1 00:00:01,168 --> 00:00:02,536 Hey, what's going on, everybody? I'm Trevor Noah, 2 00:00:02,569 --> 00:00:04,505 and this is The Daily Social Distancing Show. 3 00:00:04,538 --> 00:00:06,173 Today is March 17, 4 00:00:06,206 --> 00:00:08,575 which means it's Saint Patrick's Day. 5 00:00:08,609 --> 00:00:11,278 Yes. It's the day Irish people say, 6 00:00:11,311 --> 00:00:12,813 "Kiss me, I'm Irish" 7 00:00:12,846 --> 00:00:14,314 and people respond, "No, you're not, 8 00:00:14,348 --> 00:00:15,949 Governor Cuomo. Stop that!" 9 00:00:15,983 --> 00:00:17,651 And please remember we're still in a pandemic. 10 00:00:17,684 --> 00:00:20,187 So, if you're gonna celebrate, do it safely 11 00:00:20,220 --> 00:00:23,290 by puking on a stranger from at least six feet away. 12 00:00:23,323 --> 00:00:24,625 Anyway, on tonight's show, 13 00:00:24,658 --> 00:00:26,727 how to escape a Zoom meeting, 14 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,329 the gritty origin story of the filibuster, 15 00:00:29,363 --> 00:00:31,932 and we're gonna talk about what happened in Atlanta. 16 00:00:31,965 --> 00:00:33,333 So, let's do this, people. 17 00:00:33,367 --> 00:00:35,602 Welcome to The Daily Social Distancing Show. 18 00:00:35,636 --> 00:00:37,137 ? ? 19 00:00:37,171 --> 00:00:39,373 ANNOUNCER: From Trevor's couch in New York City 20 00:00:39,406 --> 00:00:42,476 to your couch somewhere in the world, this is 21 00:00:42,509 --> 00:00:45,512 The Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah. 22 00:00:48,515 --> 00:00:50,918 Let's kick things off with the Bible. 23 00:00:50,951 --> 00:00:53,687 It's God's spicy, tell-all memoir. 24 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,957 And now, thanks to an amazing archaeological find, 25 00:00:56,990 --> 00:01:00,661 we're learning more about some of the Bible's early drafts. 26 00:01:00,694 --> 00:01:02,196 An amazing discovery now. In Israel, 27 00:01:02,229 --> 00:01:04,131 ancient fragments of biblical text 28 00:01:04,164 --> 00:01:07,301 dating back almost 2,000 years were just found. 29 00:01:07,334 --> 00:01:10,103 NEWSMAN: An unprecedented survey of nearly 50 miles 30 00:01:10,137 --> 00:01:13,207 of cliffside desert caves near the Dead Sea 31 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,510 led archaeologists to the so-called Cave of Horror 32 00:01:16,543 --> 00:01:19,379 and the roughly 80 new pieces of biblical text. 33 00:01:19,413 --> 00:01:21,615 NEWSMAN 2: It's called the Cave of Horror, 34 00:01:21,648 --> 00:01:23,050 and it's easy to see why 35 00:01:23,083 --> 00:01:26,253 given the only way for archaeologists to access it 36 00:01:26,286 --> 00:01:29,523 is by rappelling down the side of a sheer cliff. 37 00:01:29,556 --> 00:01:31,925 The scroll fragments are small, 38 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,328 some miniscule, 39 00:01:34,361 --> 00:01:36,630 but big enough to still draw wisdom from 40 00:01:36,663 --> 00:01:38,031 says Dr. Oren Ableman, 41 00:01:38,065 --> 00:01:40,234 who reads one of the uncovered passages. 42 00:01:40,267 --> 00:01:42,302 Uh, "These are the things you are to do. 43 00:01:42,336 --> 00:01:43,971 "Speak the truth to one another, 44 00:01:44,004 --> 00:01:46,406 "render true and perfect justice in your gates 45 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,843 and do not contrive evil against one another." 46 00:01:49,877 --> 00:01:51,478 "Speak the truth 47 00:01:51,512 --> 00:01:54,681 and do not contrive evil against one another." 48 00:01:54,715 --> 00:01:57,050 Wow. That's really beautiful. 49 00:01:57,084 --> 00:01:58,752 Though, I-I will admit, 50 00:01:58,785 --> 00:02:00,954 I don't know if it was worth, you know, 51 00:02:00,988 --> 00:02:03,624 rappelling down a sheer cliff into a Cave of Horrors for. 52 00:02:03,657 --> 00:02:05,492 Like, if I'm going down into a cave, 53 00:02:05,526 --> 00:02:08,428 I want to find a treasure chest or the secret to eternal life, 54 00:02:08,462 --> 00:02:10,998 not a piece of paper that says "Don't lie." 55 00:02:11,031 --> 00:02:12,432 I already knew that! 56 00:02:12,466 --> 00:02:14,768 I mean, Barney taught me that. Come on. 57 00:02:14,801 --> 00:02:16,436 But still, man, it's so amazing 58 00:02:16,470 --> 00:02:19,373 how much wisdom there is from that era. 59 00:02:19,406 --> 00:02:20,774 You know? 60 00:02:20,807 --> 00:02:22,142 It actually makes me wonder 61 00:02:22,176 --> 00:02:24,278 how future generations are gonna see us. 62 00:02:24,311 --> 00:02:27,981 Because I don't think we're gonna be as profound to them. 63 00:02:28,015 --> 00:02:30,017 We have no lessons to teach them. 64 00:02:30,050 --> 00:02:32,386 "We have found a tweet from the ancients. 