. It's not a gang war, okay? It's an election to see who governs your city. And once someone wins, everybody else should be like, "Okay, well, let's hope this guy's got some good [ __ ] plans and it works out great for everybody. And if you don't think like that, [laughter] >> like you're part of the problem." >> Absolutely. I mean, people are pitted against each other so much these days that it's it's gotten kind of ridiculous. I mean, and you're right, it is almost like gang warfare, you know, and uh and uh and here's the other thing. It's like we could also say, "Let's all get along." Well, that's never going to happen because not everybody's going to get along with everybody, >> right? >> I mean, even on p a personal basis, I mean, you could pick any, you know, 20 people, put them in a room, and let's all hang out together for a week and all live in the same house. You're not going to get along with everybody. But at the end of the day, our basic principles as humans, those should all be the same with all those people. >> Yes. >> You know, which that I mean to me that's getting along. >> That's attainable. >> It is attainable. And I think that we like even somebody that maybe you don't agree with their their principles. If it's just two of you uh sitting at a bus stop talking, it's hard to not just on a one-on-one basis with people, it's hard to dislike someone that you're stuck with for a couple hours, right? >> You know what I mean? You start talking, then you find out, oh, well, this cat doesn't believe anything I believe. But then all of a sudden, you say something like, >> you know, remember when we used to drink Tang? You know, [laughter] and then the guy astronauts drank it, >> right? And then the guy goes, "Yeah, we used to drink Tang." And next thing you know, you're having a conversation because you grew up as just kids and humans, you know. >> Right. Right. Right. Yeah. It's I think
it's all because of social media is a big part of it. >> Yes. I totally agree. >> It's because the division when I was a kid, you know, I remember like the Reagan days like there was a lot of people didn't like Reagan, but it was never evil. It was never like this vile hatred of someone that you see today for different political parties and different >> politicians and and and just the way we looked at one side of the country versus the other side of the country. It wasn't divided like that. No. >> Like I always had relatives that were some of them were conservative and some of them were liberal and real liberal and everybody was like you disagreed but they didn't [ __ ] disavow each other because you voted for the wrong person. like this is bizarre. And I think that sort of insanity is just accentuated by these weird little >> echo chambers that people exist in that are also infiltrated by bots. So they're not even real people, half of them. Right. >> So this one FBI analyst, he estimated that it might be as high as 80% of the people that are communicating online are bots. >> Yeah. >> On Twitter, >> right? >> Which is [ __ ] insane. Well, yeah, >> because it's 80% of the people getting all these other people riled up aren't even people. >> It's either AI chat bots that are run by China or Russia or even our own government, >> right? >> And then there's actual farms of people that are being told to do these things. >> Oh, for sure. I mean, now people get jobs in the entertainment business because they're in charge of I mean, at studios and things, you know, some 22-year-old who's in charge of seeing who has the most followers. >> Yeah. >> And they take someone and make them into a star because they got all these followers. And it's like, but they they can't do jack [ __ ] It's like, >> you know, the talent comes the talent is created as opposed to someone who's talented and given the opportunity, you know. Uh, and you're I think you're
right. I mean, social media has really I mean, it sounds like the old guy chasing kids off their lawn, but it's just the truth. I told my wife when the internet first became a thing way back when it first started. I said, "Watch and see." I said, "This is going to ruin people's view of each other. It's going to ruin our society. I promise you it." >> You really thought that way back then? >> Totally. >> Why? What made you feel that way? >> Once you start opening it up to uh Well, it's like it's like, well, now everyone has an opportunity. They look at that as equality as as an opportunity for everyone that everyone can get on the internet and now everyone can do something. That's great for the people that actually had something to say or do. But then you got another 80% who, you know, have an opportunity and all a sudden there's someone because they decided to, you know, like take pictures themselves in the bathroom or something, you know. [laughter] And uh but I I swear to God I saw it all coming and it was it was uh uh I mean it gets out of control. And then AI for Christ's sakes. Yeah. It's fun to watch me in in sling blade talking like Carl, but it's a little baby trying to order French fries. You know, it's funny. But >> if it's used for that or if there's some medical ways that they can use it, that's awesome. But once you start taking jobs away from people, uh I mean, the workforce is going to be destroyed because of that stuff. >> Yeah. >> And and that's to me not cool unless you're going to find a way to take care of people because it's it's going to ruin the workforce. I mean, pretty soon you won't need it. >> For sure. Yeah. And it's going to be interesting to see how we navigate that. But I just I'm shocked that you picked that out early on cuz I looked at it the other way. I said, "This is going to give people that were outside the system, sort of like you were when you created Slingblade. This is going to give people an opportunity to show their talent that maybe would have never gotten an opportunity to be hired by somebody >> that they'll be able to create something completely on their own." And I read all these blogs by people that were really
interesting. I was like, "Okay, I would have never read this guy's book if I just saw it in a bookstore. I wouldn't buy it and pick it up. But I'm reading this guy's and he's got very interesting insights and he's just some guy who's a computer coder who lives in Missouri and somehow or another he's just smart enough to >> figure out how to say things in a way that resonates with me and I would have never seen this guy's words before and I was like oh this is like good because it'll make it much more of a meritocracy. It's like if you have good stuff, if you have good things and good ideas, those ideas will get out. Yeah, I I agree with that still to this day that that that's true. >> That Yeah, >> I And in the beginning I felt that too. I felt this is great. What I was afraid of was it becoming a runaway train. >> Well, clearly you were right, >> you know, and so it was I did love the opportunity to discover people I wouldn't have otherwise. And I still feel that way. I still discover people on the internet all the time >> that it's like, wow, I would have never known that. So that does exist but out of those you know 20% like I said there's another 80% that for instance when I was coming up as an actor we had like 30 critics to worry about you know it was you know uh Rex Reed and Cisco and Eert and Jeffrey Lions and all these people and but you know there was a not a finite number but semifinite number of critics you I mean, you had the local ones, you know, and uh all the states, but and internationally, but uh now some guy named Daryl who doesn't like you, you know, can just write a bunch of [ __ ] about you and people believe it. >> Right. Right. >> You know, I've been on lists before. I mean, you can ask people I work with on a set. Like I said, I'm codependent. I'm probably nicer to the crew even than I am, you know, the director and the producers and stuff. I mean, not that I'm not nice to them, too, but I love like the Landman crew. Best crew I ever worked with. And I go out of my way to make sure that they're okay every day. And they'll tell you that. I mean, I've always been, you know, a decent guy on set to people. Uh, I've blown up maybe
two or three times ever, and that was always when I was directing. But uh uh somehow you look at something on the internet, you could be looking up how do you make blueberry muffins and some [ __ ] way I'll eventually get to something that says what an [ __ ] I am, [laughter] you know? And when you see that thing pop up, it's like, "Oh, he eats blueberries every day." And that was related to the blueberry muffin thing and which I do eat blueberries every day and and it's been said publicly. But then the blueberries turns into, oh, and he's also weird because he's afraid of antiques, and then it's this and that and the other. Yeah. Next thing you know, I'm on a list of the top 10 actors, >> and I've seen this a couple of times, >> who are the most difficult to work with on set, and I'm like, how the hell did this even happen? I mean, that's not true. But somehow somebody said something, >> right, >> that then became widespread and then all a sudden I end up on one of these lists. And the people I work with would say, God, that's couldn't be further from the truth. But >> once again, people love to find out [clears throat] that someone's secretly an [ __ ] >> Yeah. Right. >> Yeah. They want that. They don't want like, oh, he's the sweetest guy. They want, oh, he's a piece of [ __ ] behind the scenes. like like the Ellen thing like you know like Ellen was all like laughy and smiley and then when everybody found out she's actually kind of mean >> they [laughter] were like oh good yeah [ __ ] her you know it's like they wanted that to be true they were excited that it was true >> absolutely yeah people love to see that and >> yeah I mean I >> it's also rumors can just get they just light fire and remember the Richard Gear gerbal rumor >> oh yeah >> I grew grew up in Massachusetts and my buddy grew up in LA. [clears throat] And I was like, "When did you hear that rant?" And he was like, and it was the same time. I'm like, "So this [ __ ]
rumor burned across the entire country." [laughter] >> Probably no basis whatsoever in truth that Richard Gear had to go to the hospital, get a gerbal removed from his ass. And everybody talked about and poor Richard Gear is probably at home going, "What the [ __ ] How did that happen?" >> Yeah. It's like I haven't I've never even been near a gerbal. I mean, it's like [laughter] uh but uh >> and every time anybody would see Richard Gear, you would go, "Oh, that's the guy with the gerbble up his ass." >> And they're stamped that way forever. >> Nobody ever forgets it. And now with the internet, it doesn't go away. >> No. >> And if I want something um taken [clears throat] down off the internet, I have to prove it's me, but the person who put it up there doesn't have to prove who they are, >> right? >> You know what I mean? which seems kind of odd to me, but uh yeah, that whole thing with uh Richard Gear uh they want it to be true so badly that everybody you talk to who's got the news, you know, who said, "Hey, guess what happened with Richard Gear, you know, and then he went to soand so hospital and you know, whatever it was." Uh and then you say, "Nah, come on. I mean, seriously, really and truly." And they go, "No, no, no. My neighbor's cousin's a nurse. You know how many [ __ ] nurses were working there that night? [laughter] Thousands. Thousands of nurses were on duty. And I know somebody who knows one of them all across the country, >> you know. >> Well, they want it to be true. They want it to be true because he's too handsome. >> Yeah. Exactly. >> Too handsome, doing too well, too good of an actor, you know, like [ __ ] that guy. [laughter] >> Oh, he like gerbles up his ass. Makes sense. >> Yeah. And then the idea is that like you get so much [ __ ] just like you get bored, you start sucking dicks, putting things up your ass, like getting going to the hospital with G.I. Joe stuffed up there and >> Oh yeah. [laughter] >> So it's like just some kind of a [ __ ]
rumor. >> Always. >> Yeah. >> It's, you know, it's unfortunate. It's unfortunate people think like that. They want >> they want failure. >> And the thing with me is I like people. I really do. And people tell me they I sign a lot of things and take a lot of pictures of people and my friends will I have friends who won't even look at them, you know, in the entertainment business. They're just like, "Fuck, these guys just walk right by them." And I'll go through these press lines. I'll sign stuff all day. And people ask me, they say, "Why do you do that?" I said, "Ah, they put my kids through school. That's why, you know, I owe them, you know, some attention, you know, and uh the other thing is it's like to them it means something, you know, uh 50 years from now, somebody's grandkid is going to have an autograph by somebody that means something to them. >> I mean, that's different than the people selling them. I'm talking about, you know, actual fans who want you to write it out to Uncle Albert or whoever it is, you know? >> Right. Right. >> And it means something to them. And I I love my fans. I mean, I I always have and I I I cherish them. I feel blessed every day. And I don't uh it's I mean, it's emotionally exhausting sometimes, you know, because uh you know, everybody wants to talk to you for a half hour a piece and you can't do it. But I try anyway to talk. >> It's a weird position to be in. >> It is. >> It's a very weird position to be in where they know you [clears throat] and you don't know them. And everywhere you go, that's the case. You walk, any restaurant you walk into, oh, Billy Bob's here. >> It's like every people want to say hi. They want to come over to your table and shake your hand and talk to you while you got a mouthful of food. And it's like, [laughter] >> well, you know, they always want to buy you stuff. When I was broke, starving to death [laughter] most of my life until the last, you know, 35 years. >> Uh, nobody ever bought me [ __ ]
