Daniel Tosh

Daniel Tosh

Tosh at Boston University in September 2008.
Birth name Daniel Dwight Tosh[1]
Born May 29, 1975
Boppard, Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany[2]
Medium Stand-up, television
Years active 1997–present
Genres Black comedy, observational comedy, satire, sarcasm
Notable works and roles Tosh.0, Brickleberry
Website www.danieltosh.com

Daniel Dwight Tosh (born May 29, 1975)[3] is an American comedian, television host, actor, writer, and executive producer who hosts the Comedy Central television show Tosh.0.[4]

Early life

Born in Boppard, Rhineland-Palatinate, West Germany,[5] Tosh grew up in Titusville, Florida, the son of a preacher. 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, but attributes his decision to work in comedy to being raised in Florida, which he considers "flat, hot, and dumb."[8]

Career

He started touring the comedy club circuit almost immediately after graduating from 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.[9] Tosh's first big career break came in 2001 with a performance on the Late Show with David Letterman. He also made appearances on programs such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Comedy Central's Premium Blend.[10] He hosted a local late-night comedy show in Florida called Tens,[11][12] and served as a spokesman in Taco Bell commercials.[13] Tosh has also been a regular guest on radio shows such as The Bob & Tom Show, Loveline and Kevin and Bean.

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 appeared in an episode of MTV's Punk'd as a criminal who broke into Mekhi Phifer's car.[14] He also played a fictional version of himself on Elevator produced by HBO's Runawaybox[15] and had a small role as Cowboy Hat in the feature film The Love Guru starring Mike Myers.

Tosh had said he planned to end his career on his 38th birthday, May 29, 2013, if he had not by that time succeeded as a comedian. He said he would do this by committing suicide or retiring to the beach.[16][17] He kept a countdown clock on his website, DanielTosh.com, that gave 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."[17] On his 38th birthday Tosh's fans overwhelmingly voted that Tosh had "made it" as a star and therefore should continue his life and career.

His latest special, Happy Thoughts, premiered on Comedy Central on March 6, 2011, with 3.25 million viewers and a 1.9/5 share.[18] It was later released on DVD as well.

Tosh was the voice of Malloy in the Comedy Central animated sitcom Brickleberry as well as one of the executive producers. The show was cancelled after three seasons on January 7, 2015.[19]

Tosh.0

Main article: Tosh.0

Tosh's Comedy Central television show Tosh.0, which showcases Internet video clips,[20] premiered on June 5, 2009. His mocking humor is described as "envelope pushing" and frequently features punchlines which are intentionally 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."[21]

Rape Joke Controversy

On July 10, 2012, a blog titled Cookies for Breakfast published an account by an unnamed woman in which Tosh made a series of jokes about rape at the Laugh Factory. According to the blogger, after she called out, "Actually, rape jokes are never funny!" Tosh responded, "Wouldn't it be funny if that girl got raped by, like, five guys right now?"[22][23] Later that day, Tosh claimed the blog post was inaccurate and that he was misquoted, but apologized on Twitter for what he had said.[24] The owner of the comedy club, who was present during Tosh's set, stated that the blog's account of the incident was inaccurate, and that Tosh had rather speculated the woman had "been raped by, like, five guys."[25] The event received a mild degree of media coverage, including anti-sexual assault groups arguing that his actions normalize sexual violence,[26] others indicating that Tosh had used similar offensive material in his comedy for a long time before the incident without backlash,[27] and many comedians such as Dane Cook, Jim Norton, Stevie Ryan, Patton Oswalt, Chris Rock, Anthony Jeselnik, Doug Stanhope, and Gilbert Gottfried defending his right to speak uncensored.[28][29]

Personal life

Tosh has one brother and two sisters.[30] Tosh has stated that he suffers from social anxiety.[31][32]

Philanthropy

Tosh has participated in a show for the family of deceased comedian Greg Giraldo and for Alabama disaster relief.[33][34]

Tosh has hosted an annual stand-up show called "Tosh Saves The World" which has featured comedians such as Bo Burnham, Chelsea Peretti, Hannibal Buress and Kumail Nanjiani, with the proceeds going to various charities.[35]

Discography

Stand-up specials

Tours

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role
1998 Sins of the City DJ Dog Man
1999 Premium Blend Performer
2000 Just for Laughs Performer
2001 Late Show with David Letterman Performer
2003 Just for Laughs Himself
Comedy Central Presents Stand-up Special
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Performer
2004 Punk'd Criminal
Best Week Ever Panelist
2004–2009 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Performer
2006 Comics Unleashed Panelist
2007 Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious Stand-up Special
2007–2008 Elevator Himself
2008 Live at Gotham Host
The Life & Times of Tim Theo
2009–present Tosh.0 Host
2010 Supreme Court of Comedy Performer
2011 Dave's Old Porn Himself
Daniel Tosh: Happy Thoughts Stand-up Special
2012–2014 Brickleberry Malloy

