He Studied Bill Cosby on VHS Hundreds of Times | Josh Stovall

Josh Stovall is a preacher, a comedian, and the kind of guest who'll sip Zinfandel like it's communion and then tell you about the last time he made his mom laugh before she passed six years ago this March. He spent two and a half years writing jokes in his phone before he ever set foot on a stage — and when he finally did, at an open mic at Fours on High in Columbus, the host was so drunk he butchered Josh's name on the way up. Josh killed anyway. In this conversation with host Ira Cross, Josh gets into why he studied Bill Cosby on VHS as a kid (and what We Must Talk About Bill Cosby gets right about him), why Columbus is the perfect place to get your soul bruised before you go anywhere else, and the unhinged way he handles hecklers. There's a tribute to Murf Henderson's feet, a Craftsman sponsorship pitch, a mystery Friday involving five cop cars in Westerville, and one of the cleanest pieces of advice we've had on this show: take notes on everybody — the ones you like and the ones you don't — and be yourself. Filmed at Rehab Tavern in Columbus, Ohio. What's the wildest first open mic story you've ever heard? Drop it in the comments. 🎙️ Follow Josh Stovall: Instagram: @pastorpeace Facebook: Joshua Eric Stovall 🔗 First Mic is part of the Indie Comedy Collective: YouTube: youtube.com/@IndieComedyCollective Instagram: @indiecomedycollective ⏱️ CHAPTERS: 00:00 — Pastor with the Zinfandel 01:25 — The Last Time He Made His Mom Laugh 02:40 — Jason Banks, Henry Allen, and the Night the Attic Changed His Mind 03:00 — His First Mic at Fours on High (and the Drunk Host Who Couldn't Say His Name) 04:20 — Studying Bill Cosby on VHS, Hundreds of Times 05:33 — "Something Happened on Friday…" 07:11 — The We Must Talk About Bill Cosby Documentary 09:28 — "I Didn't Bomb. Surprisingly." 09:55 — Tyson Colson Is a Comedic AI 12:25 — Why Comedy in Columbus 13:57 — Columbus Will F You Up — In a Good Way 15:48 — All the Ingredients, Nobody Baked the Cake 17:09 — Jesse Sisson Walks In 19:30 — Advice for New Comics: Take Notes, Be Yourself 20:00 — Five Cop Cars in Westerville 22:55 — Favorite Columbus Comic: Murf Henderson 24:30 — Murf's Feet Need a Craftsman Sponsorship 27:25 — Nef Johnson Will Rip Your Soul With Two Words 28:45 — How to Handle a Heckler 30:10 — Fine People Are Insecure Too 33:55 — Least Favorite Social Media: Threads and TikTok 34:30 — Why Facebook Still Wins 36:00 — Where to Find Him + Mom's Ghost Cameos