The Daily Show: Ears Edition - The Shooting of Jacob Blake | Ramy Youssef

Episode Date: August 27, 2020

Trevor discusses the police shooting of Jacob Blake and its aftermath, Jordan Klepper checks in on the Federal Election Commission, and Ramy Youssef talks about "Ramy." Learn more about your ad-choic...es at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 You're listening to Comedy Central. 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,
Starting point is 00:00:27 listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17th. Hey, everybody, welcome to the daily social distancing show. I'm Trevor Noah. It is Wednesday, August 26th. And here's your quarantine tip of the day. If you're going back to college, but you don't don't to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to 26th. And here's your quarantine tip of the day. If you're going back to college, but you don't want to get Corona, just become a philosophy major. That way, no one will want to be around you. Anyway, on tonight's episode, we cover day two of the RNC. Jordan Klepper
Starting point is 00:00:58 investigates another way America's elections are screwed, and then we take a look at the chaos in Kenosha. So let's do this people. Welcome to the Daily Social Distancing Show. From Trader's Couch in New York City to your couch somewhere in the world. The Daily Social Distancing Show presents. The Republican National Convention, celebrating February's record economy. Yesterday was night two of the Republican National Convention, the biggest week for Trump campaign staffers who aren't currently in prison. And the night got off to a rocky start when one speaker was pulled at the last minute for tweeting out an anti-Semitic Q&N-Conspiracy theory. And I, for one, am really glad.
Starting point is 00:01:44 Because I don't know about you, but when I sit down to watch the Republican National Convention, I don't want to hear anything crazy. But I'm worried that this does set a dangerous precedent, because now there's a 95% chance that Trump also gets the boot come Thursday. That wasn't a tweet. I just retweet it, guys. 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. that. that. that. that. that. that. that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that. that. that. th. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thr. to. to to to to to to to the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to thr. thr. thr. Start, who better to smooth things over than Vice President of the United States and elevator music in human form, Mr. Mike Pence appeared in a video that was too boring
Starting point is 00:02:12 for me to remember what happened, except that he was standing outside Abraham Lincoln's boyhood cabin, and he also took the bold step of appearing alone with a woman who was not mother, or as he calls it, doggy style. Then later on there was a segment, making the case that Trump is also a feminist hero because he's hired a bunch of women. And although some people might argue, you have to admit, Trump is an ally to women, to their own to a young, up-and-coo-in-lo'-lion to a high-level position despite having zero experience. He gave women like Kelly Ann Conway and Sarah Sanders the opportunity to lie to the American people, a job traditionally reserved for men, and he
Starting point is 00:02:53 alone stood by Gilaen Maxwell when no one else would. If that doesn't make him a feminist then maybe I don't know what the word means. But the main event of the evening was the speech from First Lady and woman who just betrayed James Bond, and the, and th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to, to, the, to, thi. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the, thu, they theyne, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, theyne, theyne, theyne, theyne, 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, thean, thean, thuuu.u.u.u.u.u.u.u.u.u.u.u.u.u.u.u. And, the, thean, the, the main event of the evening was the speech from First Lady and Woman who just betrayed James Bond, Melania Trump. She showed once again why she is the most popular Trump. I want to acknowledge the fact that since March, our lives have changed drastically. The invisible enemy COVID-19 swept across our beautiful country and impacted all of us. My deepest sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one, and my prayers are with those who are ill or suffering.
Starting point is 00:03:40 I don't want to use this precious time attacking the other side. Because as we saw last week, that kind of talk only serves to divide the country further. This modern world is moving so fast, and our children face challenges that seem to change every few months. Just like me, I know many of you watch how mean and manipulative social media can be. We all know Donald Trump makes no secrets about how he feels about things. Total honesty is what we as citizens deserve from our president. Okay, is it just me? Or does every Melania's speech seem like she's taking shots at her husband?
Starting point is 00:04:25 She called it COVID-19 instead of China virus. She said people on social media are too mean. Oh? And she said that America deserves an honest president? I was watching this like, damn, she may have gotten rid of the trees in the rose garden, but she made sure to bring her own shade. I mean, no wonder Trump was sitting there the whole time looking like he was watching his own colonoscopy. But aside from Trump, it turns out that a lot of people really loved Melania's speech. Melania Trump delivered a very impressive
Starting point is 00:04:55 speech from the Rose Garden, the White House. Addressing pointedly and movingly the the number one crisis issue facing the United States right now, the coronavirus pandemic. She did touch on and did speak to the reality that is going on in a way that we haven't heard many other, if any other speakers really do. She acknowledged what people are feeling. Ah, yes, it's true. Melania spoke with optimism and empathy when everyone else was dark and fearful.