>> No. You know, now everybody wants to buy me a drink and I'm like, "Well, no, let me let me buy you guys a drink." It's like, I don't need you to buy me a drink now. But >> then I kind of figured out that what it really is, it's a connection. It's not really about buying the the drink. It's more about It's an offering. It's a friendship offering. >> Exactly. And that's why, you know, you take it, you know, you take the drink and you appreciate it. And >> because >> And occasionally you meet really cool people that way. >> Absolutely. I meet pe cool people all the time. >> All the time. Yeah. >> All the time. >> Yeah. It's like the the problem is it's just like social media comments. Like if you read 10 great things about you, but then you read one like that guy's a piece of [ __ ] and you don't the crew like a [ __ ] you man. And then that ruins your whole day. Like 10 people saying you're the nicest guy they've ever met. We love him. He's so so talented and so authentic. And then one [ __ ] person and that person gets stuck in your head. That's the same with meeting people. You know, you can meet 10 amazing people. Well, this is great. And one guy is like, I don't give a [ __ ] [laughter] when my wife says you're somebody. Like, ah, [ __ ] you. And that's what you think about. >> You sit in your hotel room smoking cigarettes, like, [ __ ] that guy. >> Right. Oh, it it's amazing how people can get under your skin. >> It is, you know, that's why they do it. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. That's That's why I always tell comedians, post and ghost. Post something, then get the [ __ ] out of there. Don't read anything about yourself. Don't >> Don't read the good and don't read the bad. Don't read any of it. You don't want to know. Let him talk. Let him yap. Who cares? >> I quit reading it, you know, several years ago. I I I don't do it anymore. And, you know, I just don't even I don't care about awards anymore, you know. Good for you. I got plenty of them. And because I kind of got in under the wire when awards were kind of real still, you
know, and >> Right. and [clears throat] I've won a couple recently, but these days I just look at it as like, oh, okay, we're going to go over here and, you know, have some, you know, dry chicken breast and green beans [laughter] and, you know, listening so whack >> and uh we'll listen to people get up there and pontificate about how awesome they are and uh you know, and but see, those are the ones that get me. It's like, how about if you're going to get one of these things and you truly are honored by it, well, you honor the people who gave it to you. Yeah. Just just just them. >> And don't go up there and talk about saving, you know, the Badgers in Wisconsin or something. You know what I'm saying? It's like, >> you know, there's a time and place for that, I believe. And uh, you know, you should you should just stick to what it is. And and people would argue and say, "Well, no, because I have a voice, because everybody knows me, this is a great platform for me to put this out there." Well, how about this? If you have a billion dollars and you want to save the Badgers, [ __ ] save them. [laughter] I mean, you got plenty of money to save the Badgers. Trust me, that's not that's barely going to cut into your budget. >> Right. Right. You know what I mean? If that's really your cause, talking about it is just going to annoy people and everybody knows what you're really doing. You're saying how awesome you are because you care about things. >> That's exactly right. >> You're saying how special you are because you're really concerned about people in Sudan or where whatever the [ __ ] it is. And it's like a flag that you carry with you to let everybody know that you're an amazing person. >> Yeah. If you're going to do it, just do it. >> Yeah. I've always felt like um I mean, it's easy to say someone's never won an award, but I always felt like awards for art are stupid. stupid >> because I don't >> the concept is stupid. >> If if people enjoy it, that's the reward. That's the award. You got it. You won. People enjoyed it. You did
something. They enjoyed it. Congratulations. Yes. >> And everything else is just jerking off, >> you know, like it's >> Well, they become shows. >> Yeah. >> Now it's just about the show and uh it's you may as well be watching uh what's the one where all the, you know, pretty people live in an apartment together and that kind of stuff. >> Right. Right. Right. Yeah. like my buddy Rick Overton, you know Rick Overtonia. I know him very well. I go way back with Rick. And Rick did a thing, a voiceover thing for an album of ours years ago. >> And he said we he was talking about he goes, >> "When did when did uh a a dude uh a regular dude sitting in a hot tub with six models become [ __ ] reality, [laughter] you know?" But anyway, it's >> Big Brother, right? Yeah. Right. Yeah. But it's they're all shows now. And and if you uh they also look you in the eye. The ones I don't dig are like if you didn't like let's say you hated Land Man and you tell me that you say, you know what, I don't get it. I I just don't get it. I can accept that. You I go, okay, well, sorry you don't dig a jump. I We're having a great time on it and you know, a lot of people like it, but you know, I respect that. It's the ones who say, "Hey, I I love your," you know, this is with journalists mostly. They'll say, "Uh, it's the best show on TV." Then you read their article in their paper, wherever it is in Sweden or wherever the [ __ ] it is, and they just rip you a new [ __ ] >> Yeah. >> And it's like, that's what I don't respect. It's like, if you don't like it, tell me you don't like it right now. Don't get me to say a bunch of [ __ ] about it. >> Exactly. >> And then take the piss out of it. you know, that's what's what's wrong. And I'll I'll tell you, here's one screen actress guild. I've been in the Screen Actress Guild since the mid80s. I mean, a long time. I've done so many Q&As's for uh SAG audiences. Uh out of all this, and these are your peers. Now, maybe if there's an organization that gives out an award,
maybe it's political, maybe I don't get it because they don't like me or whatever it is. Okay, I get it. All the actors at a SAG thing will come up to me or any other actor based or entertainerbased award where it's actually your peers voting for you. Uh, if you go to the cocktail party after the Q&A, they couldn't be further up your ass. Then guess how many SAG awards I have all these years. I think one. And it was like a group, an ensemble deal. And I think I've been nominated twice, maybe three times in a in a 40some year career in this. They have given me the least notice. My own cats who want to be in the movie with me. Hey, see if you can get me in Land Man. You know who you're voting for? Uh Adrien Brody, [laughter] you know, whoever it is. Whoever they voted for, it wasn't me. Now I don't give a [ __ ] >> I really don't care. When I do these Q&As's now, I do it because I like talking to actors and kind of giving them some information about what we do, hearing what their questions are, what they want to know about. That's why I do it now. has nothing to do I actually have I told an audience in Boston la last year. I said do me a favor. Please don't vote for me. I said I'm not here to beg you for an award. So if you don't want to vote for me, don't let me change your mind today because this is just I'm just talking to you guys right now. And I mean that, you know, I'm not just >> Well, that's a healthy perspective. That's a good way to look at it. [clears throat] >> Yeah. The award thing is a weird thing. And I think one of my favorite award show moments was Marlon Brando when he uh he didn't want to accept his Academy Awards. So he brought up this Native American woman who talked about the plight of Native Americans in America. >> And then it turned out that wasn't really a Native American woman and she was a crazy person. [laughter] Her >> sister outed her. She wasn't at all Native American. She was just [ __ ] nuts. >> Oh my god. >> She came up with a completely fake name. >> Oh god. just went up there and [laughter] and just like just was a nut
and just got all this attention and she tricked Maron Brando and she tricked all those people and everybody's like, "You're amazing. She's amazing." And to me, that's Hollywood. That that moment is what it's really about. >> Oh, yeah. >> That and when they gave Will Smith a standing ovation after he smacked Chris Rock. Yeah. >> Like, okay, this is you guys. This is you're you're [ __ ] insane. You guys are nuts. You have no idea which way is north. Someone says it's that way, you're like, "It's that way." And everybody runs in that direction. >> People have been given awards that didn't actually win because they [ __ ] something up, you know, [laughter] and they and they can't go back and say, "Well, actually, you know, >> and you know, it was on the show. It's got a stick, you know, and that kind of thing." But, uh, it's You reminded me of something that I thought was hilarious with the with the woman being a nut on the thing. [clears throat] remember when there was a cat who was uh I think it's happened more than once now, but the original guy I saw, I think I don't remember exactly, it might have been somewhere in Africa, but some politician or somebody was giving a speech and there was a cat acting like the >> sign language. Sign language guy. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> And he was doing stuff that looked like he was dancing like James Brown. It was like [laughter] it was like it had nothing to do with sign language. I mean, he would literally flip around and do things like this and like this. It's like, I don't know sign language. I know that wasn't [ __ ] sign language, you know? >> Well, sign language is also different everywhere you go, you know? There's American Sign Language, there's English sign language. It's a completely different language. >> Yeah. >> Which is really weird. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. It's very strange. >> Yeah. My buddy Mosha Casher, he's his parents were deaf, so he can sign. And he explained to me the whole thing and how how unique it is. >> Yeah. and you know he can have full
conversations with sign language both alphabetically and with words and he can he could do anything but it's American sign language so if he went and tried to talk to someone in you know some other country even if they speak English like they have a totally different kind of sign language >> so it's just like actual language where if you and I go to China we're not you know what the [ __ ] to say >> exactly >> so sign language yeah and sign language is an important thing that's one that's a good thing that's happened over last couple decades is they actually do uh when there's important information, they always have a signer there. You know, >> I think there's a lawsuit right now to make the Trump administration bring sign language people back to those White House press briefings. >> Really? >> Yeah, I read something. See if you can find that. I read something about that today. I'm like, why would they take that out? Why would you remove sign language thing? >> Yeah, >> I've had them on comedy shows sometimes. Like if you perform at some theater and like there's some sort of a mandatory requirement for a sign language person, right? >> And so there's someone that has to keep up with the jokes and explain like sarcasm while you're in the middle. Like it's very weird. It's very weird. >> Hard job. >> Well, I always [ __ ] with the person, too. I was like cuz [laughter] I was like, this is so crazy. You have to you have to try to >> decipher that. >> Here it is. Judge orders White House to use American Sign Language interpreters at briefings. >> Yeah. So, were there not ones ever before? No, it says they stopped when >> they [clears throat] stopped during the Trump administration >> time in January. They stopped in January. >> Oh, that's crazy. >> Wow. >> Well, that's not smart. >> I don't remember it much when I was growing up. >> I don't remember it at all. >> Yeah,
>> I don't remember it at all. I I knew it was a thing, but I I never saw it like at speeches or anything like that, but yeah, it's important. >> So, can I ask you a comedy question or two? >> Sure. because it's always fascinated me. I mean, people have have said to me before, like, especially if I get on a roll and I've had a few beers. Yeah. They say, "You ought to do a just, you know, just for one night, just do a stand up in LA or New York or somewhere or Texas, wherever." >> And I'm like, I it's the scariest thing in the world to me. Like I if you and I are just hanging out, you know, all of us, you know, having a beer, right? You know, I maybe I can be kind of funny sometimes, but I to get on a stage and here's the reason I I'm afraid of it is because if you're doing a play, if you're doing a, you know, cat on a hot tin roof or whatever the hell it is, you don't really know the reaction from the audience. I mean, it's like they either love the [ __ ] out of this or they don't get it or whatever, but you don't know in the moment. If you're a stand-up comic, you have one reason to be up there, and that's to make them laugh. So, if you don't make them laugh, pretty soon you're [ __ ] And I mean, I I I can't imagine bombing as a comic. And I think about different, you know, people over the years that had a a very different type of comedy, you know, and like Stephen Wright for instance, >> perfect example. Steven Wright who walks out there, doesn't say [ __ ] to the audience for a minute, takes a drink of water and then he goes, "So, uh, last night I, uh, accidentally put my car key into my door at my house and started my house up. I drove it around the block. Cop pulled me over and said, "Where do you live?" I said, "Right here." you know, [laughter] or he goes, he says, "Um, I bought some powdered water only I don't know what to mix it with." I mean, you know, that kind of stuff. So, this is very sort of like nobody ever did that before until he did that. And I'm like, what was it like in the beginning for that guy? Were people just going, >> "The [ __ ] are you talking about?"
