Name: Why David Choe Stopped Playing Life Like a Video Game
Uploaded: 2023-04-04T17:29:03.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Why David Choe Stopped Playing Life Like a Video Game' from PowerfulJRE on Comedy Buff. Published 2023-04-04. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Why David Choe Stopped Playing Life Like a Video Game' from PowerfulJRE on Comedy Buff. Published 2023-04-04. Transcript available.

The Joe Rogan Experience
Without making light or trying to be disrespectful, like, if the things that I
tried to figure out, like a game, like a video game, was sex, money, power,
right?
Like, as an artist, I had subscribed to the starving artist, like, type, right?
It was like, Top Ramen, you know, holes in your clothes, like, like, homeless,
like, I was like,
that is what a real artist is, until I met a successful artist, until I, I was
like, oh, shit, like, you can have a manager and an agent and an office, and,
like, you can, like, not starve, and, and I remember at that point, I was in my
early 20s,
I was like, man, people sure, like, talk about money a lot, right?
Like, it seems to be, like, this thing that causes a lot of problems in
marriages and business, and I go, it doesn't seem that hard to me, as some, and
I'm saying this as a guy in my 20s that's poor,
I'm like, what if I just, like, try to be as rich as possible for the next 10
years or five years?
Like, what if that's my singular focus?
And so, I did it, and it, you know, it was a lot of work, but, like, the video
game of money is over for me now, right?
Like, I, like, at every industry, gambling, the stock market, like, even, like,
people go, oh, that's, like, this Korean Forrest Gump, and he just, he was like
this, like, this homeless guy that, like, got lucky with Facebook.
I'm like, that was, like, a lot of work to make that happen, you know?
And I was already kind of wealthy when I made that deal, but people like to
tell that story.
So, I made millions of dollars gambling, I made millions of dollars with my art,
I made millions of dollars with Facebook, and it was a lot of hard work, but I'm
like, it's kind of, if I wanted to,
you tell me how cringe I sound, and I'll just stop, but I'm like, it's not
gonna be that hard for me to become a billionaire at a certain level, right?
Like, I've amassed hundreds of millions, I'm like, if that's my goal now, if
that's my video game, and then, I know billionaires, I mean, Sean, Parker, and
Mark being the most, but I know tons of, like, secret billionaires, right?
And I go, I don't want any of their lives.
I don't want, I don't want any, like, I like.
But it's just money, you don't have to have their life.
Right.
To have money.
Right.
And you don't have to think about money, if you have it.
Right.
The problem with money is, people become obsessed with it, because it's so
difficult to attain, and there's so much societal value put on being wealthy.
Right.
That it becomes the thing, instead of a thing.
I mean, I have, I have a friend that has, like, hundreds of billions of dollars.
Hundreds of billions?
Hundreds of billions, like, one of the, you know.
I have one, too.
Yeah, and you know how weird those guys are, right?
They're weird guys.
And I'm pretty close with him.
He's not just like a, you know.
And I said, we were having dinner, and I was like, I'm feeling confident.
I was like, give me one.
He's like, what?
I was like, give me one.
One billion.
And he's like, I don't understand.
Yeah, I was like, give me one billion.
And he's like, I was like, motherfucker, you know I don't need it.
Like, you know I'm not going to go buy cars and houses.
He's like, what do you want to do with that?
He's like, Dave, I don't know if you know how money works.
You don't just go up to someone and ask them for a billion.
I go, motherfucker, I just did.
And he's like, well, do you have a plan?
Are you going to show me charts and graphs?
And I was like, no, it's all going to be instinct.
I will take that one billion.
And he's like, dude, you got to come to me with like, I'm not saying no, but
you got to have a better, you know, you got to, you got to, you got to have,
like, how are you going to, I go, I promise you, I will spend it like, like the
most irresponsible possible.
Like, it'll be like exactly, because most of these people that have billions
are like geniuses and they spent, everything is down to a fraction and they,
they just grind and crunch numbers in their brain.
And that's not how I think, I think very abstract, I think, and I go, I'm going
to do stuff that on paper makes absolutely no sense.
And I promise you, I will change the planet with that money.
Like, I'm going to do shit that, and then he was like, he was, he didn't say no,
but he was thinking it over and he's like, dude, there's like, there's no way
like my money guys are going to this.
And then I sat there and I thought about it because money is power.
I was like, dude, I don't want a billion dollars.
I don't want that responsibility.
And ultimately he was like, eh, no.
And I was like, thank you.
So it was just a wild thought.
Yeah.
Substantaneous.
Yeah.
If he had given it to me, he would have, he would have fucked.
