Harland Williams: Canadian comedian and actor (Dumb and Dumber, RocketMan) and longtime friend of Joe Rogan, known for surreal improvised storytelling.
What this episode covers
Harland Williams spends much of the episode performing committed comedic bits, claiming he has a pet 4-foot tapeworm named Demetri he feeds celery and faking elaborate bear, mountain-lion, and river-rescue scars and tattoos. Between the absurdist comedy, he and Rogan riff on real nature topics like predator-prey ecosystems, elk bugles, lampreys, remoras, owls, and the mystery of how fish populated the Great Lakes after the Ice Age. They also discuss the rapid pace of technology from calculators to AI, the Apple-versus-Android ecosystem war, and deja vu and simulation theory. The conversation turns serious and emotional when Rogan recounts his friendship with Phil Hartman, Hartman's troubled marriage, his murder, and a vivid closure dream. They close on the craft of comedy, joke theft, and improvising opening bits.
Recommended on this episode
The Twilight Zone
Rod Serling
“you go back watch the Twilight zones like go no production value no money for special effects incredible show”— Joe Rogan
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
Planet of the Apes
“isn't that what Planet of the Apes is all about like similar they evolve to the point where”— Joe Rogan
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
“I'll use a line from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang remember caradus pots he was the uh father to Dick van djk”— guest
Missing in Action
Chuck Norris
“those missing in action movies was all about missing PS and then we always us talk that was always a thing”— Joe Rogan
Star Trek
“the transporter Beam on Star Trek mhm I feel like you know maybe 50 years maybe a 100 years”— Joe Rogan
NewsRadio
“I remember I was on news radio with uh Dave Foley in the 90s Dave Foy is a he's a big you know computer internet technology nut”— Joe Rogan
Motorola Razr
Motorola
“I remember I had one of those razor phones I thought I was James Bond yeah you could express yourself with them the Razor phone was the”— guest
Dune
“that's like Dune right that's like the worm and dune there is a movie what's it called”— Joe Rogan
Big reveals from this episode
- Harland says he served two tours in Vietnam, then reveals it was a comedic setup about tour buses, not the war.
- Harland claims he has a real 4-foot pet tapeworm named Demetri that he feeds celery and feta cheese (a running comedy bit).
- Harland's bear-attack and mountain-lion 'scars' and chest tattoo are revealed to be elaborate fake props for a gag.
- Rogan recounts a vivid, realistic dream after Phil Hartman's death in which Hartman appeared to tell him he was okay.
- Rogan describes how Phil Hartman's wife shot him in his sleep then killed herself when police arrived, and that his cop friend was present.
- Rogan and Williams discuss longstanding comedy-world rumors that Robin Williams stole other comedians' material.
Worth remembering
- Removing wolves causes elk and caribou herds to overgraze riverbanks, causing erosion that flattens rivers.
- New Zealand has wild elk and deer introduced by European settlers, and much restaurant elk tenderloin comes from there.
- According to NOAA, only four people have been killed by hail in the US since 2000, while lightning kills around 24,000 globally per year.
- During WWII a German POW camp existed on Lake Superior at Neys Provincial Park, where prisoners reportedly trained a black bear to box.
- Sea lampreys are an invasive species threatening the Great Lakes' roughly seven-billion-dollar fishing industry.
- Spanish fishermen historically used remoras, tying a live one to a line so it would suction onto sea turtles, then reeled the turtle in.
- A bird trainer told Harland owls are among the dumbest birds despite their wise reputation.
- Mixing Zoloft (an SSRI) with cocaine can cause serotonin syndrome and psychotic behavior.