The Daily Show: Ears Edition - A Conversation with Roy Wood Jr. and Ronny Chieng: CBS This Morning Podcast

Episode Date: February 23, 2020

From the ‘CBS This Morning Podcast’, Daily Show correspondents Roy Wood Jr. and Ronny Chieng join CBS News' Jamie Wax to discuss their comedic processes and what they've learned from one another... while sharing an office. They discuss balancing their standup careers (which include successful comedy specials) with the demanding grind of The Daily Show. They share how the show has made their comedy more poignant and why they remain committed to being "truth-tellers." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a Second Look on Apple Podcasts, starting September 17. You're listening to Comedy Central.
Starting point is 00:00:33 In this bonus episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Ears Edition, we're highlighting the work of our friends over at CBS This Morning Podcast with a conversation that CBS News contributor, Jamie WaxHad with Daily Show Correspondence Roy Wood Jr. and Ronnie Chang. Twenty years ago if you were angry about something you had to write a letter to the editor of your newspaper and wait patiently. You see if they were printed it. Neither then no one replied to it. Like you had to really put an effort now you can just yell on the internet and go write about your day. Yeah I don't I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I the the the the the the the the the the the the their their th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I'm th. I'm th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. Roy th. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. Roy. R. R. R. R. R. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. the th. th. the the th. th. Like, he had to really put in effort. Now you can just yell on the internet and go right about your day.
Starting point is 00:01:07 Yeah, I don't know how much of the anger is real, really, because some of it is people purposely trying to stir stuff up. Some of this foreign governments, trying to literally start some crap, right? So my whole thing is like, I just want to spend more to make time time to make time to make time to make time to make time time to make to make to make to make to make time to make to make to make cool stuff. I want to spend more time making stuff than I do talking about making stuff or talking about other people's opinions about making stuff. You know, that seems all my comedy heroes, that seems to be their approach.
Starting point is 00:01:34 I'm Gail King. I'm Anthony Mason. And I'm Tony DeKopo. And this is a CBS this morning podcast. Hello, I'm CBS News contributor Jamie Wax. Roy Wood Jr. and Ronnie Chang are correspondence for the Daily Show with Trevor on Comedy Central. Wood has two Comedy Central specials under his belt. They are hilarious. My particular favorite is father figure, which is really, really great. Chang's Netflix special, which is also brilliant and brilliantly titled.
Starting point is 00:02:04 Asian Comedian Destroys America and Destro destroys you mean a couple different ways, I think. Sure. Debut last December. Both of them are worth your time on streaming and available to you. Chang was born in Malaysia but grew up in Singapore and New Hampshire. What is a native of Birmingham, Alabama spent time in Florida? Went to Florida A&M in Tallahassee and LA. They both now live in New York where as different as their styles are and if you watch the Daily Show, have seen their stand up, you know that. They actually share an office at Daily Show headquarters. Welcome and thank you both for being here.
Starting point is 00:02:39 Thanks for having me. I just watched you before we started doing this podcast. I watched the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I thoooenet. I thoenet. I thoenetha. I'm thoenet. I, tapeoloenet. I, tape. I, tha. I, thae. I, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, th. And, th. And, th. And, tho, th. And, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, ta.a.a. ta.a. ta.a. And, thatea, th podcast. I watched the two of you sort of start developing a bit for the Daily Show. I like got to sort of fly on the wall perspective on that. And you were bouncing things off each other. Is that what it's like sharing an office for the two of you? Yeah, I'd say that. I like it. I like the location of our office.
Starting point is 00:03:01 I've I. I've always said this and I say this seriously, I don't want to be alone in the building. Like I like the creative energy, like there's been, you know, over the time that Trevor's been at the show, we've had correspondence, leave Jessica Williams, Hassan Menage, right. And there's always the, hey, one of you guys want to take the office? And we put the new person in here and we're like, no, no, we're good together. Yeah, I mean, first of all, collaborating is one of the great joys of working at a show, like the Daily Show, is to collaborate people who are professional comics. So being able to bounce ideas like that. Second of all, I mean, speaking for myself, you know, stand-up comedy is a solo sport.
