Daniel Tosh smile and think, “Happy Thoughts”

In 2009 Daniel Tosh finally hit the big time after his show Tosh.0 found viewers laughing along to the follies of the internet. Now riding on that fame, we have Happy Thoughts, the comedian’s second stand-up album, and third full length special. It’s become pretty clear that Daniel has fully embraced his fame, realizing that fans hang on his every word is a great way to exploit a bigger audience and offer the chance to deliver some of his most boastful material to date.

Mass comedy fans take well to the idea of douchebags, and though Tosh’s success might be pushing him toward the world of white caps and fraternity humor, it’s tough for him to be their king in this situation. For on the sliding scale of adoration snark, Tosh leans more Joel McHale than Dane Cook. Those familiar with his earlier work know Tosh’s comedic subject matter is just as edgy, but on Happy Thoughts it gets him a few more hoots and longer pause breaks from his audience. It’s a natural progression for him from his previous stand-up releases, True Stories I Made Up and Completely Serious, but now that he’s taking shots at celebrities, Twitter, and anything else mildly relevant at his day job, his shit-eating grin is now interpreted by more masses.

As far as edgy content, like his previous outings, Happy Thoughts delivers them as jokes about toilet etiquette, athletic blunders, and the reality of graduating high school will likely feel familiar, yet still appropriately wrong. The album is sure to poke a few casual fans in the jaw, but that’s the point. Tosh dares his audience to laugh, and rewards those that do with clever, edgy jokes that might not net the same result had they been in the hand of a lesser comedian. Tosh takes stabs at anything that ever made him gasp or grunt as he flows from joke to joke, constantly upping his character and credibility with a perfectly timed deadpan delivery.

Most impressive of all, Daniel Tosh somehow still maintains the charming storytelling personality he’s always had, which helps when his brain seems to constantly come up with twisted subject matter.