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This article is about the comedian and actor. For the baseball pitcher known as "Bullet Joe", see Bullet Rogan.

Joe Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American comedian and actor best known for his role as host on the TV game/reality program Fear Factor and as a cast member of the sitcom NewsRadio.

Rogan is a color commentator for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Television career 3 Career with the UFC 4 Vs. "joke thieves" 5 Conspiracy theories 6 Comedy recordings 7 Additional information 8 Notes 9 External links

Early life

Born in Newark, New Jersey, Rogan was raised in Revere, Massachusetts. Joe began practicing martial arts at the age of 13. Within two years, the Boston native earned a black belt and soon became the Massachusetts full contact Tae Kwon Do champion four consecutive years. By the age of 19, Rogan won the US Open Tae Kwon Do Championship, and in true Joe Rogan fashion, the lightweight champion went on to beat both the middle and heavyweight title-holders to obtain the Grand Championship.[1]

Television career

In 1995, Joe Rogan was cast as the office handyman on the sitcom NewsRadio. He stayed on the show until it was cancelled in 1999.

Rogan was the host of NBC's Fear Factor for the series' entire run.

In 2003, Joe Rogan and comic Doug Stanhope began hosting Comedy Central's The Man Show. Following the change, ratings declined sharply and the show ceased production following the 2003 season.

He toured with John Heffron and Charlie Murphy in Maxim and Bud Light's Real Men of Comedy tour in 2006.^[1]

Career with the UFC

Rogan began working for UFC since UFC 12. Rogan has been a post-fight interviewer with the Ultimate Fighting Championship since 1997, and has been a color commentator since 2002.^[2]

Rogan and movie actor Wesley Snipes were in negotiations in late 2005 to fight a mixed martial arts match in the UFC. However, no deal was ever made.^[3]

Vs. "joke thieves"

This section documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

He has repeatedly accused Dane Cook of stealing jokes from him and comedian Louis C.K. During a conversation on the Opie and Anthony Show with Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada following the Michael Richards incident, Rogan demanded to know why certain words are not tolerated but people using stolen material is. Clips of Louis C.K. and Dane Cook were then played to support Rogan's claim that Cook has stolen material.

On February 10, 2007 at the Comedy Store on Sunset, Rogan argued on-stage with Carlos Mencia, accusing him of plagiarizing other comedians' work. According to Rogan's account, he had just finished his act and introduced the next performer, Ari Shaffir, as a comedian who opens for Carlos Menstelia^[4] . Mencia took offense and walked on the stage. Rogan then accused him of stealing jokes and falsely portraying himself as a Mexican American. The argument was backed by numerous different comedians including Ari Shaffir. The Comedy Store later cancelled Joe Rogan's shows. The entire incident was filmed as part of filming for Joe Rogan's internet reality show, JoeShow. It was then heavily edited and made available to watch or download at numerous websites, including Rogan's.^[4]

Rogan has made it crystal clear that his real pet peeve with stand-up comics is plagarism and has accused many of theft. He charged comic legends Robin Williams and Denis Leary with stealing material from the legendary Bill Hicks. "The comics I hate are thieves. Nothing's more disgusting than a guy who steals another person's ideas and tries to claim them as his own. Stand-up comedy is supposed to be 'Here's the world through my eyes.' It's supposed to be your observations, your thoughts and views on life. When you snatch little pieces of other people's lives and try to palm them off as your own, that's more disgusting than anything."

Hicks was probably one of the best comics ever out there, but had only a cult following her in the US. Hicks was making a real name for himself over in the UK, but he died just as he was on the verge of getting his own TV show.

It should be noted that both the clips played on Opie and Anthony and the video that was released from the Comedy Store were both created and their final release versions edited by Rogan. The dates presented have not been independently verified, although Mencia admitted (after denying) Ari opened for him on the given date.

Joe Rogan is currently banned from the Comedy Store for violating the club's request that he not film his internet reality show there.^[5] Furthermore, according to Rogan, his agent and publicity firm (who also represents Mencia) forced him to either apologize to Mencia or be dropped from the agency. Rogan claims he chose to leave the agency rather than apologize.^[6]

Conspiracy theories

Rogan questions the Apollo moon landings and is interested in the idea of the Apollo moon landing hoax theory, and in February 2007 he appeared twice on Penn Jillette's Penn Radio show debating author Phil Plait about the subject.^[7]

Comedy recordings

• Live from the Belly of the Beast (DVD)
• I'm Gonna Be Dead Someday (CD)
• Shiny Happy Jihad (CD) (April 10, 2007)

Additional information

• Rogan had a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, dubbed "Sick Fish", customized by Rad Rides by Troy. An episode of Rides followed the customization.
• Rogan appeared in an episode of Chappelle's Show in which Tyrone Biggums was a successful contestant on Fear Factor. He was also in the skit "New York Boobs", in which he and Chappelle walked around Times Square giving ribbons to women with large breasts.
• On September 4, 2006 after the death of Steve Irwin ("The Crocodile Hunter"), Rogan stated on the forums of his official website "The world loses a nutty animal guy, my act gains 10 minutes. I really don't see a loss here". He later removed the remark explaining that it was "a dumb throw away comment".^[8] On September 5, 2006 he posted a more in-depth piece about Irwin^[9] on the main page of his site.
• He is related to Gerard Way and Mikey Way, lead singer and bass player (respectively) of the band My Chemical Romance (Gerard and Mikey are Joe's mother's cousin's sons)

Notes

1. ^ http://www.maxim.com/realmenofcomedy?src=wiki
2. ^ http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.Detail&gid=2165
3. ^ "Celebrity UFC In The Works: Rogan Vs Snipes", MMAWeekly.com, 15 November 2005
4. ^ ^{a b} http://www.joerogan.net/main.php?archives=1&article=53945
5. ^ http://www.joerogan.net/main.php?archives=1&article=53955
6. ^ http://www.joerogan.net/main.php?archives=1&article=53981
7. ^ http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2007/02/26/joe-rogan-me-and-penn-and-the-moon-hoax-take-iii/
8. ^ http://forums.joerogan.net/showthread.php?p=1279254#post1279254
9. ^ http://www.joerogan.net/main.php?archives=1&article=50808

External links

• JoeRogan.net — Official website
• Fear Factor
• review of 'Shiny Happy Jihad'