Joe Rogan is popular because of "rarely represented" masculinity, says Oscar-winning film producer

Joe Rogan received a unique compliment from the Oscar-winning screenwriter and producer Mark Boal on the latest edition of his podcast. Boal is of the opinion that the stand-up comedian represented a contradiction to what popular media considers "masculine."

On the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast (#1911), Boal discussed how masculinity is portrayed in contemporary popular culture, especially in films. He spoke of how masculine roles are synonymous with being anti-social and guarded.

Boal further claimed that Joe Rogan embodied a "rare" type of masculinity, one that incorporates emotional and intellectual maturity. He expressed his appreciation for Rogan, saying:

"It's sort of why I think you're, again, this is not taking away from your intellect or humor... But I think it's part of why people gravitate to you. It's because you represent, I think, a certain kind of masculinity, which is rare. I don't know if it's rare in the world but it's rare in the media culture... It's just rare that you see that coupled with vulnerability. Coupled with intelligence."

Watch Joe Rogan and Mark Boal discuss modern masculinity below:

Mark Boal is the brains behind some of Hollywood's most successful war-based films, most notably Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker.

The screenwriter spent a couple of weeks closely covering the work of a U.S. bomb squad during the Iraq war in 2004 before being inspired to write the script for The Hurt Locker. The film went on to win six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Kathryn Bigelow and Best Original Screenplay for Boal.

Watch the full JRE episode below:

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Joe Rogan showers praise on Mark Boal for the portrayal of the realism of war in The Hurt Locker

In the same JRE episode, Joe Rogan expressed his admiration for one of screenwriter Mark Boal's best-known works, The Hurt Locker. The movie primarily revolves around an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, its leader, and other military personnel.

Rogan recalled a scene showing the movie's protagonist, who's an elite bomb disposal expert, in a grocery store in the U.S. after returning from Iraq. Rogan mentioned how the scene showed him how wanting to return to the chaos of the war in Iraq was natural.

Impressed with the film's realism, Rogan said:

"It was the perfect juxtaposition. And you do relate to it because I think all of us are aware that you kind of get accustomed to whatever you're around... People understand that there's certain ways of living... And they kind of make sense when you've adjusted and adapted to them... To have such a clear difference, between being in a warzone and being in a supermarket, it was perfect."

Watch Joe Rogan talk about Mark Boal's films below: