'I Wanted A Special That Followed My Career': Michael Kosta On 'Michael Kosta: Detroit. NY. LA.' Comedy Central Special & 'The Daily Show'
(CBS Local)-- The one hour special is coveted by comedians young and old and on Friday, December 11, Michael Kosta will show the world his first hour long special on Comedy Central titled "Michael Kosta: Detroit. NY. LA." The correspondent for "The Daily Show" filmed his special in three separate locations in Detroit, New York and Los Angeles before the pandemic hit and each city represents a key part of his journey.
MORE FROM CBS:
- 'Divorce Filings Have Skyrocketed': Lawyer On Impact Of COVID-19 On Marriages
- 'We Are Really At A Crisis Point For Our Democracy, Economy': Sally Hubbard On Big Tech Corporations & Book 'Monopolies Suck'
Michigan is where Kosta got his start as a comedian, Los Angeles is where he spent a chunk of his career and New York is where he moved to in order to continue his career on "The Daily Show With Trevor Noah." The stand-up comedian hopes his special will provide people with much some needed joy and laughter in what has been a rough year.
"It was definitely shot before COVID-19 and I wanted a comedy special that followed my career as a comedian. I started in the Detroit-area, I'm from Ann Arbor, Michigan," said Kosta, in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "I went to the coast, went back to Michigan and went to the coast. That's what this is. I always prided myself on being from the middle of the country and now I'm a coastal elite. Comedy should be for everybody and everybody should laugh and that's how we came up with it and thankfully executed it and I'm excited for everyone to watch it."
One of the things Kosta wanted to prove in his special is that people enjoy being made fun of. The stand-up comedian took great pride in ripping on New York City in the Big Apple and getting a room full of people to laugh at his jokes.
"I wanted to show audiences that I think there is a misconception that everyone is very sensitive and afraid now," said Kosta. "In the special, I ridicule New York City to New York City's face and they love it. I roast Los Angeles on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood to Los Angeles and they love it. They love it because it is a comedy show in a comedy club. All of this comes from love. Some jokes work better in New York, but some jokes work for everybody and that's what I wanted to show."
In his special, Kosta also alludes to the fact that he was living with his parents when he got the job on "The Daily Show With Trevor Noah." The show has been so important for the stand-up comedian and Noah has also elevated the program to a whole new level in 2020.
"I was living in Los Angeles, auditioning like crazy and not getting anything," said Kosta. "At one point, I was Googling veterinary schools, but I only wanted to be a vet for small, cute dogs. No reptiles and then I got the opportunity to do The Daily Show. My parents were living in New York City at the time and I was hired on The Daily Show while living with my parents. It was a fun dichotomy of having some status, being on a show as successful as The Daily Show and yet literally going home to my Mom getting mad at me because my shoes were in the hallway."
"The show has always resonated, but Trevor [Noah] popped off more than ever," said Kosta. "He looks at American society and politics with a perspective that maybe hasn't been on TV before. He is from South Africa and a Black kid that grew up in apartheid. It's a fresh perspective and it's not something everybody wants to hear, but they feel better for hearing him say it."
"Michael Kosta: Detroit. NY. LA." premieres Friday, December 11 at 11 p.m. EST/PST on Comedy Central.
