Comedy Examiner Interview: 'Tosh.0' star Daniel Tosh discusses the internet, 'Surprise Trust Falls'

  Daniel Tosh sits down to talk with Examiner.com's Comedy Examiner.  But not in that chair.

If you've been following the goings-on here at the Comedy Examiner's Office long enough, then you already know that you're supposed to be watching Daniel Tosh on Comedy Central's Tosh.0.  We've made the claim that the show might be the funniest series currently airing on that network (well, ever since their awesome game show What Else Can Carlos Mencia Fit in His Mouth? was canceled, anyway) more than a few times, and we've long since been a very vocal supporter of  Tosh's standup work.  So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when Daniel Tosh recently took some time out from his very busy schedule to talk about the internet, the renewal of Tosh.0, "Surprise Trust Falls," and more.  Tosh.0 airs a brand-new episode this evening (10:30, 9:30 Central), and -- having seen the episode myself -- I can assure you that it's just as brilliant as any other episode of the series has been.  While we're waiting on that to arrive, check out my interview with Daniel Tosh below, my gentle Examiner readers ...

I'm fairly certain that Tosh.0 is the funniest show currently airing on Comedy Central.  Yes, yes: I know that some of you are relentlessly addicted to Krod Mandoon (and there's a treatment for that), but for my money it's still comedian Daniel Tosh's hilarious series based on the horrible things we've all seen online.  This is the show that gave the world "Surprise Trust Falls" and the largest "Two Girls, One Cup" reaction ever caught on camera (if you don't know, don't go seeking answers).  The show that made casual jackets seem cool and Demi Moore seem, well, really hairy.  The show that featured the all-time funniest "Cinammon Challenge" ever caught on film.  It's glorious.

This morning, I had the opportunity to sit down and bother Daniel Tosh with questions about his show, which was recently picked up for another 40 some-odd episodes by Comedy Central (over the next year or so).  The series is doing solid enough in the ratings that many believe Tosh will be Comedy Central's next big star, so what better time to interview the dude than before he'll be too big to get access to?  Just try getting 20 minutes with Jaleel White and you'll know what I mean.  Anyway, let's get on with the interview:

Comedy Examiner: How you doing, sir?

Daniel Tosh: Scott! Good, how are you?

CE: It's an honor to be talking to you, I'm a big fan.

Daniel Tosh:  That's very nice, and the honor is all mine.

CE: Good lord, that's gentlemanly.  First off, where'd the idea for the show come from?  Did you pitch it to Comedy Central, or was it something they came to you with?

DT: Scott, it came from Jesus.  Like all quality shows, it came from Jesus.

CE:  Was it written on tablets?

DT: (Laughs) Yeah, but I dropped one of 'em.  They're heavy.  Here's how the show came about, great story: Comedy Central owed me money, and they didn't want to pay it to me without doing something in return.  We had tried to do a couple shows that failed in concept, and so they sent me an email -- I saved the email -- and it was about four lines saying, "Do a show about the internet.  Make our website a little more relevant, but not like a talk show."  That was literally the email.  So, we did that -- a pilot, for about $5,000, live on a stage in front of an audience, and ... that's how the show came about.  And it continues to morph into whatever we want it to be.  But, so far so good: It's not stressful, people at work enjoy each other ...

CE: How many episodes have you been picked up for?  It's another twenty-something, right?

DT: Well, we start tonight with 16 more for the rest of this season (ed. note: I've seen tonight's episode, and you'd do good to tune in tonight, 9:30 CDT; it's one of the best ones I've seen), 25 total.  And they've ordered 30 more, minimum, for 2011.

CE:  Well, congratulations on that.

DT:  Thanks!  It's nice to know I'll have good health insurance through 2012.

CE:  No dental?

DT:  No, I think the Writer's Guild provides dental.  I dunno.  I go to the dentist every six months, I get a cleaning, so ... I'm fortunate enough that those flouride treatments as a child worked.  Not getting any cavities.