>> Well, you know what's interesting with him? He existed in there's a great documentary on comedy in Boston called When Standup Stod Out. Okay. this guy France Alamita who was a comic in Boston created it and it's all about there's a very Boston was a very unique environment in standup where all these comedians were just doing standup for Boston audiences they just they didn't travel they just stayed there and they were some of the best guys that have ever done standup ever >> but a lot of it was regional and a lot of it didn't translate when they left Boston right >> but they were so [ __ ] good and there just a giant group of them and some of them like Lenny Clark broke through and Jay Leno of course and Louis CK came out of there, Bill Burr, a lot of guys broke through, right? But >> there was a core group of guys that were a part of this there was a a group that would perform at this Chinese restaurant that was also a comedy club called the Ding-ho. And the Ding-ho but I started in ' 88 and it was already closed. It had closed by I think 84 85 or something like that. The guy was a gambler, lost all the money and lost his [ __ ] Chinese restaurant. The place went under and but the the the scene still stayed and everybody was just about the art. There was no way to be famous. It was impossible. You were locally known, you know, so you could perform at a club and people go, "Oh, Steve Sweeny's going to be there. We'll go see him." But when Stephen Wright got on the Tonight Show, it [ __ ] it up for everybody because everybody's like, "Why him? Why not me?" And they got mad because Steven Wright had this very bizarre, absurdest act that translated perfectly to like a seven minute late night, you know, Johnny Carson set. >> And it he he was the guy that broke out. He was the guy that broke out. We're all these [ __ ] killers, man. And this one guy who's just like weird and absurd with [ __ ] crazy hair and all [ __ ] up, look all strange. I used to work at a fire hydrant factory. >> You couldn't park anywhere near the place. [laughter] >> It was that those kind of jokes, >> right? Exactly. and and a lot he created like a lot of resentment where these guys like were upset that this guy who
didn't do as good as them on stage was on the Tonight Show. What about me? And it like it changed the thing that they were doing. >> Wow, that's amazing. much like when Steve Martin first came out. I worked as a roadie, you know, for a lot of bands when I was a kid. And uh so, you know, George Carlin, Richard Prior, those guys, they created a thing we hadn't seen before, you know, uh from anybody. I mean, Richard Prior doing his as like stories. They weren't jokes. They were just he would just start talking about these people he knew and then you know go through the stories >> and Carlin you know coming up with all the that witty stuff you know here's some partial baseball scores one three seven you know like that and so I was privileged as a kid to watch new brands of humor come out on TV that we could see and I was rodeing a couple shows for the nitty-gritty dirt who I still kind of keep in touch with. And their opening act was Steve Martin because he plays banjo. So he played banjo before the dirt band came out. This is when I'm a teenager. And he did the arrow through the head, the whole thing. But he had kind of longer curly hair and he wore buckskin clothes and played a banjo. And there was a front of house guy uh named Danny Smith who I worked for, you know, with this sound company. And uh I was back there at the front of house console with him and I see this guy come out and I lost my mind. I I was screaming, crying, laughing, you know, with some of the [ __ ] he did because he just came out and just said, "I'm going to do the stupidest [ __ ] you've ever seen in your life and people are going to laugh." >> Yeah. >> And it's like, you know, and what he would just do the whole excuse me or whatever, you know. Yeah. >> And so here's a guy coming out being over the top and putting arrows to his head [ __ ] And people couldn't get enough of it. And before he did that, nobody else had ever done that, >> right? >> And all of a sudden here you got a guy that, you know, is doing it. And that became more the norm for a while. You know, it's like it spawned a lot of other people. You know, it's like when we did Bad Santa, there hadn't been anything like that,
>> right? >> And the next thing you know, after Bad Santa, there's bad moms, bad teachers, bad grandpas, bad next door neighbors, you [laughter] know, bad guy who works at the dry cleaners, you know, and so and and those will last for several years, you know, where you where people are are kind of getting that in their heads and naturally they're influenced by it and and that brand lasts for a while. like Yellowstone. There's probably like a lot of Yellowstone type ideas that get pitched after that. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. Yeah. Steve Martin got so big that he decided to quit. >> Yeah. >> So, he was doing standup and he was like, I lost all touch with the audience because anything I said was funny. I lost like what's real and what's not real. He was too big. And so, he decided >> to not do it anymore, >> which is insane, >> right? Because you really think about it like this the thing that he loved and he was at the time like one of the only acts that was doing arenas. I mean he was probably one of the first comedians of all time >> to do these huge places and people would come to see him as this variety act. It was part you know King Tut, you know. Yeah, the King Tut song and Oh, for sure. >> Let's get small. like it was like he was it was just so unique >> and he just decided to step away from it and just do movies. >> And it's so wild because you know when you mentioned that thing about the the big arenas and stuff. Uh another thing that's scary to me about comedy is like if you're not in a room where everybody gets every nuance that would scare me. I mean to be you know of course he was that big and he had and it was a big thing where people could see the big movements and stuff but >> you know Lewis Black right >> sure >> Lewis Black was we played uh this is probably you know at least a decade ago probably more and uh we played at in Milwaukee at County Stadium uh and uh it was a a biker rally deal we were playing at and uh we came on before a kid So we play our set. There were 250,000 people at this thing.
>> Wow. >> And it was like, you know, half a Woodstock. And uh so we went out there and, you know, had a great show. We come off and everything. Well, Lewis was there. [cough and clears throat] So, aside from the main giant stage where the concerts are going on, they have a one of those blowup tents, you know, the ones where the sound's never good in there, you know, >> and it, you know, looks like, you know, the Dallas Cowboys training facility tent or whatever it is like that. >> So, Lewis comes by the bus to say, "Hey," and we talked for a few minutes and uh I knew him from the Sunset Marquee. We would he would be in the bar there sometimes in LA. And uh so we're talking and I said, "Yeah, man. A huge crowd out there." He goes, "No, you guys are awesome." He goes, "You don't have anything to worry about out here. They loved you." He goes, "Try doing comedy in a blowup tent with people in folding chairs." He goes, [laughter] "That's that's not fun." You know, >> and especially with a guy like him whose whole thing is about anger and, you know, that kind of stuff. And you got people in their little folding chairs in the blow up tent, you know, >> with probably some shitty microphone, you know. >> Yeah, those shows are always hell. Those like festival shows or shows where they have like a bunch of different things going on simultaneously. There's a band over there and there's a comedy tent over here. >> I've done a few of those. >> It's horrible. >> They're always hell. Yeah, >> different stages. So, you got like five bands and you could hear every one of them and you're trying to, you know, be funny. >> Yeah. It's that's not a good environment for comedy. >> Yeah. >> I mean, I've done a lot of different kinds of comedy like arenas, theaters, comedy clubs is really where it's supposed to. Everybody ex a agrees with that >> because you I think what comedy is is it you're performing, you're doing but you're also hypnotizing people, right? >> What you're doing is you're getting them
to think the way you think. You're putting people into your mindset. When when I watch a comic that's really good, when they're on stage, I let them think for me. I'm like, "Go ahead, think for me. take me on a trip, right? >> Take me on a trip to the way you think of things. And you lock in with these and it's much easier to do that. >> It feels like as an audience member, it's much easier to get locked in if there's only a hundred other people in the room with you or 200 other people in the room. But as soon as you get to like 16,000, it starts getting weird. It starts It's a different thing now. It's a show. It's a big show. And you're not like really The only exception is the round. The round is weird because the stage is like this little circle and everyone's around you and it's oddly intimate. Even if there's like even if I've I've done a round in Madison Square Garden, so there's like 16,000 people in there. But because they're all looking at each other, everyone sees everybody's face. It's intimate now. Now it's not a separation between the crowd and the performer who's on the stage. Now we're all in this together. It's like a big hug. It's very weird. >> That's an interesting point. Yeah, we've played shows with a band like that in certain theaters where >> of course for a loud ass band like we are sometimes we're a little big for the room but you know uh but that that's an interesting point especially the thing about people being able to see each other because then you don't want to be the dick that everybody's going I wish that guy shut the [ __ ] up. You know what I mean? It's like they can they're right there because you know in the coliseum these cats in the back >> just hooting and hollering and [ __ ] not paying any attention. You know, it's a different thing. Can I pee? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Let's We'll pause right here. We'll be right back, ladies and gentlemen. >> I I [clears throat] can throw this in a cup. >> Doesn't matter unless you want to. >> Oh, I don't care. >> No, it doesn't matter. Yeah. Bud Light's cool. They sponsor the UFC. So, >> yeah. >> And we're back. Where were we? What were we talking about?
Well, we were on comedy and then I just talked about Lewis Black and then >> Yeah, we're talking about fear. >> Yeah. >> Fear of performing. >> Yeah. >> And hypnosis. Yeah. About how it's kind of like hypnosis. >> Yeah. >> So, we're It's a weird art form, but yeah, the bombing is horrible, but it's also the the killing is the greatest feeling of all time. So, it's like the only way you get one is with the possibility of the other, >> right? You know, the only reason why you're willing to go through the bombing is because you know how great it feels when you're not bombing, >> right? >> You know, and killing is so great because you know that it it doesn't have to work out. >> It could it could be terrible. >> Yeah. >> But it's a it's a weird art form and it's a very new one. >> That's the really I think in my opinion real modern standup you could trace back to one guy and it's Lenny Bruce. >> Yeah. Without him, I don't think there is I It probably would have been invented eventually, right? But he's the guy. Like that's like we have one person and we have film of him. It's It's not like the first guy to pick up a guitar. Like who's that guy? >> Yeah. >> Try finding him. Like who who invented the [ __ ] drums? >> Like good luck. because they didn't really like you said that before him that wasn't I mean you he made comedy performers standup comedians like rock stars you know I mean it was before that and all the controversy and all that kind of thing because before that it was like variety shows if you have Bob Hope and those guys they're always on some TV show it was usually them and someone else >> yes >> you know and uh yeah did you ever know Rodney Dangerfield Yes. I didn't know him well, but I did meet him. And funny enough, I worked when I when I was 19, I worked as a security guard at Greatwoods Center for the Performing Arts. It's like this uh amphitheater in Massachusetts. And Rodney was performing
there. And it was at the stage of Rodney's life where he only wore a bathrobe on stage, buck naked with slippers and a bathrobe. And I saw Rodney when I was working there. I was like by the backstage area and I saw Rodney walking in the hallway pacing with his [ __ ] bathrobe on. I'm like, "This is the greatest thing of all time. This guy's just gonna go out there in a bathrobe." >> This was 1986. >> Wow. >> Yeah. And so he went out there with his [ __ ] bathrobe and just murdered. I mean murdered. Oh yeah. >> To the point where people were falling out of their chairs, >> dying, laughing. And I was like, "This is the greatest thing I've ever seen in my life. This guy's in a [ __ ] B. You want to talk about not giving a [ __ ] He [laughter] really didn't give a [ __ ] anymore. And there's I want I wish I had known him where I could have asked him why the bathrobe. Like what was it about that? >> But I've got to think that it was like the ultimate not caring. The ultimate relaxing. When are you ever more relaxed than when you get out of the shower, you just put on a [ __ ] bathrobe, have your dick swinging out there in the wind, and he just walked out in front of the whole crowd like that? >> Yeah. 15,000 people watching Rodney in a bathrobe just murdering. >> Nick Noly used to do that. >> Did he really? >> Noli would do press junkets and interviews with his pajamas on and a robe. >> Wow. >> Did it for years. Yeah. And Ni just was like, I just want to be comfortable. You know, no NI had one of the greatest sayings uh for when somebody would come up uh to him who was uh uh a fan or whatever, you know, and uh and he was just messing with him. It wasn't serious, but uh somebody come say, "Mr. Noly, I don't want to bother you." And he'd go, "Too late." [laughter] >> [gasps] >> I met Nick Noli in the 90s because uh I was on a show called News Radio and uh one of the stars of the show was Vicky Lewis and Vicky Lewis was dating Nick Noli at the time. So he was always hanging around.
