#2566 - Cody Tucker

Episode of The Joe Rogan Experience · October 15, 2026 · 2 h 51 min

Joe Rogan and history-trivia creator Cody Tucker range across crime oddities, social media bots, Holocaust denial, CIA cultural operations, de-extinction, music and Cody's habits.

Summary

Cody Tucker, a social media creator known for short videos on obscure history and pop culture, returned to The Joe Rogan Experience to promote his second book, "Where Did That Come From?: The Hidden History of Everyday Words and Phrases." Tucker described his research process as a constant series of reading-driven rabbit holes, and the two discussed a series of crime stories including scopolamine robberies, the Liberian warlord General Butt Naked, a CIA official who faked his credentials and embezzled millions, and the Theranos fraud. Rogan argued that pharmaceutical peer review lacks transparency and criticized the growth of California's government and its homelessness spending.

The conversation moved to films such as Ex Machina, which Rogan said predicted the future of AI, as well as AI companions, Tucker's Android phone, his origin as a creator, and his fondness for Real Housewives. They discussed religion and repressed homosexuality, Tucker's fear of death and dislike of change, Rogan's trip to Eleusis in Greece, and Rogan's view that he enjoys combat sports as high-level problem solving rather than violence. Rogan described visiting Colossal Biosciences' engineered dire wolves, and the pair speculated about historical giants and Denisovans.

A long segment addressed online manipulation: Rogan described bot-like comments on posts about Ashley St. Clair and cited an estimate that Twitter was largely bots, while Tucker recounted removing a video on Henry Ford's antisemitism after it was flooded with Holocaust-denial comments. Tucker favored ID verification for social media accounts; Rogan raised whistleblower anonymity as a counterargument. They also debated whether modern popularity is manufactured, the resurgence of country music, Oliver Anthony's independent success and overproduced modern music.

Later, Tucker discussed quitting drinking, overeating and panic attacks on a treadmill, with Rogan encouraging gradual exercise. The final stretch covered celebrated figures with dark sides, including Tucker's criticism of Mother Teresa, the CIA's documented promotion of abstract expressionism, Laurel Canyon conspiracy theories, Jimi Hendrix's views on Vietnam, and anecdotes about Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker and James Brown.