I would have been like those weird people.
I was like, I don't want to touch that.
I don't want to touch that.
You would have tried it out for a while.
Right.
You would have tried it out for a while and then you would have gone back to
being you.
Right.
And then so, so that has that game of that video game of money has no, no, um,
it's not fun for me anymore.
Because I've, so years ago, like 2009 was my last art show where I actually
sold stuff for money.
And, uh, and I didn't feel good.
It was like the, my gal or Steve Lazaridis is like Banksy's, Banksy's a guy.
And he's like, Cho, like you're on fire.
Street art's on fire right now.
Like, what do you want to do?
I go, it's going to be in LA.
It has to be in LA.
It has to be on Rodeo drive.
Like it has to be on the most expensive street in the world.
And I want like every celebrity there and like, you know, and so it did, it
happened.
It was like, it was a show in Beverly Hills.
All the celebrities came, all the fancy people came.
I sold all the art.
And the next day I didn't feel any different.
And then at that point, the artist gets objectified to like, just, I got a Basquiat.
I got a Cho.
I got a Banksy.
And I'm like, I'm like the guy that's buying my art that can afford it.
He doesn't care about the art.
He just wants to, like, it's a dick contest, right?
He just wants to show off like, Hey, I got a Cho.
And I'm like, I'm pretty sure that's not what the universe wants for me to like,
just make expensive stuff.
So at that point, I told my manager and everyone I work with, I'm like,
everything now is free.
Like painting with kids, painting with guys just out of jail, painting with at
risk youth,
murals, museum, anything where it's free.
That's what I'm about.
I'm not, you know, or if I like, like someone, I'll just trade or give it to
them, but I'm not selling shit anymore.
So that kind of like ended like, you know, and then I had finance guys and
everything about wealth management is about how to preserve wealth and make
more money.
And I go, uh, let's do like a Monte Carlo simulation and figure out when I'm
going to die by my lifestyle of how I live and let's get it down so that I have
zero by the time I'm done.
Like I want to, and they're like, so every business decision I've made since I've
made that decision is I just lose money.
I just lose money.
And then, um, the video game of sex, which I wasn't very good at is age zero to
30.
I'd been with five, six, maybe seven girls.
Like, and they were all like long-term kind of relationships.
There was no like one night stands.
And then at that point, like 29, 30, I was like, I'm really not good at this.
Like, I don't got any game.
I'm not.
And, um, like the same way, if you saw me in my twenties as like a street urchin,
like street kid.
And he's like, Oh, I'm going to be the richest artist in the world.
You'd be like, you know what the odds of that happening are?
Like, it's, it's ridiculous in the same way.
And like, not to sound vulgar or, you know, objectify women, but that's what I
did at that age.
I was young and I was like, um, I'm tired of the Asians or like sexless, small
dick, you know, the, the math nerd.
Like I want to fuck the most amount of women as possible.
And that was even more ridiculous than me saying, I want to be the richest
artist.
And then, and then I just went on a tear for a decade, right?
Like I just, it was awkward at first.
And then, um, like a video game at the end, a combination of like, like a
comedian working out their material.
Right.
And with the oncoming social media and all the, you know, internet stuff, I
could figure out on the dates I've been on, which material killed.
Like, what, what did I say to make what girl laugh and, you know, and, and I
would have all those like a crazy person, like in my notes folders.
And I could say the perfect combination of words to make a girl laugh or like,
so using everything at my disposal, anything like money.
Uh, uh, you know, fun, a charm, like jokes, uh, power, like I'll get you on
this thing or like just queuing in on what is it that you want?
And I can get you that, and, you know, I was sleeping with multiple women a day
and I was like, this, like you would never believe I, okay.
Not you, I would never believe what I was doing.
Like I was every night, tens, tens, tens, like Victoria's Secret models, A-list
celebrities, just like, I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa.
And, you know, I got to a point where I was like, I wasn't, my friends and I
debate, they're like, you're, you were like a week away from sucking dick.
And I was like, I was like, it's probably like more like two days away because
it just gets there.
Right?
Like I was just like in rooms, like having threesomes, group sex.
And I was like, I'm an artist.
I should, you know, and my parents were convinced.
I was like, I was in a car, uh, going to an art show, uh, with my parents in
Mexico city and my mom, you know, she's like completely invested in my career.
And she's like, Hey, you know, um, Andy Warhol used to do like 10, 20 pushups.
And then his mom would give him like a snicker bar.
And I was like, that's an interesting fact, mom.
I didn't know that.
And he was gay.
And I was like, oh, okay, cool.
You know, Leonardo da Vinci, when he used to go out, like he wouldn't, no one
would know he's an artist.