>> I knew Vicki >> and uh I got to know him. He was a really [ __ ] nice guy. And then one time I'm in Fry Electronics going to get a motherboard. That was back in the days where I would make my own computers. I would I would like build my own computers and play video games on them. So like get great motherboards and really good video card and all that jazz. And uh I see this dude with glasses on who's like going over this box and uh I go I go, "Hey man, what's up?" He goes, "Oh, hey Joe." And it was like to me it was the coolest thing in the world that Nick Noly knew who I was outside of the set. Like outside the set it was normal inside the set rather. It was normal. He's there with Vicki. Like he says hi to everybody. Sir, you know, but like to meet him in an electronic store, I was like, "This is the craziest thing of all time." Oh, yeah. >> I'm like 27 at the time. I'm like, "This is just so [snorts] nuts." I know Nick Noly. This is [ __ ] insane. >> That's amazing. I I knew Vicki, too. She skinny little redhaired. >> Yeah. >> Crazy voice. >> Oh my god. Could she sing? >> Yeah. >> Oh my god. Powerful voice. >> Yeah. >> Like a talent. Like wow. M >> that's that to me is one of the most impressive things when someone could just sing their [ __ ] ass off like cuz I can't sing at all. So when I hear someone sing like that I'm like god what can you do with your voice? That is insane. the the the beauty of a good song is like, man, it's one of the most m misunderstood things that we love because I think it's it's an art form that creates a response in people that's just like a drug. Like if there's a drug that you could take that made you feel like when Midnight Rider comes on the radio and it's just the right time to hear it like maybe you just had a shot, you know, and your buddy tells you something, you're like, "Oh yeah, man. That was [ __ ] great." And then all a sudden, [ __ ] [laughter] yeah. You know what I mean? It's just IT'S LIKE, "OH YEAH." And everybody's like, "Woo!" >> It's like it's a drug.
>> It really is a drug. And and some songs are made for the car. >> Yeah. >> And then other songs are made for at home. Yeah. For just laying around like especially back in my hippie days, you know, it's like you weren't going to listen to King Crimson or Pink Floyd in the car. >> You run off the road, you know? Right. >> But Midnight Rider >> Oh, Midnight Rider is the car song. That is the car. That and Radar Love. >> Oh, yeah. Radar Love. That's another one. I saw those cats live. >> Really? >> Golden Earring. They open They opened for uh >> uh Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention. >> Wow. And Dutch, a Dutch band. Yeah. >> Oh wow. That's wild. That was a song I used to listen to when I go to visit my girlfriend. She was in Western Massachusetts. It was like an hour and a half drive. >> I listen to Radar Love. >> Oh yeah. >> Yeah. >> Been driving all night, man. On the wheel. [clears throat] It's one of those songs that make you think you are the guy of the song. >> Oh yeah. You you're the star of the song. >> Yeah. There's songs like that like like uh Shooting Star by Bad Company. You know, everybody wants to be that guy. Yeah. >> Everybody you're like, "Yeah, that's me, man." >> Oh, yeah. >> I'm going to be a superstar, then I'm going to die young and everyone's going to miss me. >> Yeah. [laughter] Right. >> Yeah. does like in the John Linen documentary where that cat, that homeless hippie cat, comes up to his door, you know, and he's kind of starving and stuff and he and he says, I don't know if you ever saw it, but he he's obviously been living in the bushes, you know, and and uh he thinks that one of Linen's songs was about him. >> Oh, >> I think he probably had a little schizophrenia or something, you know, [snorts] >> and he was and Lennon answered the door,
you know, and was talking to him. It's in the documentary. And he uh he says, "Well, when you were singing that, I mean, it was like I felt that you know, you're singing about me." And it's like, and Lynon just says, "No." He goes, "I only write songs about me." He said, he said, "I don't know about your life." He goes, "I I just all I write about is my experience with stuff, so it's not about you." But he said, "Are you hungry?" And the guy goes, "Yeah." Next thing you know, he invites them in and they eat and stuff like that at his house. Yeah. But um sometimes you know some art form can influence people so much that they identify with it so much that it becomes that to them. I mean especially people who have some mental issues or something like that can it can really speak to them. I mean >> I mean you know sometimes in a negative way. I mean once again John Lennin that cat you know I mean >> read uh catcher in the rye. >> Mhm. >> Catch her in the rye. He thought he was that cat in there, you know. >> Yeah. >> Well, people are very malleable. >> And some people, mentally ill people extremely >> and something, one song, one book, one movie can >> I mean, how many people went nuts after they watched Taxi Driver? >> Oh, yeah. For sure. >> I'd like to know that. Like, how many people thought they were Travis? >> Yeah. >> You know, >> for sure. Yeah. >> That was that was a [ __ ] intense performance. >> Yeah. >> Dairo in the early days. God damn that guy. >> Yeah, he was great. Really great. You know, it's uh and you know, it's funny how many comedies he does now, playing a dad or a grandpa, >> angry, grumpy. [laughter] Yeah. Meet the [ __ ] >> Yeah. That kind of stuff. Yeah. Yeah. [snorts] It's so funny. Uh, you know, Dval, uh, my mentors, you know, were Duval and, uh, Bruce Durn. >> Oh, wow.
>> And guys like that. and the fact that uh not only did I get to meet them but work with them several times a piece and and uh you once you know everybody you start to sometimes you hate to hear yourself talk because I'll be talking to some younger actor you know it's like 25 or 30 and they'll say oh yeah I really love that movie so and so with uh uh you know with Robert Deval I go yeah well He's he's my mentor. He brought me up and it's like and uh yeah, look at I watched some of the old movies too. I you know like I always thought Lauren Beall was so hot. Yeah, I knew Lauren Beall and it's like then you start to sound like an [ __ ] cuz but it's just a fact. You do know him and and but >> it's a different reality though for you. >> It it is a different reality and you get used to it to the point where >> uh you just look at all of these legends who you know. Yeah, I >> mean, I knew Gregory Peek very well, Elizabeth Taylor, all of them. And uh Rody McDow, and I got so used to it that I I I would forget most of the time, you know, and then every now and then you go, I'm talking to [ __ ] Lauren Beall, >> right? [laughter] >> You know, it's Bogart's wife. >> Yeah. >> I mean, are you [ __ ] me? And um so I still pinch myself sometimes. I mean I've been really blessed uh to have met a lot of great heroes of mine, you know, and and become friends with right now. I'm working with Sam Elliott. Sam and I have known each other since probably late 80s somewhere in there. Worked together twice before, but a couple of scenes at a time, Tombstone and then 1883, but uh kept up with each other over the years. and he was another guy who's who was more of a mentor from a distance. I just always admired Sam and now I work with him every day. >> That's wild. >> And it's amazing, you know. >> It's got to be weird, right? >> It's so wild that uh he's such a sweet man, such a great actor. But when he and I do scenes together, it's literally like you and I talking right now, >> right? It's it it's that natural just to we're we essentially talk to each other off, you know, when they cut u it's no [clears throat] different than the scene
we just did. >> Yeah. You know what I mean? >> Yeah. Well, that's when he's been doing it so long and he's so good. It's just he's so relaxed that even though you know it's Sam Elliott, you believe he's whoever the [ __ ] he's playing >> because there's it's a there's a naturalness to it like you were talking about with yourself. There's a naturalness to it and that that translates when people are watching a film or watching a television show with that which television shows aren't even really television shows anymore. Like I don't think Land Man's a television show. It's a long movie. >> It's a 10-hour movie. >> Yeah. It's just it's like what is which is the beautiful thing about streaming, >> you know? That's really when you got shows like Ozark and Stranger Things and it really started with The Sopranos where you're doing it's essentially like a really long film. >> It's not I mean it's on television but it's >> what does that mean anymore? [ __ ] everything's on television. Most people watch movies on television. Like what does that mean anymore? It's just a distribution device to for whatever art you're doing. >> Yeah. And on those kind of shows, like it's so important for you to buy it, you know, it's you get this. You got this character. It's not just one guy in a film like, "Oh, I'm not buying that guy, right?" >> Something about he sounds like an actor, you know? Yeah. >> Versus 9, 10, 11 episodes in second season like I gotta believe >> that guy. >> Yeah. >> I gotta be sure. >> Yeah. And the the naturalness is the thing, you know, like there's a great scene in Land Man where you're explaining, which I loved. You're explaining windmills and what green energy and how how much [ __ ] horseshit this all is for you to feel good about yourself. [ __ ] love that scene. [laughter] But >> I know you're Billy Bob Thornton, but in that scene, you're that [ __ ] dude [laughter] who works for an oil company who's like, "Shut the [ __ ] up." Like,
"What are you talk? Do you know what the [ __ ] you're even talking about?" >> Right. >> It's because of that naturalness that that works. >> Yeah. It was that that scene was uh I mean, it became huge. I mean, it was all over the internet that scene. And I mean when I I run into an oil guy wherever it is. I mean, you know, mainly Texas, but wherever I am, they always bring that scene up and thank me and, you know, thanks for showing people what this is. And >> and you know, I I do get questions, you know, obviously because of the nature of the show, people try to politicize everything. And the fact of the matter is is that Taylor uh with that show is not taking a side. He's just saying here's a look behind the curtain at how this works. >> Yeah. [clears throat] >> And it's about uh how are the people who work in that industry, whether you're on the suit side or you're out there in the fields. Uh and if you're the family of like I have the family in the show, uh it it's just this is how it works and this is how it affects the people who work in it. This is how dangerous it is. here's how much of a gamble it is and here are all the other crazy people circling your world. In my case, the family, you know, and uh >> it's um when I did that scene, I was committed to it, you know, because when I read it, and Taylor's very good about writing gigantic monologues for me. >> Yeah. And uh uh when something makes sense to you dialogue-wise, uh it's it's easy to do a long monologue. Uh if you don't know what it means, it's harder to learn the dialogue. If if you understand what the person has written, uh I'm not saying if you agree with it or disagree with it, but if you understand what they're saying, it's actually easier to do a monologue than it is to do a back and forth scene with people. Sometimes I bone more lines on a back and forth conversation than I do when I'm just sitting there telling somebody something, >> right? >> Like Jerry Jones scene in there. You know, Jerry was telling his life story, >> right? >> I mean, it wasn't Taylor wrote something
there for him, you know, because he'd heard the story before from Jerry. But um uh if it had been written and Taylor said, "You got to write, you know, you got to say these words," Jerry probably wouldn't have done it, been able to do it. But the fact that Taylor said, "Just tell that story you told me." >> Yeah. >> It's his story. >> Yeah. >> It'd be like if I asked you, tell me your life story, you can do that, >> right? >> And if you get a a person who's not an actor to be themselves, they're better than actors. You know, I've I've always found that. I' i've cast people in movies that have never been in one before. I just don't tell them we're rolling. [laughter] And I really don't. In Slingblade, the guy Rick Dial, who played the guy that ran the Fix It Shop, uh the kind of big guy, I went to school with him since the third grade. And I always thought this guy could be an actor, you know. And when we did, uh the first scene with him there in the in his shop when uh Jimmy Hampton brought me over there and said, "This is Carl. He's going to work here." and all that stuff, you know. I just went to Rick and I said, "Dude, and Brent Brisco, who played Scooter, the guy could never fix anything." And uh I said, "Look, Rick, the camera crew, they don't have their [ __ ] together, you know." I said, "They're going to have to get some marks and do a bunch of stuff, so this is not on us. So, we're going to run this scene, but we're not really filming it. Just say the dialogue. If you [ __ ] something up, don't worry about it." He was letter perfect once we started saying action and [ __ ] Then all of a sudden it got a little different. Most stuff in Sling Blade was the first take. >> Wow. >> And uh >> cuz he's relaxed. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. The pressure of the moment. Action. Action is a crazy word. >> I hate it. I I don't even Usually when I'm direct, I don't direct much anymore, but when I do, uh uh I just kind of say, "Well, you know,