Starting point is 00:05:28 It's almost like when they went low, she went high. Have I heard that somewhere before? And I know right now you might be saying, come on, Trevor, why does Melania deserve praise for just sympathizing with coronavirus victims? Well, I'll tell you why. Have you seen the rest of the convention? All right? Everyone else is acting like the pandemic never happened,
Starting point is 00:05:49 or that it magically ended a long time ago. Like I know the bar is low, but at least she stepped over it. It's easy to be best when everyone else is being worst. And maybe you don't think Melania's sympathy is worth anything, but sympathy is all she can offer, because she doesn't have any power. And don't tell me, no, she should force Trump to do more about Corona. Guys, Melania can't make Trump do shit. If she had any power, do you think she would let him dress the way he does? I mean, look at them.
Starting point is 00:06:17 Melania looks like she's got fashion designers on speed dial, whereas Trump looks like he stole his suit off of a parade balloon version of himself. Now, Melania wasn't the only Trump family member who spoke last night. We also heard from the president's youngest daughter Tiffany who said she was having difficulty finding a job right now. I mean, dude, can't her dad at least hook her up with a job in the mail room? Or I guess in this case a job sabotaging the mail room, or I guess in this case, a job sabotaging the mail room? And of course, there was an appearance by the ultimate forgotten man, Eric Trump, who took full advantage of the fact that perhaps for the first time in years, his dad was probably
Starting point is 00:06:55 listening to him. In closing, I'd like to speak directly to my father. I miss working alongside you every single day, but I'm damn proud to be on the front lines of this fight. I'm proud of what you are doing for this country. I'm proud to show my children what their grandfather is fighting for. You are making America strong again. You are making America safe again. You are making America proud again.
Starting point is 00:07:20 I love you very much. God bless you and God bless the United States of America. Man, I feel bad for Eric. Imagine having to talk to your dad through the TV. It's sad. Because you can talk to someone through a TV, but there's no way to know if they're listening. Isn't that right, Jelo? That's nice of you to say. I miss you too. And knowing the Donald, Eric's speech is, Eric's, Eric's, Eric's, the speech is, Eric's, the speech is, the speech is, the speech is, the speech is, the speech is, the speech is, the speech is, th's speech is, th's speech is, the speech is, the speech is, the speech is th's, the speech is thi, thi, thi, the the thi, thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thi, I, I, I, I, I, I's th. th's th's speech's speech's speech's speech's speech's speech's speech's speech's speech's speech's speech's speech's speech. that's speech's speech. that's speech. that's speech. that's speech is that's that's that's that's that's that's thiiiiiia' th th thiiiia' that's that's that's thi. that's thi. thi. that's th to know if they're listening. Isn't that right, Jalow? That's nice of you to say, I miss you too. And knowing the Donald, Eric's speech is probably the exact moment he decided to go to the concession stand to get more nachos.
Starting point is 00:07:53 But aside from the Trump kids trying to earn a thank you text from their dad, the Republican Convention so far has been a standard affair, you know, just a lot of speeches and promotional videos. But last night, there was one big issue that overshadowed the whole thing. President Trump and the Republican Party may have violated a federal law meant to separate government functions from political ones. The president hosting a naturalization ceremony from inside the White House with the Marines. Okay. Using his power as president to pardon a bank robber turned activists. Democratic members of Congress this morning are said to investigate
Starting point is 00:08:32 whether Secretary of State Mike Pompeo broke any laws by speaking from Israel. The White House was used as a prominent backdrop and multiple official duties were conducted at a campaign event which is possibly a violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits government employees from participating in some political activities while on the job. But it is worth noting that President Trump has the final say to determine if someone violated the Hatch Act, and he has made clear that positive optics outweigh any potential ethics violations. Wait, hold up, hold up.