Starting point is 00:03:44 So you spend a lot of time on the road by yourself with your own thoughts and speaking for myself, I want to speak for Roy, but it's nice to have someone to bounce ideas off on a daily basis who understands exactly where coming from and what you're trying to do. And also, I mean, when I first joined the show, Roy was very much an introduction to America. He, even till today, five years in, four and a half years in, he's still every day teaching me like about, this is what America is, this is also what Black America is, this is where the intersect, this is where things get weird. He's always showing me, yeah, because I have no idea about that. I show you videos from World Star. He explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he explains, he, he, he, he explains, he explains what Waffle House is and why there's so many fights there and then I ask him so many questions which honestly people would think I'm being
Starting point is 00:04:30 sarcastic but they're very genuine questions. Like what's up? Why is this, you know, what is the beef between these two rappers? What's the history of it? And Roy is great, this is a very inside baseball and nuanced view view which we never talk about. But Roy is great for many reasons, but one thing is he actually navigates the urban and the non-urban crowds very well. He sees everything in it. So he's able to kind of explain America, black America and all the nuances, subcultures
Starting point is 00:05:00 within black America. Very well. He sees the matrix for all this. And because Ronnie has all these international experiences, he's the one trying, getting me to try new foods. Like even right now in the studio, Ronnie just brought in some green bread. I don't know what this is. And hand sanitizer. Yeah. He just came and he goes, my wife just made this. It's authentic, genuine Vietnamese. I'm going to try this. Don't eat it it it it. Don't eat it. Don't eat it. Don't this. Don't eat it. this. this. this. this. th. th. the th. th. the th. th. the th. the th. the the th. the the the the the their their they. they. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. their. their. their. their. their. their. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He. He's their their their th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's the the the the the the the the the the the their their their their my wife just made this. It's authentic, genuine Vietnamese. Can't eat it. Don't you eat that on the air.
Starting point is 00:05:27 I'm telling you. No, no, no, no, it's going to go. It's nice. It's nice. It's delicious to it. So this is stuff that Roy would never try. This is Vietnamese bamboo. to describe the food, something else I have to discover. He's describing things that you can't relate to in relation to other things you can't relate.
Starting point is 00:05:48 But yeah, definitely on the international side and then, you know, we'll talk about like cricket and MMA and just, you know, sports that aren't necessarily. Oh yeah, we're both huge sports fans. Is that right? Yeah, we're always watching sports in the office. Pretending to work in the office and shut the door? Well, technically everything we consume is used in our work, but yes, we pretend to work and watch the sports. Let me ask you a practical question. I know how busy the schedule is of a correspondent on Comedy Central. The fact that both of you are as busy as you are as standups and have developed solid hours.
Starting point is 00:06:25 I would call those two specials I mentioned in the introduction, two of the best hours I've seen in the last two, three years from the comics. They do so much. Insightful, funny, great live audience reaction, like, you know, you can all, you see those specials where you think the audience is being prompted or forcing it. And there's such genuine affection and laughter from the audiences in both those specials. How in the world do you develop a solid hour of material while you're so busy focusing on your segments on the daily show?
Starting point is 00:06:56 Name the ones you hate though. I can't do that. I think the production cycle of the daily show can sometimes be high tide, low tide. And if you're lucky enough to find a low tide in the new cycle, then I can go out real fast and do a bunch of comedy sets. And I'll still go out Fridays and Saturdays, but right now as I'm trying to build a new hour, I did, I work three weekends in January. I'm working only one weekend in February,
Starting point is 00:07:25 no weekends in March on the road. And then in April, it cranks back up again. So you find your spots, you know, like I'll listen to sets on the way to work, on my walk to work, I'll listen to jokes I told two months ago to figure out how to move this comma, and move that around. Hey, what the the Ronnie. Hey, what do you think about this joke? This is sequencing and move around.