you guys go whenever you're ready." you know, and but then you have ads and PAs out there on their radios and [ __ ] and they're all screaming [ __ ] and it's like, >> yeah, don't disrupt the flow here. Just let the cats do it, you know? I mean, Clint Eastwood has been known to say uh you know, jokingly, but uh uh instead of cut, he sometimes an actor I know worked with Clint and he said uh when when Clint was satisfied with the scene, he just goes, "Okay, that's enough of that shit." [laughter] instead of cut. But uh >> what was the process of like deciding to do Slingblade? Like how did like you know you're obviously trying to find a vehicle for yourself and they're not offering it to you so you create it yourself but like what was the process like? How did you decide to do that guy? Like what was it? >> It's it's a story that nobody believes. I've told it a couple of times and nobody believes it and it's the absolute truth. Um, I was doing one scene. I think there were two scenes, but it was uh uh one of them was cut out of the thing. It was I think it was an HBO movie or something. It starred Val Kilmer and I was playing a railroad conductor in the 1920s. It was uh uh based on an old movie with Paul Mun uh called uh I'm a fugitive from a chain gang. uh old movie from I guess the 30s and uh they remade it and called it the man who broke a thousand chains. I played a railroad conductor who had like a wool [ __ ] thing on for the 20s and they had the you know the old 20s haircut with the side sides pretty much shaved off, you know, and all this kind of stuff. >> And uh we're shooting in Riverside, California at this old railroad museum. and uh an old director named uh Daniel Man who directed Tea House, August Moon with Brando and some other movies. Uh he'd come out of retirement to do this. He was an old cat. As a matter of fact, he was so old school that when I went to read for him, there was a casting director named Kathy Henderson who was always good to me. So, she'd always get me in to see the director. And he was sitting there behind the desk. He had a little gray goatee and glasses and and I
just talked to him for a few minutes and then I read a couple of the lines with him. It's just me and him. And he literally said, "Uh, kid, I got a pot for you in this picture." And it was like, "What am I? What is that? Louis Mayor? Who was the [ __ ] was I just talking to?" You know? And so they put me in the thing. And this was in the 80s. And uh uh I'm burning up. You know, Riverside, California, it's hotter as [ __ ] out there. It was in the summer. So I'm in a wool suit with a conductor hat on and just sweating my ass off. And uh I go in and this was in the days when I was still in a honey wagon. So there's just a little tiny room, you know, a little bathroom and a little couch. It's like that wide. And uh at at lunch, I went in and I put the air conditioner on. I took that conductor hat off and uh I looked at myself in the mirror and I thought, "You sorry son of a [ __ ] You're never going to make it doing any of this [ __ ] Music, movies, nothing. You're just, you know, why are you out here, you know, to make, you know, three or 4 hundred bucks for a day to and Val Kilmer's a big star and you're just some idiot with a couple of lines, you know?" And I literally made that face in the mirror at myself. Wow. made the face and I started talking in that voice because I was so in a moment of self-loathing that I literally started going at myself in the mirror. I did that monologue to the girl that's uh the college student who comes to interview me in the beginning of the movie. It's like a nine-minute monologue. I did that monologue in the mirror to myself right there and never wrote it down and I can remember it to this day. Uh because I have all these weird afflictions, you know, I have terrible anxiety and uh have obsessive compulsive disorder really bad and I was grew up dyslexic and uh you know, kind of an edge of the spectrum kind of guy and uh I always had the ability to remember stuff. I have a photographic memory. I'm dumb as a bag of hair in every other aspect of life, but I have a photographic memory. And uh even if it's not something I read on a page, it's up here. And uh so I remembered that monologue and then I realized that I was talking about certain things that were
actually in my life. the idea of him living out back in a in this shed just sleeping in a hole back there and the family would bring him his food and stuff like he was a creature and stuff like that. That was based on a guy in uh Alpine, Arkansas that uh lived there. Uh the story was that uh his [clears throat] mother was scared by a snake when she was pregnant, you know, old, you know, southern lore [ __ ] and uh or the father was drunk when he was conceived, you know, but actually he had uh uh polio and was what the real deal was. He walked funny, he talked funny and everything. So Carl is largely based on a a combination of this guy Ed in in our town and uh uh [snorts] Frankenstein >> you know Frankenstein and the kid and the you know the sort of not knowing any better you know. >> Yeah. And um you know it's like the well I was told by the parents in the Bible it says you know if you see some you like sex is bad or whatever it was he sees his mother with his cat uh Jesse Dixon and he kills her. She told him to do that you know. So that's where it all came from. And uh I started doing it as part of a one-man show in the theater back in the late 80s. And uh uh from that one man show that that whole character was born and then uh uh I wrote a short film and we did that and uh that's why I got best adapted screenplay Oscar was from that. It wasn't uh I mean it was my original screenplay but it was adapted from my own thing >> and so that's that's how that came about. So when you went to do a oneman show, did you ever think that you want to make it into a film or was it just like I want to put this on its legs and >> just whatever this idea I have in my head, I want to make something out of it. >> At that at that time when I was doing in the theater uh I I I didn't think much beyond that. Uh couple of years later I started thinking about it and uh I thought that that's the story and I knew the story before I ever wrote I wrote it in nine days and my my oldest son Willie was actually on my lap most of the time while I was writing on paper because I don't know how to type and um so uh I just wrote it on, you know, paper like a tablet like that, you know, and uh um eventually, you know, we made that
little short and then these guys that made the short wanted to make it into a feature, but they had this whole other idea about it about they wanted to show what happened when I was a kid and show me murdering the mother. I said, "Yeah, that's the wrong thing to do." So, I made it myself and I directed a documentary on Widespread Panic, the band out of Athens, Georgia, and Colonel Bruce Hampton. Uh, but that's the only directing experience I'd had, and I didn't know [ __ ] about it. Uh, but I knew the story, you know, and I got Barry Marovitz, my DP, and, you know, got some guys and, uh, asked John Ritter, who I was working with at the time, you want to play a gay guy from St. Louis who moves to a little town in Millsburg, and he goes, "Yeah, I'll do it." None of us thought this thing was going to do what it did. I thought my mom and my brothers and people like that would see it, and that was it. And it became >> huge. Yeah. >> What? How weird was that for you? >> Very weird. Very weird. Yeah. I mean, uh, when when they say overnight success, that literally was the moment. I mean, I I had a name within the movie business from this movie called One False Move, uh, that we did in 90 or so, 89 or 90. But um so people were you already had made deals to write screenplays for various studios and stuff. But uh and I was getting acting work here and there. But when I did Sling Blade, it literally I I woke up one morning and I was not only a millionaire but hugely popular and it it it freaked me out. I mean, I appreciated every moment of it, but really when you're going through those times, you it's such a a a blur, you know, how how quickly it happened and everything that uh I mean, to this day, I think back on it, you know, and think [laughter] how the hell did this >> how the [ __ ] did I get here? And uh I don't think you could get that movie made now. I don't I think a lot of movies that I've done, you couldn't get them made now. I don't think there's an audience that would either tolerate it or uh be interested in it, you know, because most of my writing is based on novelists and not screenwriters. I I've stayed out of Hollywood my whole career
pretty much, you know, other than the high-profile relationships maybe, you know. Other than that, I'm uh I haven't associated with Hollywood much. And uh it was just, you know, thinking back and going, how how did I become a movie star? [ __ ] >> I think you could do it today because I don't think anybody had ever done it when you did it. >> No, that's that's true. >> You know what I mean? >> That's true. But I think because maybe uh well, see, Slingblade, first of all, it's it's not a comedy. There's funny stuff in it, but a lot of people come up to me and they say, "Man, that Carl, he's funnier and shit." And it's like, well, if you think about what it's really about, it's not that funny. >> But uh um I I just think because of the of the climate, you know, it's like, well, is he making fun of a mentally challenged guy, you know, uh you know, bad Santa? I mean, it's like you can't be that crass anymore or whatever. And uh >> I think you still can. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> I mean I I >> I think if you do people will will go to see it. It's just you'll get a lot more push back now because people think that they can and they can stop things and cancel you and all that jazz. But the reality is if it's entertaining, if it resonates with people, they want to see it. >> It's just nobody wants to finance. That's like comedies have died. >> Like when was the last time there was a really good comedy movie? It's hard to make because of all this >> push back, all these people that freak out about things. And if you don't like it, don't don't go see it. >> That's my opinion. >> You don't like rap music, you don't like people talking about that, don't don't listen to it. You don't like this, don't don't go see it. >> Absolutely. That that that's exactly what I believe. I actually think that critics maybe should only do reviews on things they like.
I mean, because >> what good, >> right? What are you trying to do? >> What are you trying to do with the with the terrible review? >> So they claim that they're trying to protect the public >> from this atrocity. And I don't understand why they think that they are the savior of everybody's 15 bucks or whatever it is >> that it's like, you know, I can't believe I, you know, saw this movie. It like wasted two hours of my life. I'll never get back. It's like, >> you know, when people storm out of a theater. >> Yeah. >> I stormed out of the theater, you know? It's [laughter] like because of a [ __ ] movie. I mean, seriously. I mean, just go in there and if you don't dig it, you don't dig it. Don't worry about it. You know, just tell the public, "Hey, you know, I'm nobody, but I saw this movie recently. It's pretty [ __ ] good. You might want to go see it." As opposed to this vile piece of [ __ ] blah blah blah, you know? Uh it's like to to have that type of arrogance to think that you are informing them that they should stay away from something like you know [ __ ] you know? I don't get that part. I mean, >> well, cuz you're not gross. [laughter] >> It's a gross profession. I mean, do you remember when uh Cisco and Eert were like the re that if you didn't get two thumbs up, you were [ __ ] >> [ __ ] Those two guys had so much goddamn power. And now we know they're both [ __ ] They both hated each [laughter] other. And that you ever see the videos of the two guys just bitching at each other, talking about don't [ __ ] this up. Like you [ __ ] up the last one. Oh, you just [ __ ] that up. [laughter] And like >> like these are the guys. You have the worst [ __ ] personalities. And you're telling everybody what's a good film, what's not a good film. >> Fortunately, they liked me. But uh >> there's certain things that are undeniable, but it's like that one of the things that I think is great today is audience score. Like audience score of a film versus critic score and they're often times completely lopsided. >> Yes.
