Tim Heidecker is bringing his long-running satire of Joe Rogan’s conversational style to The Onion for a new episode. While a representative for Rogan did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the project, Heidecker first targeted the podcast host’s meandering interview format in 2021.
That initial parody featured a viral 12-hour podcast, which was actually just one hour of footage looped twelve times. The episode covered subjects ranging from cancel culture and psychedelics to speculation about whether Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would pursue a presidential run.
For the upcoming Onion installment, comedy duo and site contributors Rajat Suresh and Jeremy Levick return as Heidecker’s guests. The pair, known for their expertise in fabricating celebrity web content—including a prior mock Hollywood Reporter roundtable that involved actor Justin Theroux—will provide “expert” commentary on current events.
During the first episode of The Tim Heidecker Podcast, the group discussed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies. Levick remarked that “woke” principles have essentially replaced Christianity as the new commandments. The conversation subsequently shifted to absurd concerns about bearded men dressing as princesses for Disneyland visits before Heidecker abruptly announced a planned weekend trip to Glasgow for “Scotch wrestling.”
Heidecker’s work comes at a time when the right-wing media ecosystem has become increasingly difficult to exaggerate, characterized by fact-free moral panics and fringe alternative medicine trends. However, the comedian appears well-equipped to handle the genre, with few potential targets proving as vocally challenging to impersonate as Alex Jones.
Right-wing media has become so unhinged that satire can barely keep up. Alex Jones might actually be easier to parody than today’s pundits.
I wonder if The Onion’s audience will catch all the subtle DEI jabs Suresh and Levick bring, or if it’s too inside baseball for casual viewers?
Can we talk about how accurately Heidecker captures Rogan’s vague, wandering energy? It’s scary how spot-on this satire feels nowadays.
The 12-hour loop original was peak comedy. I still laugh every time someone mentions the ‘Scotch wrestling’ bit in Glasgow.