Trevor Noah
Appearances
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah. You see, this is what my brain was doing. At that exact moment, my brain was doing the same thing. I was just standing there staring at it going, what is this? Why is this? And why don't I try and get one? And the price was ridiculous. And you had to hold your breath while you ride the bike? No, it has a little bubble. You know, like those old... Those old sky, what do you call it?
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
It's a bubble. And then my phone rang, and it was some long number. I had no clue what, and I answered the phone, because I don't owe anybody money. And the voice on the other end was like, hey, is this Trevor? And I was like, yeah. And he's like, hey, this is Jon Stewart. I was like, okay. And he's like, Jon Stewart, I'm a comedian from America. I was like, oh, okay.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And he's like, you've never heard of me. It's fine. Well, I've seen some of your stuff online.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And he said to me, yeah, I saw some of your stuff on YouTube and I want to know if you want to, would you ever consider coming and doing stuff in the US? And I was like, yeah, not really, maybe, I don't know. And he's like, well, I work on a show called The Daily Show. And I was like, oh, I think I've heard of that.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Because I had, I'd seen it on CNN International because we didn't have it on other channels in the world. And I was like, oh yeah, I've heard of it. And he's like, oh, as you should have, young man. He's very funny, you know John.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah, and then he invited me. He's like, come and hang out. I think you're funny and I like the way you see the world. Come and hang out with me when you get a chance. And so at first I said no. I was like, I've got the tour. And he's like, he said, are you saying no? What did he say? He said, are you saying no to the trappings of American fame and popularity? Who are you, young man?
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And I said, no, I've got a tour. I'll see you when I see you. And he said, well, if you're in New York, look me up. And I said, definitely. Thanks for the call. It's nice to hear from you. And then I went to New York, I think six months or eight months later, he called me again. He's like, I hear you're in town, but you didn't look me up. And I was like, oh, Jesus, this guy's relentless. Wow.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Just hang out. And that's all I did. I went there. We hung out. I remember them talking about like John Boehner or something. And then I was like, what is this world? What is going on here? Right.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
I knew the larger... In the rest of the world, we keep up with American politics, you know, on a big scale.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
So, you know, this is actually interesting. I remember somebody asked me, they said to me, when the Daily Show happened, they said, so are you going to, they said, are you a political comedian? You know, the Daily Show is very political. And I said, oh, no, no, no, I'm not. I genuinely is like, I'm not a political comedian. I don't even, I don't think of myself that way.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
When I spent a little time in the US, I came to realize that what I thought of as non-political humor would be considered ultra-political humor in America.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Because here, the average person doesn't... I think it's changed since Trump, but back when I first got to the US, most people didn't engage in politics. People would literally say, like, I don't follow politics. I don't get involved. I don't follow politics. Right, right. Right.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah, whereas in South Africa, what we consider a basic level of commenting or being involved in the system, we don't think that's political. For us, political is marching in the streets, freeing people from prison, protesting the system. That's being political.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Well, initially it was, I always describe the story as feeling a lot like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In that I popped in, I had a great time with John. And I said to him, I was like, this is, I like what you guys are doing, I guess, but this is not for me. And then we laughed about, we would just, man, cause Jon and I just, we get along.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
You know, there's comedians where you click with them and your rhythm and your vibe is almost completely simpatico. You're just in it.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
But the comedy is like, you know, when it comes to comedy, I find there's a, it's like music. All musicians can play together, but some musicians can create magic together. And when you find comedians that you share that with, it's pretty special.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
So I think it was a massive disadvantage and an advantage. The disadvantage is people don't like anyone who doesn't look like them or sound like them coming to tell them anything about them. So, you know, I spent weeks getting random death threats and letters. People hated how I said controversy. And then it was, you know... Controversy? Yeah, controversy.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
But did you really get death threats, Trevor? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's, I mean... That's quite – it's like it's par for the course, I've learned. As soon as you comment on American politics in a public forum, that's pretty much what happens to you. So that was a disadvantage.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
I don't know. I mean, it's scary. Yeah, there's a latent level of anxiety that comes with anybody threatening you. And again, I need to state, I don't think it's that uncommon. I'm pretty certain all the other late night hosts have gotten death threats. It's just, it varies.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
So back then, was that like people sending... Just for shitty jokes or... Yeah, people...
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
12 months later. It was the beginning of Donald Trump and everything that America now lives in as a normal state.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Instead of just turn the channel. Yeah, but you know, at the time, it was so hard launching The Daily Show that I actually preferred having those people than not. I was like, okay, we have these people.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
No, not even an enemy. I was just like, we have viewers. I was like, these people are passionately watching the show and we need every single person to watch. So there was actually one guy I reached out to. There was a guy who was tweeting vitriol at me on, you know, just on the daily. He was like, you know, you're a piece of trash and you'll never make it.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And if I ever meet you in the streets, and I DM'd this guy and I said to him, hey man, I just really want to understand, like, why do you hate me so much? I've never met you. I've never said anything about you or your life. I'm just trying to understand this. And I've never seen a faster switch of tone. He immediately was like, oh, hey, dude. Oh, it's not personal and I have nothing against you.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
I just thought it was funny to pile on. And he said, in all honesty, I have nothing against you. I actually think you're quite funny, but I don't think you're going to succeed. I think the show will fail and you're going to crash and burn. And then I said to him, okay, let's make a deal. if I'm still on the air in six months, you'll stay on as a lifelong viewer.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And then if I'm gone, I will retweet your tweet and I'll say you were right. And he was like, oh, deal. And then he was like, good luck, man. I'm wishing you the best. And then six months later, I DM'd him again. I was like, yo, are you still watching? And he's like, oh, the show's gotten so great. So, And you know what he made me realize?
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
No, but you know what he made me realize? I'm honestly eternally grateful to him because he made me realize that most of, not all of, but most of the poisonous infighting that you have in America is due to the fact that most people are speaking past each other, not to each other and with each other. A hundred percent. Like people don't actually engage. People don't see each other as human beings.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
It's all a theoretical exercise. But you'll be surprised to find that most people, when you sit down with them and actually, if you're forced to have a type, like a conversation where you connect, people start to see each other as humans that exist beyond their political affiliation.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And it's just a game. It's like sports fans. I think American politics has become like sports where you say everything to the opposing fans. But you don't mean it, mean it, but you go like, this is the purpose of what we're doing. We're here to tell them that they need to die, and we want to kill their players, and we hate everything they do, and the ref is biased when he rules in their favor.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
But when you meet in a grocery store, then they're humans because they're doing the same thing.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah, but I mean, they've spent the money, and it's like, I get annoyed, but I... You see, it's funny. For me, the rivalries are more games that I'll think of, but Manchester City, I find... My point was, I say I hate them, but then I like all the players on the team.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
So... I don't follow politics as a hobby. What I try to do is understand which conversations can exist beyond the noise. You know, I often try and explain to people when I'm having conversations with them is, So the most interesting thing about the US system for me is the fact that it leads people to believe that there are only two ways to do something.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
You know, it's Republican and it's Democrat. And I've never understood that framing, to be honest with you. I've never even understood how... how newspapers will report. And these are like distinguished newspapers. They'll write a story that leads with Democrats win with, and it's a law that's changed. But I go, no, that should just be the law has changed and that should be how you report it.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
So I follow it now to try and understand where the issue lies and the politics ends. Because issues are real. Politics are how we try and solve the issues. But politics is not real. It's not actually a real thing.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
That is true. I will say, you know, if you want to liken it back to sports, I always say to my American friends, I go... I see why soccer was never the most popular game and might never be. It's because in soccer, we have a draw. We sometimes say, you know what? Neither team won, neither team lost. This was a great game. Everybody go home. It's winners and losers.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And so if politics is also about winners and losers, then nobody wants to concede because it automatically means that they've lost, which isn't a good way to have politics.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Politics should never be about winning or losing. It should be about compromising and then, you know, understanding that the majority, it's even strange. Do you ever think about it? When you look at America's results, I'm always shocked at how states are called blue or red. And then you look at the number and it's like 51%. And people confidently say, well, that's a red state.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah, but a lot of that I will blame, you know, to what you said, Sean, is like I think the media has to take a lot of blame for that because the media has enjoyed turning it into a game and the media has enjoyed turning it into a spectacle. And so if they reinforce that narrative, then I find lawmakers... You know, one of the most interesting experiences I had when I first came to America was...
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
I went to New Hampshire for the primaries. And this is literally, I've been in America for barely a year. Now I'm in New Hampshire, you know, and Vermont and all of these places. And I will never forget seeing, there were two politicians who were, you know, on the stump and they were giving their speeches and it was vitriolic. And they were, you know, this person is going to destroy the country.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
They're going to do this, they... And then in the evening, I saw them at a diner and the two of them were sitting together laughing and they were like, how's your family? How's everything going?
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
In many ways, it's almost like wrestling. It's like American politics. You see these people in the ring and it's like, Triple H, I'm going to rip you limb from limb. And as a fan, you're like, yeah, kill him, kill him. And then only to find out that like your favorite wrestler who hates the other wrestler in your mind is actually great friends and is the godfather to their child.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
I think American politicians don't do the country a service. They do it a disservice by not showing everybody that they do get along, that they go out together, that they have meals, that they're friends, they're at each other's weddings.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
That's it. Yeah, it's completely in service of commerce. If I break it down into three levels, I'd go, you know, on the media side, I wish they would stop turning it into the spectacle that they do, but they probably won't, as you say, because the money's there. Or that's what they want to get, you know, They turn it into a sport.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
So if they can turn it into a football game, they'll do it. But on the ground as well, I think as people, that's something that I found strange coming to America is how people would say, I am a Democrat. I am a Republican. And I'll be like, what? What does that mean? Where I come from, people just talk about how they voted, but they are not the thing.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And I think if you take yourself away from being the thing, you allow yourself the opportunity to either be disappointed by the thing or step away from the thing when it is necessary. Because you shouldn't be, I am a Liverpool supporter, is correct. We will go up and down with Liverpool. Whereas in politics, you should just say, I voted for this and then I voted against it.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
You can establish your mark earlier in the podcast. No, no, no. Don't do that to Sean, guys. Don't do that. I know what he means. And I'll tell you why, Sean. It's funny. I don't think the Grammys is the same as like the Emmys or the Oscars or any of those shows. Well, I'm an actor, so I'm like, I watch those more. Yeah, but also the Grammys is like hosting a concert.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
The Emmys and the Oscars and all these other awards, they do feel like an award show. The Grammys just feels to me like a concert.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
That's great. I've definitely developed a greater appreciation for artists. Seeing them rehearse, seeing how hard it is to get everything right, seeing them do it live, that's what's definitely increased. And then also my palettes. Every time I'm at the Grammys, I discover a new artist that I now become a fan of. What about a full genre?
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
I listen to way more country now than I ever did. You know what I mean? Everybody, like the Luke Combs, you name it. I just got into it because you would hear the song so many times in rehearsal and you'd see how amazing it could be. And then you fall in love with it.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Oh, I don't have anybody's number, to be honest with you. You don't go, hey, hey, hey, it'd be great to hang out. I was in a band, you can have my number. I would gladly take your number. This is a strange thing to say, but like, so I always found it strange that people would try to be friends just because they're in a similar space. So I don't know how to explain it.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah, but okay, so this is what would happen to me, all right? You would all probably understand this. I remember when I first came to America, and now I would get invited to events because, you know, part of the Daily Show, and you go to these events, and everyone would be like, oh, we should hang out. Take my number. Oh, my God, Trevor, we got to hang out sometime. We got to get a coffee.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
I'm there all the time. We got to do it. And I would give people my number, and in my head I was like, wow, I'm making so many friends. These people are so friendly. This is amazing. And then I would hear nothing from them. I would message them. I would hear nothing. They wouldn't respond at all. People, by the way, people in Hollywood change their numbers all the time.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Like I don't even know who, like everyone has like a new number all the time. And then what would happen was, this was my favorite, one of my favorite memories. I met somebody, and this has happened a few times. I met the same person at another event, maybe like a year later. And they're like, oh my God, Trevor, this is, oh man, how have you been? Congratulations. Man, we got to hang out.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Let me get your number. Let me get, and I was like, I think you have my number. And they're like, no, no, no. No, I changed phones and I got a whole day. Didn't your number? I was like, my number didn't change. Like, no. And then I put my number in on their phone. And you know, when you type it in on the screen, then my name just popped up. And I was like, you have my number. I'm like, wait, what?
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Oh, let me tell you. Okay, I have the greatest Jason Bateman story, for me at least. For me at least. I don't know if you remember. This is easily, easily my favorite memory of you. It's also a horrific memory, but now I laugh at it.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
So I was invited to a, it was a Netflix party before one of the Emmys. It was for like a whole bunch of nominees before the Emmys. And Ted Sarandos was hosting this event and everyone's gathered. And it was, I mean, it was star-studded. It was crazy. And you don't see these people all the time. That's the misconception everyone has is that if you're on the same platform, you just hang out.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
I was just standing there, you know. And I look across the garden where this event's being held and I see Jason. And I'm like, oh my God. And I've loved you forever. I go, you easily won like my favorite comedy performance. I mean, all of you are in different things. Like Sean, I used to watch Will and Grace with my mom.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Don't throw the compliments away. I mean it. Like literally the timing, the cadence, the everything. Will, everything you do on like BoJack Horseman. So I love comedy. I love the technique.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
You're easily one of my favorite funny people ever. But at that time, Ozark was just, it was my life. It was the best anything I had seen that had flipped the whole genre of like, you know, drugs and everything.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
I thought it was very funny actually so I see you and you see me standing across the way and you look at me and you just gave me like a little eyebrow like hello and I was like oh damn okay and so I walked over to you And I said, hello, and you were very kind. You're like, hi, how are you? And I immediately went to, I was effusive. I said, I love everything you do.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And I just, I went and I said, you did this. And I was like, I love game nights and I love this. And I was just listing everything because I love, I genuinely love them all. And, but then I said, I said to you, I said, oh, and most recently you crushed it. You know, I didn't think Ant-Man was going to be good. And it was phenomenal that you did it.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And you listened to me break down the whole Ant-Man everything. And then you paused. And I swear it was like you had written this. Your face, you went like, huh. And he said, do you think that I am Paul Rudd? And I will never forget that moment. And I went, no, I thought that Paul Rudd was you. I gave him, but it's true. I was like, I gave him your performance is how good I think you are.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And we just stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. And you said, huh, did you come here because you thought I was someone else? And I said, no. But you said Ant-Man. And I said, I would rather say that I'm racist and you will look the same than admit that that happened. And then we just stood there awkwardly for a moment. And you were very nice.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
We just stood there and we… And I said, well, one day we'll meet again. Hopefully under different…
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Here's another one before you carry on. This was, can I just say, so, you know, obviously I'm a huge fan of the podcast and I understand the format, but here's the thing. I didn't know that the surprise guest was really a surprise thing.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah, so we were at the Vanity Fair Oscars party. Right. Yeah. And I saw you.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah, and Will walks by. Will walks by. You walked straight to me, Will, but you walked to me with the confidence of somebody who knows that I'm coming on to the podcast. Yeah. And you were like, hey. And then you said, yo, I'm so excited. And I didn't know what, I was like, oh. And then I was like, I'm so excited to chat to you.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And then as I said that, Jason was behind you staring at me like I had killed his whole family. He couldn't hear anything, by the way. He was just staring at me. And I said, I'm so excited to chat to you about Formula One. And then we started talking about Formula One.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And then I was like, oh, let's just get into Formula 1. And you did look at me like, man, this guy really went deep into Formula 1 in the middle of an Oscars party.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And then you walked away, and then Jason came up to me, and he said, please, you didn't say anything. You don't fuck this up. You're the surprise guest. You don't. I didn't say anything. I didn't say anything. And then he walked away.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Okay. No, no, I've been everywhere actually, yeah. No, I do enjoy it. Yeah, I mean, I went to, so in South Africa, in school, you wear school uniform your whole life. So I actually like dressing up like that because I feel like it's no stress. I go, yeah, you put on the pants, you put on the jacket and you know you're doing it right. And then you have a good time.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah, I wear comfortable shoes. My toes are all individually spaced out. It's wonderful. Yeah.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
I really want to go this is the same thing This is the same thing I get in most of my hate mail. When are you going back to Africa?
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
time yeah i'm there all the time i go especially like since i left the daily show i get to go back a lot more you know i spend time with my mom spend time with family i'm i'm there i would say i'm there like every two two months two really that's so nice that's great yeah i love how long a flight 16 hours from new york and then 20 it becomes like a weird 25 ish hour journey from um from l.a from l.a wow so yeah it's 16 hours direct south african airways right yeah
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
No, no, no. Actually, United is the only airline that flies there now. Really? Yeah. So, you know, life giveth and life taketh away.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Oh, I love this place. So here's the thing, yeah. Here's the thing about America is... I think, again, you see nuance is maybe what is lacking sometimes. I think people take for granted that you can live in a place where you find it both amazing and at many times disappointing, depending on what you're experiencing of it. Yeah.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
You know, people sometimes walk up to me in the streets and they'll be like, you hate America, you piece of trash. Why don't you leave? And I'm like, who said I... I would not live anywhere I hate. Let's start with that. Secondly, I genuinely find a lot of America amazing. And I find... It's the optimism that is etched into the very fabric of the country that I find amazing.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah. I mean... So here's the thing. When I was going in to take over The Daily Show, I don't think I felt the amount of pressure that I should have felt. Because I didn't grow up with The Daily Show. And I met Jon Stewart just as a stand-up comedian meeting another stand-up comedian. And I mean, we still talk about that now. Now that Jon has gone back to hosting the show,
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
You know, it's an amazing country where black people at a time when they had no rights believed that there was a path for them to get equal rights. Even that is a strange level of optimism that I think is beautiful and profound.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And I think it's a wonderful trait to hold on to and to never lose. And so while America has many faults, other countries have many. I travel all the time, so... I'm under no illusion. I don't think of America as best or worst. I just think every place has the issues that it is dealing with at the time that it's dealing with them.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
There's something I've always loved about Americans and America as a place and how different each state and each city is. I'm eternally grateful to be here.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
I split it. I find the East Coast is great for your mind. The West Coast is great for your body. And I mean your body, not physically, but just like, I feel like you breathe a little more. You sleep better. You eat better. It just has a calming effect on you. But the East Coast is great to get your brain just like really stimulated and going.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Well, yeah. You've got to think of America like a Boeing airplane. You should appreciate the fact that it can fly and the fact that it does is pretty amazing. I mean, the fact that this tin can is floating in the sky at 40,000 feet, that's pretty amazing. That's wild.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
But if you stop paying attention to it and you don't try and constantly improve it, then the doors might fall off and the landing gears might fail.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
No, but actually, because you're a Liverpool fan and an F1 fan, we actually should hang out. We can just watch the things, and then even if we say nothing, we had a good time.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
we'll still share the stories of how ironically the other day we were on the phone and I was saying to him, it's funny that we've gone full circle. When we first spoke, it was on the phone and I was traveling through like Dubai and England doing comedy shows. And then now when we spoke and he's host again, I'm traveling and I was literally in Dubai calling him, having another conversation.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
It's literally gone through a circle. But I wasn't nervous. And then I think after the first few episodes, then the nerves kicked in, which is strange. Normally it's the other way around.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And a better idea of how people reacted to it. I think that was the biggest thing.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Huh, that's an interesting one. And then tell us what joke you can't tell in Dubai. So what joke really kills in Dubai? So whenever I travel, you know, for my shows, it makes it a lot harder, but what I love to do is find... comedy that I could only do in that region.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
So I was trying to find something, you know, whether it's an observation, whether it's an experience, but just something that you could only say in Dubai and then someone who's not living there would go, wait, what does that mean? So I'll try to tell a few jokes that have like an Arabic punchline or, you know, I'll play with something in that world.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah, well, I mean, the Emiratis are pretty wealthy, but then most of the audience is expats. I think it's like 90%. Yeah, 90%. It's one of the most diverse audiences you'll perform for. Oh, that's so great. I love that.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Oh, yeah, yeah. Like, when I had to take over The Daily Show, I had to let go of a bunch of dates that were happening around the world. So I just got a foothold into touring all over the, you know, all over the planets.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
It's funny, you know, I'm never offended by that. I don't know, some people apologize for that. Again, I find it's quite common for people to say that in America. They'll say, I'm sorry, I didn't know you. It's a strange thing.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah, but surely you don't know somebody before you know them. That's how knowing people works. I'm always intrigued by that. I'm writing that down.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Yeah, so it was really random. So I started comedy in South Africa, performed there my whole life. I was lucky enough that we... What part of South Africa were you... So I was born in Johannesburg, raised in Soweto and Johannesburg, and then that's where I did most of my comedy. We didn't have a comedy club, so...
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Just to give you a bit of a backstory, I'm assuming you know, but if you don't, so during apartheid, free speech was illegal in South Africa, right? And so you weren't allowed to gather, you know, a group of black people weren't allowed to be in one space and there were all these laws.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
So stand-up comedy, obviously, you know, is one of the first things that's outlawed in any place that restricts speech. Wow. So we didn't even have comedy clubs. We didn't have anything. And then once democracy started in 1994, all of a sudden there was just like a boon of new, a boon of people being like, can we sit together? Can we laugh together? God, that must have been exciting.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And comedy blew up in the most informal places. Comedy was this huge explosion. And you were how old at that time? No, so I only got into comedy, in 94, I'm six years old. I only got into comedy when I was 20, I want to say 21. And it was still new. You couldn't make a living from comedy, which I loved about it. It really was something that everyone was doing.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
It wasn't like in the US where people would do comedy so they could get a sitcom, so they could become a movie star. No, there it was, you do comedy because you like comedy.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Oh, yeah. Well, I think that's what all comedy is, even in the US, to be honest with you. Yeah. I think everyone's doing comedy to escape their horrible upbringing.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
No, no, no. I mean this honestly. You know why. I don't like numbers when they're good and I don't like them when they're bad. Right.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Why don't you like them when they're good? Because if you live by the good numbers, then you must die by the bad numbers.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
You know what? Not pressure. Not pressure. We... It's... It's so much fun, man. It's hard to explain. So the difference between the two places, I find, in America, fame is almost like royalty.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
Silence, knave. In South Africa, it's just like people know you. Everyone just treats you like you're part of a big family. That's how it feels.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
I was pretty well known before I left South Africa. So it was just like, oh, congratulations, you've gone and put us on the world stage doing something. That's great.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
It's funny. My life went the other way around. When I first started The Daily Show, I was actually earning less than I was doing stand-up around the world. I was working hard and I was doing pretty well. So it was really taking the job because of the challenge and the opportunity.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
As for the thread count, I think my life became a little bit worse because now I was in New York in the winters, walking down the street in like a mini blizzard, walking down like 11th Avenue. I don't know if you've been to the Daily Show studios in New York. It is one of the worst parts of New York.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
It's really shitty. Dangerous would be better because then it means people are there to do something to you.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
So I got a call. It's one of those moments where you remember exactly what was happening, but not because of how momentous it was in that moment, rather because of how random the thing is that I was doing. I was in London. I was doing my first tour of the UK. And on this particular day, I was standing in Harrods, the mega department store that sells everything.
SmartLess
"Trevor Noah"
And when I say everything, I mean everything. You all probably know it. And I couldn't afford anything in Harrods. Maybe some of the croissants, I don't know. And I was standing in front of an underwater moped. Like an underwater scooter thing. Like you ride it like a motorbike, but underwater. I have one.
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2140 - Trump & Vance WRECK Europe
The same way an Italian knows what an Italian shout means. Yeah. Right? I'm prefacing it with a lot because it's a loaded question. Yes. But I would love to know if you think integration was the right solution, maybe.
The Ben Shapiro Show
Ep. 2140 - Trump & Vance WRECK Europe
On the other side of, you know, of civil rights.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
For more, we go to our junior civil rights correspondent, Roy Woods Sr. Now, Roy, what did you see out there? I saw a bunch of bulls**t, Trevor.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Well, now, Roy, the police said there was a reason. They were parading without a permit.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
This week marked a milestone in civil rights history. The 50th anniversary of Franklin's first appearance in the comic strip Peanuts. Now, it seems like a joke, but the reason this was a landmark is that before Franklin appeared, newspaper comic strips were segregated, right? Black comic strips were always separate from white comic strips.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
In fact, if you even tried to put the pages of the newspaper together, the police would just break down your door. You'd be like, whoa! And they'd be like, well, well, well, we got a troublemaker over here. So the character of Franklin was a pretty big deal. And what's really fascinating is his origin story.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
When have you ever seen white people arrested for parading without a permit? Well, boy, that's just the world we live in. Black people aren't ever gonna get the same treatment as white people, and that's never gonna change.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Okay. That was pretty dope of that lady, but, uh... Yeah. But... but at the same time, also kind of a weird reaction to a tragedy. I mean, Martin Luther King is dead, there's chaos in the streets, and her first reaction is, maybe Charlie Brown can help. For more on this civil rights trailblazer, we turn now to our very own Roy Wood Jr., everybody!
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Boy, no matter who you are, you gotta love Franklin, right?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Yeah, but Roy, but Roy, it's still cool to have him in there, even if he had one dance break.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Today was a day when we got some really sad news that Aretha Franklin passed away. That was, yeah, that was rough for a lot of people, and not just because of the music, because of who she was. I remember I used to sing the songs with my mom. So I grew up, you know, most of the time it was just me and my mom. And so I used to sing all the songs, not really knowing what they meant, per se.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
So as a little kid, I was confident, like, you make me feel like a... Natural woman. And then I got older and I was just like, whoa, wait, what was I doing? I was like, mom, why didn't you stop me? She's like, because you look like a natural woman. You were doing so well. But what I loved is like Aretha Franklin, you see everybody talking about this is,
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
It's one of those examples where you see an artist who uses their platform to go beyond just making money and doing what they do. You read these beautiful stories about how Aretha Franklin had it in her contract that she wouldn't perform for segregated audiences. So if audiences were segregated by ratios, like, no, I'm not gonna perform.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
She was one of the first people who supported Angela Davis from the Black Panthers. She fought for Martin Luther King. This is at a time when it wasn't cool to do that. It was risky to you and your livelihood. I mean, you saw what happened with Nina Simone. And she was out there and she was doing it.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
And she was making songs that at the time were crazy when you think of how women were situated in society. I mean, you know, the Me Too movement has shown that we still have a long way to go. But at that time, it was pretty much like women just keep quiet. And she was out there and R-E-S-P-E-C-T was, I mean, I remember that as well.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Like my mom used to say that to me as like, like if I ever like say something, back chat or whatever, and my mom would be like, R-E-S-P-E-C-T. And she's like, play the song. And I'd be like, yeah, R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what... And she was, you know what I loved about Aretha as well is like the stories that she was gangster.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Like she full on, she only performed when she had her money in cash before the gig, always. Like that her whole life, till like now, till she was like, where's the money? Like she was the original bitch better have my money. Money before the gig, then I sing. Like, I sometimes think to myself, like, the gal's backstage counting it, and she's, like, doing it word by word.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
You and I, home and hiding. Home, home. So, yeah, man, she'll be missed. Everything we see today, in so many ways, in, like, music, male and female, is because of her. So, Aretha Franklin, rest in peace, man. It's a beautiful, beautiful story.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Obama's main purpose in South Africa was to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Wow. This is probably the only thing that Trump and Obama agree on. Trump's like, you're so right, Barack, there's never a bad time to be aroused. He's like, that's not what I meant. He's like, too late, Don Junior's out already, baby. We were catching up with President Obama, who's in South Africa to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 100th birthday.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
And let's just acknowledge how dope you have to be for people to keep throwing you birthdays after you're dead. Just think about how amazing you have to be. Like most of you can't even get your roommate to come to your party and you're alive. Yeah. It's like, dude, what do you mean you can't come over? We live in the same room.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
So who was Nelson Mandela to get Obama to take a break from kite surfing and go all the way to Africa to give his first big speech since he left the White House? Well, really there are two Nelson Mandelas. The first is played by every black actor in Hollywood.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Ignorance brings chaos, not knowledge. Now, I know a lot of people complain that she takes roles she shouldn't, but I think she nailed it there. She killed it. She was pretty good. Scarlet can act, yo. So there's movie Mandela, and there's real Mandela.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
And because today marks 100 years since his birth, I just wanted to spend a few minutes talking about the man, because he spoke about me on my birthday. Now, that's not true at all. Now, the first thing you need to know about Nelson Mandela is that his name was not Nelson.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Now... Now, the reason Nelson Mandela had to have a Christian name is basically because back in the early 20th century, white people ran South Africa. So you couldn't have a name that they couldn't pronounce, right? Even though they were only 20% of the population, they controlled the government, the land, the economy, everything.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Yeah, it's kind of like how today all those no-gluten people have control of all of our menus. Yes, except in South Africa, the intolerance was real. So it was this oppression, it was this oppression that pushed Nelson Mandela to join a revolutionary movement called the African National Congress.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
He joined politics when he was just 26 years old, partly to fight racial inequality and also because he had just been kicked off his parents' Obamacare. Now, at first, at first, the ANC fought for racial equality peacefully, but the racist government only got more oppressive. In fact, in 1948, South Africa's government set up apartheid, which made legal racism the foundation of the entire country.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Black people couldn't vote, they had to live in certain areas, and they were banned from playing sports with white people. And I'm not gonna lie, that last part I completely understand. I mean, if your system is based on white supremacy, you can't have black people dunking all over your shit. It just doesn't go with the narrative. Be like, white people are superior. Oh, wait, I wasn't ready.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
I wasn't ready. In fact, the government became so oppressive that Mandela and the ANC decided to resort to violence. They bombed power stations, post offices. And I mean, they did it when people weren't in there, but still, they blew shit up. And there were many people, not just in South Africa, but around the world, who wanted him to respond to the brutality of the government with civility.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
To which Mandela replied, bore shit.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Now, I know for a lot of people, seeing a young, radical Mandela, that's a bit of a shock. Yeah, it's like finding out one of the Care Bears mauled a hiker to death. I mean, I'd expect that out of Tenderheart, but you, Funshine? But you see, Nelson Mandela believed that violence was necessary to fight a violent government, and he paid a price for it.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
In 1962, when Mandela was 44 years old, the apartheid government arrested him and sentenced him to life in prison. And what he said in the docks is legendary. He said, I've cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society. It is an ideal which I hope to live and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die. I mean, I'm prepared to die.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
But I don't wanna die, I'm saying I'm prepared. Don't make me die, I'm just saying like, prepared to die, but not die necessarily.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
So Mandela went on to spend almost 30 years in prison. And the longer he stayed in prison, the more Mandela became a legend around the world. By the 1980s, you had concerts around the globe to free Nelson Mandela.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
And you gotta admit, you gotta admit, it's probably good that that teacher changed his name because it would have been a lot harder for white people around the world to protest his freedom when they couldn't pronounce his name. If they were like, free running, free, free, you know, let's just go save the whales, guys. Let's just go save the whales.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Now, Nelson Mandela's story up to that point was impressive, but it's what he did after he came out of prison that transformed him from a leader to a legend. Because when he became South Africa's first black president, he reconciled the country and he insisted that white people be a part of it. And you realize, this is a black country and he's the first black president.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
He could have easily just said, I'll give you white people a 10 minute head start. You guys put me in prison for 30 years. I don't even know what a workman is. I just hope I get to meet Elvis. What? Five-minute head start. So... So you see, this is just part of why people like Barack Obama look up to Nelson Mandela.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
This was a man who grew up in a country steeped in racism, spent decades in prison fighting it, and then dedicated his life to a world of racial progress. And most impressively, when he was asked why he's not bitter, he had this to say.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
That's why he's a legend. Happy 100th birthday, my diva. You must remember, because of so many of the struggle leaders in South Africa were either imprisoned or exiled, the movement in South Africa was held together in large part by women in the country.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
And so it's weird for me, because I understand you travel the world, you understand that everywhere feminism is different and the idea of women is different. But I grew up in a world that was very matriarchal and where women were the most dangerous freedom fighters that existed. That is true. You read up on Winnie Mandela,
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Like, Nelson Mandela was an icon, but the police in the country were afraid of Winnie Mandela. You know, they were... And we had a phrase in South Africa that was, we still use it today, which was, which means, you strike a woman, you strike a rock. And that's what I grew up learning. That's a... It was kudos, man. It was fire. It was fire.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
And a lot of the time, my mom would strike me with a rock.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Black History Month
Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Trevor Noah. My guest tonight, up-and-coming comedian Bill Cosby. This guy's jokes are gonna knock you out. But we begin in Selma, Alabama. If you aren't familiar with Selma, it's a small southern city located 10 miles east of No Negroes Please and five miles north of Say Boy. And it's also where today, recent Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
You're listening to Comedy Central. Ever since United Airlines got in trouble for upgrading a passenger to wrestling class, People have started paying close attention to how airlines treat customers. There have been many viral videos of crazy stuff that's happening on airplanes. In fact, they're thinking about starting an airlines for Worldstar Airlines, right?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
And I definitely wanna know where the people who talk to you the whole flight are gonna be on the plane, all right? Talking is for the runway. Once we get over 10,000 feet, you shut up. I'm not your friend. We talk here. How are you tonight? Oh, where you flying? Cool. Ah, seatbelt sign. When that goes off, your mouth goes off as well.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
So congrats to Japan Airlines for letting me see the seats with the crying babies. And congrats to Spirit Airlines, who have announced a new feature that lets you see where the adults will be crying. Spirit Airlines, you'll wish you were sitting next to a baby. Millions of people will be traveling for the holidays next week, and just in time, our favorite airline has made a major announcement.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Yay! Spirit Airlines has finally upgraded their planes, and can I just say I'm so proud? More leg room, a full-size tray table, and just look at those seats, huh? I mean, sure, it looks like they stole them from the Delta terminal, but still. But still.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
And you also could argue that a full-size tray table is a weird thing to brag about, but on the bright side, now you have room to put the meal they don't give you. This is great. So congratulations, Spirit. I mean, we dissed them a lot on the show, but this is a big improvement over their old seats, which were just a dirty couch they found on the street. I think that's great.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Airplanes, they used to be a magical way to travel in style. But these days, they're so cramped and frustrating, it's turning into Fight Club in the sky.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Really, people? This is just childish. And I mean for both of these passengers. First of all, guy punching, right? If this woman is reclining into your space, you don't hit the back of her seat. Come on, grow up, do the mature thing. You call the flight attendant over and you tell them you saw this lady putting drugs up her butt. That's what you do.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
And as for the reclining woman, do you really need to recline, huh? Does that extra two inches help you relax? There's nothing relaxing about flying. You're trapped inside a bullet full of farts. Just sit upright for a couple of hours. I don't understand these fights. If you ask me, these two passengers shouldn't be mad at each other. They should be mad at the airline. Think about it.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
They're the ones who keep squeezing all those seats closer and closer, making the rest of us fight for the overhead bins and all the space. Pretty soon, flying is gonna turn into the Hunger Games. Yeah, they're just gonna put one bag of pretzels in the aisle and be like, all right, passengers, lunch has been served. May the odds be ever in your favor.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
It's like first ballot Hall of Fame rabbit. Jesus, Ronnie, I fly, but I didn't realize flying had gotten so bad, man. Is there anything that the airlines can do? Well, I'm glad you asked, Trevor, okay?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
You know, Ronnie, actually, speaking of helping this, I read that Congress is having hearings today, and Congress is gonna figure out a way to make a passenger bill of rights.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
And basically what happens is you're just gonna choose your section, first class, economy, or McDonald's parking lot, and then if they have an emergency, phones drop down from the ceiling so that you can film yourself. Ah, Worldstar! For more on the trends in travel, we turn to senior travel correspondent, Ronny Chieng everybody.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Do you hate flying? Well, the airlines don't care.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Yeah, bathrooms are gonna get even smaller on airplanes. This is why I always choose to check my deuces at the gates, you know? Yeah, I get looks, but it's worth it. You know, I honestly wonder what asshole thing airlines will come up with next. Are they just gonna have two people per seat?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
You know, someone will come up to you and be like, excuse me, hello, and you'll be like, I'm sorry, am I in your seat? And they'll be like, no, you are my seat. That's what this says. Because, like, when does it end? You pay for extra luggage. You pay extra for leg room, extra to guarantee your seat. You know it's only a matter of time before they make you pay for different parts of the flight.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
It's gonna be like, sir, we're about to descend, so I'm gonna need you to exit the plane. You're like, but we're still in the air. Oh, you wanted the takeoff and landing package. Oh, you done f***ed up. So they're trying to squeeze every single dime out of us. But like really, squeeze.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
In fact, to give you an idea of how small these American Airlines bathrooms would be, we're joined in the studio by our very own Desi Lydic, everybody.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Thank you so much for that, Desi. In other news, President Trump today granted Kim Kardashian's request to commute the prison sentence of 63-year-old drug dealer Alice Marie Johnson. And you know, the thing about Kim Kardashian, like, have you ever noticed how she's such a great person who might one day be able to get me out of prison, which is why I'll never make another joke about her.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Yeah, because I mean, can you imagine? I'll be in jail crying like, Kim, please tell the president I'm innocent. She'll be like, first, can you tell that joke about me and Ray J? And I'll be like, so the joke is. Sorry, Desi. What are you doing?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Desi Lydic, everybody. Let's talk about flying. Now, it can be a terrifying experience. You're in a small building that's moving 500 miles an hour in constant fear of either crashing or having to act interested in what the person next to you is saying. Oh, that's right, I guess I never did think about who distributes phone charger cables, yeah. But for some people, flying can be even harder.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Wow. That is shocking. Americans can recognize Arabic? Wow. So messed up. I didn't know speaking foreign languages was against airline regulations. And when I first heard this, I thought, well, maybe he was shouting and acting like he was a threat. But no, he was just being a person who speaks Arabic.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Thrown off the flight for saying God willing. Yeah, I bet the full sentence was probably, God willing, my fellow passengers won't throw me off the flight for no reason. Nope, nope, looks like they're taking me away. Well, God willing, I won't get a cavity search. Nope, looks like that's happening as well. And by the way, what did that passenger mean? He was using jihadist language.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
A language doesn't get owned by the worst people who use it. We don't call English the real housewives language. That's not how it works. Arabic is a language. It's not an action. Now look, this passenger who complained didn't know what she was talking about. And I understand that. And I understand why she was alarmed. It's because every day on TV, everyone is telling her to be alarmed.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslim. And not all idiots are Fox News hosts, but all Fox News hosts are... Well, you'll figure it out. But Southwest Airlines, here's what I think. Just because someone saw something and said something doesn't mean you guys have to do the wrong thing. As an airline, you shouldn't be racially profiling. That's the TSA's job.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Like, the problem is that Southwest is getting a reputation for doing this.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
What she failed to mention was that she wanted to switch seats with the pilot. Now, you'd think with this pattern, the least Southwest could do is offer an apology.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Oh, oh, really, Southwest? Yeah? You want to talk about public safety? Uh, maybe you should start by assigning seat numbers. Because right now, every single flight is like a Black Friday sale. I had to trample three kids just to get a window seat. Three kids! You know how hard it is to enjoy a view with dead children at your feet? Thank God I had a window to look pensively out of.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
What have I done? What have I done? And Southwest, if you're trying to sell how seriously you take safety, then maybe stop making these pre-flight announcements.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Don't get me wrong, it's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun what they're doing. Until the plane's going down, and you can't remember the lyrics to the safety song. Yeah, because it's a song, people. So now, you know, like, you're gonna have to do that thing where you have to sing the whole song just to get to the part that you can't remember. The plane's going down, and you're like, ah, what was it?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun. Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun. Stop, buckle up, and listen. And then listen a bit. Oh, from the ceiling. Very much from the ceiling. Much from the ceiling. Much from the ceiling. That does not make me feel safe. Plains are not a place where employees should be singing. It's not Cold Stone Creamery.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
I've never been into Cold Stone Creamery and been like, man, this is so much fun. I wish my life was in their hands. But since Southwest doesn't look like they'll change their policy, we at The Daily Show took the liberty of at least recording a pre-flight announcement that they can show to help their Muslim passengers. And this is what we came up with.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
You are now free to move about the country as long as Linda in 11C is cool with it.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Yes. Turns out if you've been drinking water on a plane, your bowels may be in danger. And honestly, this was surprising to me. Because I always knew that the water in the bathroom wasn't for drinking, right? You use that to wash your feet. But... I didn't know that the water they serve you can also be dirty. Like, how does it get that bad?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Like, do they take the hot towels from business class and squeeze the water into cups for economy? Is that what they do? You're just like, mm, what does that taste? Sir, that is the taste of success. And that list was pretty interesting as well. You've got Alaskan at the top, and then all the way at the bottom is Spirit Airlines.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
And I know, I know some people think Spirit should be ashamed that they're number 10, but to be honest, I was impressed that they have water on their flights. Yeah, normally the only refreshments on Spirit are your own tears of regret. Spirit Airlines, our water's the least of your problems. If you love flying, but you hate crying babies, well, then maybe you should be flying to Japan.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Yes. Yes. Yes. What a genius move. Japan Airlines will show you where the babies are on a plane before you book your seats. It's the best invention in flying since the seat-back tray. Yeah. Yeah, because before the tray, when you asked for orange juice, you just had to be like, yes, please, yes. I love this idea.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
I want to see where the babies are on a flight, because there's nothing worse than thinking you're going to sleep on a plane, but then you realize you're sitting next to a tiny, crazy person, because that's where babies are. Just a tiny, crazy person just screaming and shitting themselves. Ah! then they eat their feet. What are you? I also hope this means more babies will sit next to each other.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
Yeah, because that's the only way you can ever get a baby to stop crying. Have you ever been around babies, right? Like, there's one baby crying, and then have you noticed when a baby sees another baby crying, like, they'll be like, ah, and then another baby will be like, ah, and they'll be like, whoa, what's going on there? They'll be like, this person's weird. Is someone gonna deal with this?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Air Travel
So I love the idea. I also don't think we should stop there. Yeah, I don't just wanna know where the babies are on a plane. I also wanna know where the dude who snores is gonna be on the plane, all right? I wanna know where the person who gets up and goes to the bathroom five times an hour is gonna be on a plane.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
the stock market. It's like a casino without the buffets. And for the last 24 hours, it's been on a wild ride.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
Man, the stock market is crazy. Yesterday it crashes, then today it surges again. Like, it's so extra right now. It's always weird to me how the stock market never seems to have any sense of history, all right? Because it's like everything that happens is happening forever, and then everything that's good is happening forever. It's almost like the way dogs think.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
That's who seems like they run the stock market, right? Because that's how dogs are. Whatever's happening is happening forever. When you leave the house, they're just like, oh no, you're leaving? You're going? You're going forever. I'm gonna starve. I'm gonna die.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
We're gonna do so many. Wait, you're going again? I'm gonna die. Just breathe, stock market. But yes, the stock market dropped 2,000 points yesterday, wiping out $528 billion, which I'll be honest, I never understand. Because like, where did it go? What do you mean you lost 528 billion? Like, what is that? Every time they say that, I'm like, have you checked your other genes?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
That's where most of the money is. And a lot of people are afraid of the market these days. But I'm making money consistently on the stock market. I'll even share my tip with you guys. Forget investing in companies. What I do is I put all my money in green lines that go up and red lines that go down. Yeah, I make a fortune no matter what. I also don't understand finance.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
And I normally don't feel sorry for Wall Street, but with the coronavirus, I feel like they're going through a lot. Yeah. Because the one thing guys on Wall Street like to do when Wall Street is crashing is the one thing you're not allowed to do because of corona. Put your hands on your face. Yeah. So they spent all day yesterday like, oh, no, my money! Oh, no, corona! Oh, no, my money!
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
Big news from the stock market. You know, the app that they pre-install on your phone to make you feel dumb. Since the stock market recovered from the COVID tumble in 2020, Wall Street has been having a blast. And the more stocks you owned, the better time you were having, which is why Warren Buffett has got those new grills. But over the last year, inflation has been rising.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
The Federal Reserve has been raising interest rates to cool the economy down, and now it looks like the good times in the stock market might be officially over.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
Sorry, what did they say? I was too busy chugging that comically large bottle of Xanax. I'm not panicked, by the way, I'm just addicted to pills. But yes, people, these are scary times for stocks because we are now officially in a bear market, which is when people are so broke they have to blow Paddington in a parking lot. Oh heavens, oh heavens, oh heavens. No, obviously I'm joking.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
I'm joking, Paddington doesn't have a penis. A bear market is basically when the S&P has dropped 20% from its previous high, which for many can be very stressful. Yeah, right now, everyone who's looking at their E-Trade account feels like the same way you look when you're looking at your ex's wedding photos on Instagram. Like, why?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
But even if you don't own stocks, a bear market is often a signal that a recession might be coming, and that affects everybody. The economy slows down. Unemployment goes up. Africans become president. And your mom starts buying the generic cereals with the knockoff mascots. Yeah. Terry the Tiger says they're adequate. And by the way, it's not just the stock market that's falling right now.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
Yeah, crypto is crashing even harder with Bitcoin plummeting 67% from its high, which I find really interesting. Because for like the past 10 years, every single crypto bro I've met has told me that crypto would protect me when the mainstream economy failed. Yeah, you heard them. They were everywhere.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
Crypto people would act like you were the crazy one for not investing your life savings into a coin some Swedish teenager invented last week. Oh, you're not in doggy monkey coin? What a loser. You know what's even crazier is that the crypto crowd is blaming Biden for this. And look, no, here's the thing.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
You can blame a president for a lot of things, inflation, unemployment, not being able to cheer for your son Brandon at a soccer game without it becoming a whole thing, but you can't blame him for crypto, no. My man, if an 80-year-old man who doesn't even know what Bitcoin is can crash your crypto, then your crypto ain't shit. I said it. Yeah.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
I know you're mad that your Jenga tower fell down, but that's what happens when you play Jenga. Because remember, this is what they said to everybody. They said, oh, crypto is going to save you from the market. That's what crypto is. It protects you. They made it seem like it was a parachute that would protect us all from the economy.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Stock Market Meltdowns
And then now the plane is crashing, and then it turns out the parachute is attached to the plane. And you're like, what is this? Oh, it's all going down.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Vaccines
Let's begin with the COVID pandemic. Yes, remember that? Next week will be four years since the day we started to take it seriously because Tom Hanks got it. Oh no, not Tom. Take Chet instead. But everything's fine now. The CDC just issued new guidance saying that you don't even have to isolate if you get COVID anymore.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Vaccines
That's right, you can go ahead and keep coughing into people's faces as long as you feel a little bad about it afterwards. It really feels like no one is trying to avoid Covid anymore. Well, almost no one.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Vaccines
If you laugh at that, you are disgusting. I mean, I know anti-vaxxers are stupid, but let's not overcorrect here, alright? I will say this, though. A lot of people did their own research. This man became his own research. That's commitment. And also a nice change of pace to see Germans doing human experiments on themselves. Also, hey, I'm glad that he didn't suffer any major side effects.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Vaccines
But sadly for this guy, doctors still haven't found a cure for being weird as f***.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | President's Day
Well, I just want to say thank you so much for being on the show. Thank you for being an inspiration. And most importantly, thank you for giving me an opportunity to see what I would look like after eight years of the toughest job in the world.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | President's Day
As Delaware goes, so goes the nation.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | President's Day
Let's do it. Welcome back to our conversation with soon-to-be former tenant of the White House. I've got one more question for you. This is a personal question, it's a little bit selfish. I look up to you because we share a lot in common. We both have parents who are black and white, both half African, south side of Chicago, south side of Africa. Similar.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | President's Day
In and around race, when you are a person who has a platform, when you are in a space where you are engaging with people, it is often difficult to navigate and skirt that line between speaking your mind and sharing your true opinions on race, whilst at the same time not being seen to alienate some of the people you are talking to.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | President's Day
Because if you are a white person who's speaking about race, then you are just a person who's interested in race. If you are a person of color who's speaking about it, it's like, oh, the black thing started again. So... The question I've always wanted to know is, how did you navigate that? Because we watched you do it, but I always wanted to know how you navigated that through your two terms.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | The Oscars
Oh, man, Roy, you know, the truth is representation is so much better this year. Like, Jordan Peele and Greta Gerwig for Best Director. Mudbound's Rachel Morrison is the first-ever woman nominated for cinematography.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | The Oscars
The Oscar nominations were announced today, and diversity was clearly on people's minds. Regina King was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Well deserved. And, this was amazing to me, Spike Lee got his first nomination for Best Director. And it's crazy, it's crazy that it took that long for him to be recognized after he spent years directing the Indiana Pacers to go themselves.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | The Oscars
But this year, this year is different. I mean, it's gotten so black that two of the Best Picture nominees had the word black in them. Yeah, it's like Academy voters were like, okay, we don't want another Oscar so white. Black Panther, Black Klansman, you know, screw it. Let's nominate Black Mirror, too. Put Black Mirror in there. It's a TV show. I don't care. We're playing it safe.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | The Oscars
It's always an exciting day when the Oscar nominations come out. It's a wide open field. Who do you think is gonna take home Best Picture?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | The Oscars
Wow, wow, wow, Ronnie. You... you really seem angry about this, man. Oh, yeah?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | The Oscars
God damn it, will the snubs never end? Ronnie Chang, everybody. We'll be right back.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | The Oscars
Welcome back to The Daily Show. Are you guys as excited as I am about the awards season? Yeah, yeah? I mean, we just had the Golden Globes, the SAG Awards, and of course, the Fake News Awards, which was the biggest fake news of all because it wasn't even awards. It was a shitty website, Trump. I mean, you could have put a little bit of effort into it.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | The Oscars
Some of us took out ads and got our hair did, but whatever. I'm not angry. But now, there's the granddaddy of them all, the Oscars. And this year, granddad's got some new moves.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | The Oscars
That's right. This year's Oscars are so diverse that they're re-nominating La La Land just so they can take the Oscar away from it again. Ha! Here with his insider's look at the nominees is our own awards season expert, Roy Wood Jr., everybody. Right. I'm an expert.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | The Oscars
Damn, Roy, I never thought of that. Right down to the hat. That's Ben Carson. Someone should try and free Ben Carson with a flash photo. That wouldn't work. His eyes are always closed. And now, Roy, the star of that movie, Daniel Kaluuya, he picked up his first Oscar nomination. How do you like his odds? Oh, he good.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Groundhog Day
Tomorrow is Groundhog Day, which leads me to ask, what the hell is Groundhog Day? Have you looked into this? People pull a rodent out of the ground and then ask the animal to predict the weather, which is so unfair because if Africans were doing this shit and you heard that we pulled animals out of the ground, think about what you'd say about it.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Groundhog Day
There are villages in Africa where people wear animal skin, and if I tried to explain that Americans use groundhogs to predict the weather, they'd be like, but why not use satellite data, huh?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Groundhog Day
Saturday was Groundhog Day, which leads me to ask, what the hell is Groundhog Day? This is insane. People pull a rodent out of the ground, and then they ask the animal to predict the weather.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Groundhog Day
This is so unfair, because if Africans were doing shit like this, and you heard that we pulled animals out of the ground, like, there are villages in Africa where people wear animal skin, and if I try to explain that Americans use groundhogs to predict the weather, they'd be like, ah, but why not use the satellite data? Ah, what's going on in America?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Groundhog Day
It's Groundhog Day! Yeah! And also, what the hell is Groundhog Day? This is such a strange thing to explain to anyone who doesn't live here. People pull a rodent out of the ground and then ask the animal to predict the weather. You know what? This is so unfair. Because if Africans were doing this and you heard that we pulled animals out of the ground, how would you be judging us?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Groundhog Day
Yesterday was Groundhog Day, which leads me to ask, what the hell is Groundhog Day? People pull a rodent out of the ground and then ask the animal to predict the weather? I'm sorry, this is so unfair, because if Africans were doing shit like this... And you heard that we pulled animals out of the ground?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Groundhog Day
Like, there are villages in Africa where people wear animal skin, and if I tried to explain to them that Americans use groundhogs to predict the weather, they'd be like, ah, but why not use the satellite data, huh?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Groundhog Day
Today is Groundhog Day. Which leads me to ask, what the hell is Groundhog Day? People pull a rodent out of the ground and then ask the animal to predict the weather? Really? This is so unfair.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Groundhog Day
Because if Africans were doing shit like this and you heard that we pulled animals out of the ground... Like, there are villages in Africa where people wear animal skin, and if I try to explain to them that Americans use groundhogs to predict the weather, they'd be like, but why not use satellite data?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Groundhog Day
I mean, you realize there are villages in Africa where people wear animal skin. And if I tried to explain that Americans use groundhogs to predict the weather, they'd probably be like, but why not use satellite data, huh? Why not?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
But first, let's start with something we don't get to say often enough. Some good news out of Chicago.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
Oh, yes. Yes. You know, before last night, I had almost forgotten what joy looks like. Everybody in America has been so tense and grim. Even Halloween this year, people were walking around like, well, zombies. I do feel bad for the Indians, though. Defeated on their own land again. Although most Native Americans are probably okay that this guy lost. This needs to change, people.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
This needs to change. One thing, one thing I really loved last night was seeing all the news and the pictures of Cubs fans celebrating. They were so happy. You're so relieved. You know, they were, they were so, look, I mean, like, look at this guy. Wait, can you, is that, is that Roy Wood Jr.? You're damn right it is.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
You're damn right it is. Our number one Cubs fan. Fresh from Cleveland, man. I can't believe it. Roy was actually at the game. I can't believe you came to work. I can't believe you're still wearing the same robe. This is amazing, Roy. You are back in New York, Roy. You can put the sign down, man. Uh-uh, uh-uh.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
Can we just talk about the game real quick? Like for real, you must have had an emotional night.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
I was there for myself. I'm the only Cubs fan in my family. Yeah, actually, no, but actually, now that you bring that up, you're from Alabama, so how did you become a Cubs fan?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
I actually loved Airwolf. By the way, I hate to bring this up, but what does that smell?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
Roy Wood Jr., everybody. Roy Wood Jr., these fans.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
The sun is out and summer sports are in full swing, which means it's time for another edition of I Apologize for Talking While You Were Talking.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
starting with a major milestone in the world of baseball, the only sports that's somehow better on radio. Baseball is a game that treats its records with reverence. All of them, from Cal Ripken Jr. 's more than 2,600 consecutive games played, to Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, to Derek Jeter's record of being the only successful guy ever to be named Derek. But no stat is more revered
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
than the home run. And last night, Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge smashed his name into the record books.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
Well, there's a feel-good story for you. I'm glad things are finally working out for that executive at an investment firm. That's what the game is all about. Good for you, buddy. Good for you. But yeah, huge congratulations to Aaron Judge, right? With just one game left to go in the season, he broke the American League home run record set by Roger Marris all the way back in 1961.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
Think about that, 1961. That is a long-ass time for a record to stand. I mean, back in 1961, you understand how long ago that was? America didn't have a Voting Rights Act and abortion was illegal. Very different times. Now, to be clear, This is just the American League home run record, right? Not the all time record.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
But some people think it should be because everyone who's above Aaron Judge on the list was busted for taking performance enhancing drugs. And whether you like it or not, this is a complicated issue because every player, whether they took steroids or not, has some advantage over players from other eras. You know, like Babe Ruth. He didn't have access to modern medicine.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
Yeah, if he pulled a muscle, the team doctor would be like, here, smoke this entire pack of cigarettes. If that doesn't work, I'll prescribe you some asbestos. Go on out there, buddy. You know, if I'm being honest, though, I don't know why we celebrate home runs in the first place. Yeah, because to me, all that happened is that you just lost the ball. Yeah, and now we gotta get a new ball.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
That's like, what, $10? With 62 homers, that shit adds up, Aaron. And I don't know if you've heard, but America's 31 trillion in debt. We shouldn't be handling this shit. We could've fought it. Just hitting the balls out there. You know who we should be celebrating? We should be celebrating the bachelors who missed the ball completely so we can keep using it. Those people are the real heroes.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
I'm really fun at parties. Spring is on its way in America, and you know what that means. Sunny days, flowers blooming, eating your weight in Claritin. But there's one spring tradition that is unfortunately getting canceled.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
No, no, don't cancel the baseball games. How else will I get to spend $45 on a hot dog that's a little too dry?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
The MLB's canceling games because the players and the league cannot agree on who gets to share the money. Yes. And I'll be honest with you, I was shocked that baseball players' minimum pay is less than all the other leagues, especially considering that this sport brings in $11 billion. And yes, I know, $570,000 is a lot of money. It is a lot of money.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
But when you think about it from the player's point of view, think about how long a baseball game is. What does that 500,000 break down to? It's like, what, $4 an hour? And by the way, please remember this. I know a lot of people go like, I hate the sport, but don't remember that when this happens, a lockout doesn't just affect the players.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
It affects everyone who works in and around the game, like the people who work at the stadium, the people who work just outside the stadium, right? It affects the umpires, the guys selling beer, the security guard who tackles the naked guys who run out onto the field. Yeah, in fact, just to pay the bills, Mr. Met has already had to start an OnlyFans account. Sad, so sexy.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Baseball
I don't even know what you're talking about, man.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Spring Break
And look, you can't totally blame the maskless partying on college students. I mean, this is what's gonna happen after Florida's governor called the state a, quote, freedom oasis. Like if I put a Starbucks sign above my apartment door, I can't be mad when people show up and try to take a shit in my bathroom. But still, There's no reason that you can't celebrate spring break and wear a mask.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Spring Break
It can even be part of the fun. I mean, just think about how sexy a wet mask contest could be, hmm? I mean, we haven't seen mouths in a year. What's under there? Mm-mm. And if we've learned anything from Miami, this is just a preview of how much everyone is gonna let loose once the pandemic is truly over. People have been locked up for too long.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Spring Break
Once it ends, everyone's gonna be drinking and partying, hooking up with everyone. It's gonna be so much that it's gonna create the next worldwide virus. Yeah. Guys are gonna be waking up in bed next to a bat like, uh-oh, I think I did it again. Welcome back to The Daily Show.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Spring Break
Thank you. Up next, we're going to talk about fat pets.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Spring Break
Let's kick things off with spring break, the one week a year when college students drink and party. This is now the second year that spring break has fallen during coronavirus, but things are a little different now. At this time last year, many people hadn't started taking the pandemic seriously yet, but this year, they've stopped taking the pandemic seriously too soon.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Spring Break
Oh, wow. The new Snyder Cut is weird as hell. But let's be clear here. COVID is not over, all right? Some random dude can't declare the end of the pandemic by dressing up like the Joker and making it rain. It's not a thing. Only Dr. Fauci can declare the end of the pandemic by dressing up like the Joker and making it rain.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Valentine's Day
You guys know what today is, right? It's Valentine's Day. Aw. It's the one day you can dress up as a baby and shoot people with a bow and arrow and get away with it. And it's really nice to have a day where we just, we get to show that special someone that we care, isn't it, you know? And to the men out there, that's all you really need to do, all right?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Valentine's Day
Because not everyone can afford flowers or chocolates or a private Kenny G concert like Kanye West. No, Valentine's Day is just about sharing what's in your heart, all right? Letting your girl know that you love her. Now ladies, if he doesn't have flowers or a bear or something, you need to cut him loose. Because clearly he does not respect you for the queen that you are.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Valentine's Day
I mean, he had all year to save up and now he's trying to say he can't afford a box of chocolates? That's $5.99 at Walgreens. He can't say $5.99? That's two turnstile jumps, that's all that is. If your man won't jump two turnstiles for you, you need to cut him loose.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Valentine's Day
In technology news, if you got dumped this year because your ex said you didn't communicate enough, it might not have been your fault.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Valentine's Day
Man, this story is crazy. Apparently, a bunch of text messages sent on Valentine's Day only got to people's phones now. Yeah, it's a huge glitch that affected thousands of people. Nobody knew about it, and now it's in the news. And I bet a lot of guys are using this as an excuse, like... Oh, wait, wait. You didn't get that giant bouquet and that diamond necklace that I texted you? Oh, my God.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Valentine's Day
AT&T, man. AT&T. But, yeah, a bunch of Valentine's texts didn't go through, and it sucks, but I'm gonna be honest. If your relationship ended over a missed text, maybe that was the best. You dodged the bullets. Because I don't care what anybody says. Texting is supposed to be casual. It's not about an immediate response. That's why this isn't a problem for old people.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Valentine's Day
They still send love letters in the mail. You know, they'll be like, "'Dearest Gertrude, I can't wait to tap that tight bran muffin of yours. Respectfully, Harold.'" The craziest part of the story, and this is completely true, the craziest part of the story is that some people got text messages from people who have since died. Yeah, that has got to be the most awkward booty call ever.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Valentine's Day
Can you imagine just on your phone, it's like, you up? You're like, are you up?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
For a normal G7, Trump's Russia obsession would have been more than enough drama. But for President Trump, he was just getting started.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
So Trump went into the G7 for a run-of-the-mill check-in with America's allies and then came out full-on beefing with Canada, the Ned Flanders of countries. It's safe to say that no one expected this to go this way. It's like going into the doctor for a routine checkup and then coming out as a human centipede. I don't think this is covered. I don't think it is.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
And other G7 leaders were shocked by Trump's actions. Emmanuel Macron called Trump incoherent, and Angela Merkel said that Trump pulling out of the deal was sobering and depressing. Although, to be fair, she is German, so everything is sobering and depressing to her. Yeah, she was probably at breakfast today like, I find this pancake man both sobering and depressing.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
Now, the reason President Trump went all Pusha T on Trudeau is because he claims that Trudeau was super nice to him in person, but then as soon as Trump left, Trudeau held a press conference saying that Canada still planned to retaliate against the US's new tariffs. Because you see, Trump has a policy. You don't criticize him behind his back, all right?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
And you also don't criticize him to his face. Side doesn't work either. Yeah, you write it down on a piece of paper and then rip it up into tiny pieces and someone will run by and pick it up. That's how it works. Because if you do criticize Trump, he'll send his guys out on TV to let you know that it's on.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
There's a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump. That is a serious threat and a very specific place in hell. That sounds VIP as shit. Yeah, that's just like one person. All the thoughts in hell are gonna be like, damn, who's that dude in VIP?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
But still, the question is why on earth would Trump react in such an extreme way to a trade dispute with such a close and unthreatening ally? Well, according to Trump's economic advisor, this is all part of a greater plan.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
Of course it was, in large part. Why was he doing that like he had just watched a Tyler Perry movie? Our president will not get pushed around. He will not. So, in essence, to win his Nobel Peace Prize with North Korea, Trump is going to start a war with Canada. It really is brilliant, and the man is playing some two-dimensional chess.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
Aww. A $7 billion deficit? Aww. That's so adorable. America would probably drop $7 billion on a clock that calculates their deficit, which is $439 billion. Take that, you fiscally sound-minded moosebangers. Of course, Trudeau's policies weren't necessarily his most attractive feature.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
Let's kick things off with Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister and America's sexy upstairs neighbor. As Canada continues its battle against coronavirus, Trudeau has decided to become a little more hands-on.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
Okay, this is just adorable. Justin Trudeau is gonna help Canadian kids with their homework. This is the sort of thing you can only get away with if you're prime minister, because any other dude offering kids help on the Internet, yeah, they're just getting a visit from the cops.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
And I really hope that he sticks to regular subjects like math and science, because the last thing we need is Trudeau branching out into makeup tutorials. But seriously though, this is great. In fact, I hope Trudeau inspires other world leaders to offer homework lessons. Like Vladimir Putin, he'd be amazing at math. Here is easy way to solve math problem.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
You phone KGB, then poof, math problem disappear.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
Yes, his looks alone could win him the US election because looks are everything in US politics. If you want to even be considered for president, you have to be smoking hot. Trudeau's Liberal Party defeated Conservative incumbent Stephen Harper, whose campaign was plagued by brutal Canadian-style criticism.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
There is no coming back from that. President Trump has made this one of the hardest times to be a refugee in America. So where do these people without a country turn? Well, Desi Lydic reports.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
Last night's huge news coming out of Canada.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
What the actual hell were you doing there? What are those dance moves? Like, you're holding every single mixed-race person back. Do you know how hard we've worked to be called black, and then you do this to us, Drake? You're gonna get our black status revoked dancing? What are those moves? What is he doing? I hope this was a joke.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
So last night was big news for fans of Canadian rappers, but it also had a little something for fans of obscure Canadian trivia. A national election took place. Now, for most Americans, Canadian elections are sort of like hockey. It's clearly an intense contest, but nobody knows who's playing. or what the rules are. So, uh, let's make this condescendingly easy.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Oh, Canada...