>> Like that I pay attention to the audience score. Like do people like that movie? If critics like the movie and people hate it, >> Yeah. >> maybe they're not getting it. Maybe it's just esoteric. Maybe it's weird. Maybe I'll maybe I'll really like it then. Mhm. >> But generally speaking, like the critic score is not as interesting to me as was the audience score, >> right? >> That's who it's made for. >> Absolutely. And that's who I pay attention to. >> Yeah. >> I I I want the fans. I want the audience, you know, because critics, like I said earlier, you know, there are so many critics now. >> Yeah. >> That I mean, critics to begin with are generally not no human is qualified to judge any piece of art. I mean, to start with, I mean, it's like if you don't like something or it doesn't strike you or you see some like really silly [ __ ] that's kind of not made well or whatever, that's that's fine. But, but how can you have a profession where individuals can tell everybody in the world what they should think about something is a bizarre world to And like you said earlier, like with awards, it's it's not like sports, you know, how can you win an award that is an intangible thing? >> Yeah. >> I mean, if if you run a 100meter dash in the Olympics and you're the first son of a [ __ ] that breaks the tape, you won. >> Yeah. >> How in the hell do [laughter] you know if I won? >> You know what I A movie. >> Oh, a movie. >> Versus that movie versus this movie. >> Oh, yeah. >> Yeah. [laughter] And god forbid you're in a year where there's some sort of socially conscious film >> that that has to win. >> Like if it doesn't win, then who are these monsters that are voting? >> You know, you didn't vote for the socially conscious film. Like, how dare you? >> And yeah, the socially conscious film
and also the one with the music that tells you exactly what you're supposed to feel every moment. Yes, that's [clears throat] the weirdest thing that we've all accepted about films is that there's music in scenes. That is a weird thing. >> Yeah, it is. >> It just happens and it's normal because we've been around it our whole entire, you know, Darth Vader comes out, [laughter] you know? [clears throat] It's always been like that, you know? >> It's like here comes the shark. We see the [ __ ] shark, [laughter] dude. It's like the shark is about to eat Robert Shaw. We're scared already. There's something eerie about a film that doesn't have music now. It's like this is this seems too real. >> Yeah. Right. >> Yeah. Like at least when there's music playing and psycho, [laughter] you know, you know, it makes it like a little le a little more palatable. >> Yeah. >> The other issue with critics is that they don't want to be critics. I don't think anybody wants to criticize other people's art. >> They just don't have anything to contribute. Like if they did, they would probably stop being critics and be novelists, be screenwriters or whatever it is. They just So, generally speaking, the people that gravitate towards that don't have something to contribute to art. So, they're just professional haters. >> Yeah. >> So, most of that's why they love to write bad reviews. Yeah. >> And they write the to try to the most vicious I'm going to destroy his career. [laughter] the way he portrayed that role, you know, they just try to find the most biting way >> to dismiss you and just shut you down. But it's the individual, like the the type of human that's doing that for a living. >> It's not necessarily anybody you want to aspire to be. >> Well, no. And that's why, like you said, it's the audience. >> Yes. >> That's who you're doing this for.
>> You're not doing this for organizations or >> award shows or critics or whoever it is. you're doing this for the audience. Those are the people that go pay a ticket price or sign up for >> Paramount Plus or whatever it is, you know, to uh to watch these things. And that's who you want to please. I mean, I don't particularly give a [ __ ] if, >> you know, the actor guys I've run across in my lifetime like my [ __ ] or not. I mean, it's like, you know, I'm not really doing it for them. Unless Unless you love movies, unless you love good work, you know, then, you know, those cats are, you know, viable. But I just don't uh I'm I'm in a a good place right now. And so I think because, you know, my daughter Bella is going to Calpali up there and she's doing great. She's 21 years old. My sons both have jobs in their own places and are doing well. I love my wife. Uh, I'm doing a show I love with a crew and a bunch of cats and actors that I love. I'm touring, you know, once or twice a year, making a couple of albums a year. I I just don't let that [ __ ] bother me anymore. >> Good for you. >> It's like I I don't I honestly don't give a [ __ ] And you know, people say that sometimes as a reverse psychology kind of idea, you know, it's like, "Oh, I'm never going to win this cuz >> and I tell my wife every time I'm going to win an award or lose one, win or lose, you know, >> right?" >> Um because I know I've gotten used to it and I can follow the trend and I go, "Huh?" And she'll go, "Oh my god, you're going to get the Golden Globe or the Academy Award, whatever it is." I go, "No, no, no. That guy right there is going to get it." She goes, "How do you know?" I said, "Trust me. Watch and see." I was nominated for a Golden Globe for uh the first season of Land Man. We went over there and I knew instantly it wasn't going to happen cuz they had us. If you were in a stadium at a concert hall and your seat was here's a stage, your seat's right here. It's going to take you 30 [ __ ] minutes to get to [laughter] the stage. We walked in there and saw our table. I'm like, Jesus [ __ ] Christ. I said, [clears throat] we're we're sitting back
here by like the staff. I said, [laughter] we're not, you know, the people bringing out the [ __ ] food, >> you know, and I said, it's not going to happen. And she said, who's going to win then? I been telling her this and she didn't believe me. She goes, you still believe that? I go I said, the guy from Shogun. I said, I promise you that guy wins. I mouthed it to her as it was happening. Uh, >> they announced I couldn't pronounce his name, but I said the Japanese guy from Shogun literally said it when you know they have panels of each one of you when they're announced it and [ __ ] because they want to see the other guys, you know what I want to see one day? I want to see somebody like, let's say the three of us are nominated for something and it shows you and it shows me and it shows you and you're trying to act nonchalant like you don't give a [ __ ] One day I want to see somebody just go [ __ ] [laughter] you know what I mean? In one of those things [gasps] that would be awesome. I've only been to the Emmys once and it was when Phil Hartman died and he was nominated. So we all as a a cast went and I I'll never forget this because he didn't win and uh Dave Foley looks over at me and he goes, "What the [ __ ] does he have to do to win?" >> Right. [laughter] Right. Right. Exactly. >> It was, but it was so funny in the moment. The guy had just gotten [ __ ] beloved guy murdered this big giant horrible thing. His wife kills herself afterwards. >> And we're all sitting there and he just looks at me goes, "What the [ __ ] does the guy have to do to [laughter] win? >> I'm like, I'm out. I'm out forever. I don't want to come back. >> Leave me alone. Keep me out of this [ __ ] chaos." The worst thing you could ever do is get sucked into it and then play to that and then do stuff specifically to try to win awards like >> ew. What have you become? Ew. >> I know. >> They got you. >> Yeah. >> They got you. And they can get you. They can get any of us. Just like crack. Crack can get anybody. All you have to
do is smoke it a few times. >> Yeah. >> It'll get you. Oh, for sure. The thing I think it's kind of crazy with you because you're one of the most legitimate overnight successes ever. >> Like a lot of people were overnight successes, but it was kind of like a slow drip and then something kicked and oh wow, now it's something big. It's like man, Slingblade came out and all of a sudden you were all over the [ __ ] news. It was like everywhere. It's like >> and that's the wildest ride that anybody can be on >> because also this is the ride before the internet, right? So there were not nearly as many famous people. >> Sure. >> That's the thing. If you think about >> a movie star back then was so different than a famous person today, >> right? >> Because there's tick tock celebrities and reality TV celebrities and it's just >> there's so many famous people. It's an it's a unsto. It's like an unprecedented number of people's clamoring for attention. >> Yeah. >> So to be a Billy Bob Thornton when Slingblade came out was a crazy spot in life because there's only like 20 of you [ __ ] out there. >> Yeah. >> There's like 20 famous actors. Yeah. Like maybe 50. >> Oh yeah. >> That anybody that you could get people to name and you're one of the 50. Like holy. >> Yeah. Back then, back then, if you were number 18 on the top 20 list of actors, you're pretty far down the [ __ ] row, >> right? Yeah. Right. It's crazy, right? If you think about it. >> Oh, yeah. >> Because being famous then was a very different thing than being famous now. >> It was. It was very famous. I mean, now people are famous because they're socialites. They go to parties and stuff >> or they're the Kardashians is famous for being famous and no one can explain it. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. But it's like that bizarre world >> that there's no class you can take to navigate that. No, >> no one can help you.
>> No one's going to no one can tell you like what to do and what not to do. First of all, it's a new thing. Like literally new, right? >> You know, by the time Sling Blade, what year was Sling Blade? >> Might have been 95 came out in 96. So films are much less than a hundred years old. So films are really like real films where people know who the actor is. You know what is who's the first film star? Buster Keaton is silent. Then you got Charlie Chaplain, >> right? >> It's real [ __ ] recent, man. It's real recent in the zeitgeist of the world. >> Yeah. >> And then you're one of them and knowing what the [ __ ] is this? >> Yeah. It it's unbelievable. I mean, when I would work on sets early on with people that I grew up watching, you know, and I'm just like, "Wow," you know, I'm standing next to Andy Griffith or whoever it was, Robert Redford, you know, >> and uh now you start to realize that you're in a a group in an age group of actors who are looked at by 20 year olds or 30 year olds like I looked at those guys cuz they say this stuff to me. I've been watching you since you I was a little kid, you know, and all this kind of stuff and uh it's it's an odd feeling. The only thing is and maybe I'm I'm off base here, but I think because and once again social media has a lot to do with it. I believe I don't think that bec because of our lack of uh younger generations lack of of history you know their knowledge how far history goes back to them I don't think uh you know a hundred years from now generations will look at us the way we looked at Humphrey Bogart and Frederick March and all these different people Spencer Tracy Betty Davis, you know, whoever it was. >> I don't think it's as important. Goes back to the access too much access, too much exposure. >> Yeah. And I just don't believe that in the history books uh even you know 30 years from now let's say they'll look at me or Quaid or Cosner or who whoever it is uh as the Bogarts and the Tracy's that we that we rever
>> uh only because society's changed so much and >> but is that a bad thing because they still like people love you and They still love Cosner and they still love Quaid and they still love all these people. It's just you know them more that they're human beings now, >> right? Yeah. I don't think that's a bad thing. >> It's a different thing though. >> It's a different thing. >> It's a different thing. >> It's a very different thing. >> A movie star back then like Clint Eastwood in his prime, you know, like that's a different that's a different thing. Like you never saw that guy >> outside. It was like it wasn't like he was, you know, doing YouTube videos and >> sitting down talking to people. Well, I think the difference is is with Eastwood or any of those guys, Dval or uh but you'd be surprised how many people if I named Robert Dval or Gene Hackman, how many people I talked to who don't know who they are, you know, >> that's crazy. >> I worked with a 35-year-old costumeumer and I said we were doing a photo shoot at the time. We had four guys uh on who made the records who are in the band and uh uh I said, "Hey, there's four of us here doing the photo shoot. which one of us would be Ringo? And this girl, she's 35 years old. And this is not that long ago, 10, 12 years ago. And I said, "Ringo?" She goes, "What's that?" I said, "The Beatles." She goes, "Oh, I've heard of the Beatles." And I'm like, "Yeah." [laughter] Uh, yeah. It's like hearing of George Washington, you know. But anyway, so and I said, "Can you name any of the Beatles?" And she goes, "No, but weren't they like some kind of" And I said, "They were a band who started every [ __ ] thing we do nowadays." And I couldn't believe it. And she was like a hip girl with like orange hair and [ __ ] nose rings and cheek rings and everything else. But it just seems to me that people's history is it's it's kind of it's become different. like our history when I was you know listening to you know whoever Cream or Jimmyi Hendris or Traffic or whatever I still knew who Billy Holiday
and Jimmy Rogers is singing Breakman were you know now people a lot of people think Aussie Osborne was just a guy on reality show it's like no he was in a band called Black Sabbath way back in the late 60s >> and um I I think history's important for us you know uh I think if you don't know where [ __ ] comes from, you know? Uh I think it's part of what you put into your art or your influences and also to see what they went through to get where they were, you know. I just think it's important. I mean, with anybody, politicians, how many people know that Benjamin Franklin, you know, Benjamin Franklin, oh, he's a guy who flew a kite and, you know, discovered how to make electricity come to some other place or whatever. Uh but you know, they were fighting over states, you know, uh when there weren't that many states. And uh it's like, well, wait a minute, we're New York. We got way more people than you do in, you know, Virginia or whatever it was. And uh so we get more representatives and senators, you know, uh than they do, you know, they only get one or whatever. Well, Benjamin Franklin comes in, who's one of my heroes. He made sense about [ __ ] He comes in and he says, "Tell you what, how about you have more state representatives than they do uh because you got more people in your state, but how about as in terms of the Senate, everybody gets two and then you get more representatives and they're all like, okay, you know, makes sense." I mean, that's those are the kind of guys I like, you know? >> Yeah. Well, history is important, but I think one of the problems with people today is like there's so much information coming at you that everybody has Tik Tok brain >> and young people in particular. Like it's it's very difficult for them to get a sense of history when they're being inundated by very short attention span content all day long. They're just getting fed nonsense. So, it's hard for them to actually read something or sit down and have the attention to get into something and really get fascinated by or watch a good documentary on somebody or [snorts] >> read a book on somebody. It's >> they they're just checking their phone all the time. They're always checking
their goddamn phone. They're addicted to these [ __ ] things. >> Yeah. >> And they can't help and growing up that way, >> like you and I grew up without it. >> So, you get to see it and how it's affecting the way people view the world. And it's not good. >> It's not good. It's it's it's certainly not good for creating future versions of Ringo Stars and John Lennens because it's like >> what do you have to say if you don't have any understanding of what's going on and what's ever gone on >> and it's addictive like you said earlier because >> you know I I put these things down and yet I've got the [ __ ] thing with me all the time >> you know and and if I if I get out in the middle of you know the desert in California someplace and know where the [ __ ] I am you know I'm like trying call home and [ __ ] you know, whatever. But, uh, I mean, I lived most of my life without that. And, uh, having to see if you had any [ __ ] change left to because you had to call somebody to pay phone. >> Uh, we had a thing in LA called the Thomas Guide. >> You had the Thomas Guide where you had to look up [ __ ] Had all of LA County, San Bernardino County, all of it was in there. >> It's a book. Big old book. >> Big old book. and you had to look on these maps which are confusing and [ __ ] and uh if you took a GPS away now from people nobody would ever get to work on time nobody would find the [ __ ] place they're supposed to have a meeting because you also can't stop at a gas station anymore I mean you know remember when you would didn't know where the [ __ ] you were and you'd stop over at the gas station and you'd go yeah I'm trying to get to 1625 Wilson Street you know you know where that is supposed to be I like the sawmill. You know, some guy would go, "Yeah, okay." Yeah. What you going to want to do? >> He would take pride in being able to give you directions, >> right? Absolutely. >> Yeah. It was a big thing. Like a guy who could give you directions to place.