Starting point is 00:09:08 So the person who determines whether there's an ethics violation is the person who's committing the ethics violations? You know, sometimes America seems like the most advanced country with its laws and checks and balances, but every now and again, you're like, wait, did no one even notice this? It's almost like America's laws were designed by the same people who designed the Death Star. This is an impenetrable and flawlessly designed system. But we're gonna leave a little gap in here
Starting point is 00:09:35 so somebody can come in and blow the whole thing up. Uh, that's just gonna be for one movie, right? No, no, no, no, all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all the movies, all the movies, all the movies, all the movies, all the movies keeps things interesting. And look, I get why Trump wants to do these events. It's good TV, yo. I mean, that live surprise pardon, that has some strong Roman Emperor energy. Plus, I'm not going to lie. That naturalization ceremony, that was inspiring. No, because say what you want.
Starting point is 00:10:01 Becoming an American citizen is a long and hard process. So congratulations to those people. Because say what you want, becoming an American citizen is a long and hard process, so congratulations to those people. Plus, it's extra cool having Donald Trump give your naturalization ceremony. Because as soon as it's done, he's also the guy who'll tell you to go back to where you came from. So it's a full-service experience. I know that most people don't give a shit about the hatch act, and I get it. But the idea is that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that the the that the idea is that the idea is that the idea is that that the that the the the thiaqqqqqqqq. th. th. th. thi. thi, thi. thi. their their their their their their their their their is is is their is is their is their is their is their is is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their th. th. thi is thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. t. t. te is a te.s. tr.c.c.c.e.c.c.e.c.e.c......... t.e. te. te. te. t. t. and I get it. But the idea behind it is pretty cool.
Starting point is 00:10:25 The idea is that taxpayers shouldn't foot the bill for the presidential campaign of a guy that they might not support. I mean, think about it. American taxpayers paid for the Rose Garden. American taxpayers pay for the Secretary of State's travels. So those things shouldn't be used for partisan purposes. It should be used for nonpartisan things like Easter egg hunts or presenting fake evidence to get America into a war. And even more importantly, the president shouldn't treat powers like granting pardons or naturalizing immigrants as personal favors that he can
Starting point is 00:10:55 hand out to get votes for himself. Because that's not the leader's job in a democracy. And if Trump can't be bothered to maintain even the cosmetic appearance of democracy, it's not his second turn that people should be worried about. It's his third and his fourth. All right, we're going to take a quick break, but when we come back, we'll talk about what's happening in Kenosha. So stay tuned. 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. You're rolling?
Starting point is 00:11:32 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 minutesutes a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to the Daily Social Distancing Show. After the George Floyd protests which swept not only the US, but many countries around the world, there was definitely a sense that this could be the moment of systemic change.
Starting point is 00:12:03 Cops marched with protesters. City councils discussed alternatives to police. And most importantly, pancake syrup became woke. But as we've been reminded of yet again, there is still a long way to go. Disturbing video throwing a city into turmoil. A black man walking away from police shot repeatedly while reaching into his car. Kenosha, Wisconsin police responding to a domestic incident at about 5 o'clock Sunday
Starting point is 00:12:30 evening. At least two officers with their guns drawn followed him as he walked around the front of his gray SUV. Then at least seven shots. Blake's family now says the 29-year-old spinal cord is severed and that he's paralyzed from the waist down, though doctors aren't sure it's permanent. His family is now demanding the officers involved in Sunday's shooting captured on this cell phone video be fired and the one who shot Blake in the back be arrested. No matter how many times I watch these videos, I'll never get used to how quickly police
Starting point is 00:13:02 go from issuing commands to using deadly force. Like, whatever happened to warning shots or tackling a suspect? Like, are we really meant to believe that the only two options a cop has is do nothing or shoot somebody in the back seven times? That's all we have? I mean, think about it, even when wild animals are loose on the streets. They don't always shoot to kill. They have tranquiliziziziziziziziziziziz-I I.. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I that that that that that that that that that that th. that th. that 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. that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, I that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that, I mean, think about it, even when wild animals are loose on the streets, they don't always shoot to kill, they have tranquilizers, they have nets. I never thought I would wish for black people to be treated at least like a wild bear, but here we are.
Starting point is 00:13:35 And I know people are questioning why Blake didn't just follow the police's orders. Just listen to the cops and you'll be fine. And look I don't know why he didn't. I don't. All right? Maybe he was worried because he had outstanding warrants. Maybe it's because he knows what happened to George Floyd when he did follow the police's orders. Maybe he just wanted to get his sunglasses. It doesn't matter to the police because they jumped straight to, this black man is going to try kill us if we don't kill him first. Like, let's say for argument's sake that they shot Jacob Blake to stop him from reaching his car. And let's ignore for a second,
Starting point is 00:14:10 but that's a f-feepped up, terrible, inhumane way to stop somebody from reaching into their car. They shot him seven times. What purpose do bullets two, three, five, six, and seven serve. Either way, Blake's moved toward his car, made them see him as a threat. But as his sister reminded us, they forgot to also see him as a human being. I am my brother's keeper.