65 00:02:32,419 --> 00:02:35,789 "It says, 'Boys be acting all tough, 66 00:02:35,822 --> 00:02:39,560 "but then they want to snuggle after they bust.' 67 00:02:39,593 --> 00:02:42,896 Let us build our society around this." 68 00:02:42,930 --> 00:02:44,431 You know, what's also cool 69 00:02:44,464 --> 00:02:47,201 is that they found something deep and meaningful. 70 00:02:47,234 --> 00:02:49,169 You know, because a lot of random Bible verses 71 00:02:49,203 --> 00:02:50,170 are pretty complicated. 72 00:02:50,204 --> 00:02:51,538 If you find the wrong one, 73 00:02:51,572 --> 00:02:53,440 it doesn't, like, actually mean anything on its own. 74 00:02:53,473 --> 00:02:55,709 You know? "Abraham begat Isaac" 75 00:02:55,742 --> 00:02:58,645 or "The length of the wall was 50 cubits" 76 00:02:58,679 --> 00:03:00,981 or "Thou shalt not commit adultery.' 77 00:03:01,014 --> 00:03:02,716 What does that even mean? 78 00:03:02,749 --> 00:03:04,451 Moving on to technology news. 79 00:03:04,484 --> 00:03:07,387 By now, we're all familiar with Zoom. 80 00:03:07,421 --> 00:03:09,323 Very familiar with Zoom. 81 00:03:09,356 --> 00:03:11,358 It's the only piece of new technology 82 00:03:11,391 --> 00:03:13,493 that actually makes you prefer a phone call. 83 00:03:13,527 --> 00:03:15,629 Because as useful as this app has been, 84 00:03:15,662 --> 00:03:18,298 it's also been... Um, how should I put this? 85 00:03:18,332 --> 00:03:20,834 Uh, a living nightmare? Yeah? 86 00:03:20,868 --> 00:03:22,202 Which is why a lot of people 87 00:03:22,236 --> 00:03:24,404 will be looking forward to this update. 88 00:03:24,438 --> 00:03:26,907 A Brooklyn-based web developer has created a new tool 89 00:03:26,940 --> 00:03:28,876 for people sick of sitting on Zoom calls. 90 00:03:28,909 --> 00:03:31,245 He calls it the Zoom Escaper. 91 00:03:31,278 --> 00:03:32,713 He says it allows you 92 00:03:32,746 --> 00:03:35,782 to "make your presence unbearable to others 93 00:03:35,816 --> 00:03:38,085 by sabotaging your audio stream." 94 00:03:38,118 --> 00:03:40,387 The Escaper not only mimics technical issues 95 00:03:40,420 --> 00:03:42,589 like delayed audio or echoes. 96 00:03:42,623 --> 00:03:46,159 It can also recreate annoying background sounds 97 00:03:46,193 --> 00:03:48,729 like crying babies and barking dogs. 98 00:03:48,762 --> 00:03:50,964 That's right. There's a new version of Zoom 99 00:03:50,998 --> 00:03:52,566 that has technical issues 100 00:03:52,599 --> 00:03:55,536 and annoying background noise built in. 101 00:03:55,569 --> 00:03:57,304 I mean, which I thought was just Zoom, 102 00:03:57,337 --> 00:03:58,906 but still, this is a great idea. 103 00:03:58,939 --> 00:04:01,708 An app that makes crying baby sounds 104 00:04:01,742 --> 00:04:03,177 so that you can leave a meeting. 105 00:04:03,210 --> 00:04:05,212 And, I mean, that's good news for all of us. 106 00:04:05,245 --> 00:04:06,547 Except for any new parents out there, 107 00:04:06,580 --> 00:04:08,949 because now you guys had a baby for nothing. 108 00:04:08,982 --> 00:04:10,150 (laughs) 109 00:04:10,184 --> 00:04:11,385 So, look, I think this new feature's 110 00:04:11,418 --> 00:04:12,719 gonna be pretty popular. 111 00:04:12,753 --> 00:04:14,488 I mean, it's definitely a better way 112 00:04:14,521 --> 00:04:17,090 to get kicked off Zoom than how Jeffrey Toobin did it. 113 00:04:17,124 --> 00:04:19,560 And it's much more believable 114 00:04:19,593 --> 00:04:21,461 than my old tactic. 115 00:04:21,495 --> 00:04:22,930 Oh, no, everybody. 116 00:04:22,963 --> 00:04:25,299 I'm sinking in quicksand. 117 00:04:25,332 --> 00:04:27,167 Ah, the quicksand. 118 00:04:27,201 --> 00:04:29,002 Ah, see you guys Thursday. 119 00:04:29,036 --> 00:04:31,872 (mumbling) 120 00:04:31,905 --> 00:04:34,107 But let's move on now to our main story: 121 00:04:34,141 --> 00:04:35,342 the filibuster. 122 00:04:35,375 --> 00:04:36,476 And before you say, 123 00:04:36,510 --> 00:04:39,046 "Oh, that is some boring Senate rule. 124 00:04:39,079 --> 00:04:42,249 What the (bleep) does that have to do with me, Trevor?" 125 00:04:42,282 --> 00:04:44,852 First of all, please do not curse on my show. 126 00:04:44,885 --> 00:04:46,520 There's no need to be crude. 127 00:04:46,553 --> 00:04:48,789 And secondly, it actually has to do 128 00:04:48,822 --> 00:04:50,757 with pretty much everything right now. 129 00:04:50,791 --> 00:04:52,559 Like, think of all the big issues 130 00:04:52,593 --> 00:04:55,095 that President Biden wants to tackle. 