If you laugh at the the thought of Brad Pitt and David Beckham’s holy Simba-child working at baby Abercrombie in skin-tight Pampers, Daniel Tosh is your kind of comic. If you think about how badly you want to sleep with said baby, you probably are Daniel Tosh. (It’s not offensive as long as “the premise is improbable.”)
The 33-year-old comedian took the stage at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall Thursday night as A&O’s spring speaker. Although Tosh is a stand-up veteran by most standards, he is typically considered an up-and-coming comic, despite his large and dedicated following. His new show, Tosh.0, will push him further into the mainstream when it hits Comedy Central on June 4.
Jasper Redd, who, like Tosh, currently lives in California, started the night with jokes on everything from Whoppers to weed. With his easy-going manner and light-hearted observations on pennies and skinheads, Redd warmed up the crowd and provided an entertaining opener.
When Tosh finally took the stage, he began in a very nonchalant fashion that would typify his entire show. Emptying his pockets and wandering offstage, he warned students that he was “not very good live.” As per usual, he was being sarcastic. No subject was off-limits in a routine littered with pop-culture references and jabs at great American tragedies. College shootings, Octomom, Hurricane Katrina and decapitated teenagers were just a few of the topics Tosh covered, offering students insight into his unique point of view. His tendency to make random observations coupled with his laid-back, conversational attitude (Tosh doesn’t make use of comedic segues), gave the show a lilting rhythm.
“I like to do jokes [...] then bring the show to a screeching halt,” Tosh said during his performance.
Although Tosh’s sarcastic attitude and complete disregard for political correctness may be off-putting to some, his disarming honesty and charming delivery have made him particularly popular with college audiences. Before the event, Tosh sat down and talked with North by Northwestern about Cru Jones and the misery of college, and gave us the exclusive on his potential five-year plan.
It’s pretty well-known that you’ve said the middle of the country is for people who gave up on their dreams. Does that apply to Chicago?
Did I say that? I feel like I’m being misquoted. No, I don’t think that applies to Chicago because technically you’re not in the middle, you’re at the top of the country. So when I say middle, I am specifically talking to people in St. Louis. Oh ho, damn you Bird fans.
You have a reputation for taking on subjects that most other comics might not want to touch, is there anywhere you will not go?
Sure, I don’t like talking about babies. No, there’s nothing I won’t say. I mean, that’s not true. If it’s not funny, I don’t enjoy saying it. That’s not necessarily true either. Let’s just go with there’s nothing I wouldn’t say.
How much of your stand-up is improv and how much is written before?
Sixty percent.
Exactly?
Is which one?
Improv?
Nice, you’re quick on your feet. No, I have no idea what percent. Probably a small percent…it’s completely a thought I’ve never had before. I tried to pause there as if I was going to improvise something, but I’ve already planned this answer.
Tell me a little about your college experience.
It was really good. You want more? Okay. I don’t know, I didn’t like school. I didn’t like studying because college is hard, and I didn’t enjoy that. Like, it’s not like a Van Wilder film, which came out years after I graduated but still portrays a not-so-realistic picture. It wasn’t fun really, and it was a lot of work. I’m one of those people who had to study really hard to get kind of bad grades. So, no. And everything I was studying, I didn’t like or wasn’t interested in. I had a business degree, and I was like “Oh, I’m taking this because I know I don’t want to do this with my life.” I would have to study almost everything to realize what I do want to do, which I still haven’t figured out yet. It’s not comedy though, that’s for sure.
Through your stand-up, it seems like you like to make people very uncomfortable through your jokes. Has that become harder the more well-known you’ve become?
I’m going to say that that’s probably a good question. I don’t know if I have a good answer. Because you’re right, because now people kind of expect when they come to my shows to hear certain types of things, so yeah, I don’t get the normal hatred that I grew to love so much. I’m not intentionally trying to shock everybody. I think the answer is yes, if that was a yes or no question.
Yes, it was.
Oh good. Good. I thought you were going to ask me questions about my favorite food. [sings] Pizza!
Once again about your stand-up, you use a lot of obscure references that you just kind of throw in there. I think there was a joke about The Kite Runner?
I’m all for any bit of information. Anything that I’ve recently read or seen, I will immediately assume that the entire public just saw this as well, therefore they should get my reference to it. Are you familiar with Cru Jones?
No.
Yea, he was a character in a 1986 BMX movie that I recently watched called Rad. Pretty awesome.
Good example, I had no idea what you’re talking about. What can we expect from Tosh.0?
To be let down. To say look at him, he’s sold out, he’s not as funny on television as he is live. You know, the normal. But what I hope is that it’s a show that you’re like “Oh, that’s not awful. I’ll watch it again.” I’d like people to watch it long enough for me to be on the air more than just a couple months. I’d like to get a decent run out of this. That way, I don’t have to only do stand-up to pay my bills. I need to diversify somewhat, or I’m going to kill myself. You have the exclusive — I will put a bullet in my head if I’m still doing stand-up, only stand-up, five years from now.
Would you name subsequent seasons Tosh.1, Tosh.2?
Oh would I change it, I don’t know. I really didn’t think I’d even get to episode one when we started doing this show. I’ve had a bad track record. I think I’ve shot 13, maybe 14, pilots that have all failed before this. Yeah, I am not good.
My last question is, are you ever serious?
Yes. The answer is yeah, I’m always serious. I think that’s the great thing with always being ridiculously sarcastic is that you can be very truthful, and if people don’t like the response or answer, they just assume that you were kidding. And I can walk away with a shit-eating grin on my face.
That’s very wise.
[laughs] There’s nothing wise about me! I have the aptitude of a chimp.