Starting point is 00:07:48 And then the next thing you know, oh, well, there's four stories that I need to pitch, which means I need to research, which means I need to watch two or three docs or CBS News. I'll go to go the C go the C go the C go the C go the Cb. I'll go the Cb. I'll go the C. I'll go the the the the the the the the the the. I'll go the the the. I'll go the the the the the the. I'll go the the the the the the the the the the the the. I go. I go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go to. I'll go to go to go to go to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the hard journalistic side of the story. And then you go and read and consume the blogs and the weird stuff and see what the criticisms are about the topics. And it's hard to explain, but just creatively your brain is constantly going and it just oscillates from stand-up to stand-up to stand-up.
Starting point is 00:08:21 Yeah, I mean, Roy, Roy isn't saying the whole story. He people don't understand how good he is at stand-up comedy. He works really hard at it, he sees the Matrix for everything, he understands joke structure very well. He could literally, if he wanted to, he could probably become like an adjunct professor at just teaching structure. The way he does it is amazing. He's really like watching like a master at work and anyway but but to answer a question about how we can do at a daily show I mean yeah we you know the daily show when it rains it pours and it is a job that requires a lot of energy and time as you can imagine every day but it's also I think
Starting point is 00:08:56 the probably the perfect job if for stand-up comedian because we take Monday to Thursday. And then we don't have a show on Friday. Friday Saturday, Sunday you can theoretically tour outside of the city so you can do like spots in different states. You know you can go Chicago, do a headline over a weekend. You can headline over a weekend and out of town. And you're in New York City, Monday to Thursday, you're, the show, show, we leave the building, let's say before 9 p.m., right? And that's prime time in New York City.
Starting point is 00:09:31 It's prime time to go around and do spots around. You just drop in the shows all over the city. Yeah, I mean, yeah. And New York City is the, I don't know any other city where you can, if you wanted to, you could probably do 10 shows a night. Without pushing too hard, you could do five, you know, five a night, every night. That's the only city where you could burn the candle at both ends. But you have to have a huge work ethic to even want to do that. I mean, that's the truth. Sure, but stand-up, but the idea of doing both
Starting point is 00:10:05 takes a lot of work. Sure, but it's also love of the game man. It's it to be in a position where you can do that many spots is amazing. Like I was just, you know, I've been, I've taken my hour and then back on the grind to work the new one and just during this process is like, man the love of the game........ I I, th. I, th. I, th, th, th, the game, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, the game, the game, the game, thi, the thi, the the tho, to be, thi, thi, their, their, their, to be, to be, to be, their, to be, their, their, their, their, their, the the the the the the the the the their, their, their, their, their, their, the game, the game, the game, the game, the game, the game, the game, the game, the game, the game, the thi, thrown, thrown, to, thrown, to, to, throoo, thooooooooooo, to, to, to, tho. the, the, their, the process, it's like, man, the love of the game, it's so much fun doing this. Being able to run around New York City. It's the dream. The dream was to come to New York City and run from gig to gig like a crazy person and try to figure out a new joke. And that's a great thing about the Daily Show that are out there, what is the one thing about this issue that no one else is going to say, that we can say. And then when you nail that, oh man, that's a good feeling. So then
Starting point is 00:10:56 that bleeds over into your stand-up. My stand-up got better once I got on the daily show. Because now it's, oh, if we're doing that on the show, then I can try to do that with my comedy. And then every Blue Moon, you may pitch a joke on the show or pitch a thought process on the show. It just doesn't work for whatever reason. And you go, thank you, Trevor. I'm gonna put this on stage. It's still yours. That's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, th. they. they. they. the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. that's, thi. that's. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi the one thing they can never take from me It's the one all of the great comedians
Starting point is 00:11:29 That are respected all died with dates on the books No one who's been on the daily show has been there forever. I think except for mark pay on Yeah, you know the editor who's literally been there since Craig Kilbourne. So I know that sooner or later my time on the Daily Show will end, but stand-up will always be there. When I get uglier, uglier than I am now and Hollywood wants no part to me and I reach whatever magical age that you stop casting black men at other than Danny Glover and Morgan Freeman maybe Lugas a junior like when I reach that age and I know I'm not