Sort of like when they used that, uh, puck, the glowing puck in the NHL, where they try to trick us into watching it. Yeah, that's what we're gonna do. The Canadian elections. Who won and what was the score?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
Wow. Wow. This guy had a cold and he still managed to fill out a perfect bracket. That is the worst overcoming an obstacle sports story I've ever heard. Just like, move over, homeless NFL player. This guy somehow opened up a laptop with a stuffy nose. And it really is just luck, right? Because when you have this many people filling out brackets, it's bound to happen eventually.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
Like, if an infinite number of monkeys filled out an infinite number of March Madness brackets, eventually there would be a monkey that would be like, wait, why don't college athletes get paid? First up, March Madness. Last night was the final game of the biggest tournament in college sports, and it ended in a comeback for the ages.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
Yes, congratulations, Virginia. Wow, it took more than a year, but you guys finally did it. You made the news for something other than racism, huh? Yeah. That wasn't so hard, was it? All you had to do was get some young black men to work for you for free, and bam! Racism solved, baby! Done! And I must say, congratulations to Texas Tech too. They had an amazing run.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
And honestly, the last game was really stacked against them. Because first of all, and this is true, Texas had to deal with Ted Cruz rooting for them. So I mean, yeah, you know, even worse, he was collecting all their sweaty towels. What are you gonna do with those, Ted? I have my reasons.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
Also, I think the team would have done a lot better if the coach hadn't recruited Aunt Becky's daughter as their power forward. I have no idea why he did that. All right, let's move on now to our top story. March Madness is the most fun way to gamble away your stimmy.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
This year's tournament has already seen its fair share of upsets, like Oral Roberts making it to the Sweet 16, and I'm guessing from its name, also third base. But the biggest shock of the tournament so far didn't happen on the court. It happened in the weight room.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
Damn, that's ice cold. Because that's not a weight room. That's just the rack of weights that you buy in the beginning of quarantine and then never use. And honestly, this is surprising because usually the NCAA treats male and female athletes equally. I mean, they definitely pay them both the same amount. But to be fair, at least the NCAA made it right.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
After the uproar, they gave the women the same amenities that the men's weight room has. More machines, more weights, and they even added the guy who always makes way too much noise when he's lifting.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
Now, it was upsetting enough when people saw the difference in men's and women's weight rooms, but it turns out that sexism in the NCAA is a lot like Facetune. Once you're aware of it, you start noticing it everywhere.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
A puzzle? Yo, that is a trash gift. And what's even worse is when you complete it, it shows a picture of the men's team enjoying a free steak dinner. Seriously, how are you gonna give the players a puzzle that is not swag, people? When you look at all of this together, the differences are so stark, it almost seems less like sexism and more like the NCAA didn't even know that the women were coming.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
You know? It's so bad, it's almost like the women were knocking on the door and the NCAA was just scrambling. Oh shit, the ladies are here. Do we have anything to give them? Uh, I ordered a burger for lunch. Okay, it'll work. Just chop it up and save sliders. What else? Do we have swag? Uh, I think there's an umbrella in the closet. Yeah, it'll work, it'll work, it'll work.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
So, clearly casual sexism has pervaded almost every aspect of the player experience at this tournament. But it's not just a problem for the players. It's also affecting the coaches.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
Ridiculous. Okay, now that is positively ridiculous. No one should be punished for having children. The children are already punishment enough. Not to mention, asking a coach to choose between her baby and a trainer for the team? I mean, that's a really great way to get the rest of the team to hate that baby.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
I mean, you could be getting deep tissue massages right now if it wasn't for little Derek. Now, I don't know why this seems so hard, but there's an obvious solution here. All you should do is have the baby be the assistant coach. After all, a crying baby can be very motivational. What do you want? A blanket? A bottle? Do you want me to win the tournament? Is that it? Okay, I'll win the tournament.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
Just please take a nap. Take a nap. Just take a nap. Oh, stop crying. The fact is, the way that the women have been treated during this tournament has been disgraceful. I mean, the only silver lining is that it's made the NCAA's favoritism towards male athletes as blatant and impossible to ignore as that one guy in the gym. Shit!
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
If you skipped watching our show last night to watch the NCAA men's final, then congratulations on making good life choices. No, the game was amazing. Villanova forward Chris Jenkins sank a shot at the buzzer, getting his team to the national title and getting himself laid for life in Philadelphia.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
Yeah, and it was such a great moment, and it was also sad in a way, because you realize now nothing in Chris Jenkins' life will ever top this moment. Nothing, nothing at all. Like he could deliver a baby on the roof of a burning building and then rescue the mother and child by using his parachute to glide them safely into an ambulance.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
And still the paramedic will say, oh you Chris Jenkins, that shot was crazy. Oh, thanks for your help, thanks for your help. Now, tonight, even more history is set to be made. The UConn women's team are attempting to win their NCAA record, 11th national title, yeah? And this is a team who, amazingly, in their last 116 games, went 1-15-1. Yeah.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
And their star forward, Brianna Stewart, is going for her fourth national title in a row. So the game should have ended by the time this airs on TV. So, uh, congratulations, UConn! Yeah! The game should have ended by now on TV, so congratulations, Syracuse! On the amazing upset! What a game! We'll edit the right one in later when we see who wins. Yeah, we'll edit that.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | March Madness
You know, the unfortunate thing here is that there's less attention on tonight's historic game, but the good news about the NCAA is that both men and women players, you know, get exactly the same amount of money. Yeah. The NCAA tournament isn't even half over, but we already have an MVP.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
You know, Desi, I honestly have learned so much already this month about women who have done great things in history.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
I don't even know what that means, but that is really fascinating, Desi. I had no idea about the role that she played.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
Desi, you can't break into a school and vandalize children's homework.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
Wait, no, no, no. No, what you did was a crime.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
Wow, this is really fascinating. You're opening my eyes. Like, even when it comes to bad things, we tend to erase the contributions of women from history.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
Desi, it almost sounds like you admire these bad women.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
Dulce Sloan, everybody! Hello! Happy Women's History Month. Happy?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
Well, another one. I just got you a gift for Black History Month.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
Oh, no, but that's not fair. OK, so then when do I get a gift?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
I don't think that's right. Fine, she made love to a goose! No, that's not what, okay, anyway, Dulcé, I'm lost. How does having more statues help?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
That's true. Well, at least women have the Statue of Liberty. That's one of the most famous statues in the world.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
This is actually a great idea, but I hope you understand, building thousands of statues of women is gonna be difficult. I mean, statues are expensive. You know, this is gonna be a project that's gonna take a lot of time.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
Dulce, that's a statue of you.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
No, it's literally you. It has your name on it. No, so why are you holding a baby? You don't have kids.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
Yeah, beer. No, no, boobs is a brand of South African beer. That's...
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
That's actually a really cool thing. I mean, not you stealing drinks, but the invention of beer.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
As you should know, March is Women's History Month. The month, that's right, the month when all historic female heroes drink for free. For more on this, we're joined by our senior gender issues correspondent, Desi Lydic, everybody. What does Women's History Month mean to you?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
That's, yeah, that's so amazing. Wow. I didn't know all of these things. 11-11 Women's History Month. Like, I didn't know that a nun helped invent kung fu.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Women's History Month
I'm sorry, Desi. Nuclear fission? What is that?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
Do you guys remember last week when the Trump administration was in the deepest after the James Comey firing? Specifically because Trump's sudden dismissal of Comey further raised suspicions of his relations with Russia. And then remember how literally the day after that, the day after that, he hosted Russian's two top diplomats in the Oval Office, you remember that, yeah?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
And then we were all like, man, it can't get any worse.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
No, I knew something was up when we saw President Trump with the Russians and they were smiling. There's only two times a Russian man smiles, the day he dies and this. I mean, once again, this sounds like a story that we would invent, right? Trump invites the Russians into the Oval Office and then in his meeting starts bragging, I get great intel. I have people brief me on great intel every day.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
And then proceeds to give them the intel. He probably doesn't even know what Intel is short for. My Intellivision is the best. It gets the highest ratings. Best ratings of all. What's really sad about this is that Donald Trump is trying to impress the Russians with the fact that he's president? They know. The guy's there like, yeah, do you guys know that I'm president?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
And they're like, yes, that is how we planned it. Yes, of course. Like, like right now, right now, if I were Putin back in Moscow, I'd be like, this is a trap, no? No, it has to be, no, it can't be this easy. Come on, come on. Because you know they thought it was going to be a lot harder, right?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
They were probably trying to figure out how to hide bugs in the Oval Office, you know, figuring out where to put everything. And Trump was like, hey, what's that? Is that a microphone? I love those. Hello. One, two, one, two. Here are my secrets. Now, before you get your hopes up, the White House has already called the Washington Post's report false.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
And in any case, even if it wasn't called that, the chance of Donald Trump getting into trouble for this is next to nothing. Because you see, a president, almost by definition, can't leak classified information. Once a president says it, it's declassified. That's the law. It's a crazy law, but it's true.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
But I'm sorry, right now, it feels like Trump is doing everything he criticized Hillary for doing during the campaign. Mishandling national security secrets under threat of an FBI investigation. At this rate, next week, he's gonna faint in public. Just be like, I also lost my shoe. I will say this, though, people. At least now we know there's no aliens. Yeah.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
Because if there were, Donald Trump would have told us by now. Like, he would have leaked it immediately. ET, use my Samsung to phone home. He did it, folks. So the good news is, Trump listens during intel briefings. And the bad news is, Trump listens during intel briefings. Let's move on from one piece of work to another. Donald Johnson and Johnson baby powder Trump.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
The ex-president most likely to be a surprise judge at a wet t-shirt contest. Yesterday, the government office that keeps presidential records asked the Justice Department to investigate Trump's improper handling of official documents. And like, at this point, I'm wondering if there are any laws that Trump hasn't broken, you know?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
Like if there was a Guinness Book of World Records for crime, he'd probably steal the book. But yeah, according to reports, Trump would rip up papers after he read them, right? He took boxes of material with him to Mar-a-Lago. And now we're learning that Trump did the most Trump thing that he possibly could have done with some of these documents.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
You know, it's so funny how in every scandal involving Trump and documents, none of them involve him reading them. And by the way, I will say this. I know it's easy for us to all go, Trump was trying to obstruct justice. That's what this was. But you do remember at the start of the pandemic, there was a shortage of what?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
And I don't know about you guys, but when there's no toilet paper, state documents start to look mighty tempting. It also does explain why Trump was always complaining about toilets. You remember how he always did that?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
They end up using more water. Yeah, they're flushing it 10 times, 15 times. No, dude, you were flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times because you were shoving your homework down the toilet. I mean, everyone assumed he was a man who clogged the White House toilets, but no one ever thought we'd have to ask the question, but with what? Now, of course, Trump denies all of this.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
He says he never clogged any toilets ever. Smooth as poo of all time. So the big question is, who's telling the truth? Well, luckily, we have an exclusive interview with the only man who knows what the truth is. So we're gonna go out live right now to the White House to chat to that man. Sir, I understand that you are the official White House plumber. That's right. It's me, Carl Schwartz.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
How you doing? Well, doing well. Thank you so much for joining us, Mr. Schwartz. As the White House plumber, we'd love for you to tell us everything you know about Trump flushing documents down the toilets.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
I don't know why you said it like that. We knew who the... Anyway, let me ask you this. Was Trump the only one in the White House who was flushing documents? Did Vice President Pence do it?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
Is that where she's been? Well, good luck with that, and thank you so much, Mr. Schwartz. You got it, Chief. Did he say no holes?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
Oh my God. The FBI raided Donald Trump's house in Mar-a-Lago. The FBI, people, raided a former president's house. This is huge! This is bigger than when the feds investigated Bill Clinton for doing mouth stuff with that saxophone. And by the way, by the way, this raid, just so you know, has nothing to do with January 6th or tax fraud or giving the White House plumber PTSD.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
No, apparently, apparently this investigation is about Trump taking classified documents from the White House. And honestly, you know, I'm amazed that Trump has time for all of this crime. Like, at any moment, at any moment, Trump's got a crime that he's covering up. He's got a crime that he's doing now. He's got a crime that he's plotting for the future.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
He's like the Steve Harvey, but of crimes, you know? Every day, I'm like, does he have the same hours in the day as me? He gets so much done. Now, if you remember, if you remember, earlier this year, the feds already had to go down to Mar-a-Lago and take back 15 boxes of documents that Trump wasn't supposed to have, but apparently, they think there's more hidden on the property, all right?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
And I believe that. I believe that too. I mean, like, Trump's not gonna keep records in a filing cabinet like a normal person. It was the same dude who buried his ex-wife on a golf course. I mean, think about that. And yes, it is totally unprecedented for the FBI to raid the home of a former president. That is true. That has never happened in American history.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
But don't forget, Donald Trump has also never happened in American history. Everything is an anomaly with this man. I mean, like, why do you think a book from one of his staffers comes out every single week? Because every single person he interacts with is like, yo, have I got a up story for you? And wouldn't it be weird if this is the thing that takes Trump down?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
We thought it would be something like conspiracy or bribery or blackmail, but no, Trump's got busted for taking work home with him. What a nerd. Now, obviously, President Trump recognizes the gravity of the situation, which is why he has refrained from comment while the legal process is, nah, I'm joking with you, come on. The guy released a statement immediately, immediately.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
He read, these are dark times for our nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied. a large group of FBI agents. They even broke into my safe. What's the difference between this and Watergate?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
I love that even while he's complaining, he slips in that the thing is beautiful. How could they do this to my beautiful home? Also, also, This is completely different from Watergate, all right? For one thing, the guys breaking into Watergate didn't need to clean old ketchup stains off the documents, but the other big thing, the other big difference is that the raid was legal, all right?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
It was approved by a federal judge, approved by the head of the FBI, who, by the way, was appointed by Donald Trump himself after he got rid of like 17 other heads of the FBI because they didn't want to do crimes with Donald Trump. So now, the big mystery is what did the FBI find? Well, according to Donald Trump's third favorite son, the only thing the FBI took was his heart.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
You silly, silly man. Did daddy tell you that's where your letters to him go? Hidden away somewhere safe? They're just too important to show anybody or acknowledge in any way, Eric. That's why I locked them up right next to my wedding ring. That's what I do. Now, aside from the boxes that they took, the FBI also looked inside Trump's safe, which is very dramatic.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
Like, because apparently they had to break into it, right? So now you're like, how did they do it? Did they blow it open or did they just correctly guess the code was 6969? Honestly, I'd be surprised. I would actually be surprised if they found White House documents in Trump's safe. Because a safe is where you keep your most prized possessions. Yeah.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
So in my head, searching through Trump's safe would probably go a lot more like this. All right, guys, let's see what we have in here. All right. My God, the entire safe is just filled with McRib after McRib. This is, this is, they're stacked on top of each other. This is, I don't even understand. It's an unventilated safe. Who would do this? Wait, wait, wait, hold on.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
There's a secret panel in the bottom. I think we found it. We just found, nope, another McRib, boys. Another McRib. Now, you might be wondering, You might be wondering, isn't this an extremely explosive situation for the United States? Yes, it is, it is. You don't want to let a former president get away with crimes, right?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
Because nobody in America is above the law, except corporations and rich people and police and celebrities sometimes. But aside from them, nobody is above the law. But at the same time, even the perception that the Justice Department is being used to go after your political opponents, that could erode people's trust in governments. So it's a really tricky situation.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
And the only thing we can do is wait and see how the investigation unfolds. Or if you're Fox News, you can just freak out right now.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | It's Classified
All right, first of all, as someone from the third world, maybe leave us out of your shit for once, huh? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I don't know. Thank you.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | St. Patrick's Day
It was a great prank. Now here it is, your moment of zen.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | St. Patrick's Day
Oh, I didn't know you spoke Irish.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | St. Patrick's Day
Happy St. Patrick's Day, everybody. Yeah, yeah. I have to be honest, I don't really know much about St. Patrick, but judging by the way people honor him, his most famous miracle must have been turning nine pints of beer into 10 pints of vomit. Apparently, this is supposed to be a religious holiday.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | St. Patrick's Day
Now, I'm no biblical scholar, but I don't remember Jesus telling his followers to commit literally every sin possible until their bodies shut off. That's not something I remember. Look, obviously, the truth is St. Patrick's Day isn't very big in Africa. You're not gonna get a Nigerian guy who's like, ah, today everyone is Irish.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | St. Patrick's Day
In America, though, in America, though, a lot of people don't know this. Black people are the whole reason St. Patrick's Day happens. You see, um, because by not participating, you can have six million drunk white people screaming on the streets. Yeah. But if one black guy showed up, one black... the cops would be like, okay, shut it down. Shut it down. Shut it down. It's a riot! It's a riot!
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | St. Patrick's Day
So you're welcome. You're welcome, white people. Enjoy it. Happy St. Patrick's Day for tomorrow, everybody. It's gonna be exciting. I believe the parade is back on. Exciting times. You know what's gonna be fun this year is seeing some of the people who still wanna wear masks but wanna be a part of a parade, which is completely fine.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | St. Patrick's Day
Some people still wanna wear masks to certain things, but they're gonna do it. It's gonna be interesting to see how masks handle it when you throw up inside of them. Because we've done everything with our masks, but this is gonna be a great new thing to see how it works, you know? Just like inside the mask.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | St. Patrick's Day
It might actually help, because a lot of the time, the throwing up, the thing that makes it terrible is that it goes out. A lot of the time, I've thought, ah, I didn't want this to go out. I just could have kept it in.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
He's busy like, I don't want it. Take more, take more. And it's coming back more. This guy's got boomerang cash. Take the money. I was trying to give it away. I was trying to give it away. What are you doing, Trump? How are you gonna give Warren Buffett more money? Warren Buffett needs more money the way a Hemsworth needs more abs. Like, that is not something he needs. Sorry, where was I?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Oh yeah, yeah. If last night was the first time you heard from Donald Trump, first of all, welcome to Earth. You should probably leave. And secondly, you would think, judging by his speech, that his administration would be cleaner than a freshly bleached anus.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Are you being serious? Trump's cabinet is packed with oil and finance executives. Of course they don't need to lobby anymore. Now they run the government. That's a novel way to deal with the issue. It's like you have a raccoon problem and the animal control solves it by saying, all right, it all worked out. We sold your house to the raccoon. Now you rent from the raccoon. There you go.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Problem solved. Honestly, at some point, at some point it felt like Trump was just straight up trolling us.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Get out of here, man! Are you... Promote clean air and water? Trump literally, that morning, dismantled a bunch of water protection rules. And that's after he allowed mines to dump coal ash into streams. Which, who in their right mind? Like, who in their right mind thinks that's a good idea? Why would you let people dump coal ash into streams?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Nothing good can come from drinking coal ash, except for maybe, now we'll definitely know who farted. That's the only thing. It'd be like, it was you, Justin. You left behind a toot cloud, my friend. We know it was you. Everything in this speech, climate, justice, the middle class, corruption, this whole speech was a giant decoy for what Trump's actually doing. You know what it was like?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
It was like in one of those heist movies. You know, while the fake blue tie Donald Trump was distracting us with his speech, the real Trump was behind the scenes pulling off the hit job. And instead of noticing it, we're like those dumb security guards watching the security cameras going, does something seem off to you? Hey, wait a minute, no, no, we're all good. He's wearing the blue tie.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Last Night was slicker than any Ocean's Eleven movie. In fact, we thought about it and we're like, it would make a great movie on its own.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
We'll be right back. Today marks the end of President Joe Biden's first 100 days in office, which is the period where every president tries to get their big things done. You know, FDR introduced the New Deal, Ronald Reagan rolled back the welfare state, and Bill Clinton installed that stripper pole in the Situation Room.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
And to celebrate the occasion, last night Joe Biden delivered his first address to Congress. Yes, for hundreds of years, Joe Biden has sat and watched other presidents give speeches to Congress, but now it was his turn. And of course, thanks to COVID, things looked a little different than usual last night. Instead of a full chamber, they just had a few people scattered around.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
It looked like the lights just came on in a porno theater. But still, the big names showed up. Chuck Schumer was there, ready to trip any insurrectionists that broke in. The second dude was in attendance, signaling a runner to steal second base, I think. And in a historic moment, Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi became the first all-female duo ever to get front row seats to a president's ball spot.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
But of course, the star of the night was President Joseph Roku Biden, who used the night to present America with a very ambitious agenda. America's moving.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Wow. Ending racism and cancer. Biden is dreaming big. I mean, I half expected him to go, you know what? it. We're going to Mars right now. Get in the rocket, everyone. There's a rocket outside. Everyone, we're going to Mars right now. And by the way, for someone who people think of as a moderate, this agenda was hella progressive. Free college, free childcare.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
I mean, you'd think that Bernie was just off screen, you know, with his fists like, don't you dare forget about student debt, Joe Biden, or I'm gonna shove 99% of this fist up your ass. But I guess... This is the energy that people always bring to a new job, you know? Joe Biden's got that new job enthusiasm, which always fades over time. You know, and right now, he's like, I'm changing everything.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
And like a year or so from now, his top priority, top priority, is gonna be angling his computer monitor so no one can see he's watching Outlander. Now, of course, Biden will only be able to get any of this done if he can win over the country. But if the only people he needs to persuade are liberals on CNN and MSNBC, well then, my friends, he's got this thing in the bag.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
It was really beautiful. I mean, it was beautiful. It is so personal and so intimate. And his voice, that kind of grandfatherly, whispery voice. Wow. Okay. I like how the news went from, we gotta hold those in power accountable to, aw, he's just like my grandpa. I love him so much. Also, grandfathers are not really known for whispering that they're gonna end systemic racism.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
In fact, usually grandfathers are whispering, I think the bus driver is a Puerto Rican. Unfortunately for Joe Biden, the entire country is not made up of liberal pundits. There are also conservatives and they were just a little less excited.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Okay, people. Even if Stalin gave people free daycare, that is not what made him Stalin, all right? No one who ever suffered through his regime was like, the famine and the gulags, they were bad enough. But he also gave out toys to kids. That was the worst. And at this point, we always know that no matter what Democrats suggest, Republicans are gonna say a socialist. This has become a game now.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Everything they do is socialist. Every... Socialist, socialist, socialist, socialist. But ironically, it's never socialism when Republicans want to give money to big oil companies or help farmers in the Midwest. No, that's not socialism. These politicians are like sports fans now. You know, it's always a foul when it's the other team. That's a foul! Come on, ref, that's a foul!
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
He did the... Did you see how he looked at him? That's a foul! Come on, ref, do something! Oh, dude, your guy just shot the opponent! Hey, you know what, buddy? It's a contact sport. Man up. So, look, it's not surprising that conservatives are unhappy with Biden's progressive proposals, but that wasn't their only complaint. No, Biden's speech didn't just make them angry. It also made them tired.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
You see that? Ted Cruz was so bored at that speech that he fell asleep. And I know what you're thinking right now. You think I'm gonna say something like, oh, that's weird. I thought lizards slept with their eyes open. But I'm not gonna say that. Because honestly, that was the most relatable thing that Ted Cruz has ever done. Because that speech was boring.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
And when you consider that almost none of Biden's goals are actually gonna get past Congress, I mean, we basically just listened to an old man talk for an hour about his dreams. But also, a policy speech is just a set of directions for where the president wants to take the country. And in a way, directions are supposed to be boring.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
I mean, you don't want Google Maps like, you know what would be crazy is if you drove into that lake. Do it, bitch. Do it now. Just do it. Just drive into the lake, dude. In fact, if it were up to me, these wouldn't even be speeches. You just print it out, let the people read it. I mean, when did we decide that you can only judge a policy proposal based on how entertaining the performance of it is?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Although I'll bet that even if it was printed, the haters would just bitch about the font. Really? Times New Roman? And he didn't even use one emoji? Worst address ever. But until then, we can't have people falling asleep in the middle of Biden's speeches. And it's safe to say that Biden's not gonna get any more energy anytime soon. So maybe, just maybe, all he needs is someone to hype him up.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Yeah! Whatever he said. Yo, man, I'm sorry, Joe, man. I'm trying, man, but this is, you know, the energy. I don't have my menthols right now. You got to lose. I'm sorry, man. I tried, Joe. I tried.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Last night, Donald Trump gave his first speech to Congress as president. And unlike his inauguration, everyone showed up. Bernie was there, and unfortunately, so was Ted Cruz. Mitch McConnell, yeah, Mitch McConnell was there. Is it just me, or does Mitch McConnell always look like he's seeing the end of the world? Just his face.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
That's the kind of face you make the first time you see your parents having sex. Anyway, everyone was gathered in the Capitol to hear the president speak. And from the start, you knew it was gonna be a special night, because not only did Trump seem to enjoy relating to humans, he even wore a non-red tie. Lingerie will show you things, huh? And then he went to the podium.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
He's there, gentlemen, your menu for the night. I recommend the taco bowl, yes. And, guys, I got to say, the tie don't lie. The speech got off to a good and unexpected start.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
I don't know about you, but I didn't see that coming. I bet most black people didn't see that coming. It felt like the Moonlight Oscar all over again. Yo, is this for real? Oh, and you know all those recent hate crimes he's been taking heat for about not talking about? Well, he talked about them.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
It all makes sense now. Trump wasn't avoiding condemning those acts. He was just saving it for a special occasion. It's like hate crime lingerie. Because come on, let's be honest, if he condemned hate crimes all the time, we'd be like, it's just not that hot anymore. Oh, and you know how he's been alienating all of our Muslim allies?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Guys, don't tell me that speech wasn't great. Trump said friends and Muslims in the same sentence. In the same sentence. The only time you'd expect Trump to say Muslims and friends in the same sentence would be if he was like, friends, let's get those Muslims. Or it would be, go bomb those Muslims. I wanna watch Friends. But not with this speech.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
I mean, just look at how proud his two dads, Mike Pence and Paul Ryan, were. standing there in their identical outfits. Who wore it better, guys? Be honest. Who wore it better? Wow. Wow. I mean, that's, let's be honest, that's not a fair competition. Paul Ryan would look better than Mike Pence in anything, even Mike Pence's hair. He'd probably, that looks good.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
I'm not gonna front, that looks good. It really does. Guys, last night's speech was pretty good. And you know what? If the speech were president, America wouldn't have so much to worry about. Unfortunately, the speech and the man reading the speech have nothing in common. For example, Trump's promise to help black people, or as he calls them, inner cities,
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Now, you see, that sounds great. It definitely sounds a lot better for black people than what Trump's attorney general and part-time hobbit Jeff Sessions is actually doing. Because while Trump's playing nice-nice, Sessions has decided to pull back on all federal investigations into police brutality. In fact, Jeff Sessions gives so few about civil rights, he made this decision
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
without even reading the Justice Department reports on police violence in both Chicago and Ferguson. It's true. He said he knows what they're about because he read the summary, which, I'm sorry, people, is bull . It's like someone saying they hate Waffle House because of the smell when they walk past the restaurant. Shame on you. Eat the food, then throw up like the rest of us.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
You don't prejudge people. You just don't do it. All of the things President Trump said don't seem to match up with what he's doing. Take the centerpiece of his economic plan, tax reform.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
Now that sounds amazing, especially if you're a billionaire. Because you see, Trump's actual proposed tax plans won't help the middle class as advertised. Because if you read the fine print, you'll see that the taxes will actually go up for most single parents' households and married couples with three or more children.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | Presidents Meet Congress
And on average, middle class households would get a 2% cut or about a thousand bucks. But meanwhile, the super rich would get a 13% tax cut, more like $200,000. That's people like Warren Buffett. You realize, through tax plans proposed by Trump, Warren Buffett stands to gain $29 billion. $29 billion. Warren Buffett does not need 29 more billion dollars. He's even giving the money away.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | International Diplomacy
Welcome back to The Daily Show. My guest tonight is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist who writes for The New Yorker and is the author of the new book, War on Peace, The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence. Please welcome Ronan Farrow. Hello. Welcome to the show. A pleasure to be here. You are an overachiever in the journalistic world.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | International Diplomacy
So many people talk about all the stories that you're breaking. I mean, the Me Too movement was broken by your story. Like, I mean, it's what sparked a movement.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | International Diplomacy
They were tough to tell. They were tough to tell for the women involved. They were also tough for you to tell as a journalist. Like we read all these stories about Harvey Weinstein and these people that he was hiring. Were you ever afraid? Is that a point where you go like, maybe I shouldn't break stories. I'm just going to tweet 10 most likely things that people want to click on.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | International Diplomacy
The news that you just broke today, for instance, or that just broke today, is a story of how the Trump administration was secretly hiring an Israeli team of spies to dig up dirt on people who worked on the Iran deal.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | International Diplomacy
Wait, so explain to me just a little bit of the details. So they were hiring these people not to undermine the deal itself, but to undermine the people who put the deal together.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | International Diplomacy
Well, it's interesting because this sounds less like a story you would hear in a first world country or a country that claims to be pro-democracy than you would in a country that's totalitarian. You talk about this in the book, War and Peace, the end of diplomacy and the decline of American influence. it really speaks to, in a way, what's happening with the Iran deal.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | International Diplomacy
It seems like Trump and his people do not care about the diplomacy that America conducts in the world. It's now just become war or no war, talking or no talking. Why do you think that's happened?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | International Diplomacy
That's interesting because you spoke to every living secretary of state, and you spoke about how America's diplomacy has been on the decline. This isn't something that started with Trump, but it may be accelerating now. Is this a sustainable way to conduct oneself in the world where it is military first, diplomacy second?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | International Diplomacy
Right. And if you look at the current situation, there are countries where America doesn't have a diplomat right now. There are countries where there is no one handling that high-level negotiation. What happens in that case?
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | International Diplomacy
It's life-saving, it's integral, and it's currently crumbling. It's a fascinating book. You're a fascinating man. Thank you so much for being on the show.