131 00:04:55,128 --> 00:04:57,164 Voter suppression, protecting unions, 132 00:04:57,197 --> 00:04:58,532 immigration reform, 133 00:04:58,565 --> 00:05:00,701 finding out who snitched on his dog Major. 134 00:05:00,734 --> 00:05:03,537 Right now, Senate Republicans can block Joe Biden 135 00:05:03,570 --> 00:05:05,772 from doing any of that stuff. 136 00:05:05,806 --> 00:05:08,141 Which is why now Biden is saying 137 00:05:08,175 --> 00:05:10,444 he wants to shake things up. 138 00:05:10,477 --> 00:05:12,279 For the first time in his presidency, 139 00:05:12,312 --> 00:05:13,914 President Biden is making the case 140 00:05:13,947 --> 00:05:16,550 for not eliminating but reforming 141 00:05:16,583 --> 00:05:18,886 the Senate, uh, legislative filibuster. 142 00:05:18,919 --> 00:05:20,721 You've been reluctant to do away with the filibuster. 143 00:05:20,754 --> 00:05:22,022 Aren't you gonna have to choose 144 00:05:22,055 --> 00:05:23,757 between preserving the filibuster 145 00:05:23,790 --> 00:05:25,692 -and advancing your agenda? -BIDEN: Yes. 146 00:05:25,726 --> 00:05:27,494 But here's the choice. 147 00:05:27,528 --> 00:05:29,229 I don't think you have to eliminate the filibuster. 148 00:05:29,263 --> 00:05:30,964 You have to do it what it used to be 149 00:05:30,998 --> 00:05:33,333 when I first got to the Senate back in the old days. 150 00:05:33,367 --> 00:05:35,802 With a filibuster, you had to stand up and command the floor. 151 00:05:35,836 --> 00:05:38,172 And you had to keep talking on. 152 00:05:38,205 --> 00:05:39,773 So, you got to work for the filibuster. 153 00:05:39,806 --> 00:05:41,074 So, you're for that reform. 154 00:05:41,108 --> 00:05:42,876 You're for bringing back the talking filibuster. 155 00:05:42,910 --> 00:05:45,112 I am. That's what it was supposed to be. 156 00:05:45,145 --> 00:05:47,481 It almost is getting to the point where there's... 157 00:05:47,514 --> 00:05:50,184 You know, democracy's having a hard time functioning. 158 00:05:50,217 --> 00:05:53,754 That's right. Biden doesn't want to stop the filibuster entirely. 159 00:05:53,787 --> 00:05:55,822 He just wants to slow it down. 160 00:05:55,856 --> 00:05:58,458 Kind of like how they try and slow drivers down 161 00:05:58,492 --> 00:06:00,194 with those little speed bumps that they installed 162 00:06:00,227 --> 00:06:01,828 around my neighborhood's elementary school. 163 00:06:01,862 --> 00:06:03,764 At least, I think those are speed bumps. 164 00:06:03,797 --> 00:06:05,432 And this may seem like a small change, 165 00:06:05,465 --> 00:06:07,835 but making things just a little more annoying 166 00:06:07,868 --> 00:06:09,903 could actually make a big difference. 167 00:06:09,937 --> 00:06:12,806 I mean, think about it. We buy stuff online 168 00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:15,142 because we can get it in one click. 169 00:06:15,175 --> 00:06:18,312 But when you actually have to go down to the store, 170 00:06:18,345 --> 00:06:19,646 then all of a sudden, you're like, 171 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:21,615 "Man, where... Ah, I have to find my keys. 172 00:06:21,648 --> 00:06:23,183 "You know what? I don't need that heart medicine. 173 00:06:23,217 --> 00:06:24,451 I'll be fine." 174 00:06:24,484 --> 00:06:27,354 But the question is how did the filibuster 175 00:06:27,387 --> 00:06:30,424 become the legislation buster that it is today? 176 00:06:30,457 --> 00:06:33,360 Well, let's find out in another episode 177 00:06:33,393 --> 00:06:35,696 of If You Don't Know, Now You Know. 178 00:06:35,729 --> 00:06:37,731 ? ? 179 00:06:43,504 --> 00:06:46,306 Let's start with the simplest explanation of the filibuster. 180 00:06:46,340 --> 00:06:48,342 It's basically a loophole in the Senate rules 181 00:06:48,375 --> 00:06:50,444 for blocking legislation because even though 182 00:06:50,477 --> 00:06:52,679 you only need 51 votes to pass a bill, 183 00:06:52,713 --> 00:06:55,282 you need 60 votes to stop the debate 184 00:06:55,315 --> 00:06:57,985 over voting on that bill in the first place. 185 00:06:58,018 --> 00:07:00,554 Which means as long as the minority party 186 00:07:00,587 --> 00:07:02,322 can keep "debating," 187 00:07:02,356 --> 00:07:04,424 then the bill is basically dead. 188 00:07:04,458 --> 00:07:06,727 And if you're wondering, "Why on earth 189 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,263 would the founding fathers put that in the Constitution?" 190 00:07:09,296 --> 00:07:10,797 Well, they didn't. 191 00:07:10,831 --> 00:07:12,766 The filibuster began as a historical accident. 