Starting point is 00:12:09 getting any more is that what is that? Your generation needs those guys too you might be that guy I just know that I can still tell jokes and I can still have opinions for as long as you're breathing you have opinions they used to push Richard Pryor on stage in a wheelchair yeah yeah you say that you that like like that like that like that like that like that like that like that like that that that that that that you that you that you that you that you that you that you that you that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that the they they. they. they. that they they they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. the they. they. I I I they. I they. I the the they. I the the they. I the the the the that's th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I to to to to that's that's that's that's that's that's the th. I th. I they. I th. I that's to push Richard Pryor on stage in a wheelchair. Yeah. Yeah, you say that like it's a, you're saying like it's a good thing. I'm saying that he never stopped. Yeah, Kee Robinson has had a stroke he still right. So yeah, so the, I love it, but because I know that's the one thing I will always be able to control. So that muscle I cannot let atrophy. Yeah, even if I'm on the day. And as you mentioned, after the Daily Show is not a bad class of people to be in. I mean, we're talking about Steve Correll, Stephen Colbert, Samantha B, our own Mooraca, who's
Starting point is 00:12:57 at CBS News, which is clearly the apex of anyone's desires in the world. You got so many Rob Riggle. You've got all of these people. the. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. I. I. I. I the the the th. I th. I'm th. I thi. I'm to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. I I I I I I I I I I I th. I I I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I the th. I th. I the th. I th. I thi. I thi. I thi. I'll that that that thi. I that that to thi. to to to to thi. to thi. thi. I the thi. I th world. You got so many, Rob Riggles, you've got all of these people. Mr. John Oliver, not doing too badly, that's right. I mean, that this, to be on the Daily Show has to be something that you two both really aspire to and that was a really exciting call the day you found out that you had booked it and that you were going to be correspondent. Yeah, is that right? It. It. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was not. It was not. It was not. It was not. It was not. It was not. It was not. It was not. It was not. It was not. It was. It was. It was. th. It was. It was. It was. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the the the the to. the the to. the the the the the the the the the. the to. to. to. the. to. the. to. to. the. tothat you're gonna be correspondence. It's pretty funny. Yeah, he was in Hong Kong when he found out. Yeah, it was not, you auditioned before and got rejected by the Daily Show. They didn't reject me. It was terrible. To reject means that you considered it before passing on it.
Starting point is 00:13:38 They didn't consider. Yeah, I believed it. It was a terrible audition like 07. and to get another another another another another another another another another another another another another another another another another another another. the the the that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that you. that. that you. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was. It was a. It was a that. It was a that. It was a that. It was a that. It was a that. It was a that. It was a that. It was a that. It was a that. It was a that. It was a that. It was. It was a terrible audition like 07. And to get another opportunity under Trevor, Neil Brennan made a couple calls and got me in the door in front of the producers. And that was that, man. It just, I don't know, it came together. I got a call in Hong Kong,
Starting point is 00:13:57 and then I went immediately and bombed in front of 40 people at a bar. I know they're just to keep you humble. Yeah, just just just just just just just just just just the best. the best. the best. the best. the best. the best. the best. the best. the best. the best. the best. the best. the best. the best. the best. the the the thoes. thoes. the thoes. thi. their thea. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. I was. I was. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their their their their their their thea. thea. thea. t. t. t. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. t. te know that. Just to keep you humble. Yeah, you literally just got the best news of your career and an hour later you're at a bar and people like I don't get what you do. You will someday. Yeah. What about you Ronnie? Yeah I was in Edembro at the time. I was in doing the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I'm just gonna say if there's not evidence that this current cast of of this show is international. You were in Hong Kong, you're in Edinburgh. Yeah, and I was living in Australia. I lived for like 10 years and I moved to America for the daily show. And to be honest, I mean I always the daily show kind of
Starting point is 00:14:38 came up when the internet was kind of first doing video. Do you remember that? I don't thi tho-like when I was in college in 2005 2005. the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. th. th. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to say to to to to to to to to to say, to to to to to say, thi. I thi. thi. thi. thi. the thi. the thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. they. the they. I the the the the thee. I was, the theee. I was, thi. I was thi. I was thi. I was remember that? I don't know if you remember, like when I was in college in 2005, it, that was kind of when we started sharing clips like properly. YouTube started at 04. Right, right. So that was when the daily show I think restarted blowing up for me because the clips, you start sharing, oh look at, look at, look at. Look at, look at this field piece. And so we, that's how we kind of learned about the show and became huge fans. But to be honest, I never thought I would ever get a chance