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
TDS Time Machine | International Diplomacy
I really appreciate it. War on Peace is available now. Ronan Farron, everybody. We'll be right back.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Welcome to What Now?, another episode of the podcast where this time I'm in South Africa. And if you've listened to enough of the podcast, you'll know that when I'm in South Africa, that means I'm with my people. And when I'm with my people, we create different episodes. On one of the first ones I did, I did for my 40th birthday, was Anilem Doda, a good friend of mine. She's a broadcaster.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
If I may ask, so what heritage is this child? Is this a... Same as I like it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So you didn't even have like a little African swag you could pull out just a little something.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
This is actually more dynamic and interesting. I was picturing a white kid and I was like, no, this sounds normal.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So I don't, I'll probably butcher some of it. I'm bad with remembering numbers, but there was a child psychologist who once told me for boys and girls, it's slightly different, but I believe from like zero to two or three, it's all mom. It's just all mom, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And then I think from like three to like seven, 10, and it changes for boys and girls, it's mom and dad in terms of like, just like parental household vibe. But then to your point, they say for boys specifically, once they hit like 10, 11, 12, somewhere there, It's all about uncle, as they call it. It's all about other men or male figures outside the household. Could be a coach. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
You gave us such specific ones for the first two.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Is there a part of you that wonders if your mom Tai Chi has been enough?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Whether it's spending time with loved ones, sharing laughs with your pets, reading your new favorite book, or simply unwinding. For me, it's all about creating a space that's really inviting. And that's where Brooklinen comes in. You see, the special thing that they've got, in my opinion, is they've got a mastering of texture. They've just figured it out. Their sheets are so soft.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I just want to rewind to the point when you said, I don't want my son to be scared of me. Bruh.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yes. In other houses, they leave the lights off and they let you sleep until the morning. That's how other houses do it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And I have to like negotiate with a 10 year old terrorist essentially. And just hope that their logic coincides with yours. You know, I don't know if I ever told you the story. So Isaac, my youngest brother, right? Him and the middle brother was staying with me in LA and they'd come to visit me and it was this whole thing. And we're there for like Christmas.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And they've now gotten to an age where they're big enough that I have to negotiate with them. But they're still young enough that they do crazy shit. Right? So one day we're all having dinner together. We order food. But we plate it. Because I want them to feel civilized. You know what I mean? Because I'm also the person who eats out the box. But let's do like a family thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Then you add in the comforter, which I'll be honest, during this winter, I've really been loving. And that, my friends, is the perfect equation. And I'm not the only person who feels this way. Brooklinen's bedding is highly tested and awarded. Good Housekeeping, GQ, Wirecutter, they all rank their goods super highly. Brooklinen bedding, sheets, and more have over 200,000 five-star reviews.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Let's take the food out of the box and put it on a plate like we cooked it. Cool. So we all eat. We put things together. Everything's great. We're done. And... When we're done, it's time to clean up. And I say, guys, help me. Let's take everything to the kitchen. And I take like one bowl, one glass. My brothers stack everything. They stack, stack, stack, stack, stack everything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I'm like, what are you guys doing? They're like, we're taking it to the kitchen. I was like, guys, guys, guys, take one thing at a time. You can come back, eh? My other brother's like, he's like, yeah, but I can do this. I got this. I was like, hey, whoa, whoa, whoa. It's not about whether you've got this. Take one thing at a time. You're stacking like everything. You know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
He's like, yeah, but I'll be fine. I was like, no, no, no, no. You think you'll be fine until you're not fine. Please just take one thing at a time. He's like, okay. So I go to the kitchen with the one thing. And now, you know, we're doing that thing where we're crossing. So one person goes to the table, other person, one person goes to the table.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
As I'm at the table with the youngest, Isaac, we're chatting. I hear smash on the other side of the house. Glass shattering. And you know, you know what, it's not even like, I'm like, oh, is there a break in? I know exactly what glass that was. So go to the kitchen. I'm like, yo, bro, what happened? Oh yeah, the glass dropped. I'm like, the glass didn't just drop.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
The glass dropped because you took more things than I told you to. Then he's like, oh yeah, my bad. Then I'm like, no, not your bad. Not your bad. I told you the thing. So now we're having this like, you know, and he's not even fighting. He's being like very polite and everything. And so now the youngest is like running with the stuff. So he's doing one and one, but he's sprinting back and forth.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So I'm like, okay, no running. So many rules, Trevor. This is what he says. He's like, geez, bro. He's like, so many rules. I'm like, yes, these are the rules for how you make sure that the stuff in your kitchen stays around. Right? And also you don't hurt yourself. You see? So he's running. Guys, at some point I go, yo, I said, walk slowly. Take the things one by one.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
He's like, yo, but I run all the time. I'll be good. I was like, yo, just take the things. He's like, but why do I have to do it? And I'll never forget this. In that moment, he's like, why do I have to? And I was like, because I said so. And you know when like every parent flashed in front, I was like, ah, ah, I have become death. He became Raven. But did he accept that? No, he didn't.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
But I've always said my youngest brother is probably the smartest person we've ever had in our family and the most emotionally intelligent. He sat with it. He did what I said. And he came back maybe like 10 minutes later. You know, now there's like a weird feeling in the house. But he came back to me and he said, he said, hey, Trev. He said, I just wanted to apologize for what happened.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I didn't mean to offend you. I was like, yeah, I get it. I'm sorry too, you know. And he says, but here's the thing. He's like, the reason I keep asking you why when you tell me to do things, it's not because I want to undermine who you are as a person. He's like, it's because I don't understand why you're doing things the way you do them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So if I just do them the way you do them, I never really believe in it. I'm just doing it because I've learned it as a rote identity. He's like, but if I actually learn why you do it the way you do, then maybe I can adopt it as my own. And then if I'm challenged by somebody or something one day, I'll know why I do it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So the reason I ask you why is not because I'm challenging you as my big brother. It's just because I really want to understand why you actually do it. Because I don't want to be a robot. I want to be a human being who believes in my actions. So, you know what it made me realize is like, I realize that every parent and every adult figure in a child's life will have that frustration.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
You are bound to be frustrated because you are proposing every idea through the lens of logic and experience. But your kids, rightfully, I think in many ways, are also here to test what those boundaries are. If every child, even us, think of us, the three of us sitting here and everyone who's listening. If you did everything the way your parents did it, half the time you wouldn't be where you are.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
You wouldn't have discovered a new way to work, a new type of job, a new career, a new country, a new language, a new sport, a new religion, a new style of dressing. A new relationship. Yeah, like you literally have to break what they've taught you to make something new. And the difficulty, as you say, is we're all winging it. We don't know what will or won't work.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
It's just in these moments where you go... Look, when we say get out of the pool, get out of the pool. But it's a tough one. Because it's like, do you have a... Because I've never had a friend who's a mom. Do you get what I'm saying? Like a friend-friend relationship.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So, shop award winners and fan favorites in-store or online at brooklinen.com. That's B-R-O-O-K-L-I-N-E-N dot com. Get 15% off your first order today.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
No. What I'm saying is, so what I'm saying is, I've never been in the position where I can say this to you and ask you honestly, like, do you have a, it's not like you can have a fixed number, but do you have a number of how much you're willing to tolerate his boundary pushing because you think it might be what creates something bigger and more beautiful than you've ever considered?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Did you knock at 3 a.m.? You didn't. That was a surprise.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Oh, okay. Oh, nice. Nice. Hey, I see. You know when law enforcement finds all these loopholes? Oh, we didn't need a search warrant because it wasn't your home.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
She is an executive producer, an all-around media mogul, and most importantly, a super mom. And my other friend, Sisu Edlomo. He's a TV presenter, a radio host, a business person in economics. I think he has a degree in something. He studies a lot, whatever. The point is, he's a friend and we're going to be chatting together. Disclaimer for everyone who listens. These are South Africans.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
We're going to continue this conversation right after this short break.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
If you love iPhone, you'll love Apple Card. It comes with the privacy and security you expect from Apple. Plus, you earn up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, which can automatically earn interest when you open a high-yield savings account through Apple Card. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app. Subject to credit approval, Savings is available to Apple Card owners subject to eligibility.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Apple Card and Savings by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch. Member FDIC. Terms and more at applecard.com. Did you ever have a bad influence? Because I know you weren't the bad influence.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
No, but I'm saying as a kid, like, did you have a friend where they were like your bad influence? Because I was... The bad influence. In many ways, yes, I will say. But I also think I had many friends. I think we were renegades together, to be honest.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
You sound like you've never been a child. No, but listen to me. Guys, I knew. Let me tell you something. Yeah. When I was opening the TV in the living room. Yes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yeah, when I was unscrewing the whole thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yeah, the wrong or the right. All right, well, if you need, you know, outside models, role models, you let us know.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I'm probably going to say even at this age, I will bring a little bit of bad influence, but always respectful. One thing my teachers always said, Trevor's very respectful. But he's very troublesome. He's very disruptive in class, but very respectful. And oftentimes does not apply himself, but very respectful. There was no disrespect in what I was doing. Do you know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yes ma'am No ma'am Yes ma'am I was the one Who put the firecracker In the toilet ma'am Yes ma'am That is correct ma'am
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Can you still say Happy New Year? Yeah, dude, of course. What do you mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I told you guys, let's not go there. Now you're sharing a cell. You see? So I hear what you're saying. One caveat I'd like to throw into this and one counter argument is if we live in a world where everyone completely believes in themselves, I think we have a little less social cohesion. We should never take for granted how powerful peer pressure is in society.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So when you're on the road and you see that you could drive in the emergency lane and just get ahead of everyone, peer pressure is the only thing keeping you back. Yeah, you might be like, oh, the police. No, no, no. But beyond that, there's an element of knowing that every other road user is in some way, shape, or form going to be against you, and you're like, I'm not going to do it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
When you're standing in a line at an airport or anywhere else, and you see that you could cut and you could get ahead, peer pressure is the only thing stopping you from doing it. You're not going to get arrested. Do you get what I'm saying? I think there's a weird... and we don't know what the knobs perfectly are.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
It's interesting that you say that. We don't know what the balance is, but the world always fine tunes you. So, okay, my argument is this, and this may sound a little anarchist, but it's not. But like, I don't believe we know and I don't think there is a right because I think every piece needs to exist.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So like, on the one hand, you need like a renegade to be like a Steve Jobs, let's say, where he goes, no, we're going to do this. And people are like, you can't do it. And he's like, we're going to do it. And then he does it. And then now everyone's like, oh yeah, this is how it should have been. But then there's also some renegades who are like Jeffrey Dahmer.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Otherwise, we're not close. I've never thought of a scale, like a gradient for when you can say... Everything is on the spectrum, bro. Yeah, you're truly a math guy for everything. Cesar's got like a graph for everything. The x-axis is friendship time.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Jeffrey Dahmer didn't suffer from peer pressure, I'm assuming. I don't think he was like, what are my friends going to say? He did his thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So here's the thing. So all I'm saying is, I believe that there isn't one fixed way or not way. I think a system will always find entropy. It will always find a place where it exists for the best of what it is trying to do. But I think you can create a child or you think you can try your best to create a child who does not care about what anyone else says.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And I think those types of people are assholes in the world as well because they don't care about what anyone else says. And then there are some people who care too much about what everyone else says and then they are at the whims of the crowd.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I was like, wow, this guy's about to quote Joe Biden. I was like, damn, I don't think I've ever heard anyone quote Joe Biden.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So, okay, it's actually funny you say that. Because I think that's a perfect segue to my worry. I agree that the world will affirm you or challenge you, right? Right. but I don't think that that is based in absolute truths. So sometimes you will be affirmed or challenged based on the circumstance or the situation.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Exactly, exactly. So now let's go to my worry. The reason I say I think the global slash liberal slash whatever experiment has failed is because there was a time when many politicians around the world started to believe, and I'm sure there was another time when this happened with trading in general, but they said, you know what? we could be connecting the world in interesting and different ways.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
You know, you could make something in China or you could make it in any country where it's developing really. And that means the country where they're selling it to, they can focus on different types of labor. They can be more specialized. They can work in offices. They can do this. So they'll actually be selling a different product to the world. Their product might be a service.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
It might be something digital. And then the people who are using that, they might buy something else and they might, but we're all connected. It's going to be a Yeah, yeah, yeah. And we're all, and it's the circle of life. You know what I mean? It's like this beautiful world where money's flowing from one place to the next.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And now, and Cesar, you're the economics guy, so I'm sure you can speak to it deeper than I can. But like, I feel like what happened was, first and foremost, the money dammed up in a way that no one really predicted. Yeah. So the money didn't move around the world. It didn't stay in Bangladesh and Vietnam and all these places where the workers are making it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Happy New Year, guys. Happy New Year. Happy New Year to you too. Yeah, man. Stranger? What do you mean stranger?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
It very quickly left those places and went into bank accounts in certain parts of the world, right? The people working even at these companies in those parts of the world, it doesn't matter how big these corporations are. But one of the things I find particularly interesting is how
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
like we've accepted this as normal and maybe we won't for a while, where companies can hire people to help them make profits. Once they've achieved that profit, they can fire all of those people And hire people for the next. To help them make more profits, right? So this is the second part of it, why I think it's failing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I think we were never fully prepared to communicate with everyone everywhere all the time without understanding the nuances and the complexities that come with everybody's understanding of the world. You know, in the same way that we're worried about like what we say to aliens, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Not even when they arrive. You've seen we've sent, we've sent like things to space. Okay, signals like. Yeah, yeah. We've sent capsules. Yeah, okay. And then they'll choose. They go, we've put some Mozart, some Beethoven. We've sent, but there's also like crazy shit we've sent. We've sent like a random like rock and roll song. That could sound like a war anthem. I don't know.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Or maybe Mozart sounds like war to an alien. I don't know. Right? You really don't know.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
No, but we've also sent like plants and seeds and we've tried to send what we think encapsulates the human race is what we've done.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Even then. And so now I'm saying social media as a whole, the whole connected idea of it. Forget like actual social media. Yeah. just don't think we ever prepared for it. We never prepared for a message to cross borders and cultures in the way that it does. It may connect us in moments, but I think it's ripping us apart at the seams in more places than we ever thought.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And so I think, that's why I think the whole thing is falling apart. I think in South Africa, where we are at right now, I think we're going to see only more xenophobia. We're going to see more people not wanting immigrants to come into the country. And In many people's defense, by the way, not just in South Africa, in the US, in Europe, etc.,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
If we use the binary, we can be very quick to say these people are hateful. It's very easy to do that. But the underlying issue is true in many places.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
All right. All right. At least you're on form. We're in the mix. I think differently about the conversations we're going to have because I enjoy... delving into your minds as friends, but also as problem solvers. And then I find sometimes when we have these conversations, like the last one we did on the podcast, people were just like, oh yeah, that was an interesting conversation.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Okay, so the hood versus the village, essentially.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
No, no, no. But this is what I mean. I mean that the experiment was, it felt like it was working for a moment. So here's the thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I want to live in a land-listic country. No. So I agree with you. And what I'm saying though is this was an experiment. Remember, we're always conducting an experiment. Like you said with your son, you're winging it. We're also winging it. I think this is something we should always acknowledge as people. And I think not enough politicians do and not enough leaders do.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
They make it seem like we know. So I've seen people who talk about like socialism. They know. People talk about communism. They know. People talk about capitalism. They know. But I'm like, guys, you don't know. We're all winging it with as much information as we have. We're gathering data points, as you say, right? Yeah. So there was no communism until there was.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
There was no socialism until there was. There was no capitalism until there was, right? What I'm saying is this experiment that we're conducting now, I worry that it's failing, but I worry that it's failing because the reason I worry about it failing is because of the ramifications on the other side. So. But that's how revolutions come. This is my point.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Everything has a reset. You see, this is my point. I don't like your tone when you say these things, Sizwe. You say very. It will happen. No, no, no. But he says it in a very, your tone is positive. But the message you're giving is like, you're like, yes, well, that's a revolution.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
That's a reset. And everyone's going to die. Yes, but your tone, you must deliver in like, well, that's a reset. You are worried that you're living on the cusp. Yes, completely.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Let me tell you something about a revolution. It's disruptive. And nobody knows what comes out on the other side. You think I have power. a revolution completely disrupts power. You think, oh, but I'm of the people. Revolutions also squash the people. And the outcome of a revolution is not predictable, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And you guys, your friendship. And what I realized is friendship is almost the cooking apparatus that we use to figure things out. Does that make sense? I get you. Because everyone can have a conversation.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
More or less. No, okay. So this is what I mean. I'll just throw them out at you and maybe you'll understand the picture that I'm seeing. Let's say in America, right? It was interesting to see how even amongst themselves, the Trump mega crowd is experiencing like a fraying connection between the people. In a microcosm, you look at the Trump party.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
But I find when you have a conversation with your people, there are extra ingredients and extra tools that you have, namely your friendship, that defines some of the conversation that you can't get with a stranger.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I don't call it the Republican party, it's the Trump party. You would think within that world, everyone would just be like, yeah, we know what we're doing. We're doing it, right? Look at the thing that happened with Elon Musk and the H1B1 visas. Elon Musk is rolling with Donald Trump. They're like, hey, we know what we're doing. We're planning this new world order.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Elon's like, hey man, I have a new best friend. I paid $250 million for him. So I want to hang out with him all the time. Trump is like, Trump needs his mom to come to me at three in the morning. Trump is like, you're a bit of a loser. I wanted your money. Go away. That's because you can see Trump knows cool and not cool. Like you saw when Trump was sitting with Obama. Say what you want.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
But Trump was like, this guy's cool. You could see he was like, all those fancy things. He was trying to make him laugh. And he was making him laugh. Trump was like, this guy's cool. I need this guy's approval. Exactly. Because Trump knows cool. Say what you want about him. Say what you want about him. Say what you want about him. So...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
When I look at the Elon Musk thing, it's amazing to see how quickly what I'm talking about is affecting everyone. Because Elon Musk and his people go, all right, now we know what we're doing. Trump fans and supporters are like, actually, no. Like Steve Bannon goes, no, no, no. Hey, I actually don't like this agenda.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Why are we hiring these people from India and from these places to come and work on these companies? Elon's like, because we need them. Then Steve Bannon's like, no, we don't need them. We need them because we haven't created a world where Americans are the ones that are needed.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Then the tech guys say, yes, but like Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk, they say, yeah, but Americans are not trained enough and they're not smart enough. Then these guys are like, oh, you're saying Americans are stupid. Is that what you're saying? They're like, no. And then the other guy's like, yes, I am saying that. Then he's like, why don't we train Americans?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Then he's like, no, because it's not supposed to work like that. And then even within that little confine, you see the thing falling apart. The promise...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
hasn't been delivered right because white americans were told stop your factory things we got this don't worry so what's going to happen is you're going to just move forward right and your company you're going to wear a suit and tie and you're going to have a different job and you're going to get great money worked for a moment then companies as you say capital does what capital does companies were like we could actually make more money with less
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And why are we paying American workers when we could be paying people from India or Bangladesh less? And even if they come into the country, we can force them to work a ton of hours because what are they going to say? No? And they'll be a lot more appreciative of the dollar. Exactly. Because they have a visa. Exactly. And now even within that tiny world, you see the experiment failing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And now there Steve Bannon comes and says, Elon Musk is a white South African who is racist and born from apartheid. We cannot allow him into the White House. Now, people watching this are like, wait, Steve Bannon is saying this guy's racist. No one knows what to do with it. No one knows what to do with it. Yeah. No one knows. But that's just one example.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Then you look at South Africa and how South Africans are now going like, actually, actually, no, no, no, we're not trying to help Africa. No, no, we're just trying to do our own thing. Then you look at Europe. Europe's like, no, no, no, no, no. Close, close here. Germany. They're like, hey, man, this whole immigrant thing. Actually, no, no, no, no, no, we're not. Then you look at like banking.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Wait, do you think that's still a thing? Yes. You guys do to us. No, no, no. And this is an honest question. Yeah. In fact, this is a great question to kick us off because the conversation I wanted to have with you was, what are you worried about?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
You look at hiring. Look at AI itself. We are on a fast track to people turning around and saying, wait a minute, if AI is doing every job, who's doing a job? And if nobody's doing a job, who's buying things? And if nobody's buying things, what are we doing?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And that's what I'm saying has failed. I'm saying the thing that was sold to people was prosperity for all. That has not happened, whether it's South Africa, whether it's the United States, whether it's parts of Europe.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
No, they argue. People are now disagreeing. I hear you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
going into the new year moving forward right because a lot of people have like a positive outlook yeah but i'll start with that funny enough do you think canceling is still a thing i think it's finished
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Don't go anywhere because we got more What Now? after this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
This is where I disagree. I think a lot of the scarcity that we think is real in the world isn't real. That's the first thing. And I think a lot of it is created by institutions and companies that need you to consume. So for instance, a simple example is your phone, right? Everyone has the new iPhone until Apple releases the next iPhone.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
It is literally even the day before launch, you have the latest iPhone. And then one day later, you now have an old iPhone. So you're right.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
That's what the problem is. So what I'm saying is I agree completely. I'm saying we are and we have been. And look, there may not be a perfect world for this. But I think there's also a lot of artificial scarcity and a lot of artificial distribution that has now… And it's at an all-time high. I agree with you. The perfect example is water.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Guys, I don't understand how we live in a world where water is owned by companies and we are all going to have to buy water from corporations. Guys, everywhere in the world… I read that about LA. There are a couple owned over water in LA. It's a farming family. They own water. You're like, how do you own water? Who did you buy it from? But that's my problem. Who owned it before you?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
But that's my point. Because the water goes under my house as well. How come I can't stop the water? Do you see what I'm saying? So now, Cesar, I get what you're saying economically, but I'm saying that's why all of these things, I worry that we are going to hit too many at the same time.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And that thing is going to be... I don't know if it will be a revolution or... But I think we are on track, unless there's some sort of correction somewhere. We are only on track for a mass ending correction type thing, revolution, whatever you want to call it. I cannot see another way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yes, but and what is a state? A state is a collection of people. It's a fiction that we've all agreed to. So now the problem is when the state sell it to private people, where do we end up? In revolution. So by the way, Cicero is not helping me at all because he's affirming everything I'm saying. Imagine if we were doing that with Alake.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
But here's what, remember what my original statement was. Yes. I'm worried that the experiment is failing because remember what we're also doing as humans is we're constantly trying to undermine the natural order of things. We do it with our health, right? So back in the day, your shoulder, you would be gone. Now you may not be gone.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Right? And I think this is something that's important to understand is that one of the main things that makes humans humans is that we've challenged the very fundamental order and nature of life and the world. And we fight it under progression. Yeah. But we fight it. So we go, actually, maybe you shouldn't die of an infection.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Right. So the reason I say I'm sad and I'm worried that the experiment is failing is because it was an experiment. People thought that if you put goods and services or if you say that things are going to be manufactured in poor countries, it's going to bring them up. And then that'll free up the developed countries to do different types of jobs and it'll bring them up.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And then they will sell their ideas and it'll bring them up. And this beautiful loop, this beautiful loop, this beautiful loop. And we will all raise, what is that? Rising tides raise all boats. That's what we thought. What we didn't know was...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
some people have boats that have water pumps and they're taking a lot more water and the tides are not rising everything so now that's what I was saying is my worry when my good friend Cesar was kind enough to say you see this was a good episode and I like the fact that there's no solution we just threw a pump out there we're like bye here's your worries niggas bye that's it that's on you
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I actually see a very hopeful future for your story with your son. Of course. That's what I mean. So I go like, oh, you just have a problem or a worry about a potential problem, but I feel like there's many solves for the thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So that's as a friend. And then my friend has said to me, no, no, don't worry. All your worries are correct. And it's going to end. That's what he just did to me. You must never be a doctor, by the way, Sizwe. Actually, he needs to be a doctor. No, no. He would be the person who just walks in and says to you, you're out. Statistically speaking, you're going to die anyway.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So, I mean, I don't even know why you want to do the surgery.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
That's what he would be saying to you. No, you should not be a doctor. Be the shortest episodes of House ever. Just walk in. So, okay. Let's do scissors. So, your concern is you worry that?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I'm not saying continually. Let me be on record of saying that. Well, I'm saying... I think we're in like cycles. And I'm saying now... No, we are in cycles.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Okay, okay. We haven't hit drop bottom yet.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Oh. Do you know what I'm saying? So you're looking at even like micro cancellations. Yes. You're looking at like, yeah, erosion cancellations.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
These days, there isn't really. Sorry, sorry. I feel like I'm mishearing you. Safe haven for people being bullied? From being bullied, yes. Oh, okay. I thought you were saying there was a safe haven for bullying. That's funny. No, really. You're also like a weird thinker. You could be the kind of person who says that. Protect all bullies?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yeah, you were like, back in my day, bullies could find a place. Dude, you're the kind of person who could say that. Look, bullies do build character. Okay. But I don't think we need this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yeah. I think as adults, we also don't necessarily have that. It took me... I'm trying to think of when this changed. Maybe somewhere pandemic-ish, somewhere... It took me a long time to realize, if I don't know it, if I don't even acknowledge it, it's not even happening. I know it sounds like a weird thing. People are like, no, but people are saying things about me online.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Oh, I was just talking about like, you're cancelled. It feels like it's finished.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And I'm like, yeah, it's not really happening.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Okay. To channel my very wise younger brother, he would argue that we and the youngest of our generation is experiencing that. He says they're not. He's like you guys, like Bane. He's almost like, you merely adopted social media. I was forged in social media. Like he goes, no, no, no, no. You and your youngest think that. He says, our generation. We're so robust because we were built by that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
He's like, we don't, we actually don't care. He says, we don't really care about the thing. And we don't. He even showed me like aesthetically.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
No, but I'm saying he showed me like aesthetically. Go look at like Gen Z and lower. Look at their Instagram, their TikTok. It's not aesthetic like millennials and above. It's not, they're not trying to show you a perfect picture of avocado toast. No, they just want to show you a vibe. They might even show you the crumbs. That's their picture.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And his argument is that we think of it as being something that is infinitely harder to tackle. But he's like, it is only the reality that they have, right? So he goes, I think your situation was worse. Where we entered striving for perfection because we didn't know how this thing works. No, but not even. He argues, he goes, yeah, we get bullied online.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
But he's like, but you guys got bullied physically and there wasn't really stuff you guys could do about it when it was happening physically. And then he goes, I can make friends online. I can look at a video on TikTok about how to be a boxer. But he argues that their reality is different to ours, but it comes with its own pros and cons and they're fine with it. Yeah, I think he's correct.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Oh, yeah. That's how you are on social media. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
One thing I will throw into that. Yeah, we'll wrap. We'll wrap. One thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
All right. So one thing I will say to that is I think it's the same. Guys, one bully at my school terrorized three standards, like three grades. One bully. Do you understand what reach that is?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
One, guys, one bully would come to the tuck shop, cafeteria for those in America, and would take anything and everything and do whatever they... So I understand what you're saying, but I go, I feel like we were also that generation. I watched people get terrorized by one bully and a whole school could have done something and didn't do anything. And we're all just like, that's them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
You know, you're just like, pray to God they don't come your way. Yeah. And so what I'm arguing is I don't necessarily think that they are softer or like, I just think that because it's so foreign to us, we see it as being more that way, but I don't necessarily think it's... It's the same problems, just a different iteration. Yes. But that's how generations are. Yes, that's what I think.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And then I actually think the mental health thing, I think it is more important to look at our communities, like our real communities versus our social ones. I think we take for granted, forget the bully, forget the social media, forget all of that. We take for granted what a physical touch was. Yes, I got bullied, but at least my bully touched me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Do you know what I'm saying? At least I felt my bully's skin. We'll continue this. Go catch your flights. Bye-bye.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Okay, I'll throw you another one that you might agree with. And I mean this genuinely. Every kid who bullied me. Made you a better person? No, saw me as a human being. And I saw them as a human being. Because they didn't perpetually bully me. And they were not perpetually bullies. They were kids who played sports, who ate food, who caught the bus.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I'm including myself. So we're going to talk like South Africans.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And then they were the same way like your job doesn't define you, hopefully, in life. They were like, no, I work as a bully. But I'm also still a human being. They laughed. I remember walking into school and the bully would be there and be like, Trevor, you. And I'd be like, ah, bruh, come on. Again? Yeah, and then he'd be like, okay, but tomorrow. That for me, I don't see anyone doing online.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Because I know this sounds like a crazy thing to say, but even though that bully was a bully, because we shared the same space, because we breathed the same air, because we looked into each other's real eyes, I knew who that bully was. I knew their name. I knew where they lived. They were a human being.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
It's funny, you know, you say, yeah, there's something you stumbled on, I feel like, in one part that's really special and that is We've lost that. Even fighting, at least you are connecting with another person. I know it sounds crazy, but even having a back and forth, at some point you will see each other as people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Like their racism or xenophobia? All of that, yeah. Okay.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yeah, but I think both ways, actually. And I think that's, I've always said America's biggest struggle for me in its politics is that it is binary. So Americans think and have been taught that it is this or that. But now I realize, and I realize every time I come home to South Africa, I'm like, wow, we have such a complex... A perfect example is the, I'm an ANC bitch.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
The woman on the FlySafe flight. This is a black woman who gets drunk on a flight, starts berating the flight attendants, throws things at other passengers. And now passengers, black and white alike, team up against her to restrain her. But even then, the commentary of it, the... pro-ANC people, they're against her. And then black people at large are against her and white people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And I was like, oh yeah, I don't really see many of those types of things happen in America.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I was just like, okay, we have reached Milele. Exactly. So what I mean is like, when you are told... that there is one of two solutions. You will then think that there's one or two solutions. And so you will be forced to pick between one of two solutions. You know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yes, because you've been told. Whereas when you come from a place where they go, no, no, no, no, no. As you said earlier with the ANC, even the ANC was multiple coalitions in one thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yeah. No, this is not. Actually, you know what's funny? You actually made me worry less.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yeah. Okay. No, really, because I think to myself... Even in the moment... This is going to sound like a crazy thing, even for me to say to myself, but like... The one upside of revolutions is that they bring people together. Or like one of the upsides, maybe, depending on where the revolution is going. But it is like, you know, the people come together.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
You know, you think of like the Berlin Wall coming down. You think of like the Soviet Union collapsing. You think of Cuba. You think... Yeah, it's like... it brings people together. And maybe that's what we're living in. Maybe life is a constant yo-yo of humans being pulled apart and then being pulled back together. And maybe we create things that pull us apart.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Walls at our houses, tinted windows in our cars, things that isolate us. And then something comes along, everything from an earthquake to a fire. And then you need that person that you're blocking out. Yeah, all of a sudden,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
we're now back together and it's it's interesting to think of like us always being forced to come back together whether we like it or not yeah because like literally whether we like it or not whether you like it or not humans are gonna get forced we're gonna be back here together yeah and we don't know what it'll be yeah
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
The grinch. The funny thing is he's not even grinchy. If he was a grinch, it would be better. He's an AI. It's his delivery of it. You know when you watch those movies where the robot just says, straight up, they just go like, humankind needs to be eliminated. Then you're like, excuse me? It appears to me that being human is suboptimal.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yeah, but I'm asking you, what's a better way to do my garden? The best way is to not have a garden. It's gonna die anyway. It's gonna die anyway. The same way you will die. If I end you, then you do not have to worry about the garden. Yo, yo, yo, Sizwe. Sizwe, I'm looking for a solution. Yes, and I've presented the ultimate solution to you. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Solution is death.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yes, this is why you're a mom and he isn't.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I love that. Thank you, Anizi. Thanks for joining me. Thank you. And thank you, Sizwe, in your absence. What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Jody Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackle. Claire Slaughter is our producer. Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Thank you so much for listening. Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
and um yeah whatever happens happens because when my friends and i do a podcast we try and make it as informal as possible so if you're looking for like the dictionary definition of like a simple podcast you came to the wrong place scroll to the next one in your feed now and enjoy that but if you're looking for like an honest get together of three human beings who love respect and fight with each other then you've come to the right place welcome to what now
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yes, I agree with that. I like how you said this like you studied it in a textbook.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
it most likely did come from a textbook you're so robotic in your thinking yeah no that's what I mean but you're so robotic in your thinking that it really sounds like literally the way you said that there are inner thoughts and there are outer thoughts humans only do inner thoughts inside he's been AI no he's you've been AI the whole time he's been AI You really have. All right.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So why don't we go around? Well, first, I want the high level of what you're worried about for the year, you know, as we go into the future. And by the way, it's not even just for the year. It's rather what you're most concerned about at the beginning of the year that you think may be a thing. Because, you know, like every year has a different feeling.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Give us the two now and then I want to hear Caesar's and then I'll give you mine and then we'll see where we kick it off.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
I love this. Don't say more on it. Don't say more on it. Okay. So the problem, we got the problem. This is all the worry. Yes, the worry. All right. What's your second worry?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Okay, I like this. All right, great. So, Anele's worry is your son is now at an age where he's looking externally for role models. Second thing you're worried about is you're at an age where anything is internal. Yeah, is something. Is something, okay. He's no longer worried about World War III, phew, but worried about the world that his children will live in because now there'll be a world.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So now you've got different problems. Okay, cool. The thing I'm worried about, maybe it touches a little bit on what you're saying, but I worry that the global experiment has failed or is failing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So... I think for a long time, we were seduced by this idea that the whole world could come together as one. And I think a lot of it was sold through the lens of trade.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
This is What Now? with Trevor Noah. So join the 83% of the Fortune 500 that trust Atlassian to help transform their enterprise. Learn how to unleash the potential of your team This episode is brought to you by Brooklinen. As the seasons shift and we spend more time at home, how are you making your better space that works for everything?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
We've always traded. Don't get me wrong. We've always traded. But a lot of it was sold through the lens of trade. So like the Euro Union, you know, it's like, ah, and then BRICS, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa. It's like, ah, these blocks that have all come together. And so Europe at some point was like, we don't have a border.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
You know, if you are European, you can go everywhere in Europe. Yeah, yeah. I think that that is starting to fail because, yeah, I don't think we thought far ahead enough or I don't know if we, you know, crossed all the T's and dots because we also never did it. Did you always believe in it? I was just told that I was too young to like believe or not believe.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
Yeah, but that's what I'm, you're just now talking about my worry.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
And you just said you don't have to worry.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
No. because listen it's not about me you just said to me let me just tell you what you just didn't right now this is what Cesar did I was on a plane and I said I'm a little bit worried that this plane feels like it's gonna go down and Cesar said well if you look statistically most planes crash around this age so you're right but you don't have to worry
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
All right. So which one do we start with? Which worry do we want to handle? I actually would love to start with your son. I like it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So that one can give you what works. So before I say anything on it, take me through a little bit about how you feel as a mom of a son, 10 years old. I understand you saying you worry that he's now going to get external influences. But why is that a worry and not necessarily a joy?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Wringing in the New Year [VIDEO]
So tell us the story about him meeting this kid. Where did he meet the kid? And how did you know the kid was bad? And why do you think Alake was unable to discern between the good and the bad of the kid?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. One of my favorite things to have on hand these days is my Apple Card. It's made to be simple and private, and getting it was pretty simple too. It takes minutes to apply. Check your credit limit offer and start using it right away with Apple Pay. You could apply for it while waiting in line to get coffee and then use it to buy your coffee.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
We take for granted that when you give people two choices, they will pick one of the two choices. And then you will spend a lot of time asking yourself why they've picked one of the two choices, but you're not asking yourself what having more choices would have revealed to you. So let's think of it through the lens of sports.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
One of the things that I've been most fascinated by in the world of sports is how fervently people support a team and yet how nuanced they are in their ability to support another team. And what I mean by that is someone will go, I'm a Lakers fan. Who are you? And the person will be like, I'm an Oklahoma City fan. They're like, okay, you cool.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
As long as you're not a Celtics fan, we good. Who are you? Oh, you're a Knicks fan. You're this fan. And that's what happens in sports is even when we talk about football in England, I'm a Liverpool fan. And then when we talk about who we go like, if Man City wins, I mean, who's a Man City supporter?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
And if Man United wins, it's even more now because it's like, okay, we're in the same region of the... So what I think sometimes people forget when they look at American politics is they spend a lot of time going, why did these people choose this? But they don't realize that if there are two choices, they will choose one.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
And because the parties themselves have become almost like, I don't know what the right word would be, but they've almost gone, if you have the issue, we don't have it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Right. So if I say to you, OK, who is a fan of saying whatever you want? Who would you say?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
You see. OK. If I say to you, who's a fan of lower taxes?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
All right. If I said to you, who's a fan of free health care?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
You see, I don't think it should be like this. Politics, you should not be able to pinpoint just like entire swaths or groups in it. You should be able to say, oh, these parties or these groups or that said, oh, this governor believes that and that one doesn't believe this and this. And you know, you see that graph. I'm sure you've seen it, you know, in all your work, Tracey.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
If you look at the beautiful graph I once saw of the overlapping dots of policy that American lawmakers used to have. You've seen it, yeah?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
And it shows you how A West Virginia Democrat was further from the same issues as a New York Republican. They were like, no, no, West Virginia Democrat was actually quite close to a West Virginia Republican. And New York Democrat was actually close to a New York Republican. It's just, you were like, you were inching.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Thank you. That's what I mean.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
But now because politics has all become national, I think you're giving people two choices. Yeah. And so someone will go, because most people are single-issue-ish voters, they will go, to your point, remove them. Who says remove them? Oh, only one party. All right, well, I guess I know who I'm voting for. Who says we're keeping the coal jobs? Only one party?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
All right, I guess we're... Do you get what I'm saying?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
We're going to continue this conversation right after this short break. I would love, just as an experiment, I would love to see what would happen if you said to Americans, in fact, the New York Times did this as a game once that people played.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Let me tell you, the consternation it created at The Daily Show was one of my greatest joys. The New York Times came out with a little quiz. You remember this? I do. And the quiz said, we're going to give you a list of issues and how you think they should be solved. At the end of it, we'll tell you who you should vote for.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Can I tell you the amount of people who had existential crises? People looking at their phones going, I'm not a Bernie fan at all. What do you mean I'm a Hillary? I would never be a... People were shocked to realize that the person they support doesn't actually support the issues or the policies that they would support. And that's what I mean by you've given people the option.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
This is what Tressie does brilliantly. She articulates an idea in the most crystal way possible. It's exactly this. This is What Now? with Trevor Noah. Please tell me, did you see the Elon Musk, Trump, White House, Tesla sale?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
So I would love to see what would happen if you said to Americans.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
I would just love to see what would happen. If you said if you just said in America, like, actually, we think America is polarized binary. But I would love to see what would happen if you gave this country a chance to show how complex its tapestry is. I would love to see what we would learn about people. What are the views on immigration? Don't buffet politics people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Don't be like, you chose this buffet, you chose that buffet. No, no, no. A la carte. Show me your politics. And all of a sudden we start to get more granular and we start to see things that we've never seen before.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
He's brilliant at that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Yeah, he's done a great job at that. That's what he's really good at saying to you. Remember when he said, was that one of like, ask Hillary and her friends about the taxes and where he goes, well, they don't want to. Why haven't they done it? Why haven't he's like, they've had the power. They could have done it. They had the presidency. They had the Senate. They had the House.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
They didn't do it, folks. They said it's a problem, but they didn't do it. It's so interesting that you point that out because it was fascinating to see how OkCupid's founders, we're going to have him on the podcast, were able to see in the data that liberal people, proud liberal people… Are the most… Did not… Act in according to what they said in terms of their views.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
That's biology. This has been my favorite thing is when they get asked this. People get asked this in random forums. They'll be like, cool. They'll be like, cool white people. Cool, cool, cool. And then someone, because things are so cool, someone will say to them, have you ever dated a black woman? And the person will be like, I just don't think they had any at my school, you know? I'm sure.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Let me think about who was. I'm like, you know the answer. You know the answer. Do you know what I'm saying? Yes. And I think there's like a level of honesty that people aren't able to have. But when it's now going to be in their personal life.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
They can't hide the thing anymore.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
When was this? Yesterday. So, literally, it's so funny because we've been talking about Elon Musk on the podcast, all these things. Trump brought Elon Musk to the White House or Elon Musk brought Trump to the White House. Depending on where you think the power lies, right? So Elon Musk is there and Trump's there. They bring a Tesla and Trump's like, I'm buying a Tesla with my own money.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Okay, wait, wait, wait. Help me break this up.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
So these women went online.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Okay. And then… And I think they're hot.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
So these were hot women who went online and they created profiles.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
And then they linked up with Republican or conservative men.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
That's exactly right.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
See, like Garden of Eden.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Adam was never going to eat that apple. That man, no, no, no. Adam, you know why? You cut my face, Trevor.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Let me tell you why.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Because Adam, you know why they wrote the story like that? Because they knew. They're like, Adam was stupid and simple. And he was just like, yo, man, I'm not. And then what happened? Eve January 6th him.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
And he's like, what? And because, yo, man.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
I want to ask you a question. Do you think a man would have been able to shift Eve to eat the apple?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Man, I'm not talking about blame. I'm asking you if you think.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Which nobody believes. And the man did a full on infomercial. Someone took a picture of Trump's notes. He was handed the sales notes. So the price of each car with self-drive.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
What is a conservative haircut? What's a liberal haircut? You know it when you see it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
This is so embarrassing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
And then like a little asterisk, like terms and conditions at the bottom. Please self-drive is free. It just needs to be activated on all of the cars. This car costs this much. That one costs this much. For low zero APR for 36 months. I'm like, this is the president of the United States. Yep. Shilling cars on the front. You know what it was for me? If Trump had even a modicum of panache,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Thank you. Thank you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
he would have brought it as more of a, this is American ingenuity.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Yes, you go, I just wanted to take a moment to show you why America is great. And, you know, Elon here, like, just like, you know, just try and find, in South Africa, we used to say like, desist. It means like, it's almost like, find a way to like, it's like just that, Add a little opaqueness to what you're doing. Yeah, just make it a little cool. You know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Bring in like three cars, but then focus on Elon's one. No, no, no. This man full on.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Thank you. Thank you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
I also like that you can get up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, which can be put into a high-yield savings account that you can open through Apple Card. So you can really put your money to work. Apply in the Wallet app on your iPhone and start using Apple Card right away. Subject to credit approval, savings is available to Apple Card owners, subject to eligibility.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
It's on the lawn. You know the front of the White House, I guess is where this is, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
So the car's there.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
They've pulled it up. And then they get in. And Trump goes, first of all, Trump's like, no, I can't drive. I'm not because I'm not allowed to drive. I want to be like, can you drive? I don't think that man can drive. He's like, I would drive, but I can't. They don't allow me. I'm not allowed to drive.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
, , , , , , ,, P. P. P. P. P. P,實 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , a to in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in and in in in in in in in in in and P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P generà� generà gest,G generà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
does this whole thing they get in the car and then the president of the united states the man who claims to know where technology economies markets all of it is going he gets in the car he looks at the instrument panel and exclaims like somebody who has discovered a new world he's like wow it's all computer
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
I've seen people risk limbs being chopped off, amputated by the train.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Because they don't want to miss it. As if another one will not be coming in five minutes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
And the time they're saving is so that they can get home and scroll on TikTok. Yeah. It's not like when they get home, they've got five more minutes to solve, you know, like some crazy equation that'll solve the universe.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
No. They're rushing just five minutes faster. Mm-hmm. To get somewhere where they're going to then waste that time doing a thing. And the reason I say waste is because it's not like what they want to be doing. But as we wrap, Tressie, I want to know from you if like as a sociologist, as someone who's looked at societies and nations and the way things work.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Do you think that means the unfortunate ultimate conclusion is, for let's say America and many parts of the world as we're seeing now, is the unfortunate conclusion that people will only appreciate it when it now breaks down for their generation? So will Americans only appreciate democracy when Trump has completely obliterated it? Will people only appreciate free speech when it's been ripped away?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Will women appreciate the advances that were made by other women when they no longer have it?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
He's going to say to you, you see, I was able to do this. I'll do this for all of you. And that's how Trump won, by the way. That is exactly right. Trump won by saying, look at what I've done with my life. I will do this for your life. And then we go back there. Well, all right.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
That really was great. That gave me a lot to think about. Thank you. What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Jody Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackle. Claire Slaughter is our producer. Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown. Thank you so much for listening.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now? What Now?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Actually, I felt more calm. I was like, I actually don't mind if he had the nuclear codes. Because if a man calls it computer, if the car is all computer, that man cannot launch anything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
But I think Trump is the only one who gets the double standard, to be honest with you. I think every other politician gets nailed for the smallest things. Eating pizza with a knife and fork. Who's the guy who's screaming, yeah!
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman. Binders full of women. You name it. Trump has some... That's why they call him the Teflon Don. The man does things that no other person could do. Guys, there is no one who could maintain...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
The level of respect That he will still maintain From his people After getting in a car And saying It's all computer Yeah I agree If my Six year old Or seven year old Said that I would be slightly disappointed Because I would go But you know that That's not how you say it I would get them assessed
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
But also, for me, it was also the... It's because of how Trump likes to paint himself as the pinnacle of evolution, you know? I don't know why. I get hung up on these things more than I do on him dismantling democracy. Because that, to me... is almost, I don't know how to explain it. It's almost obvious.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
He said he's going to do it and then he's doing it. But then there are the small elements where he gets exposed for not being what he pretends to be in upper society. Like when they asked him about immigration and he said, he said, we need to be bringing in experts into it. We got to get, because H1B is very good. H1B1, very good, very important.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Savings on Apple Card by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch, member FDIC, terms and more at applecard.com.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
We got to bring, we need more people in like wine experts. I was like you mean a sommelier? Yeah. Like, if you're an upper society, if you are up in that world. You don't say a wine expert. You don't say a wine expert. No, you don't. Right. Do you know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
I've heard people have the same argument around Kanye. So they'll go, yeah, okay, fine, he's bipolar. Fine. But still, he's doing the thing. There are many bipolar people who are not doing the thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
But the one element I keep throwing out is, yes, but how many bipolar people are billionaires?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
But I don't know if, yeah, I'm conflicted on that because I often go, how much time should we spend trying to understand how people got there? And I almost feel like maybe the two can happen. It's not binary. On the one hand, we can say it's good to understand it because maybe if we understand it, we can try and figure out how to not let it happen again.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
But then on the other hand, to your point, we shouldn't be using it as an excuse.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
But wait, what are you fascinated by? What is it that you either don't understand or are trying to understand or, you know?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Okay, here's two things that I think of sometimes in that regard. I'd love to hear how you see it, Tracy. Because I go, on the one hand, I don't think that his understanding is special. I'll put it there first. What I do think is he is thriving in an environment where everyone else spends more time, to your point, trying to understand things as opposed to just pointing them out. You with me?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
So what I mean is Trump will go.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
immigrants are coming in too many immigrants then the person who's running against him will spend more time going we need to understand how you know people move around the globe and what migrationary patterns tell us about the stability of other you've lost people so what Trump does really well is he starts with the problem and then he goes like we'll figure out the solution so let's think of it this way if you were walking across the road and a bus was coming towards you bus was gonna gonna hit you
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Who would you prefer? The person who says, watch out, there's a truck. It's not a truck, it's a bus. Or the person who says to you, ah, if you, excuse me, if you do not vacate the road as quickly as possible, there may be a vehicle that might make contact. And what I mean by that is like, there's some politicians I find who spend a lot of time delicately trying to answer a question.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Ask most politicians. So do you think homelessness is bad in California? Well, you know, I think before we talk about what we need to think about, you see, and then where he's winning is he's just being blunt.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
That's what black jobs is. It's a shortcut to say something.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Nobody has them, by the way. No, he genuinely believes he has them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
American Amnesia with Tressie McMillan Cottom [VIDEO]
Yes, it's exactly that. The other one I think that we take for granted, especially if you spend all your time in America, is this, and I love this because I go home so frequently now. I'll be in South Africa, and then obviously I live in America, but I'll go home to South Africa, go back to South Africa, go back to South Africa. The biggest thing I've noticed is...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
By the way, can I just say, if you listen to this podcast and you had ideas about Africans, what I love about Kaya is he really makes you feel like you're talking to an African. Yeah. Because it's like, what's his name? Kaya Zanga. And then he's like, then my friend, Oli Sagestiana, crashed into my car. And my other friend, Unzinga.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
That's what I thought the quote was going to be. This man just read us a chapter and said, you know, there's a quote that I love, guys. It's called Genesis from the Bible. It really was. Okay, this is what, like, maybe I never really understood this about you because you are a paradox. For a person who loves social media as much as you do,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
you also love the antitheses of social media as much as you do. Do you know what I mean? Because you've written books and you read books, but you also have 15 hours of screen time
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Okay. Yeah. That one, I thought you were going to say something like, I'm going to use social media less. No, no. I definitely want to read it a lot. Did you guys know by the way? Don't read it on your phone. Yeah. This guy, this guy is, you know, when you talk about like deeply entrenched in social media, Kaya Lange, the man I'm sitting opposite now, was the first African-
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
to have correct me if i'm wrong a million views on youtube yeah ever guys before yo before we knew what youtube was as a thing this is like maybe 2006 2007 yeah this guy kyle was like on youtube and he was loving it and he was killing it yeah man that was and why did you stop by the way
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You really are. You just oscillate between old school, new school, old school. You're like, guys, I'm leaving YouTube. Why? There's this new thing called a newspaper column. And I have to step into it, guys. Kaya, where are you going? Guys, it's the future. Trust me now. These newspaper columns. I think everyone in the world is going to be reading this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But Kai, you've got a million people on YouTube. Yes. But there's 22,000 on the newspaper who might want to hear what I have to say. What a grand decision.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
They used to do like a featured video. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Oh, I like that. Yeah, but your life is littered with that. You know, I was thinking the other day, I was like, you are, if someone was to ask me, they'd go like, you know, who is Kaya or what is it about Kaya that fascinates you? Guys, people will always speak to Kaya differently. as if they've always known you, they'll speak to you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Like you'll always find yourself in a conversation with a stranger. And I've always wondered like, is that how your life has always been or? Or was that something you noticed? Is it something you worked on?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But you do. You stop and you speak to everybody and everybody speaks to you. Do you think you got it from your grandfather? Tell me a little bit about your grandfather because I know some of the loose stories we've shared here and there, but who was your grandfather? Wow.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Wait, so did your grandfather also have, because Nelson, we know, had Rolisa, that was his name. Then they were like, no, no, you're Nelson, buddy. I don't. Did your grandfather have?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Basically means the fourth one Four Her name would be four Imagine your parents calling you Just a number First kid Okay Stephanie
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
No, they would never.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I struggle to explain this to my, let's say my American friends or any of my Western friends, because I'll meet their parents, right? And oftentimes they say it's white people. And then they'll go, hey, Trevor, how you doing? And I'll be like, oh, nice to meet you, Mr. Johnson or whatever. And they'll be like, oh, come on, my name is Brad. And I'm like, yes, Mr. Johnson. Then they get angry.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Like, hey, hey, my father was Mr. Johnson. I'm Brad. Then I'm like, no, your son is Peter. You are Mr. Johnson. Yes. or I will then call you Peter's father. Yeah. And it's hard to explain it because where we come from, you never referred to an older person by their name. You didn't even know their name. You didn't know their name.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And so everything was in relation to, so you would go, oh, hello, Kaya's aunt. Exactly. Oh, hello, Kaya's grandmother. Yes. Oh, hey, Kaya's father. Yes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Just to create some of the imagery here for you. When Kaya says village, I've learned now, like some people, you know, I have friends now from England because I've moved up in the world. And they grew up in villages as well, but it's not village like we need village. All right. So if you're trying to picture village here, if you've watched Black Panther,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
before they go through the magical dome that covers Wakanda, You know how like Wakanda looks. But before the spaceship flies through that dome, this is where Kaya grew up. So he's on the outside of the dome. He's on the outside of the dome before the technology. He's with like the cows and the sheep and like the mud huts. And this is how you grew up.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah. That's a write-off.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
When your cows are wrecked, you have to report it to the government as well.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
It sounds like a new character in the next Black Panther. They have a German character. There's a strength of the Black Panther.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
It's a lot more profound for me than on the surface. When you go, we greet people just because they're there. I often think to myself, one of the things I miss most when I'm not in South Africa is the fact that we all acknowledge each other. I mean, even in the smallest ways, you know, our greetings are plural. You know, you walk into a room, you greet everybody. Sanbonani. I see all of you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Do you know what I mean? It's molueni. You know, it's like for everyone. Sagubona. We see all of you, you know. And you don't realize how beautiful that is as a concept until you don't have it, really. And you travel the world And in many places, people get into an elevator, you know, a lift, and they don't greet anybody. And people get into a bus. Nobody greets anybody. People get into the train.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
In New York, when I first got there, I greeted people when I first get on the train. Kaya, I've never seen, you know, like, you know, if you want to be a creep, step into the subway. And then when the doors close, be like, hello, hello, hello. Dude, I was such a creep. But I didn't know that you're not... You don't creep. It's almost frowned upon, you know?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And it's such a wonderful feeling to be seen.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And here we do. I think one of the more beautiful aspects of South African culture, holistically, is that we're a culture of seeing people. So a simple example I noticed was three different versions of the same thing. When I was in India, I live in New York, and then I'll come to South Africa. It's the way people respond to homeless people. In India,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
people either completely ignore a homeless person or they do this hand thing where they dismiss them. Like hardcore. For me, it's hardcore. Obviously, it's an Indian thing, so I'm not judging it, but it's just like, I was like, wow, damn, that's hardcore. In New York, people won't even look at somebody. So there'll be a homeless person on the street and asking for money and people just walk past.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
They don't make eye contact. You avoid it at all costs. And it's crazy to say this, but I found myself being really proud of South Africa Because when I would come back after being away for long stints, I realized how like people would look at homeless people and greet them, not give them money always. I'm not saying it's like everyone is like super altruistic or anything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I mean, I think there's an easier way to do it. But I mean, hey, man, kudos to him. Not many people... earn money from their English lessons. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, maybe. That's like a pretty slick way to do it. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And then the funny thing is they would even have a conversation with the homeless person. You know, so let's say a homeless person would come to your window and then they'd be like, hey, hello, anything, anything? Then you'd be like, ah, nothing, nothing. I remember once, this is one of the funniest conversations I've ever had.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
It changed how I drive, by the way, because now I always have, like I'll always have some change in the car or something just because of this guy. I'll never forget this. I'm driving my car. And I think I was driving a Range Rover at the time. And I get to the traffic lights and the guy comes to the window. Then he's like, hey, hello, Boza. Hello. Anything, please. Hello. Anything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And I was like, ah, nothing, Baba. Sorry. Nothing. Nothing. Then he's like, nothing. I was like, no. Then he's like, ah, you finished it on the car. Yo, bro. By the way he said it. The way he said it, he's like, yeah, no, hey, just finish on that car now, eh? Yeah, hey, I'm sure it's tough now. And he didn't like judge. He didn't fight with me. He didn't anything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Just had like the rest of a conversation with me. When I drove away... Maybe it's because of like, you know, I know this is going to sound strange, but in a weird way, because he saw me. Yeah. He reminded me that I have to see him. Oh, wow.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Do you know what I mean? Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Like he actually reminded me that like, yo, man, just because the guy is homeless, just because the guy's begging for money, doesn't mean he's not a human being.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
you'll be like sorry like I don't have you know and they'll say I'll show next time they do say that yeah I'll show next time and you're like and you're like yeah next time but like yeah they have an acknowledgement of the fact that you could also be going through something that means you don't necessarily have disposable income at this moment in time yeah That's very true, actually.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Because there's actually, I've never experienced that in another country. I've never, ever experienced in a country where someone asked me for money and I don't have, and you know, now it's worse because we're cashless.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But I've never experienced that where I go, I don't have anything on me. Only in South Africa will a person say, I know it's fine. You know what? Maybe next time you'll... Good luck to you, my man.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I always wanted to be an Uber driver. That was my dream. But you've been a taxi driver. True. Yeah. But I wanted to be an Uber driver. Why? So I love driving. You do. So, okay, here was the limitation.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
That's what I was going to say. I was going to say, the fact that the person's homeless might be a slight heightening of it, but I think it's the stranger. Yeah, but also like- It doesn't matter where it is. It's all random. Yeah, but that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
So the limitation of being a taxi driver in South Africa is, and for those listening, if you don't understand, taxis in South Africa are different to taxis in most parts of the world in that here, when we say taxi, we mean like a mini bus that travels on a predetermined route. So for me, it felt a little restrictive. I couldn't turn wherever I wanted to turn. I couldn't like, you know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I think it's more just about a stranger. Because if I was on a train, even if I was in an airplane- And someone walked past my row and then said to me, excuse me, can I have your drink? And I was like, no. And while I was still talking, they put their fingers in my mouth. I'd have the exact same reason.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
They wouldn't pull their hand out of my mouth and I'd be like, oh, at least they weren't homeless. I wouldn't think that. It's more the stranger and the fingers that come with that stranger going into your mouth.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Can I tell you what's funny about this? It's just like how powerful the human mind is. And not to get too graphic, but it's funny how people will go out, put their tongue in a stranger's mouth that they've never met. Like they'll go to a club or a restaurant or a bar. They'll put their tongue in a stranger's mouth that they've never met.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