He wouldn't have like a speck of paint on him.
And I was like, oh, I didn't know that mom.
And he was gay.
And I was like, what, what, where's this going?
And then my dad's in the front driving.
He's like, he's not gay.
I told you he's not gay.
And my mom's like, you know, we're Christian and you know, but we know that you're
an artist and we know you haven't brought a woman home in like 10 years.
So just, it's okay.
You could come out of the closet.
And I was like, and I was like, I, I like, I love being gay so much.
Like I, I'm not like, I just, I almost wish I was right.
Like I, when I play like Dungeons and Dragons or a role playing game or, or a
RPG, like video game or anytime I act or do anything that's like online or like
a game, I always want to be a gay guy.
Like, I just love it.
I love that feeling.
I want to play gay guys if you know, and, but I just don't love Dick.
I, I want to, I want to love it, but I just, why do you want to?
I, I just like, part of it is like, I, my shame makes me shameless and like, I
like it when it hurts kind of thing.
Like, I just, I got close where there was a transsexual woman.
I think her name was like, her penis was right here.
And I was like, it's right there.
I should just like at least lick it or touch it at least just to say I tried it
and I could say I didn't like it or I did like it.
But I just couldn't, I was like, I was so bored, not of just pussy or women or
whatever.
I just was bored of the endeavor of that.
And then, and then, you know, you meet people and everyone has their game.
Like Hollywood people are like, I can get that Emmy or that Oscar or, you know?
And so I, I, I like pick the game I want to play money pow.
And then it's like, I sit here and the thing that I learned, the number one
important lesson from gambling
is get out while your head is like, I love how much money I have right now.
Like, it's the perfect amount.
I love that.
Um, like I have no regrets.
Like I've had sex with so many different women that like, I'm just, I don't
need that anymore.
I'm so, I could be a monk for the rest of my life if I want to, you know, like,
and so there's only one final quest and that's the spiritual quest.
Right.
And that's where like people say shit, like the answer is love.
And it's like, it is right.
Like, like, um, like there will be shit.
There's shit that we talked about before we start recording that we can't, and
then there will be shit that we talk about later.
And, and we live in this world now where it's like, it's a crazy world.
Right.
And the answer is love and everyone says it and it's in movies and it's in
books, but it's, what does that path look like?
And so I go towards where I feel that and I feel that in Africa, when I go to
Africa, I feel that like in my soul to my bones.
And, you know, I, I look like this in Austin and no one judges me.
Like you would think going to Africa, the places I go where there's no Asians
that they would say shit, but they don't, they just accept me.
They call me brother.
They take me in, they show me their lives and they're like, you're just part of
our tribe now.
And I'm like, it makes me want to cry, you know?
So, and the fact that, you know, I have this beautiful relationship with you
and, you know, you let me talk about this stuff.
And then those words get to, you know, like, I don't know, Logan Paul, that guy
calls me up right after the show.
He's like, take me to Africa, bro.
Take me.
I'm like, okay.
You know, like, and, and it's just, it's just a tremendous thing.
And then, you know, we, we made this film and it's, you know, it's, it's like
the best documentary I've ever seen.
So if anyone like, uh, wants to see a trailer or it's, we are Hadza, the Maleka
foundation.

Why David Choe Stopped Playing Life Like a Video Game

The Joe Rogan Experience
Without making light or trying to be disrespectful, like, if the things that I
tried to figure out, like a game, like a video game, was sex, money, power,
right?
Like, as an artist, I had subscribed to the starving artist, like, type, right?
It was like, Top Ramen, you know, holes in your clothes, like, like, homeless,
like, I was like,
that is what a real artist is, until I met a successful artist, until I, I was
like, oh, shit, like, you can have a manager and an agent and an office, and,
like, you can, like, not starve, and, and I remember at that point, I was in my
early 20s,
I was like, man, people sure, like, talk about money a lot, right?
Like, it seems to be, like, this thing that causes a lot of problems in
marriages and business, and I go, it doesn't seem that hard to me, as some, and
I'm saying this as a guy in my 20s that's poor,
I'm like, what if I just, like, try to be as rich as possible for the next 10
years or five years?
Like, what if that's my singular focus?
And so, I did it, and it, you know, it was a lot of work, but, like, the video
game of money is over for me now, right?
Like, I, like, at every industry, gambling, the stock market, like, even, like,
people go, oh, that's, like, this Korean Forrest Gump, and he just, he was like
this, like, this homeless guy that, like, got lucky with Facebook.
I'm like, that was, like, a lot of work to make that happen, you know?
