Love Him or Hate Him, Here's What Joe Rogan Has Done For the Comedy Industry

You may not agree with Joe's political opinions, how he expresses himself, or who he chooses to share his platform with.

Joe Rogan performing standup comedy.Photo byMICHAEL S. SCHWARTZ/GETTY IMAGES

But, the 25-year comedy vet has done more for the industry than any other standup in recent history.

Standup comedy has been around since the medieval ages, with court jesters performing a version of the art form to keep order amongst monarchs. Pointing out the absurdities in life, and being able to make light of them, is important for society to thrive -- keeping even the most powerful figures in check.

And, with a prevalence of political correctness and censorship culture, we've seen a pendulum swing, triggering a spike in the popularity of standup comedy not seen since the 1980s -- back when legends like Rodney Dangerfield, Richard Pryor, and George Carlin were household names.

But, as comedy moved more mainstream and large corporations became involved, the sharp wit of its stars slowly dulled as they were offered movie roles, millions of dollars, and became public figures.

Recently, to the elation of comedy fans around the world, we've begun seeing a resurgence in the art of unfiltered comedy. And, although the credit can't be given solely to one individual, it's been largely influenced by Joe Rogan and the media behemoth that is his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience.

Originally inspired by cult heroes like Sam Kinison and Andrew Dice Clay, Joe Rogan has always enjoyed a raunchy style of comedy. He yells, swears, and makes aggressive animal noises as he acts out lewd scenes on stage.

But, it's not his stage work that has changed comedy -- it's the community of comedians he's created. In an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Joe shares how he too, at an early age, fell into the trap of jealousy so many other comedians do:

"When I was an amateur, I would see guys that were killing and I'd be like, "F*ck him, like why is he doing good?" ... and then I remember thinking, 'This is a gigantic waste of time... if someone does well I can be inspired.'"

Over the years, Joe has adopted an abundance mindset and decided to use others' success as fuel for his own exploits. And, for the better part of 3 decades, has continued to preach this mentality, bringing more and more comedians on his show, lifting others up, and advocating for a community of comedians who support each other's work.

Following suit, podcasting has become the backbone of rising standup comedians everywhere, and hosts often frequent each other's shows to promote their standup dates, specials, and talk shop. Most recently, Joe Rogan opened up a new comedy club, Comedy Mothership, where he looks to nurture new comedic talent in Austin Texas.

More than anything, Joe speaks his mind and people enjoy seeing him grow, in real-time.

"It also represents my own quest to figure out my own life and do it publicly... it helps other people when you hear that because you go, "Ok, I'm not alone."

Joe's stark shift in mindset and subsequent rise in influence has undoubtedly contributed to the boom the comedy industry is once again experiencing. And, he relates this mental shift to his martial arts background.

"In martial arts... underestimating someone will get you killed."

Hey, I'm Hudson! I write about social media, marketing, and modern entrepreneurship. Hit follow for more stories like this one.