CE: I know you've got a wish-list on your site for people you want on for the "Web Redemption" segment, but who's your number-one right now?  Like, who are you really hoping to get on the show next?

DT: Um ... either the Star Wars kid or Michael Richards.

CE: (Laughing) Who's been the best and worst guests you've had on the show thus far?

DT: That's a good question.  The reality is, these people are ... look, we don't do any background checks.  So, we'll fly people out with zero research.  And some of these people are crazy insane.  And not like "Oh, this guy's nuts."  And it's just like, "Here you go, spend the day with Daniel."  I'll tell you who I loved.  The "What, What, In The Butt" guy.  Couldn't have been more of a delight.  That kinda sounds bad, but he really was nice and I had a good time hanging out with him.  But there are a few creeps ... I'm trying to think ... see, that's the thing: These guys don't even have names, they just go by whatever you Google search to find them.  There was the "Looking For a Date" guy, and he was just insane-creepy.  We set him up on some blind dates with some really hot, L.A. model chicks.  And he's really disgusting/dirty/wax-coming-out-of-the-ears nasty, and he was really shy.  So, the first question he asked -- with the cameras rolling -- was, "How many fingers do you use to masturbate?"

CE: (Laughing)

DT: And the look of horror in her face ... We also got the "Angry Black Preacher," this guy who swears constantly and, like, rages against white people during his sermons.  And I have to hang out with him.  I'm asking him these crazy, insane questions and he ... well, he likes to be called by his Biblical name, which is something like "Preacher of Truth" or something, and he's tattooed the word "God" all over his body ... so, you know, every day I'm just thankful that no one's stuck a knife in me. 

CE:  Have you ever had anyone you've flown out to be on the show and it hasn't worked out because they've been so crazy?

DT:  Well, the thing about that is, we don't have a big enough budget that would allow us to fly someone out and then not use it --

CE: (Laughs)

DT: -- so if it's really bad, we just cut it as short as we can and try to incorporate other aspects to it.  I usually dress up in more stupid outfits to offset the fact that this person was giving us nothing to work with.  But there's zero chance we'll pay for a plane ticket and a hotel room and not put it on the show. 

CE:  Well, maybe you can make that your goal.  That's what you're shooting for: that one day, you'll be able to --

DT:  That seems like a dream.  Like, "This bit wasn't very good, let's just not use it."

CE:  Just burning Comedy Central's money.  Are there any bits that you've really wanted to do that Comedy Central's just flat-out denied? 

DT: Oh, all the time.  The weirdest thing, though, is ... look, we film the show Thursday for air the following Wednesday.  And every time I send out the list of clips and the jokes that we want to do, it's always a mystery what they're going to say "No" to.  And I wanna say, for the record, for the most part Comedy Central's wonderful.  It's Standards and Practices that you can't get past.  So, that's the mystery every week: What joke is going to be the joke, or the video, that was too far?  And you can never guess because it's always different.  Comedy Central will think, "Oh, the video of the kid setting himself on fire -- we can't show that."  But Standards and Practices will say sure, but you can't make a reference to banging a 17-year-old.  Every week it's a mystery.  And the reality is, you just have to have a good argument of why you're doing it, and they'll change their position ... possibly.

CE:  Well, sounds very black and white.  That must be a joy to deal with.

DT:  Exactly.  There's, like, zero rules.  "You can't play this song," and we'll say, "Well, it's a parody."  Or they'll say, "You can't play this song without paying the artist $15,000," and we'll say, "Well, never mind."

CE:  I think they're making it up as they go along.  Breaking Bad will have a guy's severed head riding a turtle, but then it's a big deal if someone says "sh-t."  They're making it up as they go along.

DT:  It all comes back to money: "What can we get sued for," and "What will cost us advertising dollars?" That's a tough thing to argue, when they're guessing what will upset other people.