And I was already kind of wealthy when I made that deal, but people like to
tell that story.
So, I made millions of dollars gambling, I made millions of dollars with my art,
I made millions of dollars with Facebook, and it was a lot of hard work, but I'm
like, it's kind of, if I wanted to,
you tell me how cringe I sound, and I'll just stop, but I'm like, it's not
gonna be that hard for me to become a billionaire at a certain level, right?
Like, I've amassed hundreds of millions, I'm like, if that's my goal now, if
that's my video game, and then, I know billionaires, I mean, Sean, Parker, and
Mark being the most, but I know tons of, like, secret billionaires, right?
And I go, I don't want any of their lives.
I don't want, I don't want any, like, I like.
But it's just money, you don't have to have their life.
Right.
To have money.
Right.
And you don't have to think about money, if you have it.
Right.
The problem with money is, people become obsessed with it, because it's so
difficult to attain, and there's so much societal value put on being wealthy.
Right.
That it becomes the thing, instead of a thing.
I mean, I have, I have a friend that has, like, hundreds of billions of dollars.
Hundreds of billions?
Hundreds of billions, like, one of the, you know.
I have one, too.
Yeah, and you know how weird those guys are, right?
They're weird guys.
And I'm pretty close with him.
He's not just like a, you know.
And I said, we were having dinner, and I was like, I'm feeling confident.
I was like, give me one.
He's like, what?
I was like, give me one.
One billion.
And he's like, I don't understand.
Yeah, I was like, give me one billion.
And he's like, I was like, motherfucker, you know I don't need it.
Like, you know I'm not going to go buy cars and houses.
He's like, what do you want to do with that?
He's like, Dave, I don't know if you know how money works.
You don't just go up to someone and ask them for a billion.
I go, motherfucker, I just did.
And he's like, well, do you have a plan?
Are you going to show me charts and graphs?
And I was like, no, it's all going to be instinct.
I will take that one billion.
And he's like, dude, you got to come to me with like, I'm not saying no, but
you got to have a better, you know, you got to, you got to, you got to have,
like, how are you going to, I go, I promise you, I will spend it like, like the
most irresponsible possible.
Like, it'll be like exactly, because most of these people that have billions
are like geniuses and they spent, everything is down to a fraction and they,
they just grind and crunch numbers in their brain.
And that's not how I think, I think very abstract, I think, and I go, I'm going
to do stuff that on paper makes absolutely no sense.
And I promise you, I will change the planet with that money.
Like, I'm going to do shit that, and then he was like, he was, he didn't say no,
but he was thinking it over and he's like, dude, there's like, there's no way
like my money guys are going to this.
And then I sat there and I thought about it because money is power.
I was like, dude, I don't want a billion dollars.
I don't want that responsibility.
And ultimately he was like, eh, no.
And I was like, thank you.
So it was just a wild thought.
Yeah.
Substantaneous.
Yeah.
If he had given it to me, he would have, he would have fucked.
I would have been like those weird people.
I was like, I don't want to touch that.
I don't want to touch that.
You would have tried it out for a while.
Right.
You would have tried it out for a while and then you would have gone back to
being you.
Right.
And then so, so that has that game of that video game of money has no, no, um,
it's not fun for me anymore.
Because I've, so years ago, like 2009 was my last art show where I actually
sold stuff for money.
And, uh, and I didn't feel good.
It was like the, my gal or Steve Lazaridis is like Banksy's, Banksy's a guy.
And he's like, Cho, like you're on fire.
Street art's on fire right now.
Like, what do you want to do?
I go, it's going to be in LA.
It has to be in LA.
It has to be on Rodeo drive.
Like it has to be on the most expensive street in the world.
And I want like every celebrity there and like, you know, and so it did, it
happened.
It was like, it was a show in Beverly Hills.
All the celebrities came, all the fancy people came.
I sold all the art.
And the next day I didn't feel any different.
And then at that point, the artist gets objectified to like, just, I got a Basquiat.
I got a Cho.
I got a Banksy.
And I'm like, I'm like the guy that's buying my art that can afford it.
He doesn't care about the art.
He just wants to, like, it's a dick contest, right?
He just wants to show off like, Hey, I got a Cho.
And I'm like, I'm pretty sure that's not what the universe wants for me to like,
just make expensive stuff.
So at that point, I told my manager and everyone I work with, I'm like,
everything now is free.
Like painting with kids, painting with guys just out of jail, painting with at
risk youth,
murals, museum, anything where it's free.
That's what I'm about.
I'm not, you know, or if I like, like someone, I'll just trade or give it to
them, but I'm not selling shit anymore.
