| Daniel Tosh | |
|---|---|
Tosh at Boston University in September 2008. |
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| Birth name | Daniel Dwight Tosh[1] |
| Born | May 29, 1975 [2] Boppard, Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany[2] |
| Medium | Stand-up, television |
| Nationality | German American |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Genres | Black comedy, observational comedy, satire, sarcasm |
| Notable works and roles | Host of Tosh.0 |
| Website | www.danieltosh.com |
Daniel Dwight Tosh (born May 29, 1975)[2] is an American stand-up comedian and host of the Comedy Central television show, Tosh.0.[3]
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Tosh was born in Boppard, Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany[4] but grew up in Titusville, Florida, the son of a preacher. He has one brother and two sisters.[5] After graduating from Astronaut High School in 1993, Tosh attended the University of Central Florida, graduating in December 1996 with a degree in marketing.[6] Among his first jobs was a telemarketer at Central Florida Research Park. He said later, "Hey, $15 an hour to annoy people! I really was not preparing myself for the future at all. I had interviews lined up. I sat through one real interview, and I was like ‘I wouldn’t hire me.’ I left halfway through the orientation. That’s the closest thing I ever got to a real job."[7] Tosh moved to Los Angeles. He attributes his decision to work in comedy to having been raised in Florida, which he considers "flat, hot, and dumb."[8] Tosh has stated that he suffers from social anxiety.[9][10] He is an avid Miami Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes fan.
He started touring the comedy club circuit almost immediately after graduating college. He appeared as one of the New Faces at the 1998 Just for Laughs in Montreal. His act was televised in 2000 in Montreal at the Théâtre Saint-Denis.[11] Tosh's first big career break came in 2001 with a performance on the Late Show with David Letterman. Tosh followed with appearances on programs such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Comedy Central's Premium Blend.[12] He also hosted a local late-night comedy show in Florida called Ten and served as a spokesperson in Taco Bell commercials.[13] In 2003 he performed in his own 30-minute special on Comedy Central Presents. On June 17, 2007, Comedy Central aired his stand-up special: Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious. He also hosted an episode of Comedy Central's Live at Gotham. Tosh is also a regular guest on The Bob & Tom Show. He played a small role in the feature film The Love Guru starring Mike Myers. In 2011, he released his second stand-up DVD Happy Thoughts.
His Comedy Central TV show Tosh.0, which showcases Internet video clips,[14] premiered on June 5, 2009. His mocking humor is described as "envelope pushing" and frequently features punchlines that can be construed as racist, sexist or homophobic. Tosh's explanation of his non-politically correct humor is “I’m not a misogynistic and racist person...But I do find those jokes funny, so I say them.”[15]
He made the news on July 13, 2010, for beating both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert in ratings to have the highest rated non-animated show on the network. Tosh.0 is averaging 2.2 million viewers beating The Daily Show by 200,000 viewers and The Colbert Report by 800,000 viewers.[16]
Daniel Tosh has said he plans to end his career on his 38th birthday, May 29, 2013. He has said he will do this by committing suicide or retiring to the beach.[17][18] He keeps a countdown clock on his website, DanielTosh.com, that gives the number of days, minutes, and seconds until his 38th birthday which is when "Daniel's Groundhog Day Ends," a reference to the Bill Murray film. Tosh has described a comic's routine life on the road as "Groundhog Day."[18]
Tosh's latest special, Happy Thoughts, premiered on Comedy Central on March 6, 2011, with 3.25 million viewers and a 1.9/5 share.[19]
Daniel Tosh has participated in several fundraising events; notably a show for the family of comedian Greg Giraldo and for Alabama disaster relief.[20][21]