192 00:07:12,799 --> 00:07:14,835 It's not some great tradition in the Senate 193 00:07:14,868 --> 00:07:16,470 that's protected by the Constitution. 194 00:07:16,503 --> 00:07:17,804 It happened in 1805 195 00:07:17,838 --> 00:07:20,307 after Aaron Burr suggested a rules change. 196 00:07:20,340 --> 00:07:22,342 NEWSMAN: Aaron Burr, as vice president in the early 1800s, 197 00:07:22,376 --> 00:07:24,011 was going over these rules of the Senate, 198 00:07:24,044 --> 00:07:25,579 and he made a critical mistake. 199 00:07:25,612 --> 00:07:27,548 He thought, "We don't really need a way 200 00:07:27,581 --> 00:07:29,550 "to stop a debate, do we? 201 00:07:29,583 --> 00:07:31,084 "I mean, there's just a few of us. 202 00:07:31,118 --> 00:07:32,786 "Like, we will debate until we're done, 203 00:07:32,819 --> 00:07:34,254 "till everyone's had their say. 204 00:07:34,288 --> 00:07:36,890 How slow could the Senate really be?" 205 00:07:36,924 --> 00:07:38,525 NEWSMAN 2: Nobody knew it at the time. 206 00:07:38,559 --> 00:07:40,127 It'd be three more decades before the first filibuster 207 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:42,095 was actually mounted, but that was the moment 208 00:07:42,129 --> 00:07:43,697 the Senate created the filibuster. 209 00:07:43,730 --> 00:07:45,566 That's right. The filibuster 210 00:07:45,599 --> 00:07:47,868 isn't in the Constitution. 211 00:07:47,901 --> 00:07:49,770 It's just a rule that was made up 212 00:07:49,803 --> 00:07:52,773 by that guy who shot Lin-Manuel Miranda. 213 00:07:52,806 --> 00:07:54,875 And it didn't seen start out as a way to block legislation. 214 00:07:54,908 --> 00:07:57,811 It was a way for the Senate to keep debate open, 215 00:07:57,845 --> 00:08:00,247 not to debate for so long 216 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,450 that nobody could ever actually vote on a bill. 217 00:08:03,483 --> 00:08:05,719 So, its original purpose is completely different 218 00:08:05,752 --> 00:08:07,621 from what people decided to use it for later on. 219 00:08:07,654 --> 00:08:08,789 It's insane. 220 00:08:08,822 --> 00:08:10,457 It's sort of like how Facebook was invented 221 00:08:10,490 --> 00:08:12,893 as a way to see which of your classmates were hot 222 00:08:12,926 --> 00:08:14,361 and then years later became a way 223 00:08:14,394 --> 00:08:16,196 to organize a lynch mob for Mike Pence. 224 00:08:16,230 --> 00:08:18,232 Who, by the way, is hot. 225 00:08:18,265 --> 00:08:20,834 And you might wonder why senators back then 226 00:08:20,868 --> 00:08:22,769 would want to risk having an endless debate. 227 00:08:22,803 --> 00:08:25,038 But don't forget, guys, in the 1800s, 228 00:08:25,072 --> 00:08:26,940 there wasn't anything better to do. 229 00:08:26,974 --> 00:08:30,577 I mean, it was either listen to Thaddeus talk about a bill 230 00:08:30,611 --> 00:08:33,280 or take a bumpy carriage ride back to your plantation, 231 00:08:33,313 --> 00:08:34,515 where a bunch of Black people 232 00:08:34,548 --> 00:08:36,283 wanted to discuss their terms of employment. 233 00:08:36,316 --> 00:08:38,652 You're probably gonna want to hear what Thaddeus has to say. 234 00:08:38,685 --> 00:08:40,854 Either way, eventually, senators realized 235 00:08:40,888 --> 00:08:44,458 that they could block legislation by debating forever. 236 00:08:44,491 --> 00:08:46,226 And that could get pretty ridiculous, 237 00:08:46,260 --> 00:08:49,229 because there was no rule on what counted as a debate. 238 00:08:49,263 --> 00:08:51,965 So senators came up with all kinds of random ways 239 00:08:51,999 --> 00:08:55,335 to fill that time, which led to moments like this. 240 00:08:55,369 --> 00:08:57,337 NEWSMAN: Louisiana Democrat Huey Long 241 00:08:57,371 --> 00:08:58,939 filibustered several bills. 242 00:08:58,972 --> 00:09:00,240 In arguing against a bill, 243 00:09:00,274 --> 00:09:02,576 he recited recipes for salad dressing 244 00:09:02,609 --> 00:09:05,412 and discussed at length the best way to fry oysters. 245 00:09:05,445 --> 00:09:09,750 His most famous filibuster was on June 12, 1935. 246 00:09:09,783 --> 00:09:11,585 He was able to speak without stop 247 00:09:11,618 --> 00:09:13,720 for 15 hours and 30 minutes. 248 00:09:13,754 --> 00:09:15,656 Running out of things to say about the bill, 249 00:09:15,689 --> 00:09:19,159 he offered to give advice on any subject someone requested. 250 00:09:19,193 --> 00:09:21,628 Yep. In 1935, 251 00:09:21,662 --> 00:09:24,298 this white dude rambled on about nothing 252 00:09:24,331 --> 00:09:26,400 for over 15 hours, 253 00:09:26,433 --> 00:09:27,534 and, somehow, 254 00:09:27,568 --> 00:09:30,604 he gets zero credit for inventing the podcast. 