Writing Jokes with Josh Sneed (Comedy Central)
My wife was in the audience when I recorded my first album, but we hadn’t met yet.
[@JoshSneed on Twitter]
You’ve opened for Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Dane Cook, Louis C.K. and others. What have you picked up from some of those guys that you take with you on stage in your own act?
Well those are the greats you’ve cherry-picked from. They all bring different things to the table as far as things I could learn. Chappelle: the ability to take the most mundane topics and turn them into comedy gold. Burr: the art of being prolific and churning out new, solid material. Cook: the work ethic of treating the art like a business and building your brand. C.K.: take risks and work hard and when your time comes, you’ll be so polished that you’ll knock it out of the park.
What’s interesting or uninteresting about your hometown?
I grew up in a very small suburb. Everyone knew everyone. Only had 73 in my graduating class.
What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid?
My father worked for Kenner Toys (read: awesome for a kid) as a model maker. My mother worked for Procter & Gamble.
Why did you first want to start performing comedy? What was the first joke or bit you tried on stage?
I wanted to be on Saturday Night Live, but wasn’t sure where to start. I was in a weird spot career & college-wise and decided to try an open mic. Fell in love with it immediately. First bit I did was talking about how crazy the flea market was. It’s the only place where “you can pick up Jagermeister, fireworks, and a cold sore in a single transaction”.
Can you walk me through the day you performed on Comedy Central Presents? How were you selected for the feature? What was that day like?
I had submitted for a special and was turned down, then a few months later I opened for Greg Giraldo at the South Beach Comedy Festival and Doug Herzog, the president of Comedy Central, was in the audience. I think him liking my set helped me get approved the next time I submitted. The day of the taping was pretty chill. Went over for a sound check and got to see my set for the first time. I got some direction on where I’d walk out and then I just hung out until I had to go back and record the show. It was surreal, easily one of the highlights of my career.
What do you like or dislike about the comedy scene in Cincinnati?
I love the scene here now. So proud of what it’s become. There weren’t a lot of people doing it full time when I was coming up. Geographically you couldn’t pick a better place to be a road comic. Dayton, Columbus, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Lexington, Louisville, Nashville… all less than four hours away driving. Then Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta, just beyond that.
What’s the hardest part about performing on the road?
At this point it’s being away from my family. Very hard to leave a wife and four year old for any amount of time.
What are some of thing things you talk about in your new comedy album, Unsung Hero?
My wife was in the audience when I recorded my first album, but we hadn’t met yet. My life changed almost immediately just after that, so “Unsung Hero” is basically everything that has happened since the night I recorded “Unacceptable”.
Do you prefer forming jokes on paper or on stage? Why?
I prefer to do it on stage. I think it’s more natural and less scripted that way. It forces me to craft the bit in how I would normally talk rather than overthinking it. Once I get the joke out a few times, I can then work on selecting the timing and exact verbiage.
Who is the funniest person you know?
Comedian: Robert Hawkins
Civilian: Mike Zilliox
What’s the dumbest superhero name you can think of?
Super Glue
Why are jokes funny?
I won’t say it if I don’t think it’s funny. There was a time when a laugh was more important than me being able to sleep at night. Now, I really try to put my touch on jokes and make them relatable. My only hope is that the overwhelming majority of the people I’m talking to agree with me when I present it as being funny. Then I can keep paying the bills.
Josh is a comedian seen on @ComedyCentral. Twitterer. NEW COMEDY ALBUM Unsung Hero & podcast The Detention Show available in iTunes. Tour dates are on his website: joshsneed.com
For more on humor, follow @jokewriting on Twitter
Interview by Zuri Irvin (@withzuri)
