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.
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]
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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]
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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]
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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.