CE:  One of the better trends that I think you've tried to start with Tosh.0 is the "Surprise Trust Falls" thing.

DT: (Laughs)

CE: Do people come up to you on the street and try to do Surprise --

DT:  Are you kidding me?!  All the time.  But you know what?  Lesson learned, though.  I didn't forsee that happening, but it's happening constantly.  At shows -- I'm doing a 60-city in 60-day tour in the fall that Comedy Central's sponsoring -- but my stand-up is now littered with people falling into me.  And of course they're having another buddy standing far away, filming it.  It's awful.  Horrible idea, I regret it completely, and now I have to deal with it. "Surprise Trust Falls" is my version of Dave Chappelle's "I'm Rick James, Bitch."

CE:  Maybe you could introduce "Surprise (Sex Act Here),"

DT:  (Laughs) Is that how I fight fire?  I don't think I really want a "Surprise (Sex Act Here)."  Have you ever really had a good (Sex Act Here) that you didn't give yourself?

CE:  Do you have to pay people for clips you use on the show?  Like, if they've posted something to YouTube and you run it on the show, are they getting compensated for that?

DT:   Again, crazy gray area there.  If we wanna use a clip and we can find the person that posted it easily, we'll pay 'em for it.  A couple hundred bucks, whatever they want so we can play it on TV.  We don't wanna own it or anything.  We just wanna play it, they'll retain all the rights to it.  But some videos, if they're shot in a third-world country or something and there's zero way to contact a person, the lawyers will say, "OK, you can use 10% -- or 30% -- of the video, and you have to change the music in it."  And that's fine, because there's usually so many pointless parts to the video anyway, you just wanna use the good stuff. 

CE:  What bit have you done that's earned you the most flack on the show, would ya say?

DT:  Making fun of Alyssa Milano.

CE:  Oh, man.  On a personal note, that was one of the highlights of the show for me. 

DT:  We've trashed every celebrity.  But it's funny -- you can make fun of AIDS or Haiti, but if you make fun of some starlet in Hollywood's looks?  That's like the one thing ... the line you are not to cross.

CE:  Have you heard from Demi Moore's camp?

DT:  (Laughs) Haha, no.

CE:  Really?  I woulda thought that Ashton Kutcher would've sent someone after you by now.  He seems so intimidating.

DT:  I'll be honest, though.  That new movie he's got coming out?  His body looks chiseled.

CE:  Can we do some word-associations?  I'll throw some words and terms your way, you throw the first thing that comes to mind back at me?

DT:  Can I say more than one word?

CE:  Oh, yeah, sure.

DT:  Yeah, let's do it.

CE:  OK.  Twilight.

DT:  Those wolf-kids in high school.  I'm fascinated by these kids in high school that think they've become werewolves, and I'm sorry that it's beyond my time. 

CE: Jon Gosselin.

DT:  "Thinning."  Why doesn't he just shave it at that point?  The only thing worse than someone hanging on to their hair is the Ed Hardy thing.

CE:  Well, that was another term I was gonna throw at you: Ed Hardy.  As far as that goes, it just seems like one equals the other. 

DT:  Exactly.  But ... are they fine with being associated with complete, cheesy douche bags?  Like, that's OK with their company?

CE:  I think they probably think any publicity is good publicity, so they're happy to see it slapped on anybody.

DT:  Yeah, I hear you, but don't you think they look at their product and think, "This is really cheesy"?

CE:  No, because I think anyone that'd buy Ed Hardy isn't concerned about what people like us have to say about Ed Hardy, y'know?  Some guy wearing an Ed Hardy shirt in a club doesn't give a sh-t what you or I think.  They just think everyone's "hatin'" on 'em, not that everyone thinks they're douche bags.

DT: I don't think I'm that blinded to anything. 

CE:  But then again, you wouldn't buy an Ed Hardy shirt.

DT:  True, true.

CE:  OK: Sex and The City 2.

DT:  Not long enough! 

