Last updated on January 31st, 2023
We’ve talked on Discover Pods before about how a successful podcaster creates an intimate relationship with their listener. The host is bringing their listener on a journey, and that journey takes time. Much more time than reading a blog post for instance. With the Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan has mastered the interview format podcast allowing a free form conversation. So once you’ve exhausted the thousands of episodes, you need a new podcast like Joe Rogan.
Time is a finite resource that we are depleting. And as we all know, no matter how long the day seems, there aren’t any more deposits going into that timebank. Only withdrawals.
It makes sense then that one of the biggest problems with finding a new podcast is a fear of commitment.
Of committing our time to a podcast that we’re not going to like. One that isn’t going to spark joy, if you will. So why then, despite the terrifying advances in AI, are we leaving our next podcast journey up to some algorithm?
Related reading: best Joe Rogan Experience episodes
The obvious answer is that we shouldn’t. In this first in a series of how to be a better listener posts, we’re going to take a look at one of our favorite podcasts, the Joe Rogan Experience. If you like the Joe Rogan Experience, you’ll like these podcasts too.
Let’s break down the different pillars of what makes Joe’s show a solid listen. And how you can use these pillars as jumping-off points to some other podcasts you may not immediately be aware of.
So what makes a stand up comic a fantastic podcast interviewer? Let’s dive into our first pillar.
Joe Rogan’s authenticity leaps through your earbuds from the moment you hit play. Having done this for so long, the Joe Rogan Experience stands as its own entity, a vehicle unto itself. It isn’t part of a larger brand awareness or marketing hub. As such, there’s no need to build a facade on top of it.
This allows Joe a great deal of freedom to talk about whatever it is he wants to talk about with whoever he puts on the show. The resulting authenticity resonates with listeners.
Who are some other authentic comics speaking their truth?
Dax Sheppard is probably best known for his supporting role in the marriage of Kristen Bell and Dax Sheppard. But my guess is that’s fine with him. While an accomplished actor in his own right with Parenthood among others, it’s his deep conversations about the flawed human condition that shines.
Dax is pretty open about his struggles with mental health and addiction. Those experiences serve as a bedrock for enthralling discussions with his guests. Joe does this a lot as well, which is what makes Armchair Expert a great podcast like Joe Rogan.
Listen: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify
Russell Brand is the comedian we all need right now. Because the discussions he’s having with some true luminaries about some of the largest topics are both enormous and digestible. Another man that’s walked with his own demons, Brand leads with imperfection and tries to scratch beneath the surface of what we say we see to what is.
He’s been one of the best guests on Joe Rogan’s pod, so it is no surprise he’s got a podcast like Joe Rogan in terms of authenticity.
Listen: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify
A hallmark of the Joe Rogan experience is the true depth of guests he has on his show. And when they’re in the authentic space that he creates, you get some pretty exciting results. Sometimes it’s like listening to a car wreck in real-time, but you’d be hard-pressed to say that you weren’t entertained or didn’t learn something.
Are taboo subjects discussed? Most certainly. Discussions of cannabis and psychedelics border right on this side of pure advocacy. Do people get in some hot water? Ask Elon Musk. So a podcast like Joe Rogan needs to have the depth to carry on for show after show.
Click download on a JRE podcast and it doesn’t matter if he’s talking to a philosopher, a CEO, or a fellow comedian. You know the conversation is going to be stellar.
In each episode of Griefcast Caridad Lloyd takes on the daunting task of revealing some kind of truth through the shared experience of loss. This existential underpinning stands in stark relief with humor. Because, well, Caridad is a comedian and that’s what comedians are uniquely suited to do. The result is irreverent, off the cuff, and is both intimate as well as massively appealing.
Listen: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify
If you haven’t been listening to Mar Maron’s podcast, stop reading this and go download an episode right now. His interview style is every bit as unassuming and self-deprecating as you might expect if you’ve seen his stand up act.
He makes his guests feel so comfortable and disarmed that he’s able to pull anecdotes out of them in a way that is just as magical as a divining rod. That makes for a superb podcast like Joe Rogan. Comedians really are the best.
If you want to start with a gut punch, listen to his episode with Samantha Bee. The introduction of that episode was his first time behind the mic since the sudden death of his girlfriend. That’s powerful.
Listen: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify
I’ve talked before about how intimate the relationship between podcast host and podcast listener is. As a listener, you are inviting this host into your innermost sanctum. They’re broadcasting directly into the gray matter that makes up who you are. That’s about as close as it gets… so the host had better bring it.
What I love about Joe Rogan is that just about anytime I open my favorite podcast app, there’s a little notification letting me know there is a new episode ready to get my synapses firing.
There’s little more disappointing than lacing up my shoes for my morning constitutional, opening the aforementioned podcast app, and being greeted with the podcast equivalent of crickets. I don’t need my podcast host to be perfect, I just need them to show up. At least that’s what I tell my therapist.
Adam Buxton is a comedian from the UK who uses his acerbic wit to facilitate some of the most laid back conversations with some of the most influential people on the planet. It’s quite something. From politicians and renowned researchers to musicians and actors, Adam riffs on subject matter that would make you think he’s an expert… until you remember he’s just an extremely smart comedian with a cheeky accent. So relatable.
Listen: Apple Podcast | Stitcher | Spotify
Joe Rogan is a powerhouse in the podcasting world. The elements that make his show great aren’t discreetly unique to him. And if you tease out what you like about your favorite podcast then you can look for other shows that scratch that particular itch. Here I’ve distilled down the tangibles that make JRE such a good show.
And lucky for us, there are a ton of great podcasts like Joe Rogan to fill up our ear holes.
It’s unlikely that any other show is going to tick off all Joe’s boxes, but that would be a very homogenous world if another show did. But if you like the Joe Rogan Experience, you’ll like these podcasts I’ve listed here as well.
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