Starting point is 00:15:11 to be part of it because I wasn't particularly political. I wasn't very good at comedy. And also I was all the way in Australia, like, how the hell are you gonna, it wasn't something I even even even even even even even even even even even even even even even even even even even even even even even even even to to to. And then, you get the call to audition, and I was like, oh my God, this is amazing. And wanted to be part of the show, obviously, but I just never thought I would even be considered, you know, in the, in anywhere near what was required to be on the show,
Starting point is 00:15:41 so. But there is something that makes a lot of sense about both of you in this tradition that really after the Craig Kilbourne show is a lot of fun. It was very funny. It was a very different show than it became under John Stewart. But there is something about both of you. their styles could not be more dare. I consider both of you masters of timing. But Roy, you are a slow burn guy. You will tell a story. the story. th. th. th. the story. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to, you are to, you are to, to, to, to, to, to to to to to to to to be to be to be to be to be to to be to be to be to be to be to be to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be to be to be, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. thi. the. the. thr. thr. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. to. the the guy. You will tell a story and you will leave pauses and just let it build. Ronnie, you will hit five rapid-fire jokes on a topic and then all of a sudden, two minutes later you're on to the next topic. But both of you are truth-tellers in your comedy. That seems like something that's very important in being a member of the Daily Show is sort of that your comedy gets to the heart of truths. Well, I mean again, to be honest, I think that's something the show rubbed off on us. I don't know, well, I want to speak for Roy, but rubbed off on me a bit more because
Starting point is 00:16:37 one of the biggest things that the show was always when we started working there and started writing there, they were like, well, this is funny, but what are you trying to say? What are you trying to say? And I never considered what I was trying to say for me, up to that point, it was always like, how do I make these people laugh? And then suddenly you have to start think about, and that's one infected our stand-up. It bled over to our stand-up in terms of when we write stand-up jokes now, we also think about like, oh what are we trying to say with this joke though? It's funny, are we saying the right thing with it? Is it, are people laughing for the right reasons? What is the point? And so I think when youto be a show that does comedy but also tries to
Starting point is 00:17:25 say something a little bit more or at least has a focus like a focus point coming from a place of news and truth and you know I mean ultimately the allegiance is to the joke but just having that kind of consideration of what what are you trying to say of this joke let Let's not just make fun of things just because we can. Yeah, it's like a bachelor's degree versus grad school. If everybody's funny, then the tiebreaker becomes who said something more poignant or who said something that had a more unique point of view.
Starting point is 00:17:59 If you just want to laugh just a million other shows. Yeah, go watch some, you know, go watch people fall down on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, on, you. You didn't get a lot of laughs from that. You really, you really, you know, the for scattered, smothered, covered, and chalked tash. We're never going to be that close to a Waffle House again. Great. With me and him together, it was during the Republican convention,
Starting point is 00:18:33 and I did a little Googling. Found one on the other side of Akron, I go, we're going. We went to Akron to try to to get some some some some some some some some some some some some some some some, to get some, to get some, to get to get to get try to get some stage time. Oh really? During the convention. So we got some stage time and then on the way back or on the way there I think we stopped by a waffle. And so that's like, and that's kind of where he and I are alike where if we're on a piece together we go to the convention and you're there all day and you're there all day, like 9 a.m. to 6 and then at 6 I go to running. Hey man I think there's a comedy show if you want to do seven minutes you got a bitch you want
Starting point is 00:19:09 her I'm down let's roll. Yeah and he literally knows every room and every person he's got like rooms in different area codes for sure he's got people everywhere like every time I go any city I'm like I ask him for the lowdown is this place good does this place suck do you have anyone you can recommend to open and he always has someone to recommend the open in every city in America is unbelievable You know you know all the comics in Boise Idaho and? Boise and Maine are the only two where he probably knows he knows he knows but if not he knows who to contact to get to what you need to one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one one the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the comics the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the they they they they they they they they the they the they they the they the the the the he knows who to contact to get to what you need. I'm one degree away from most comedians. That's great. I can find you.