Starting point is 00:14:37 And when you say the name, Jacob Blake, make sure you say father, make sure you say cousin. Make sure you say son. Make sure you say father, make sure you say cousin, make sure you say son, make sure you say uncle, but most importantly make sure you say human. Human life. Let it marinate in your mouth, in your minds. A human life. So many people have reached out to me telling me they're sorry that this
Starting point is 00:15:05 happened to my family. Well don't be sorry because this has been happening to my family for a long time. Longer than I can account for it. It happened to Emmett Till. Immitil is my family. Forlando, Mike Brown. Sandra, this has been happening to my family. Philando, Mike Brown, Sandra. This has been happening to my family and I've shared tears for every single one of these people that it's happened to. This is nothing new. I'm not sad. I'm not sorry. I'm angry. And I'm tired. I haven't cried one time. I stopped crying years ago. I am numb. I have been watching police murder people that look like me for years. I'm not sad. I don't want your pity. I want change.
Starting point is 00:15:58 Those are powerful words. Those are words filled with pain. And it only makes sense that Jacob's sister is angry. Because not only have black people been mistreated for generations by the police, but because there's almost never any police accountability. These incidents remain an open wound, and the pain and the anger just builds and builds with no closure or relief. Black people are tired of hearing, I'm sorry, and then nothing happening, because essentially what they're really hearing is, I'm sorry this is happening, and I'm sorry that it's
Starting point is 00:16:30 going to happen again. And it's because of that frustration and anger and pain that once again, people took to the streets to express their rage. Outrage igniting in Kenosha a city on fire, rioters smashing the thusususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususususus tors tors tors tors tors tors tors tors tors tors tors tors tors tors tors tors tors tors, tor, their rage. Outrage, igniting in Kenosha, a city on fire. Rioters smashing traffic lights, storming businesses, looting, torching buildings and cars. From Italian 1, we have multiple cars on fire. As demonstrators faced off with police, tensions quickly escalating, authorities pepper-spraying civilians.
Starting point is 00:17:04 The entire site, as you can see, still smoldering and firefighters are still running around town dealing with several sites just like this one. The governor deployed 125 members of the National Guard here yesterday to help as those peaceful protests during the day turned destructive after the 8 p.m. curfew. Yes, for three days now, the streets of Kenosha have been a blaze. And although there have been peaceful protests, I mean, that inevitably gets overshadowed when there is so much civil unrest. So once again, the pattern repeats itself.
Starting point is 00:17:36 An unarmed black person is shot by the cops. In response, people go into the streets. More law enforcement is sent in and the chaos only continues to grow. I could tell you the story with my eyes closed by now. Like if I wanted to, I could pre-record five of these segments go on vacation and you'd probably never know. And in this situation, just when you thought things couldn't get any worse, last night it did. Breaking news, a very dangerous situation in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Two people are dead in clashes that may have involved armed vigilantes. People may have moved into that city to counter the protests following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. The sheriff used the word militia to describe some of the people who may have been involved in last night shooting. We've just learned that a 17-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder and at least one of those killings last night.
Starting point is 00:18:27 And we now have seen some social media video of a man with a long gun strapped across his chest, running down the street or walking down the street and being chased by people who are yelling, he's shooting, he shot someone. The man trips, falls on his own. People still try to come and apprehend him and get him. He then fires again at point blank range at two more people. And then the man continues to walk down the street. He is a white man with a huge gun strapped across his chest with his hands up. As you see police vehicles, not one, not two, but three vehicles who are coming towards
Starting point is 00:19:07 him. He has his hands up with his gun, people are yelling, he shot someone, he shot someone, and police pass him by. There are a lot of questions here as to why he wasn't apprehended at that time. That's right, last night, some guy decided to drive to Kenosha with his militia buddies to protect a business.osha with his militia buddies to protect a business. And apparently ended up shooting three people and killing two. But don't worry, the business is okay. And let me tell you something.