They will go home with that person and then put their mouth in other places on that person. Okay. But then if somebody comes and put their fingers in your mouth, because you didn't choose it. This is how powerful consent is as a concept. Wow, that is very true. Yeah, because if you chose it, now it's not crazy. Because I don't know, surely you've had the strangest fingers in your mouth.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Technically, you have. No, but they're not a stranger at the time. How long have you known them?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Right, it doesn't matter. The mouth is a really, you'll be shocked at what your mouth can handle. No. You can clip that, by the way. You can put it somewhere.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Why is that the worst part? That would be the best part.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But now you know which intersection you're driving to every single week. Hoping. You just be there all the time. Your window. Just window down. Mouth wide open. I have no money. We're going to continue this conversation right after this short break.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Of everyone I had ever known in my life, you were the only person, and I mean the only person I knew who was closely following American politics, A, before it became like, let's say popular for lack of a better word.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And before I went and did The Daily Show. And I was watching The Daily Show. Yeah, you were watching The Daily Show before I knew what The Daily Show even was as a concept. Like when I said, I remember when I said, I'm going to do an episode of The Daily Show. You lost, like you lost your mind. You were like, wow, wow, this is so great. And I was like, all right, I guess.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Because by that time, I had appeared on Jay Leno. I had appeared on Letterman. I had known of those more. But you were just like the daily show. When did your passion for American history and politics begin? Why? Because this wasn't a thing that's popular in South Africa. Do you know what I mean? It's not like it was a trend.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
A lot of kids, I was alone. Do you know what I did? I played Mario Brothers. You know what I'm saying? Like, I didn't sit at home and go like, hmm, I wonder what Richard Nixon thought before Watergate happened. No, I was playing Mario Brothers. No, I think it's because it was reading. Yes, but how do you get to those books? I also read a lot. The Wind in the Willows, Little Prince, Dr. Seuss.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I want to be free, Kaya. I want to be doing my thing, man. Like a taxi.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
What kind of child... Growing up in a village. Remember you? Where people had pets like cats and dogs? Yeah. You were on a first name basis with sheeps and cows.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah. And then you go, and I'm also going to really get into Reagan and Nixon and Bill Clinton.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah, but I'm saying, did you know them?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You could barely speak English.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I wanted to be the guy backing up on the highway. No, I don't know why. I always wanted to be like a- You know what it also is? Okay, I love driving. And I also like efficient driving. I don't know how to explain it, but I love the idea of getting people to the place they're supposed to be in the best way possible with the least stress possible. Oh, okay. You know?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah, I go to a new school. Okay, got it. Okay, I see what happened here. So this... Moves from the village. Now you've learned English two years ago.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I'm not saying you know. What do I think? Because nobody knows. Because I understand 13-year-old Kyle was like, this man is innocent. No, no, I suspect that. There was a 13-year-old parading through the school and was like, this man is innocent. He's the Nelson Mandela of football in America.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Like, Kaya is full on, full on. Like, anyone listening to this is like, yeah, this is, oh, my God, this is really African. This is Africa. This is so African right now. I should have shown them, like, pictures of me in the village.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You know, I thought your answer was going to be no because of how many accidents you've had. But I haven't had many accidents. How many accidents have you had?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
No, no, no, yeah. I'm loving it. And so that's... That actually prompts a question that I have for you. This is...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You know what makes this more impressive is that you're doing this pre-internet. Pre-internet and post-village. Yeah, no. It's thoroughly impressive. Okay, so here's the puzzle. And I think you are uniquely positioned to help me answer this because I don't think we'll figure it out, but maybe we can sort of get close to it. I was thinking the other day,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Oftentimes when people exist in the time that they're in, they are the worst people to judge the time that they're in. Right? So nobody can judge the future because it hasn't happened. We can all judge the past if we're present. But the people of the present are the worst judges of the present because they're in it. And I think about this with everything that has happened in time.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
So you look at World War II. I'm often shocked at how most of the world, especially the United States, didn't want to do anything. even though Hitler was on his journey to wipe out Jewish people. Do you know what I mean? Like, it's pretty crazy when you read.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And then you see American articles from back then and they're like, oh yeah, you know, we got to let Germany be Germany and do their own thing. And we're not involved in what other countries are doing. And we spoke to Hitler and he said, it's not that bad. So we're moving on. And you're just like, wait, this was an actual real thing. And now it seems completely obvious, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But at the time they were like, no, we're making the prudent decision to not get involved in another war that doesn't involve us, et cetera, et cetera.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I mean, there's countless examples throughout history, whether it's slavery, whether it's... And obviously there's people for and against at the time, but it becomes hindsight that gives you a certain level of clarity that allows you to judge, I think, more accurately, but never perfectly because even it will change. And so the thing I've been playing with recently is...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
If you want to talk about a masterclass in branding, Trump does the thing that makes him look good.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Bro, how are you for getting you crashing into the back of Lisa's car, finally?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I'm not even joking. I don't know why when you said that in my head, I pictured Terminator 1 and Terminator 2. Terminator 1 was the bad guy. And then Terminator 2 was now the good guy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
This guy only counts accidents that happen to him. Yo, let me tell you what Kaya did. What Kaya did, right? Kaya had just got a car. Your first car was a Mercedes Benz C-Class. This guy had never driven in his life.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
No, I agree with you on that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
No, just the stagecraft. One of the things I've heard about multiple people who've been in Trump's orbit is he, in a weird way, Trump is more honest about the game of American politics than most American politicians are. Have you seen when Trump even said, when he'd be on stage, and he'd be like, you know, folks, I can do it. They say he's not presidential. I can be presidential.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I can be presidential. But in the craziest way, he was... That's what I think I find fascinating about the man is that Trump says the thing that he's doing out loud, but the people don't...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Well, I don't know if everything will be fine. Well, I mean, for you. Because here's the problem, right? Here's the problem. The one problem that I think people will face with Trump is this. Yes, he likes to be liked. But if everyone likes him, and all these people have conflicting interests... He is an enemy as well. Yeah, but even so, if everyone likes him...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
those people still have conflicts of interest with each other. Like they have conflicting interests. So now who's like comes before the other person's like. There's people who've come and kissed the ring with Trump. And then Trump is like, yeah, this stupid person came and kissed the ring. They came here. They let me put my fingers in their mouth.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
This is the first time this guy drives.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
you know what I mean there's no guarantee but like I don't know this is why I oscillate between the two thoughts on the one hand I think to myself Trump has all of the ingredients to be a dictator on the other hand I go his incessant need to be liked means he can't be a dictator yeah because dictators can sort of operate outside of the realm of being liked yeah do you know what I mean yes they don't
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
They'll make you like him.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But that is what I'm saying. I'm saying there's two sides, right? You can love being liked so much that you have all the ingredients to be a dictator. So you go, I'm going to create the reality that I exist in. That means I'm always liked. Or you can like being liked so much that you go like, I would never be a dictator because I want the people to like me. And with him, you don't know.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But what I do know is Americans firmly believe, and this is something I both love and also sometimes find amusing about America and Americans is they truly believe it is impossible that it can happen in their country.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I made up for it. So Kaya gets a Mercedes Benz C-Class. First car. Right? Yeah. Him and Olisa are driving. They're going to some party somewhere. Olisa's also got a brand new car, Mercedes Benz E-Class. Yeah, convertible. Convertible. Two of them driving together, having a good time. Music going, ladies loving the drive. Hey, hey, good time, good time. What happens?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I stand to be corrected on this, but I remember reading this once that like most dictators were voted in. Yeah, they were. People forget that they didn't take power.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I also think it's oftentimes we forget that the way we're processing someone or something is in relation to us. And the us can be anywhere, right? Okay, that's true. One of the more eye-opening experiences I ever had was when I went to the Middle East and I actually like really got to spend time there. And I was in Qatar and I was in the UAE.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
So, you know, Dubai and Abu Dhabi and I was in Oman and all these places. And it was amazing to see how differently people thought about Trump there. Yeah. Like I thought in those places, people would hate Trump more than anyone because Trump was like, I'm doing the Muslim ban, right? I realized that I had done what I think a lot of people do. I had assumed or even believed
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
that I embodied the offense that the other person was experiencing when they themselves weren't. And you know, we see this oftentimes in society where somebody will be offended on behalf of others more than those people themselves are offended, right? Like remember when Tom Hanks' son put out that video speaking Patois from Jamaica, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And like full on, and he's like fluent and he's like doing it. And he's like, he's nailing it. The guy's crushing it. Not like what I just did now. This guy's nailing it. He's absolutely nailing it. Dude, and then Americans were like, this is disrespectful. He must be canceled. This is blah, blah. And then Jamaicans came out and they were like... They're like, yo, this boy is completely fluent.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
He knows us. Everything he's saying is correct. They're like, you guys are offensive. Why don't you want him to speak Patois? And they were like, no, but you guys don't understand. What he's doing is wrong. And Jamaicans are like, no, it's not wrong.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
That's just how Jamaicans speak. Yes. For me, learning the lesson was actually that with Trump. Is that I was more offended... than the people in the actual Middle East who I was, and I didn't speak to everyone obviously, but I spoke to a lot of people about this and I was really shocked at how they saw it differently.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
There was a man in, I think we were in Qatar who said this to me, really, really like, you know, he said it and it shook me in the right way. We're arguing about Trump and presidents and all of this and all of this and all of this. And I was like, yeah. And then he said to me, he said, Trevor, he said, I think sometimes maybe you are making mistakes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
He said, you see, in America, people are worried about whether the politician was polite. They are worried about Trump maybe saying it the wrong way and saying, he said, I don't worry about it. He said, I worry about what you're doing. He says, because look, my friend, George Bush was very polite. But look at my region. He said, look at what George Bush and his politeness did to my region.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Next thing, we just get a message in the group chat. Ah, guys, we had an accident. So like, who's we? Me and Kaya. And we're like, ah, but you guys are in different cars. He's like, exactly.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
So if you're going to bring me somebody who is rude, but they're not going to bomb the Middle East, I will take that. And I was like, damn. You know what I mean? It was like a... I think... Like Trump does make you question what is more important. And it's not that it is a binary. Yeah. But is it the... Is it how you present the thing or is it what you actually do?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah, I think it's... So if you like to go back to the homeless person asking for money, what is better? To smile at them and tell them you don't have money or to take money and throw it at them? Yeah. And I know people will be like, no, but neither one. No, but I'm saying like, if you had to choose, if there were only two options, which one would you choose?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Would you choose that somebody smiles and says, I don't have money and walks away and is very kind or nice? Or would another person comes with a wad of cash, throws it at the homeless person and then walks away?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Jesus disagrees with you. Donald Jesus Trump. Don't go anywhere because we got more What Now? after this. By the way, you've started going to church now, right? Yes, yes, yes. Like why? I would love to know why. So, why? First of all, because I assumed that you weren't religious because of all the years that I've known you. And then now you like go to church.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I'm assuming you grew up going to church. Oh yeah, absolutely. We all did.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
It is, right? Viewers. Yeah, viewers. Yeah, million views on YouTube. And then you were like, who needs God?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You know, I wonder what it is about you that makes people feel like you can or would be willing to help them. Because even in hearing the story, I think to myself, like I know I've done that with you in some ways. I think all of us, people in general, they'll turn to you as Kaya and be like, Kaya, can you help me do this? Can you help me find this? Can you help me figure this out? Can you help me?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And I... You think it's his smile? Yeah, but I think it's more there's something... I don't know what it is about you because you also have a yearning to help people. Do you know what I mean? I remember when I was going to appear on The Daily Show, you were one of the people I called. I was like, yo, man, I'm going to go on the show.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You're literally the person who, for me, knows the most about American politics. I need your help.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
So, yeah. And then did you take it? You know what I would have done if I was you? I would have taken it to the dealership and be like, guys, what happened here? I had the distronic on and it didn't stop.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And you were never like, no. In fact, when we met, this is how I met Kaya. When we met. So Johannesburg slash South Africa is a very small middle class. So if your family was lucky enough to move in some way, you sort of knew each other as people. And...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
i remember i would go out to parties or you know bries or what americans call barbecues or event whatever it was nothing fancy by the way because i wasn't in entertainment in any way and everywhere i would go i would see this guy this short charismatic human being with a dazzling smile, always laughing, always talking to people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And I'd always see him and you'd greet me and I'd greet you, but I didn't know you. But you just greet and you just like, you have welcoming eyes, you know? And the other thing I noticed was oftentimes you were either surrounded by
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
businessmen in suits or stunning models and i mean just like gorgeous like and i mean surrounded and i think it was more noticeable because models are generally like six feet tall yeah and then you are like you know what i mean so it would it would be like this it was it was it was quite a sight to behold
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And I remember one day, this is when I plucked up the courage in Cape Town and I came up to you and I said, hey, man, I don't know who you are. I don't know your name. But I said, but you are surrounded by the most beautiful women I've ever seen. And I said, I just want to be your friend. I said, please, can I just be your friend? Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Upstairs. Yeah, upstairs. And you laughed and you were like, yeah, okay. And you were just, but I mean, like most people would be like, what? This guy was like, yeah, okay. Well, I guess. And he was like, we can be friends. And we literally, this is how we became, and we exchanged numbers.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I never met a model because of you. But I'm happy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You see, this is what I mean. Kaya's always needed by people. And if you need models to need someone, if you have models who need someone, models who don't know where to go, you call Kaya and he'll respond.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Oh, man. Yeah, but I think it's like a beautiful quality. Like, You know, in the same way I think of the stories of your grandfather and, you know, I haven't actually, I've never heard many stories with your dad, actually. Oh, yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
No, but I mean, that's still you insured for. He tried to break, but he was too late to break.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But not negligence. Yeah, not negligence. Well, that's what you get insured for in countries where the insurance pays. In America, actually, how is their car insurance there? Do we know? In America? Yeah. I have no idea. Because I mean, I know like health insurance, as we know, Luigi has shown us it's not great. Yeah. And then fire insurance, we saw what happened. In California.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
So this is your grandfather on your dad's side? My dad's side. Okay, got it. So he's a lecturer at a South African university.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Long before your time.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And his colleague tells him, I've just found out that you're about to be arrested. I'm assuming by the apartheid government.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
kaya danga one of my favorite human beings on the planet he's a writer social commentator social media superstar but most importantly and truly this is the most important he's my friend We've been friends for over 20 years now, and Kaya Lange is easily one of the smartest, funniest, and interesting human beings I know. And so I thought, why not have him on the show?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Who's this letter coming from?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
So the apartheid government says to the government of Lesotho, Yes. You guys are harboring... A terrorist. A terrorist.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Which is your grandfather. Yes. And if you... Don't... Harbor him. Yeah. Then Lesotho is now an enemy of South Africa.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah, where they like started pulling it from people, which by the way, I still think is one of the greatest scams in life, right? Is that insurance companies can pull out of a market because they're like, we're not making money. And no one seems to ask the question, is the purpose of your business to make money or to insure people? Well, do you get what I'm saying? Yes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
so that was that was I thought that was a freaking he would have he would have worked well as a cop in America but they would have been like listen same tactic but flip the race you're doing very well you're doing very well you've got the skills you've got the skills you've got the skills you're looking for but now what we just need to do is flip it flip it the other way and you'll meet your quotas I'd love to know okay like I was thinking like one of the things I really admire about you is how
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
you have such a giving nature as a person and, and giving in, in, in a multidisciplinary way. Like you, you, you're a giving person with your time. You're a giving person with your knowledge. You're a giving person with your attention. You're a giving person with your, like anything, man, anything. You just, you, you're a giving person. And I was thinking about this the other day.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I was like, I don't know many people who've experienced more loss than you have, especially in like short amounts of time. And sometimes I'll see your posts online when it's like your mom's, the anniversary of your mom's passing. And I know one of the biggest ones was your youngest brother. What do you think it is about you
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
that keeps you being generous and hopeful and optimistic despite feeling so many losses or despite experiencing so many moments that could turn you the other way? Because I honestly, I don't just admire it, I've been inspired and shocked by it because I haven't seen you hardened. I haven't seen you hopeless. I, and maybe you hide it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I hope you don't as a friend, but I would love to know what, like, what keeps you going in the face of something that could like dim the light in many people's eyes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And look, I know people will be like, yeah, but it's a business. I'm like, no, no, no, but wait. But I'm saying, when we start with priority, the first thing, it's interesting to me that insurance companies can pull out of markets because they're no longer going to make money. Mm-hmm.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I always tell you this. That? I always feel like you minimize how much you contribute to everything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And I've always told you this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah, logically you know, but then there's still the emotional question.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But now they're like, oh no, now we won't make as much money. Then I'm like, yeah, but you're supposed to insure people. Isn't the purpose of your business insurance?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Now you have to pay me because I win. Now I have a totally different idea. Now that I have that idea, the next time I claim from insurance, I'm going to go into the offices cheering.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
That's beautiful, Kane. Thank you for sharing that, man. It's funny, you and your brother are the reason, like when we started the podcast, podcasting is weird because it's one of the few broadcast mediums or whatever where you're sort of directly tied to the advertising. So when you're on The Daily Show, when you're on another TV show, they just play ads in between.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
In podcasting, the ads are sort of tied to the show in some ways. And so I remember when we launched the podcast, they're explaining the system to me and how it works. They're like, well, you know, people don't pay for the podcast. And so you do advertise. I was like, okay, whatever. And you get the ads that come in. And one of the ads that we used to get on the podcast was sports betting.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You know, get like all the sports betting, sports betting, sports betting. And there was one day when I was reading like the terms and conditions of the sports betting. And I don't know why you and your brother came into my head. And I said to the team after that, I was like, we can't do these anymore. And they were like, why? And I was like, because it's not real. Do you know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You know when they go like gamble responsibly? That's not a real thing. You know, it's not, someone might say, oh yeah, but I mean, anything can go. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But we have to admit there are certain things in life that have a far worse ramification than others, you know? Like you and I, funny enough, in Cape Town, we're talking to a friend from London.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
We didn't know, I didn't know that she had a gambling addiction. I know. It was a crazy story. So the UK has this thing where you can put somebody or put yourself really on a list where you are banned from all gambling, all gambling. And when you're on that list, they can't take your money. They can't allow you to gamble. They can't.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And once you're on the list, I think there's like different phases. You can be on for a year. You can be on for three years. You can be on for 10 years or something, maybe even forever. And then you have to call to take yourself off the list and there's a series of things you have to answer.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But the point is she was telling us the story about gambling and I was thinking of you again and your brother and I was just like, the thing about gambling in particular is, On the face of it, gambling is fun and innocuous, right? It's a fun thing. Hey, I bet you this can't happen. I bet you that can't happen. Like you were saying with insurance. I bet you your house won't catch fire.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But when people work to make you gamble more than you can and should... I don't know, man. And I feel like this about like a few products that we've allowed in society and in the world is we've made it seem like it's all about the individual's responsibility. But we know that there are certain individuals who can't override that because it's been designed to hack that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
They'll make certain foods addictive, but then we blame people for being addicted to them. But it's like, yeah, but you also made it addictive. You know, someone will go like, oh yeah, but why did they smoke? It's like, yeah, but you know that smoking is addictive. And gambling is one of those as well.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Like the way they make, the way they loop people in with parlays and bets and double or nothing and this and get that and you can get a free. And they always rope you in with free. Hey, hey, come in, start with a free one. Your free bet, start with a free bet. And I remember thinking, I was just like, damn, man. I was like, am I?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Because I genuinely, I kept on thinking of like somewhere out there, there might be some kids, some person who's listening to your podcast and they go like, oh wow, free bets. I might want to join in. And then you just, you don't know, you know, cause you've seen the insidious side of it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I feel like all, not all, I don't want to be broad. I feel like many businesses in America and then it's starting to go around the world. are now less focused on being a good business and more focused on making the money. Oh, 100%. And I know some people would say, yeah, but that's what business is. And I don't agree. I don't think that's what business should be.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
A car. So I hear what you're saying, and it's funny you say that. I've asked myself this question, and I think this is oftentimes how certain products, brands, or services weasel out of a certain type of responsibility. They bring that up as an argument, and they've done well to condition us to think that way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
The difference is there's no car manufacturer who is secretly trying to make you die in a car accident. In fact, they're trying to do the opposite. There is no car manufacturer who's going, okay, on the outside, we're going to advertise how safe a Volvo is. But guys, secretly, we're going to make sure the brakes don't work. We're going to make the car go faster than it says on the speedometer.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
We're going to make sure these people, let's even get them to drive drunk. Let's advertise alcohol in the car while they're driving. They don't do that. So a car accident is an unfortunate byproduct of driving. It can happen. And over time, it is happening less and less and less and less and less because cars have gotten safer and safer and safer and safer and safer. Right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
The exact opposite is true for gambling. Go and look. I don't care where you live in the world. Guys, gambling is now the thing. Oh, it is. Every sports league has gambling sponsors. It's on the side of the boards. It's on the advertising. It's on the... And again, by the way, I'm not even saying I'm anti-gambling. Please don't get me wrong. You know me. I hate living in binaries.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I'm not anti-gambling. But what I find myself allergic and vehemently opposed to most of the time is when we just aren't honest about the restrictions or the limitations or the regulations we're putting on certain things.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But then for something like gambling, I go, if we were to find your documents, your real documents that oftentimes get leaked when you report, would we find that you are actually trying to get people to gamble responsibly? Is that what we would find? Definitely not. Do you know what I mean? The same way with social media companies.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Would we find that you are actively trying to get people to not become depressed, lose their self-esteem, have a bad self-image? Are you actively, because you say it, hey guys, oh, social media platforms. Hey guys, don't forget to take a break from your screen and go outside. But are you actively trying to do that?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I think it can be the byproduct of doing something well. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Even to what you're saying with Uber drivers and stuff, we love to blame the people who are delivering the food or driving us around, etc., But if we're honest about it, this is a byproduct of a company that's growing at an insanely rapid rate.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Because there's the thing you tell us in public and there's the thing you tell us in private, right? And so I think that's my issue is governments have shown that they are far behind where they need to be in terms of regulating gambling. I'm not going to be a crazy person and be like, no gambling. No, I won't say that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But I'm like, there are some industries that have found a way to get around the regulations that try to keep as many people safe as possible. And the way they've done it is by flipping it and making it a personal responsibility.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah. Gamble responsibly. But no one says to them, no, no, no, advertise responsibly. No one says to them. Program your apps responsibly. No one says to them, vet your customers responsibly. It's always on you. Gamble responsibly. And when they do that, what they do is they make you as an individual feel like you are responsible for the thing that has happened to you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But in certain industries, we don't. Yeah. There's no airline that can get away with saying like, hey man, choose the one that flies. Because if they crash, we come for them. We investigate the shit out of them. We're like, nah man, you had three crashes. Nah, we're going to ground your airline actually. Then they can't be like, no, these passengers, they must pick better, man. Come on, guys.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Why did you inspect the plane before you came? Did you pick responsibly?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I never thought about that. That's what I mean my problem is. People have been tricked into thinking that all products are the same and all ramifications are equal. They're not. But they're not. Because some, to your point, Ryan, have been designed differently. They've been designed to do a different thing to you. So I'll give you a simple example.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Imagine if they said, in the same way some countries have gone, you have to provide us with documents before you get a phone number. Look at what South Africa did with just going like, hey, we just want to know. You can't just have a phone number. We want to see your passport or your ID. We want to know who has which phone number.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah, bank accounts for certain things. You could do the same with gambling. You could say, okay, fine. Gambling services, the responsibility is on you. If you want people to be on your platform, they have to present you with their bank statements and you are not allowed to allow them to gamble with more than a certain percentage of their income.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
They do that with credit in America as well. You have a credit act where they say, like they go, hey, What's your credit score? Sorry, you can't buy this thing. So now my question to you is, if we allow that for banks, if we're saying that like a bank cannot give you credit when you don't have a good credit score, why is it such a crazy idea to ask that of a gambling company? That's...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Because fundamentally it's the same thing. We're saying you cannot afford to pay back this loan. So we will not give you the loan in the first place. And I know there's many issues with credit scores and we can talk about that another time. But the underlying concept is still there and it's sound. Why can't we do the same thing with gambling companies?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And so then what all these companies do is they slowly over time reduce the qualifications that people need to become a driver. So in the beginning, I remember when Uber started and all these things started, it was like, oh, you have to have this and your car has to be inspected in a certain way. Now you get into a car. And you're just like, yo, man, how did you get to me?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And my question is, why doesn't the gambling company want that? Because the gambling company would be like, no. But I'm like, no, no, no. You guys say you want people to gamble responsibly. Let's help you. So then let's help you. We're going to make sure that all your customers can afford to pay every single bet. All your customers are not gambling beyond their means.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And you're still making money. And everyone's having a good time. Why would they say no to that? Because fundamentally... Their product is not about you making money from them or them giving you something. No, their product is about extracting as much wealth from you as is humanly possible. And the ultimate conclusion for many people, as you've unfortunately learned.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And I took it personally because I am the 20%. Definitely. I buy 80% of the ice cream. In fact, everyone else in the world, you're welcome. Because of me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
That's an interesting question, actually. A segue to ask you is like, your books. How many books have you written now? What are you on? Now I'm on number five. Number five. So the first one was? In My Arrogant Opinion. That's my favorite title of all time. Because of who you are, I think it's my favorite title. Because you're so modest and so considered.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And so in my arrogant opinion, it's amazing. Okay. Your second book? My second book was To Quote Myself. To Quote Myself. Yes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And then... What made that one different? Because a lot of your books... And I would encourage people to get them because like... And I don't say this just because you're my friend. I think it's one of the things I've been lucky enough to learn and love about you is you're one of my favorite storytellers ever.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And your writing is like, I can see that you've been reading newspapers since you were 13. No, because the way you tell a story, the narrative, the way you bring things together, you tie stuff together. All your books are like time traveling between now and then, now and then, now and then. You'll talk about what's happening now.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You know, some of your books, you're talking about social media, but then you'll be talking about like growing up in the village. But then you'll find a way to tie social media into the village. And then in another book, you'll be talking about like just life and the way we see each other. But then you'll tie it into something that was or that is. And so what made that one different?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I always say like a book is never done. It's just gone to the printers. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
because i don't know if you've had that i've had that experience where i just have to give the book in but forever more i go oh i could have added this oh i could have i should have yeah but that's every everyone i know of who's ever written a book says the same thing yeah okay so this one this this your latest book which is coming out yeah my latest book which is coming out now is called um life is like that sometimes
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You know, the funniest thing, they used to do that to me, but then I would speak, but then they wouldn't know whether or not it was English. It was always like the funniest loop. They'll be like, you know what I mean? Then I'll be like, yeah, I speak. Then they'll be like, then I'll be like, hello, my name is Trevor.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Then I'm like, but you don't know if I can speak English because you can't speak English.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
No, I had a car. Okay, you were driving by this time. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah. And I actually, I actually think we need that because sort of going to the We're always at the mercy of the time that we're in, and we can only process it through what we think will be a future lens, but more often than not is informed by a past lens. So I don't know. I think that's what I've always loved about your storytelling and your books is that it does give some sort of perspective.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Like it's one thing for people to go, Nelson Mandela was released from prison and apartheid ended. But it's like, yeah, but do you know what it was like for a young boy from a village who now goes to a city because of that? Like the human side, of political ramifications is so much more interesting to me because then it stops becoming such a theoretical thing. You get what I'm saying?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Like I remember a friend of mine who's Palestinian, Mo Amr, great comedian, really funny. But one day he said something to me that really stuck with me. He said, I just wish more people would see stories of Palestinian people so that they would no longer refer to them as just numbers. 10 Palestinians dead, 100 Palestinians dead. You know what I mean? It's like, no, it's not just a number.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
What if I told you a story of a little girl who was going somewhere and then never got there? Do you get what I'm saying? Let me tell you a story of a family who had a little store that provided for the community and now that building is no longer there. And I realized that's the thing that limits our ability oftentimes to care for somebody else is that we don't know their story.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah, that is so true. And if anything... I think in having this conversation, I've figured a little bit more of Kayatlanga out is that you're such a village child that you've carried the village with you everywhere you've gone in the most beautiful way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You've carried it into your books because in the village, I don't know if you remember, we barely talk about, and I didn't live in the village, but I'd visit all the time, you know, not your village, but obviously, you know, my family's ones. The conversations were never big. They were always small. but they had the most meaning.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And I feel like now in society, and I'm guilty of this as well, even when I'm saying this, I go, we have big conversations that if we're honest, are often meaningless. The small conversations are the ones where you go, where's your uncle? How's he doing? Hey, man, did you see that the river? Have you seen there there's rocks blocking the river?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Hey, man, have you guys also noticed your mud by the houses? Hey, man, that's small. And yet it's so meaningful. You know who's sick, who's healthy. You know who's growing, who's not. You know who's happy, who's sad. You know, and it like connects you to people. There was literally not a single break-in in the village. I don't know about you. Like it was an anomalous. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
It was such a crazy concept that someone would steal something from another person because you knew who you were stealing it from. And I think that's what Kayatlanga is in many ways. You are an embodiment of a village that over time we are losing for good and bad. And I think you've carried that into everything. You carried it into your books. You've carried it into online.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
You're one of the few people I know online who treats social media like a village. No, and I mean this honestly. You talk to people and with people and it's very different. You're not even doing it for likes. You engage with people and you... And I think you make people feel like you are real and they are real and you're having conversations with them and you know that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Whereas most of us engage in social media on a very superfluous level. We post a thing, we want to see if people have liked it and then we leave it, we walk away. Did you like my picture? Yes. Okay, good. Bye. Did you like my tweet? Yes. Bye. But you are going, hey, here's the thing I said. Then someone says, why? Then you're like, I'll tell you why. Then they go, that's crazy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
They had water and mints in the backseat.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Then you're like, what about your life? Then they're like, how? You asked me about me. A person with millions of followers doesn't ask people about them. They just tell people about them. But when they come from the village, You know, I think that's what it is, my friend. Thank you for this. Thank you. This has been Kaya Zanga, my village friend.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
That's really interesting.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I mean, if you're going to have a podcast, you want to share the most interesting people, right? And that's what today's episode is all about. One of my favorite people in the entire world, Kaya Lange. I think you're going to enjoy him as much as I do, but bad news, he's my friend, so you can't have him. Oh, and that random South African voice you hear in the background?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
We need to meet each other in the village.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Thank you, man. I appreciate you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Jody Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackle. Claire Slaughter is our producer. Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown. Thank you so much for listening. Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
But that's the business model. That's what all these companies have done. Download capitalism. No, but that's what all these companies have done, especially from Silicon Valley. Their business model is grow as quickly as possible, get as much money as you can, scale as fast as you can, and then most importantly, decimate the competition.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
So you come in, you price the product way lower than the rest of the market. So that's what they did in most markets was... They killed the taxi prices. So in New York, in London, in Germany, and other places they did that. And then some cities fought back. And then once they owned the market, then they start hiking the prices. And to make things worse, they start throttling the drivers.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
So now if you drive an Uber, there were many people who bought Ubers because they were promised like, oh, if I buy the car, I'm going to earn this much a year. They used to have like guarantees on billboards even. They'd say earn a minimum guaranteed, a minimum of, and I think at the time it was like $75,000, $80,000 a year.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
And then once they had enough capacity and they had a stranglehold of the market, Then they started ditching drivers. You don't earn as much from a ride. Search pricing changes. The riders pay more. And now we're all dependent on it. And this is why we should never allow monopolies to take place.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah. I think, to be fair, many of the people who started these companies in Silicon Valley, I think, believed in the beginning that they were setting out on a noble mission. I genuinely believe that. But bro, it's very hard to beat Wall Street. Oh yeah, that's very true. As soon as your company is a publicly listed company, all you're doing is trying to maximize shareholder value. And that's it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Like your mission is no longer to your customers. Your mission is to the shareholders, right? And so I think fundamentally, it's like, hey man.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
Yeah, well, you must switch off your phone.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
I'm glad we brought you here.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
This has nothing to do with the, you thought this was a podcast. We were just hosting an intervention to stop Kaya from being on his phone. Yo, this guy, I checked his phone the other day. 15 hours of screen time a day. Oh my goodness. Guys, do you know how many hours are in a day? There's 24 in case you were wondering.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Meet Khaya Dlanga – One of My Favorite People [VIDEO]
That's Ryan, South African producer. Don't mind him, but really you should. This is What Now? with Trevor Noah. What happened to you, by the way? What was going on with your Uber driver?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
What is it about the bowling versus bowling alone that the data told you, and what were people reporting that you thought was important to get into?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
I cannot tell you how excited I am to have you on the podcast. And I think everyone will be because Robert Putnam is one of those names that is surprisingly unknown, but then surprisingly very well known depending on who you ask. So if you ask a lot of people in the streets, if you said, do you know Robert Putnam? They would probably maybe say no.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
So there's one thing I want us to get to in a way. Maybe let's start with this part. The why. Why does it change anything? So what I love about this story is, you know, oftentimes when we're talking about an issue in society, as you say, because we don't have all of the data and because we have confirmation bias, we'll pick the thing that we think is the cause and we'll stick with it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
So we go, oh, society is declining because of social media. Oh, society is declining because of politics. Oh, society is declining because... But you had a natural experiment that very few social scientists will ever have. Help us understand the why in that. I would love to know why your government will work better if your community has more clubs in it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
I don't think that correlation is easy for everyone to see.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
But if the person in the street that you asked was somebody like Barack Obama,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Then he'd be like, yeah, I know Robert and I know him well. And you'd be like, wow.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
So big differences. So Bob, maybe help us understand the idea of bowling alone, because I think it is important to help people understand that first of all, it is an example, right? And I think what you liked about it is sort of why it connects with me is that it's a simple example to understand, right? Because everyone can go bowling.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
But it's the alone that really became the signifier that showed what was going wrong in America and in many other parts of the world where people are experiencing this. So help us understand.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Hey, that's when you know somebody. So actually, let's talk about that because it, although it seems crazy, will tie into everything that we're going to talk about today. Loneliness, community,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Wow. So we've got to put polls at the bowling booth. When you put your fingers in, you should get the little die, and then you vote straight off. That's what we should be doing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Right. If we only meet at a political rally, our conversations will only be political and then we'll forget what connects us. One other thing I wanted to throw in maybe here.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
I know your work is all about data, so I don't know if you have the data on this, but how much do you think companies and jobs and capitalism and the way it's been employed in America over the past 50, 60 years has affected people's ability to do that? Because when you're talking about let's go bowling together, I just think of personally, friends of mine, and how we always want to do things.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
But more often than not, people will say, I would love to, but I work late that day. Yeah, I wish I could, but I've got to finish this thing for work. Yeah, I want to, but I, you know, the work and the, and then it's like my kid and I got to see the kid because I don't have childcare and I've got to, and I wonder because you are a man who, as you say, you've lived through time.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
You know, I would love to know if there's any data or any experience that you've had that has shown you that our ability to engage in a league with other people is directly affected by how much time our work gives us off to do that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And fundamentally, funny enough, how all of it is integral in making sure that a democracy actually works, which I think is very important in America right now, because people are wondering if this democracy can and will work in the next few decades. And we're experiencing this around the world. But tell us a little bit about that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
No, I mean, yeah, I'm just, I see every binging and every TV show, I see it very differently now.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
We're going to continue this conversation right after this short break.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
This episode is brought to you by Brooklinen. As the seasons shift and we spend more time at home, how are you making your better space that works for everything? Whether it's spending time with loved ones, sharing laughs with your pets, reading your new favorite book, or simply unwinding. For me, it's all about creating a space that's really inviting. And that's where Brooklinen comes in.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
You see, the special thing that they've got, in my opinion, is they've got a mastering of texture. They've just figured it out. Their sheets are so soft. Then you add in the comforter, which I'll be honest, during this winter, I've really been loving. And that, my friends, is the perfect equation. And I'm not the only person who feels this way. Brooklinen's bedding is highly tested and awarded.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
How does Barack Obama, President of the United States, come to know you as Bob? How does this journey begin?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Good Housekeeping, GQ, Wirecutter, they all rank their goods super highly. Brooklinen bedding, sheets, and more have over 200,000 five-star reviews. So, shop award winners and fan favorites in-store or online at brooklinen.com. That's B-R-O-O-K-L-I-N-E-N dot com. Get 15% off your first order today.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
You can't sell ads in person. That's another problem. No, it's true, though. You can't. You can't monetize people's connections when they aren't digital. And so now you're limiting your revenue. You know, this seems like a similar problem that exists in many different industries and fields, right? In that, like, let's say food. Mm-hmm. There's nothing wrong with drinking a glass of Coke.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
There really isn't. There's nothing wrong with having a burger from McDonald's or whatever. There really isn't. However... Those products are oftentimes made to make you crave them and want them way more than you naturally would. And you know this because you as a person, just think about you as a person, you do not say to yourself, I should do that again. You don't.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
You go like, I can't believe I did that again. I had too much of it. But then you want more of it. And then you want more of it. And then you want more of it. And we're supposed to be having, quote unquote, a balanced diet. So it's like, have your vegetables, have the salad, have the stew, have the this, have the that. And then have your snacks and you'll be fine.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
But it feels like we're in like an arms race against companies who go, we're not going to give you a break. If you have a choice of 10 meals, we want you to pick the snacks 10 times. And we're going to design it in such a way that you're going to pick the snacks 10 times. But then on the outside, they'll say, no, no, no, no, no. We want you to eat healthy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And you're like, yes, but you made your product so that I can't. Do you get what I'm saying? And I think the same thing goes for like what you're saying about social capital is... They'll say it, we want to connect people, but they don't, you know how you know they don't want you to stop using the product? The simplest answer is infinite scroll.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Right? If social media companies wanted us to not endlessly use their product, because they'll even have a label that's like, hey, remember to take a break now and then. Yo, you can just make me take a break.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
You could literally, they could literally just go like TikTok, scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll, scroll.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
This is your limit for the day. And you know what? I almost think that people would actually like the product more because people would go, oh yeah, I finished my TikTok for today. I'm done.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
But then do you meet in person to what Bob was saying?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
They've taken different neighborhoods. This is data. This is not like an opinion. This is data that's been done.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
That's what I do for a living. No, I mean, I'm just clarifying for people. I love that, yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Let's fast forward to that point. We are now living in a country and the world is living in the shadow of this country that is experiencing levels of polarization and levels of vitriol that most people say they've never experienced.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And one of the key tenets of this moment is that people do not trust the government. They don't believe in the government. They don't believe that anything can get done. They don't believe anything will get done. And a lot of people who are being elected into government, ironically, by the way, I always think that's ironic.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
is that those people are being elected into government because they say government shouldn't be a thing and we should just dismantle it all. And fundamentally, they're saying like, hey, everyone, you just take care of yourself. Why does the government do your education? You do your education. And why does the government do your healthcare? You do your healthcare. You do your own research.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
You do your own thing. So actually, help us understand, how do we go from a world where People spend less time. And it is crucial to remind everyone, bowling is one of the things. It doesn't matter what it is. It could be a book club. It could be a running group. It could be a bike club. It could be anything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
How does America go from having fewer clubs to creating the movement that leads to Donald Trump?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Anything that brought people together from different walks of life to connect across different boundaries.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Wait, no way. Are you being serious?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Wait, wait, wait. And what did they use? I don't understand. What did they use from your book to help Trump get elected? What did they identify?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
You know why it makes complete sense is because I think of it through a few lenses. You and I have talked about this a bunch. I go, one of the things I'm saddest about in America and I see around the world is the decline of churches
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Because I go, I understand that religion has many issues that it's come with, whether it's pastors, whether it's, you know, the way they treat certain people, whatever it might be, right? But man, you take for granted what that building did. There are very few places in our societies where you can come
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And regardless of the language you speak, the color of your skin, your socioeconomic background, your location, whatever it is, you are allowed to join and identify as being part of that group. And I've always thought that's maybe the most important thing is the fact that you can become a part of it. Do you get what I'm saying? That's like really, really important to me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And I think about it through that lens. I go like, wow, man, I understand that people go like, oh, yeah, religion, I don't care about it. And I'm like, yes, but... You're also losing the church. And the church was the place where you saw people to tell them you were sick. The church was the place where you got a little help. The church was the place where you found out about a new job listing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
People learn music. Think about how all the greatest singers of the last whatever many decades have all come from church. So the training, the connections, the understanding that it came from. And it's funny that you say that. When we were still on The Daily Show, I remember the thing I used to talk to everyone about was how Jordan Klepper would say this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
I'd say to him, he'd go to all these Trump rallies. And I said, Jordan, what do you notice when you're at the Trump rallies? What do you notice that we don't from far? And he said something really fascinating to me once. He said, a lot of people are there for the vibes. He said, a lot of people are there for the vibes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And you think about it, Donald Trump created many clubs where clubs didn't exist. He said, I'm coming to your town. I'm going to sell you hats that you can all wear. We're going to sell you little scarves that you can all wear. And you're going to come into a room. And then you know what? We're all going to hang out and chant this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
You know when I knew that Trump, by the way, Bob, had reached the pinnacle of understanding this is when he was at a political rally, right? People are there ostensibly to hear about your plan for the future of the country and how you plan to run the economy. And Trump was just like, let's just dance. Do you remember that moment?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Yeah, sure. I do. This was one of... I remember watching that moment going, this man is either... He's completely lost it. Or he is a savant who's completely understood it. And now I think he's the latter.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Yeah. Donald Trump realized in that moment... He's like, man, you guys don't, you're not here because of like what I'm going to do with the economy or not do with it. You just came here to hang out and we're in a club and everyone in that club says the same thing. We've been forgotten. So there's a man who grew up in a town where the factory was shut down and that was a piece of his club.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
So he's forgotten. There's somebody else who grew up in another city. And because that city has lost its population, the church died and now they don't have a church. So they've been forgotten. Someone's kids left to go to a big city. So now they don't have, they've been forgotten. And it's just a bunch of forgotten people who are now seen.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
They come together and you go, when you go home, watch the video. I promise you, it is one of the most amazing things. Trump literally just goes like, yo, just play my playlist. He shouted to some person who rolls with him. And they just play all of his favorite. And I'm talking everything from YMCA to Ave Maria. Like, it's the most eclectic mix of music. And he just dances.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Don't go anywhere because we got more What Now? after this. If you love iPhone, you'll love Apple Card. It comes with the privacy and security you expect from Apple. Plus, you earn up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, which can automatically earn interest when you open a high-yield savings account through Apple Card. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Subject to credit approval, Savings is available to Apple Card owners subject to eligibility. Apple Card and Savings by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch. Member FDIC. Terms and more at applecard.com.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Because the Ku Klux Klan is definitely a club.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
This episode is brought to you by Atlassian. Atlassian team collaboration software like Jira, Confluence, and Loom help power collaboration for enterprise companies around the globe. With products that enable AI-powered teamwork, doing the impossible just became possible. So join the 83% of the Fortune 500 that trust Atlassian to help transform their enterprise.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Well, but I'm actually going to throw this, before we move on, I'm going to throw something out here, maybe controversial. I would argue the reason the Democrats didn't do as well in this election is because they were bonding, they weren't bridging. Yes. So if I look at Barack, I look at Barack Obama's- They were bonding and they thought they were bridging.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
But if I look at Barack Obama's campaign, right? Barack Obama was going, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, I don't care if you're in Kentucky. Let's connect. Let's connect. Do you have this issue? I have this issue. This is something I grew up with. You grew up. My grandmother looks like you. My mother looks like you. My father looked like that. My this. I grew up in this world. He was bridging.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And he was like, yes, we can. Like it was bridging, bridging, bridging, bridging, bridging. Absolutely. We, we, we, we. It's got to be. Yes. Right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And so as much as it's easy for everyone to be like Donald Trump and we're all guilty of that. But I think of like the Democrats in this election, a lot of it was bonding stuff as well. It was very much like, you know, like, oh, you know, white men are this and the rich have done that. And it became bonding.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
bonding that way as opposed to the coalition of saying like Bernie even did well by the way when he was running he did a lot of bridging like you know hey let's all join we're all struggling let's all come together as struggling people we all deserve healthcare you all doesn't matter where you're from bridge bridge bridge and I think in this election in particular there was a lot of
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
bonding from both parties. And as crazy as this may sound to a lot of people, I think Donald Trump engaged in a little more bridging than people will give him credit for, which I think is why he connected more than people thought he would in some spaces. I want to know what Bob thinks of that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
No, that's exactly why we invited you on here. You're an expert.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
I almost want to know what you think the future will be because I remember speaking, I forget who this person was. It was such a wonderful conversation we had in one of my first times going to London. And I was talking to them about living in America and I was talking to them about coming from South Africa and everything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And this woman said to me, she said, oh, darling, she said, I can't wait for South Africa and America to get over race because then they'll realize that everything's all about class, baby. It's all about class. And it really was an interesting idea, which has stuck with me because I go like, yeah,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
No, but what I liked about it was this, is she forced me to hone in on something that I think people do take for granted. Oftentimes when we talk about issues that are pertaining to black people, you'd be like, oh, black people have... That has just become an easy identifier for a class issue, right? And that's why people like Dr. Martin Luther King... MLK was like, yo... I'm fighting for class.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
A lot of his stuff was class-related.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Yeah, he was fighting for class. And black people are disproportionately affected by it. But that's why, like, even the Black Panther Party, they found a coalition between white people who are proudly racist and black people who are militantly fighting against racism. But they were like, you know. Union jobs. Yeah, the guy was like, hey, man.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
We should all come together because we're all being affected by this. And in all of these cases, by the way, they formed clubs. The Black Panthers formed a mini club that wasn't the Black Panthers that involved all of these poor people. Dr. Martin Luther King, he formed multiple clubs and chapters and all of these organizations.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And it's interesting to see what you're saying is like these clubs came together. around the issue of class. And so now let me ask you this then. So do you think, say the people who are in the bottom two thirds, are they more likely to be negatively affected by not having a social club?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Oh, yeah, that's great, because that's what Christiana was asking for. What were you going to ask?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Okay, great. So the what now, Bob Putnam?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Before you move on, a perfect example of that for me was Pokemon Go. So I'm assuming neither of you played it, but I was a huge Pokemon Go fan. Huge, huge, huge. I think this was the best execution of a video game in the modern age because it was a video game that everyone played. It was on your phones, right? Yeah. And the goal was to catch Pokemon. You don't need to know what any of this is.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
He's able to connect groups that don't necessarily think they have anything that connects them. But I feel like that's the perfect jumping off point to get into your work. And I won't say single-handedly because you always give credit to your team. And I think that's important. But you have been at the forefront of helping us understand social isolation and why this can very well be
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Just think of a game where you're trying to catch little creatures. But what they did that was amazing was you had to catch the creatures in the real world. So they used your camera on your phone and you would literally have to run out into the streets to catch these digital creatures. And so at first it was just like, oh, this is silly and this is fun.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
But I will never forget the joy I experienced when one night I was in New York and I was running with a group of people in Central Park. Strangers at 11.30 p.m. because someone had tweeted and told us that there was a Snorlax, which is one of the creatures. There was a Snorlax in Central Park.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And Bob and Christiana, when I tell you, there were, if I was just to estimate, there were like maybe 500 people from like little kids who had dragged their parents out of the house all the way through to like adults who were playing the game running. And I remember at one point, one of the kids turned, looked at me. Well, because we're all running because there's a time limit.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
You don't know how long the creature will be there for. So we're all running through Central Park together. And one of the kids turns, looks at me. This kid's like maybe like 14, 15. And he looks at me and he's like, He's like, Trevor Noah? He's like, you played Pokemon Go? And he's like, now I know I'm in the right place.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
But what I loved about it was, to what you're saying, it was the perfect culmination. It wasn't the either or. We were all playing a digital game. It was the alloy. You could play the game at home, and we were playing it at home, but you could not help but bump into other people who were playing the game as well in the real world. And it was such a beautiful, because once the Snorlax was gone,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
All everyone could do now is talk. Where are you from? Hey, where do you live? What's the best one you've caught? And this was like, the game won awards, by the way, even for getting people fit and running and moving. But I love that. So when you say the going young and figuring out the hybrid, I think there are ways to do it. Because some people would be like, oh, I don't know if you can.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
I think we actually have seen one of the ways, and I know because I played it. But yes, okay. So what's rule number two? Rule number two is go local.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
the reason society crumbles, society as we know it. Everyone talks about we're more polarized than ever. People say like, oh, you know, and I don't get along with the other parents at school. And people say like, I can't talk to my family because of politics. And I don't even know my neighbor's names.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
No, no, I don't think you have to be sorry. I think it's given us homework. So play Pokemon Go with people in your local neighborhood and help them catch the Pokemon that they caught. That's essentially because you're helping each other.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And at the same time, everyone says, I don't even know if this election will be the last one because democracy could be dead. Well, today we're gonna be speaking to the man who really has worked on helping us understand the data behind the feeling.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Bob, this has been amazing. Thank you so much for taking the time. Thank you, Bob. You know, it's such a simple idea. And unfortunately, sometimes the best ideas are so simple that people don't want them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
It's the same way like eating healthy. It's a simple idea. Eat the vegetables and don't eat things that come in packets.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Your body changes. And people are like, yeah, yeah, but I need something more complicated than that. But yeah, I want to say thank you very much. Thank you for doing the work. Thank you for taking the time with us. You know, we started at Robert. We end at Bob. Thank you very much. It was wonderful getting to know you. And I hope you do get to see some of this in your lifetime.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
So don't write it off yet. You keep talking about you're going to be gone. Maybe some of it will change. We'll see. We'll do our best. Thank you, Christiana.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And thank you, Trevor. Thank you so much, Bob. Bye. What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Jody Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackle. Claire Slaughter is our producer. Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown. Thank you so much for listening.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And you've written a few books about this, you know, Bowling Alone was obviously, I mean, you know, your seminal work, which was then, it went on like an interesting journey. And we'll talk about some of it, you know, the praise, the criticism. Right. And then you talked about like making democracies work, etc. But let's start with the fundamental problem at the bottom of it. Sure.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Why do you think it's such a big deal that people are or say they're lonely? What is the value of minimizing social isolation?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
When you're talking about social connectedness, just to clarify this for people, what do you mean? Because there are people who will say, but Robert, I've got followers on Instagram, and I talk to people on my Facebook, and I see people at school. And what do you mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Learn how to unleash the potential of your team
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
So I will say, funny enough, I hear you both saying the same thing, genuinely. So, you know, if I listen to what you're saying, Robert, you're saying that our life expectancy is directly tied to to how many groups we are a part of. right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And everything I'm hearing you say, funny enough, is, and I understand the delineation of like the we, but I mean, we use the we in many different ways, but I hear you saying the same thing. You're going, black women's life expectancy is holding and going up in America because partly they are in these tight-knit groups.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And so maybe that's sort of what I would like us to figure out is what are some groups holding onto that other groups are letting go of? Because I agree with you. I think even if I look at my life, you know, Robert, I grew up in South Africa. I know your life. I read your life story. Damn. I know your life. And Christiana grew up in London, right? But we have similarities.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And the main thing for me was, till this day even, black women... almost never found themselves without a community and they worked towards it. So my grandmother was part of a thing called a society where all the grandmothers would come together and they would put their money into a collection and one member would get money every single month. And then there was like a funeral society as well.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And that was just a group of people who come together to talk about funerals. And then there was another church society and that it's self-explanatory. And so maybe that's what I want to try to get to. Because I actually hear you both saying the same thing. And correct me if I'm wrong. I think the we you're talking about is like all of us, every single human being in a society.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
And Christiana, what you're saying is like, you know, black women don't seem to have the same issue. So maybe let's dig into that. You did a lot of this work in Italy, right? A lot of your seminal work came from Italy. Originally, yes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Yes, and a lot of the time, you know, when I'm having conversations about what happens in America, I'll say to people, I know America is the be-all and end-all for many people, but I think a lot of America's issues and ideas can be solved or have been solved in other countries.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
You go to Italy and really you're on this journey of trying to understand why democracies work better or worse, or even to get more granular. You're trying to understand why some people trust government more, why some people trust institutions more, and why some governments and institutions are working better for the people that they're looking after. And-
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Join or Die with Robert Putnam [VIDEO]
Help me understand how Italy ties the story together for you. What do you learn in Italy?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. One of my favorite things to have on hand these days is my Apple Card. It's made to be simple and private, and getting it was pretty simple too. It takes minutes to apply. Check your credit limit offer and start using it right away with Apple Pay. You could apply for it while waiting in line to get coffee and then use it to buy your coffee.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I felt a lot of that reading your book.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
You did read it. I loved it. I loved it so much. Oh, I loved your work. Your book was fantastic. I loved it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
No, I read it. Cover to cover. This is how much I read it. I remember the first, maybe like the first 50 pages. I thought it was like a memoir. I know this is crazy to you. Please don't get me wrong. I opened and I was like... oh, is this like your nickname? And are you telling me your real story? No, I'm being serious. And then I started Googling your father.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I was like, oh, I knew he did statistics. I didn't know that he was this mega rich person. And I was like, why do I not know about this person that is now changing how I see this and I'm reading the book and nothing that I'm Googling is coming together. No, because I think in the way that it's written, it really felt like a personal account. You know, from how, like most of the time,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
When I read a novel, it is told sort of third person. Then she went and did this, then they were. This felt like a me story from the beginning.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
No, I was. But I would love to know what inspired. Or like, because you live in a world of fiction, you can go anywhere.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
No, no, I do. I understand this. I understand this completely. But what I'm saying, oftentimes the first person narration isn't so closely tied to the author. I love that you find this so amusing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Only for the first 50 pages. By the time we got, once we started getting to like Zecora's story and once we were in like, you know what I mean, Kadiatu's story, ours. I was like, okay, I knew what was happening. Give me some credit.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
But I'm just saying for the first 50, I was like, this is a very... I even was planning my first question to you was going to be like, how do your friends feel about the stories you've revealed about them? The things you've said about their sex lives. I was like, wow, I mean, Africans are generally conservative. How can you... Africans are so private.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I was like, you've told your closest friends the sex that she's having with her husband. Oh, wow. And the fact that he ravaged her in a way that she had never been ravaged.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
It really did feel like that. Initially. So I would love to know the why, because you talk about the world we're in now, and you mentioned it as well. How much of the world we're in now influences or influenced this book? And you're going... I think, like, why is the book set in and around COVID? It takes place right before COVID and then into COVID and then sort of out of COVID.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Why does it take place then? Why does it take place, you know, at liberal American universities? Why does it take place in this moment in time is what I'd love to know.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Okay, you wanted to isolate her to look back on her life.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
how are you i'm i'm well i'm tired tired you don't look tired you look great you look fantastic but wait wait tired tired from life or tired from no i always feel like you should ask people because sometimes we ask people how are you then they'll say tired you think they mean they haven't slept but what they mean is i'm exhausted no you're about to take their own life no no no why we not don't think of it like that
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
What novel would you say it is then?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
No, it really is. I find it so adorable. And you know why it feels like a diary? It's to what you're saying about love, right? Every single one of the stories in the book I think are in many ways an honest reflection of how we experience love in our lives. Funny enough, men and women. I was honestly intrigued by that part of the book.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I was going, was it an intentional choice that you made to sort of keep us blind from how the men were experiencing the love and only have it be how the women were thinking that the men were experiencing the love? Because I don't know how the men were experiencing it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Oh, come on. What did you find the most horrible?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
No, I'm on book tour.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Okay. I felt like it was... I'd love to know your perspective as the author, but it's like... Everyone sees love from their point of view. Everyone in every story that they tell makes sense from their point of view. So whenever someone's telling me their love story, I've met very few people who tell me the love story where they are the villains in it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I meet very few people who are aware of the elements that they contributed. And I'm always intrigued by that. I'm always intrigued by how people will tell you a love story where they've just been slighted. The world has done them wrong. They just keep bumping into these wrong characters. And I'm like, yeah, I know this may be true, but that's only one half of the story.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
But is this, do you mean women and men?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I think the difference with men for the most part is because we aren't really comfortable with our emotions and naming them and we don't spend as much time in them, especially with our friends, I think we will water them down or we'll compress them into a simple feeling like anger. I'm angry.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
