Andrew Schulz has launched a pointed critique against fellow comedians who have distanced themselves from Joe Rogan and the Austin comedy scene, accusing them of being opportunistic backstabbers who used Rogan’s platform to build their careers only to abandon him during controversy.
On his podcast, Schulz didn’t hold back about what he sees as betrayal within the comedy community.
“A lot of comedians that, like, used Joe and his millions of followers to boost their careers, that went on there to promote their specials, that performed at the club, like, really used Joe’s power and influence that he was very generous to give them,”
Schulz said.
“And all of a sudden there’s, like, a little internet backlash, and now I see these comics, like, kind of vocally talking sh*t.”
While Schulz didn’t name names directly, his comments appear aimed at comedians like Bobby Lee, Stavros Halkias, Dan Soder, Anthony Jeselnik, and Mark Maron — all of whom have recently made critical remarks about the Austin comedy landscape and Rogan’s comedy on various podcasts. Schulz specifically called out the behavior of letting comedians on your show to criticize Rogan, which seems to reference Bobby Lee and Andrew Santino‘s Bad Friends podcast, where Mark Maron openly criticized Austin comedy.
The controversy centers on what Schulz sees as a pattern of disloyalty. He argued that these comedians spoke privately about their criticisms but publicly praised Rogan when it benefited their careers.
“Real, like, rat weasel because you let this guy enrich you. You used him for his followers, and now you see a situation where, like, they’re getting backlash, and instead you pile on for self-salvation,”
Schulz stated.
Schulz emphasized that Rogan would have defended these same comedians if they faced cancellation.
“Joe is the type of guy that he would have had your back. He would have had you on the biggest platform in the world to explain yourself,”
he said.
“But now, you know, you’re showing who you really are.”
The comedian also defended the quality of comedy at Rogan’s Mothership club in Austin, acknowledging that while not every performer is exceptional, there are fantastic comics like Shane Gillis, Derek Poston, and Brian Simpson in the scene. Schulz suggested that comedians only started criticizing Austin once appearing on Rogan’s podcast or Kill Tony no longer guaranteed instant career success.
In what appeared to be a reference to Stavros Halkias, Schulz criticized comedians who
“forgot how to riff”
when guests said controversial things on their podcasts, likely alluding to Halkias telling comedian Jordan Jensen she had “Austin trans brain” during a discussion about transgender issues.
Whether this represents genuine loyalty or an attempt to maintain access to comedy’s most powerful platforms remains an open question. What’s clear is that the comedy community is increasingly divided over how to navigate political shifts, changing cultural attitudes, and the complicated legacy of Joe Rogan‘s massive influence on the industry.