Chapters

0:03
Cody's research and crime oddities
Tucker explains his reading-based research, doubts Debbie Harry's Ted Bundy story, and Rogan describes scopolamine robberies and General Butt Naked of Liberia.
9:31
Pharma studies, CIA fraud and Theranos
Rogan criticizes pharmaceutical peer review, and the group discusses a CIA official's embezzlement and Elizabeth Holmes's Theranos fraud.
21:43
Government growth and Michael Douglas
Rogan criticizes California's government expansion and homelessness spending, then recounts Michael Douglas's smuggling story and production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
28:19
Ex Machina, AI companions and phones
Rogan calls Ex Machina a prediction of the future, and they discuss AI chatbots, Android phones and doomscrolling.
35:35
Tucker's origins, Housewives and religion
Tucker explains how his history clips took off, then they discuss Real Housewives, Mormonism, repressed homosexuality and the Bible.
42:54
Death, the past and ancient Greece
Tucker describes his fear of death and dislike of change, and Rogan discusses Philip K. Dick, Marcus Aurelius and visiting Eleusis.
52:17
Violence, fighting and human feats
Rogan explains why he dislikes street violence despite calling thousands of fights, and they discuss gymnastics, Roger Bannister and Tony Hawk.
1:06:58
Dire wolves, giants and Denisovans
Rogan describes Colossal's dire wolves and they discuss species definitions, gigantism, historical giants and extinct human relatives.
1:20:09
True crime fandom and the Shane Gillis joke
They discuss Lindsay Clancy supporters, Casey Anthony's commentary on Shane Gillis's SNL joke, and politicized identity.
1:28:48
Bots, Holocaust denial and online identity
Rogan and Tucker discuss bot campaigns, Tucker's Henry Ford video, Holocaust denial, Twitter bots and ID verification versus whistleblower anonymity.
1:45:43
Manufactured popularity and modern music
They debate whether hits are authentic, copyright flags, the country music resurgence, Oliver Anthony and overproduced music.
1:57:08
Family, health and habits
Tucker discusses fatherhood, quitting drinking, overeating and panic attacks, while Rogan pans The Last House and recommends gradual exercise.
2:20:27
Celebrated monsters, CIA art and rock lore
Tucker criticizes Mother Teresa, Rogan reads about CIA promotion of abstract expressionism, and they trade stories about Hendrix, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker and James Brown.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Cody Tucker
Tucker doubts Debbie Harry's belief that Ted Bundy picked her up, citing Bundy's whereabouts at the time.
“But if you look it up on a timeline of events, he was not anywhere around there at that time”
Listen from 1:03
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues that peer reviewers of pharmaceutical studies see only company reports rather than underlying data.
“If it's peer reviewed, the scientists do not get to look at the actual data”
Listen from 10:18 · Pharmaceutical clinical trials
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues that Theranos's fake blood tests could have led to deaths from undiagnosed conditions.
“When you're dealing with health stuff and you're lying about health tests, you could have killed people”
Listen from 17:22 · Theranos
Joe Rogan
Rogan criticizes California's homelessness spending and Gavin Newsom's veto of an audit.
“Like the homeless situation in California where they've burned through $24 billion and Gavin Newsom vetoes an audit of it”
Listen from 23:32 · Homelessness
Joe Rogan
Rogan believes Ex Machina depicts a version of humanity's AI future.
“I think that's the future. I really do. I feel like a version of that is in our future”
Listen from 29:06 · Ex Machina (film)
Joe Rogan
Rogan says what he enjoys in combat sports is high-level problem solving rather than violence itself.
“What I really like is high-level problem solving, and that's what it is”
Listen from 56:37 · Ultimate Fighting Championship
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues Colossal's engineered dire wolves differ from any wolf since dire wolves went extinct, regardless of definitional objections.
“what it is is very different than any other wolf that's ever lived since dire wolves have died”
Listen from 1:09:13 · Colossal Biosciences
Joe Rogan
Rogan speculates that giants in folklore were probably a different branch of the human species.
“a different branch of the human species. That's what I think. There's just too many”
Listen from 1:17:17 · Denisovans
Cody Tucker
Tucker says Holocaust denial has risen sharply in recent years, largely among younger people.
“There's just this massive rise in Holocaust denial that's happened within just like the last couple of years”
Listen from 1:32:52 · Holocaust denial
Joe Rogan
Rogan says he believes social media bots should be illegal.
“outright believe it. I think bots should be illegal. I really”
Listen from 1:35:47 · Social bots and manipulation
Cody Tucker
Tucker argues users should have to verify their identity with ID to create social media accounts.
“you should have to have an ID – to be able to prove who you are to be able to create an account”
Listen from 1:36:07 · Social bots and manipulation
Joe Rogan
Rogan cites a former FBI analyst's estimate that pre-acquisition Twitter was around 80% bots.
“he determined that it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 80% bots”
Listen from 1:44:23 · Social bots and manipulation
Joe Rogan
Rogan argues a chaotic world has made simplicity attractive, driving a country music comeback.
“There's something about this world that is so chaotic that it has made simplicity much more attractive, and country music is making a giant comeback”
Listen from 1:48:50 · Country music resurgence
Cody Tucker
Tucker says modern music sounds overproduced and robotic, lacking human imperfections.
“Whenever I hear songs now, it sounds like it's made on a laptop. It's almost too well produced”
Listen from 1:53:43
Joe Rogan
Rogan rejects the idea that parenthood is the only route to a fulfilling life.
“I do not like the idea that the only way to live a fulfilling life is to be a parent”
Listen from 1:58:01
Cody Tucker
Tucker recounts quitting alcohol about eight years earlier after tiring of daily heavy drinking.
“I'm tired of drinking every day. I'm tired of drinking as much as I'm drinking”
Listen from 2:08:12
Cody Tucker
Tucker claims Mother Teresa sent donated money to the Vatican rather than treating the sick in her care.
“give all the money that was being donated to her to the Vatican, not use it to treat any of them”
Listen from 2:21:12 · Mother Teresa
Joe Rogan
Rogan, reading from Perplexity, states that the CIA covertly promoted American abstract expressionism during the Cold War.
“The CIA secretly supported the international promotion of American abstract expressionism during the Cold War”
Listen from 2:26:31 · CIA promotion of abstract expressionism
Linked moment · 2:29:14Skip to 2:29:14 using a listen link in the info box.
Cody Tucker
Tucker is skeptical of claims the CIA engineered the Laurel Canyon music scene, suggesting military families were simply common in the area.
“where I get kind of skeptical about that side of it is that, like, or were there a lot of military kids in that area”
Listen from 2:29:14 · Central Intelligence Agency