So that kind of like ended like, you know, and then I had finance guys and
everything about wealth management is about how to preserve wealth and make
more money.
And I go, uh, let's do like a Monte Carlo simulation and figure out when I'm
going to die by my lifestyle of how I live and let's get it down so that I have
zero by the time I'm done.
Like I want to, and they're like, so every business decision I've made since I've
made that decision is I just lose money.
I just lose money.
And then, um, the video game of sex, which I wasn't very good at is age zero to
30.
I'd been with five, six, maybe seven girls.
Like, and they were all like long-term kind of relationships.
There was no like one night stands.
And then at that point, like 29, 30, I was like, I'm really not good at this.
Like, I don't got any game.
I'm not.
And, um, like the same way, if you saw me in my twenties as like a street urchin,
like street kid.
And he's like, Oh, I'm going to be the richest artist in the world.
You'd be like, you know what the odds of that happening are?
Like, it's, it's ridiculous in the same way.
And like, not to sound vulgar or, you know, objectify women, but that's what I
did at that age.
I was young and I was like, um, I'm tired of the Asians or like sexless, small
dick, you know, the, the math nerd.
Like I want to fuck the most amount of women as possible.
And that was even more ridiculous than me saying, I want to be the richest
artist.
And then, and then I just went on a tear for a decade, right?
Like I just, it was awkward at first.
And then, um, like a video game at the end, a combination of like, like a
comedian working out their material.
Right.
And with the oncoming social media and all the, you know, internet stuff, I
could figure out on the dates I've been on, which material killed.
Like, what, what did I say to make what girl laugh and, you know, and, and I
would have all those like a crazy person, like in my notes folders.
And I could say the perfect combination of words to make a girl laugh or like,
so using everything at my disposal, anything like money.
Uh, uh, you know, fun, a charm, like jokes, uh, power, like I'll get you on
this thing or like just queuing in on what is it that you want?
And I can get you that, and, you know, I was sleeping with multiple women a day
and I was like, this, like you would never believe I, okay.
Not you, I would never believe what I was doing.
Like I was every night, tens, tens, tens, like Victoria's Secret models, A-list
celebrities, just like, I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa.
And, you know, I got to a point where I was like, I wasn't, my friends and I
debate, they're like, you're, you were like a week away from sucking dick.
And I was like, I was like, it's probably like more like two days away because
it just gets there.
Right?
Like I was just like in rooms, like having threesomes, group sex.
And I was like, I'm an artist.
I should, you know, and my parents were convinced.
I was like, I was in a car, uh, going to an art show, uh, with my parents in
Mexico city and my mom, you know, she's like completely invested in my career.
And she's like, Hey, you know, um, Andy Warhol used to do like 10, 20 pushups.
And then his mom would give him like a snicker bar.
And I was like, that's an interesting fact, mom.
I didn't know that.
And he was gay.
And I was like, oh, okay, cool.
You know, Leonardo da Vinci, when he used to go out, like he wouldn't, no one
would know he's an artist.
He wouldn't have like a speck of paint on him.
And I was like, oh, I didn't know that mom.
And he was gay.
And I was like, what, what, where's this going?
And then my dad's in the front driving.
He's like, he's not gay.
I told you he's not gay.
And my mom's like, you know, we're Christian and you know, but we know that you're
an artist and we know you haven't brought a woman home in like 10 years.
So just, it's okay.
You could come out of the closet.
And I was like, and I was like, I, I like, I love being gay so much.
Like I, I'm not like, I just, I almost wish I was right.
Like I, when I play like Dungeons and Dragons or a role playing game or, or a
RPG, like video game or anytime I act or do anything that's like online or like
a game, I always want to be a gay guy.
Like, I just love it.
I love that feeling.
I want to play gay guys if you know, and, but I just don't love Dick.
I, I want to, I want to love it, but I just, why do you want to?
I, I just like, part of it is like, I, my shame makes me shameless and like, I
like it when it hurts kind of thing.
Like, I just, I got close where there was a transsexual woman.
I think her name was like, her penis was right here.
And I was like, it's right there.
I should just like at least lick it or touch it at least just to say I tried it
and I could say I didn't like it or I did like it.
But I just couldn't, I was like, I was so bored, not of just pussy or women or
whatever.
I just was bored of the endeavor of that.
And then, and then, you know, you meet people and everyone has their game.
Like Hollywood people are like, I can get that Emmy or that Oscar or, you know?
And so I, I, I like pick the game I want to play money pow.
And then it's like, I sit here and the thing that I learned, the number one
important lesson from gambling
is get out while your head is like, I love how much money I have right now.
Like, it's the 