Hour 1: Michael Kosta Is a Lucky Loser
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What is the theme of Michael Kosta's new book 'Lucky Loser'?
Hey, look, there's Michael Kosta of The Daily Show, the former tennis player, stand-up comedian. He's got a new book out, Lucky Loser. It's available to pre-order now, and you can get it everywhere March 11th. I did not know, I should have known, I did not know that he was a former professional tennis player. That seems like a very lonely way to make a living.
It sounds even more insane to say, man, it's such a hard, competitive, lonely way to make a living. Let me be a stand-up comedian instead. Yeah. Yeah.
That's what he chose. Michael, thank you for joining us. Thank you. Which of those careers is lonelier?
Oh, that's a great question.
That's a good question.
How does Michael Kosta compare tennis and comedy?
I also love that I came in right after the Dookie Bomb t-shirt for sale. That made me laugh. You know, that stumped me. That question stumps me. So good first question. I actually think being a comedian is lonelier. Because, and I actually talk about this, I have this crazy night in Edmonton when I'm a brand new comic where these girls call my hotel room right after I perform and they say, hey, can we come upstairs to your room? And tomfoolery ensues. And the next day, I'm all alone. And I have this great story that I want to tell everybody, but you're at a Best Western in Edmonton alone. Whereas even when I played tennis, and sometimes you were sharing a hotel room with competitors, you at least could pull a guy aside and say, check this out.
Do you think that one of the careers is harder than the other or more competitive than the other?
I think tennis is impossible, is nearly impossible. It's a nonstop calendar year. The physicality of it. I think comedy is tough, but you can make $14,000 a year playing bowling alleys the rest of your life pretty easily, I think. If you're willing to do the armpit joke and the, can I get a volunteer from the crowd and do the, you know, whatever this, that.
What is that? What is that act that you're turning into a career? You're a man who works with words for a living. I don't know what it is you're describing there.
This is true. Of course, only I would pick to do an act out on a radio show. But you get the volunteer from the crowd to come out. They put the arms through your armpits. And then you say, oh, we're cooking. We're making an omelet. And it's their arms and your... Great gig. 14 grand a year, you say?
Yeah, probably. A bowling alley tour, 14 grand a year. Whose line is it, anyway?
One of my first gigs, I was doing a bowling alley in a basement in Michigan, and I was bombing so hard that my feet were sweating. Oh. And... I could hear the people above me bowling strikes. And it was this amazing dichotomy of success and failure so close to each other.
Put it on the poll, please, at Levitard Show. Have you ever been so embarrassed that your feet begin to sweat? How competitive is The Daily Show hosting? You guys are friends, but obviously that's a prime platform. So how does that one work? I imagine you all want it.
i appreciate that question that's a that's an astute question because before we were pushed up to co-hosts or a host whatever you want to call it we were all in the same camp right we were all correspondents we were all hey great piece to you hey great piece to you that was good writing high five you know and then we could all kind of get together and about the actual host that was above us
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the theme of Michael Kosta's new book 'Lucky Loser'?
1:24–2:06
2
How does Michael Kosta compare tennis and comedy?
2:06–7:10
3
Why did Michael Kosta transition from tennis to comedy?
7:10–9:56
4
How competitive is The Daily Show hosting environment?
9:56–12:10
5
How did Michael Kosta's experiences shape his comedic career?
12:10–18:33
6
Why do audiences trust comedians for news?
18:33–21:12
7
What are Michael Kosta's thoughts on the current state of tennis?
21:12–42:44
Speakers
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