People

In the conversation

Joe RoganAmerican comedian and host of The Joe Rogan Experience
Cody TuckerAmerican podcaster, social media history and trivia creator, and author of "Where Did That Come From?"

Discussed

Elizabeth HolmesTheranos founder, subject of the series The Dropout
Michael DouglasActor who wrote about smuggling marijuana to pay for college
Debbie HarryBlondie singer who believes she escaped Ted Bundy
Ted BundyAmerican serial killer newly linked by DNA to a 1974 Utah victim
Gavin NewsomGovernor of California, cited for his 2018 primary strategy
Shane GillisAmerican comedian and co-creator of the Netflix series Tires
Casey AnthonyWoman acquitted in her daughter's death who commented on Gillis's joke
Lindsay ClancyMassachusetts mother whose criminal case divided public opinion
Ashley St. ClairFormer right-wing influencer who has a child with Elon Musk
Elon MuskEntrepreneur behind X, xAI and SpaceX, discussed in AI competition
Henry FordAmerican car manufacturer who funded distribution of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Beth ShapiroAmerican evolutionary biologist and Chief Science Officer at Colossal Biosciences, formerly a professor at UC Santa Cruz and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator
Oliver AnthonyIndependent country musician behind Rich Men North of Richmond
Jimi HendrixAmerican rock guitarist
Pete TownshendGuitarist of The Who
Jim MorrisonLead singer of The Doors
Jerry Lee LewisRock and roll pianist
Jimmy SwaggartTelevangelist involved in prostitution scandals
Jim BakkerTelevangelist involved in a sex scandal with Jessica Hahn
Jessica HahnWoman at the center of the Jim Bakker scandal, later linked to Sam Kinison
Sam KinisonComedian attached to A Took
Brian MurareskuAuthor of The Immortality Key on psychedelics in ancient ritual
Jelly RollAmerican singer whose show Von attended and who Langley says also got burnt out
Robert WadlowTallest recorded human
Mark RothkoAbstract expressionist painter

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From the publisher

Cody Tucker is the host of "The Cody Tucker Show" and "Rewind and Repeat with Cody Tucker" podcasts and author of "And Now You Know: Mind-Blowing Stories from History and Pop Culture." His new book, "Where Did That Come From?: The Hidden History of Everyday Words and Phrases," is available now.https://a.co/d/0buvONu8https://www.youtube.com/@thecodytuckershowhttps://www.thecodytucker.com Perplexity: Download the app or ask Perplexity anything at https://pplx.ai/rogan. Get a free welcome kit with your first subscription of AG1 at https://drinkag1.com/joerogan Try ZipRecruiter FOR FREE at https://ziprecruiter.com/rogan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on November 1, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Society & Culture·History·Comedy Interviews