‘Daily Show’s’ Josh Johnson tells Jalen Rose why couch surfing is good

Josh Johnson is an Emmy-nominated author, a humorist and is at the moment making use of his artistic abilities at “The Day by day Present.”

Positive, he’s received all of the accolades now, however the Louisiana native began chasing his dream post-college after transferring to Chicago.

There, he slept on couches and labored at grocery shops.

However he has an attention-grabbing perspective on his early days.

On this week’s “Renaissance Man,” Josh informed me that if you happen to aren’t used to having creature comforts, “you don’t truly know the distinction.

“Like when somebody’s broke, they’re not like, ‘Oh, I’m out right here grinding.’ They’re identical to, ‘You already know, that is essentially the most comfy sofa I’ve been on.’”

Josh’s perspective was “I’m right here and I’m having enjoyable and I’m assembly humorous individuals,” he mentioned.

“So yeah, possibly the price of doing it’s sleeping on some couches or sleeping on the ground. Or if I’ve to, paying this $19 bus ticket that’s $19 as a result of it’s 19 hours.

“However I believe so long as it’s in pursuit of one thing that you just love, it’s a small value to pay.”

Rising up, Josh watched funnymen Christopher Titus and Invoice Burr, and credited Richard Pryor and George Carlin as his Prime 2 most influential comedians.

However he didn’t assume it was a profession choice.

“Once you’re little, in your head, you’re like, any grownup with a job is particularly made for that job,” he mentioned.

“You consider academics as like, ‘That’s simply the one that knew all the maths. So she teaches math,’ you already know?

“And if you happen to noticed a pilot, you had been like, ‘Oh, that’s a particular man that is aware of how one can fly.’ You neglect that each individual is simply common.”

Properly, he’s barely into his 30s, and he’s flying himself.

Most lately, he launched “Up Right here Killing Myself,” a stand-up particular now streaming on Peac***.

It’s based mostly on the true experiences he had in remedy.


Center

Josh hasn’t had an opportunity to rehash it along with his therapist but, however he did share some scary tales concerning the occupational hazards for comedians — particularly bombing onstage.


Josh Johnson
Josh Johnson named Richard Pryor and George Carlin as comedians who influenced him.
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“Once you’re bombing, you’re probably not fascinated with enhancing. Like while you’re in the midst of battle, you’re not like, ‘How am I going to make use of this to show the whole lot round?’

“You’re extra identical to, ‘Oh, my, that is horrible. That is actually unhealthy. They hate me.’”

He defined that generally bombing is a results of different elements fully past your management.

Josh recalled doing a comedy competition in New Orleans the place he was purported to go onstage first. However one other identify was referred to as — and the entire evening blew up.

That performer “bombed so unhealthy that half the viewers left,” Josh mentioned.

“After which I’m going up and, doing what I believe any comedian would do, I roasted him just a little bit for being so unhealthy.

“I wasn’t even that imply. I simply calmly was like, ‘OK, wow. You already know, that’s, that’s sort of loopy. I’ve by no means seen a half-the-room stroll earlier than.’ And I believe I mentioned two issues about him. Like, not even going after this man.

“But it surely seems everybody that stayed had been his associates. And so then I bombed. But it surely’s like, I didn’t even need to.

“Everybody else hated his comedy. So that they left. After which they hated me for mentioning how a lot everybody hated his comedy.

“So, you already know, it didn’t actually give me any braveness. There was no silver lining. That was only a horrible evening. However you progress on.”


Josh Johnson
Johnson lately launched a particular on Peac***.
PEACOCK

And I’m going to guess some interactions soften the blow from the unhealthy ones.

“One time I did a present and Bob Odenkirk was there,” Josh mentioned of the legendary sketch comedian-turned-dramatic actor (starring because the titular “Higher Name Saul”).

“He was like, ‘That was actually, actually nice’ … He was simply so complimentary and it was so real that it took me aback.”

“I nonetheless give it some thought generally,” Josh added, “as a result of it was simply very cool to know, OK, I’m heading in the right direction doing the precise issues.”

Detroit native Jalen Rose is a member of the College of Michigan’s iconoclastic Fab 5, who shook up the school hoops world within the early ’90s. He performed 13 seasons within the NBA earlier than transitioning right into a media persona. Rose is an analyst for “NBA Countdown” and “Get Up,” and co-host of “Jalen & Jacoby.” He executive-produced “The Fab 5” for ESPN’s “30 for 30” sequence, is the writer of the best-selling guide “Bought To Give the Folks What They Need,” a vogue tastemaker and co-founded the Jalen Rose Management Academy, a public constitution faculty in his hometown.

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