Jenny Kleeman

Date: 2020-09-22 | Duration: 2h 16m

Episode Overview

Jenny Kleeman, journalist and author of "Sex Robots and Vegan Meat," joins Joe to examine the strange frontier industries racing to replace or replicate fundamental human experiences. Their conversation ranges from humanoid sex robots and the ethics of artificial intimacy to lab-grown meat and the philosophy of food authenticity. Kleeman discusses her deep-dive reporting into a robot-companion developer who creates highly customizable AI companions, probing questions about whether technology can or should substitute for emotional connection. They debate the cultured-meat industry's promise of cruelty-free protein and whether engineered food strips away the meaning of eating. The episode also wanders into evolutionary psychology, why modern comfort conflicts with human happiness, and the hotel industry's strange relationship with noise. Kleeman's skeptical but curious lens makes for a rich discussion about what happens when innovation outpaces our ethical frameworks.

About Jenny Kleeman

Jenny Kleeman is an award-winning documentarian and journalist renowned for her compelling storytelling and thought-provoking investigations. With a rich background in reporting for HBO's *Vice News Tonight* and the BBC's *Unreported World*, she brings a unique perspective to contemporary issues. Her acclaimed book, *Sex Robots & Vegan Meat: Adventures at the Frontier of Birth, Food, Sex & Death*, explores the intersections of technology, culture, and ethics, making her a captivating voice in discussions about the future of humanity. Kleeman’s ability to tackle complex topics with humor and insight makes her a standout figure in modern journalism, inviting audiences to reconsider the boundaries of life, love, and the choices we make.

Key Moments

– Sex Robots and Artificial Intimacy
– Lab-Grown and Cultured Meat
– Evolutionary Mismatch and Modern Comfort
– Food Ethics and Authenticity
– Technology Replacing Human Experience
0:00:00 – Jenny Kleeman on writing 'Sex Robots and Vegan Meat'
0:30:18 – The psychology of humanoid robot companions
0:58:28 – Hotel noise and the paradox of modern comfort
1:28:12 – Humane farming and the ethics of free-range
1:42:17 – Cruelty-free foie gras and the unknown risks of lab-grown meat
2:09:21 – Addiction, hope, and alternatives to traditional treatment

Transcript Excerpt

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Joe Rogan Experience. pleasure so your book sex robots and vegan meat did you have alternative titles that you i'm really really shit at titles i just can't it's a good title i thought it's an excellent one yeah it works well it's my editor chris's title it's not my time did you have ideas i had really bad ones i think when i wrote the proposal it was called future humans or something and And he just said, no, no, no, no, no. I can't do titles. I write things that are very, very long. I can't do nice little short things. So anyway, my editor at the publishing house, Picador, came up with the title, and I loved it. Starting point is 00:00:57 Yeah, he nailed it. Excellent job, Chris. Yes. Way to go. He's a smart guy. Well, it really covers the subject matter so well and so succinctly. So I'm concerned with all the things you appear to be concerned with. So I'm really excited about this conversation. Starting point is 00:01:17 Good. Let's start with Sex Robots. This is the first part. I'm sure you've seen Ex Machina yes i have a fantastic movie right brilliant yes totally and confusing because i think there will be a time whether it's in our grandchildren's life or when where that's a real concern where we do have artificial humans that don't have any empathy they're programmed whatever way we decide to program them and they're insanely similar to us yes and people are going to have sex with them yes it's it's this idea that i mean there are people who are working on this Starting point is 00:02:00 stuff now that's what my book is about it's about like i went and met the people who are doing this stuff now we have this idea that comes from science fiction of like ex machina or priss from blade runner of these like totally perfect beings who are really dangerous and that doesn't exist at the moment but it is going to exist it is going to exist at some point there will be something extremely realistic that gives a very good illusion of be...

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Frequently asked about this episode

Who was the guest on Joe Rogan Experience #1539?

Jenny Kleeman was the guest on JRE #1539. This page includes the episode overview, topics discussed, and related resources.

What topics were discussed on JRE #1539?

On Joe Rogan Experience #1539 with Jenny Kleeman, topics include Sex Robots and Artificial Intimacy, Lab-Grown and Cultured Meat, Evolutionary Mismatch and Modern Comfort, and Food Ethics and Authenticity.

Where can I read the transcript for JRE #1539?

The full searchable transcript for Joe Rogan Experience #1539 with Jenny Kleeman is available on this page, along with key topics and timestamps.