Starting point is 00:19:50 But that's also, I was on the road for 10 years. I was a southern act. I didn't move to LA until I was like year nine. So you worked the south and the midwest for a decade. You know all the features are now. the features. the features. the features. the features. the features. their. their. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I's. I's. I's. I'm. I'm. I'm. their. their. their. their. their. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. their. their. their. their. their. their. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. the. Yeah. the. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. the. the. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. the. the. the features are now headliners and the people who never moved to the coast, they're still making their money in Middle America, so their ears to the street, so even if the bookers have changed or the rooms have changed, I'd know who to talk to. I'm in enough weird Facebook groups that are private. But there's a reputation in stand up that there's not a lot of support and camaraderie like that. Is that an unfair characterization when people talk about it being so competitive and that... Yeah, for sure. It's definitely Alan Havy put it best.
Starting point is 00:20:33 He said like, we're in this for ourselves, but we're in it together. And like, um, I always see a lot of camaraderie. I don't know. I think you get that what you put out. I mean, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they. And, thi, thi, and thin, thin, and thin, and, thin, and thin. And, th. And, th. And, thin. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And think you get back what you put out. I mean, again, Roy will never say it, but he's probably one of the most generous, sincere guys, very sincere of his time, you know, every day he'll get, at least every two or three days he'll get a call from like a carmaker around the country asking for some advice and he'll I know because I'm in the office and we have no secrets. Like he, we literally say in each other's business manager meetings, like when the accountants come to office, we're just in the office. So we see each other's financials, but yeah, comics will call him and ask him for advice.
Starting point is 00:21:12 And he'll very sincerely try to, so I don't, yeah, I don't think, I haven't seen any bad blood between comedians. I mean, at a, you know, I mean, there's there's there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, there's, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, the, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, to, the, to, to, to, to, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, you know, I, I, I, yeah, there's, I mean, there's infighting, of course, and same with any other, I compare it to an NBA team, but there's gonna be two divas somewhere in there that does get a lot. Yeah, but don't you think it's like, oh, some public feud between two comedians. It's, it rarely, rarely happens. Yeah, like, am I wrong, but I don't think, you never hear Seinfeld talk crap about anybody. And I'm sure Seinfeld, the same as every other comedian has a comedian that he can't stand. There's comedians I don't like in terms of their character.
Starting point is 00:22:01 Just as a person, and the way you treat other people. I don't like you. You're hilarious, but also heard about that time you cussed out so-and-so after a show. But I'm never going to say that publicly about you because it doesn't matter because no one's going to believe you. No one's going to care. Joe Rogan spent a year going to expose and all the jokes still still still stills tickets. Yeah. their. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. their. their. Yeah. Yeah. their. their. their. the their. the their. thea. tha. tha. tha. the the tha. the the the the the their their the their their their their their their their their their their their their their. I's their. I I's their. I I I I I's their. I I I I I I I I. I I. I. I. I I I. I. I's. I. I's. I. I's. I's. I's the the the the the the the the the the the te. I's te. I's te. I's tea. I's tea. I'm tea. I'm tea. I'm tea. I'm tea. I'm te. I'm te. I'm te. I'm te. I'm the te.the jokes telling and Carlos Mancia still sells tickets. Yeah. So I remember that. So what is me tweeting that you're a meany going to accomplish? It's not going to do anything. I like talking to the new comics because it keeps... Yeah, and it keeps a fire under me because I also get new ideas from them. I think if you connect with the youth. It's real easy to see what they're doing and how the the game. And the game. And the game. And the game. I think if you connect with the youth, it's real easy to see what they're doing and how they see the game because I think comedically, there's an intersection between comedy and technology that I think a lot of traditional comics ignore and that's
Starting point is 00:22:56 an easy way. If you're able to harness your true essence as a stand-up digitally or with some piece of technology, then you get to leapfrog a couple spaces. You know, but it's hard depending on the type of comedy that you do. My comedy cannot be truncated into 30-second videos. It just, my opinions are too nuanced. That's not true. You can do it. No, you get one semicolon wrong.