Starting point is 00:19:36 No one drives into a city with guns because they love someone else's business that much. That's some bullshit. No one has ever thought, oh, it's my solemn duty to pick up a rifle and protect that TJ Max. They do it because they're hoping to shoot someone. That's the only reason people like him join these gangs in the first place. And yes, I said it, a gang. Enough with this militia bullshit. This isn't the Battle of Yorktown. It's a bunch of dudes threatening people with guns. And while, thuuu, thu, thu, thu, thu, thu, thu, thu, thu, thu, thu-a, thu-a, thi, thi, thus, thi, thi, thi, thi, th-I's th-I's thi, thi, the, th-a, tho-a, tho-a, tho-a, 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. thi. thi. thin, thi. thin, thi. thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo a bunch of dudes threatening people with guns. And while what happened with those shootings last night is tragic, what happened afterwards is illuminating. Because it made me wonder, it really made me wonder why some people get shot seven times in the back, while other people are treated like human beings and reasoned with and taken into custody with no bullets in their bodies. How come Jacob Blake was seen as a deadly threat for a the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their.a. their. What's, their. What's, their. What's, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what th. What, what the, what the, what the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, their, their, their, their, their, their, after.a, after.au.augh, after.a, after.a, after.a, after.a, after.a, after.a, after, after, after, into custody with no bullets in their bodies.
Starting point is 00:20:25 How come Jacob Blake was seen as a deadly threat for a theoretical gun that he might have and might try to commit a crime with? But this gunman who was armed and had already shot people who had shown that he is a threat, was arrested the next day, given full due process of the law and generally treated like a human being whose life masses. How did Dylan Roof shoot up a church, James Holmes shoot up a movie theater and both live to tell about it?
Starting point is 00:20:54 Why is it that the police decide that some threats must be extinguished while other threats get the privilege of being diffused? I'm asking these as questions, but I feel like we know the answer. The answer is that the gun doesn't matter as much as who is holding the gun. Because to some people, black skin is the most threatening weapon of war. When we come back, Jordan Klepper looks into how the government is enforcing campaign finance laws. Spoiler alert, it's not. Don't go away.
Starting point is 00:21:29 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.
Starting point is 00:21:51 Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17. Welcome back to the Daily Social Distancing Show. Everyone knows that billions are spent getting a man-elected president. 2020 is on track to be the most expensive election ever. But where is all this money coming from? And is it being used legally? Well, it's usually the job of the Federal Election Commission, the FEC, to monitor all of this spending,
Starting point is 00:22:22 but this year, there's one tiny little problem. Jordan Klepper has more. The Federal Election Commission has regulated our campaign finance laws and protected our democracy since 1975. They can investigate political campaigns, audit donations, and find campaigns that break established laws. But it's not always run so smoothly. Back in my prepubescent, pre-2020 baby skin, I talked to the FEC and learned that,
Starting point is 00:22:54 thanks to partisanship, the three Democrats and three Republicans running the place were not getting shit done. The FEC is enormously dysfunctional. Can you imagine working in a place like that? Those poor bastards. I'm the chair of the Federal Election Commission. Whoa.
Starting point is 00:23:13 But that was a long time ago. I wanted to see how the FEC was handling this year's election. So I sat down with the longest-tenured FEC commissioner, Ellen Weintrawe. Ellen, the last time we talked, the FEC was having some issues. Am I recalling that correctly? You are. The FEC was having trouble coming to consensus on important issues. And we would tend to break down on party lines and split.
Starting point is 00:23:38 Are you guys still deadlocked three and three? Well, no, actually, we're not. Great. Great news. In this, the most important election in our time, the FEC is no longer deadlocked. They can move forward and protect this country. Well, not so fast. Shit.
Starting point is 00:24:00 The reality is that the reason we are not deadlocked is that we don't have enough commissioners to deadlock. That feels like a step back. It's not good. The reason they're not fully staffed is because they need President Trump to nominate and the Senate to confirm new commissioners. So just how many commissioners do we have monitoring the enormous sums of money pouring into our election this year?
Starting point is 00:24:22 We only have three commissioners and it takes four to make most of our important decisions. I worry that without a quorum at the FEC that people may be feeling emboldened to push the envelope more. And if somebody goes over the line, then... Somebody can file a complaint and when we get a quorum, we can decide what to do with it. Wow, you guys are like a mall cop. You see somebody doing something wrong, and I'm like, hey, stop it. I'll remember your face. And someday, when we get a quorum, we'll be back.
