Interview with Daniel Tosh

Comedian Daniel Tosh sat between a men’s bathroom and a water fountain in a hallway of the Eyron Ballroom. Wearing a faded black t-shirt under a striped cardigan, Tosh nonchalantly worried whether or not his shirt matched his jeans, but ultimately shrugged the subject off. Squeezing onto a small couch with his friend and fellow comedian Matt Fulchiron, Tosh sat down for an interview with “The Whit.”

W: What got you into comedy? Were you always the funny kid in class?
DT: I wasn’t always the funny one. I think probably, my father didn’t love me enough.

W: You grew up as a preacher’s son, has that impacted the content of your stand-up act?
DT: I try at the end of the show to convert people. I don’t have a follow-up joke to that.

W: How does the media, in all of its outlets, come into your stand-up act?
DT: Through osmosis. But, I do have the TV on all the time and my iPhone keeps me up to date.

W: Your bio says that your network debut was on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” can you talk about that experience?
DT: It was nice. It was a long time ago. I wore a suit. I was nervous. I was pretending to be a comedian back then. I was unnecessarily nervous. I’m a lot better now; although I have worse sets on TV then I did back then.

W: Your comedy has been described as sharp, blunt and sarcastic. Is there anyone that influences your style?
DT: What the f*** do you mean by that? Um, Dakota Fanning plays a big role in a lot of my decisions. Not the newer, more sophisticated Dakota. But, I also have tons of comedy friends so I constantly have to deal with their ridiculousness. And then I try to steal from lesser comics.

W: Your material has been extremely successful amongst the college generation, do you think there is a reason that you relate well with the generation of 18-24 year olds?
DT: Sadly, it is because I am not mature like most f***ing adults. Maybe I would prefer to appeal to my generation, but they are apparently successful and don’t need my ridiculous views.

W: How does performing on college campuses differ from other venues that you have performed in?
DT: It’s better than middle schools. Middle schools suck, they just do. College is a little bit different than my normal shows; my references lay flat, but I don’t care. It is usually their first time seeing stand-up so they don’t realize how to act sometimes or how to respond to things. They are used to people talking in front of them and not saying the most ridiculous and offensive things.

W: Have you ever had to censor your act based on the demographic of your audience?
DT: Yea, last year I did a show at Guantanamo Bay. That was pretty censored. No, I’m just kidding. I never have censored an act, but I’m told if I do U.S.O tours, I can’t make Anti-American jokes.

W: You commonly pick on the Midwest in your act, what is your beef with the Midwest?
DT: Was that a pun? I love puns. No, I have no rhyme or reason, I just make fun. I did hate the city of Omaha for a long time, I hated the people. But for no reason, just because I had bad shows and I dubbed the place as awful.

W: How do you deal with a tough crowd?
DT: You’ll probably see me deal with it tonight. I don’t know, I go onstage the next night and try to get better. Groundhog’s Day never ends.

W: You have a “Groundhog’s Day” counter on your website that has around 1,500 days left. What is it counting down to?
DT: It’s a suicide count. I used to watch it, just stare at it. Really, I just want to see if anything happens when the counter is up.

W: The media has been hyping up your alleged rivalry with Dane Cook. Can you talk about that?
DT: I don’t know. I am playing a 700 seat venue tonight and he is probably playing a 70,000 seat venue. It’s almost like I am Sparta and he is Persia. There’s no rivalry. He’s a very successful actor who plays a comedian. Ugh, that would start such a fight if he ever read that. Sadly, he is probably Googling himself as we speak.

W: Can you think of a defining moment in your career or your life?
DT: I don’t know. I am hoping it is soon, though. It is probably when I was sitting outside the men’s bathroom…

W: Can you talk about your upcoming TV show that will premiere on Comedy Central, titled “Tosh.0?”
DT: Yea, well Comedy Central is not calling it “Tosh.0.” I wish I could come up with another title that they do like because today they came back to me with “What do you think about, ‘Search and Destroy with Daniel Tosh.’” I was like, “You are f***ing retarded, that is so dumb.” So we need a new title, but it premieres June 4, with or without a title. It’s just a show about me and the internet. It is a weekly half hour show on Thursdays at 10 p.m.

W: What is the next step that you would like to take with your career?
DT: I don’t know, probably less shows for more money. I’m not a person with a wallet with a piece of paper folded up in it that has my goals.

W: Do you have any advice for students looking to start in the entertainment industry?
DT: I would take advantage of being in college and the resources they allow you to use. In the real world, they don’t let you use the camera, and they ask you to go get them coffee. Also, figure out a way not to get a real job. My job is a complete joke. My dad worked so hard, and I’m just like “Why not tell jokes for a s***load of money?” In hindsight, I would have not studied business in college. If anything, I would have studied something interesting regardless if I was going to use it or not. But, I would never go back to school. It was hard, I had to work constantly. I studied to make f***ing mediocre grades, so I wouldn’t go back.