Starting point is 00:23:24 And your career is over. So it's not, it's not, for me it's not worth it. At least not yet, I'm not. But in a way, you're, the fact that the Daily Show exists and as a leaping off point is proof of what you're saying. In its way, it is a use of technology that supports your live that that that's their that's that's that's that's, you, you, you, you, you, you, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, to me, thi. toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. And, thi. thi. thup. Yeah, the Daily Show has given me a place to really expand on opinions and thoughts and really dig in from a, like with my stand-up, the goal with the white viewer is to show something that you never thought of and that you would have never considered, and a black viewer should be able to watch the same thing and go, that's exactly what I've been trying to tell y'all. And if I can do that with a piece, then that's gold.
Starting point is 00:24:11 And so then I also try to do that with my stand-up. But the Daily Show is definitely one of the better places to really dig in on a topic and really show the nuance of everything. You know, I have to say both your work on Comedy Central's daily show and your work in stand-up really proves the fact that people are wrong when they say you cannot speak truth in comedy anymore, that people are too politically correct, that it's a terrible time to be a comedian, that you can't, you can't push the envelope. Wouldn't you say that that is false? I mean, I know you've got you've to to you to to to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be the to be to be to be time to be a comedian that you can't push the envelope. Wouldn't you say that that is false? I mean, I know you've got to be careful in some ways, but there's something refreshing about hearing the truth and laughing at it. Yeah, the problem is that truth has become this amorphous thing now to some people where the truth used to be concrete.
Starting point is 00:25:08 This is the truth. Not a truth is jello. It's a little more flexible. Is that the truth? Is that really your truth? I don't know if I agree with your truth. You know, screw your truth. And like that's how the outrage machine gets rolling. I don't think it's a hard time to be a comedian. I think you just keep doing, as a comedian,
Starting point is 00:25:27 it's no harder to be a comedian than it is to be a journalist. I think comedy is journalism. It's, you're either reporting on who you are, or you're reporting on how you feel. And the daily show is just how we feel about an issue, how we feel about a thing, and some people are going to disagree and we're in a space where people are a lot more vocally disagreeing. I just think, I don't think people are more upset, I just think there's more ways to hear people complain. You know, back in like 20 years ago, if you were angry about something, you have to write a letter to the editor of your newspaper and wait patiently. And then no one replied to really. You to it it it it to it to to to to to to to to to to to to to their their their their their their their their th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I'm thi. I'm just just just thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi. patiently to see if they printed it.
Starting point is 00:26:05 Neither then no one replied to it. He had to really put in effort. Now you can just yell on the internet and go right about your day. Yeah, I don't know how much of the anger is real, really, because some of it is people purposely trying to stir stuff up. Some of it is foreign governments trying to literally start some crap, right? And then some of it is also people talking about being outraged. So my whole thing is like, I just want to make cool stuff.
Starting point is 00:26:37 I want to make more stuff. I want to spend more time making stuff than I do talking about making stuff or talking about other people's opinionstime making stuff than I do talking about making stuff or talking about other people's opinions about making stuff you know that seems all my comedy heroes that seems to be their approach you know they just kind of do stuff and put it out there and go back to the work yeah go back to the work I think and and I you know moving to New York City definitely I think made me more fearless as a comedian I think I thi thinne thi th approach controversial topics a little bit easier now you know yeah so I and this whether it's outrage culture or not I'm I'm not sure I haven't seen it yet I mean I think people I haven't experienced it myself personally yet or maybe I just ignore it more
Starting point is 00:27:21 that's where Ronnie and I are different though. What you mean? I hate bloggers. I know that it's documented. Yeah. Make that perfectly clear. I hate comments and bloggers. I like, yeah. So he stopped. He stopped.
