Search icon

Entertainment

13th Mar 2022

Joe Rogan is convinced The Hangover is the last great comedy because ‘wokeness killed genre’

Simon Bland

‘Wokeness killed the comedy movie in a lot of ways’

Controversial podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan has labelled 2009’s The Hangover as the last best comedy movie – citing “wokeness” as the main reason why good comedies are no longer made.

Speaking to fellow comic Tom Papa on a recent episode of his Spotify-supported and iconic musician-angering podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, the part-time UFC commentator turned his attention to movies – specifically the comedy genre.

Whilst trying to think of the “last really good comedy movie”, Rogan and Papa eventually came up with the Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Bradley Cooper-fronted stag-do comedy The Hangover as a possible contender.

“It used to be you would be able to — There’s Something About Mary, Kingpin. You just snap ’em off. You knew what they were,” said Rogen.

“It’s like wokeness killed the comedy movie in a lot of ways.”

Directed by Joker‘s Todd Phillips, The Hangover revolved around three buddies celebrating their friend’s last days of freedom before his wedding with a chaotic trip to Las Vegas. The film was hugely popular – pulling in around $465m at the worldwide box-office and spawning two sequels.

Before landing on The Hangover, Rogen and Papa ran through a couple of other contenders, including Seth Rogen’s 2013 meta-ensemble comedy This Is The End and 2012’s house party flick, Project X.

“This might be the last of the Mohicans,” Rogan said of This Is The End, a film that saw Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill and Danny McBride battling the end of the world.

“Is there a woke comedy movie? Is there even an attempt? Is there even an attempt at a politically correct comedy movie?” Rogen asked. “They just stopped making comedy movies.”

Papa answered this quandary by suggesting that it’s difficult to make a modern comedy movie “without being rapey and homophobic.”

Rogen responded, “but it’s not just that, it’s like all abhorrent behavior,”

After a bit of back and forth, the pair eventually landed on The Hangover as the last great funny film.

“Wooow,” Rogan concluded: “They murdered the comedy movie.”

Related links: