Arsenio Hall: Legendary comedian and former late-night host whose self-titled syndicated show (1989-1994) loosened the stiff talk-show format and famously hosted Bill Clinton playing saxophone. He is on a tour promoting his memoir, 'Arsenio.'
What this episode covers
Two comedians who came up through Mitzi Shore's Comedy Store reminisce about the craft of stand-up, the discipline of writing and bombing, and mentors like Richard Pryor and Paul Mooney. Arsenio recounts breaking the late-night mold by ditching the desk, booking Tupac, Ice-T and Prince, and walking away from the format on his own terms. The talk roams across drugs and sleep (creatine, weed, Adderall, Ambien, cocaine), the death of network late-night and the rise of long-form podcasts, and personal stories about Prince, Quincy Jones, Miles Davis and O.J. Simpson. They close on shared disgust with money in politics, the homelessness crisis, and why both prefer a scaled-down, freer life.
Recommended on this episode
Creatine
n/a (generic supplement)
“creatine is not just a supplement for muscles. Creatine is actually a really good cognitive function supplement... it's great for everybody.”— Joe Rogan
The guest's own work
Arsenio
Arsenio Hall
“then finally one day we named it Arsenio... And there's a book on tape for those who don't like to read.”— Arsenio Hall
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
The Alchemist
Paulo Coelho
“The Alchemist. I have been on page 12 for like a year and a half... read the alchemist at the top of the page and I'm out.”— Arsenio Hall
Starlink
SpaceX
“I didn't have any service out there, so I had to hook up to Starlink in order to find out what was happening.”— Joe Rogan
Coming to America
John Landis
“Coming to America was like 86 87 I left New York and went and started the show.”— Arsenio Hall
Saturday Night Fever
John Badham
“when I was a kid... Saturday Night Fever rather came out. And that's when everybody wanted to learn how to dance because John Travolta.”— Arsenio Hall
Selective Outrage
Chris Rock
“Did you watch Chris Rock live? Selective outrage.”— Arsenio Hall
Bring the Pain
Chris Rock
“they already saw his specials. It wasn't It was Bring the Pain. Everybody already knew.”— Joe Rogan
Bigger and Blacker
Chris Rock
“they already saw Bigger and Blacker. They already saw his specials.”— Joe Rogan
Naked Gun
David Zucker
“is when Naked Gun was out and I booked Lesie Neielen and we got a call from OJ's people.”— Arsenio Hall
Body Count
Ice-T
“People forgot Body Count was a metal band... Ice-T reinvented himself.”— Joe Rogan
Big reveals from this episode
- Joe admits he muddled the Charlie Kirk/Charlie Sheen timeline on a recent Theo Von episode, blaming sleep deprivation, not lying.
- Joe says he has never once tried cocaine because he watched a high-school friend's life fall apart on it.
- Arsenio recounts Richard Pryor visiting his empty condo and saying 'This reminds me of when I was happy.'
- Arsenio reveals network execs told him they wanted the show 'less black' and pushed him to drop the music and house band.
- Arsenio says executives basically wanted him to 'do Joe Rogan before there was a Joe Rogan' because just talking was cheaper.
- Arsenio tells how Prince mailed him a custom black-and-white suit with no backside as a joke after Arsenio ribbed him on air.
- Arsenio recounts O.J. Simpson showing up at Paramount's Stage 29 wanting to confront him for not booking him.
- Arsenio says a drunk O.J. told him about Nicole, 'I still love her. I've tried to give her up and I can't' shortly before her death.
Worth remembering
- Joe claims studies show 10-20g of creatine alleviates the cognitive effects of sleep deprivation.
- Paul Anka wrote the theme music for The Tonight Show.
- Clinton playing saxophone on Arsenio's show as a candidate is credited with changing how people run for president.
- Ice-T's Cop Killer was performed by his metal band Body Count, a fact many fans forget.
- Prince attached his Musicology album to concert tickets so every ticket sale counted as an album sale, instantly going platinum.
- Charlie Murphy's famous Chappelle's Show stories described Prince as a genuinely great basketball player.
- Quincy Jones used Sheila E tinging water-filled pop bottles as a sound layer on Michael Jackson's Off the Wall.
- Quincy Jones discovered singer James Ingram, an Ohio native, via a demo scratch track of 'One Hundred Ways.'
- Byron Allen's 'Comics Unleashed' was announced as the replacement for Colbert's Late Show.
- Joe describes how problem populations were historically pushed into downtown LA, creating the 50-block Skid Row.