That's a cool guy. >> Yeah. Absolutely. >> I'm going to tell you how to get there. This is what you get. You get on the 405. You're going to get on exit 16, >> right? >> Yeah. They knew that [ __ ] >> Yeah. >> I mean, now I mean, I know LA inside and out. I could be a cab driver there. But, uh, or I should say Uber driver now, I guess. But, uh, >> cabs anymore, >> but one way or the other, uh, you know, if if you're someplace else, I mean, I, you know, I use it, too. It's like, but if you took GPS away, it would run people bad [ __ ] crazy. >> Yep. Yeah. You know, >> and if you took away the ability to just press someone's name on your phone to call them, if you had to remember their number >> Oh, yeah. We had to remember numbers. >> I I still remember numbers. >> Well, you have a great memory >> from my hometown. I mean, >> yeah, >> I still to this day, >> I rarely uh in other words, I can take my phone and I can type in the people that I call on a regular basis. I can type in their numbers. I know their numbers. But it is true that if like my wife, she'll she'll say, "Well, I don't have so and so in my contacts or whatever, you know, it' be somebody we know really well." I'm like, "Learn the damn number." I told my our daughter, I said, "Look, when you're at college, you need to have my number in your head all the time and your mother's, you know." >> Yeah. >> Know the numbers, you know, >> especially if you get arrested. >> You're right. >> You [laughter] know, for sure. >> You got to be >> You got one call, dude. Nobody knows how to do that anymore. Like you who who am I going to call? I have [ __ ] no idea. [laughter] >> I know like three people's numbers. >> Yeah. It's um it's a it's like being a an overweight person that's addicted to food because you have to eat to stay alive. So, you're going to have to do some of the thing you're addicted to no matter what. It's not like gambling.
You're a gambling addict. Stay out of the casino. You're going to be okay. >> You know what I mean? But like if you had to still go to the casino every day and gamble a little. Yeah. >> But you were a gambling addict. That's a crazy [ __ ] problem to have. And that's a problem that every young person has with their phone. They're all addicted to their phone. >> Yeah. Completely addicted. >> And you know, all of us, too. I'm addicted to my phone. Yeah. >> And you're you're using it every day because you have to get places, you have to call people, you have to text, you have to check your email. So it's always there >> and you just have to develop some sort of a relationship with it that's not crazy. >> Yeah, that's true. And and people it it goes from mild addiction to severe addiction to internet creating uh uh this environment where people actually kill themselves. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> I mean it's that big a spectrum, you know what I mean? And uh you know people talk about getting cancelled all the time on this stuff and it's like how about if you don't give a [ __ ] you know if you do I'm not on social media. I I don't deal with it. I mean I you know the band has an Instagram you know but I don't run it. You know they put pictures of me taking the garbage out. You know that's what [laughter] that's what that's what people want to see. They don't want to see your picture on stage. You know, they want to see that you're just this regular dude with your ass cracked showing, taking the garbage down the hill to the >> normal [ __ ] eating chicken fried steak. >> They love that normal [ __ ] Yeah, >> that's true. Well, they want to know that you're [ __ ] normal. Like everybody >> Oh, I'm subnormal. >> But there's also the problem where people are putting up stuff to make themselves look cool. >> Like everybody's trying to look cool online. Oh, yeah. >> You know, it's just a what a weird thing to try to do all the time. And they got liquify. That's one thing where you can make yourself skinny. >> Oh boy, that's a problem.
>> Yeah, >> that's a problem too with a lot of young ladies because they see that and then they think that that's attainable, right? >> And then what's wrong with me? I look normal >> and they realize like, well, she looks normal, too. She's got some crazy [ __ ] program turning her into >> this bizarre form of human that doesn't exist in the wild. >> Absolutely. Yeah. >> Yeah. It's uh Jonathan Hate wrote about that where you see as the in the beginning of social media you see automat almost instantly rather a giant amount of young ladies that experience self harm, cutting, depression, suicidal ideiation, actual suicide. It all ramps up at the same time that social media does >> because you're comparing yourself to someone's life that's a very distorted version of reality. >> Yeah. distorted like rosecolored glasses propaganda version of reality that this person wants you to know how cool they are. Look at me. I'm with a girl in a bikini and I'm sitting on a Ferrari with a stack of hundreds. [ __ ] you. You're like, "Wow, >> how am I not that guy? I'm just a loser. [laughter] I should jump in front of a [ __ ] train." And there's a face, you know, when you're when you're feeding a baby, there's something I guess it's from our, you know, it's in our DNA or something, but you feed a baby and you go, >> you open your mouth and they say that that probably came from you're showing the baby what to do. >> Right. Right. >> But it's it's you somebody yawns, you yawn, right? And you feed the baby like this. There's a thing with these selfies that people take on the internet that they can't not go [laughter] >> face. Yeah. >> It's that face. >> Yeah. >> You know, >> it's very bizarre. I did a bit about that in my act about imagine seeing a photo from like the early 1900s where a girl's like this, >> right? [laughter]
>> Like what? She's a [ __ ] time traveler. This is so strange. Like the invention of the selfie. >> Exactly. >> Uh my daughters are on Snapchat and they snap each they snap all their friends. >> So they This is how they communicate. They rarely text. >> They just make Snapchats and they just have >> like in front of the camera >> and then they take a picture and like, "Oh my god, so bored, right?" >> You know, whatever. Whatever it is. This is how they're communicating with each other through selfies. >> It is >> very weird. >> Yeah. Every everything is in snippets. Mhm. >> And and the fact that, you know, if you have a TV uh service that has, you know, 1,800 channels, >> uh, and I find myself doing it. >> I sit at home. Yeah. I got it on the, you know, Cincinnati, >> uh, you know, Pittsburgh game. watch a few minutes and it's like, okay, here, you know, it's it's first down there on their 18, you know, flip it over to the Chargers game, you know what I mean? And and just go back and forth. And I I grew up with three [ __ ] channels, you know, >> and so you had to watch everything all the way through. And I'm convinced that that's the reason that trivia is easier for people that grew up with very little because you remember every [ __ ] bit of it, >> right? >> Now, now you're only you're only you've only got like a few seconds on each thing and it's like I mean now it's like you're watching even if it's your team something else happens. Then somebody text you start doing that. Next thing you know, like you know, I'm a Colts fan, you know, doing this everything. Next thing you know, oh, the game was Oh, that's right. There were only three and a half minutes. I didn't see the end of the game. >> Yeah. >> You know, and uh or I changed it over to, you know, Rawhide on the old guy channel or whatever for [laughter] a few minutes. You know what I mean? >> I I was thinking about that once about
podcasts that the podcasts are one of the only times where [clears throat] I'm never distracted by anything but the conversation. And I think it's one of the reasons why I like it so much. >> Yeah. >> And the same thing is uh when I do commentary for the UFC, >> I'm talking about the fight. So I can't be looking at my phone. I'm not answering texts. I'm not like checking emails. I'm not looking at TikTok. I'm just locked in on what what is happening for six hours. Oh yeah. And so those if you could find a thing where you can have a break, escape from the clutches of all the information that's in the rest of the world coming at you, all all the [ __ ] bad news and all the >> guns and tits and everything that's coming at you from all over the world. >> Yeah, >> it's um very beneficial. >> It's your brain. >> And I love the fact that your show has >> it's you sit for a few hours. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, when do you get a chance to do this? I mean, and that's, you know, I came late to podcast, but [clears throat] I remember doing uh God, I can't remember who I I did Norm's uh podcast and I did uh one other guy did his podcast and then those were the first ones I did. Kevin Pollock, I did Kevin's. I didn't even know what it meant at the time. And since then, you know, I've done a few, but I like them, too. It's literally like the only place you are where the interviewer doesn't check their [ __ ] phone. >> Yeah. >> I mean, I literally I do interviews with people who while I'm answering what they just asked me, they text somebody back or look at it for a second and it's like, >> hang on a second. It's like, how important is this to you that that that it's more important to let Mitsy know that you'd rather have spaghetti tonight, [laughter] you know? I mean, [ __ ] hell. >> Well, it's also you're completely breaking whatever bond that you have in the conversation. It's not it's two people >> exchanging information, talking to each other, and you have to look at each other in the eye. You got to feel with
this person. It's a dance. And if you stop in the middle of the dance, >> Yeah. Like if you were on a date with someone, you're telling them some crazy story and that's really important to you and they're just like, "Yeah, wow. [laughter] Amazing." Like, "Well, that's good for your ego, right? This >> is over. This is There's no sense in continuing any further with this relationship." >> Oh, right. It's like It's like, "Honey, >> um, >> were you serious when you said you love me more than anyone?" Hang on a sec. Hang a second. >> Yeah. Hold on. >> Yeah. What we say? >> Oh, yeah. Oh, absolutely. I love you more than anybody I ever loved. I just barely love anybody. >> Yeah. Right. >> And [laughter] I'm kind of mildly interested in everybody. >> And that's sort of what's happening today. We're mildly interested [laughter] in everybody and we love almost nobody. >> Yeah. It's weird. >> That is weird. >> It's a weird time. >> But um the only way we're going to get through it that we're that makes any sense is you got to say things like that. We have to figure out how to navigate it. It's new. Yeah. Yeah, you know, just like I was saying that when you were uh a movie star, the first time you were became a movie star through Slingblade, that's a new experience just period in human civilization. Becoming a movie star is very recent. >> Yeah, >> it's hard. And this is this thing of everything being online. This thing of everybody having access to all this [ __ ] information coming at you. All this media, all this all these opinions and all this stuff to watch and car accidents and animal attacks and this is new. >> This is a completely so >> almost like the [ __ ] that you had to go through when you became famous through Slingblade. The whole world's got to go through this new type of thing with phones. That's true. And with social media and with the internet in general and we're not ready. We don't know what we don't know how to do it yet. And
