Joe Rogan Experience #679 - Barry Crimmins & Bobcat Goldthwait

Episode Summary

Main Topics Discussed

• The Boston Stand-Up Comedy Scene: Barry Crimmins' pivotal role in establishing and fostering a supportive, yet demanding, comedy community at the legendary Ding Ho club in Boston during the 1980s.
• Comedy Development and Stagecraft: The unique challenges and benefits of performing in tough environments like Boston, the importance of opening with strong material, and memorable stories of audience interaction (both genuine and manipulated).
• Documentaries and Personal Revelation: Discussion of Bobcat Goldthwait's film God Bless America and Barry Crimmins' documentary Call Me Lucky, particularly the latter's delicate handling of Barry's childhood trauma.
• Coping with Trauma: Barry's experience of surviving childhood sexual abuse, its impact on his life, and the process of sharing his story publicly, including Bobcat's emotional reaction.
• Psychedelic Experiences: Extensive sharing of anecdotes and insights regarding LSD, DMT, and Ayahuasca, including Barry's unique role as an "LSD Radir" who helped people through bad trips.
• Rural Living and Reflection: Barry's decision to move to Upstate New York for peace, solitude, and a break from the constant input of city life.
• Critique of Mainstream Media: Observations on bland, inauthentic media personalities and the contrast with comedians who "stand for something."

Key Insights & Memorable Moments

• Barry Crimmins emphasized creating a welcoming environment for new comics at the Ding Ho, believing that treating them with respect would lead to better performances and a thriving scene, which ultimately produced an "incredible amount of great talent."
• A legendary "phantom laughs" story recounted by Bobcat, where an open mic comedian believed he was "killing" while the audience was actually mocking him, an "evil and very Dada" moment.
• Joey Diaz's infamous prank at The Comedy Store, where he would flash his genitals behind the curtain on a woman's punchlines, making her think she was getting huge laughs, leading to an undeserved confidence boost.
• Bobcat Goldthwait's film God Bless America was described as a "violent movie about kindness," where the protagonist seeks to correct societal wrongs.
• The documentary Call Me Lucky intentionally delayed revealing Barry's childhood rape until later in the film, allowing the audience to empathize with him as a person first, rather than leading with his trauma.
• Bobcat Goldthwait's "awful relief" upon learning about Barry's childhood trauma, realizing it explained years of his friend's underlying anger and pain, and how conventional advice to "talk about it" often falls short.
• Barry Crimmins revealed his past role as an "LSD Radir," someone called upon to help others navigate and recover from bad acid trips, using humor and grounding techniques.
• Barry expressed deep appreciation for Joe Rogan's evolution, saying, "you found what you're supposed to be talking about you found what you're supposed to be Illuminating people about and then you found a way to become tremendous at it."

Notable Quotes or Revelations

• Barry Crimmins on the Boston scene: "anybody that walked in the ding I tried to make sure they were traded well and given a fair chance... people who feel like they're somebody are going to act like they're somebody and they're going to do a good job."
• Bobcat Goldthwait on Barry's influence: "The strongest member of the community is really where the community lies and that's where that's where the standards are set. And so you were very very important guy to me when I was coming up Joe."
• Bobcat Goldthwait on God Bless America: "I like to say it's a violent movie uh about kindness."
• Barry Crimmins on coping with trauma and unhelpful advice: "I [ __ ] thought I was talking to you man... I got to go pay somebody $200 to be put on pharmaceutical dry ice and so until I sto talking about it that's your plan right well listen [ __ ] had I'm going to keep talking about it not to you goodbye."
• Barry Crimmins on his rural home: "My house is like I finally have the ideal place to do some acid."
• Barry Crimmins describing his role as an "LSD Radir": "when someone would be buming out on acid I would get the call they're buming out... I would get in there and then I would like have them laughing in a while like I would do stuff like get me a temple orange."
• Bobcat Goldthwait on Barry's reputation regarding psychedelics: "Bob calls me in the movie a lifelong LSD Enthusiast like I'm doing it all the time great credibility to my in this age of drug McCarthyism [ __ ] how many people they ruined just by the I'm sorry I made you look bad oh you [ __ ] sorry." (Barry jokingly responding to being portrayed this way).

Overall Themes

• The Genesis and Evolution of Stand-Up Comedy: The episode delves into the raw, foundational years of comedy scenes, highlighting the mentorship, community spirit, and hard-knocks development that shaped influential comedians.
• Authenticity and Advocacy: A strong theme emerges around comedians who use their voice to "stand for something," challenge norms, and bring light to difficult truths, contrasting this with bland or superficial entertainment.
• Healing and Perspective: The discussion of Barry's trauma and psychedelic experiences underscores the power of confronting difficult realities, reframing perceptions, and finding personal peace and understanding.
• The Value of Solitude and Nature: Barry's move to upstate New York reflects a desire for a simpler life, emphasizing the importance of quiet reflection and escaping the constant, often overwhelming, "input" of modern society.