255 00:09:30,637 --> 00:09:31,672 So unfair. 256 00:09:31,705 --> 00:09:33,340 But the Senate is crazy, man. 257 00:09:33,373 --> 00:09:35,943 This guy got on the floor and talked for 15 hours 258 00:09:35,976 --> 00:09:38,078 about oysters and salad dressing. 259 00:09:38,111 --> 00:09:39,580 I mean, they should make it a rule 260 00:09:39,613 --> 00:09:41,815 that you at least have to try to connect your speech 261 00:09:41,849 --> 00:09:43,851 to the bill that you're supposed to be debating. 262 00:09:43,884 --> 00:09:47,221 "I guarantee this salad dressing is delicious, 263 00:09:47,254 --> 00:09:50,123 "but you know what doesn't leave a good taste in my mouth? 264 00:09:50,157 --> 00:09:52,359 Letting women wear pants." 265 00:09:52,392 --> 00:09:53,660 But, still, I'm not gonna lie, 266 00:09:53,694 --> 00:09:56,763 it's impressive that he could talk for that long. 267 00:09:56,797 --> 00:09:59,666 That shit is hard. I can't even think of 20 seconds 268 00:09:59,700 --> 00:10:02,503 of stuff to talk about to a coworker in an elevator. 269 00:10:02,536 --> 00:10:05,672 -(Muzak playing) -So, going to floor nine, huh? 270 00:10:05,706 --> 00:10:07,875 (chuckles) 271 00:10:07,908 --> 00:10:10,210 Yeah. How's this weather we're having? 272 00:10:10,244 --> 00:10:12,846 So much weather. 273 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:14,615 (exhales) 274 00:10:14,648 --> 00:10:16,617 I think I-I'm just gonna get out here. 275 00:10:17,618 --> 00:10:19,486 (grunts) 276 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:21,555 -(thud) -I will say though, it makes sense 277 00:10:21,588 --> 00:10:23,690 that senators are so good at filibustering, 278 00:10:23,724 --> 00:10:25,792 because most of them are grandparents. 279 00:10:25,826 --> 00:10:26,860 Don't forget that. 280 00:10:26,894 --> 00:10:28,095 Visit your granddad 281 00:10:28,128 --> 00:10:29,763 and see if he doesn't take three hours 282 00:10:29,796 --> 00:10:31,665 to tell you a story that happened in 20 minutes. 283 00:10:31,698 --> 00:10:33,634 "You're filibustering, Grandpa!" 284 00:10:33,667 --> 00:10:36,003 But it wasn't until the late 1950s 285 00:10:36,036 --> 00:10:38,939 that the filibuster started to become more common. 286 00:10:38,972 --> 00:10:42,609 And what cause was so inspiring to senators at that time 287 00:10:42,643 --> 00:10:45,979 that they just had to stand up and speak for hours? 288 00:10:46,013 --> 00:10:47,414 Being racist. 289 00:10:47,447 --> 00:10:48,582 NEWSMAN: For a few decades, 290 00:10:48,615 --> 00:10:51,185 the filibuster was used but pretty sparingly. 291 00:10:51,218 --> 00:10:52,786 Then the Senate starts to consider 292 00:10:52,819 --> 00:10:54,154 civil rights legislation, 293 00:10:54,188 --> 00:10:56,523 and Southern senators really hate this. 294 00:10:56,557 --> 00:10:59,059 But they don't have the votes to actually defeat the bills, 295 00:10:59,092 --> 00:11:00,661 so they start using the filibuster. 296 00:11:00,694 --> 00:11:04,131 NEWSMAN 2: It became a tool that Southern senators used 297 00:11:04,164 --> 00:11:05,666 to prevent the federal government 298 00:11:05,699 --> 00:11:08,101 from intervening in racial segregation. 299 00:11:08,135 --> 00:11:09,536 NEWSMAN 3: Perhaps the most famous one 300 00:11:09,570 --> 00:11:11,605 was when South Carolina's Strom Thurmond 301 00:11:11,638 --> 00:11:15,142 took the floor against the 1957 Civil Rights Act. 302 00:11:15,175 --> 00:11:17,611 NEWSWOMAN: Thurmond notoriously read the phone book, 303 00:11:17,644 --> 00:11:19,179 clocking in at more than 24 hours, 304 00:11:19,213 --> 00:11:22,182 to try to block a 1957 civil rights bill. 305 00:11:22,216 --> 00:11:24,585 How did you last 24 hours? 306 00:11:24,618 --> 00:11:26,887 You never left the Senate floor. 307 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:28,755 I had gone down to the Senate bath 308 00:11:28,789 --> 00:11:30,757 for three or four days beforehand 309 00:11:30,791 --> 00:11:33,360 -and dried out my body. -In the sauna? 310 00:11:33,393 --> 00:11:36,129 Yeah, so I wouldn't be tempted to go to the bathroom. 311 00:11:36,163 --> 00:11:37,698 (both chuckle) 312 00:11:37,731 --> 00:11:41,235 And so... and-and so I was able to do that. 313 00:11:41,268 --> 00:11:43,070 (chuckles) Oh, Strom, 314 00:11:43,103 --> 00:11:45,606 you are too much. (laughs) 315 00:11:45,639 --> 00:11:48,675 And when I think about all those Black people 316 00:11:48,709 --> 00:11:50,577 who suffered because of you. 317 00:11:50,611 --> 00:11:52,613 (laughing) 318 00:11:52,646 --> 00:11:54,548 (scream-laughing) 319 00:11:54,581 --> 00:11:55,649 Yo, for real, man-- 320 00:11:55,682 --> 00:11:57,818 how gross was that story? 321 00:11:57,851 --> 00:12:00,420 This guy dried out his body 322 00:12:00,454 --> 00:12:02,990 to help him filibuster? 323 00:12:03,023 --> 00:12:05,158 You know someone is committed to racism 324 00:12:05,192 --> 00:12:07,761 when they're willing to jerky themselves for it. 325 00:12:07,794 --> 00:12:10,097 And it really is amazing what humans can accomplish 326 00:12:10,130 --> 00:12:12,499 when confronted with their worst fears. 327 00:12:12,533 --> 00:12:14,735 Just as a mother will be able to lift a car 328 00:12:14,768 --> 00:12:16,737 off of the ground to save her child, 329 00:12:16,770 --> 00:12:19,072 a racist senator will suddenly be able 330 00:12:19,106 --> 00:12:20,574 to speak for days at a time 331 00:12:20,607 --> 00:12:23,810 only if it will stop a Black person from using his bathroom. 332 00:12:23,844 --> 00:12:25,145 I mean, the filibuster was used 333 00:12:25,179 --> 00:12:26,880 to block Black people so many times, 334 00:12:26,914 --> 00:12:28,882 I'm surprised they never use it at nightclubs. 335 00:12:28,916 --> 00:12:31,251 "Uh, uh-oh. A Black guy. 336 00:12:31,285 --> 00:12:32,786 "Hey, before I let you in, 337 00:12:32,819 --> 00:12:36,123 "have I ever told you about my salad dressing? 338 00:12:36,156 --> 00:12:39,059 "Two tablespoons of lemon juice, 339 00:12:39,092 --> 00:12:41,261 "a pinch of rosemary. 340 00:12:41,295 --> 00:12:44,731 "And what you want to try and do is make sure the-- 341 00:12:44,765 --> 00:12:46,433 Okay, he's gone. All right." 342 00:12:46,466 --> 00:12:48,502 Now, eventually, the Senate decided 343 00:12:48,535 --> 00:12:50,037 that all of these talkathons 344 00:12:50,070 --> 00:12:51,839 were slowing things down too much. 345 00:12:51,872 --> 00:12:53,607 So, in 1975, 346 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:57,277 they made what they thought was a small adjustment to the rules. 347 00:12:57,311 --> 00:12:58,879 Instead of having to speak, 348 00:12:58,912 --> 00:13:02,716 a senator could just announce that they planned to speak. 349 00:13:02,749 --> 00:13:04,918 And unless there were 60 votes to prevent them, 350 00:13:04,952 --> 00:13:07,554 the filibuster would be considered successful. 351 00:13:07,588 --> 00:13:09,223 And that actually worked for a while, 352 00:13:09,256 --> 00:13:10,958 until two things happened: 353 00:13:10,991 --> 00:13:13,393 America elected a Black president 354 00:13:13,427 --> 00:13:14,895 and a Senate minority leader 355 00:13:14,928 --> 00:13:17,364 who was willing to do anything to stop him. 356 00:13:17,397 --> 00:13:19,733 NEWSMAN: The practice became an art form for Republicans 357 00:13:19,766 --> 00:13:21,468 under Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. 358 00:13:21,502 --> 00:13:24,204 During the Obama years, McConnell impeded nominees 359 00:13:24,238 --> 00:13:26,006 and legislation left and right-- 360 00:13:26,039 --> 00:13:29,576 he has the nickname "the Grim Reaper" for a reason. 361 00:13:29,610 --> 00:13:31,912 NEWSMAN 2: Today, it's being used in a different way. 362 00:13:31,945 --> 00:13:35,315 It's being used to, effectively, kill a measure, a bill, 363 00:13:35,349 --> 00:13:37,918 a proposal that the minority really doesn't like. 364 00:13:37,951 --> 00:13:39,720 NEWSMAN 3: In fact, there have been more filibusters 365 00:13:39,753 --> 00:13:41,488 during Obama's time in office 366 00:13:41,522 --> 00:13:44,258 than in the '50s, '60s, and '70s combined. 367 00:13:44,291 --> 00:13:46,827 Over the entire history of the Senate, 368 00:13:46,860 --> 00:13:48,562 before President Obama, 369 00:13:48,595 --> 00:13:52,332 just 68 judicial and executive branch nominees were blocked 370 00:13:52,366 --> 00:13:54,334 and required cloture, which ends a filibuster 371 00:13:54,368 --> 00:13:56,370 and forces an up or down vote. 372 00:13:56,403 --> 00:14:00,841 By contrast, 79 of President Obama's nominees 373 00:14:00,874 --> 00:14:04,678 required cloture from 2009 to 2013 alone. 374 00:14:04,711 --> 00:14:06,446 NEWSMAN 4: Republicans used the filibuster 375 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:08,582 against virtually every controversial bill 376 00:14:08,615 --> 00:14:11,418 and nomination and some that weren't controversial at all. 377 00:14:11,451 --> 00:14:13,320 Mitch McConnell has the devious distinction 378 00:14:13,353 --> 00:14:15,389 of being the only sitting senator 379 00:14:15,422 --> 00:14:17,191 that filibustered his own bill. 380 00:14:17,224 --> 00:14:18,792 Goddamn. 