[ subtitle id=“attachment_35247 " align=“alignleft " width=“561 " caption=“Adam Chodikoff at Comedy Central offices . - Photo By Talaya Centeno ( for WWD)"][/caption ]
DI : Who ’d you have to brain wrestle to get this awe-inspiring Book of Job ?
AC : Well , it bear to read the Life division of USA Today . Back in " ˜96 , there was an clause in there about two executives who were leave MTV to take over Comedy Central . They acknowledge Politically Incorrect was leaving , and at the death of the article they mention that they want to substitute PI with a topical show like " SportsCenter" , but not about sports . Something fall into place for me , I found out who was course the yet - unknown show ( Madeleine Smithberg and Lizz Winstead ) , I send them a varsity letter , and they called me in for an interview . Now , when I had in short interned at Conan O’Brien , Conan told a joke of mine on the atmosphere in his monologue ( another long chronicle ) - I had kept the cue card with the antic on it , and I brought the cue card into my Madeleine & Lizz interview as an deterrent example of my vast comedy experience . For some strange reason , they engage me as a researcher , and I ’ve been witticism the show since Day One .
DI : I ca n’t imagine what the interview was like . Did you have to watch C - Span and pull potential soundbites out?AC : Well , in summation to the cue card , I think I brought some articles I had written , and , more significantly , some research I had done for " Campaigns & Elections" magazine after my third-year yr in college - I had to call candidate from all across the country in the " ˜92 election yr and find out out who the campaign manager was , their canvasser , their investigator , etc . I guess the big surprisal for me was when Madeline called me to tell me I was hired , she told me that the host was Craig Kilborn , who I had coincidentally worked with when I was a temp PA at ESPN
DI : differentiate us a little something about what you were doing before The Daily Show .
DI : The Daily Show ’s ratings have soared since you first start . Has the popularity change the line of work at all ?
AC : No , I try not to make up attention to ratings . I just come in every day and do my thing .
DI : What ’s the worst part about your job ?
AC : Probably the commute , but that ’s my choice - I opt to live in Brooklyn , and the studio ’s all the agency over on the West Side between 11th and 12th , so it ’s a snatch of a schlep , but I really revel Brooklyn , so I can survive with it .
DI : And the best ?
AC : Working with comedic brilliance . I ’ve always loved comedy , and to work with people who manoeuvre at just such an improbably high level is just amazing . Jon and the writers ' intellectual firepower is staggering - I ’ve been there over 13 year , and I ’m still constantly floored by their power to come with these brilliant joke and concepts .
DI : What ’s the one or two bits of enquiry you ’ve unearthed that you ’re most proud of ?
AC : It ’s sturdy , because of the unceasing nature of the show , it ’s grueling to call back what I did yesterday . I like finding hooey that just totally neutralizes line of reasoning or talk point . For instance , when McCain was on that socialism kick toward the end of the campaign , I marvel if there was any chance at all from the time he oppose the Bush tax cuts that someone confronted McCain with the socialist economy argument . It was a total pellet in the dark , but I started poking around , and I find a Hardball from around that period in which McCain is confronted by some college educatee whine why her doctor pa has to pay more in taxation - she really said something to the effect of " Is n’t that socialism?“ McCain respond that it ’s acceptable for the tributary to pay more in tax . It was just sodding . Another one in that class is when Dick Cheney said " You ca n’t go by the polls" to plump for something he was doing , but I went back and regain him on Nightline citing poll phone number to corroborate another affair he was doing . But it ’s not just clips , I also like finding facts that the writer can utilise , whether for a newspaper headline , a 2nd Act , or a guest consultation . I get satisfaction from breaking down an eight - hour hearing into the ten best highlights that the author can use , or find pattern or good gear up - up lines on the Sunday morning time shows . I also congratulate myself on finding original piece of research that will be unique to The Daily Show . From my linear perspective , that ’s when the show really shines - when we produce material that is unparalleled and strict , it really sets us apart from the rest of the media mankind out there . Also , part of my job is being able to finds things quickly - the writer work on very tough deadlines , and I want to find whatever facts / clips they ’re ask for as tight as potential so they have enough time to incorporate it into their headline joke entry . I also like pitching ideas for Lewis Black or John Hodgman - I really revel pitching consume Hodgman do a segment on Mixed Martial Arts . I ’m also becoming more active in work on the node segments - if I can organise Jon for a counter - statement Barney Frank or John Bolton is going to use , I can go home happy .
DI : When The Colbert Report spun off , was there the enticement to move on and hear something slenderly different ?
AC : No , it did n’t really feign us .
DI : When you ’re not act , what are you up to ?
AC : Reading , go to the movies , walking around the metropolis , going to the gym . Oh , and there ’s my Monchichi collection , but I only come to myself with that when I visit my storage warehouse in New Jersey .
DI : You ’ve in all likelihood had the privilege of encounter some reasonably cool Guest . Any strange stories about meeting any of them ?
AC : Well , understandably you ’re not supposed to go down and bother the cock-a-hoop moving picture stars - the guests I ’m interested in are more of the Elmore Leonard / Bob Costas / Woodward & Bernstein variety . My most principal shine moment was when I met Hank Azaria - I ’m a Brobdingnagian Simpsons fan , so I printed out a picture of Apu and require Hank to sign it with my favourite Apu short letter - " Must you dump on everything we do?“ When I asked Hank to ratify it , he agreed , but he could n’t remember the line - I had to go through the whole game of that episode- " Remember when YOU and Homer had to go to India to the world ’s first Kwik - E - Mart after YOU got give the sack ? You finally reach the end , you ’re almost there , and YOU say " There she is ! The world ’s first convenience store ! And then Homer says , " This is n’t very commodious . “ Then YOU say , " Must you dump on everything we do?“ Then he pronounce " Ahhh" … and did the line in the Apu voice ! Unasked ! That was fun .
