Josh Johnson is a relatively new name on the U.S. comedy scene, and yet he has put out more original material in the past year than some comics do in a lifetime. While he’s been writing for The Daily Show since 2017, he first appeared as a correspondent in early 2024. Also, throughout the whole of that year, he regularly posted stand-up comedy videos to his YouTube channel more than once a week, each one showcasing completely new stand-up material. From satirizing the internal affairs of the White House to cracking gags about the Drake-Kendrick drama, Johnson’s comedy encompassed a huge range of topics in 2024.
It’s not just the frequency of Johnson’s new material that’s so impressive; it’s also the quality of the jokes. Each of his YouTube videos gets hundreds of thousands of views, with many moving past one million views; his stand-up video about Sean “Diddy” Combs is longer than one hour and gained 5.6 million views It’s no surprise that both The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Daily Show were keen to use Johnson’s talents — and it’s great to see how quickly he’s rising, though it’s entirely deserved.
From the Comedy Cellar to ‘The Daily Show’
His success as a comedian stemmed a ton of road work and eventually two stand-up specials, # (Hashtag) (2021) and Up Here Killing Myself (2023). The former is now available for free through Comedy Central’s YouTube channel, while his second special can be streamed on Apple TV+ or Peacock. Johnson has also become a regular at The Comedy Cellar
One of the highlights of Johnson’s stand-up which he uploads to YouTube is that many of the clips are direct from his performance at the nationally renowned comedy club The Comedy Cellar. This is one of Manhattan’s most prestigious stand-up venues, and Johnson performs there frequently. The joy of this venue is that Johnson makes the most of speaking to a close audience — take his incredible video “How to Escape a Serial Killer”, where he gloriously deconstructs the ethics of serial killers and the death penalty.
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More recently, though, his talents for performing were picked up by The Daily Show. After a long period collaborating with Trevor Noah, in January 2024 he finally appeared on the show as a full-time correspondent. While Noah had left the program several months prior, Johnson had remained as a writer on the series and his abilities as a performer were put to use. Since then, he’s led hilarious segments, from “How Rich People Avoid Paying Taxes” to “Do Black Voters F**k With Trump?” In addition to Jon Stewart’s Monday night episodes, Johnson’s moments on the show have been one of its real highlights over the past 12 months.
Joking About Almost Everything
Johnson’s biggest success is that he doesn’t really seem to have a line of subjects which cannot be joked about — for him, everything is fair game. The aforementioned routine about serial killers is a great example, and what’s extraordinary is his ability to blend those white-knuckle topics with far more trivial pieces, such as his set about “The Demure Trend”. He engages staggeringly consistently with the cultural zeitgeist and isn’t afraid of talking about any subject he feels like — no matter how taboo. He’s embraced by an audience which admires his unique trains of thought and how he can be both funny and thought-provoking regardless of what he’s joking about.
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It’s refreshing for a comedian to be able to take on such a diverse range of topics. Josh Johnson is a real comedy tour de force, and it’s likely that his career will only soar to even greater heights in the coming months. He’s certainly a face to watch with a keen eye. His Twitter feed, like his YouTube channel, is also filled with clips of his various performances, and he can also be found on Instagram. Josh Johnson continues to take comedy to the next level on his YouTube channel. His latest special, Josh Johnson: Live from Before, is available to stream as an audio recording now.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
