- Renata Luczak
- Creative Loafing's Arielle Stevenson and The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi at the Straz.
The last time I saw The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi in Tampa Bay, he was losing miserably in a wing-eating competition at Clearwater's original Hooters. Now he's here with Jon Stewart and crew to cover the convention. Mandvi spent a good chunk of his formative years in Tampa and I'm a young journalist covering my first political convention, so I sought advice from the six-year Daily Show veteran. If he has the guts to ask Rick Scott for some pee, he must know something others do not.
Arielle Stevenson: So this is my first time covering a political convention. What advice do you have for me?
Aasif Mandvi: Don’t get punched in the face.
How do I do that?
Prepare by having a cold compress on hand.
What will I be getting punched in the face for?
If you’re doing your job correctly, someone will try and punch you in the face. So don’t be a pussy.
This article appears in Aug 23-29, 2012.