Comedian Jim Breuer Tells OutKick Why Joe Rogan & Common Sense Comedy Are Winning

Former Saturday Night Live star and stand-up comedian Jim Breuer has toured and performed for hundreds of thousands of people throughout his career. So when I had the opportunity to speak with him ahead of his upcoming shows at Las Vegas' Venetian and other clubs across the country in the coming months, I asked him about a variety of topics - including cancel culture, the political correctness movement, and the effect that ‘wokeism’ or whatever one wants to call it has had on the art of just wanting to make people laugh.

'THE PSYCHOPATHS ARE NOW LOSING'

Anyone who has been following the world of entertainment and especially comedy knows that we are in very divisive times that were only fast tracked during the pandemic. If you weren't in lockstep with every single belief, you were criticized, ridiculed, jeered, and may have even lost your job while also definitely losing some friendships. I asked Jim about this public shame movement that I liken to a modern-day version of ‘The Scarlet Letter.' 

"I think so, yeah [that we are getting our sense of humor back and coming around.] If you look at a guy like Shane Gillis, if he was saying what he just said two years ago - it would be 'Oh my God, how dare you, how dare you say some of those things!' - and that was a guy that was canceled from Saturday Night Live, and now he's hosting the damn thing."

"Either, as what I would call them - ‘psychopaths’ have realized how crazy they are and are going, ‘Ya know maybe we should lighten up a little bit, we pushed it a little too far,’ they're lighting up a little bit. Either way, if anything, I think the 'woke - oh, we're not allowed to talk about that movement,; is dying tremendously."

"Show me the comedian that talks about being woke for an hour that is selling out theaters and arenas. It doesn't exist. So yeah, we are learning to laugh again at common sense."

'TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE SCARED THESE DAYS'

Jim prides himself on being a blue-collar, hard-working comedian who says what the average person probably thinks. We even joked that he was like Dan Aykroyd as Ray Zalinsky in Tommy Boy - he's the ‘common person caring for the common person.’ He'll rip Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, liberals, lunatics, psychopaths, holier-than-thous, and probably even Mother Theresa herself. If he has an opinion, he's going to say it.

However, there was one situation that changed him, and he realized that there was a political, pandering movement happening, which Breuer says isn't fair.

"I was talking to Netflix and one of the guys in development was like, ‘Jim - I’m a huge fan of ya. They are not in the business of white guys that are over the age of 40, and they're not going to be,'" Breuer remembers. "And that's when I was like, ah, so THAT'S the world they are committed to. It doesn't matter if it's funny, you gotta be this color or that color or that sexuality or that country or this thing in order for us to put our spotlight on. And that's not comedy, that's you trying to appease a society that you're trying to create," Breuer said.

Jim later expounded on this idea that we are now seeing in mor fashions of life including with the recent DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) requirements that are currently being pushed in academia and in some workplaces.

"This was a slow process that started a long time ago in the work world. [Those in charge] would be like, 'Well, if you’re this color, and you get this type of grade, sorry, we have to go with this type of person even though the grade's 15 points lower,'" Jim explained. "It was slowly put into culture, and before we knew it, boom, it's in entertainment, boom, it's in government. When your government is forcing you to push a certain agenda, that's called communism, socialism, dictatorship.

"Oh, how dare you say that!" [the haters would say]. Well, prove me wrong," Jim continued. 

In recent months, we have seen more people starting to feel the same way, including lifelong Democrats that are now turning against their elected local leaders because they feel they aren't being represented anymore. 

JOE ROGAN'S MEDIA DOMINANCE

Breuer recently wrapped up his third appearance on Joe Rogan's dominant podcast, which is consistently ranked No. 1 in the world, while driving the haters absolutely mad. Jim and Rogan have been friends for years and used to travel on the comedy circuit back in the early 90s together.

"Joe Rogan has been a badass since the beginning of time," Jim began.

"One of my greatest moments of my radio show back in the day was when Joe called in and he was talking about the times we were going into, and it's either we're going to spew the truth and if you don't come with the truth you're going to be exposed because we're no longer living in th world where we're going to accept the liars and the leaches. It was pretty profound, and it's something I've never forgotten and has inspired me."

And as far as Rogan's rise to the top? Breuer's not surprised.

"Joe is a pioneer for humanity as he's able to cut through the BS and all the false narratives spewed by the mainstream media and powers-that-be," Jim says while praising Rogan for proving that long-form interviews and content still matters if done the right way.

"At the end of the day, most regular people have good intentions, and we're able to figure things out - we just need some time and conversation and we'll figure things out." 

One thing's for sure, you can expect to see Jim Breuer bring all of this and much more to his stand-up tour.

Jim Breuer appears at the Summit Showroom at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas this Friday and Saturday (March 22-23). Get tickets.