381 00:14:18,825 --> 00:14:21,395 Mitch McConnell loves to filibuster so much, 382 00:14:21,428 --> 00:14:24,631 he filibustered his own bill. 383 00:14:24,665 --> 00:14:26,834 And he had to get four ribs removed to be able to do it. 384 00:14:26,867 --> 00:14:28,435 The man is sick. 385 00:14:28,468 --> 00:14:30,804 But, yes, once Obama became president, 386 00:14:30,838 --> 00:14:34,508 McConnell began filibustering everything. 387 00:14:34,541 --> 00:14:36,210 Obama wanted to appoint a judge, 388 00:14:36,243 --> 00:14:37,411 McConnell blocked it. 389 00:14:37,444 --> 00:14:38,812 Obama wanted to pass a bill, 390 00:14:38,846 --> 00:14:39,813 McConnell stopped him. 391 00:14:39,847 --> 00:14:41,748 Obama wanted to watch something on Netflix, 392 00:14:41,782 --> 00:14:44,084 McConnell hid the remote in his neck folds. 393 00:14:44,117 --> 00:14:45,786 "Mah, I haven't seen it anywhere. 394 00:14:45,819 --> 00:14:48,488 Mah, maybe you should read a book. Mah." 395 00:14:48,522 --> 00:14:51,658 And once McConnell decided to block Obama's entire agenda, 396 00:14:51,692 --> 00:14:53,293 that became the new precedent. 397 00:14:53,327 --> 00:14:55,028 You know? When Democrats got the chance, 398 00:14:55,062 --> 00:14:57,464 they blocked President Trump's agenda just as hard, 399 00:14:57,497 --> 00:15:00,601 to the point where now practically every piece 400 00:15:00,634 --> 00:15:05,072 of legislation in the Senate needs 60 votes to pass. 401 00:15:05,105 --> 00:15:06,507 And that's why there's a movement 402 00:15:06,540 --> 00:15:08,742 to get rid of the filibuster entirely. 403 00:15:08,775 --> 00:15:10,911 Because it's not healthy for a democracy 404 00:15:10,944 --> 00:15:13,313 if the losers can always block the winners 405 00:15:13,347 --> 00:15:14,915 from passing their agenda. 406 00:15:14,948 --> 00:15:17,584 Now, the Democrats don't have the votes right now 407 00:15:17,618 --> 00:15:19,520 to kill the filibuster completely. 408 00:15:19,553 --> 00:15:21,922 But based on Joe Biden's interview, 409 00:15:21,955 --> 00:15:23,957 it seems like they may be willing 410 00:15:23,991 --> 00:15:25,792 to make it more annoying again, 411 00:15:25,826 --> 00:15:27,794 which won't stop filibusters from happening, 412 00:15:27,828 --> 00:15:30,631 but at least we'll finally get to find out 413 00:15:30,664 --> 00:15:33,200 what Mitch McConnell uses in his salad dressing. 414 00:15:33,233 --> 00:15:36,136 "Eh, so what you want is the tears of poor people, 415 00:15:36,170 --> 00:15:38,005 "mah, and then you want to grind it up 416 00:15:38,038 --> 00:15:39,907 with oppression. Mah." 417 00:15:39,940 --> 00:15:42,476 So, that's the filibuster. 418 00:15:42,509 --> 00:15:44,778 And if you don't know, now you know. 419 00:15:44,811 --> 00:15:45,913 All right, when we come back, 420 00:15:45,946 --> 00:15:48,015 the multitalented Cynthia Erivo 421 00:15:48,048 --> 00:15:50,450 will talk to me about portraying the Queen of Soul, 422 00:15:50,484 --> 00:15:52,953 and we'll be chatting about what happened in Atlanta. 423 00:15:52,986 --> 00:15:53,053 So stick around. 424 00:15:55,220 --> 00:15:57,889 Welcome back to The Daily Social Distancing Show. 425 00:15:57,923 --> 00:15:59,190 There's something else in the news 426 00:15:59,224 --> 00:16:01,593 that we unfortunately have to talk about: 427 00:16:01,626 --> 00:16:04,863 last night's horrific mass shooting in Georgia. 428 00:16:04,896 --> 00:16:06,631 NEWSWOMAN: This morning, police are investigating 429 00:16:06,665 --> 00:16:08,300 a string of deadly shootings 430 00:16:08,333 --> 00:16:11,436 at three massage parlors in and around Atlanta. 431 00:16:11,469 --> 00:16:13,338 In all, eight people were killed. 432 00:16:13,371 --> 00:16:16,474 Officials say six of them are believed to be Asian women. 433 00:16:16,508 --> 00:16:18,310 Police have arrested one suspect, 434 00:16:18,343 --> 00:16:20,345 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long. 435 00:16:20,378 --> 00:16:22,247 Officials are not releasing a motive, 436 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,016 but the shootings come at a time of increased hate crimes 437 00:16:25,050 --> 00:16:27,852 targeting Asian Americans across the country. 438 00:16:27,886 --> 00:16:31,056 In a statement, the group Stop AAPI Hate calls it 439 00:16:31,089 --> 00:16:33,358 an unspeakable tragedy, writing, 440 00:16:33,391 --> 00:16:35,527 "This latest attack will only exacerbate 441 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:38,463 "the fear and pain that the Asian American community 442 00:16:38,496 --> 00:16:40,131 continues to endure." 