you know we'll very seldom say like i felt ashamed we'll very seldom say like i felt inadequate i felt no we'll it's just angry you know it's a simple one but i i think men will tell very similar stories similar stories to you know to to to the ones that i found in your book where i'll say to a man friend what happened yeah she was this and she was that and it wasn't gonna it wasn't gonna and i go like okay but what i understand you but what was the we
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Because every love story has to have a we.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Oh, completely. Yeah, that's completely true.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
It's true, actually.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
No, some people are. They're just like, they are. They're like, I love getting out there. Meeting the people. No, I do.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I didn't say that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I didn't say that. I did not say that. You did. Don't you dare get me. You did. No, no, no. Don't put me out like that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I didn't say what about the men's point of view. I would never say that. What I was asking you, because remember, you're the author, you're omnipotent. So what I was asking you was if you chose to keep it opaque on purpose. So you didn't give us the answers about why that happened. The answer doesn't have to do with like the man's point of view, but it's the answer nonetheless.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
So many of the characters, they don't know why it happened.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
they the person disappears but they never get the closure they never get the answer they they left with this ghost that haunts them and so what i was asking is like if you did that on purpose i don't i don't want to know like oh but what was his version of it i'm more intrigued by why you left us with characters that were sort of unresolved in the answer that they were looking for that's what like i found i found like a hook does that make sense and i think there's a difference between the two
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Oh, I want to know everything. I would actually like to know as well, like, You know, and maybe it's because of Christiana's like, I mean, just presence in my life as a person.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I think you were, other than my mom, probably the woman who's given me the most insight into the like, just like the nitty gritty of like, like ugly womanhood, if I were, if I'd call it that, you know, as in eloquently as it's unvarnished completely. Yeah. And this book in a really weird way for me felt like an extension of the conversations I've had with Christiana.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Like when we're talking about the inner workings of a woman's body and how it's quote unquote betraying her in some ways and how it's not doing what it's supposed to do for her. And then like even the frustration, you know, there's one line which I'll misquote, but it was essentially something to the effect of how, I forget which character was saying this, but they were basically saying,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
There was almost like a resentment in the fact that their future and the dream and the life they were looking for was tied to men. They couldn't achieve that dream without the man being attached to them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Oh, okay. Then you should be tired.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
It would be nice to be in a society that doesn't impose that kind of thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I felt like that about a lot of it. And I actually had that as a question as well was, You know, it's strange when it's a novel. I feel like when it's nonfiction, it sort of has a very direct approach. With fiction, like most art, it's at the discretion of the artist. How much are they revealing to you and how much are they not?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
How much of the book are you intending as a direct commentary on society? And how much are you allowing to live in a complete fantasy? Are these rich Africans on purpose? Are they interacting with white liberals? Because I think you're very intentional. I'd love to know the why. What are you hoping to reveal to us through those things? It becomes so much more complex, but why do you choose it?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
but it's a good problem to have so sometimes i think the phrase good problem robs us of our ability to like feel what we feel like you know what i mean sometimes people will say it to you almost like you're not allowed to feel something because of the position you're in relative to another position you have to be grateful for the problem yeah people like wow but these are good problems they're like no no it's just a problem just say it sucks
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
We're going to continue this conversation right after this short break.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I don't think it needs to be a good one. And I mean this for me. I'm completely projecting, by the way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Really? No, I now went and read up on it backwards. It wasn't, I don't think it was really that big in South Africa when this was happening.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I also like that you can get up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, which can be put into a high-yield savings account that you can open through Apple Card. So you can really put your money to work. Apply in the Wallet app on your iPhone and start using Apple Card right away. Subject to credit approval, savings is available to Apple Card owners. Subject to eligibility.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
You know, it's interesting that you say the thing about the public trials and all of it. I don't know if this is still true, but I believe in Germany... When a case is happening, when you're being investigated, the press isn't allowed to report on it. And they have a very strict system that tries to prevent the press from sensationalizing the case in any way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
So it's supposed to be the way you're saying, which I actually think would be good for everyone involved. Because I think, number one, there's nothing worse than a public trial because it does not have any of the respect nor the expertise of a trial, right? The most recent example, let's say like the Diddy thing. the amount of random stuff that now comes up Doesn't help anything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
So what happens is someone can put up a fake piece of a fake, you know, deposition or whatever it might be. And it sullies somebody's case that's not involved with that. Do you know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
It just creates noise. Another example is the Luigi Mangione.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Yeah, but what I was saying is, but I was going like, you tell me how you have that trial when... publicly they've already said you know the shooter and when he shot and how do you now then have a trial of somebody when that's already been done and you see it's interesting when you say that and you talk about the perp walk I can think of maybe at least 10 examples in the book where
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
You know, that thing that you have to do.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
The fiction of this book still comments on the realness of America and it's like a critique on it. So, you know, American academia, how people are discussing issues in and around the world and how they feel they can and cannot have the discussions. The justice system.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Yeah, but fundamentally, that's what America was based on. And I think every culture thinks that justice is the thing that the culture most values. You don't think so? Think about like, okay, if I think about like some parts of South Africa, I remember talking to Kaya about this, like a friend of mine from South Africa. And his dad was, his grandfather was a chief in the village.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Oh, by the way, we poured you a fresh one if you want it. Thank you. Right now we poured it. It's up to you. I got this from Seth Meyers. Oh! Christiana and I were chatting earlier about, first of all, your name and the fact that you are, I think in many ways, a dying breed, right? You said it beautifully. You said a literary giant.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And if they found something, very seldom, but if somebody stole something or if they did something wrong, you just get beaten, right? No, you would. You wouldn't get arrested. You wouldn't get put away. You just get beaten. And then they would talk to you and say, please don't do that again. That's all it was.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And him and I were joking about it saying, it's interesting how in that setting in particular, in like a village, you know, where many of our grandparents grew up, That was the thing that you like. So what was valued? Violence? No, no, no, no. It was the other way around. Our culture valued nonviolence and our culture valued like the culture itself.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
It was like a very like, that's not the thing that we want. Do you understand what I'm saying? So if the violence, the violence takes away from you, the thing that the culture holds most valuable, I find. So in some parts of the world, time is the thing that they really look at. Other places in the world think that shame is a more powerful tool.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
So their sentences may not be as long, but how they handle the case is worse. But I feel like in America, because money, whether we like it or not, money is like almost the foundation of America. They go, then if we give you money, you have been made whole and the other person lost money. So they've really been punished.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
But I feel like Dreamcount is everything. I agree with you. Like, for instance, academia. Let's talk a little bit about that. Yeah. It felt like the book was making a criticism of how America's liberal academia treats discussions. Contrarians. Contrarians, arguments, etc.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And I found myself reading it going like, I was like, oh, I wonder how much of this Chimamanda thinks or is it just the character that's thinking? Like, what do you think of the current state of America's academia and how students are taught to think or not think? Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
You just go Chimamanda and people are like, oh. Oh, wow.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Yeah. It's like being Beyonce, but in the world of books. Do you know what I mean? There's no denying any type of art that comes with fame then comes with the pressure. And in a weird way, I feel like art... for the most part, not to be highfalutin about it, but like art is almost supposed to be like bumping up against things all the time. It's sort of, it's accepted, but not accepted.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
How or what would your advice be if, let's say there's an aspiring author or even just like a student who loves your work out there, somebody who is in academia right now. They come to you and they say, Chimamanda, I hear what you're saying about empathy and seeing another person's point of view.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
But I feel like this person who I disagree with, the thing that I disagree with them on is the fundamental humanity or existence of another human being per se. Because that's what I've heard a lot of people say. They'll go, no, no, no. This is not a difference between 30% tax and 20% tax.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I'm disagreeing with somebody who fundamentally believes that black people should not get this or that this group should not get that or that, you know what I mean? How would you encourage them then? But I don't even agree that that's the case. You don't agree that that's the case? No, because I think that we have- Wait, that they're feeling that or that, which part are you not agreeing with?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Christiana works on it's guilty until proven innocent. That's how she works with all humans.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Challenging, but you know, but still accessible. It's like, it's like in this weird space. How do you feel about your fame relative to what you're doing? Like, do you, do you feel it hinders you or do you feel like it liberates you?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Yeah, I get it. Okay, so I'll... This is how I think about it. One, I think social media dramatically changed our perception of where people sit in reality, right? It gave us a flattened view of people because that's what gets the algorithm. It's what ropes us in. So I will see the worst of you because the worst of you is what inflames me the most.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Well, I'll only see the best of you because it attaches me to you. But the nuance is, it's boring, right? And they show you this with the algorithms. Like if you sit down with the engineers, they'll show you. If somebody writes, it's a lovely day outside, it'll go nowhere. If you say best day ever, it goes somewhere. And if you say worst day ever, it goes somewhere.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
But if you use adjectives and descriptors that are like, they don't evoke something extreme, it doesn't really do anything. If you wrote a little tweet about a president and you said, you know, this president's not great, but they're also not the worst. And I guess everyone has their flaws. It's not going to go anywhere. You go, this president is destroying this country. They are the worst thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
So I think what happens oftentimes is fame interferes with how art can be perceived. That's what I think it does, right? So I'll speak through the lens of, let's say, stand-up comedy alone.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And I think that started to filter into the discourse in American politics. And I think politicians, I genuinely put a lot of blame at their feet because I think American politicians spent a lot of time using the language that really only wrestlers should use about their opponents.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
So they would come out there and they would say things like, I remember, you weren't there at the Daily Show yet, but in our first few years, we went to New Hampshire for the primaries. And I remember being so shocked at how Lindsey Graham's team was buddy-buddy with Hillary Clinton's team. And Lindsey Graham would send Hillary Clinton birthday messages and talk about her family.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
When you saw these people on a stage speaking about each other, they didn't even mince words. They would say, this person is going to destroy this country. They're killing this country. I've spoken to people who are far smarter than me in the world of politics, and they say it all started with Clinton around the Monica Lewinsky.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
They say that's when American politics became personal and like, quote-unquote, evil, not evil. Did they say it was created by Newt Gingrich? Yeah, yeah. But I think that's where it became a thing. So if your leaders are saying, you see now, this is where now we come back to other politics.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
One of the things I've loved about going back to South Africa frequently is realizing that even in the doldrums of fighting in politics, I've never heard a politician say the other person is a devil or they're destroying the country. They don't agree with how they're doing it. They'll say they're incompetent at their job. They haven't met service delivery.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
But I really, maybe my memory… Those ad hominem kind of… Those attacks were… Think of the things that people have said, right? About other politicians. And then think of how incongruous that is with them and how they are with each other. They have lunch together. They have dinner together. Right? What then happens is their fans then adopt a thing that they don't believe in.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Any comedian who's like worth their salt will tell you the difference in how an audience perceives a perspective or a joke when the person, when the comedian is famous is very different because now they're not listening to what you're saying. They're trying to listen to it through the lens of them having a perception or an idea of who you are and where you are in relation to them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
But now the fans are the ones who control the theater of it all, the spectacle. And I don't know if you, there's a really amazing documentary I watched about Vince McMahon. It's fascinating. Even if you don't like wrestling, I recommend everybody watch this thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Vince McMahon is the man who basically made wrestling what it is today, right? I promise you now, it's even better if you don't like wrestling, in fact. Go and watch it. And one of the most revealing... My life is so short.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I would not recommend this to you if I did not believe it would give you an insight into America that very few documentaries can, right? Because one of the main things it shows you is how like, there's a point where, long story short, the wrestling federations are splitting.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And the wrestlers decide, before a few of the wrestlers leave, they decide they're going to give each other a big hug on the stage and they're going to... They'll basically drop the facade. And you should see the crowd and the way they react. The crowd... I was like, but surely they know that it's not real. So the crowd got very angry. The crowd got, they were furious.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
They were, they were like, how, how could you? How could Shawn Michaels hug, you know, Triple H? How, how? It was, and I was like, oh yeah, this is, this in many ways is what I think has happened with American politics. And to your point, the discourse, the leaders said, these are my, these are our enemies. People then adopted that. How do you now discuss with your enemy?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I think Donald Trump has shifted... Yeah, but he's running a cult. No, but still, aren't they all in some way, shape or form? The Democrats is a bad cult. No, but it's still, but I'm saying like, let's take the Democrats away. Let's look at people because the Republicans also weren't great. Obama, Trump.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Right? We talked about it with Josh where he said, that's why he calls him white Obama. He says, and people get angry and I understand why, but... On that episode, when we talk about it with Josh, it's because... Calls Trump white Obama. So he says what Obama represented to so many people, especially black people, Trump represents to like so many white people where they go, ah, this is our moment.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
This is the sort of lost dream, the lost idea. And it's a comedy premise, right? But he's not going, these are the same people. He's just saying for them, that is their promise.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
It's hope, but in different directions.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
No, no, I'm not. I mean, Chimamanda is not sold on anything, though.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
No, I mean, this is... No, this is not true. That's good.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
So they don't go funny, not funny, insightful, not insightful. They'll go, that's stupid for you. And I'm like, what do you mean that's stupid for me? I would have told that joke 10 years ago, although I like that style of joke. And they'd be like, yeah, but come on, you're Trevor Noah. And I'm like, no, no, you see, that's where I feel like you're making the mistake.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
So, yeah. So, I will say this. I think it's a lot harder. I understand where... a student or any person come and I, to talk of empathy, I understand it in, in, in all ways, to be honest with you. I can see somebody who goes, no, this country, we have to completely change this and it's gone to the dogs, quote unquote.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
But then I also understand somebody who says a lot of the language you're using or a lot of these ideas, you don't even know where they came from. So you may be thinking of it just through the lens of school choice. But for many people who have dug into the trenches of where ideas come from, you start to realize that some of the ideas are innocuous in their sound
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
But where they were written, you know what I mean? Like how they were created.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I agree with that. This history. I agree with that completely.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Do you think that's a byproduct of who actually holds the power in universities? You know, like you see funding being pulled, you see rich donors saying, if you teach that, then I'm pulling my funding.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
You love saying that. No, but I mean, I think of it like, you know, and sometimes we only afford this to artists, for instance, let's say actual painters when they're dead. I love how much gravitas is awarded to, let's say, Picasso for a random napkin sketch. People are like, oh, look at this. Picasso sketch. And you're like, guys, it's like a stick figure.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Thanks. Don't go anywhere because we got more What Now? after this. Do you think there's a part of you that not wishes or I wonder if, you know, this happens to everyone in the public space. You and I were talking about this. I've experienced this. Almost everyone has. there will be a moment where it feels like you are a hero.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And then it feels like the natural part of that journey is to now be the villain or to have like, you know, and I don't know if it's art imitating life or vice versa.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
You know, like I think about how if you and I had a conversation, I remember our first conversation, it was like I was speaking to Jesus, right? No, really. That's how people... They're like, wow, you're going to speak to Chimamanda. Oh, wow. Ask her how... But it was such a... In a beautiful way. But it was really... But people were like, wow.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And, you know, your words were gospel and this whole thing. And then I remember saying now to people, I was like, oh, I'm going to speak to Chimamanda. And they were like, woo. It gets you in trouble. Just so you know, you might get in a little trouble. There might be... And I...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
that's interesting to know yeah no well I mean you're not on social media I guess but I don't know if it's because people wish for it to be the natural progression or if sort of going to what we started with your fame sort of metastasizes for some people where they wish for you to be they create an idea of everything that you must think and if you deviate at any point from what they think you think then they go the whole thing must come down does that make sense?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Yes, but even in it, you can see it hearkens to his view of the world. I'm like, guys, the guy was just sketching on a napkin. Yes, but it was Picasso's sketch. Do you understand what I'm saying? So how do you feel about it?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
That's interesting. How would it get you in trouble though? How would what get me in trouble? Talking to me. Well, everyone has a different opinion on why. Some people will be like, oh, you're going to talk to her, she's anti-trans. I mean, are you going to talk to a transphobe? And I'm like, I don't think Chimamanda's transphobic. And they're like, oh, you better check.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Then someone else will go, oh, she's right-wing leaning. And I'm like, I'm pretty certain Chimamanda's not right-wing leaning. And they're like, no, you see what she says about anti-cancel culture. And then I go, okay, now this is me as Trevor.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
What I always try and do for myself is I try and at all costs form my own opinion on something and then allow the world to in some way, shape or form bump up against that opinion because I don't live in isolation. But when I read your piece on how we... It wasn't cancel color. You said something that was beautiful. It was about... Was it purity or... Forgive me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I remember the message but not all the words. But it was... I remember reading it thinking, damn... This is a really insightful, messy and honest view on how we're dealing with conversations in society. You're failing a purity test and we're writing people off. And you know, I've said this to you a thousand times, Christiana.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I go, guys, it's not sustainable to lose your whole family because your uncle said this thing. I was like, politicians will come and go. Topics will come and go. The people in your life hopefully won't. I'm a big fan of that, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I can list people in every field, comedians who say, I mean, now I say a thing that's a joke. It used to be agreed that this was a joke. We all knew that this wasn't real. It's fiction. I do not want to kill my mother-in-law. And now someone goes, oh, for you to be furthering the idea of violence. You're like, no, no, no, no, no.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
You know, like Jimmy Carr says it really beautifully, the British comedian. He had this thing that he used to play at the beginning of his shows in response to this. And he'd have a message that would come on and it would say, hello, I'm Jimmy Carr and I'm a comedian. I want you to know that I'm going to be making some jokes about terrible things tonight.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
But remember, these are jokes about the terrible things. These are not the terrible things. The jokes are not making the terrible things. And the jokes are not changing the terrible things. But these are the jokes about the things. So have a good time. These are jokes. But I was amazed that even he had to put that in his show. Do you get what I'm saying?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
But that's fine. That's comedy. It's like there's some people who don't like spicy food. I judge them, but I don't mind that they do.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
But I think this is a dangerous road to go down because you're a fiction writer. So someone could say to you, Chimamanda, your book, this cannot exist in because it is not, it is, you know.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
No, no, no. But that's what I mean by it. That's why I'm saying it is taste. So comedians, and we love even doing this as comedians, we'll be in a show. We'll watch a comedian tell a very racist joke. We'll go. That's funny. And it's racist. And as comedians, we say the craft of what the person is doing in terms of making a thing funny, they've done. But we're also acknowledging the roots of it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
It is racist. The same way I can look at like food. Yeah. And I go like, well, this food is poisonous, but it's delicious. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? And so I think we're on the same page there. I'm not saying people should laugh at everything the same way. I don't think people should enjoy every book or every point of view, etc.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
However, that's why I think, you know, we're actually saying the same thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Oh, I wasn't saying clear-cut. I was saying more like, how do you find the balance? Like, what do you think the responsibility is? Because I don't think it's clear-cut, but you exist somewhere on that spectrum.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Savings on Apple Card by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch. Member FDIC. Terms and more at applecard.com. Like I always said, and I mean, this is something that I learned in South Africa because we have such a large Nigerian population. I always go like Nigerians were the first Africans who taught me to believe in myself. Do you know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
There's a line in the book where one of your characters is basically talking about I think like how the world is shaped and they basically say something to the effect of, it's almost like America doesn't know that the world isn't America.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Only America is America. And I remember having this discussion with a friend of mine who was taken aback because they really felt offended and I understood why. Trevor, is there anything you do not understand? No, I try to understand most things, genuinely. I think everything is... That, by the way, was a joke. Oh.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
No, everything is understandable, but I'm just like, agreeing is different, I think.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
No, I think so, in many ways. I've been forced, I've been trained from my birth to be that way as a person. So I had no one way of eating food. I had no one way of celebrating a Christmas. I had no one way of speaking a language. I had no one way of my hair looking, my face looking. I had no one way of my country being. So I've never believed that there is a one way. You get what I'm saying? So...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
So I remember like one of the first ones that came to me was, I remember I told this as a joke in one of my shows long ago, but I said, I always found it interesting that people would mock someone with another accent, but I go, but somebody who has an accent, it means that they're fluent in another language.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And that was something that, so for me, when you talk about understand, I would always go, yeah, if somebody has a funny accent, it can be funny, but don't ever forget that it means that they speak another language fluently. That's why they have the accent. And so when I think of these things, I was doing shows in the Middle East and my friend said to me, hey ma'am, I mean, aren't you conflicted?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
You go to the Middle East and you do shows. And I said, what do you want me to be conflicted about? And they said, well, I mean, you know, their views on gay marriage. And I said, it's interesting that you asked me this because America's views on gay marriage are not...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
as old as you think like this is a now thing do you get what I'm saying yeah but we have to remember homophobia is alive and well in America but what I'm saying is what got me with that was I was saying I'm not dismissing it far from it you know what I mean but what I'm saying is
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
It's interesting how, for me, when America has finished with an issue or has decided a place, it then now goes, that is correct now for the world. So before gay marriage is accepted in America, Americans go like, no, gay marriage is, no, God, Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Come on. We all agree on this. America says gay marriage.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And then America goes on a conquest around the world, pointing at every country to be like, where's your gay marriage? And then I go, guys... How old is the UAE as a place? Like as an actual country, how old is it? And I go, if you look at the advancements they've made in the time that they've been a country versus how long it took America to get to those places, it's actually pretty impressive.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Now you want them to do it overnight because you've already agreed upon it, but you're not giving them their time to get to it, which I think we all do as people. Why have you not found Jesus yet? I found Jesus. Then you're like, yeah, but there was a time when you hadn't found Jesus. Yeah. Yes, but now that I've found him, why don't you find Jesus? Do you understand what I'm saying?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Yeah, when you say we all do it, I don't think we all do it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Oh, maybe you do. I don't.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I feel the same way. But I, so here's where I have a compassion for people. I think it's unfair for us to expect that of people because they are living in the world that they're living in. You know?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Yes. I'll tell you why. No, I'm sorry, Trevor. Yeah, you can disagree, but let me explain.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
How come you... Let me explain why.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I'll tell you why. Okay. I love it. So here's what I think. I think we all have areas where we are able to see what others cannot see. It might present itself differently. I think LeBron James sees things on a court that most human beings cannot. That just happens to be his area where he sees it. There'll be things that I see that other people cannot. You can choose a field.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
You can choose a world. There are people who see things that others cannot. I think in society, once we created institutions, we basically outsourced that expertise to institutions in a very good way. And that became a lot of what advanced society, right? And so like, let's think of it this way. Let's look at a nutrition label on a box of something or food when they would say healthy or whatever.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
People are relying on the fact that that food has been inspected and so it is healthy and so they will ingest it. Yeah, but that's kind of different though.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
No, I'm saying that we should not take for granted the fact that the systems have been corrupted in such a way that the people who are looking for the thing are often the ones who are duped the most. A perfect example is vaccines, right? Most of the parents who don't want to get their kids vaccinated read more than the parents who get their kids vaccinated.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
They go out there and they say, I want to do the research. I want to learn. I want to inform myself. What is a vaccine? What's going into my child? What's happening? And because of that and the information that they then get their hands on, they then make the decision to not vaccinate their child because they think...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
that they have been able to do, quote unquote, more research than an institution or than a body of science or medicine. And so in the same way, like you've gone and you've read a book on artificial intelligence, that's what I think a lot of people are doing. And I'm not saying you are doing this, by the way, but then someone might go, no, I've read a book on artificial intelligence.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Ergo, I now know it for myself. And it's like, no, no, no, no. Trust me, a data scientist and an engineer who's actually coded, they know it more than you do. The book has tried to give you some sort of introduction to it, but the expert is still the expert of it. And so I think what I mean by all of this is, America is an example.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I used to think that a lot of America's decisions were from a lack of knowledge. And I think it is in many ways, but... I also think it's like the history of the place, right? Look at what America was when it becomes this world power. It's a coming together. It's a university of everyone.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
The brightest thinkers, you know, the smartest from Eastern Europe, the most brilliant from like the UK, the... It's just this melting pot of the most brilliant human beings who've come together. And you could argue at some point, America is the bastion of like science and freedom and ideas and thinking and the schools of different, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And I think like most systems or even like most people, you can think that that will just maintain itself, but you might be stuck in time. And so I think America still thinks that it is ahead of the world in everything because it may have been at a time But I have a lot of compassion for people who are in that system because I go, you know, it's Plato's cave.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
If you're in the cave, how can you know that you're in the cave if the cave is telling you that it's not a cave? It's the only world you've ever been in. So how do I give you that responsibility?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
I think we should put the responsibility at the feet the same way I don't think it's our responsibility to recycle I think it's the government's responsibility to make sure that the things that need to be recycled aren't even made in the first place so I think both things can be true though I'm with you they're my sister 100% because I mean no they're 100%
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
That's what I mean. Because don't forget, the CDC were the same ones who told people not to wear masks because they actually just wanted to make sure masks didn't get run out. Like masks weren't taken away from the doctors. But they lied to the people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
You see. So now, imagine somebody going...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
wait they lied yeah and they go yeah but we lied for good reasons the same way like any child therapist will tell you your kid doesn't care why you lied they just know that you lied and now they know that lying is allowed even though mommy or daddy says lying is not allowed because they've watched your actions and I think that's what I mean is like if somebody has been lied to by the CDC about maybe they had good intentions but they've been lied to how do they now then trust that same CDC
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Versus now the account that told them something else. And then that account happened to be true. And you just need like a few truths to start sprinkling in the rest of the lies. Right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
You know, honestly, that's probably one of the biggest reasons I do love fiction. One of the biggest reasons I love fiction is because I do not have to question whether it's real or not. And then I'm more susceptible to the message that it's giving me. I mean this honestly.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Because when it is fact, who said this? What's the data? What's the information? We do episodes on this all the time. We talk about these things. The data is flawed. The study was flawed. The people running. But with fiction, I just go, this is the world you've created. I don't have to question its realness. But the messages I can completely accept, disagree with, respond to.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Because in a weird way, fiction creates the most real reality.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Do you have any favorites you'd recommend?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Old, yeah, old.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Thank you. Thank you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
For real, this was too much fun for me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Jody Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackle. Claire Slaughter is our producer. Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown. Thank you so much for listening. Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now? What Now?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Was that an intentional choice to not be on social media?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Like every other African that I met always had like a certain level of like, how are you doing? It was like, I'm okay. You know? Like, you know, we even say in South Africa, we'll be like, which means like, I'm almost like I'm begging. I'm begging my way through. I, you know, I make, I try, I, you know.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
yeah it's completely great I think like what I connected with you on was most important for me is like I and you know this even till this day I don't care about agreeing with people but I love a well structured argument I love an idea that makes me think and then something for me to butt up again I actually find it boring when people all hang out in a group and agree with each other I personally think we're losing a lot of that you know like we live in a world now where we go I don't agree with you so it's finished
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And I'm like, no, but guys, if I was to get rid of everyone in my life who I didn't agree with on an issue, I would have no one in my life. Do you know what I mean? Yes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And Nigerians, I remember like, literally were the first ones who were like, you're not trying, you're doing. You're doing it. What do you mean you're trying? Are you not winning? And I was like, I mean, yeah. I mean, they're like, no, you're winning. Don't say you're trying when you're doing it. This is What Now? with Trevor Noah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And, you know, I always try and grapple with this. I try and figure out, especially now because I spend more time in South Africa than I've done over the past 10 years. So when I was doing The Daily Show, most of my life was just in America and in the U.S. I couldn't really leave much. And now I get to spend more time going back to South Africa and traveling around.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
And one of the biggest things I've realized is in America, more than most places I've been to, People wear their politics as their culture. But where I'm from, your culture is your culture.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
Do you know what I mean? So no one would dare say where I'm from. I am a Republican or I am. No, no, no. I'm Xhosa. I'm Zulu. I'm Tswana. I'm Bedi.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
You know, now, I know it sounds crazy, but because of Trump, they're emerging in some ways, but previously there wasn't. Let's put it this way. All the major parties in South Africa will have very similar promises or ideals. They just have differences on how they believe they're going to get there. So most of them wouldn't argue that healthcare is a right, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Reality of Fiction with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [VIDEO]
They all go like, no, no, everyone should have health care and there should be free education. But then they'll argue about the permutations of how to get there. And I think that, you know, in agreeing with what you're saying.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
It's always like what I call the plus one purchase in a pharmacy. No one will go in and just buy lube. No one. People are always like, oh, get a bunch of other things. Shampoo. Orange juice.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Thank God you're not a woman. This thing that's happening to me. I'm hot and I'm cold. I'm angry and I'm tired and I'm sleepy. Hi, Trevor. No, I don't want it. I don't want it. And then like when she was finished, she said, I feel strong.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And I was like, this, I don't know what's happening, but she would explain. No, so I love these conversations and I'm in a strange way used to them, you know, because of just, I guess, how my mom was with me. But I don't know what some of the terms are and I don't, so like, what is vaginal atrophy?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
the first thing that popped up was Halle Berry intimacy gel. And I was like, oh, wait, no, no, this is, and I thought it was my search engine. I was like, no, no, no, sorry, wait, this is, no, no, me, Halle Berry, what is she doing? And then it was like, Halle Berry, herpes. And I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, no, no, no. I was like, what is happening to my algorithm?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Also, it's connected to healthcare providers as well.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And then when I read through everything, I was like, oh, wow, Halle Berry is doing everything right now. Is she? I mean, you tell me. It feels like in the same way that menopause is a moment of transformation for women, it feels like you are in a menopause of life and you're turning something that people would commonly think of as the end into a new beginning.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Not being at the mercy of your body, it sounds like.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
but i might i mean you say you're 58 we don't know we don't i don't believe that like there might be like a future generation having this conversation so harley as the first thousand year old person what do you feel about let me ask you a few questions oh god i'm better not be here from an ignorant from an ignorant perspective like you know for people who are either scared or unsuitable for hormone replacement therapy are there are there other options are there non-hrt options
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
No, you throw everything else in. And then you're just like, I don't know. And then God forbid the lube doesn't scan. Like if it doesn't, like if that code doesn't work. This is What Now? with Trevor Noah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
So I would understand if like this was a conversation that women didn't have with men. I'd love to know like why women don't have it with women or why it isn't like, I don't even, again, this is very ignorant of me, but I don't understand why there's any shame attached to it. What is it about it that is shameful?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Welcome to a special part of the show, Best Drive Ever, which is brought to you today by Audi. Audi has taken a huge leap forward with their all-new fully electric Audi Q6 e-tron, featuring effortless power, serious acceleration, and the most advanced tech of any Audi ever. You know, I remember my first electric car like it was yesterday. And it wasn't just any electric car.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
It was the Audi e-tron. Not the Q6, unluckily, but it was. And it wasn't just the e-tron, believe it or not. It was the very first one off the production line. I've loved cars. Like, my whole entire life, I've loved cars. But my first electric car, that was something special. Because... The e-tron wasn't just an electric car. You know, I remember stepping into that car.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
It felt like I was stepping into the future, a future that I'd always imagined. You know, it felt like a car the way I wanted a car to feel. It felt special. It was really designed well. It was beautiful looking. It had everything that was familiar to me, but there was an element of the future that was something beyond my mind. The hum of the engine was replaced by a quiet confidence.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
There was a seamless acceleration. The way the road felt different, it was smoother, it was more connected, almost like the car was an extension of the journey itself. And when I was thinking about this experience, I was thinking about how my love for driving started long before that moment.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
As a kid, I was never in a rush to get anywhere, because for me, the best part wasn't the destination, it literally was the drive. You know, I remember my mom taking us home from church, and instead of heading straight back, she'd take the long way. We'd weave through different neighbourhoods, We'd play this game where we'd guess who lived behind the walls and what their lives were like.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Some streets were lined with jacaranda trees, their petals painting the road purple. Others stretched wide open, endless tarmac leading to places unknown. I never wanted the ride to end because in those moments, the car wasn't just a way to get somewhere. It was a part of the experience itself. And I think that's what makes a truly great car. It doesn't just move you from A to B. It moves you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
It makes the journey feel effortless. It turns silence into serenity and transforms motion into something meaningful. And when you're in a great car with great people, oh, that's when the real magic happens. You know, think about it. That's when you have the deepest conversations, the biggest laughs, the kind of moments that stay with you long after you've turned that ignition off.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And that's exactly what the Audi Q6 e-tron is all about. Power, precision, and the kind of driving experience that reminds you why the road will always be a place of possibility. And then, when you're done with your road trip, the Q6 e-tron can come back to the real world with you as your everyday car. For instance, the fully electric Q6 e-tron features a new panoramic digital stage.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Plus, you can add an optional screen for front seat passengers. So if you wanted to watch my specials or this podcast in there, you could. Just a suggestion. I mean, you could watch whatever you like. Experience powerful performance, smooth and refined driving dynamics, and a comfortable ride.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
You'll look and feel confident and in command of the road in this sporty, perfectly proportioned, and fully electric SUV. Learn more at AudiUSA.com. Always pay careful attention to the road and do not drive while distracted. You see, it's interesting that you say that. That's what I mean by reading up on your life and why I feel like chosen is a situation that you were in and you've accepted.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And what is that? If you were to distill the purpose down, what is it for Halle Berry?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Because when I look at the journey of Halle Berry... I've gone back to interviews that you did in like 1992, just like random moments with local newspapers. And it's amazing. No, it's really amazing to see how you were trying to pitch yourself as a serious actor, somebody who's in the game, as somebody who takes their craft seriously.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And without fail, your beauty will always be put first before everything. And by the way, I'm not even like judging people, because I know I'm part of them. I'm not like sitting here like, I was like, I'm not going to be here like, no, I was, you say Halle Berry. And then I was like, hallelujah. You get what I'm saying?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
But it's such a strange thing because someone would go like, oh, but it's like a good problem. But I feel like you are the embodiment of that in a very specific way. And now you're using some of that experience to try and rally against the idea because you are the epitome of that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And you work in an industry where many actresses have said across the board, God forbid, a wrinkle starts popping out the corner of your eye, out the corner of your mouth. And all of a sudden they're like, do you want to play someone's mom? Yeah. And the rolls dry up and, you know, everything disappears. Whereas, like, George Clooney, he's still the heartthrob.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Him and Brad Pitt, let's do it, baby. No one's like, wait, they're how old? No, everyone's just like, George Clooney, Brad Pitt. Oh, yeah. But if, like, two women of the same age in Hollywood were trying to do that, someone would go, huh, that's an interesting... What is it, like a mom's weekend movie?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Cougars. I'd love to know, like, how you've dealt with that. Because... It can be hard, I can only assume, to on the one hand have something that people see as an asset, and it is in some ways, but then also deal with the limitations that it comes with in allowing you to be your fullest self as a person.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Was there anyone in your circle who was like, Haley, what are you doing? Like surely there was some, like I can only imagine like the world of agents, managers, you know, everything. Because there is the idea of Halle Berry. I wonder if there was just anyone who was like, Halle, you can't, you can't, like, what are you doing? Surely there was a little doubt.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
I only realized how opaque this world was when – so I saw you in Sweden. We were in Stockholm.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Right? And you were speaking and you were sharing like some of your experience. And I'll never forget how – like if you've never been to Sweden, like if you've never been to Scandinavia, understand something. The Scandinavians are the most put together – non-disruptive, polite people you will ever come across.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Yeah, they're like, hey, you keep to yourself. Everyone does their own thing. You've all got your own house and let's keep it moving. Do you know what I mean? Like it's very, very, very polite society. And when Hallie was speaking on stage, People like it was it was amazing because it was like watching the human body go through two conflicting emotions at the same time.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
On the one hand, you would see these like these these Scandinavian women like stiffen up like you shouldn't be saying this, but then their heads would turn like, tell me more.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And I was like, but we all, we should surely. But it was really amazing to see this. Because, you know, you would think, you know, you say rural. You think, but it is amazing to see how pervasive a shame or like an idea can be. I'm like, did you not think I had a vagina? But this is what it made me wonder.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
So when I think of the journey that you're on now, you know, when I like intimacy gel, for instance. I love that it seems like you've taken something that was a kernel of an idea and you're growing it into like a forest of, you know, of acknowledgement in a way. Because like intimacy gel, already people are just like, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, wait, lubricant? Wait, wait, what's happening here?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Those are gifts you just get from people. But this is something that was, again, it has a different type of taboo, right? So if menopause is the taboo of, oh, my body's not working the way it's quote-unquote supposed to work, and if I'm now aging and I'm quote-unquote, you know, I'm fading out or I'm aging out, this is another taboo. It's like, oh, sex, like lubricant or like any of these things.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
This is such like another taboo. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
This is what I want to get into is the – like if something is not improved, then it will always remain bad. It might even get worse, right? Mm-hmm. And I couldn't help wonder, reading everything about the intimacy gel, I was like, how many people are not having sex anymore, not because they can't, but because they don't know how to? Yes, yes. And then you're speaking about this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Like, why was sex as important in a way as like just the treating of the menopause itself? Because it seems like one is like a pleasure thing and the other one is like your body. So why sex? Yes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And it's like- Wait, for those who don't know, what is perimenopause?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Yeah, this is a rock and roll world. I'm just a tech fan.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
I'm just like, huh. Tell me more about how all of this works.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Don't go anywhere, because we got more What Now? after this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Before we lose you, I'd love to know how this journey – has been informed by or has affected your professional slash sort of life journey. And I know the two are connected, but I can't help but see all the links between them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
You know, like Christiana and I will talk about all the time with, let's say, pregnancy or motherhood and how it clashes with the way we've built corporate life and companies. And you're in an industry that's unique, but at the same time isn't really in some ways.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
In that, like, you know, if you're a woman in Hollywood, if you're a woman in certain jobs, you know, how you look, how you're perceived, how you're seen affects your ability to work or not work. And I'd love to know how have you, navigated a world that has told you you don't hold as much value when you're building up all these other different facets of yourself that do hold value.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Like, because there's a moment before Respin where Halle Berry is, as you said, you found another thing and this is your second act. but I'd love to know how you were navigating that experience because it can be a scary one for people in all walks of life.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
I just think Hollywood gets all the shine, but I think many people will experience that where they go, oh, I didn't know what to do once my kids left for college. I'd always identified as a mom and I was raising these kids and now they're gone. And I just realized now my career as a mom is sort of over in that way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Or someone goes, oh, I've now gone back to the office and my career is this, oh, I've left the office. And I'm struggling with the way the world has now changed its perception of me. I'd love to know how you navigated it, what you experienced and what you learned. And if you learned something from this part of it that's sort of helped you or if it was part of the reason that Respin started.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Was there a part of you that was afraid, though, that you were, you know, because you're building this thing, but there's also this other world that you've, I mean, you're an Oscar-winning actress. Like, let's never forget that. Do you know what I mean? Like, you're an Oscar-winning actress.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
History-making. Yeah. Oscar-winning actress. So it's not even, you know, it's not like, oh, yeah, you act. And it's not like you're a good actress. No, no, no. You can't get high. It's a gold medal at the Olympics. Do you get what I'm saying? So I wonder, like, how much fear was attached then? How are you dealing with that? Yes, you're making respin.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
But before that, you're letting go in some ways of something. And, you know, you don't know what that journey will or won't be. And so I think a lot of people would be... Would be served by knowing like, you know, just how did Halle Berry figure out what for many people is a really tough time in their lives before you find the next thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
It's amazing. The teacher poured into you and I feel like you're now pouring into everybody else. And you poured into us. This was more fun than I could have expected. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
You'll come back. I will come back. You'll come back. There'll be more respin. I can see it. It's going to like... I want the supplements.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
We're working on it. I want the supplements. I knew it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
It's going to be... Thank you so much for joining us. And thank you for sharing. Thank you for pouring your hearts out. Thank you. Thank you for being you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Jody Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackle. Claire Slaughter is our producer. Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown. Thank you so much for listening. Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Because I individually have heard it, but I think it's important for everyone to hear it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
No, I really think it's very important to hear it, genuinely. Okay. Before you even tell it, I'll tell you why I think it's important. So, I think... I love what you said about being chosen. You know, my mother always says, sometimes you're not chosen because somebody chooses you. You're chosen because you are the best person in the best position to do something about something.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And that's sometimes what being chosen means. You know what I mean? And I think in a weird way, I feel like in this moment in your life, everything that was put on you, some of it good and some of it even as a burden, has almost become like the chariot that you're going to ride into this thing on. Does that make sense?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And so I think the story is very important because nobody is brave enough to tell it. And nobody is... Not many people are interesting enough to tell it, to be honest with you. And no, I think that's important because I heard this with a few guys as well. And it was interesting to see guys just be like, oh, wow, we got to get into this. We got to like... I don't know how to explain it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
I think it was cool to see a story being told in a way that it affects women. Yeah. But men live with women. Like, you're in our world.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Is that real, though? Are you sure that you're 58? I'm positive. No, I ask you this because some people don't know. Like, maybe you don't. Like, are you sure, sure?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
I don't think some people age the same way calendars work.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And I think you're one of those people. If we had to repopulate another planet, I would pick Halle Berry as one of the people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
You hear these stories happening to people, like in all of medicine. So I think, you know, sometimes I think medicine is hard. We acknowledge that. There are many things doctors don't know. A lot of things that doctors can't figure out. And a good doctor will tell you that. They're like, hey, we try our best, but oftentimes we don't know.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
But it's crazy how much more they don't know about women's issues. Yes. Do you know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
But they didn't, so they didn't prepare you at all. Not at all. No one says, hey, just so you know, you're getting to, like, for instance, okay, so when I turned 40, without fail, my doctor was just like, how old are you? Even when I was like 38, they're like, 38? They're like, soon you're going to need to go and get your prostate checked.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And I was like, what is that? And they're like, they're going to go and do the thing to your bum. And I was like, okay. But every stop I would go to, people would like throw it out. They're like, throw it out, throw it out, throw it out. Even like the dentist, he was like, oh, happy birthday, prostate time. Yeah. I'm like, okay. So I just knew genuinely. I just knew.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
Yeah, essentially. That's what I would do. It's so good to have you here, by the way. Thank you so much for joining us. Can I tell you, I don't think I've had more fun researching somebody than researching you before this conversation. Because half of the things that I found seem like conspiracy theories, but they're true. Because you type Halle Berry, and then all of a sudden, like...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
At 40, prostate is now a thing that gets checked. And you're telling me that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
We're going to continue this conversation right after this short break. I'll tell you why I love these conversations because like, so like I've, I've told you something like, so I grew up with my mom, like as a single mom for most of our lives. Right.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Second Coming of Halle Berry [VIDEO]
And for various reasons, apartheid being one, but like, just like a single mom, but my mom, like it's, it's, I don't realize I, or I didn't realize how blessed I was because she shares everything with me. So when she was going through menopause, she was just like, tell me stuff that was happening to her body. And, And, you know, she'd be like, oh, I'm so hot. She said, oh, you must.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Okay, so here's the difference between us. If you brought Simon Sinek into your company, and you said, Simon, what is going wrong with this company? Then Simon Sinek would try and help you to make the company better. If you brought Trevor Noah into your company and said, what's happening? There's a chance that I would say, you need to shut this place down. Just shut it all down.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
How do they stage a coup is what you're asking?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Plus, Lioness with Zoe Saldana and Nicole Kidman, and Tulsa King, starring Sylvester Stallone. From Showtime comes The Agency, a spy thriller starring Michael Fassbender and Richard Gere. Get the Paramount Plus with Showtime plan and start streaming today. This episode is brought to you by the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So what I mean is like, okay, for me, when I hear gossip, I go, gossip is... A story about something or someone from my perspective that is salacious in some way, shape or form. But it isn't necessarily the same as history because history is a thing that happened. And look, everyone's going to be biased, but I always feel like telling a story involves like a little... I think it's two things.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Okay, so... The main one is trying to be impartial. You don't gossip about the history of your people. You just tell the story of it, right? That's what I think of with like the griots.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And then the second one for me, and this is a big one, is I don't think people ever need to whisper about histories. Oh, some people should.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
That's what I always think like a gossip for me is, this is my personal, is like if you ever need to like look at, before you say the thing. I think that's more gossip than history. Like, I never need to say to you, like, if you go like, Christiana, tell me about your family. And then I go like, well, my mom... So my mom started working when she was... That to me is not gossip.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But that's because there's an immediate danger as opposed to like a shaming that's going to come.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So venting. So the most important thing for you is releasing the exhaust gases. That's essentially what you're saying.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
It doesn't matter where you're doing it. I mean, I think you have to have. So you can vent about work at home and you can vent about home at work.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Celebrate the unexpected at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the most unique luxury resort and casino in the heart of the strip. Discover a one-of-a-kind restaurant collection, a vibrant mix of bars and lounges, and three distinct pool experiences.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
That sounds like a warning to me versus gossip.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
From panoramic views on your private terrace and countless ways to be entertained, find a scene that suits your every mood and experience elevated luxury. Nothing is off the table and temptation is around every corner. Reserve your stay now at cosmopolitanlasvegas.com.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
The difference though is like with gossip versus, like let's say an office.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I want to know the jobs you had in an office. Unsuccessfully, I worked as like, what do you call them? Clerks sometimes where the person's job is to like get the papers.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Yeah, like that. I've done that. I worked in an office because I was a meter reader. You know, like reading electricity and water meters. Then you'd be in the office with the people. Can I read your meter, please? That type of thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Well, what is the difference? And then The Daily Show was an office for years. So you're saying it's funny we talk about offices. I think most people, if I was to bet, most people listening to this podcast work in an office. Most people in the developed world work in an office. It's like the thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
We're going to continue this conversation right after this. It also comes with plenty of other perks too, like access to Sapphire's airport lounge network. You can relax and refresh with locally inspired menus, a curated selection of drinks, and more before getting on your flight. Make the most out of your next trip. Learn more at chase.com slash sapphire reserve.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Cards issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. member FDIC. Subject to credit approval. Terms apply. This episode is brought to you by Atlassian. Atlassian team collaboration software like Jira, Confluence, and Loom help power collaboration for enterprise companies around the globe. With products that enable AI-powered teamwork, doing the impossible just became possible.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So join the 83% of the Fortune 500 that trust Atlassian to help transform their enterprise. Learn how to unleash the potential of your team at Atlassian.com. After this short break. You know, when I'm listening to this, I can't help but wonder if we always talk about companies. as if they're these isolated spaces.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
You should fire yourself, and you people should ask yourself why you work here, and everyone should go home. That might be my solution. I mean... That's a contribution.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But it feels like you live in a world where you're constantly exposed to the petri dishes of society. Because what is a company if not a manufactured community? It's a collection of people. It's the modern tribe. There you go.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And so these are the people you... Because of, let's say, your job, maybe you chose, but you sort of didn't choose them because you weren't the person hiring all of them and you weren't the person. So in many ways, it is like a tribe. It is like a community. These people have happened into your life and now you have to choose how to treat them and how not to treat them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So the thing that pops into my mind as I'm thinking about this is, is it harder for us to be better or to treat people or to give them the benefit of the doubt in a corporate setting? Or is this just... a magnifying glass that's put on us and our ability outside of the corporate setting. Like, where have you found it easier to apply these principles?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Because everything you're saying to me sounds like things we should be doing in real life, right? So we should go, I don't like that person's music. I don't like how they looked in some pictures. I don't like the way they speak. As opposed to saying, that person's an asshole. And it's like, well, how do you know they're an asshole? I can tell. You're like, okay, but what of them?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And we've seen this happen online. You can just like build, all of a sudden there's like a movement. Mm-hmm. And everyone's just like, we hate them. And you're like, but why is this? An example for me was like Anne Hathaway. Do you remember there was a time when Anne Hathaway was just hated?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And she'd done nothing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I'm not like chronically online. So I pop in and I'll miss things. And I'm like, what did she do? And then I'll go down a rabbit hole. I'm like, I can't find it. And then she'd like danced at a film festival or something or an after party. And then people are like, she's amazing. Yeah. I was like, what has happened in her life or in people's lives that this shifted?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Yeah, but what does that mean? I'll be honest. I'm always confused about that because I go – For me, a company's values are to make money.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
No, no. And I mean this, and I'm not like saying it in an attacking way. I go, I'm always thrown when a company says like our values, because I go, these are your values. Yeah. But if losing money comes into the equation, you will adapt your values. So then they aren't values to me. That's what I always think of. So I go like, can a company actually have values beyond making money?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
That's a high hit rate.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Is Milton Friedman still alive? No. Oh, okay. That's why you can say it like that. Otherwise, that would be like a crazy move if you were just like, I hate you, Milton Friedman. And Milton Friedman's like, I hate his work. Simon Sinek. Okay, you hate his work.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So people will say we want democracy. Like the idea of democracy is very popular because it's been attached to things like fairness and equality, et cetera. But I would argue most people would be fine living in a dictatorship or under monarchy... if their lives were good.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Yeah, like it's like people don't actually care really. The problem is succession. Yeah, that's actually the thing, you know? And so what you're saying now is, I think of how many people, let's say in America, we start with the US. One of the more interesting things I saw was on AOC's Instagram page, right? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She asked people after the election,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
in and around helping people connect. But oftentimes people will think of you as the guy who helps people connect in like an official setting, you know, like a company and an institution and whatever. But is there anything you can help people? Like literally what Christiana said, how do siblings become closer or how do they stay friends or how do they even make a friend?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
hey, I noticed that Trump won the election, but he lost on the down ballots in many places. And now a lot of people are saying this is a conspiracy. They're saying, how could Trump have won the election? But the people in these certain counties and whatever, or states, they voted Democrat, but then Trump won. What's what's going on here?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And so she said, just for me, can you all tell me if you voted for me and Trump? I want to know if that's possible. And her, I don't know what the number was, but it looked like she was flooded with replies. And then she started posting them on her page. And it was amazing to see how many people said, I voted for you and Trump.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Because while you two don't see eye to eye, you are both doing the same thing in my eyes, which is you're dismantling the system that has put me in this position. AOC is going, break it all apart. Trump is saying, break it all apart. AOC is saying, these people are screwing you over. Trump is saying, these people are screwing you over. And then you see it with leaders as well. They're killing it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
They're doing well. They're having fun. And then on the ground, you're not having a good time. And then it leads us to a lot of what we have now.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But how do they respond? Because you actually hang out with CEOs. How do they respond? Well, the ones who agree with me hang out with me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Because people assume you'll be friends with your siblings. Right, right, right.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
This episode, we're talking with Simon Sinek about how to find meaning and satisfaction in the work that you do. And let's be honest, a big part of that is making sure you end up in the right role at the right place. In other words, it's all about hiring, recruiting, and finding the perfect match. That's what's inspired this next special part of today's episode.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Next big opportunity brought to you by ZipRecruiter.com. Let me give you one example of a job opportunity up right now on ZipRecruiter. A cake maker in Pacifica, California. Yeah, sounds like a pretty straightforward job. But when you think about who the perfect candidate would be, you realize how important the recruiting process actually is.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
If you're hiring for this job, you need someone with the experience needed to fill all different kinds of orders. People have some pretty weird ideas for cakes out there, and they've got to fulfill them. So you need someone who can also work independently. under deadlines. And the job isn't just going in the back room and making cakes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
You have to work with customers to come up with the perfect cake for their special occasion. That's a lot of pressure. If you're applying for this job, you want to make sure the team you're joining works well together and communicates. You want to make sure this business has a good reputation and good benefits.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Maybe you're looking for experience inside a small business because you may want to start one of your own someday. ZipRecruiter connects all those dots with tools like ZipIntro, where you can go from posting your job to candidate interviews in just one day. Of course, it's just not cakes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
One employer needed to hire front desk salespeople for her Pilates studio, so she used ZipRecruiter's Zip Intro tool to find and schedule back-to-back video screening calls with candidates. She'd only set out to hire two people, but she had so many great candidates that she ended up hiring four people in one week. Whatever role you're looking to fill, ZipRecruiter can help.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
With smart matching technology and handy tools like ZipIntro, you'll find a potential hire in no time. In fact, four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. Try it now for free at ZipRecruiter.com slash Trevor. That's ZipRecruiter.com slash T-R-E-V-O-R. See for yourself. Try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com slash Trevor.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
This has been Next Big Opportunity, brought to you by ZipRecruiter. Now, back to our conversation with Simon Sinek. There's a really beautiful story I read. There was an explorer. I don't know. I'm very bad with years, but I remember the stories. There was an explorer in England who went and bumped into an undiscovered tribe. They hadn't made contact with the English tribe.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And this guy befriended them and they welcomed him in. All things were good. And then he like sort of learned to communicate with them. And it was this beautiful little journey where he learned their way of life and had a wonderful time. And they were really an altruistic, you know, community. And they had different laws, by the way. Sort of murder was legal.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
in some ways you could just kill somebody and then the tribe was just like all right well you did it and we keep it moving we don't like judge you we don't but he was like surprisingly everyone didn't kill each other so they were definitely different right after spending you know months or even years with them he goes back to England and he says to like the chief of the tribe and like somebody else he's like hey you should come with me to England and they travel back to England
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And they like spending time with him and his family. You know, you can imagine this life. Now you've gone from like the jungle to, you know, London.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Yeah, yeah. And he says to them, he says, so what do you think? And he says like, he thought these guys are going to be mesmerized because there's technology and like there's, you know, carriages and there's all kinds of stuff. He's like, so what do you think? And he says, they were not impressed at all. The only thing that impressed them was the butchery.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
They were literally, they were like, that's the only thing that made them happy. They're like, wow, you could just go get meat anytime you want. That's pretty cool. Everything else they didn't care about. And it culminated in a question that they asked him one day. After a week or so of staying together, he came home. And one of the tribe's people asked him, said, hey, where do you go every day?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
The guy said, what? And he said, every day you leave this house, You're gone. We're here with, like, your family. And then you come back. Where do you go every day? And he's like, oh, I go to work. And they're like, ah. They're like, well, why don't you take your family with you? And he's like, oh, yeah, they don't allow that at my work. That's not how we do things here. And they go, oh, okay.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And they're like, well, do you like your work more than your family? And he's like, no, no, no, I love my family the most. And they said, well, then why don't you quit your work and just stay with your family? And he said, no, I have to work for my family so that we can live.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And then they said, well, this system doesn't make sense because if you're working to be with your family, but you have to leave your family to go to work, then you're doing the wrong thing in the wrong way. And then he said, well, how do you do it? I have to have the house and I have to... And they said, in our community, when somebody needs a house, we all come together, we build them a house.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
It takes us about a month. There's now a house. And then we go back to living our lives with our families. And if somebody needs something else, we get together, we do that for them, and then we go back. And he says it was the first time... That he was ever confronted with the notion that the way we live isn't normal. Like the office, the work, the family, the thing. And then they went back.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
By the way, he was like, do you guys want to? They're like, oh, no, no, no, no. We're very happy to leave. By the way, give us some meat. That was really cool. And then they went back home and they lived their lives.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So we were the only... No, okay, that actually makes a lot of sense.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Actually, that makes a lot of sense.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
You need to make them their only connection to each other.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So I'll throw one thing in separately, actually, because I don't consult with companies in that way. But I do think, for me at least, personally, When we talk about purpose, I sometimes think about it through the lens of, funny enough, pyramids.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Do your kids already have the American accent?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
You know, when I went to Peru and you go to Machu Picchu and you're looking at the pyramids, the immediate assumption that Western anthropologists had when they came was, oh, they did this using slavery. They were like, oh, yeah, you guys had slaves and that's how you built the thing. And historians who are from Peru go, no, no, no. You assume that because that's how you built your empires.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
You only know how to build using slavery. They go, these people had purpose. And their purpose was they woke up every day. They said, we're building a temple to the gods. And no one was like forcing anyone. They were like, yo, yo, temple time, temple time, baby. And everyone got together and they're like, why do we push these rocks? For the gods.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And now someone might be like, ah, they were being manipulated. Who told them about the gods? Okay, we can have that conversation forever. But I do think there's a different thrust that people experience where like, you feel like you are doing something or moving towards something. And while it doesn't replace your community for me, it's, It adds to my community. Do you know what I'm saying?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Like even working with you, like at The Daily Show, working with people, there's like a vibe of like where I'm like, yeah, we're trying to do something. Sometimes we don't. Sometimes we do. But it's like we're trying to move in the same direction. And that for me, if you do it right, I think it's something beautiful. But to your point, I think a lot of companies scam people on that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