CE: (Laughs)

DT:  What was that?  Two and a half hours of ... I'd like to know what the wardrobe budget was on that giant pile of sh-t. 

CE:  Or for Kim Cattrall's face.

DT:  Touche.

CE:  What did you think of the Conan O'Brien/Jay Leno thing?

DT:  I didn't care.  I never for once thought ... look, I was on The Tonight Show the week after Jay Leno announced that he was retiring, and I made a plea to NBC to give me Conan's old spot.  I never for one second thought -- I even said it to Jay on the show that night -- there was zero chance that Jay Leno was retiring in five years.  It was so clear to me that that would never happen.  Pointless, and it completely panned out the exact way I thought it would.

CE:  OK, two final questions:  First off, can you give me the backstory on the picture you showed of you and Mario Lopez in the ocean on top of an inflatable banana?

DT:  I was the co-host of an episode of Wild On before Brooke Burke did the show on E!  Do you remember that awful show?

CE:  Oh, yeah.

DT:  OK, well it was in Cabo San Lucas.  And they had all these celebrities and we were playing this "Celebrity Scavenger Hunt" game that ended up with us on a banana boat.  And, meanwhile, the whole time Mario wanted to beat me up because I refused to call him anything but "Slater" on-camera.  If my house was on fire, that's probably one of the few things I'd want to save.

CE:  I'd imagine.  Finally, can you tell me what the f-ck is wrong with Jeff Dunham?

DT:  Listen, I have no idea.  I have no idea why people want to watch puppets be the slightly meaner version of the weirdo holding them.  It's beyond my comprehension.

CE:  Good answer.  Well, that's all the time we have.  Thanks so much for talking to us --

DT:  No, thank you!

CE:  I'm a big fan and I wish you well.  Thank you, sir.

DT:  Thank you!

Many thanks to Comedy Central and Daniel Tosh for taking the time to talk to us here at the Examiner.  As we've already mentioned, Tosh.0 returns tonight with a brand-new episode (the first of 16 for the remainder of this season, with another 30 headed your way next year) and it's an outstanding entry in the series: Tonight's Web Redemption is based around the "Lightning Bolt LARPer."  In case you're unfamiliar with that dude, here's the original clip featuring the guy that Daniel Tosh will be giving a second chance to on tonight's show:

You're not gonna want to miss it, folks.  You can check out more Tosh.0 related shenanigans at the show's blog through this link, and you can stay tuned for more funny videos, news, reviews, interviews, recaps, funny pictures, and more from the Comedy Examiner's Office in the near future.  By the way, I'll be on the radio again tonight -- you can listen to the broadcast at WheelhouseRadio.com as it airs live tonight at 8pm EDT -- as I will be every Wednesday from here on out.  Don't miss it, folks!  And, it's not even airing at the same time Tosh.0 is, so you don't have to worry about choosing one or the other (though I'd pick Tosh if I were you, too).

We've got all manner of nonsense to keep you busy while you're supposed to be getting productive at work, so hit the "Subscribe" button up top if you want to get all of the future time-wasting content you can handle from the Comedy Examiner delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge, the moment it's published.  And check out some of these other recent Comedy Examiner articles while you're here:

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BILL MAHER TAKING HEAT FOR JOKE ABOUT WANTING A "REAL BLACK PRESIDENT" (WITH VIDEO)-- in which Bill Maher says something controversial and everyone gets all bent out of shape about it.  Go figure, right?

COMMENTARY: WRITERS WHO INCLUDE SEASON FINALE SPOILERS IN THEIR HEADLINES NEED TO BE SAVAGELY BEATEN-- in which the Comedy Examiner rants and raves about the assclowns that spoiled the season finale of The Celebrity Apprentice for him.  Also worth debating: why I'm speaking in the third person.

(photos: top--danieltosh.com, next--nj.com, next--comedycentral.com, next--comedycentral.com, bottom--bothteamsplayedhard.net)