3) You have a clean show that doesn't thumb anyone in the eye. Is that a harder show to get on stage? Is it an easy route to dump four letter words into the act and put effort into offending people? (I mean "really" offend and not the ridiculous "everything offends me" whining done today.) I do believe it’s harder to do clean comedy. I was told by the woman who owned the club in Dayton, OH that she could use me more often to emcee if I could be clean. I also didn’t want to disappoint my parents who, at the time, had never heard me swear. If they ever decided to come to a show, I wanted them to enjoy it. I do believe that there is a place for curse words, but that they lose their power if used too often. I was once told by my mentor, “Treat profanity like a spice. It can make a steak taste amazing, but you’d never eat a plate of oregano for dinner.” I still think about that to this day. 4) Who inspires you? This doesn't have to be comedian-only. Who picked you up (literally or figuratively) in life when society got too heavy? My dad still inspires me, even though he’s gone. He was a model maker at Kenner toys and always seemed to have this “never take life too serious” attitude. I belive comedy can help you stay young in the same regard. He always put family first and that’s a big reason why I don’t live in LA or NYC. I want to be a dad and a husband more than I want to be a famous comedian. If I can be both, great. But I’m happy with the career I have as it affords me the opportunity to try and fill the ginormous shoes my father left behind for my children. 5) To your wife: What is it like to be married to a comedian? (This is up to you, boss.) From my wife, Jenny: “That's a hard question to answer. I don't think Josh embodies the stereotypical comedian. Josh, at home, is light-hearted, easy going, fun, and sweet. Professionally speaking, he's an entrepreneur, business-minded, quick, witty, responsible and dependable (at home, too). In almost everything, he will find humor. He's a rare breed. He brings calm to his family and his business ventures. He's always been confident in whatever it is he's doing. I think that helps on stage. It’s ironic to be answering this question on our 9th anniversary, but we just a have a lot of fun, and he's a big part of it. The only downside to being married to a comedian is the travel. He's gone quite a bit, and typically it’s during the weekend when all the milestones and traditions seem to happen. I've only spent one New Year’s Eve with him. There's just a lot of joy in the everyday shuffle, usually because of a quick joke he slips in or sometimes just the lightness of his persona. Simply put, it’s fun.” 6) What is the funniest hotel story you have from being on the road that (if you have one) also involves a near-death experience? I wish I had a good one. There’s so many funny stories but I’ve never really had a near-death experience while on the road for stand-up. After Mike Birbiglia’s “Sleepwalking” story, I don’t know that anyone should try to tell one because you’ll never top it. But if you want a good story about life on the road, just google “Farting on Jessica Simpson”. People seem to enjoy that one. 7) If you could put on the most epic comedy special of all time with ten acts (dead or alive) who would they be and why? This is nearly impossible, but I’ll try (in no particular order)… Mitch Hedberg, Dave Attell, Wendy Liebman, Robert Hawkins, Bill Burr, Jimmy Pardo, Greg Giraldo, Jim Gaffigan, Jerry Seinfeld, and Dave Chappelle.
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