Starting point is 00:24:59 Someday. So for now, the FEC enforcement of campaign finance laws is just kind of theoretical. But is there anything else about this election we should be ready for? It's going to be a challenging election. I think that we have come to expect that we're going to get the big reveal on November 3rd, at the end of the election day that the polls close and we get the results. There's going to be this huge number of absentee ballots that will have to be processed. But I want to know now.
Starting point is 00:25:26 You're going to have to be patient. America does have 5 million patients the last time I watched the news, so that is something we do have. So here we are. The FEC Commissioner can't practice her regulatory skills in the real world, and I need to learn to wait. But what if we both spent time in a fantasy the fantasy the fantasy the fantasy the fantasy in fantasy in fantasy in fantasy in fantasy in fantasy in fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy in a fantasy the fantasy the fantasy the fantasy the fantasy the fantasy world their fantasy their fantasy world in a fantasy world in fantasy world in fantasy world in fantasy world in fantasy world in fantasy their fantasy their fantasy their fantasy their fantasy fantasy fantasy fantasy Commissioner Weintraub could practice her regulatory magic and I could kill lots of time. I have an idea. And...
Starting point is 00:25:51 Ahhhh. Ha! Ellen, you like D&D? And I'm of course talking about donors and demagogues, democracy and decline. Okay. She is so excited. After all, what better way for an FEC commissioner to get things done right now than in my homemade role-playing game centered on the toxic Washington DC swamp?
Starting point is 00:26:18 This is going to be epic. Where's your cloak? Um, I sent you a cloak. Yeah, I'm not going to wear the cloak. Fine. Yeah. Just do it as your regular self. All right, Ellen, so this game is about the dangerous realm of Washington, D.C.
Starting point is 00:26:35 And your character is a brave bureaucrat. Ellen, imagine you find yourself in a Trump inn. You see this little goblin, known formerly as Giuliani. He's sitting with a bunch of Ukrainian guys and they're handing files to him that say for Trump's campaign. Do you use the fire sword or submit a strongly worded opinion letter or something else? I want to find the facts Jordan. I want to investigate. You want to cast an investigation spell? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:27:04 He roll your dice. Eight and a one. Okay. that. Okay. that's good. We multiply them? Eight.
Starting point is 00:27:18 Divide by the one? Eight. Okay, you fail. It's okay. The game was tense. Elens' oversight skills are substantial, but is she committed to the quest? Eight. Okay, you fail. It's okay. The game was tense. Ellen's oversight skills are substantial, but is she committed to the quest? How's your mead doing, Ellen?
Starting point is 00:27:32 Uh, yeah, no mead. It just doesn't feel like you're matching my energy of like, fun and like, fantasy, but if we don't match it, then I feel like kind of a weirdo who's wearing a cloak. After barely seven hours of gameplay, the journey was nearing its end. There's a pox across the land. The evil, orange, pus-filled, leader troll has blocked the male ravens from delivering the balance. Woosh, you cast your vote spell, but the voting day festival has ended and it has no clear winner. What do you do? Do you take? Do you the the the the the the the the the fire the the the the the fire the the the the tak tak tak tak tak tak tak tak tak tak tak tak tak tak tak take takease takease the game the Voting Day Festival has ended and it has no clear winner. What do you do? Do you take the fire sword to the whole entire place and then move to the land of the doors
Starting point is 00:28:12 with socialized medicine? Or do you cast a patient spell and wait for the results? Fire sword. Say fire sword. I'm going with the patient's spell. You take the fire sword and you move up to Canada. For God's sakes, it's easy. Not really a fire sword type. Okay. Fair enough. I guess some people can't cut it in the fantasy world and should keep to regulating the much more frightening real Washington DC swamp. Thank you so much, Jordan. All right. We have to take a quick break, but when we come back, I'll be talking to the super-talented Rami Yusif about his groundbreaking Emmy nominations.
Starting point is 00:28:52 Stick around. 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. Welcome back to the Daily Social Distancing Show. on Apple Podcasts starting September 17. Welcome back to the Daily Social Distancing Show. So earlier today, I spoke with actor and comedian Rami Yusif.