Film

Year Title Role
2008 The Love Guru Cowboy Hat

References

  1. ↑ Loveline, 2009-11-05
  2. ↑ "Daniel Tosh Interview". Independent.com. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  3. ↑ "Happy Birthday, Daniel Tosh!". Tosh.0 Blog. 2013-05-29. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  4. ↑ "Daniel Tosh". Dead-Frog. Retrieved June 17, 2007.
  5. ↑ Daniel Tosh. "Enlightened Garbage." Comedy Central Records, 2005.
  6. ↑ UCF Staff (April 6, 2011). "Comedian Daniel Tosh Spotted at UCF". UCF Today. Retrieved February 24, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Daniel Tosh: From Lake Claire to Comedy Central". Central Florida Future. November 8, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  8. ↑ The Daily Collegian
  9. ↑ "Daniel Tosh Interview". Santa Barbara Independent. April 10, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2010.
  10. ↑ Cuneo, Jessamyn (January 2007). "Over The Edge With Daniel Tosh". American Superstar Magazine. Retrieved June 17, 2007.
  11. ↑ "The Legend of WAMI-TV - Page 3". Ke4qpf.com. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  12. ↑ WAMI-DT
  13. ↑ "This Week's Day-by-Day Picks". Houston Press. March 27, 2003. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Punk'd Season 3 Episode 6". Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Daniel Tosh Elevator – YouTube". Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  16. ↑ John Wenzel (February 20, 2009). "Daniel Tosh's jokes sneak up on you while you're already laughing". denverpost.com. The Denver Post. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Delfin Vigil (August 26, 2007). "At The Top of His Stand-up Game". sfgate.com (San Francisco Chronicle). Retrieved September 22, 2010.
  18. ↑ Kissell, Rick (March 9, 2011). "'Idol' powers weekly Fox rout – Entertainment News, TV News, Media – Variety". Variety. Retrieved March 11, 2011.
  19. ↑ Variety.com
  20. ↑ Frankel, Daniel (March 5, 2009). "Push for Tosh at Comedy Central". Variety.com. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  21. ↑ Daniel Tosh at TCA: 'I'm not sexist or racist, I just like the jokes' | Inside TV | EW.com
  22. ↑ Daniel Tosh's Apology For Gang Rape Joke Almost as Weak as the Joke Itself. The Atlantic Wire.
  23. ↑ Entertainment Weekly, Daniel Tosh apologizes for rape jokes at comedy club, July 10, 2012 accessed July 11, 2012
  24. ↑ Huffington Post, Daniel Tosh Apologizes For Rape Joke Aimed At Female Audience Member At Laugh Factory, Katla McGlynn, July 10, 2012, accessed July 11, 2012
  25. ↑ BuzzFeed, Comedy Club Owner Says Daniel Tosh Incident Has Been Misunderstood, accessed July 12, 2012
  26. ↑ Sexual Assault Crisis Group Slams Daniel Tosh, 'Rape Jokes Are Never Funny'.
  27. ↑ Community Contributor (March 19, 2013). "Daniel Tosh Has Been Making Rape Jokes For Years". Buzzfeed.com. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
  28. ↑ Huffington Post, Comedians Defend Daniel Tosh Rape Joke On Twitter, July 11 2012, accessed July 11, 2012
  29. ↑ Gottfried, Gilbert (July 16, 2012). "If you don't want to hear an edgy joke, don't listen". CNN. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  30. ↑ "Biography". DanielTosh.com. Retrieved June 17, 2007.
  31. ↑ Kevin and Bean, January 11, 2011
  32. ↑ Gadino, Dylan (November 7, 2005). "Daniel Tosh: Life in the Tosh Pit". Punchline Magazine. Retrieved June 2, 2011. I've always had a social anxiety. I'm not a huge fan of speaking in front of people..
  33. ↑ Zimbio, Daniel Tosh Joins perform Raise Money for Greg Giraldo's Family, July 3, 2011.
  34. ↑ Daniel Tosh on Alabama Tornado Disaster: God Hates Nick Saban! – The Hollywood Gossip
  35. ↑ "Portland Monthly Mag", Tosh Saves the World Comedy Show, November 2012

External links