people are giving classes on how to manage it. And there's apps that can limit your time on certain things. You can cut yourself off, >> right? >> We don't know what we're doing. This is [ __ ] new as [ __ ] >> And just like fame, a lot of people are going to get wrecked by it. >> Yes. Totally. because it's a completely alien way of being like a person that becomes especially I was I'm friends with Ricky Schroeder known Ricky for like 25 30 years >> and there is no way anybody becomes famous at like six >> Mhm. and makes it out. Okay. >> Right. >> It's not possible. >> Right. >> Like I the way I I liken it to making cement, but you don't put enough water in. Like you So, it's always going to be [ __ ] >> Sure. >> There's a part that's never a norm. You had a normal life and then or semi-normal, whatever. Whatever normal means. >> I wasn't normal, but I wasn't a movie star. >> You weren't famous [laughter] and then became famous. But if you're famous from the time you're a [ __ ] baby and your whole life you're in the public eye growing up, that's insane. >> It is insane. >> Whether it's Miley Cyrus or, you know, you look at poor Britney Spears losing her [ __ ] marbles. What do you expect? Nobody gets through that. Okay. >> What happened to those? Remember the kids that did that show? Was it Different Strokes >> and like a couple of them? >> Yep. Like one girl, she, you know, robbed a liquor store or something and then became a dope hooker and then, you know, dies young. Uh, and one of the guys on there also, you know, I think he got got on drugs and then eventually died. >> Some of them kill themselves. It's >> I'm I'm really happy that my success in terms of being famous anyway came at a later age. Uh, I I actually really relish that, you know, that I did not become famous when I was 19,
>> right? >> Or 16 or whatever it was. >> Cuz at that point with my state of mind in those days and just just doing everything I wanted, you know, I would have been dead by now, >> right? >> There's no doubt about it. I would have never made it to 30. >> Yeah. And if you did, you'd have so much regret. [laughter] What did I do? What the [ __ ] did I do? Exactly. Why did I do that? >> Oh, yeah. >> Because you lost your mind. Yeah. Because you were famous at 8 years old. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. If you've, you know, I I It's kind of an old guy thing to say, but uh you know, everything I got, I earned it. And I'm glad I did. You know, I'm glad I didn't have a hell of a lot of help along the way that I just persevered and did this stuff. But I think that knowing what work is before you get famous really helps you out in your life. I mean, you know, I worked at a sawmill, a machine shop. I hauled heavy equipment, hauled hay when I was 13. Yeah, I did all that [ __ ] And I mean, stuff that looking back on it, it's like I don't even know how I did it half the time. I worked as a carpenters's helper. And uh so I if I hadn't done all that stuff, if all I had known was the entertainment business, I think that would drive any [ __ ] body crazy, you know? I don't think I would have made it through that. If you know, like looking at the the real world out there from a place where you never experienced the real world. >> Right. Right. Like you're talking about Ricky and all that stuff. It's like if your only experience has been people getting your [ __ ] juice box for you, >> you know, or whatever it is, >> then and you get used to that [ __ ] too. I'm telling you, these days, my wife thinks I I'm the most helpless son of a [ __ ] in the world. And in some ways, I am. I mean, I get into an airport and I I used to go to [ __ ] airports before I was famous. [laughter] I knew where to go. I knew where to put my [ __ ] you know? Now I'll go in there and I look like I'm It's like Logan's run. I look, you I get out and I'm look like, where the [ __ ]
are we now? You know, and I'll ask, you know, my assistant or publicist or somebody. I'm like, well, can I take this bag on there or is this one where's the thing we go through? Do I need to do this? Do I need to do that? You know, and it's like, I know [ __ ] well what I have to do, >> but you're used to people doing things for you. You get used to it. Yeah. >> I mean, you get used to somebody driving you someplace. I'm a driver. I grew up. I raised [ __ ] cars. I'm a muscle car guy. Now, we go someplace. I ask my wife to drive. It's like, well, you know, maybe it's cuz I'm old. Maybe because when I walk up and downstairs now, it's a psychological thing. Physically, I'm very fit. I mean, I can do [ __ ] whatever I want to. If I got to run and sing or whatever, I'm fine. something psychological happens to you when you get like 68 or 69. And Tom Mayhew, our tour manager for the band, he he and I were talking about it. We were talking about how now when we get in a shower, you know, like we're in a hotel, and you get in a shower, you grab the [ __ ] handicap rail and you go really slow. And I don't have to, but I do because something up here tells me, here's my age. Now, if I fall, I'll be dead in 6 weeks cuz I'll break my hip and then I'll get pneumonia and I'm done. And I'm like, I don't I feel 19, but for some reason going downstairs now, I don't just hop down the stairs anymore. I take it one stair at a time. You know, it's not real. And it's not real that I don't know how to get around a [ __ ] airport. None of that shit's real. And yet something happened to me [laughter] where I think now I'm just this helpless [ __ ] old man who, you know, is going to have to have my caretaker [ __ ] you know, get me to the gig, you know? And then I go on stage and I'm just like, you know, [laughter] it's like, wait a [ __ ] minute, you know, walking up the steps to the stage, I'm just like, you know, and I get up there and [ __ ] go out to the edge of the stage and slap hands and [ __ ] If I fell off that [ __ ] thing, it' kill me instantly. But I do it. So, none of that shit's real. >> It's weird, >> right? >> Well, it's weird when people defy it,
right? >> No. >> Like, uh, I saw the Rolling Stones when they came to Austin a couple years ago at KOD. So, it's like 100,000 people or something out there. It was nuts. And I swear to God, it was like an out-of- body experience cuz you can't believe you're actually seeing MC Jagger, right? >> You're like, that's him. That's really him. He's really up [laughter] there. But he's [ __ ] he's a thousand years old. But your lip, baby. He's dancing and moving around. He's got two [ __ ] trailers. Two trailers that he brings with him everywhere he goes. It's just workout equipment. >> Yeah. >> That [ __ ] gets after it every day, they say. >> Absolutely. >> He's like, "This is the only way. If you don't do that, it'll fall apart and then you got nothing." >> For sure. >> But he's out there like he's 30 years old. Oh, yeah. It's nuts. >> It's really amazing to watch. >> I mean, like I said, we just open for the who. >> Yeah. Right. And Roger and Pete are, you know, they're 80, 81, whatever. Crazy, you know, and uh >> they're the [ __ ] who still up there singing their ass off, playing their ass off, you know? >> That's another new thing. Like when we were kids, there was no old rock stars. >> No, [laughter] >> they all died. >> Most of them were dead by 29, >> right? 27. >> 27 was the year. >> Jim Morrison, >> Joplin, they all died at like 27. Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. Wow. Kurt Cobain. >> Oh, yeah. >> Yeah. They all died young. So, when we were kids, there was no touring bands that were like 70 years old out there on the road. >> [ __ ] No. Killing it. >> And we're more popular than we've ever been, >> you know. And so, [laughter] um, >> it's all [ __ ] >> It's all It's all in your head. >> It's all in your head. And
>> but, you know, and not only were there not rock stars when we were growing up that were even many over 40, >> right? uh aside from the ones who died, age has changed a little bit. I mean, like, you know, if you look at my dad's high school uh yearbook, these [ __ ] look when they were 17, they look like they were 55. [laughter] >> You know what I mean? >> Hard living. >> Yeah. And like a man in those days, my dad died at 44 years of age. I thought he was an old man. >> Wow. you know, >> and uh when I think of 44 now, it's like, are you [ __ ] me? That's like babies. And but 50 and 60 and 70 meant something different. >> Yeah. >> When I was growing up. Now 70 is kind of like I mean, you know, a guy like Sam or Deval, they look at me and I'm still like a kid to them and [ __ ] you know. >> That's crazy. and 70 year olds. And you know, I think it's a lot of it is, you know, I I eat real healthy and uh I actually had a holistic doctor tell me that uh because I'm allergic to a lot of [ __ ] It's not like I got something against eating cows. I'd love to, but I have typeAB negative blood means you don't have many digestive enzymes. And so I just get [ __ ] you know, indigestion and get all [ __ ] up and bloated. I just grew up because I ate everything growing up. I mean, [ __ ] in Arkansas, Texas. And I just grew up thinking that that when you eat, you feel like [ __ ] I just [laughter] thought that's the way it was. I thought said, "Yeah, this thing's overrated. [ __ ] I feel like hell, you know." But, uh, now I eat really healthy and I eat fish and turkey and, you know, vegetables and fruit and beans and rice and stuff. >> So, it's a red meat issue with you? >> Yeah. I can't have beef or pork. >> So, I I can have turkey and fish. uh and they digest easier. But uh but I think you know people are uh and especially if you're in the entertainment business you kind of keep a younger mind and uh also eating healthy and but this but this holistic doctor I was talking about uh I was talking about the and this is really
unpopular to say uh but uh not my words I was actually told this and I was saying look you know I don't smoke a pack of cigarettes a day I I smoke probably 3/4ers of a pack, you know, unless, you know, we're on the road and I'm on the bus with the guys, you know, now I smoke like an old Buick sometimes, but um you know, I drink light beer. I don't drink hard alcohol, stuff like this. And this holistic doctor said, you know, stress is one of the worst things in the world for you if smoking a few cigarettes a day with that don't have chemicals in them and you're drinking light beer, which like I said in land, man, you know, has has less alcohol than [ __ ] orange juice, you know? Uh you have a few of those day a day and and have a few smokes. And if if that alleviates your stress, especially me being high anxiety, he says it's probably healthier for you to just keep doing that. >> Yeah. They say that's one of the worst things ever. >> Ra you're rising cortisol, stress, anxiety. It wears on your nerves, your nervous system. >> Yeah. >> And then loneliness. >> They say loneliness is worse than smoking. >> Yeah. >> For your overall health. If you smoked a pack and a half a day, you'd be way better off. just doing that than being lonely. >> Look how many spouses die a few months after uh their their husband or wife died. >> That my grandfather that's what happened when his wife died. When my grandmother died, he he died like within a year he was gone. He was fine before that. You know, he was actually her caretaker. He was taking care of her. >> And then when she's gone, he was dead in a year. >> Yeah. Happens all day. >> Died of grief. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. That that old saying, you could die for a broken heart. I believe it. >> That's real. That's real. the sadness and also it's like why am I still here? >> She's gone. I'm 90. Like what is this?
>> What are we doing here? >> Yeah. >> You know, let's >> let's call it a quit. >> Call it a show. >> Um listen, man, we just did three hours. So, I think this is awesome. >> That was a lot of fun. I really appreciate you. Thank you for doing this. >> I mean, I hope I didn't [ __ ] anything up. I >> No, it was great, man. It was great. It was awesome. [clears throat] I love your show. I love everything you've done, man. So, it was it was a pleasure. Well, it's a pleasure to be here. >> Thank you very much. >> All right.