That's why I was asking about the values thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I agree with you. But I'm saying, what are you doing at work? That's maybe my thing. Because I agree with you. I go to work, I come back, yes. But then there's also a third option, which is, which work do I go to?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Don't go anywhere because we got more What Now? after this. This episode is brought to you by Nordstrom Rack. Just in and so good. Thousands of new winter deals are at Nordstrom Rack stores now. Save up to 60% on Sam Edelman, Sorel, Free People, Colhan, and more cold weather finds. Great brands. Great prices. That's why you rack. This episode is brought to you by SurveyMonkey.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
The world is always changing and totally unpredictable, which is fun unless you're trying to run a business. So if you want to build products people actually love, keep your customers happy, and stop your team from setting their status to emotionally unavailable, well, you've got to understand what people are really thinking. And to do that, you need to dare to ask the questions that really matter.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Luckily, SurveyMonkey makes it super easy to ask the right questions that'll drive your business forward. In fact, SurveyMonkey answers 20 million questions every single day for over 300,000 organizations around the globe. Get answers to your questions. Go to surveymonkey.com slash dare.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
how do we better find not necessarily the purpose and not always the meaning, but sort of that why, but notice that it's always shifting. Do you know what I mean? So I understand like you're talking to a company and you're saying to them, look, you are a collection of people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And so you have to ask yourself what you would like this collection of people to be moving towards or how you would like them to even be with one another, right? That's what I assume you're doing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Yeah. But there are also people, right? And so I wonder whether looking at your own life or looking at all of the learnings that you've come across, is there a way – that we can all, doesn't matter where we are in our world, is there a way that we can always hone in on the sort of quote unquote why that shifts?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Because to your point, I think it's great that a mother goes, I don't know about my job. And I think we should be living in a world where you are able to do that because the same people who will complain about women like, you know, having kids and blah, are the same people who often complain about birth rates declining. I always find that, you know, ironic.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
They'll be like, the birth rates, look at the birth rates. And I'm like, but who do you think gives birth? And why do you think that they're not having as much birth time? You know? Yeah, it's because... No, really, I do believe that. The cost is so great. Yeah, I would love to know what you think we could do.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Whoa, whoa, whoa, Simon.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I've only been having fun.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
This is my thinking music, everyone. When I think properly. It would probably be the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So I've actually thought a lot about this. So I'm also cheating a little bit, everyone, because I do think about this all the time. The reason it was that for me was because, firstly, I had no boss. This is very important to me in life, right? I had no boss. Secondly, the thing had a natural conclusion. Right? It does not go infinitely. Right? I think everything should end.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I'm a big fan of endings. It's wonderful in life. Third is I could bring on whoever I wanted. And it was a wide range of people, by the way. Some people were writers. Some people were not. Some people were comedians. Some people were not. Okay?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
No, no, no. But it makes a big difference. It's like because... At The Daily Show, for instance, I was working for somebody. And the somebody I'm working for is the network. So you're always fighting this balance between what do you think is important to do or create? And what do these people want? Because you can do what you think is important.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And if the ratings are terrible, at some point they go, it's time for you to leave, right? So now you, and to be honest with you, I think that's one of the biggest problems with television and art right now in the world, right? If you look at the MGM logo, It's Trayvon, our friend who was on one of the podcasts. He pointed this out to me even.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
It's like in Latin, we know when that lion roars before the movie. In Latin it says there, art for the sake of art. And I don't think we do that anymore. I don't think we, like, people don't make movies because they think making a movie is a beautiful thing for people to experience. People don't tell stories because it's like, it just makes you feel good as a person. No.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
This is What Now? with Trevor Noah. This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. The holidays are almost here. And who doesn't love getting a little back this season? I can earn up to 3% daily cash back on presents I buy for my loved ones with my Apple Card without paying a single fee. It's simple and convenient because it's in the wallet app on my iPhone so it's always with me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Okay, how much will it get? Will there be a sequel? Can we get more money? Is there franchising? For you, the Correspondence Dinner was pure. In as many ways as it could be, yes, it was. Do you get what I'm saying?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And so that's the thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Childhood memory. Damn, this is an interesting one. Let me think. Because there's many. How old? Give me an age and I'll tell you. I don't care. No, but when does childhood end?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Yeah, so okay. When I think of young, young, one of my favorite memories was playing on the roundabout at a park near my house.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Okay, yeah, go on. And we were all teaming up. I got a bunch of people together to see how fast we could make this thing spin. Mm-hmm. But like it was a monumental effort. Do you know what I mean? Because everyone had to be at the right place, swinging the thing at the right time to get it. Our goal was to make it fly.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
We thought if we spin it hard enough, it's going to take off. But that was one of my, when I think back, I go like, wow, what a day. What a day.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Well, I think for me, it's many of the things that I was saying with the White House correspondence dinner, right? It's collaboration. I chose the people I was doing it with. We didn't pick the random kids who in you had no coordination because the thing's going to smack you in the hands, right? So we got the strongest, fastest, smartest.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
like you know most affable we put the people together and we were like this works so it wasn't like if you were the small kid then your job might have been to be more on the inside if you were the big kid your job was to push but we put people together and it matched in many ways right and the most important thing funny enough Simon Sinek the most important thing was that we were having fun.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And I mean this genuinely. We had a purpose, but man, we were having fun.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
The outcome is a bonus. I always say this. The outcome is a bonus. But now let me ask you this, because I love this for me. No, no, I appreciate it. So the last thing I'll ask you before we go is this then. For the person, and I think this is sort of what Christiana is saying. For those who are not lucky enough to find themselves in that place, in that moment. Some people can't be in a park.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
They can't choose the kids. They can't, do you get what I'm saying? What is the trick that you would recommend? And I mean this honestly, because I go, I really go every- You're comparing your why.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So all I ask you is for that person now, let's imagine a person who goes, Simon, I don't have much in the way of my community. and this is because of, you know, a series of factors, you know, there isn't a club, there isn't a that, there isn't whatever. I work because this was the only job I could get.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So I don't have the luxury of being recruited and I haven't been found by where I would like to be found. Okay. But I'm also looking for a piece of this. And my job is a soul sucking experience where they want me here from the earliest time to the latest time. And I give all of my energy to this thing. And then when I get home, I have to look after my family. And this is a, How do they find that?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Or what are you saying to that person where they don't have the immediate luxury of like springing out, searching for it, going to another place, doing another thing? What is like a... Because there's always something we can do.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
But again, I'm just going to push you on this because I need a tip. I'll tell you why. I'll tell you why. Because I agree with all of that. But this is why I think Christiana and I are friends because I understand a lot of what she's saying, honestly, like innately. So I'm saying now that people are in this situation, what's like a hack?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Because there are some people who literally, they can't find the community because there is no community. They don't have the people around them. They live in a different country maybe. Maybe their family doesn't even talk to them. Is there like a, just like a little hack or something that can move you towards that?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Just move them around. Actually, wait, so. Let me ask you this. So one of my favorite things, just to give people a bit of context... Simon and I have, I don't know how long we've known each other for now. Probably three years. Yeah, somewhere there. Three years. But my favorite thing about you by far is that I just throw puzzles at you. I just go, here's a puzzle. What do you think?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Damn, you sound like my mom. No wonder she always says service. Okay. Christiana, are you going to do the thing?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
We'll do it in private.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
yep well you see as I said I never know what's going to happen when I sit down with Simon Sinek but at the end of it there's something else that I discover a new way to see like a paradigm you know and I think everyone listening had the same experience Simon Sinek thank you so much for joining us thanks for having me such a joy thank you you've got to take me to those good companies I was actually thinking about Chobani the founder of that yogurt company yeah I haven't met him yet but I mean they have a great reputation I can take you if you really want to see some cool stuff we can take you to see some cool stuff thank you
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Jody Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackle. Claire Slaughter is our producer. Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown. Thank you so much for listening. Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And then you'll throw some at me and then we'll go back and forth. And what I love about you is the thing that most people like about you in the world is like how your brain works and how you're able to synthesize information that sort of gives us an understanding of something that maybe we didn't understand.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Yeah, but I'm not formal with it. I'm like... Formal? No, no, no. What I mean by this is like... I'm not an academic. No, what I'm trying to say is like, I'm not always trying to help people. I think there's a difference. This man is chaotic good. I wouldn't distill me like that. Pure chaos.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Maybe he makes the chaos so that he can find the order. Perhaps it is. I resent all of these comments. But either way, I'm happy to have you here. Before I get into my stuff, I wanted to know, is there a puzzle you're trying to solve right now that we can help you with?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
No, no, this is great. This is why people listen. Trust me. This is why people listen. Because I feel like to give people a little more context, you know, like you blew up on the scene many years ago. And I think you've had like multiple moments that have really put you into the zeitgeist. But...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
One thing that I think has separated you from many people is that you're seen as somebody who is inspirational and thought-provoking and really a modern-day philosopher in how we see the world. But then you're also seen like that by institutions in some ways.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So you'll get brought in to speak to military leaders or personnel, and you'll get brought in to speak into parts of government or companies. They'll go like, Simon, we need you to come in. Okay, I'm going to ask you a question. You don't have to expose anybody here. Mm-hmm. And I'll tell you what I think about it and then I'd love to know your opinion on it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And because everything I need is in one place, it's easy to see what I've spent and make a payment. So, if you have an iPhone, you can apply for an Apple Card and start using it right away. It's easy. Subject to credit approval. Variable APRs for Apple Card range from 18.74% to 28.99% based on creditworthiness. Rates as of October 1st, 2024.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
In my time traveling around the world and spending a lot of time with leaders in America, not political, by the way, just across the board, people who have power over other people in any way, shape or form. I have been shocked at how much people who are in charge of shit do not know what is going on.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
And I'm going to repeat this a little bit slower because it shocked me when I came to the realization. Most of the people, many even of the people, let's not say most, many of the people who are in charge of companies, of institutions, of like, you know, states, they do not know. Yeah. What is going on? It's an amateur point of view because I don't work like with them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
So you're the person who works with them. I want to know like the people who are running the world, do they know what they're doing?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Oh, that's okay. Okay. So strategic people are more likely, in your opinion, to know that they aren't great at the tactics. Correct. But tactical people are less likely to know. They think they're great at strategy. They think they're great at strategy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I'm just trying to narrow down. Why? That's an interesting, we've all worked in places. Wow, that was a... I actually think Christiana does think or did think that maybe.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Okay, okay. Do you think of yourself as an idiot?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch, member FDIC. Terms and more at applecard.com. Paramount Plus. Looking for your next streaming obsession? Paramount Plus has a mountain of all-new original dramas, including the series everyone is talking about, Landman, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm, and Demi Moore.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
Brilliant and an idiot.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Why Are All Bosses Idiots? with Simon Sinek [VIDEO]
I actually do think that. No, I do.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. One of my favorite things to have on hand these days is my Apple Card. It's made to be simple and private, and getting it was pretty simple too. It takes minutes to apply. Check your credit limit offer and start using it right away with Apple Pay. You could apply for it while waiting in line to get coffee and then use it to buy your coffee.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
No, it's worse the other way around.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I have been surprised might be the wrong word, but it's the only one I can think of right now. I've been surprised at how... Just like... The lack of robustness in America's systems. Like the institutions. Yeah, you take for granted how much of America is run like the game of golf. It's just an agreement. You're going to keep your score, right? You'll tell us where your ball landed, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah, of course, of course. And you're not going to move the ball when you get there, right? No, no, no, no, no. But you keep your own score. Think about how crazy golf is as a game. Everyone is out there competing against each other. Everyone keeps their own score. You hit the ball. It goes somewhere. You then tell people where your ball was. Mm-hmm. If you move it, nobody knows.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You don't move the ball if you do. But all of this. And people keep their own scores. And the game is basically run. There's all the rules. But a lot of the game is just a handshake. It's a gentleman's agreement. And I've been surprised to see how much of America is just a gentleman's agreement.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You have to wait for the final court, though. It's like, which court does it go to?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah, I'm going to move to the bank after I've been running banks. I'm going to move to the defense contract after running, yeah, yeah, yeah. But you're right, it has been subtle.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Well, you know, there is the theory. I forget the official name for it or the title for it. But there's this theory that says that there's no society that functions without corruption and corruption is a necessary part of society for it to succeed. It's counterintuitive.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
The Brits love corruption too. Come on. Let me tell you something.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Can I tell you what I've learned about Nigerians? Now you're going to bring out your British side, please.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
No, but they don't love the corrupt. There's a difference.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
That's what I mean. That's the difference. I think that's what it really is with Trump. It's the gentleman's agreement. When he sat down with Zelensky, he broke the gentleman's agreement. I'm sure many presidents have cussed each other out over world issues. But the gentleman's agreement is that you don't do it in front of the press. Do you get what I'm saying? It's the same way adults.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You'd be like, yo, we'll talk about this. Let's let the kids go away. We're going to go to another room and we'll discuss. Because you don't want the kids to see this because there's a certain level of decorum.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
That's what it is. He's not decent. What Trump did there is you don't do that amongst world leaders because it's not for us as the public in a weird way. Go into a room, fight about it, and then come out and shake hands and be like, yeah, you know, we had a good discussion and we're going to figure this out. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
But he didn't think he was going to cuss him out.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Okay, so here's how I play out the timeline. Trump goes, Zelensky's coming. Now, Trump, remember who Trump believes Trump is. Trump believes he's the greatest negotiator, the greatest dealmaker, the greatest businessman, the greatest peacemaker that has ever... Remember, this is the man who said on day one, he's like, on day one, I will reduce the price of eggs. I will bring them down. Day one.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Eggs have only gone up. Day one, Israel-Palestine, I'm going to end it. We're tired of the war. We got to end it. It's not over. You get what I'm saying? He's the person who believes. He genuinely believes. I don't even think he's lying about this. He thinks, I'm going to go in. And I'm just going to tell them what it is. And it's going to be. Same thing with tariffs. I'm going to do the tariffs.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Then the thing backfires. Then he's like, okay, I'm going to undo the tariffs. Then I'm going to do the tariffs again. Then I'm going to undo the tariffs. But he believes it. So he goes, you know what? I'll call Zelensky. He's like, I'm going to call Zelensky. And I'm going to tell him this war needs to stop. And then Zelensky will stop the war. What happens? Zelensky shows up.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Zelensky shows up in his outfit. That's the first thing Trump is angry about. Because he's like, why is this guy... Everyone shows up here in a suit and tie. What is this man doing? Do you know what I mean? And that was the first comment, if you remember. He pointed at me, he's like, oh, he got all dressed up. Look at him. So that's the first thing, the first slight for Trump.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
They go in, they're having the conversation. It's a normal press conference until the end. And that's the moment where Zelensky says a thing that Trump feels is something that goes against like him and is like a threat. You know, it's like you're going to feel the pressure. You're going to feel Russia's influence. He's like, don't tell us what we're going to feel. Don't you threaten me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And that's when it goes off the rails. But he I don't think he brought the man in to cuss him out. I think he brought him in to solve it. And then this little man didn't come in scrounging in front of him.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I feel like, you know, I was thinking that. So I'm a Liverpool fan and not just because it's going well now. We've had some tough times. That's why I feel for you. I mean, it was good under Klopp as well. Yeah, but I was around before that. I was around when we were still like scrounging around. Do you know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I love the idea that, Josh, you should know this. If you invite Josh to your house, how he's dressed is a precursor to your moment in life.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah. If Josh shows up in a hoodie to your party, you should go check your bank account. Go check your investments. Go check everything. We're going to continue this conversation right after this short break.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
the most important news in the world right now across every country is that christiana had another baby before we get into it because i want to know all the details and i have many questions for you by the way which i've been saving oh many questions okay Do you know how many people will talk to me about the podcast and the thing they'll say, they'll go like, Josh, oh, Josh, oh, he's very funny.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Oh man, I love this thing. Oh, YouTube, oh, Josh, you know what I mean? By the way, like people think you're like different people. It's very strange for me, but people will tell me about you. but then tell me about you doing something else as a different person. Oh yeah, people don't know I'm the same person. They don't know you're the same person. You've noticed that as well, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yo, people say that to me. They'll go like, oh, man, I love the, oh, man, by the way, there's this comedian you should have on your show. His name's Josh Johnson. Then I go, you just told me you like Josh on the podcast.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And they go, yeah, yeah, yeah, but have you heard Josh Johnson?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
This is true, actually. Sometimes it's against me, though. It is against you. You are the white Josh Johnson. Yeah. That's right, you are. But the other thing people say, they'll be like, oh, I love Joshua. Then they'll be like, oh, Christiana is so funny. She's smart. But then they'll be like, She's always pregnant. How many children does Christiana have? Yo, everyone. Men, women, old, young.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
People would just be like... Oh, my God. There's a comedian in South Africa. His name's Ndor. He was just chatting randomly. And he's like, yeah, Trevor. He's like, hi, chap. He's like, that Christiana, she's always pregnant. How is she always pregnant? And I was like, what? Is she always... And I was like, actually, she is always pregnant.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I haven't been the longest Liverpool fan, but I've been a fan for long enough that I don't remember like winning things. Okay. Do you know what I mean? I remember your glory days. Gerrard.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
First of all, congratulations. Thank you. You are now the mother of a, how old?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
So wait, so are you, how many, what's the number you're going for?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Above all else, to thine own self be true.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
That's a quote that I love to live by. I'm not saying this out of judgment. I'm asking if there is like an end goal. Because you are with children the way dangerous leaders are with land and like territory. They'll be like, I'm done. Remember when Putin said Crimea? That's it. He said, that's it. He said, now that we have, you are, you're the Putin of children.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
even before yeah like well not before Gerard but I mean like because there was like the peak Gerard where he was crushing it and then he had the slip which you know ended it for us very painfully but yeah but I was like around you know what I was actually thinking funny enough is I was going like
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Because every time I think you're done, there's another incursion. And then you're going to tell me about why you had to. So you said after the first one, you were like, Trevor, I will, you're like, don't ever have kids. I'll never have kids. Then second one, then you're like, I don't know who tricked me into this. I can't believe I'm doing it again. I'll never, Trevor, I'm done.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
After this, I'm done. I'm done. I'm done. We're now the third one.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
On Valentine's Day? Yes, I said go. Okay.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Oh, so there's so many people in LA getting vasectomies.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And that person will be like, I've never done this before, but let's see what happens. I heard it's just snip snap.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
No, go on all the tangents because I want to know all the details.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Wait, wait, wait. You see, she left herself a little out there.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Day five embryos. You know, it's only a matter of time before. You remember when we were on the road. I used to have this joke that I almost believe is going to become true. They're just going to keep moving it further and further back. That's why we want to take them out of Texas. Yeah, but they're going to keep moving it further and further back.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I found myself thinking that sports in that way is in some ways like the perfect analogy for nation states. You know, like if you think about it right now, America is the man united of the world.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
They go like, oh no, the heartbeat or this or blip and this and inception. It's going to get to the point where they'll just be like, your sperm is a child. Look at how they swim.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Can I tell you... I'm glad you brought that up. Can I tell you something? This is something I feel like people don't speak enough about because we...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You know, the problem with almost every single conversation people have, not just in America, but in most places, but I feel like America does it, you know, in the most extreme way, is that you can't have a conversation about a thing because it's overlapped with so many other issues that then people think you're talking about when you're not talking about it, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I'm glad you brought that up because even with us doing this, you being pregnant is the worst thing for the podcast, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
With Josh, I never, with you, I go, okay, when is Josh on the road? When is Josh touring? When is Josh, okay, cool, whatever.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah, but when... No, but I'm not even worried about... What I'm saying is you being pregnant is the worst thing for our work schedule, right? Because you have to go see the doctor. Anything can happen at any time during the pregnancy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
There you go. You've got a high-risk pregnancy. So your body is this fragile thing that is doing this amazing thing that you have to watch out for on all these levels. So if Christiana's not well, I'm never going to put a podcast over your pregnancy. You know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
That's what I mean. We don't talk about these things because people feel like you're conceding something that they don't want to concede.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Having a child is terrible for your career. Having a child is also terrible for the work environment, like for the actual for your company, your office. It's not great for them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Think about this. Think about this, right? Whether you like America or not, you have to admit, there was a point where America was champion of the world without, like, no hesitation. You name it. You know, music, sport, culture, politics, diplomacy. Like, it was just like America is...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
So I've been experiencing this through different lenses and in different ways. So I've gotten to experience the professional side of it with you. You know, pregnancy and a woman having children in the work environment, which I've loved. Because anything that gives me insight, I love. You know what I mean? Like if I was in that plane that flipped over...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I would love it because I'd be, I've always wanted to be in a plane that crashes, but I would like to experience it and then come out on the other side. Does that make sense? So if I don't live, I have... It's concerning, but it makes sense. No, what I mean is like, I love things that give me insights. So what is it like? Oh, I now know what it's like.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yes, exactly. Right. So, but then one of my best friends and his wife, they just had twins. Right. Yeah, yeah, oof, indeed. And, like, there have been some days where there's nobody to look after the twins. I don't know how many months old they are, but they're, like, tiny. They don't walk. They don't do anything. They're still in, like, that, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
They're, like, blobby. I don't know how old they are. They can hold their necks up. Their necks are now, they're able to hold their necks up. They're infants, definitely. Yeah, they're infants. And some days it'll be like me and him looking after them, right? For hours on end, hours on end. And the other day we were sitting together and we're just like rotating the babies.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And he like broke his back many years ago. And then now carrying the babies on the stroller, the back injury came back. So for like a week, he couldn't carry babies. So now I'm helping him with both of the babies and I'm running around. But there was a point where we were sitting together. And you know what this is like, you know, but the baby starts like crying in a rotation.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah. So just as one baby starts crying, it cries, it cries, it cries, it cries, it cries. You finally figure out what it is. Maybe it wanted to be rocked. Maybe it wanted to be fed. Maybe it wanted to be burped. Maybe it just wanted to move. Sometimes they just want to stand up. Sometimes babies just don't like you to sit down. This is what I've learned. Like babies are like, why are you sitting?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
the country of the world no one doubted it you went anywhere in the world and you said where do you want to go america you know what i mean didn't matter what country you went to america that was like the thing and then i don't know i don't know when i would say the first like little slip maybe when obama left no no i think it was i think before then i think like i think okay for me personally around like 9 11. i was just about to say that when we started bombing the world was the first time where i noticed people go you mean that yeah
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Like babies should be bosses in every office in the world. They do not tolerate sedentary lifestyles. Babies are just like, why are you sitting? He's like, what do you mean? I'm chilling. The baby's like, nah, nah. When you stand, then the baby's like, yeah, this is good. I like this. I like this. That's all the baby's doing. You finally get the baby to chill or sleep.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And then the other baby's like, all right, my turn. Let's see what we can do with this. So we're in the spiral. We're in this thing. We're in this, I'm rocking, singing, burping, bumping, jumping, doing everything with these babies. And I think like two hours in, I looked at him and I said, yo, how much longer do we have? And he said, what do you mean? The whole day.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I also like that you can get up to 3% daily cashback on every purchase, which can be put into a high-yield savings account that you can open through Apple Card. So you can really put your money to work. Apply in the Wallet app on your iPhone and start using Apple Card right away. Subject to credit approval, savings is available to Apple Card owners. Subject to eligibility.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And then I looked at him and I said, how do women, how do they exist? And what I mean by how do women exist is, I don't understand how we've created a system where we act like that is not happening to everyone.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Most people, especially in America, cannot afford childcare. No. They don't have support. They don't have systems. So they're leaving their kids at home at a young age if they get to that age where they can. Or some people are bringing the kid with them where they can. But I don't understand how we're going to live in a world where we, on the one hand, tell people, hey, the birth rate is dropping.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
We need to have more kids. Why aren't we having kids? This is not sustainable. But then on the other hand, not support the very same people who need to have the kids to sustain a population.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Can I tell you just as an aside? Two things. One, I still think GLP-1 slash that whole world is unlocking something deep in humanity that we haven't even like, we haven't tapped into. I think it's unhacking a lot of the hacking that has happened to us, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And if you're listening to this, I'm not saying like go and take Ozempic or all of these things, but I genuinely believe that almost everyone in society in some way should be on it because I feel like in the same way that microplastics are everywhere now, I think we've all been like poisoned by foods that have hacked our systems.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And I think these drugs are the first things that are undoing a lot of that hacking. I don't know how long, like how long, you know, it'll last and how people will feel good. I'm not endorsing it in any way, but I just think GLP-1 in particular.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
But have you seen, have you seen how now like big food companies, you know, for lack of a better term, fast food companies and then chips and snacks and all of that. Have you seen that they're working on GLP-1 blockers in their food?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
They are trying to make food now that can resist Ozempic and Monjaro and all of these drugs because the people who take this aren't eating junk food and aren't becoming overweight and aren't getting sick and are becoming more fertile and are becoming like, they gamble less, they buy less, they smoke less, they drink less, they shop less, they do everything less of the unhealthy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And because of that, they're actually going to make food that is going to block the block so that they can get you back into that. Sorry.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You might be crack hungry, actually. No, you actually might be crack hungry. Because GLP-1 is produced naturally, as I understand it. Right? So it's something that your gut is supposed to produce when you are full. Mm-hmm. Most food hacks that feeling. But if you have a healthy gut, your stomach tells you, okay, you're full.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
So now to your point, if it blocks that, yeah, we might get like cracked Doritos now.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You brought children into this world?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You know what's funny is that there's a dad bod, but we don't even have the baby. I mean, it's true though.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah. Like dads just get it. You know what I mean? Men are really, we really have finessed the game in a good way. Cause like they'll go like, oh, mom bod. Yeah. She's had kids. Dad bod. You never had kids. You've never physically had the children. Why are you using this as an excuse?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
No, no, no. You bring me stuff. This is a thing I have. You do my best. You bring me snacks. This is a thing I have with Josh, just generally. I don't know if it's because you're Southern or I don't know if it's because of just like your vibe. Sometimes you'll say a thing, and I love this about you, but I think it leaves people thinking you said something you didn't say.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Because what you just said now, I think for some people, what they might have heard is, I have not stayed around for full pregnancy. I have never supported someone fully.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
The way you said it sounds like Josh was like, so I want you to know that I've never stayed around to see an entire pregnancy. I've been there when they told me and I've been there when they were done. But I've never. No, Josh, I don't.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I mean, but it's beautiful. Stay healthy, go to the doctor. How big is your community? Oh my God. Is it just the two of you raising the kids for the most part? Because your parents are in the UK.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah, I'm glad you said in the West, because that's something that I've found is the ultimate paradox of coming from a developed country versus a developing nation. So first world, third world is... The thing that you're sold in developed nations is that you have everything. Oh, it's great.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
The roads work and the schools are fantastic and there's healthcare and, you know, this is a great country to be in. The one thing that nobody seems to tell you is that as a country becomes more and more developed, the one thing that gets eroded is community. The village disappears. And what you have to do is you have to buy the village back. You know?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You have to buy somebody to look after your kid. You have to buy somebody to help you clean your house. You have to buy somebody to help you fix your... You have to buy somebody to cook. You have to buy... You're buying the same village that they tricked you into not having. Like, I'm always amazed... At the con of it all.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
This machine, this larger thing, told everyone, you should get your own house and you should live by yourselves. How can you still live with your parents in the same house? This is ridiculous. And so everyone goes off. They get their own house to live by themselves. They have a kid. And now you need somebody to come and look after the kid. But they can't just come a few. You know what?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You should get a bigger house. They could live with you. You could have a live-in nanny where I'm from. They call that an aunt. Or a sister. They call that a grandmother. They call it a sister. And in the West, that's one of the biggest things I've realized.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Every time people bring up statistics of how birth rates are declining in the West, I'm amazed at how people never seem to want to talk about the fact that the West doesn't encourage people to have kids. And what I mean by encourage is... Not telling people to do it, but encouraging is facilitating, I think, in many ways.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
They can become in some ways. They can become. Over time. Yeah. Yes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
No, they do. They completely care about it that way. They go, the market is going to collapse. That's what they mean by the birth rate. They're not saying it like people will disappear. They're saying, guys, if this happens at some point, the economy is going to collapse because there won't be a new labor force. You're not wrong. It is completely through the lens of labor.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Most people would say, I was a child. Sure, sure. But Josh judges himself as an 11-year-old.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Don't go anywhere because we got more What Now? after this. So there's a paradoxical idea that is very difficult for people to accept, but it is almost unanimously agreed on as being true. And that is that over time, load starts to level off if it was a curve. So if you're looking after a child, it's a lot of work. If you're looking after two children, it's more work. Three children, it's work.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
It's weird, but at some point, the work doesn't actually increase at the same rate. You know what I mean? So it's not jumping.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
No, no, no. But surprisingly, it really isn't. It isn't jumping in the same way. Now, costs might jump, and don't get me wrong on that side. But think of it this way. I love that you said that. We live in a world where everyone thinks, and I understand why people think this, everyone thinks that they're doing it alone, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
So you're grinding alone, you're running alone, you're having a baby alone, everything you think you're doing alone, you really do think you're doing it alone. And the world, I think, tells you you're doing it alone. And then part of the way it does it to you, I feel, is it tricks us into rewarding us alone. I think that's like a key thing as well.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah, it's a personal bonus and it's like a private thing and it's your money, you know?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
But if you, to your point, took on a little more load in your world for somebody else, you don't realize how you've given them a thousand times more space, right? So let's say a couple. has their kids and they say to all the parents in their group, hey, send your kids on every Thursday, we'll look after everyone's kids if you want. Like we're gonna host like a little mini kindergarten type thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Now don't get me wrong, you might hate your Thursdays. You might be like, okay, this is war, here we go. The invasion begins 6 p.m., it's on. We hate our lives. But the amount of space you've created for the other, let's say five families that have dropped off their kids it scales exponentially, like way beyond what you are receiving as low. Does that make sense? Yeah, for sure.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
They get to go off. They get to have a couple's date. They get to go work more if they need to. They get to go sleep. They get to do something. But if everyone is doing that on every day, all of a sudden you're in a world where we, which we should be trying to get back to, which is what we had when we were growing up. I know our parents had a tough time in South Africa. I know they did.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
But I can tell you they didn't have as tough a time contrary to what people may believe. Because you might think coming from a third world country means you'll have a harder time raising kids. I actually think a lot of it was easier because the load was always shared. The load was always shared.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And that's how it's supposed to be. And then I was like, oh...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Your, what do they call it again? Your self-awareness. Yeah. That's like the age when self-awareness starts to kick in.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
oh yeah this was your first bombing in front of an audience yeah as a comic you know that feeling where you're like should I finish the bit should I oh I've lost them oh I've lost them cause if I stop the story right now I'm gonna seem like I have a head in yes she's gonna take me to the hospital cause I'm like gearing up
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah, I was completely... Village, compound, all your cousins. Can I tell you, probably one of the biggest things that keeps me afraid of having a kid, especially in America, is... I just, I'm like, it doesn't seem like what you'd want a childhood to be. No, it's not. Also because of how they've robbed children of autonomy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Like when I was a child, you know what my job was? 99% of the time, go play. That was like my job. That was like my official, if you said to me like, what is your job? I'd be like, I gotta go play. My mom, my grandmother, they would say, go outside and play. You go play with other children. You go to the park. You meet the other kids at the park and you play. The park hierarchy figures itself out.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
There's a kid that swings the swing too hard. You might fall. You cry. Then you stop crying. And then when I walk past playgrounds today, there's a little prison yard. Every parent is watching every kid, like every parent, every parent.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
you could have two parents watching 30 kids i think you'd be fine i genuinely think you could be fine i don't know why people don't have contracts at the park and just be like all right guys who are the two parents of the day yeah you just need two people we're all afraid of pedophiles yeah but this is a this is a overblown it's a crazy do you know how you know i've been on this deep dive recently of going down rabbit holes seeing where our like fears and and all these ideas came from
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
A few kids got kidnapped when the news thought it was the best story. And now everyone's like, every kid gets kidnapped. No, children don't get kidnapped.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
The number. And I know someone will be like, what about this kid? No, I'm not saying no kids get kidnapped. But I'm saying for the amount of stress that people have about it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Trust me. You could have two parents at a park. It's already fenced in. Tell the rest of the parents, go hang out. Go have fun. Go talk to each other. Get to know each other. Build your community. Let your kids figure it out. Kids are not... I can't imagine what it would be like watching my child slide down a slide every single time.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I would hate them and I would hate myself. Daddy, look. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Daddy, look again. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Daddy, look again. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, at some point, and I'm not saying that I don't want to see the kids slide ever, but I also want the kids to slide for themselves. I don't want the kids to live in a world where they're only sliding when daddy or mommy's looking.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And I also want them to know that you can fall off a slide. I'm not going to catch you. There's going to be moments where you're going to fall and you're just going to hit the ground and you're going to bump something and you're going to smack something and you're going to come back with like a bruise. Do you know how nice it was to go home to your parents and they go, what happened?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Like, imagine not having that. Yeah, no, because then you have a story. And I love to talk. You come home with... But Christiane, I wanted to know something. Like, you keep saying postpartum.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah, I'd love to know for everyone, you know, for men, but for people who haven't had kids. Please, can you break this down? Like, everyone just talks about postpartum. And then sometimes I'll hear people say postpartum depression. Yeah. What is postpartum? Like, what is it actually?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
So you lose the, like, not lose, you have the baby.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
He was a prophet who made his own prophecies come true. Yeah. That's what Trump does.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And that's where I find in traditional cultures, I can speak specifically like in South African ones.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
a lot of that load is just taken off your shoulders so for instance one of the big ones is elderly women sort of tell you that you don't know what you're doing and they're like it's fine they don't even give you the whole like you're supposed to know no no no they're just like no no bring the kid bring the baby you don't know what you're doing go sleep go sleep go sleep
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
But you know what has been illuminating for me is how Trump has changed one thing
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And then they look after the baby and someone cooks for you and another person does your clothes and they'll like make sure your clothes are clean and they wash you and they help you and they comb your hair. Then they bring the baby back. But the job of elderly women in a lot of like South African society and African society as a whole, they'll just be like, no, no, no.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
our job as the village is to help you raise the baby now but you relax you go sleep you almost i would be i would be intrigued to find out if anyone who grew up in a very traditional society if they have phantom cries because i feel like if you know that there are other women looking after the baby i wonder if your brain can like actually turn off and go like it's fine yeah they're not crying and even if they were crying somebody's there looking after them yeah
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
in my experience when i travel he's changed one thing fundamentally about america and that is before trump most places in the world i went to saw america as america they hated america or they liked america but that's how they spoke about america now trump has sort of has sort of exported american politics to the world
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You know what we should do? We'll actually have an episode. We should bring somebody on who specializes on the topic of maternity. Because I think there's a lot in it that we could enjoy. Because one of the biggest things I've come to realize in having conversations about everything really is you'll be shocked at how many times the thing that you think doesn't affect you completely affects you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
So you think, oh, we're talking about pregnancy or postpartum. Most men will go, well, I guess I'm not part of this conversation.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
But even in the moments we've had here, I think about how many men out there are at an office now stressed out, out of their minds and not figuring out what to do or emotionally drained because they don't feel like they're showing up for their kid or not understanding how to be supportive to their partner. Some men out there like Josh are not supporting pregnant women in their lives at all.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
They're not sticking around for the pregnancy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
No, but I think we should do it. We should have like a full on, you know. Okay, I have a question for both of you. Okay, you had the Josh question.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah. So I guess it wouldn't be that different. And I will say, you might say old dad. I would say wise dad.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
So I go to countries where some people like Trump and then some people don't like Trump, but they don't, they no longer have like a singular view of America. Does that make sense? So even in South Africa, the other day I was, I got pulled over by a policeman. It's very common that this is like, it's not like in, in America where your life starts flashing before your eyes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Because I find like older parents just carry themselves a little different. They may not be able to run and jump as high.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah, but you know what? A wise dad is more patient with their kid who can't hit the ball. Yeah, that's fair.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah, exactly. Whereas a young dad is still out there being like, well, come on, come on. There's still a little too much testosterone. So I don't think you've missed. And also just to the point you said previously, The world has never really been in a better place. I'll also say that. No, that's fair. We think of it through the lens of microplastics.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Savings on Apple Card by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch. Member FDIC. Terms and more at applecard.com. This is What Now? with Trevor Noah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
There was a time when one flu killed your whole family. Imagine having a child during that time.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Oh my, do I want kids? Okay, how would I put it? I don't want kids, but I don't not want kids, right? I would hope that kids would be the byproduct of something that I'm experiencing. But to have kids... Hey, sex. Oh, man. But to have to... So here's why I'll say this. I have the luxury in that I don't have a body clock like a woman does. So I start with that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
The second thing is... We'll put a pin in that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah, but I don't have a body clock in that way, right? The other thing for me is that when I think of having a kid and I go like, why do you want a kid? It may be a little too esoteric, but I go, well, I don't want my kids to necessarily have the burden of me wanting them for that reason, to fulfill something in me or to not, you know? Yeah. Like, it's great.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Like in South Africa, you get pulled over almost just for like a conversation. Sometimes they just want to look at your car, to be honest with you. You know, they'll just pull you over and be like, ah, brother, what, what is this? And you're like, oh, yeah. And you're like, oh, it's nice. It's nice. I like it. Okay. So I got pulled over the other day.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I think it's important to not put that on the kid. You have ego death already when it comes to... Yeah, like, I don't like it when people do that with kids. You know, they go like, oh, I just want... Some people be like, they want something to be theirs. Yeah. They want something to love them. And then the kid doesn't do that. And then you get like parents who guilt their kids.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Why don't you send your mom there? I can't believe, you know, I wanted a son who I'd be proud of. Like, what are you doing?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I think genuinely, and I know it's not perfect, but I think a kid should be something where you go like, I have so much love to give. That man, I just need another human being to pour this into. I just have too much love. I just got to pour this love and pour this love and pour this love and pour this love out. So I'm neither for nor against kids.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
The only thing I know is I have never met a person who regrets having children.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Never. Genuinely, I've never met. I have. But I've met many people who regret when they had a kid.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And I've met many people who regret who they had the kid with. But I've never met somebody who regrets the kid themselves. Now, I'm sure there are outliers. I'm sure. I've met people who got with somebody abusive, alcoholic, you name it, in every shape and every way. But they will go, ah, but this child.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I've met people who had a child and they're struggling financially and their life has really been hard and their family disowned them because of who they had the kid with and maybe the person left, whatever it is.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
they will still go but this child oh man this child the person they had it with they might regret the circumstances they might regret too young too busy to this to this to that so in that world in that way i just think to myself i would love to be able to give somebody the greatest gift which is not just being chosen but which is being intentional that's that's all i'd want you know i want the kid if they ask me like hey why am i here
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Because I had excess love to give. And so that's why you're here. You know what I mean? I just wanted somebody to love.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And I think... This is how she tricks people, Josh. No, wait, wait, wait.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And the cops, straight up, guy rolled down the window. He's like, license. Then he sees me. And then he's like, oh, Trevor. He's like, hey, my man, what are you doing here? I'm like, what do you mean? I'm home. He's like, hi, my man. You should be there in America. Elon Musk. What is he doing to us? Why is he doing these things to South Africans? No, Trevor. Hi, hi, but Trump, but Trump.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
My dream is, and I'll also caveat this because I don't want to fall into a Josh Johnson here. But like, Michael Jackson messed it up. I'll start with that. Because my dream was always, I was always like, I always wanted to create spaces in my house that would be great for kids that weren't mine.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Because I thought it would be fun when my friend's kids come over and they go like, oh, Uncle Trevor's house. And he's got those video games and he's got an arcade machine. And I'm like, yeah, this is great for them. You know what I mean? I like the fact that people go like, but you don't have kids. I'm like, yes, but there will be children in my life.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
And I think it is cool that I can facilitate this for them in some way, shape or form. But now if you are a grown man with no kids who has a kid's basement full of things. No, there are problems.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
My dad didn't come because of me. I didn't do it. Yo, but this was fun. Okay. Christiana, congratulations. Thank you. Congratulations. On a third healthy child. Can I tell you, that's the only thing I like, you know? Yeah. I don't take for granted the health of a mother, the health of a black mother, by the way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
It's no joke. Yo, so I'm happy that your baby's healthy. I'm happy that you are healthy. We're here, huh? Making more people like Christiana.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yeah. My favorite... Thing I learned when I was in Bhutan from a monk was he taught me, he said, he said, one of the hardest things to learn in life is that there will always be storms, but you will never live a full life unless you realize when you are between storms. So he says like the greatest joy in life is just learning to know when you are between storms.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Guys, there was no time in my life. where a South African man, in my entire recollection, was speaking about the individuals in American politics. You know what I mean? Even when Bush was bombing the Middle East, we said America. Oh, that's interesting. It wasn't like Bush. People were like, man, what America's doing. America's going up against the United Nations. America's ignoring this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Because when you're in a storm, you're in a storm. But when you're not in a storm and you don't realize you're not in a storm, then you're not enjoying the fact that you're not in a storm. And so I'm excited because now with Christiana, we're no longer in a storm. Yeah. She's not pregnant for a while. And so we get to enjoy that for a minute.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You know what? I will take it as it comes. And if you get pregnant again, we will celebrate it. But for now, we will enjoy this. This was fun, y'all. Yeah. What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Jody Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackle.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Claire Slaughter is our producer. Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown. Thank you so much for listening. Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
America's waging a fake war. America. Now, I find everywhere in the world, There's a break. There's Trump and there's not Trump. Yeah. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I love that Europe, like, who has never had, like, a black president. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. They don't want their own one. They want the American one. They were like, yeah, yeah, well, of course it makes sense. It's time to have some change, you know. How can America not have... And then you're like, what about you guys? Oh, yeah, well, let's calm down.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yes. I didn't mean it like that, Josh. Yeah. Oh, no. I didn't mean it like that. No, no, no. It's that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
That's my... Maybe America should only just have two presidents then forever. And you switch back and forth between them. That would make it simpler. It would make it simpler. No, basically you just ask America, you just go like, guys, what are we feeling like? Are we feeling dark times? Or are we feeling... What are we feeling like? Are we feeling hopeful?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
It makes sense because America more than most countries in the world. has told people what their life should be and what it could be.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Right. There's no other country that goes like the pursuit of happiness.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
That is a wild concept. If you said that to your parents, most African parents would be like, I want to be happy. They're like, happy? Happy? Go and study something. Are you going to be successful? You know what is happy? You leave me happy. Are you married? Do you have children? You know what I mean? Happy is a moment.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Yes. Okay, but think of it this way, right? Most cultures in the world will believe that happiness is a state of mind and it's a moment. You're not, you are happy. You're not like permanently in a state of happiness.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
It is. It is, right? But America is the only country that did that. And so in many ways, you have a country where they've told you what is supposed to happen to you, what you're supposed to experience. And so if you're not experiencing that, you're butting up against it. So it's like, it's the 14 day money back guarantee.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
Think about how many people in America are going, but this is not what I was promised. And to your point, exactly what you're saying. Trump is going, you haven't gotten your delivery. You haven't gotten the service.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You're supposed to get this thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
But you haven't gotten it. And then those people are standing up. And then other white people are like, but why don't they just, why don't they just? And it's like, yeah, you say that. But these white people are going, why has it not happened for me?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
I can see people immediately viscerally. Look, in the world of stand-up, it's brilliant as a premise, as like a concept. But most of the time, a great premise in stand-up is terrible for regular conversation. Yeah, no, that's fair. Because imagine if you came to somebody and you're like, yeah, in many ways, he's like Muslim Jesus. People are like, I'm sorry, what did you say? Yeah, yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Christiana Gave Birth (Again)! [VIDEO]
You can't take someone who people love and revere and then compare them immediately to somebody they hate and not expect them to be a little bit reactive.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
So I was expelled from my primary school.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
cannot immunize its students to the ideas of a quote-unquote radical person, let's say, depending on how you look at them, then what is the point of a university?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Like, I feel like that's supposed to be the boxing ground where we go... It's almost like you want your kids to come back from school and say, hey, today we fought with each other about apartheid and, you know, we fought about whether or not people should be segregated and we fought about, you know, what's happening in the Middle East. But...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
In our school, they teach us how to fight because there is a constructive way to do it. And I wonder from your perspective what you think we're missing in higher learning institutions that now it doesn't seem like the kids or the faculty or the institution itself have the ability to facilitate something that society definitely can't. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
We're going to continue this conversation right after this short break. Yeah, you know, I was thinking about it for a whole host of topics. Like, let's say Donald Trump, for instance. I'm often surprised when I meet people who cannot understand why anyone would vote for Donald Trump. I go, you mean you have no, they're like, I just don't get it. Well, how could you?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Then I'm like, what do you mean, how could you? You may not agree with the person, but surely you should be able to see that this person is identifying an issue and they see Donald Trump as the solution to this issue, right? So even if you erase your politics, just for a moment, The issue will remain, right? So the factory job is gone. The land is now barren.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
There's more pollution, people, birth rates, you name it. The issue is going to remain regardless of the politics. But I don't know. I find myself constantly in conversations with people who cannot even begin to fathom the possibility of another human seeing the world differently or seeing the same thing, but coming to a different conclusion on how to repair it?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Christiana, you could not be more Nigerian if you tried.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Hashtag inclusion. Exactly. I just want to acknowledge them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
For the record, for the record, I am not, I was not doing anything worth fighting for. I was an absolute terror and the school was right to expel me. However, you cannot expel me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
There's nothing a Nigerian will point out more than this person. This is a professor.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
yes can i introduce you this is a doctor i'm sorry doctor this is do you know what is phd do you know you're not talking to a person this is a doctor she's not your mate you are so it's so crazy how you just like and another thing wait but it's important context let's Trevor let's start counting how many times she has to remind someone has to do it because she's too humble
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
So I love that idea, but I still say I should have been expelled. Okay. No, and I'll tell you why. So I think this is one of the main things that we struggle with in society. Unfortunately, we are always at the mercy of, you know, the average, right? And that's most systems. You're working at the mercy of the average. If a car is too high, it cannot drive into a parking garage, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
If something is too wide, it cannot fit into an aisle, etc., etc., And so I think of like schools, schools are a crazy novel concept when you think about it, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
You designed like one building where like a thousand odd people can come in and all of them are learning and all of them are coming together where before it was just like little community, few people, you learn what you can, we do what we can. And we sort of, we blew this thing out for good and for bad, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
So what I mean by I should have been expelled actually agrees with a lot of what you're saying. I think that you have to expel Trevor from that environment because he's not good for that environment. And so I think sometimes maybe the word expel has a different connotation. I don't think of expelled as like, no, they hurt me. No, they kicked me out.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
No, and let me tell you why I say this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
No, let me tell you why. Let me tell you why. When you talk about accountability, there is no world where exclusion will not be part of it. It's quite impossible. The mere act of singling a person out is excluding them already. So if you have 10 kids together, you tell them all to keep quiet and draw. One stands up and screams.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
even by saying to them, come over here, let me speak to you, you have expelled them from the group and you have excluded them, right? Now your intention may be, oh, I'm going to make them feel good. I'm going to now encourage them. Hey, maybe you play a little bit more. But even when we create this new space for them,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
that encourages that they are excluded from the group because they go like no i want to be in the drawing group and you're like no but you're not a drawer but the teacher having the conversation like bringing them aside to restore them back to the group yes but it's different from bringing them to the side to banish them from the group but this is what i don't like this is what i don't like restoration no you guys are trying to brainwash me this is what i don't like
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Yeah, and I think that's why you're the perfect person to speak to about every... I wrote down a list of things because I didn't want to miss anything. Everything from DEI to the world of tech, education, community and the way we see it, society, government, the role that it plays. I was like, it feels like your work has drawn you into everything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And I mean it. This is what I think is the problem is they go, let us bring them aside and then we'll try and turn them into the drawers. And it's like, I'm not saying that. I'm saying, and that's why I agree with you in a large part of what you're saying. And maybe that's why I'm a fan of the upside of AI if it doesn't kill us all. Okay. Is because the average needs to be the average.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
This is how any system works. You just need to find a way for the anomalies to exist. And it's hard to cater to all of them. But when you exclude somebody, I don't believe in trying to get them back in. No, I mean it. I mean, because they're not of the inn.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
the more you try and put me as Trevor back into that classroom the more I'm going to be disruptive and that's why I love imagination let me for the record state you can go and see me that's why I love your book I love your ideas I'm a big fan of the imagining because I go ah imagine a world where you could have expelled Trevor
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
to a school yeah like they did with harry potter and them essentially that's a school for the gifted you go like yo man you magic kids you need to be separate all these other kids they don't do magic we're going to put you in a magic school and then you find community in and amongst magic and magicians does that make sense so i'm saying you should be expelled and i'm saying what we need to imagine is where we take expelled people to as opposed to trying to bring them back into the thing
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
You know, your degrees, your qualifications, your expertise, the amount of time you spend on it, your books. So... Maybe the first thing we should jump into is DEI. Has DEI failed? Was it bound to fail?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Which tells you everything, by the way. That's something I've learned from therapists and like great teachers.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
When I was sitting looking at some of your work, there was one question I wanted to ask you, which is extremely controversial. I'm going to say this ahead of time. And I'll preface it with this. I oftentimes think to myself that as human beings, we're searching for solutions to real problems. We very seldom think that we've reached the wrong solution, right? Because we have a good intention.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
I really believe most human beings do. And in looking at some of your work, your speeches, your writing, and even society itself, even some of the things you're saying now, I found myself wondering, and this applies to America, and then maybe it'll go to other places in a different way because Finland ties in. Do you think that integration was the right move? Like, Thank you. Thank you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
This is What Now? with Trevor Noah. You know, it's funny. In preparing for this conversation, I was thinking, there's very few people we sit down with where you can talk about as many topics as we can with you. Like when I think of a Venn diagram of conversation, Ruha fits perfectly in the middle of most of these events. I mean, like everything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Do you know what I mean? Even when they were making it, they weren't like, and it'll help you cook your food. No. Everyone knew what the bomb was for. There was no other purpose. There was no other intention. The difficulty with AI is that we have something that puts us on the precipice of everything that we haven't even imagined, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
So here's a simple example, you know, and I credit you, Christiana, with this. Like, you're the person who came into my life kicking down doors, telling me to consider women's health more and more and more and more. You know what I mean? Like, just kicking down my door at The Daily Show and being like, do you know what it is to be a woman? Do you know the pain? And demetriosis.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Do you know that? And I was like, oh, man, I got to pay attention to this stuff. Like, Christiana's right. But in a good way, because you're my friend, you know?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And so I think of the conversations I've had with a professor at Johns Hopkins who has shown me the AI that they use to detect breast cancer in women long before it would have ever been humanly possible to detect it. And sometimes even more importantly, to prevent false positives. Do you know how many women are getting mastectomies, but they don't have any type of cancer?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And it's like, well, thanks for playing, folks. Here's the debt. Here's your health care bill. And you actually didn't have this thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
I look at that just in one space, right? I look at it in the world of education. A teacher is a finite resource, you know? AI is the first thing we've seen where you could genuinely have a teacher for your child and it isn't tied to the money that your child has, right? And I know some people are like, oh, but it's still out of reach. It is in many ways.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
But... The average cost for processing a transaction, even in the conversations we've had since 2022, has gone down 95%, just cost-wise. So the accessibility has accelerated. And the one thing that I keep grappling with is this. Yes, we know that it's using up energy, because it is. It is. But it is also the thing that has helped data centers grow. optimize how much energy they use.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And so data centers that before were just like these little hubs, little ovens cooking up all of our cloud information, those data centers can save up to like 25, 30% of their energy bill. So it's this weird situation where you have something that you're making And you have to make the thing to try and help you fix the thing. And finding that balance is where I go.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
That's the real... But the reason I'm optimistic about it is because it has another use. It has a good purpose. And that doesn't discount the other things. And one last thing I'll say, I'd love to know what you think about this, Ruel, because I know you are a techie like me, is...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
The thing I love about AI or tech in general is that it's bustable, which is not a word, but it's like you can bust it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Okay. If you say to me as Trevor, Trevor, I'm going to put you in front of a judge and this judge is going to rule on your life. If I go, this judge was biased. The judge goes, no, I wasn't. I wasn't biased. We talk about like, you know, we had this back in the day and we still see these. You type an image, black person on the Internet. Oftentimes the image that will come up, black man.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
It'll be a guy mugshot, dangerous looking. Or a chimpanzee. Or chimpanzee. Yes. And then you go, white man, we'll show you like, you know, an Ivy League, like Abercrombie and Fitch. Okay. But what I'm saying is, unlike humans, you can actually find that and see it and code against it. You cannot with humans. I cannot prove it with a human.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
We've lived in a world for so long where we've gone, you discriminate. And the person's like, no, I do not. And we're like, all right, well, fun conversation. Thanks for playing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
I'm saying we can because we have data now. And the data, I'm not saying the world becomes perfect, but I'm saying it becomes a lot easier to get to a more perfect place when the thing that we're using is itself not personal and then has data that we can work off of. And that's why I'm hopeful.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
I'm not a person who's like, this is going to be the best thing ever. I'm saying there are many places it could be better. And I'm hopeful because we can catch it when it's not in a way that with humans, we just flat out could not because you couldn't prove it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
I think that's the key distinction for me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Can I tell you, that's just an amazing one to just jump in on. Can you imagine, because I love this idea now. Imagine if... we designed a system, which is not very hard.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And you actually looked at judges. Actually, if someone goes to this judge, they have a higher chance of going back into the system. And then I love this because then you shift the blame. So you go, you're like, actually, There are 10 judges. These three, with their sentencing, we've noticed that the people actually don't come back into the system. And we look at what their sentencing is.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And you're like, oh, these judges seem to look at you as a human. They're more compassionate. They give you, maybe they do, as you said, they hold you accountable, but they don't think of the most punitive measure, et cetera, et cetera. So they're still a judge.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Then we look at another group and we're like, hey, you guys on the other end, these three, we've noticed that everyone that you incarcerate, your rate has the highest rate of recidivism. So actually, we don't think you're good for the system because you don't seem to be doing the thing that the other judges are doing. And I love that idea. I really love that idea.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And so that's why I say I think we agree on a lot of it because I do like that you can do that. So for instance, here's a simple example. When we talk about AI, we talk about this big thing, this massive thing. But going to some of the things we've spoken about in this conversation, like the UAE is building their own.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And so they have one that is going to be trained on whether it's religion in the Middle East, whether it's the histories in the Middle East, the cultures. But their data set is going to be more focused on their world. And many people who work in the field have said, The future is not going to be one grand AI.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
You know, in fact, if you look at the most of the data, AGI looks like it's a scam that's just getting people to put more money in, right? The real thing that it looks like, which this is what I'm hopeful for and optimistic about. is not that there is an AI. It is more that every country, for instance, will be able to have its AI. Every community will be able to have its AI.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
So you can go, oh, I'm Nigerian, I'm Igbo, I'm this, I'm this, I'm going to put all these pieces together. And my AI within the context of my world is able to give me everything that I need because it has the context of who I am and who my people have been. And I think that for me is like one of the most magical ideas of context contributing to culture. Does that make sense?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
By the way, what's your favorite tech? Are you still a techie or did you switch it out for all books? You just went full books?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Because I know you have a lot of books.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
I've been wrestling with this idea, and some of it has been inspired by conversations, some of it has just been reading, learning, etc., about how much responsibility everybody bears for how they frame every single conversation they have. Right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And the reason I think about it is because, you know, in our conversation, we've touched on ideas of intention, culture, power, perception, you know, all of these things. And I can't help but think about Israel, Palestine and how when I've sat down.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
with people who are pro-israel israeli or jewish and jewish american what's been interesting to me is seeing how different or how differently people are hearing the same thing do you know what i mean so here's a simple one not the simple issue but like just an example you know there's a chant that people often say from the river to the sea palestine shall be free
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
For anyone I know who's Palestinian, when I've asked them, what does that chant mean? They say, well, we want freedom for all our people, not just in Gaza, but from the West Bank. We want freedom for everyone. Yeah, from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea. We want our freedom, you know, and that's what we chant.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And then when I've spoken to my friends who are Jewish or Israeli maybe, and not even religious Jew or whatever, but Jewish, they go, no, this is a chance of genocide. They're saying from the river to the sea, they're going to cleanse us. What stands in the way of the river and the sea? It's Israel. And...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And I can't help but have compassion for anyone I speak to in this because in some ways, like in South Africa, we've had stories like this where there was a struggle song and a chant that was sung by black people who were fighting against an apartheid government. And then now that song, some people feel like targets them if they are a white person who's a farmer in the country.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And then the person singing it goes like, no, no, no, no, no. It's not about that. And I couldn't help but think about like how many times Nelson Mandela would give a speech. Yeah. And at times I would think it was unnecessary, but he would say, he would go like, I am not for the oppression of black people. And he's like, and I'm against the oppression of white people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And I'd be like, well, that's an unnecessary, why would you need to say? I used to think that all the time when I'd hear it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And then now I find myself wondering how much burden should we bear? Like how much should we be cognizant of how we are saying what we are saying? Because the fights are still going to happen.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