Starting point is 00:29:31 His Hulu series Rami is the first Muslim American sitcom to receive an Emmy nomination. It's 2020. They don't want a man like me anymore. He's too much a man, you know. The people are afraid. They want a man like you. A man who feels a th. th. th. th. th. th. 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 thoe thoe thoe. So. So. So. So. So thoe thoe thoe thoe thoe thoe thi thi thi thi thi thi the the the the the the the the the the the the the thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi to the toe the toea thea toea toea toea toea toea toea toea toea thea the thi it up too much. He's too much a man, you know? The people are afraid. They want a man like you. A man who feels a little bit like a woman,
Starting point is 00:29:49 but is still officially a man. Maybe transsexual, you know? This is good, which is why I want you to join me. And become a small little partner in this door. It's your future. Rami Yusuf, welcome to the Daily Social Distancing Show. Good, it says too much distance, but I feel like we should have been closer, but it's what are we going to do? We, I'm actually, I think you're actually lucky that we're not closer because I'm such
Starting point is 00:30:13 a big fan of the show that I would have been one of those noseyating fans who would have been asking you too many questions. I would have a too. too. too. too. to be to be to be to be to be to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a too. too. too. too. too. too. to be a too. to be too. 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 to be to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be. to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a to be a toe. toe. toe. to. to. to. to. to. thea. thea. thea. to. thea. thea. toe. toe. first came out. A few people were talking about here, but I just stumbled across the show and I was like, I was running around preaching to people. You gotta watch Rami, you gotta watch Rami. And now, I mean, it's widely accepted. Yeah, Rami is much, must watch viewing. What has that journey been like for you from creating a show about a Muslim millennial
Starting point is 00:30:45 in New Jersey and the Muslim world as a comedy, you know, to now being a show that people just go like, yeah, yeah, this is normal because it, let's be honest, it wasn't normal like a few years ago when you decided to do this. No, and it, and it still really shocks me. Like there are definitely moments where people are talking about the show a lot, it's getting a lot of recognition, people are excited about it, and I'm like, guys, this is a show about like an Arab Muslim dude that watches too much porn, like I can't believe that this many people are looking at it. The thing that's probably most overwhelming is the international love, because I think like here it's like awesome, you know, whatever, we got publicists and all this.
Starting point is 00:31:25 But for me, when my aunt calls me and she's like, Egypt's watching the show, and I'm like, have you seen it? And she's like, not yet. And I'm like, thank God. But she's like, she's like, I hear the kids are watching it. that the story of an Arab Muslim kid growing up in New Jersey. It's also the story of a community that for so long has been seen through one lens.
Starting point is 00:31:53 You take us into a world where we see human beings, we see the complexities of Islam, we see the complexities of different generations and how they relate to the religion and then the cultures that come. Like, that's not an easy thing to do. Was there ever a part of you that was afraid to either tell the story incorrectly to an outside audience or piss off the inside audience? Yeah, I mean, that's kind of the tightrope walk that we're constantly walking with this show because we haven't really had any chance at seeing ourselves on screen in a story that doesn't involve explosives or national security to your question about was I nervous where I'm really nervous because I know that Muslims are such a vast group of people
Starting point is 00:32:41 there are many communities like people even say like what does the Muslim community think about your show and I'm like right it's not a pop band like there. There are a lot there are many communities, like people even say, like, what does the Muslim community think about your show? And I'm like, it's not a pop band. There are a lot of different Muslim communities, like it's not just this one, this one thing. And so we, you know, kind of made the choice pretty early on that, like we're not going to try and check all the boxes. You know, this isn't a census. This isn't a totality of something that can't be encompassed, really. This is just the story of this family. And we're really going to kind of humanize them by watching them deal with their problems in the way that everyone does. What makes the show successful for me is that it follows the golden rule of telling a story, and that is showing the human beings who exist within the story.