Starting point is 00:27:34 He's like, Ronnie doesn't consume any of that stuff. And I'm the opposite. I want to know everything. I want to know to know to know to know to know, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, to know, to know, to know, to know, I, I, I, I, that, I, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that is, that is, that is, that is, that is, that is, that is, that is, that is, that is, that is, that is, that is, that is that is that is that is that is that is that is that is that is that is that is that is that is that is that is a that is a that is a that, that, I that, that, that, that's, that's, that's, I, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that is documented, that's like you think Facebook is tough not you want to feel I'm from Reddit baby I enjoy just seeing everything that's to be said I've started to do I haven't told you this I've started doing something a little more dangerous now on the daily shows Instagram page every then I'll comment with just like a smile emoji. Oh. Just to see what happens after that. And it's like 40 replies and it's just all out wars.
Starting point is 00:28:13 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. anyone but I do enjoy feedback because somewhere in the midst of all of this outrage and all of this yelling is legitimate positive feedback on ways that I believe I could be better as a comedian or performer. I disagree. I choose to sift through some of that. I think it's all BS and I think yeah somewhere in there are meaningful fair critiques for me and my comedy. So it's worth sifting through it and thankfully I'm in a place where that doesn't bother me emotionally in a negative way.
Starting point is 00:28:53 So I can kind of go through that. What's the animal that can like just work through? Camelian stings? Is it the mongoose? Uh-huh. Mags they can get bitten by the cobra and yeah and just keep on trucking Yeah, see that's not I don't want to become the monkeys. What's your spirit of animals? Yeah, I'm full mongoose on the internet.
Starting point is 00:29:15 You are mongoose on your this. Don't threaten his child. Well, whatever you guys are doing it's workingtwo of the best in the business. Ronnie was in a little movie you might have heard of called Crazy Rich Asians, I should say last year. Yeah. Congratulations. Thank you. Thank you. And please check out their specials and watch them on the Daily Show. Boy, I mean, you are, you are in a great time to be doing the Daily Show. Let me tell you how humble Ronnie is. Ronnie books crazy rich Asians. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. th. th. th. th. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. Yeah, th. Yeah, th. Yeah, th. Yeah, th. Yeah, th. Yeah, th. Yeah, th. Yeah, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. th. how humble Ronnie is. Ronnie books Crazy Rich Asians and we're in the office. Yeah, man, I want to be going for a month or two doing a movie. All right, cool. You know, I'm just, I'm curious.
Starting point is 00:29:54 All right, who's in the movie? He rattles off like 15 Hall of Fame Asians. And I go, sounds pretty huge, bro. We'll see, you know, I'm just, it's a movie, I'm gonna go do my job. It's crazy, it's just this little movie. And we should say Roy's special is on Comedy Central. You kept it close to home. Yes, yes it is.
Starting point is 00:30:19 And Roddy's is available on the app and on the website, CC.com. And I'll tell you, I think iTunes as well. the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. It's thi. thi. It's th. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's. th. th. th. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thin. thi. thin. thin. thin. thi. thi. thi. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. th. thi. It's thi. It's thi. It's thi. It's thi. It's the website That's right. C.C. dot com and I'll tell you there are iTunes as well you can buy an iTunes somewhere plenty of great clips from from from both of you from stand up all over the internet Great to have you here today. Thanks for talking to us. And thanks for the work you do. Oh, thank you. Thanks for speaking to us. to the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central and the Comedy Central app. Watch full episodes and videos at the Daily Show. to. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and more.
Starting point is 00:30:55 This has been a Comedy Central podcast. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Min Like, none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News.
Starting point is 00:31:26 Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.