But we almost want the most clarity to be fighting about the thing we actually, or arguing or discussing the thing we actually need to be discussing. Does this make sense? Because you would think it's not necessary for Nelson Mandela to say that he does not want white people to be oppressed. But then you realize that if he, Black Lives Matter is a good example and all these things.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
If you do not say that at times, and even if you do, because he was labeled a terrorist, let's not forget that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
There are some people who go, wait, wait, wait, you don't want black oppression, so what about white oppression? And it's amazing to me that he thought about, there was no social media. Nelson Mandela wasn't on Facebook. This was long before this time. But he intuitively knew that he has to say, I don't want black people to be oppressed.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
However, this does not mean that I want white people to be oppressed either. I'm against all oppression. And so I'd love to know, yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
No, I agree with that. But I think even in trying to channel, let's say, an argument someone might have, they would go, yes, but you are not in that situation. So I'm not telling them how to say it. I'm saying to you as the person who's not in the situation that your language is dangerous. Does this make sense?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And I mean this when I say I wrestle with it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
So it's interesting you say this because I think about it in many different ways.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Whether it's the word genocide or a child. But actually, I agree with you on that. I think that's a different thing that I'm speaking to.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
No, because I think so many of these things overlap. It's the Venn diagram again of issues. So for instance, to play devil's advocate or whatever, there are many conservative people in America who have said, it's interesting how if that person, the person who is black, gay, trans, whatever, if they say something about me or my group or whatever, They can say it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
But if I say something, even questioning, you know, I just wonder, like, should a trans child be converted at this age? I am then labeled as transphobic and I'm fired from my job. And it's exactly what you're saying, by the way. They go, but I was not trying to be inflammatory. I was trying to ask a question. And the person goes, no, by even asking that question, you are enabling the idea.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And they go like, what are you doing to me? And then their job goes, hey, we have to let you go because you're transphobic.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
The people who bear the most consequences?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
In this moment in time... Yes, and that's why I'm saying...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Right. So I'm, you see, on that part, I'm saying that is clearer to me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Because whether we like it or not, throughout history, those who have power
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
have used their power to protect themselves and I mean this seems like a natural human inclination like it would be weird for a person without power with power to not use it you'd be a very interesting type of person I'd love to meet please send us an email so we can talk to you no I'm speaking to something different like Ruha I'd love to know even from your experiences
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Were there moments where you were able to either facilitate or notice a breakthrough in the communication that the kids on campus were having with each other? That's what I'm talking more about. The ramifications of your speech are a separate issue. And who gets to decide is a separate issue. I'm just talking about with us as people. When we say something and how we say it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
How much responsibility do we bear to clarify? And then also, because you've been in like literally the hotbed of it in America in many ways. Have you seen anything that was a glimpse of hope? Have you seen a conversation or an idea where you went, oh, wow, as a sociologist, as a MacArthur genius, you were even surprised by the effect that it had?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
I can imagine, you know, as I'm listening to you say these two things about diversity, the first part of it is, I can imagine a lot of people who don't share your politics cheering with you, first of all. Because they, like, I think of people like Elon Musk who have said, no, you know, he's like, we don't want diversity. We want the best people for the job and that's it. And stop hiring diversity.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Right. I often wonder to myself, you know, I wrote this thought down, um, It applies to everything, the world of tech. Ruha, when I've read your work, you know, talking about who designs the tech that shapes our lives, there was a professor who's really well-acclaimed or like a researcher scientist.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And he said, you know, and I paraphrase, like, the problem with having women in the lab is that they're distracting and they're beautiful and you fall in love with them. And it was just like, wow, these ladies, I can't think about the test tubes when I'm thinking of fallopian tubes. It was like that kind of vibe, you know? And I was listening to that. And obviously, you know, rightly so.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
There was like a straight up backlash. Like all women who are scientists were like, what? So we're not supposed to be in a lab because of this. But I found myself thinking about how... Every group is affected by another group in some way, shape or form. And to your point of imagination, can we imagine other ways to do the thing or is homogeny and sameness the only way to achieve it? Right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Because I think of, let's say, schools at the lowest level, at the lowest, like even before... sort of like people are formed. You see these little kids where they show that if girls are in a class with boys, they perform less... Oh yeah, you know I'm very pro-girl school.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
I don't know. What I found myself thinking about is, is there something to be said to the idea of like creating more of as opposed to trying to jam everybody more in?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Yes. And I know someone might hear me say this and go like, what? So you're saying we should have like a women-only lab? Maybe is what I'm saying. I'm saying I don't know, by the way. I'm just saying like what would happen because that guy's not wrong. Yeah. Like even in war.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
But can I tell you something? And I'll tell you, I've believed in this for a long time. I still do. I believe adversity is your friend if you're taught to deal with it. You know, I talk to you all the time about anti-fragility as opposed to just resilience.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
I remember having a conversation with a group of like former military, you know, I don't know where they served and how. I think it was even from different countries. And they talked about how they were less efficient and less able to do their jobs if they were serving with women. And not in like, these people weren't being shitty, by the way. They just gave me a new perspective, you know.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
They weren't like, women shouldn't be in the military. They were like, can I be honest with you?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
When I'm in a gunfight and I'm surrounded by guys, I just think about winning the gunfight. When I'm in a gunfight and there's a woman in the battalion, I'm like, damn, we got to make sure she's also... Because when we're picking up the backpacks and we're running and then I'm thinking of her, the weight that she's carrying. And some of it... I know some of it will tap into like patriarchy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Boeing planes are crashing because of the blacks. The blacks don't know how to screw doors in.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Some of it will tap into... But some of it also taps into the very real thing that human beings have where a mother will care more for a child than she will for an adult. You know what I mean? And where like instinctively as people, sometimes we act differently in an environment. So I just wonder, even for you,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Talking about the sisterhood, what do you think is so important about finding spaces where people who are alike can come together without those spaces being exclusionary? Because it's a paradox.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Even though there's no there's literally there's no record of this. So he would hear you and be like, yes, thank you. We don't want diversity. We want the best person for the job.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
I would love to know, like, you know, I know it's a big thing, but from yourself personally, and then what you see hopefully unfolding or what you see realistically unfolding in the landscape of education.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
You notice none of them do it. I'm not doing it. No, I love it. I love it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Another person would be like, wait, but but then Ruha, if we're not addressing the exclusion of people, like when I when I think of South Africa's history. The intention behind what we called black economic empowerment, which was terribly implemented, by the way, I think the idea behind it was great. And it was for a long time. Black people couldn't go to schools.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Wow, that's amazing. From saying maybe you won't have something and then you had it all. I know. Ruha, thank you so much for joining us.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Yeah, I can't wait to see where your journey takes you. We'll be following keenly, reading the books, listening to what you say, and hopefully you'll come and join us again.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Jody Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackle. Claire Slaughter is our producer. Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown. Thank you so much for listening. Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Black people couldn't get this type of education. They couldn't get this type of job. They couldn't live in the city. They couldn't do similar to America.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
You couldn't get a bank loan. You couldn't get the mortgage. Your house was undervalued, et cetera, continues to be. And so someone said, how do we design a system that tries to right that wrong and get people to where they should be? And I can imagine somebody listening to what you're saying going like, wait, wait, wait, but then what are we supposed to do? Not fix it?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Because I know you're very solutions driven as well. What do you think we're missing when we only think of the inclusion or not the inclusion?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
No, no, no, no. Actually, you should say that. You think she's a master of none? Actually, you should say that. I'm going to read you the full quote. So I like to consider myself a master of none. And I used to hate it my whole life. Until, I'll read you the full quote. The full saying is, a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
You spoke about this in that same address that Christiana was talking about that went viral. One of the things you speak about as well is these universities, and universities in general, being quick to suppress people's voices when a protest is happening. But then many years later,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
rewarding those people with honorary degrees or and i didn't realize that until you said it i was like oh yeah there's so many people you name it like from mlk to nelson mandela to where universities like the institutions were against them yeah and then many decades later they're like we would like to honor you yeah mr mandela with this degree for the piece work that you've done exactly and i wish like nelson mandela i wish like one time he would have come on and be like but you're where i can't speak
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
Let's talk a little bit more about institutions themselves, specifically institutions of higher learning. On previous episodes of the podcast, we've talked to historians like, let's say, Yuval Noah Harari. And we've talked to people like Ta-Nehisi Coates. And obviously, because of the time we're in, Israel-Palestine comes up. But then many other issues come up.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
And that one overshadows some of the other conversations that are as prominent in different ways, right? Yes. The one thing I found myself wrestling with over the past few months is how universities have failed, in my opinion, to be the bastion of conversation that moves people in a direction. And what I mean by this is, you remember, Christiana, this was even when we were still at The Daily Show.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
RIP… D.E.I. with Ruha Benjamin [VIDEO]
I didn't like that universities were blocking people like Ben Shapiro from coming to speak, right? And the reason for it was because I was... Because at the time, people were like, no, we don't want him to come. He's a Nazi. We don't want this, blah, blah, blah. So forget how you feel about him or not. The thing I kept on saying was, if a university...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. One of my favorite things to have on hand these days is my Apple Card. It's made to be simple and private, and getting it was pretty simple too. It takes minutes to apply. Check your credit limit offer and start using it right away with Apple Pay. You could apply for it while waiting in line to get coffee and then use it to buy your coffee.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
So I've always wondered, are you familiar with the story?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I've often wondered if this is part of the reason we have the Elon Musk we have today, because Biden holds a summit at the White House, an EV summit, and he invites all the big car manufacturers to the White House, but he doesn't invite Elon Musk.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And I don't care what you say.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I mean, come on, how can it not be? And if you look at, I don't care what you say about politics, right? Let's go back to that time. I think that is a terrible move because say what you want, Elon Musk has done more to push EVs than any other human being, right? In terms of like that position that he's in.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
That's what I mean. The CEO of Ford and GM. And so it was strange to me that he did that. But I often wonder if that was the moment because I remember seeing a shift after that where Elon went from being the guy who's like, I don't get involved in politics.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And I just think that it's good for us to look at both sides and try to find ourselves in a space where we're not exactly looking at like what has happened. And he was that guy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Biden doesn't invite him to the White House. This man went full Trump. I mean, he went, and you watch it intensely. So as a casual observer, do you think that that was a seminal moment in the Musk that we get today?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
You know what I love about what you do is, I mean, you're deeply ingrained in the world of reporting around, you know, finance and business and tech and everything. But I'm oftentimes amused and enthralled by people who seem to be in a place where they were well ahead of something before other people saw it. And I wonder sometimes if it's luck or if it's them having like a premonition.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I don't believe that. But yeah, I'll be honest with you. I don't believe it. I think Biden's people were going, we're going to put you in your place and we're going to show you that this industry is going to move on without you. And so we're going to bring all these people in to go like, we got this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And then Elon Musk, if there's one thing I've seen from Elon Musk and what I've heard about, yo, let me tell you something. That man does not take slight well.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
We're going to continue this conversation right after this short break. Maybe we should talk about that a little bit more to like take a step out of the Elon of it all. I know the world has often been populated by, you know, you always call them the thin-skinned powerful men. I don't know that we've ever been in a time when the men have had this much power and their skins have been...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Yeah, I get what you're saying.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
You host a podcast called Elon Inc. Right? And I remember the first time I saw the podcast, I was like, huh. I was like, wow, is there going to be enough material?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Not him. No, not him. You know what it does bring up for me though? We talk about unprecedented wealth. There's this idea that I've been playing around with in my head and I… Because I'm not a clinical psychologist, I'll never say what a person is or isn't. But I find it particularly interesting that Trump
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Kanye and Elon all have very similar trends if you watch like how they are so they have moments where people go oh no they're lovely and they're in person they're charming and they're this and then that and then they'll have like these like sort of outbursts and all of them have 3am tweet rants all of them yeah All of them. And people are like, what is happening right now? It's like almost manic.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Yeah. Have you seen what Kanye is saying? And then Kanye will come and be like, I'm sorry and I'm da-da-da-da. We also have very seldom been in a society where that goes like unchecked. Do you get what I'm saying? So let's talk about manic, right? I can talk about like my grandfather. My grandfather was bipolar. Everything like that Kanye does, my grandfather did.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
But my grandfather didn't have billions of dollars. And I don't know what he would have done had he had billions of dollars because broke was the barrier that caught him every time. And then the family would be like, all right, come fetch your grandfather. He's at the supermarket lecturing people about blah, blah, blah. All right, got to go to supermarket, pick up granddad.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And then tomorrow he's a sweet little peaceful. But he didn't, you know what I mean? There's a barrier that most people in society will experience when they have whatever it is. These men don't have that. So to your point, like when Elon's like going, being erratic, when Kanye's being erratic, we don't know what erratic plus billion equals. And I think we might be experiencing it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Do you get, do you know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Let's talk more about Peter Thiel. Who is this shadowy figure?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
yeah he's a scary kind of person but that's like who is peter teal and why do some people consider him the ultimate puppet master for everything that's happening and not not by the way i'm not saying like conspiracy land i'm not saying like who is this mystery no i mean more more in the way of like someone going oh yeah this is how he helped trump and this is what he's meant to elon etc
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
What did he like about Trump? I'd love to know like what he connected to that, you know, because Trump seemed people forget this now. But I remember when Donald Trump was running for president, he had no ally. It was Steve Bannon. That was it, right? But Trump was the antithesis of the Republican Party as they saw themselves.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I remember whether it was the people running the RNC or whether it was people who were running against him. They were like, oh, no, no, this guy is a pariah. He's a joke. He does not represent our values. So the establishment Republican Party was not for Donald Trump. The media was not for Donald Trump, right? Fox News was also like, who's this guy in that way?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
The Democrats were not for Donald Trump. Silicon Valley wasn't. So I'd love to know, like, what did Peter Thiel see in Donald Trump where he's like, no, no, no, this is my guy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Yeah. Yeah. We're bringing back coal, baby. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
It's an investment. Yeah, exactly. It's an investment. It's an early investment.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And now it's time for today's Self-Care Toolkit segment brought to you by Amazon. Whether it's delivering medication to your door with Amazon Pharmacy or 24-7 virtual care with Amazon One Medical, thanks to Amazon, healthcare just got less painful. You know one thing I always think about when we talk about self-care? Home remedies.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I don't know what it was like in your house, but in mine, if you had a sore throat, you weren't getting medicine right away. Never. You were getting a concoction and a prayer. Most of the time it was warm water, maybe with some salt, lemon, honey, ginger, and if you were brave, garlic. Yes, there was always the garlic. How sick are you? Bring out the garlic.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Because apparently, I guess sicknesses and vampires have the same weaknesses. At that time, I hated it. I was like, please, just give me something from the pharmacy, please. But now, I don't know what changed. Now, I swear by it. First sign of a cold, and I'm suddenly becoming like a backyard herbalist. You know, it's funny how these things stick with you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And what's wild is how different they are. Like, depending on where you grew up, they completely change. My friend from India told me that he used turmeric in warm milk as a remedy when he was growing up, which honestly sounds like a latte now. But back then, it was medicine. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Right. The reason I really wanted to have you on so that we could chat with you today is because I think it's easy to make the conversation about Elon Musk and for us to hyper-focus on it because it's happening right now. But where I think you're uniquely positioned is because of your expertise, I think you can help us paint a picture of
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
that gives us a larger idea of what we're experiencing because you also wrote, many people argue like the definitive biography on Peter Thiel, right? And now I've learned a lot of people, you say Peter Thiel, they're like, what's that? Like a lot of people, you say Peter Thiel and they go, what is that? And then some people really know the name and some people don't.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I also like that you can get up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, which can be put into a high-yield savings account that you can open through Apple Card. So you can really put your money to work. Apply in the Wallet app on your iPhone and start using Apple Card right away. Subject to credit approval, savings is available to Apple Card owners. Subject to eligibility.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And the people who know it sometimes will say, oh, forget Elon Musk. Peter Thiel is the puppet master who's running all of this. So I guess to set the scene for this conversation, when we talk about the technocrats or the tech elite or the tech, like who are we actually speaking about? So it's like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, who would you count in that echelon?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
, , , , , ,, P P P P P P P P P實 ac , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P 100 generà già già già già già già già già già gà già gà già gà gà gà gà gà gà gà gà gà gà g ,G ac g, ac ,G la in in in in in in in in in a ,G g, em in in a in a in in in a in in a in in in a
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
, , , , , , ,, P P P P P P P P G實, ac, ac , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , a P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I think in another life... Elon Musk has the ending that Elizabeth Holmes had with Theranos.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
It's the same thing. Elon gets money to make a car that hasn't been made and basically says the thing is what it isn't. Cool. Elon is the same guy who then convinces one car manufacturer that he has gotten funding that he doesn't have and then convinces the bank that the car manufacturer is in when they're not in.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
and then gets the deal done but both sides came to the deal because they both had information that wasn't in fact true and Elizabeth Holmes is in jail and I'm not saying she shouldn't be in jail but I'm just like oh damn with a bullshit artist you just need one person to go to Bernie Madoff you to go I need my money Bernie
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
and then all of a sudden the whole thing falls apart but if no one asks you for the money Bernie Madoff could still be around as one of the most successful money guys because no one would ask him for the actual money yeah there's a fine line between like fake it till you make it and faking it you know and
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
It's amazing how many of them are Tesla Model 3s, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I mean, that's where people have lost a lot of money bidding against him, right? A lot of people, that's what, that's what makes him a paradox. Yeah. You know me, I love electric cars. Love, love, love, love, love electric cars. So for me, I've always been the guy who's gone, yes, go Elon, do the thing. Because I love that. I love that concept. I love the idea of Starlink.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I think too many parts of the world don't have internet and this archaic idea of like a cable coming to your house and now you don't have it. And then infrastructure lost mile. It's too, it's too intensive. It's a fantastic idea. Yeah, it has downsides with satellites. I get that. But there's, you know what I mean? It's a fantastic idea. There's so many elements of Elon where I go, great.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
But I think what, you know, rubs me the wrong way is like the con man-y side of it. I'll tell you like the biggest one that got me with Elon was him lying about the video games. Guys, no, no. Let me tell you something. I've been offended by a few things in my life. More than I have been. Yo, let me tell you why. I'll tell you why. I play a shit ton of video games, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And video games have always been, for me at least, the bastion of like where you are because nothing else like worked for you. We weren't good at video games because we were good at catching a ball. We weren't good at video games because we were the fastest. We weren't good at video games because we were the best looking. We weren't good. No, but that was the place.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
It's like my mage was at this level because I wasn't at that level in real life. And I don't know how to explain it, but that thing for me, it was so insignificant that I was like, why does he need to steal that thing as well? I get it when you're doing stock market things. All right, yeah, I may not like it, but you know what? I'm sure a lot of other people do it in different ways.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
But when this man came in and stole the valor of video gaming and proclaimed himself one of the top 10 players in the world and talked about how he does it. Yo, I remember watching, and then I felt like a hater because I watched it and I said to my friend, I was like, that's impossible. I've always said, like my whole life. There should only be two modes in a video game. Not easy and hard.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
It should be unemployed and employed. That should be the mode you play the game in. Because if you are unemployed, you play the game at a different level. When you're employed, you can't get the levels that some of these people get, right? For me, that was the biggest red flag and I don't know how to explain it. Not all the kids. Let me tell you something. I hear that stuff and I understand why.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
But Nick Cannon has a lot of kids.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Yeah, but I'm saying he's not a red flag for the world for me. For me, Elon Musk lying about the video games and then acting like he didn't lie about the video games when he finally got busted, now being like... Because when he sat with Joe Rogan, he proudly professed how... And he used it to prop up his aptitude, by the way. I think this is what part of the problem I have.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
He sat across from Joe Rogan and Joe Rogan was like, you play a lot of video games. You're one of the top in the world. And he's like, yeah, you know, they've actually shown the studies have shown that doctors who use, like who play video games, they're actually better. They've got more dexterity and they're better at using. And so, yeah, I find it helps me like solve problems.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And I can see someone going like, wow, he's also one of the best video gamers, which means his brain, which means his brain. He gets busted. One of the top gamers, streamers or whatever, talks to him. He goes like, yeah, yeah, of course I get someone in China or wherever to play for me. That's what everyone does.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
But that's what I mean. But I'm saying, I can understand somebody who steals my car. I can understand somebody who steals my phone. But then there's like somebody who's going to steal the box that my phone came in, even though the two were separate. And I'm like, There's a thief and then there's a kleptomaniac. Do you get what I'm saying? For me, that's the red flag with Elon Musk.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
If you can lie about that and you've lied about the big things as well,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Don't go anywhere because we got more What Now? after this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Even there, by the way, because Peter Thiel, I'm... Yeah, all of them have a South African connection.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
spending his formative years that was a joke by the way for anyone some people would be like Christiana believes it yeah they're having a bad time it's really bad for them it's actually funny I was yeah I was at a golf club talking to them about it and I was like how are things and they're like yeah it's really tough really really tough I felt for them all of those I only have three cars and five houses
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
All of those guys.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Can I just interject and tell you something? And this is something that really plagues me. I have yet to meet someone who supported apartheid. It's really weird, guys.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I am yet to meet a person. It really worries me because it's almost like apartheid just happened by itself. I mean, no, everything you're saying here. Let me tell you something now. I have yet to meet a person anywhere in the world who was in apartheid, for instance, and who goes like, yeah, no, Trevor, I didn't want those blacks and white. No, I have yet. Every person I'll talk to.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
They go like, I was totally against it. Then I'm like, huh? Everyone was against it. Huh. So who was for it? Because it seems like there were a lot of people for it. Seems like a lot of people didn't want the thing to stop. A lot of people benefited from it. It seems like a lot of people. Huh. For a thing that nobody wanted to end. But anyway, forgive me. Anyway.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Wait, how old was he when he left?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Yes, yes, yes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
So I don't know that this is correct at all, but I've been trying to sit and figure out what it could be. And I think some of it is this. I think a lot of these people, a lot of these tech leaders who came through South Africa and were in and around apartheid at the time, they witnessed something that is very unique to countries like South Africa, which
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And that is the proximity between business and government and how the two work hand in hand to further each other's goals, right? So apartheid is not a free system. Apartheid is not a world where the best company wins. Apartheid is not a world where the best speech is accelerated.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
No, apartheid is a system where the government says, will you help us to turn coal into oil because we've been oil embargoed? Yes, you have the business We will give you all the resources you need To give us all the oil we need And then all the anti-apartheid companies They left South Africa, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
But the system is set up in such a way Where there's like a direct It's very similar to like Cold War Russia You know, it's like You help the government The government helps you You help the government The government helps you And then these people come to America where that's like frowned upon. It's almost like, oh, no, no, no, no, no. Church and state, things are separate here.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
You don't do that. But I think they still have this idea where they go like, no, no, no, hey, government, we help you and you help us.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Yeah. And I think, for instance, when you talk about ideologies, If you look at Elon's, like, plight against South Africa, again, I'm not sure this is perfect, but I saw it start when he wasn't able to launch Starlink in South Africa because in South Africa, the government says they want to make sure that you have minority ownership when you launch a company.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And the reason the government did this, and they haven't done it perfectly, by the way. I'm never going to say it's the poster child. But what they were trying to do is they were going, guys, we've learned that money gets closed off. So if we don't make sure that companies... have representation in terms of who owns the companies, the money's never going to go anywhere.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Yes. No, no, what I mean is like, sorry, now what we say minority here. So I'm saying like black, people of color. Yeah, people of color.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Exactly. So Elon, I think there went, you're not going to let me open this. And not only did they not let him, they then banned Starlink. And then now Starlink, you can't use it. Even though it's a satellite thing, they don't enable it in South Africa. And I think Elon now again was personally, he was like, oh, I'm going to find a way to break the system.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And one thing I've heard about Elon from everyone who's worked in and around his orbit is he is supremely talented at finding the right lever to pull and he will pull it. It doesn't matter what he's trying to do, but Elon will go, oh, that's the lever. I need to get people working harder. That's the lever. I need to get these people doing this. That's the lever.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
To start businesses that break things and don't follow the rules. What do you need? You need the people who make the rules to lose some of their power. What's the best way to get those people to lose some of their power? You find the people who are the least happy. You find the people who have the most hate fomenting.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And you encourage that and you grow it and you nestle. And so what you... Essentially, I love that you said it in the beginning with Peter Thiel. These guys are essentially investing in disruptors all around the world.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
They're seed funding everywhere. They're using the same principles of money. They go... Christiana, tell me about your movement. Huh? You believe that governments shouldn't exist? You're giving me an idea now, Trevor. You know what? This sounds like a good company. Yeah, they go, this is a great company. You know what? It might be a risky bet, but it's nothing in the greater scheme of things.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I'm just going to throw you a bone and I'm going to throw you a bone and I'm going to throw you a bone. And as we see it growing around the world, you just need a few unicorns for all your bets to pay off. You need a few billion dollar companies to make up for every like $100,000 you've invested. And I think that's what he's doing there. I think that's what he's doing in Germany.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Because again, Germany, people forget this. People are like, why is Elon involved? Which place makes some of the most expensive and most important cars in the world? Germany. If Germany collapses and if the German car economy collapses, it seems like there's a big winner somewhere. His name is Elon Musk.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Places that he doesn't care about, it's because they don't in some way, shape or form benefit him. Do you know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I know we're going to have to let you go. So it's a, it's a, it's a terrible question to ask you because we are finding you in the middle of a story. This is a book that hasn't concluded, but if you were to try and not necessarily predict what you think will happen in But maybe a more interesting one for me would be, what do you predict their end goal and their aim is?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Because, you know, sort of what Cristiano was saying, they have the money or they have the access to the money, they have the valuation, they have, you know, the power, etc. But what is, is there an end goal? Like, does Peter Thiel rest when something is achieved? Does Elon Musk rest when something is achieved? Or are they, as you said, like a fusion reaction that is now powering itself infinitely?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Damn. Wow. Well, here's hoping, Max. Here's hoping. And I say this, I hope you take this in the best way possible. I hope that your podcast becomes less relevant as time goes. Fair enough.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And I hope the people who listen now are now just like interested in business and like, you know, and I hope it has like not as much of a broad appeal because right now, I think Elon Inc., it is like the hub of everything. And so, yeah, man, thank you for taking the time. Thank you. coming and sharing a bit of the universe with us appreciate it thank you both for having me
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Jody Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackle. Claire Slaughter is our producer. Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown. Thank you so much for listening. Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Savings on Apple Card by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch. Member FDIC. Terms and more at applecard.com. I think people sometimes take for granted that a scam artist doesn't necessarily fail, right? You know, we were talking to one of my producers earlier and we were like, 10 years ago today, Elon Musk said, he was like, in 10 years, we will be on Mars. He's like, I'll do it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Okay. Help me understand this though. Have we missed something in Silicon Valley's shift? Because it seems like there was a time when Silicon Valley was the bastion of progressivism and liberalism. You know, it was Elon Musk himself. He's got like tweets where he's out there proudly being like, and that's why we have LGBTQ protections or our workers and we believe in this and we...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Silicon Valley seemed like that place. It was the place where people came together and said, we want the world to be a better place. I remember when Uber was launching and they were like, hey, and it was correct. It was saying like, yeah, now if you're a black person or a person with disabilities, this car will pick you up. You're not going to now get driven past.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
And it felt like this utopia crew that was trying to make the world a better place. And so because of that, they were often at odds. with the people they're in bed with now. You know what I mean? They were the ones who were like, we don't like Nazis. We don't want to see swastikas on our websites. We're going to ban you and we don't want racism and we don't want people separated.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Like, did we miss something? Did Silicon Valley shift or was this something that was always there that is now rearing its head? I don't know which way to look at it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
We're going to be on Mars. We're still here, baby. You know what I mean? Okay, Trump's a simple one. What did Trump say? Never forget, he said, Day one, we're going to bring down the price of eggs. They're coming down, folks. We're going to bring it down. They've done nothing. They've done nothing. Eggs have only gone up since he came into power. And now what's his story?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Can we just pause there for a second and say, this is probably one of the things that I find I'm most amused and frustrated by.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
is how many times these guys' stories are littered with them being helped by the government that they are telling people they need to dismantle because it helps people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
It's the craziest thing ever. Like, listen, literally listen to what you said to me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
I mean, they also have data that we can't dream of, right? Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Okay. Okay.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
See, this is so funny because look at some of the conversations we've had on the podcast. Like where Josh says, as a joke, but he says it as a real thing. He goes like, Trump is white Obama. And he goes like, not as- Very controversial. Yeah, a very controversial comment. But it's like, yeah, but you see like, we talk about the overlapping voters.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Biden left me with bad egg prices. You said day one. You said day one. And you said you're going to do this thing. Not only have you not done it, it's gotten worse. The stock market is taking tanks like you've never seen. This is What Now? With Trevor Noah. Max Chavkin, welcome to the podcast. Thank you for having me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
Now you've just thrown in another piece of the puzzle where it's like, oh, the fact that these are the same guys sitting in both. These administrations could not be Further apart from each other.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Is Elon Musk the Ultimate Scam Artist? with Max Chafkin [VIDEO]
you tell me any world you know better than anyone like think about in African countries when they switch a regime you will definitely not see the same people sitting behind the new leader because that's a signal that like no no no these are my people and these people but like the fact that they've done that either tells us that there's an overlap in the Trump and Obama-ness that they can resonate with or it tells us that their masterminds are getting into somebody but they weren't sitting with Joe Biden
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. One of my favorite things to have on hand these days is my Apple Card. It's made to be simple and private, and getting it was pretty simple too. It takes minutes to apply. Check your credit limit offer and start using it right away with Apple Pay. You could apply for it while waiting in line to get coffee and then use it to buy your coffee.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
I actually think animals are as capable as we are. I think, maybe I'm in the minority here. I think animals are literally just like us. I just don't think they have like the systems.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Dolphins seduce people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Just read up on the stuff that dolphins do. You tell me what you've read up on and then we will fight about this. I don't like this anti-dolphin... Please, go.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Tell me what you've read.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Let's stick with dolphins. Don't run away from dolphins, Christiana.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Here's the, I agree with, look, I'm on the same page. Animals, I think, can be as, what we consider cruel. For sport, just for pleasure. As we can. I will say this, however, about dolphins. We take for granted how intelligent dolphins are, right? We take for granted that dolphins do things for pleasure. They have many of the aptitudes that humans have, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
So they'll even like smoke puffer fish. Like a lot of people don't know that. They literally smoke puffer fish and get high. They poke it, it blows up, then they have the toxin. So if dolphins are as smart as we are, how do we know that they aren't engaging in S&M the way humans do? And we are watching it from the outside.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
If you watched Fifty Shades of Grey as an animal, you would be like, this is torture. This is a terrible story of torture. Because you don't understand what they're saying. You don't understand. You're just watching somebody tie another person up and whip them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Well, I mean, yeah, but I don't think you've ever said anything against me. And I was just thinking, you're the guy who went to Davos and told all the billionaires who were there, like literally everyone. You sat there and you basically said, you guys are a bunch of hypocrites. I'm paraphrasing, obviously. But what I think they heard was, you guys are hypocrites.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
belief that things can be no i internally good yeah i i agree with you i think animals we are and what i mean by that is i go i think every animal does the most terrible things but because they don't have systems they haven't figured out ways to to like expand them outward do you know what i mean right like i like okay for instance i i'm bad with like specific troops and what the names of the different chimps or monkeys are so don't correct me on this
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Chimp Twitter, Chimp TikTok monkey crew, whatever. I know it's wrong, but I know they do it. There's a group of monkeys or whatever they are somewhere. And what they'll often do is they'll invade the territory of other chimpanzees or monkeys. And they'll slaughter all of them. No reason. They just like slaughter them. And they'll like play around with the entrails everywhere.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And then they just leave. Okay.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Never been better. Actually, Radka, how do you respond to this? So as the person who writes a book talking about how humans are kind, how do you respond to people who say to you, well, then what about murders? Well, then what about serial killers? Well, then what about like, there's many bad things that happen in the world. How do you respond to them? And what data do you use to support it?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
You are not paying your fair share. And you're acting high and mighty when, you know, avoiding the elephants in the room. You went to TED and you told everyone there they should be giving away their money. And everyone in the room is like the 1% and poor people are actually right and the rich people are wrong for the way they're doing it. So I really wondered, do you get invited back to places?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And the reason I believe it is because I drive. I know a lot of people who are anti-humans and they'll be like, you can't trust humans. Then I go, but you drive. If you spend any time driving, you believe humankind is good.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
No, but you drive. If you drive, you are inherently believing that every other person on the road who's driving is going to respect a painted white line This is literally what separates you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Yes, but what I'm saying is that's what I believe in. I think we have made it all about kindness when really most of humankind is rational. And so in our rationality, I believe we are rational enough to realize that it's not a zero-sum game. And so when you see somebody else's child fall, you'll pick them up most times.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
No, but I think that's why we exist as people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Have I been to... Yeah, but now you modern parents, you're not even allowed to look at another person's child or help them. When I grew up, even in South Africa now, people can still be friendly and help you with your child. You're talking about a very specific sad thing that's happened in America. I argue, for the most part, human beings... And I think it's demonstrated in our very nature, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
We get on a plane. We trust. We don't even know the pilot. We've never even seen this guy's certificate, right? We just fly. It's this weird system where we... Because the trust is so latent and the morality is so latent, we then notice the anomalies in society.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And then we go, look how bad we are.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Did Davos ever invite you back? Did Ted? Where do you find that you have the best recidivism rates?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
She's very pessimistic, Rutger.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Rutger, you recently became a parent. I want to know if your views have changed because you were the person who was, and please correct me at any point, but I mean like you were very much the person who's willing to like experiment and say, let's have open borders. Let's give everybody universal basic income. This is the world we should be living in.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Open it up a lot more than you think we should because we will actually be good to each other. I want to know if you noticed any changes in yourself once you became a parent. Did you become more or less conservative in your own eyes?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Wait, but okay, help me out with the Tucker one. I thought that you and him would have been on the same page for what he's been saying. Where was the big divergence?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Oh yeah, then it makes you feel like
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Can I interject with one thought here? You actually are the person who made me realize this one day. you said to me, oh, Trevor, of course you think that that's possible because of how you see the world or how the world treats you. And it's funny, Rutger, Christiana and I always have this back and forth.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And I will say, yes, I am the way I am because of how the world treats me, but I'm also the way I am, or the world is the way it is to me because of how I treat it. And I don't know when the cycle begins, to be honest with you, right? I think it is easier to be optimistic when things have gone right, or when you remember things going right.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Because sometimes I think it's more about your perception than the reality, right? And so even when I think about jogging or not jogging, I don't have kids. But the one thing I will say is, I think of how many parents, let's say in America, are terrified at the idea of their child being kidnapped when the data does not support it. It just does not. And I think it's very difficult in life
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
But we are oftentimes at the mercy of the things that have happened to us. And so that becomes part of how we see the world. I think very exceptional individuals are able to see the world beyond how it happened to them and rather how they wish it to be. But most of us, most of us, you get robbed on a certain street, you probably will never walk on that street ever again.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
The chances of you getting robbed there again are probably zero depending on where you are. But you just go like, you know what? I'm not going to do that. That street is where people get robbed. And so I hear what you're saying, but I sometimes think,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
If every law or if every idea we make is based on the worst instance of what happened, planes wouldn't fly, cars wouldn't drive, children wouldn't run and play outside.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Wait, with all of it?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
No, no, no, don't do that. No, no, no, no. All of it?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
But I don't look... We, this is, Rutger, I forgive you. You've stepped into a, this is a fundamental friend.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
This is us. And it's good. We keep each other on each other's toes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Everything you are saying is true. However, every negative thing I've also experienced. Do you understand what I'm saying? So I grew up in a house with domestic abuse. I grew up in a country where my people couldn't work or do anything. My mother herself wasn't allowed to go. My grandmother.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
So like, do you know what kind of life you've lived when a flushing toilet was like a thing you were excited for? That's the kind of life I lived. And I'm not even saying this like a woe is me thing. I'm just like, I remember being like, yeah. Flushing toilet today. Ah, no flushing toilet this month. And then flushing toilet another time. And then you have your techniques.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
You start learning which newspapers you prefer to wipe your ass with. This is life, right? So I never say this to diminish another person's experience. I really don't.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
But I think, and you know, it's some of what you say in your book, Rutger, and when you speak. I think some of the time, it's so hard, but some of the time, the way we are perceiving something affects our ability to not live in that world because we are perceiving it as being that way, right? And so, I mean, I've even learned this in therapy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
I think we sometimes think, and maybe that's because I wasn't raised this way, we sometimes think it's happening to us And us alone, and we're the victims, and we're the only ones. That's why I genuinely have never worn it. I don't wear it as a cape of anything because I go, my friends had parents, mothers who were abused. So in our community, this was a thing that was normal.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And over time in South Africa, we fought against gender-based violence, and we continue to. But because I was never taught that, no, Trevor, this is happening to you, I then didn't think that it's happening to the world and I didn't think that I was like suffering because of it. You know what I mean? So that's where I come back to the car analogy of it all.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
The reason I say I don't agree with you on all of it, but you know I agree with you on most of it, is I go, there are still... Hundreds of thousands of women who do run at 5 a.m. There are still hundreds of thousands of women who do run at 10 p.m.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Yes, yes. No, I understand this. But this is what I mean. This is like one of the hardest things. In fact, you know what? Let's take it away from a personal injury in that way. And let's think of it through the lens of crime. Because in South Africa, we deal with this. South Africa has one of the highest crime rates in the world. Right? But...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
It is not happening to most of the people most of the time. And most people have not been affected by that crime. But they do get affected by it. And if it does actually happen to you, it is the only thing that is true in your world. And I cannot say to anybody who has been affected, no, it's not as bad as you think. Because to them, it is the full version of what they think.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
So what I'm always trying to do, and this is why I fight with my friend, because I go, I don't ever want us to live in a world where we think, like you said, you can only hold one thought. Some people will say, my parents didn't love me. They were abusive. I'm like, or your parents grew up in a world where they beat you and all kids were beaten.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And yeah, now we don't believe that that's the right thing. And now they think it's like timeouts and conversations. But to Rutger's point, maybe in like 15 years, maybe in 20 years, they'll be like, hey, actually timeouts are worse on a child's mental health.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Do you know what I mean? So I think there's a difficulty in processing how kind humans are versus how bad human beings, individual can be and how much harm they can do versus the, you know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
One person can kill many people and now all of us feel like the world is full of killers. But we forget that like when one person was shooting in a crowd, everyone was running.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
So there's more runners than there are shooters.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
I don't think you are. I think you're a secret optimist. I think you challenge us.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
So, Rutger, if you had to throw a Hail Mary... What is one thing? One, like, I know it's hard, but just like one example, story, study, data, anything where you would go, this is how you can believe that humankind is kind.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
I also like that you can get up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, which can be put into a high-yield savings account that you can open through Apple Card. So you can really put your money to work. Apply in the Wallet app on your iPhone and start using Apple Card right away. Subject to credit approval, savings is available to Apple Card owners. Subject to eligibility.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
I think I realized because of your work, the Lord of the Flies has had more impact on how we see humankind than the real story, which it wasn't based on, obviously, but I'm saying the Lord of the Flies is how people, people think it's a real thing. They're like, well, I guess this is Lord of the Flies. And you're like, that's a fiction. We have based our reality on a fiction.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And yet the realities never seem to be able to create the fictions that we want to live in or want to create.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Yeah. And I think a lot of that becomes how we see the world. If we are told the world is a way, then it does become that way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
You know, so I that's why I appreciate. Honestly, I love what you do. Like I say, you don't tell us the world is perfect, but you tell us that humankind is inherently kind. We're going to continue this conversation right after this short break. So actually, let me ask you this. As a historian, you look at the world differently because you have to. Are things better or worse?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Because I have people phoning me and texting me now. And they'll say to me, they'll lead every conversation with, hi, Trevor, hope you're well, all things considered. Or they'll be like, hi, Trevor, hope everything's going good, considering the world we're in right now. And I understand where they're coming from, but then there's a part of me that goes, but when was it not bad in some way?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
No, no, tell us about it. What is it?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
So when you look at the world we're in now, how do you think the historian version of you in 200 years will look at you slash us? This is something I always think about when I think of the time I'm living in or even everything that happens, right? An election comes and then people are like, oh, this is the worst result. I can't believe.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
But then literally half of the country that's in America are like, oh, thank God, reprieve. We are now finally on the right track. And in moments where there's no chaos, I just sit there and I go, How do we know which one actually is? And how do you know how the future will view us in this? Are we the good guys of this time?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
incredibly cruel system they're going to be on the news with their co-host who's a cow because animals will be talking in the future let's be clear on this everybody they're already talking and then yeah literally i don't understand them yeah and then they're going to ask the cow they'd be like what do you think and be like oh man the things you people you humans used to then the human would be like i wasn't around back then those were my grandparents you can't judge me for their actions so are you are you a vegan yeah oh okay have you always been a vegan no no no
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
I think it's crazy. I'll, I'll be on the record and say, I think it's crazy. I think, I think I have fights with my friends about this all the time. So actually, let me ask you this. For a few reasons. One, the way we inflict pain on them is unnecessary oftentimes. And we waste. We throw away so many of the animals that we've killed that I'm like, people, what are we doing here?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Do you know what I mean? If you're going to inflict pain on somebody, at least like use it, eat it. Do you know what I mean? Like if you're going to kill me and my family, eat us is how I think, even as a human. And I'm not a pig or a cow, but I don't like that. Yeah. And I'm guilty of it too. Please don't get me wrong. I don't like the intelligence argument at all.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
I don't like that at all because I find myself going, if people are telling us that we should not be eating animals because they are sentient and they think and they feel, I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait. So now we're making this a moral thing. So we should or shouldn't eat things that are closest to us as humans. And then the things that are not, we shouldn't treat accordingly.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
I don't want to live in a world where we are making that type of judgment based on what we think or how close we think something is to us. Because that's also the argument we use to inflict pain and suffering on other people. Do you know what I mean? So we'll be like, oh no, they're not as intelligent as we, therefore they can be slaves. Therefore they can be punished and beaten and put in prison.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And I think that's like the same argument, just the other way around. So I go, if you're going to eat something, eat it with respect. Do you know what I mean? Be like, yeah, like I don't think a lion looks down on a zebra. You know what I mean? I don't think a lion is like this stupid zebra. That's why I'm eating it. It's just like, no, no, no. This is how I live. And I caught you and I eat you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Some of the indigenous cultures I've bumped into traveling around the world, they have a very respectful thing, even in South African culture. You know, a lot of it. When you slaughter a sheep or a cow, and it's meant to be an auspicious occasion, by the way, because... You know, there's this misconception people have about Africans and eating meat.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And the truth is Africans didn't used to eat that much meat. You would only slaughter an animal for a big occasion. It was like you were giving away your daughter to another tribe. What a loss of life. What a loss of a future. And so you would have this moment. And in that... They would teach you when you're slaughtering the animal, you first go and speak to it. You'd say, thank you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
You would have this acknowledgement. And so I genuinely, I don't mind like vegan or not. I think everyone should be able to do what they can, but I don't like it when we make it about intelligence or not. It's like, no. So we say like dumb things deserve to be killed.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Well, actually, then maybe that's a good place to sort of jump into. Like when we talk about people being in a 1% and in a 99% and et cetera, et cetera, is it fair to do that to people when they're not living in the globe? And I mean this because I sometimes think about like how people see their lives. You know, politicians will always talk to people and say, your lives are better than ever.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Yeah, which I think is necessary. I think we have too much of it. I want to know what you think about it through the lens of, let's say, capitalism. Yeah. When I told some of my friends you were coming on the podcast, the first thing some of them said was, oh, it's the guy who hates capitalism. I love him. You know, they were like, he hates business and he hates capitalism. I love him.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Then I was like, I don't know. Does he think of himself that way? And I wondered, and I still do, do you think there's such a thing as good capitalism? Do you think companies can do good? You know, you talk about humans being kind, but in your research and in your work, do you think that can be extended to companies?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
The mortality rate is lower than... And someone's like, yeah, I'm broke. I'm poor. Yeah. You know, someone will be like, oh, white privilege. And then there's a white guy working in like the Appalachian mountains somewhere vibes. And he's going, where's my white privilege? Like, I want this white privilege you're telling me about. And then you have to get academic and explain it to him.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Yeah, I think we are living in a world where everything's being distilled. You and I talk about this a lot. It feels like the world is becoming less and less tolerant of people holding multiple ideas, even if those ideas aren't in conflict. People will say to you, no, you can't think that. And you're like, but why can I not think that? Because you think something else.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And I'm like, yes, but these two things are not separate. Mm-hmm. They're not even in conflict with one another. And I think if we lose that as people, we then become one dimensional in our thinking, in our problem solving. And then I think we experience fractures in society that aren't necessarily real. Does that make sense?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
But you don't mean the people. We are going to state that for the record.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
She doesn't mean, she just means the people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Yeah, but let me throw this at you. What if I told you you can live in a world where there's billionaires. And the issue isn't that there aren't billionaires. The issue is where the water level is at the bottom. I think that it's more important to think about where a person who is never going to be a billionaire sits.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
So if somebody has a good education, and Rutger, you speak about this with like, let's say, just income and basic income and a guaranteed income. Like, I think if we lived in a world where We're focusing on making sure that everyone at the bottom has a good time. The top doesn't really bother us that much. There's always going to be somebody at the top.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
But the question is, where are you in relation to them? Does that make sense?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
If you were black, your situation would be way worse. What are we actually trying to do when we tell people that they're in the 1%? Are we trying to get them to give more or are we trying to get them to feel guilty about having more? Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Unless you've got a billion, you're not going anywhere.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
That's the one nice thing. We've got a pro billionaire statement on a record. I mean, this is massive. Don't go anywhere because we got more What Now? after this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Tell us a little bit about your, you know, it sounds like you're assembling like a suicide squad of experts to change the world, which I love this idea. And I think I've loved it because I think of it through a different lens. So I've felt, I think for most of my adult life, that it's sad.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
that we funnel people into parts of life where they will have the most income, but not the most impact, you know, or the impact that they'll have won't affect or impact the most people positively. Right. And it's not even because of them. It's just what we do. Rutger, you're going for like everyone, just like the math geniuses, the statisticians, all these people, like what are you aiming for?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And what do you hope to achieve?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Make future historians proud. That seems like a hat for some reason. It seems like a hat and I don't know what color it would be, but it seems like one. I know this is going to sound like a weird question, but Should we care about what the future would think of us? And what I mean by that is we don't know how we will be perceived by the future.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
We look back on many great people now and we're like, nope. They're terrible.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
You know what I mean? But we do it. We just do it, right? Rightly or wrongly, we do it. And so I sometimes wonder, I go, should we even care about the historians of the future? Or should we just be like, we're just trying to do what's good for now. And then, hey, man, you future people will judge us all you want, but we're not here.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
So essentially, you're appealing to the ego.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
I want to have a conversation with you after you've lived in New York for a year or two. I don't wish this on you. Please let me be clear. I really don't. But I think like the amateur scientist in me does. And I would love to see how much your worldview is going to be shifted or how, I know it will be, but I'd love to know how it will be shifted by you existing in a place
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
that is going to push every theory that you have. You come from a place where people are looked after. You know, you come from a place where healthcare and, you know, people think about how much time you work and how much maternity leave, paternity leave, schools, what's in your food.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And I would love to speak to you in like a year or two and just see like, have you become more hopeful, more curmudgeon-y? Have you lost hope? Or are you just like now... Rutger Bregman, the billionaire, just being like, let me just get a billion and then we'll continue this journey.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
How resilient do you think you are to the press that comes from living in a place that sort of hasn't fostered your ideas?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
So you're pre-giving the money away, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And it's... You know what this actually makes me think of? We have a friend, a mutual friend in common we've worked with, but, you know, from South Africa. His name is David Kibuka. And David would always say the same thing to us. He'd always go, he'd always be like, I don't understand why America... gives you your money and then asks you for it back. He's like, that's why people hate taxes.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
They don't hate taxes because they're paying taxes. They're paying taxes because they, just take the money from me. You know what the tax is supposed to be. Just don't make me give it to you twice.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Maybe that's, do you think this would work in our society? Like, so David's side of it, I actually agree with. I think sometimes people just are reticent to the idea of giving the money, but if it was taken before they knew, they'd be like, whatever. Even the idea of tax. I know that you say taxes, taxes, taxes, and people must pay more taxes and...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
But a lot of people will say, yeah, you know what, Rutger, I pay my taxes and then the government doesn't use the tax correctly and I don't see the roads improving and I don't see the schools improving. Oh, but you know what I see improving? I see bombs. I see more bombs. I see more fighter jets. Wow, Rutger, you're telling me to pay more tax and the more tax I pay, the more missiles are made.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And I think a lot of people are struggling with, now, obviously, some people just want to keep their money. Don't get me wrong. But there are many people who feel like they're funding the worst but not the best. And this is moving, by the way, across political lines. This is not like a Republican or Democrat thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
This is just people across the line saying, why do we have money for a bomb, but we don't have money for a road or a school? How do you respond to that? Because it seems like you're sort of telling people to do something that has caused a lot of the problems as opposed to the solutions.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Yeah, there's a lot of nimbyism in the blue states.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
It's a cycle that goes around. I think we should use what you spoke about with universities. This might be a solution.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Moral ambition, right? Somebody's hunger, whether it's ego-based or whether it's, you know, eternity, whatever it might be.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
what I think we should do is we take people's taxes and the more tax you pay the more things get named after you because nobody likes I love that yeah nobody likes things being like everybody loves it so you get a bench in the park no no no benches is nothing like that's like that's like if you paid a little bit of tax I'm talking like I'm talking like highways oh
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Like you paid the most tax this year. We're now driving on the Jeff Bezos highway. But, but, but it must be, it must be, it's not about like the money because that's where the trick comes in. It must be about the percentage of your income that you paid. Because that's where the trick is, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And so you go, an average working person and you find their tax rates were 20 something percent. That person, we go, okay, Jonathan Maids, there's your road. And then we just get like digital billboards. We switch the things up. I think it could work.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
The secret is the club. I secretly believe that most of the world is just governed by how well people are treated in club environments. And if you just go like this way, Mr. Bezos, then he's like, oh, I'm doing something right. But if you're like, sorry, Jeff, You're not getting in. Why? Yeah, your tax rate, buddy. And then just be like, oh, Mrs. Chowalski, come on in.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
I think we could switch something up. We could make it really interesting.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Savings on Apple Card by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch. Member FDIC. Terms and more at applecard.com.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
But let's talk about this through the lens of different countries. I actually love the fact that all three of us come from a place where we're all experiencing the world slightly differently. And obviously we all now live in the US, but we've all seen the idea of poverty and the idea of suffering expressed and maybe even experienced differently. So
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
I like this. So you're starting a new journey. We know what you're going to be doing. We know what your what now is. I would love to issue out a challenge to you, just for you to yourself. What do you think we should check back in on with you in a year to see if it's changed or shifted? What's the most shaky thing in your life right now where you're like, oh man, this might shift?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Oh, I like that for you. Well, you know what? I will still hopefully be in the business of bringing awareness to people who are bringing awareness, I hope. And a good laugh.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Definitely. Yeah, man, I agree with that. But thank you, Rutger. Thanks for joining us. And good luck. I think one of the things I've always loved about talking to you is you present like a... It's a very sober view of what we're actually trying to do. So some people have an idea of you that's based on clips, which is the world we live in.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
So they think you are the guy who hates billionaires, or they think you're the guy who hates capitalism, or they think you are the guy who thinks everything is fixable tomorrow. But what I like about sitting down with you, reading your books, whatever it is, is that it's a really sober look at what we could and should do in the world. you know, to try and make it a better place for everyone.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
So thank you again. Good luck with the baby life. We appreciate you. Thanks, man. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for having me. What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Jody Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackle. Claire Slaughter is our producer.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown. Thank you so much for listening. Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
When I think of the Netherlands, I think of a place where things are going well. You know, every time I'm in the Netherlands, I'm just like, wow, your roads are great and everything seems to be working and things are good. But then I see people voting the same way that, let's say, what a quote-unquote typical Trump supporter would vote like in the U.S. And they're saying the same things.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Oh, you know, our lives are getting worse. Things are getting worse. I go to the UK. Now, the UK doesn't seem as up to date as, let's say, the Netherlands. You know, London might be great. But as soon as you get a little bit out, even when I went to Brixton, I was like, okay, okay.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Yeah, but there's like a part of Brixton that's super nice.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
There's always one station. But even then, when I'm in the UK, I'm like, oh, wow, this is, I understand that for your country, you're having a tough time. But the people there are really like, wow, this is the worst experience we're having. It's all going down. And then in South Africa. It's the same thing at a different standard or quality of living.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And so it almost makes me wonder, I go, what is more important? What's actually happening to people or how they feel about what is happening to them? Do you know what I mean? Like, I don't know what you think in the UK. Do you think how they feel matches up with their lives? Or do you think they just notice their lives depending on how they feel?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Stores are boarded up.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
That makes a lot of sense. Rutger, I want to know, when I think of you, and I think maybe this is probably how most people see you in the world who are familiar with your work. They see the historian. They see somebody who's a journalist. And I think in many ways, they also see somebody who is really adept at looking at studies and the way the world actually works versus how we think it works.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
So when you look at three different places where people have the same feeling, even though they're having a different experience, what do you think it tells us about how people are experiencing the world?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Great TV show. I'm just like, that's great TV. We need to make that a show.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
I'm actually in for the show. We're going to make the show. Toddler vs. Pig. I need it. This is What Now? with Trevor Noah. Rutger, welcome to the podcast. I was thinking about, you know, having you on and I was like, do you get invited back anyway? This is the thing I found myself asking.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
Yeah, I mean, this is something I'll chat to friends about when I think about movements or ideas. I go, oftentimes we think, because we live in the age of the most morality, we think that morality is what moves people. But most of the time, it's an incentive that's just attached to the other person. Oftentimes it's financial, but when it's not, it's literally directly attached to them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
And so you think of Martin Luther King. It's amazing how the boycott was really one of the biggest tools in his arsenal. It was like, okay, black people are not going to ride on your buses. We're not going to support your businesses. And then people are like, okay, apartheid in South Africa.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
As much as it was like, yeah, shame and this and that, it was the world saying, yeah, we're not going to buy your stuff and we're not going to sell you stuff. And then at some point, the apartheid government says, this is not sustainable for us. We can't keep doing this. And so then it makes me wonder like, With your work, you know, you talk about like humans being kind and being good, etc.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
Human-Kind or Human Evil with Rutger Bregman [VIDEO]
But then the work that you study seems to suggest that kindness isn't necessarily the thing that moves us in the right direction. So how do you deal with the paradox in your own work?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Okay, so it's similar in some ways. And then in other ways, it's a lot harder and a lot different. And I'll tell you, let's take a break. And then right after that, I'll explain what I mean. We're going to continue this conversation right after this short break. Doing The Daily Show, and you understand this feeling because you were doing The Late Late Show with Corden. I was.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
One of the worst days, not just for the show, but for people, was whenever there was a mass tragedy, you know, which would unfortunately happen all too often in America. So it would be mass shooting, mass shooting, mass shooting. This happened, you know, it was always something like that. And those days were tough. However...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
The Grammys is exponentially tougher because everyone coming to The Daily Show was coming to engage in Trevor Noah's opinion of the world. Or the show's processing of the world with the correspondence and everyone else. So it was like, in a weird way, it's like we're all coming to the same church. We all have the same religion.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And now we're just going to process what has happened to us as people, right? And this year, like I realized that more than most years, The Grammys is the perfect coming together of strangers. And it's something we don't have in society anymore, right? You have someone walking to the building who lives in Miami full time.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
They're only here because their record label or their company brought them or, but they live in Miami. You've got someone who comes from London. You've got somebody who comes in from Finland and they're like an engineer and they're phenomenal, but like nobody knows them except in the music industry. You've got people from New York. You've got people from everywhere.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yeah, Nashville has a whole contingency, right? But then you even break it up amongst like genres and ideas. You know, there's a joke, you saw the joke I made at the top when I go like, mustard! And then I was like, ask your black friends. Because I know the whole chunk of the room is like, what was that? Like, what was that? Or what is happening here?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And its difficulty is, I think, the thing that makes it beautiful. It's like it comes with a precariousness, but I also enjoy the fact that somebody who only listens to hip hop is now going to hear a country artist for the first time. Somebody who only listens to pop is going to hear a rock artist for the first time. I think there's a greater cross-pollination of fans in music.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