Starting point is 00:33:25 What I loved was how even in your story, you know, the Rami that you play, when he went to Egypt, he himself realized that he had stereotypes and connotations of his own family in Egypt in a way that he didn't even realize. To take it to Egypt and then have like an Egyptian family who are fans of Donald Trump and all of America is going, Donald Trump's the worst president and here you have Arabs somewhere in the world saying this guy's the best guy even though he wants to ban all Muslims. Why was that so important for you to do? I remember being in the back of a cab in Cairo in 2015 and this guy just being like, he's a strong man and I was like whoa all all right I think I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I think I th I th I think I think I think I th I think I th I th I think I think I think I think I th I think I think I th. I th. I th. I th. I thi. I 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. 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. th. th. th. th. th. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. th all right. I think we're just used to dictators
Starting point is 00:34:05 And he just kind of matches the vibe But but he's not what we need we know he's not and I think most of us feel that On a certain, you know with a certain clarity and and I think something that I really wanted to do in making a story about a family We hadn't seen before was I wanted to be clear that I'm not trying to make some sort of like?????????? the the the to? the to? the to? the the to? the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the to? to to the to the to the the to the the the their their their their their their. their. their. their. their. their. 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 th. th. th. th. th. th. te. te. tea. tea. tea. te. te. te. te. te. te. tte. te. tttt clear that I'm not trying to make something that's some sort of like PR hit to make us look good and make it seem like hey we deserve we deserve to be in this country give us a shot like look how cute we are on Rami on Hulu. That's not a real portrayal. That's that's like propaganda in and of itself. You know for me it's how do I make something that is challenging my character, that is putting him in situations where he's seeing his own biases, he's seeing his flaws, and that really gets highlighted when he goes to Cairo. Because I think the show is more about someone trying to fill the gap between who they
Starting point is 00:34:58 want to be and who they actually are, than it is a show about Muslims. I would be remiss if I didn't mention some of the breakout stars of your shows, of the show, and one of those characters has to be Steve. You know, we meet your best friend in the show who's in a wheelchair, and already, you know, from TV and movies we've watched, we think we have an idea of who this person should be, but he's like a full-fledged character in that, like, there's their their their their their their their thi thi thi thi's thi's thi's thi's thi's 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, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, and thi. and thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. and, and, thi. and thi. And, thi. Andged character in that like, there's times when he's an asshole, there's times when we like him, times when we don't like him, times when we feel sorry for him,
Starting point is 00:35:28 times when we forget that he has a disability. Tell me a little bit about how he came to be in the show and why you felt it was so important the first thing you do. And so that there's not really, there's no option there for me. But, you know, I've known Steve since we were in third grade. You know, we grew up five minutes from each other. We went to school together. We actually learned how to make things together in high school. And I thi thu, tho, tho, thi thi the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, there's there's there's there's there's there's there's no there's no there's there's there's there's there's there's there, there, there, there, there, there, there there, there there there, there there there, there there there's there's there's there, there's there's there's there's there's there, there's there's there's there's there's there's there's there's there's the. the. the. theeeeeee. theee. There's no theee. There's no theee. There's no thee. There's no there's no there's no there's no the show is so many times in sitcoms you see an ethnic best friend. And in this show, we're predominantly with an Arab cast that's speaking Arabic and we're like, all right, I guess we're going to have to have the white best friend. But it was really funny to kind of pitch him as the white best friend. And he also has muscular dyspherby, but really what he is is he's the best friend. And also in a show where the lead character believes in God, it's really interesting to have
Starting point is 00:36:27 someone who doesn't and his reasoning is very rooted in something where he's like, well, why would I believe that if this is how I am? And then in making something for him, what's really cool is, again, flipping this idea where, okay, now we have in my show, I think he's disserv. I love my show and I'm also like, we don't do enough for him. He's just the disabled best friend. I want to make a show where what would it look like where able-bodied people are the side characters and now we get to flip this again and we get to see a totally wholly new perspective. And so we're putting together, we're developing the show with apple, we're developing the show, we're developing the show, we're developing the show, we're developing the show, we're developing the show, we're developing the show, we're developing the show, we're developing the show with, we're developing the show with it once again, three-time Emmy nominee, best director, best acting, and then obviously with Mahershulah Ali makes it three for Rami. Congratulations on everything, and thank you so much for joining us on the show.
Starting point is 00:37:26 Thanks, man. So it's so good to see you. Well, that's our show for tonight. But before we go, there are less than three months until the election. And America is facing a nationwide poll worker shortage. Now, because most poll workers are over 60 and coronavirus are still out there, they are understandably not showing up. But fewer poll workers means fewer polling stations are open and it means there's going to be longer lines that not everybody can afford to stay and wait in. The good news is, most poll working is paid. And in some states, you can be as young as 16 to do it. So if you're
Starting point is 00:38:00 interested and you have the time, this is your chance to save your democracy, protect your granny, and get paid too. Until tomorrow, stay safe out there, wear a mask, and if you're the president, please text your son. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Watch 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.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube
Starting point is 00:38:31 for exclusive content and more. 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.

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