At the Grammys than in any other instance. Because when else are you forced, in a good way, to engage in somebody else's ideas? Now, for me as the host, it becomes extra hard because comedy is extremely subjective. And comedy is like, people also have to come for comedy. Some people have come to the Grammys or they're even like watching on TV. And then they're like, yeah, get done with this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I'm here for Beyonce. Who is this guy? Yabba, yabba, yabba, yabba. Come on, come on, come on, come on. And I know this. I know this as well. You know, that's the job of the host. You're like moving things along, right? But it becomes harder because it's not a funeral, but there's been huge devastation. It's not a comedy show, but people do want to laugh.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
You know, it's an award show, but it's also a somber night in many ways. It's all these things are happening. So it's much harder, because with The Daily Show, at the end of the day, I would go, you're at The Daily Show, I'm at The Daily Show, welcome to The Daily Show.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Let me tell you when I knew how different the Grammys was. This isn't like a long ago story. Four or five weeks ago, I was in a restaurant in New York. I was having like lunch or something. And the manager of the restaurant walked over and went, hey, Trevor, congratulations on hosting the Grammys. What an amazing, wow, this is going to be great for you in your career. I was like, thank you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And he's like, man, are you nervous? Like doing this for the first time is going to be crazy. And I paused and I was like, and then the person I was having the lunch with, very sweet, but he leaned in and he's like, what? It's not his first time. It's his second time. And that's when I realized that like, and not even realized, I've always known this. The Grammys is not about me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Nor am I, you know me, I'm not trying to make it about me. I'm trying to keep the show moving and I'm trying to stitch things together. But there are people who are coming for their person. And if their person's not there, they're not coming. So they're a fan of this artist. If the artist is not there, they're not watching.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And so I am just this random person who pops into people's lives and tries to stitch together an incoherent group of people that you, in my opinion, and I'll say this to you before we forget, masterfully put it together. I've been to five Grammys now. Let me tell you something, Ben. The way you stitch, just like the best new artists...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
You know, everyone going from Benson Boone, you know, going over to Dochi, going over to Teddy Swims, going over to Ray. Yo. Yeah. Like even that is, that's hard because it's all different people doing different things. And yet you created a cohesive vibe. That's what keeps bringing me back to the Grammys.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
It's not that they don't want to. They don't know that they want to. They don't know it, yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
No, no, because people say words that mean other things all the time. And then some of you are like, wow, James Corden's married to this guy? I didn't know James Corden was even gay. And then it's a whole thing. And then it's like when Kendrick said, my aunt transitioned.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And then I could feel the room go, wait, Kendrick's aunt just transitioned? And then most of the black people were like, we know what he meant. He meant passed away. But then I saw a lot of white people be like, wait. He's got an uncle. Yeah, literally. And he actually does. It was very confusing. So I just wanted to throw that in.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Cause I know where everyone's going to be sitting and I didn't see Kanye. Then for a moment, I thought you didn't tell me Kanye was coming. Cause you wanted to surprise me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Huh. But did he tell people he was coming?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
You know, it's funny. I said this to Sizwe. So, Sizwe, you flew in from... We were in South Africa because, I mean, we did the other podcast together a few episodes. Yeah, like now, basically, a few weeks ago. Yeah, we did the episode together. Then he flew it. And I said to him, I was shocked. I was like, LA is empty. Empty. The airport is empty. Empty. The flights coming in are empty.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
The hotels are empty. LA is empty. But people are, they're like. And then you said, sorry to interrupt you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
You said to me, you were like, yo man, LA is down. Like you remember, because you said something about like how everything is, you noticed it coming in.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I say uncharacteristic because I always find like English people are resilient, but there isn't like the same level of... Schmaltz.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I love this place. You're like, my neighbors and we're getting together. We got to make this and we got to give blankets to the people and we got to... It's like, yeah, come on, USA. That's what I'm waiting for. Whoa, whoa, whoa. No, no.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
The economics of a hotel will just never work. Right.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I think this was the most dramatic red carpet we've had at the Grammys ever. like in the years that we've done it together, because we, like, this was the year where Kanye steps onto the Grammy. Then immediately people were, there's every opinion, right? So some people were going, how can the Grammys allow this? There are children there. Now there's a naked woman on the red carpet. My children.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Hey, man. So here's the funny thing about me, though. No, but here's the funny thing. I'm the opposite. Cesar will even tell you this. I don't assume anything. So even when they ask me, are you doing the Grammys? I say, and it's the truth. I go, they'll let me know if they want me. But until then... No, but we did have a... No, no, no.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But what I'm saying is with the fires and I'm saying with all of that. So I'm still going like, hey, man, I don't... And this guy has known me, we're on like 20 something years now. Cesar knows me. I take nothing for granted. I always assume that I will be fired or can be fired. Anything in life can change. And I don't even have like, I'm like baby face with most things.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I turn around and I go, you walk ahead. So for me, I was just sitting in South Africa, literally just being like, man, this is crazy as the Grammy's happening. But I don't even assume that I'm doing it, even though we've spoken. Because I know you might call me and say, hey, listen, this year is different. We're going to do a different thing. And so, yeah, I'm like, okay, but.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
There's always the children. I'm always like, there's, you know, the children are there, the children, the children. So that's what the people were saying. And then, I don't know if you saw any of these actually, because you're so wrapped up in the show. Yeah. I see quite a bit afterwards. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Then there was the baby face. Oh, I did see that. You see that, right? I did see that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Do you want to start with the Kanye or should we?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yeah, the two AP reporters or whatever they were interviewing people. Yeah, they're interviewing Babyface mid-conversation. They're just like, ah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Thank you. Thank you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
,,,, , , , , , , ,, P P P P P P P P P實,實, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , a P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P ,,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
, , , , , ,, P. P. P. P. P,實 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Laboratory P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P la� ac la� ac la� ac la grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà grà gr hair g gr ac gr hair g gr hair g
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Then the fires jump. Then the fires expand. Now we're like, wow, it looks like the whole city is burning. Now personal friends start texting me. Like my manager and my agent, Matt Lake, literally his house gone. Like gone, gone, ashes. No, but so now you start getting direct people going, hey, man, house gone. Hey, house gone. Hey, house gone. And now you're like, wait, wait, wait, wait.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Everyone, how far is this thing getting? Now you're like, oh, everyone is going to be involved in this. It's not like a few people who live near to the boundary, which is normally how it is. It's everyone. So I'm experiencing this, but it's not about me. So I'm just like, I hope everyone's okay.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And whenever there's a tragedy, I hate being the person who's texting people because I feel like I don't need you to reply to my text while shit's going wrong in your life. So I'll text you afterwards because my text doesn't necessarily help you. You know what I mean? So I'm quiet. I'm spending time off my devices. We go, we see things are being canceled, moved, et cetera.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I go, Cesar, what do you think is going to happen? He's like, I don't know. But if, you know, if anything happens, they'll let you know. I'm like, all right, we'll see. Are the Grammys still happening? We don't know. We don't know. We don't know. Grammys gets announced. The Grammys are happening, but they say nothing about me. So I'm like, oh, okay. I guess there's going to be a shift. It's fine.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Then I go, Cesar, you saw the Grammys is happening. Cesar goes instantly. He's like, yeah. He's like, Ben can pull it off. I know he can. He always, he'll figure it out. He always pulls it off. So I'm like, I'm like, yeah, I'm like, Ben will do. I don't know how he's going to do it, but he'll do something. Cool. And I'm fine. I'm just living my life. We speak on the phone.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
The only doubts I had were doubts around. So I'll start with this. Number one, to what James said and what anyone who's hosted an award show will know. You know, like I remember like talking to Kevin Hart about it. I've talked to Chris Rock about it. You name it. Hosting a show is one of the more thankless things you can do, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And not thankless like, oh, I need the thanks, but it's just because it's such a high wire act, even if there's nothing bad happening in the world. You step onto a stage where people haven't come for you and you then do the thing that you do, which is already precarious. Comedy is not a safe art form. Full stop.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Like just even people who are coming to a comedy club, there's a possibility the comedy doesn't go the way they want it to. For a comedian, it's not a safe art form. No comedian's like, ah, what a lovely, easy job I have, right? So you start with that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Then an award show where people are coming for music is not even like the Emmys and the Oscars where people are, you know, used to sitting down, having people talk all night. No, the music speaks at the Grammys. You know, there's very little speaking at the Grammys. So I have my latent doubts about doing the Grammys. I roll to the Grammys because of you. You know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Literally from the beginning, I was like, look, I don't like award shows. I would never do an award show. But I roll with you and I trust you to keep me safe and to try and put the best show on. And I love making people feel good. Now the fires are happening. I go, okay, so I've already got the doubts I had. But now are you throwing a party while everyone's having a funeral? What are you doing?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
How bad is the devastation? Are you assuming devastation on their behalf? Because that's another thing I've realized we do quite a lot in society these days is we assume things on other people's behalves that they themselves aren't experiencing. Babyface is a good example. Babyface wasn't pissed off. People were pissed off. How dare you?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But I think it's also why he said, do you want that? Yeah, he was so sweet. That man has been in the game since when? He knows every red carpet. He knows what the game is about. So he, to your point, he didn't even... He had no ego in the way he did. He was like, oh, you guys need that, don't you? And he's like, I'm on my way. He's like, I stopped to talk to you because you need this.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But the man that you are daring on behalf of is like, no, I get it, man. It's part of the game. Relax. People get offended on, you know, the place's behalf. People get offended. People, we do that. And sometimes we do it, I think most of the time we try and do it out of good. But the intention doesn't match up with the outcome, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
So I didn't want to make the assumption and be like, no, I cannot do the Grammys at this tough time. I cannot. And it's like, whoa, whoa, whoa. What about the people who've worked for a year on their music? What about the people who've... like prepared for you to work on the Grammys? What about the people? And I spend most of my time with these guys.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I'm chatting to, you know, the stagehand backstage. I'm being ushered around, you know, by the crew. I'm building bonds with the cameraman because you know what it's like, Cesar, when you've hosted. That's the thing. These are the people that you're doing most of it with. So I'm not in the position to assume anything. I just go, I will work with what is given to me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But what I thought from the get-go, even when I came to LA was, man, this is going to be hard. And this is going to be hard because half the people who are here have a feeling of sadness that they're carrying. It's mixed in with resilience, but it's still sadness.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
The other half have some sort of reverence for what everyone is experiencing, but they've come into town, but they also don't want to be the people with confetti and streamers. So every normal pre-Grammy party was canceled. Every after party was canceled. There was no Spotify party. There was no CAA party. There was no Warner Music party. There's nothing. There's nothing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
So the preamble feels different. People feel different. The first time you're going to put something nice on is just to go to the show. That's not usual. And then on top of that, you realize that the audience isn't having the same feelings depending on where they are. Someone's watching in South Africa. They're not having the same feeling. Somebody's watching in London.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
They're not having the same feeling. They're happy for Ray, you know? And then someone's watching from Australia and then someone's watching from, but these people are like, oh yeah, we know that there is a fire. But also when we had a fire, you didn't do the thing. So we're having a different feeling. And I was watching this online. I was seeing people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
So I didn't assume anything, but I knew for me personally, I was like, this is probably going to be my least favorite Grammys because whatever happens, I will be doing something wrong.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Not even loose. So it's like, and when I say least favorite, I'm using, you know, like favorite the way you use it for fun. No, it's your experience.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But for me as Trevor, this was the most stressful, most high wire, most, because I don't want anyone who's experiencing this disaster to feel like I'm minimizing it because I'm not. I literally have some of my people in the audience where we've experienced a collective loss. So even on a personal level, it's not like strangers. I'm like, I don't want you to think, you know.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And now he's like, I get that you need that. But I think what it was is this. He doesn't need it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But then, you know, there's someone who's watching going like, oh, really? What, I just tuned in for a funeral? Because it is a celebration. And I always think that's the paradox of life. One of the hardest paradoxes of life to accept is that in the same hospital where somebody's dying, a baby's just been born. Literally, just like a few hallways away, someone is cheering.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And then in another hallway, people are crying because they've had the exact opposite experience. But what do you do? Do you say the hospital is all sad? Or do you say no balloons? Or do you say no crying? Like, what do you do? And that's what it felt like coming in. And so...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Even doing the show, you saw, it's like, we were like, what jokes would work or wouldn't work or what do we say or not say? This is when I knew the room was different. This is the first Grammys I've done where everyone was set before the show started. that's when I knew this was going to be a weird, different vibe. I didn't know which way the vibe would go.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But I've never done a Grammys, other than COVID, but that was different. I've never done a Grammys where everyone is sat.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Isn't that very jubilant? Yeah. Taylor Swift's walking. Nice to see you. And you know that table and that table and someone's over there.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
So he wasn't offended in any way. And he was like, oh, whatever.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
No, no, no. But they were seated. Yeah. Regardless of what... I know what you mean. Yeah. But they were in their seats. They weren't... People are normally walking in. You know, the rappers are there. Oh, Busta Rhymes is in the corner. Hey, what's going on, baby?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yes, but it wasn't a party. It was the feeling that you have after a funeral or a wake. It was a feeling where... Most of the feelings that people had had, had been addressed. So, you know, when you're applying a balm to a burn wound, there is a feeling of relief that comes with it that allows you to not feel burnt for a moment.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Like Kendrick and his acceptance speech, that was a love letter to LA. Kendrick may have made the same acceptance speech where the fire's not there, but I don't think he would have, you know? Now he's like, he's talking about his love for each and every part of those, every city. It wasn't just Compton now. It was him going, yo, man, Pasadena and, you know, Santa Monica.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And he's like, all of this is part of me. Every single artist who got up and said something about something became part of the bomb that soothed the night and the show. So I think the feeling we experienced at the end with Beyonce standing up there, I've never seen Beyonce that emotional. Never.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I think it's because of everything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yeah, you don't know Billie Eilish.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Oh, that's interesting.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Because you were seated in the room. So you were on that table.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yeah, the emotion went. It was really amazing. Because the firefighters were backstage. Man, they were a great group. Because what I appreciated, what you did there with them was... We do a good job of calling on people to help us when we need the help. We forget that they're people as well. Do you know what I mean? So we call them firefighters, but they're people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And it was cool to meet the people who are firefighters backstage and just see them like laughing and talking shit. So I was talking to one of the pilots who flies the helicopters and he like runs the command of all of them and he has to manage the airspace, you know, like choreographed. What the planes are doing, what the helicopters are doing so that they don't crash.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Because you have to wait for the one to go by before the other one can come so that they can drop the water and do the thing. You know, it's complicated. But you need the water to be coming as quickly as possible. You've got them picking up at the reservoir. So he's telling me this. We're talking about it. And they epitomize the paradox of humanity.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yes. I think it's a tough lesson for them to, like the way they're learning the lesson.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Because on the one hand, he's going, yeah, man, this thing was crazy. And he's like, man, but this was so great. Thank you for having us. And I can't believe this. And he's like, and Beyonce took a selfie. She took a selfie with every firefighter backstage, by the way. Did she? Yeah. Let me tell you something. She even thanked them before she accepted the award. You noticed that, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
By the way, not just thanked them. Beyonce took the award from both. Like there were two people. She took the award from one, hugged both, looked at both in the eye. And I know some people are like, man, what's the big deal with that? For me, those are like some of the moments where I appreciate the humanity of someone more. Because when you've won album of the year, it is a lot easy. It's easy.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Actually, I actually do want to start with the Kanye. So, as the executive producer of the Grammys. Yeah. Do you, like, are you happy or are you pissed? Or is there another emotion that comes with seeing Kanye West, like, pop up on the Grammys red carpet when he wasn't supposed to be there?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
if they had a good producer someone would just say like don't do it like that again yeah next time rope the person in oh my god it's chapel roan babyface do you know chapel roan oh chapel have you ever man oh legend old school legend new school oh man chapel you you have to you have to work with baby you two should do a thing and then you get those magic moments as well on the carpet where it's like now you've got babyface and chapel roan whoever saw that coming and
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Anyone who's won an award will know. You black out.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Like, I don't judge anymore. I remember when I won the Emmy. Every thought I had before that, you've experienced this. The first time, especially, and it was Beyonce's first time. You black out. You think you know everything before you come in there. And they say your name. Your mouth goes a little dry. You go, wait, what? Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And she had the humanity, I wouldn't even say the presence of mind to go, I see you, I see you. Like it felt very African to me. And then she like, then she'd started with them. And then for me, what was great was seeing it carry on backstage.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
She like took selfies with the, and this is like, you know, as an artist, you don't wanna be taking a selfie when you've been crying a little bit and your makeup isn't great, the lighting is not. No, Beyonce took all the selfies. The light was terrible backstage. These people were, and she was talking to everybody and laughing and we're there and we're there and it's like crying, laughing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
It felt like the full encapsulation of what the night was about, which is what LA feels like it's going through as a place and which is what every place that goes through disaster feels like, right? You have the shock of the events happening. You have the moment where everyone wonders like how bad it's going to get or how far it will go.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And then from that, in the most cliched way, you start noticing little sprouts of hope and And then you start seeing resilience and you see the first smile and the first hug. And I think that for me, even on a personal level, was a beautiful encapsulation of all of it. And I think, I can't speak for her, but I think that's what Beyonce was feeling.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I was like, remember, man, she didn't get nominated at the Country Music Awards. Imagine what it feels like for Beyonce. You dabble in this thing called country. Now people think you're dabbling. People don't know how much she loves and grew up on country. You know what I mean? She's a proper Texas girl, proper. You do this thing and then Country Music Awards go, nah, you didn't even do it to us.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Nevermind like winning. You didn't even do it. And you're like, damn, you know? And then here you are in another award show and you go, all right, well, I don't know. I don't know what'll happen. As an artist, you might've made a terrible mistake. And so I think it's a culmination of everything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
It's the room, it's the night, it's the people, it's the journey, it's her personal journey, it's all of it. And I think everyone else in the room felt that for her and for everything, Because we want to live in a world where there's a happy ending. We all want that. That's not life, unfortunately. But we all want that. And in a way, that felt like the happy ending.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
It's the craziest sentence a human being can ever say. But it was like, it was amazing that the underdog won. You know, and it's wild to say like Beyonce was the underdog. But that's what it felt like in the room. Right. Whether it was Taylor Swift or Billie Eilish or Shabuzy or, you know, Busta Rhymes or, you know, Janelle Monae or you name it. People were like, damn, she did it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And I know people are like, yeah, but it's Beyonce. It's like, no, no, no. But still, in the same way Superman at the end of the movie, we go, oh, he got out from under that building that Zod smashed him with. That's what it felt like. It's like we've been on this journey. And that was, yeah, it was just like a magical real moment to be part of.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And then she might go, I'm a huge fan of this song. And he's like, what? I didn't know. She's like, yeah, the way you remix that, the thing you do with Mariah Carey on that song. Oh, it inspired me to sing. That could have been a moment.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Cesar was like, what is this? When the crowd chanted in unison, hey, Miner.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
You were personally hurt.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yeah. You're not just seeing the crowd doing it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
That moment was so big that the only texts I've gotten other than congratulations on a Grammy, the next number of texts that I've gotten from people without fail, the largest number is, Basically, I'll try and sum them all up in one sentence. One of my friends wrote in the best way. He said, huh, this was a tough night for you light skins, huh? That's what people all say to me. Are you okay?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I was like, what do you mean, am I okay? They're like, yo, yo, that hit Drake so hard, I feel like it sort of spilled into you. Are you okay? I'm like, because it was such a... And it was organic. Because the room before that sort of was observing the night. That song elicited something in them where they forgot that they were observing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And they were just like, sad, sad, sad. A minor! Yeah. Do you think there was a turning point?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I'll tell you why I went four times. Do you remember doing it? Yeah, I'll tell you why, but I'll tell you after the break. Don't go anywhere because we've got more What Now? after this. What was the link? So the link you're talking about was coming out of Sabrina, going into the monologue, going into the table talk, moving around. So As Sizwe says. No, it wasn't a monologue. No, it wasn't there?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Oh yeah, this was coming out of Sabrina.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yeah, maybe 14, yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Now, the weird thing about doing live TV and especially an award show or anything like that is you're balancing two balls that are very differently sized. You have the TV audience, which is massive. And then you have the live audience, which is tiny in comparison. However, the live audience has a direct and immediate impact on you. The TV audience does not.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But now if you ignore the live audience, that is at your peril as a performer because they will never be with you. And if you don't have the room, you don't have the right energy that gets you to where you need to be in whatever you're saying. They're not listening. They're not paying attention. They're not coming with you. They're not laughing. You name it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
If you only pay attention to the room, the person at home is going, well, clearly this is not for me. This is taking too long. And you've watched an award show where it feels self-indulgent. You're sitting at home, and then the people there are like, ah, nice shoes, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. And you're like, all right, clearly this is not about me. I'm just watching people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But this is the delicate dance. You are making a show for television. But there aren't 200 people in that room with you. There are 14,000 people in the room with you. So they are as important in a weird way as the people at home. And yet they serve very different purposes. So your pace for the people in the room is different to your pace for the people at home. Your pace for a joke is different.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Your pace for everything. So in these moments, what I'm experiencing is I've just felt where the room is when we've come out of the top of the show. And I've gone, damn. We have a lot of work to do tonight because people aren't as celebratory as they normally are.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
So now when people are saying, how are you and how have you been, at every table, whether it's Cynthia Erivo talking to Taylor Swift, whether it's John Legend going over and talking to Esperanza Spelding or whoever it is, everyone there is going, how are you? Normally, it's like, hey, what's up? How you feeling? Yeah, baby. Oh, look at you. No, now people are like, how are you? Doesn't matter why.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
No, but Caesar's right, though. This is their experience. No, but here's where Caesar's right. Back in the day, you couldn't even get to the AP hosting on the red carpet without having like- No way. You know what you see this actually is with standup comedy now today, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
How are you? And now I'm going, oh, man. this is not where I would do the jokes that I thought I would do. And I've got to move that around. I'm doing all of this in my head. I'm trying to think of how we're shifting things. I'm trying to think of, and I mean, you know me well, both of you do. After every show I go, there's a million things I could have done better.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But because I know comedy is so precarious, I'm always like, oh, it's the death of you. To what you said at the beginning of the conversation. Like, look at what happened with Joe Coye. I remember everyone laughing, oh, Joe Coy's terrible. Then people said to me, they were like, aha, Trevor, Joe Coy, that was terrible, right? I was like, I take no joy in that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
There was literally no part of me that was like, haha, yeah, Joe Coy. No, I was going, as a fellow comedian, yo, my man, I'm not happy, and I know what that's like as a feeling. Any performer who's had it, especially a stand-up comedian, I'll never look at them and be like, oh, yeah, you idiot. No.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
My friend, you know it very well. So in this moment, I'm going... We have to edit what the show is or isn't going to be because I've responded to what's happened in like the monologue. And I've felt, because you know me, I'm doing it dynamically. I'm trying to feel where the people are. Because contrary to popular belief, you know, and I wish like people would understand this, especially online.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
There is almost no comedian. that is getting on stage to try and make you feel shit. The very act of being a comedian is people who want to go on stage to make other people feel better. They like a laugh. They like making people laugh, right? But now,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
As the aperture has expanded and as things are moved out of context, people are subjected to comedy that they maybe didn't ask for or they're watching something that isn't for them. And I understand that. That's the nature of entertainment and TV and social media in particular, clipping of things, etc., right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
So I know as a performer, oh man, if I don't get that right or if that moves or if I didn't get that, it's going to create the wrong ripple effect for the show, not even for me. And I don't want the show to have that kind of feeling. I don't want people coming up now. If I'm having a terrible time, Cardi B doesn't come on and like laugh and giggle when she's presenting the award.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
There are comedy clubs around the country, like the US particularly, and some in the world where they've started hiring people who are funny on TikTok. And then they come to the comedy club. Their fans come. They pack it up. And then 10 minutes in, everyone realizes no one was prepared for this moment.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
If I'm having a terrible time, Gloria Estefan doesn't come on like, thanks Trevor, and a little fun little bounce in her vibe. If I'm having a terrible time, JLo and Heidi Klum don't pull off Benson Boone's outfit the same way. Now they go like, ugh. Can we do this? Can we pull off this guy's, I don't know if I want to be part of it. Jim Gaffigan is not jumping in.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Which for me was my favorite joke of the night. It's a really funny joke. Easily, easily.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And shout out to Jim. Let me tell you something, man. There are few things I love more than comedians who love jokes more than anything else. Because like, the reason I say shout out to Jim Gaffigan, he's one of my favorite human beings. He's one of my favorite comedians by far. I didn't tell Jim Gaffigan that this was going to happen. I didn't prompt him. I didn't preempt it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I didn't do anything. And I'm sorry, Jim. I really apologize. But I only thought about it the day of because the writers, right, so the night before the Grammys.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yeah, night before the Grammys. Luca gets traded to the Lakers. Anthony Davis goes to the Mavericks. Massive news. Cesar messages me first thing in the morning. He's like, yo, big things happened. I'm like, yep, I know. Dan Amira, one of the writers on the team, he messages me. He's like, we've got to make a joke about this. There's got to be a trade joke or something.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
So I'm like, we've got to do something. We'll figure it out. I get to the venue. I'm like, okay, I got it. I got it. I'm looking at the seating chart and I go, Jim Gaffigan gets up coming back from an ad break. Now I'm like, I'm screwing Ben. I hope I'm not. So I'm trying to find the least impactful place where this could happen.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
So I go, let's get Jim Gaffigan to stand up and say, welcome back. During the break, Trevor Noah was traded to Dallas. And so I'm now your host. I know I'm as shocked as you are. People love it in the room. We pitch it to you. You love it. Everyone's like, this is going to be great. And then like you, I made the giant producer's mistake. I didn't ask Jim Gaffigan.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Nobody had spoken to Jim Gaffigan. This is where, literally like you, I made a massive assumption. I go, Jim Gaffigan, if you know anything about his comedy, his writing, the way he creates shows and who he is, this man has an insatiable appetite for jokes. Jim Gaffigan loves funny.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
So I made the mistake as a fan of his, not even as like a peer, as a fan of his, I went, there's no way Jim Gaffigan wouldn't love this. And I thought, I'm just going to go up to him right before he has to do it and tell him. I also know that Jim Gaffigan can host shows. I also know that he's fantastic and he's calm under pressure. He's like, Jim Gaffigan is a stone cold killer in that way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Like the TikTok comedian doesn't know how to make the people laugh or doesn't know how to shift with the room. The room doesn't know what to do. And then club owners started booking backup acts for the TikTok stars because they knew that red carpet thing would happen to them in the clubs. So I hear what you're saying. But I also get what you're saying.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
You know what I mean? So in my head, I made all these assumptions. And then at the last minute, someone said, has anyone spoken to Jim Gaffigan? And I went with you. I was like with everyone. I was like, no. And then I said, I'll go. And I went and I found Jim on the floor. This was like, maybe like a... two acts sort of in. So I think it was after Sabrina Carpenter and all of that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And I went, Jim, there's a joke. Here's the joke. And I pitched it to him. Thank God he immediately found it funny. And I was like, please, this is how, you know, I trust you, but this is how it needs to be performed. And then the Red Hot Chili Peppers are coming and I need you to not diminish their moment.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
This is What Now? with Trevor Noah. How much time do we have with you?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yeah, because I was like, we've promised them. This is, these guys, this is Californication. These guys are coming out for LA. It, Their thing can't be goofy, please. And Jim, the consummate professional, the best comedian out there doing his thing, like got up there. And then honestly, like that moment for me as well was such a, it was such a like wonderful team moment.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I mean, you heard the room, easily, my favorite joke of the night.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Easily my favorite joke of the night.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
No, no, no, no, no.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yeah, so what I'm saying is this, like I'm also measuring it by how much I can contribute and what I can do. Right. Not judging the room. No, I understand. But I know that as Trevor, there's certain things I should be, you know, certain marks I should be hitting or certain connections that I should be making.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But you know this, like making a live show is like flying a plane and then discovering something's wrong with it while it's flying and you have to fix it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Oh, the wing is loose, but we can't land. It's live. A normal TV show, you go cut, cut, cut, cut. All right, everybody. Hey, let's land the plane. Let's fix the wing. Live show doesn't do that. Live show goes, we are flying and there's a massive error. Can somebody go down and check on the landing gear while we're flying? Someone go check the wing while we're flying. Hey, check the windscreen.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Check the apparatus. Check the equipment. Check the... While we're flying. So I, even as Trevor, as a comedian, there's moments where the show is happening and I'm going, ah, I would have done that differently. I could have done that differently. The person I was looking at wasn't there. So then I have to change this. I'm going to move that. I'm going to... But it's live.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I don't want to mess up your timing. It's not about me. So if I miss with a joke or anything... Thank you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
It's not like they shot Babyface, is what I'm saying.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. , , , , , ,, P P P P P P P P P實 ac , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P . . . .
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
We're also making it seem like what they did, we made it seem like there were some people online who were like, Babyface, I can't believe all the work. They made it seem like Babyface dragged himself down the carpet, still bleeding from the wound they'd inflicted upon him.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yeah, I think there's just like a swag that, to your point, would come from experience. I wonder what would have happened if Kanye came in. I'm not going to lie. I kept on wondering what would have happened.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
.. a P P P P P P P P P P P P P實, ac, ac , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . sol a me and my other executive producers, this is our job is to not just make a good show, but keep these people employed.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Like, is there, like, a thing that, no, because on one hand, it's good for the show in a way because everyone's like, oh, shit, what's going to happen? Oh, and on the other hand, it's like you have a pre-planned thing. Like, what's your first emotion when that happens?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Like that's the pressure that comes with hosting a show is that if you get kicked off the air, it's not just me, it's my camera guys, it's my team, it's my this, it's my, and so in my head, I'm going us fails, not me fails, us fails, right? So if I say something that hurts this collective, can I stand by that? Oh, Trevor, you made this joke and now The Daily Show doesn't exist anymore.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And I'm like, yeah, I don't care. Yeah, but I do care. Because I, you know, I know Benny's kid. I do care. Do you know what I mean? I hang out with Zach. I do care. So that's the bigger thing for me. Now, I'm a lot more nimble. And secondly, I also believe, you know, and Erin, who does my hair, not just for the Grammys and a bunch of things here in LA, she said it beautifully the other day.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
She said, I feel like we're moving into the age of authenticity. And I believe that. And so I go, you know, we talked to Marques about it on the show. We talked about everything. You know, man, I no longer live in a space where I think things should be about like the publicity or the PR of it. If someone says to me, I didn't like that joke, I go, tell me why.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And they tell me and I go, oh yeah, that's not what I meant, but thanks for the notes. And I'm gonna try and tweak something or move it. I won't not say things. What I am more cognizant of though, is that we have lost so much context.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
So even when I'm in South Africa doing a podcast with Sizwe and Anele, or even if I'm telling a joke in Abu Dhabi, or if I'm doing like a TV show in Sydney, Australia, I know that that joke doesn't end in Australia anymore. I know that that podcast doesn't end in South Africa anymore. I know that the Grammys doesn't end in LA anymore.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And so now what I'm trying to do, which is very hard, I'm not even saying it like in a woe is me way. I actually like hard things. I like challenges. I go, wow, how do you tell a joke that maintains its context across borders? It's almost impossible, but I love the opportunity and the challenge. And so now I actually say more but I spend more time trying to get to the context.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Does that make sense?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Oh yeah, I remember that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I did. I did. Because we had the, we had like no technical issues.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
It was just a relief that it happened. But also talking about like offense, I personally have gotten texts that have been delivered to me through like, I don't even know how like people know a person. Literally people being like, how dare you say Beyonce made a country album? Let me tell you something. Don't you dare. But like people like...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
People fighting with me, by the way, like I made a category, like I vote, like I chose. I'm even going like, okay, first of all, I don't know how you got this to me, but I also cannot do anything for you. Me, myself as Trevor, I cannot do anything for you, right? Same. But that's what I mean by like offense in that way. And here's the thing. Here's the thing that's tough in life.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Okay, so, one, he's very unpredictable. But I have met Kanye. And post me and Kanye having a thing. And can I tell you, he was very sweet. He was very nice. He had a cordial conversation.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
What's tough in life is we should always remember that the car crash gets the most attention. Yeah. Right? And it's the way humans are designed. You know, sometimes we try and make it insidious. Oh, the news companies, they'll always cut to the thing. Yeah, but also as humans. We look at the car crash. How was your drive? Man, there was a massive accident. How was your drive? I don't even know.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
You don't report the fact that the highway moved freely. You report the fact that there was a giant pileup, okay? So I also understand this, and I try to remind myself of it and think of it for people. But, like, what I appreciate, I will say, of the Grammys, so...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
when I have the phrase, like, it's not my favorite Grammys, I'm only talking on like a technical level and on a like ease of, you know, it's like, if I was a pilot, I was going, it's not my favorite flight because of the storm and the turbulence and all of that. However, and I mean this honestly,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
getting to the end of that show, seeing the types of hugs that people were giving each other, seeing the way that people were responding to what had happened, seeing Dochi like celebrating her performance backstage, like, you know, like the greatest moment ever when she's like, we did that shit. You know what I mean?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Seeing like everyone, every single person experienced something so special, you know, whether it's like Bruno, like Bruno Mars, people don't know how much that guy loves music and doing it well. So, you know, to see that in every way. And then on top of that, ended with like firefighters coming up to us. Even when people like, thank you. And I was like, you can't thank me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Firefighters coming up and saying, man, thank you so much. And I'll be honest, that's what keeps me going. And I always say, there's this phrase, it came into my head a few years ago. And it was, let everything you experience in life be an answer to a question you already have. That's what I said to myself. Let everything that happens to you in life be an answer to a question you already have.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And one of the things about Kanye that I think a lot of people don't know is even when he has his like, you know, when he spins and when he's going through something, whatever it might be, bipolar or not, Kanye West loves comedy. like loves comedy and loves telling jokes. And if you listen to his raps, you know how much he loves telling jokes. He's got some of the best punchlines in his raps.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And I was like, you don't know what the question may be. But when something happens to you, let it be an answer. So your car is taking long. You've given the car to a valet or something. It's not coming. And you're standing there. Maybe the answer to your question, am I a patient person, is being answered right now. Do you know what I'm saying? It's an answer to that question.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Someone says to you, hey, your shirt looks nice. And you go, oh, thank you. And you feel something. That's an answer to the question, do I care how people think I'm dressed? Take it the way you want to, but it's an answer to a question you didn't know you had. And...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
For me personally, when like a firefighter comes up to me and goes, you know, like one of the, I think it was one of the chiefs, she was standing on stage. Sheila. Yeah, Sheila doing the actual award. Sheila came to me and she went, you. And I was like, oh God. And she went, she's like, I've got a bone to pick with you, kid. And I was like, what?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
She's like, you gave me so many amazing years at The Daily Show and then you go off and live life. She's funny though.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And she's like, can you just leave me like this? Yeah. She's like, I'm glad you're doing everything else you're doing. I'm like, oh.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
The question that she answered for me was, am I doing it for anybody? Right. Does it mean anything to anybody else? You know, is it like, because I'll be frank with you. Cesar, you know this intrinsically about me. I don't care for most things and I don't do it for me, genuinely. I have a great time like doing most things just like whatever. When it's outward facing, I don't care for most stuff.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But in those moments, I remind myself that it's not always about me. And I see her joy and I'm like, oh yeah, man, try and remember those people. You know, like the other firefighter comes up to me and he's just talking about like the stuff I've said and the way I've made him laugh. And I go like, oh yeah, don't forget those people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And for me, the Grammys in that way, I know it's not the reason reason, but to your point, when you go, damn, the Grammys itself sitting near like $10 million that has been raised just on one night, from, you know, literally from the top, from Doors coming all the way through, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, and then you name it, all the way down to that final performance with Charli XCX.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And you go like, every single person had to come together to do this. And in the same way, every single person who donates it has to come together. Like I'm, I didn't know this, but now I'm even more proud knowing that each contribution wasn't $10,000. It's that much prouder. Yeah, I agree. Everyone was just like, yo man. And that's why I kept saying it the whole night. Just give what you can.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
It's not about like, this is not about like, just give what you can. And I think that was the lesson for me of doing the whole Grammys for this year was everyone, just give what you can in every situation. $5 doesn't help anybody who's lost their house. It doesn't. But if everybody can give $5, you'll be shocked at what can happen. Do you know what I mean? That's literally what happened.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Trevor Noah can't make the Grammys. I can't. I can't make it good and I can't make it bad. But I can contribute to it. Everyone can. And even like the recording members voting, no one can make Beyonce happy. You can't. But 13,000 people came together from the music industry and made her happier, I argue, than I've ever seen her because I don't know her personally in that way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But when he tweets them, I think a lot of them don't come off well. And comedy, as we all know, you miss. You know what I mean? Comedy is about misses. So the first part I'll say is this, I wouldn't be afraid But I would be worried for the show and what's going to happen. Because now, is Kanye going to go up when Taylor's up again now? Is Kanye going to?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
But like, I don't know. And I think that was the overarching feeling for me.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And I also want to stress this to people. You don't understand how many artists are in that room. I know we see the big artists. And you know them. But man, you walk down and you'll see like a composer who is having the night of their lives. Sitting with their spouse. All they've done is compose or even like conduct classical music.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And they're just like, this is the pinnacle of what I've worked for. Sorry, I cut you off, carry on.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
You know what you're like? You're like that guy in a zombie apocalypse with like a tiny little rifle. And you're just like, I'm going to protect my family. I'm going to protect my house.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Because now I'm the person who's in the room. And then now I go, you know, you don't want Kanye West getting tackled by a security guard. But you also don't want to be the security guard. So I don't know what it would be. I think I would have. And then on a night when we're there and half the room, I would say even three quarters of the room,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Maybe he's in South Africa. You never know. He could be in South Africa taking time away.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Oh man, your camera shot of the Dochi thing. like made it look like she just like hated me did you see that No. But this is what I mean about the aperture in life, right? Go on. So the joke we always have at the Grammys is this. Who you cut to defines the moment. Like, for instance, if I make a joke about Taylor Swift and you cut to Taylor Swift and Taylor Swift is like, uh-uh, it's over. Over.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
It's over. That happened to Jo Koy. Yeah. That's what happens to Jo Koy. Now, she might have been going uh-uh for anything. Mm-hmm. But if you cut to her at the wrong time, and you have to- It happened to you, I think, four years ago. You have to be sensitive about this, actually. You know, obviously you and the director is like, you can make something that isn't something become something.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
has like a strange, morose feeling to them, that's not the night you want unpredictability. Do you know what I mean? Because I don't know about you, but this Grammys, emotionally, was the hardest Grammys I've ever done.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
So for instance, if you cut to an artist, do you remember the year Beyonce won Best Dance and the camera cut to Diplo? And he leaned over to somebody and he's now said what he said. He said like, I worked on that or I wrote on that or something like that because he did. I think he worked on the album. But he went like, I worked on that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And then people at home were like, oh, he said that's screwed up or she shouldn't have won or she didn't deserve it. And all of a sudden, Diplo's now having a huge beef with an army of Beyonce fans. I do worry about that. And I always wonder about that on your side.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
It's also... I know it's, I don't want to overstate it because it's just the Grammys, but it is still the Grammys. It's also a lot of power to wield. You can make beefs that don't exist. That's right. You can make artists, quote unquote, hate each other. Like according to the public, oh, you saw how she responded when he won the award.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Would you have cut to him or cut away from him?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
You can literally, it also reminds me to be cautious of how I even see the world, funny enough. Like I go, don't forget that the world that you're seeing is filtered. Somebody's showing you something and how they show it to you defines how you think it actually happened or didn't happen.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And not in a conspiratorial way, just remember, the way you're seeing something has been chosen by somebody else. And so in that room, funny enough, I've seen people's faces shift like from moment to moment. But where the camera is- Well, you know what's funny?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Congratulations, my friend.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
No, no, no, for real. It's not an easy task. You spend pretty much a year on it. Like you only get a few days to enjoy the Grammys and then you go into the Grammys immediately again.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yeah, but you spend a lot of time on it. So I'm always happy for you and the entire crew and team. Like the last thing I hear before I walk out on stage is oftentimes what the stage hands are saying. And even that is part of like, literally like part of a football team or something. You know, like the lead stagehand comes out and then he made this beautiful speech.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
He didn't even know that I was like listening to it, but I felt motivated. He's like, all right, everybody, you know why we're here? You know what we're doing? We got one night, people. Let's make this work. Let's put our best foot out there. And come on, guys, let's get through it. Let's get to the other side. You ready? Let's do it. Yeah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
And then I cheered and I clapped and they turned like, oh, the host was here. But I was like, no, thank you. I was like, I needed that. I also needed that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
I like that. The 12 nice emails. Ben Winston. Thank you so much, my friend. Oh, it's lovely chatting to you all. What Now with Trevor Noah is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Day Zero Productions. The show is executive produced by Trevor Noah, Sanaz Yamin, and Jody Avigan. Our senior producer is Jess Hackle. Claire Slaughter is our producer.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Music, mixing, and mastering by Hannes Brown. Thank you so much for listening. Join me next Thursday for another episode of What Now?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
where everyone... Forget six degrees of separation. Everyone either lost a home or knows someone who lost a home. So it's as simple as that. You just start with that, right? So you've got the room full of people. But now what I realized as the night was going was we're also in a moment... where the majority of the people in that room are also feeling a certain kind of way.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
So Lady Gaga, if it was any other year, would have just been like, fun times, thank you very much. And then Lady Gaga goes, yo, trans people are not invisible. Then you're like, oh shit, yes. Trump said the thing, and this is on Gaga's mind. And then you think that's done. And then Chapel Roan comes up. She wins the award. She doesn't just go like, what a good time. I love life.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Wow, I'm a new artist. I'm the best. No. She goes, let me tell you how shit it is being an artist who doesn't make money. And what actually happens on the other side or the, you know, before the precursor to success. You can't afford anything. You don't know what your life's going to be. And you don't have healthcare. And if you don't have healthcare in America, you're screwed.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
You know what I mean? So now in a way she's touching on like the Luigi Mangione of it all. And people are like, oh yeah, healthcare. We're screwed in this country. And then- Alicia with DEI. Yeah, then Dochi gets on. Oh, yeah, Dochi. And then Dochi goes, it's a celebratory thing, but then Dochi gives you a reminder.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
She's like, yo, if you're a dark-skinned black woman, you are seen as aggressive, you are seen as wrong, you are seen as loud. So again, people are cheering, but they're like, oh, yeah, shit. And then Alicia Keys comes on and she goes, hey, we do need diversity. We want everyone in the same room. We want people together. We want to create. So you realize that everyone walked into a room
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
with something on their minds other than awards and music, which is rare for the awards and music. Like the last time I think this probably happened was maybe when Kobe died, right? And then we weren't doing the Grammys that time, but it was like literally night before the Grammys or the day of or something. It's like- No, I was actually, I was funnily enough involved in that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
You were involved in that one.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Cause you know, in the rafters.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
No One Told Trevor He Was Hosting the Grammys [VIDEO]
Yeah, they call it the Grammy's curse.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. One of my favorite things to have on hand these days is my Apple Card. It's made to be simple and private, and getting it was pretty simple too. It takes minutes to apply. Check your credit limit offer and start using it right away with Apple Pay. You could apply for it while waiting in line to get coffee and then use it to buy your coffee.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
You know, listening to you speak, sometimes I think to myself, it's often easy for us to focus on a problem in the moment and not ask ourselves who played what role in helping us get there, right? I like that you brought up like the Democrats or progressives or left-leaning people. You know, that old saying, a system isn't what it says, it is what it does.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
First part of it, when we talk about like what people could be doing and should be doing, when the Democrats had the power- And they were able to do the things. You can't help but look at the disparity between what Trump does, even illegally, let's call it, with executive orders or, you know, beyond his power. He does the thing. Forget whether you like the man or not.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
He does the thing that he says he's going to do. The Democrats, when they've had the power that they had, didn't do the things that they say they're going to do.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Yeah, this is in the term that they had with the power that they had. And that's true. He has been one of the more significant presidents, funny enough. But like, what do you think they have missed there?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Or what do you think we are missing in that side of the equation where there's even that meme that I think captures it perfectly, where it's like, Democrats in power, we don't have enough power, Democrats out of power, we don't have enough power. You know what I mean? It's like, is that a system that's broken? Or is it two sides that are playing a game very differently?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
You're embarrassed and you feel stupid and all these things. But I love what you say. You will be fine. This is What Now? with Trevor Noah.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Damn, I'm doing things wrong.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Because everything you're saying for me, you know, it's funny, you and I had this conversation. A lot of what you're saying now is what Chairman Fred Hampton of the Black Panthers said at some point when he mobilized a coalition of poor people. The Rainbow Coalition. The Rainbow Coalition. Martin Luther King, don't forget the white people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
poor he said he said when they tell us black and when they tell us white and they're forgetting the thing that connects all of us poor and he said to that group of people in that church that he gathered he said hey listen you may call me the n-word and you may say these things but he said but look at your bank balance and look at our bank balance we have something in common so i'm not your enemy 100 we're going to continue this conversation right after this short break
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
So like when we think about that, like when we think about politics through that lens, did it fall apart when America said that, you know, companies or money is speech, you know, like Citizens United? Is that when it fell apart? Or was this like a gradual creep? Was this the inevitable conclusion of a place that was built on the idea of just money and the most money wins?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Right, but if I'm hearing what Scott's saying, and you'll correct me if I'm wrong, it's similar to, there was an author that I spoke to once from the UK, and she had this brilliant dissertation where she essentially said, I cannot wait for America to get over its race war to then realize that it's been a class war all along.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
But in America, specifically in America, you cannot separate the race from the class. But even when you get past it, let's say tomorrow we wipe away color, then the real game begins. Then you'll be like, oh, wait a minute. Now we see what was peeled away. And to your point, class has become a signifier of race and race has become a signifier of class.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
But even when you dismantle them, you will then realize that they're not actually... They just happen to be intertwined in this moment.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
I don't think that's what you're saying.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
That's why I say to me, it sounds like you're saying the same thing. That's what I'm saying. So when I look at it from two different places, it's almost like one is meditative and one is contemplative, right? What Scott is saying is,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
If you blindfolded said, we are going to help poor people in this country, more black people would be helped and more Latino groups would be helped because they are the people who are more poor. However, tons of white people will be helped because there are tons of poor white people as well. So he's going... The promise of America is being neglected right now to people who are being left behind...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Because we're moving to a society where it's more like an oligarchy than it is an actual meritocracy. It's all about the compounding of the money versus where your rights are in relation to you. And now what you're saying is, even when we're building these systems, we mustn't forget who's been left behind.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
I also like that you can get up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase, which can be put into a high-yield savings account that you can open through Apple Card. So you can really put your money to work. Apply in the Wallet app on your iPhone and start using Apple Card right away. Subject to credit approval, savings is available to Apple Card owners. Subject to eligibility.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Don't go anywhere, because we've got more What Now? after this. You know, one of the first videos I saw of yours, a friend sent it to me, and you were talking specifically about mates and mating and relationships and people, and you said something about, and I think you captured a deep feeling that not many people were speaking about, And funny enough, Christiana talks about it a lot.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
I think that's why she's such a fan of yours as well, is the idea of the purposelessness that can come with not having love or not having some sort of thrust in your life. And I saw this video of yours, and I remember thinking, man, because someone was like, what do you think, this is crazy or not? And I was like, I think this is brilliant. And also...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
It's so easy to prove in the most extreme circumstances. Go to any terror cell in the world. I'm talking like ISIS. What are they promising them as well?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
It's crazy that even on that level.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
But I'm saying even before the afterlife, they're saying we're going to go there and we're going to take women. We're going to get wives. We're going to get in some parts of the world where life is a little simpler, unfortunately, because it's harsher. You see that reality slap people in the face. My life is not going well. I'm joining ISIS because ISIS didn't just tell me we're going to fight.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
They said we're going to fight to get a wife and a better life.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Well, they pay some people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Oh, yeah. Well, they were smart in the beginning.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Yeah. So let's talk about the man side of this whole thing because I love that you talk about it. The manosphere and the... Before we even get into that, I'd love to know, what do you think it is about you that has connected with a group that people would have argued wouldn't have connected with your views maybe like two years ago?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Because if you wrote down on paper, Scott Galloway, this is what he believes in. He believes in basic incomes being this. He believes in healthcare. He believes in pre-K. He believes in...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
If somebody had drawn that up and then somebody had put the crypto bros and whatever we want to call people if we're putting them in a box, they would have said, oh, this person will never agree with that person. And yet you've made massive inroads with a lot of these young men who people have said wouldn't agree with their views.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Yeah, but I'm saying the men in particular where people have just said no, you know. So what do you think it is that you are saying or what do you think it is that you are doing that is connecting you to them? And what are other people missing about connecting to them?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
You know, I think when you say the name Scott Galloway, depending on who you say it to, depending on where they've seen it, they have a completely different idea of you, which I actually love. Like, I know some people I said, Scott Galloway is going to be on. Immediately, some of my friends were like, man, finally, talk about masculinity. We've got to talk about being men.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
We've got to talk about... Then I say to some of my friends, Scott Galloway's on. They're like, yes, talk to the man about capitalism. Talk to him about tax. You know, the business work we got to talk about. Then you go, I'm on with Scott Galloway. They're like, oh man, please talk about like what's going on in America and what's happening in the world.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
So can I say two things to this, right? Yes. I agree with the premise completely. But I think it is important, just as you do on all issues, I think it's important to consider what the possible reasons can be. So on the one hand, to what you're saying, I don't think most men would not want to step in, etc. I don't think so, honestly. But I do know, from speaking to men everywhere around the world,
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
to what you're saying about like wealth porn, et cetera, man, men, maybe because they imagine it or maybe because they're experiencing it, a lot of men just feel like they've got to like double grind to even get the basic, that first concentric circle to what you're saying has been crushed, right? And we've got to consider all the ways it's been crushed.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
How have like the junk food companies crushed people's abilities to even like eat what they eat and stay healthy? You start with people's food, what they get access to. You start with, as you say, opportunities, income, being kicked out of school, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And I think you've also got to consider what it's like to be a young man where...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
The dreams that you are sold and told don't come true because the system hasn't been set up, as you said, correctly, right? So I think, I honestly believe that.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
No, so I'm just saying in understanding that is like I go, like for me as Trevor, for instance, I have more time and I do make the time to be with friends or extended people's younger kids because they know me so they can trust me, right? But it's like, all right, take him go-karting. Take that one there. Do that thing there.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
And the conversation organically started in where you are, where you see the world, where you see America. Right. Do you think that what's happening in America is bad? Or do you think there almost needs to be a new, I don't want to call it a new world order, but like, if we think of a world without borders the way we've drawn them, right? There used to be this general trajectory of people.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
But I have the disposable income and I have the time income as well to be like, yeah, I can do that and I will do that. You know what I mean? But I've seen for a lot of people, they go like, hey, man, I can't even get my shit together.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Who am I to... I think that's the first one. The second one to what you were saying, you said the thing that you were... The proposal you had was?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
So now this is, I agree with you 100% on this. And because of that, I would like, I was so fervently in that mode that I would like fight with people on this. And then I came to realize something that maybe in this world, we aren't addressing in the same way. There are many, many, many men who feel like they've been made a deadbeat dad. Do you get what I'm saying?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
There are many, many, many men who feel like they go, yo, this is me now, anecdotally only, anecdotally. I know some men personally, who were good men, wanted to be with their kids, you name it. And the woman in their life was like, you see, we broke up. I'm going to make sure you never see these kids ever again. And I'm not saying this is all of them. So I'm not absolving them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
No, no, no, I was just saying one. Please, please, let me explain. I was giving you one, one that I know anecdotally. I'm not saying all of them. There's another one. And this is, again, the system that we've created. In America in particular, and in many other countries, you get divorced, you get broken up with whatever.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Most of the time the system says the mother keeps the child, the man has to pay for the child to be with the mother. And that money is calculated strangely in some places. Some people say it's very fair, some people say it's unfair, but it's strangely calculated.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
And now to what Scott was just saying, we live in a world where people already cannot afford the one house that they were promised in the American dream. 40 years ago, people could buy that house even on a meager salary.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
You know, someone was putting out the numbers recently and they showed that like 40 years ago in somewhere like Philadelphia, you could buy a house, you could put down the down payment for a house with like a month's salary. There's no way you can do that now in that same Philadelphia, even because houses have gone up way, way, way faster than salaries have gone up, right? So-
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
They would work in a small town or live in a small town, grow up somewhere, move to the big city to make money. And then generally they'd migrate back to the small town at some point. Now, if you think about generations that came to America before then, they left the small town, but on another continent. They've come to the big town that is America.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
So from that perspective alone, I think it is important to look at a place like Sweden. I remember going to Sweden and talking to, it was like basically they had like Dr. Fauci and I was asking him about like why Sweden has so many one parent households, but so few of the problems. And he said, yes, but you're forgetting one thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
And that is here in Sweden, first of all, you are not a pariah if you are single, right? That's the first thing. And secondly, you're protected by the states, right? It makes a big difference when your relationship with the other person is not determined by your money.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
No, but I'm saying why. I'm not saying it's an excuse. You see, there's a difference between an excuse and an answer. I think an excuse is saying you've done it, but there was nothing we could have done and you're not wrong. I'm not saying you're wrong or right. I'm just saying like, what is the answer for this thing? And I think sometimes...
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
When we look at the social economic impacts of how, in America specifically, how it sets it up. When you are a dad that leaves the house, for many men, it is difficult to continue being the dad the way you want to be. Now, how they deal with it is shitty. And also credit to women. I was also raised by a single mother and I've seen it. And in our programs in Africa, we still do the same thing.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
We know you give the money to women because women know how to make that dollar go further.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
They've made the money, but now there's no moving back. Do you think America's always just going to be about making money? And where do you think that leads us ultimately?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
So when I think about every aspect of this problem, I think about where some of that potential is being leeched out. I love video games with all my heart. What I hate now is video games have been made perpetual. So when I started playing video games, they ended. It was great. You played a game and it ended. Game over. You know what I mean? You finished Mario Brothers and that was it.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
And games evolved and you played it, whatever it was. You name it. Games don't finish now. And so in a weird way, the first thing I think of is what you're saying is you cannot meet these people and you cannot go on to do these things if you're perpetually stuck in a game that's been designed by the way. It's been designed to keep you there, to keep you spinning, to keep you going.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
you also aren't going to think of being kind or funny when you're not around other people. We've shown time and time again, being with people makes you like those people, as in like it makes you be more like them. But if we don't have third spaces where people can go without money, for instance, How do we get that? Like, where are you going?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
I even ask people this all the time in New York and Manhattan. Anyway, I go, where can you go without money? Honestly. Yes, you can go to a park. But beyond that, like in the doldrums of winter in New York, where can you go?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Yeah, we talked about that on the podcast with Kaya, my friend. His younger brother committed suicide because he was deep in gambling debts. No one knew until it was too late. And now this was even pre the apps in that way. And now it feels like, I mean, the apps run every sport now. The NBA, the NFL, they're almost sanctioned by the leagues now.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
They're the official betting partner of, do you know what I mean? So let me ask you this then, Scott. I like that you said you love offering solutions. Let's try to think of a solution for the individual and a solution for the community. As Christiana eloquently put, I think even when we're talking about race, it's important to think of who's most affected.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
And ironically, when men are disaffected, women become the most affected. You see it in the rates of violence that women will experience.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Yeah, definitely. So let's talk about it on the... on the individual side. There's a young man who's watching this right now. And they go, Scott, I don't have connections. I don't see hope. I don't see anything. I'm watching this video on YouTube right now on my phone or on TikTok or wherever I am.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
What are like three steps I can take that just get me on the path to moving forward to purpose, kindness, and a space where I can show my brilliance?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Savings on Apple Card by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch. Member FDIC. Terms and more at applecard.com.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
I'm laughing because my mom made me work at home. Oh, so you had like... No, no, to what you're saying. And I just laughed thinking of it now because of what you asked and what you said. My mom, I think, intuitively sort of figured it out. I couldn't get a job at a Panera. South Africa was different in that way. But she made me work at home.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
So she went, there are tasks and things that we need done. And like, you know, some are physical. Did she pay you for them? Yeah, but she paid me. And she was like, this is your, and then she made me pay rent to live in the house. Not really. And she was like, this is your portion of groceries. Even, and it was this weird cycle, even though she was giving me them.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
And I remember asking her, I said, this is ridiculous. You're giving me the money that I'm then giving back to you to then have the thing. And she said, yes, honey, that's all money in the world. Thank you.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Thank you. We'll be right back.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Some would argue that like that stimulus is part of the reason that we're in the problem we're in today. You know, building our economies around the military, spending our money and really getting things going by sort of getting wars going. And we've seen the effect that it has on an economy. You go to war, things start moving. You know, people start getting paid, things start getting made.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
But it's also war. And like scholars who know far more about this than I would, when I sit with them, they'll say to me, you know, the US has always been very bad at actually understanding where Russia is versus where Russia says it is. And like one of the more salient examples was when Russia invaded Ukraine and the tanks were falling apart in the mud. You remember that?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
And I remember analysts were shocked. They're like, well, these tanks are trash. And we didn't know that Russia, it doesn't look like Russia's infrastructure is as robust as we thought it was, the military infrastructure, right?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
And I couldn't help but think back to like the days of Gorbachev and all of these, like not that I was there, but like when I watch documentaries and I read and I go, Russia's bluffed for so long. And America has responded to that bluff for so long that some people argue that it's just a war of bluff that never ends.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
And some would say, and I wouldn't be the one who says it, but I always like to consider these crazy ideas. Some would say, Although Trump may be doing it in the wrong way, he's the person who's breaking this thing and it may lead to the right conclusion. How do you, you know, because I know you're always thinking about the pros and the cons of everything.
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
Do you think in a weird way, Trump might be doing the right thing in the wrong way that gets the world to a better place? Or do you think it was better for it to continue the way it was?
What Now? with Trevor Noah
The Problem with Men, with Scott Galloway [VIDEO]
If you do get the no, don't say you're fine. You can say I felt rejected. You can say I felt like a loser. You can say I felt like I can't get a woman. You can say all these things. But I think it's important with anti-fragility to say, but I know I will be fine. I'm still here. There's still going to be tomorrow. It's not the end of the world. It should end.