443 00:16:40,165 --> 00:16:42,701 It's worth noting, we-we talked about the motivation there 444 00:16:42,734 --> 00:16:45,203 for a moment, um, that the suspect said 445 00:16:45,237 --> 00:16:47,138 that it was not racially motivated, 446 00:16:47,172 --> 00:16:49,741 that perhaps it had to do with some sexual addiction 447 00:16:49,774 --> 00:16:51,476 and he was trying to take out, uh, 448 00:16:51,509 --> 00:16:53,378 what he thought was the cause of that. 449 00:16:53,411 --> 00:16:55,847 He does claim that it was not racially motivated. 450 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,149 He apparently has an issue, 451 00:16:58,183 --> 00:17:00,518 uh, what he considers a-a sex addiction, 452 00:17:00,552 --> 00:17:03,288 and sees these locations as something 453 00:17:03,321 --> 00:17:07,492 that allows him to... to, um... to go to these places, 454 00:17:07,525 --> 00:17:10,095 and... and it's a temptation that he wanted to eliminate. 455 00:17:10,128 --> 00:17:13,098 He-He understood, um, the gravity of it. 456 00:17:13,131 --> 00:17:15,200 And he was pretty much fed up, 457 00:17:15,233 --> 00:17:16,768 and had been kind of at the end of his rope, 458 00:17:16,801 --> 00:17:19,004 and, um... and yesterday was a really bad day for him. 459 00:17:19,037 --> 00:17:20,372 And this is what he did. 460 00:17:20,405 --> 00:17:23,308 This is truly horrifying. 461 00:17:23,341 --> 00:17:27,612 Eight people dead, six of them Asian women. 462 00:17:27,646 --> 00:17:30,782 And soon, we'll learn all about them and who they were in life, 463 00:17:30,815 --> 00:17:32,918 but all we know right now is that they are dead, 464 00:17:32,951 --> 00:17:36,454 and a 21-year-old white man with a gun killed them. 465 00:17:36,488 --> 00:17:38,723 And... 466 00:17:38,757 --> 00:17:42,427 what's been... sad about the story is 467 00:17:42,460 --> 00:17:45,330 not just the loss of life, but all of the auxiliary things 468 00:17:45,363 --> 00:17:49,501 that have been happening around the story. 469 00:17:49,534 --> 00:17:51,636 You know? Like one of the first things 470 00:17:51,670 --> 00:17:53,238 that's been the most frustrating for me 471 00:17:53,271 --> 00:17:55,340 is seeing the shooter say, 472 00:17:55,373 --> 00:17:57,342 "Oh, it wasn't racism, it was sex addiction." 473 00:17:57,375 --> 00:17:58,910 First of all, (bleep) you, man. 474 00:17:58,944 --> 00:18:00,879 You killed six Asian people. 475 00:18:00,912 --> 00:18:03,615 Specifically, you went there. 476 00:18:03,648 --> 00:18:04,616 If there's anyone who's racist, it's a mother(bleep) 477 00:18:04,649 --> 00:18:05,984 Who kills six Asian women. 478 00:18:06,017 --> 00:18:08,954 Your murders speaks louder than your words. 479 00:18:08,987 --> 00:18:12,457 Six Asian women were killed. 480 00:18:12,490 --> 00:18:15,460 And you know, in a way, what makes it even more painful is 481 00:18:15,493 --> 00:18:17,796 that we saw it coming. 482 00:18:17,829 --> 00:18:19,898 We see these things happening. 483 00:18:19,931 --> 00:18:21,299 People have been warning. 484 00:18:21,333 --> 00:18:22,968 People in the Asian community have been tweeting. 485 00:18:23,001 --> 00:18:25,036 They've been saying, "Please, help us. 486 00:18:25,070 --> 00:18:26,671 "We're getting punched in the streets. 487 00:18:26,705 --> 00:18:28,840 "We're getting slurs literally written on our doors. 488 00:18:28,873 --> 00:18:31,209 "We're getting people coming up to us just saying, 489 00:18:31,243 --> 00:18:32,978 "'Thanks for... thanks for COVID. 490 00:18:33,011 --> 00:18:34,312 Thanks for spoiling the world.'" 491 00:18:34,346 --> 00:18:35,880 We've seen this happening. 492 00:18:35,914 --> 00:18:37,782 And while we're fighting for it, 493 00:18:37,816 --> 00:18:39,251 there are many people who have been like, 494 00:18:39,284 --> 00:18:41,019 "Oh, stop being so woke and so dramatic. 495 00:18:41,052 --> 00:18:43,221 "Kung flu. Come on. Ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha. 496 00:18:43,255 --> 00:18:44,456 Ha, ha, ha. It's just a joke." 497 00:18:44,489 --> 00:18:46,324 Yeah, yeah, it's a joke that has come 498 00:18:46,358 --> 00:18:49,261 at one of the most tense times in human history. 499 00:18:49,294 --> 00:18:51,696 You knew that something like this could happen. 500 00:18:51,730 --> 00:18:52,931 If you just apply your mind, 501 00:18:52,964 --> 00:18:55,066 you know that it's going to happen. 502 00:18:55,100 --> 00:18:57,335 This guy didn't go and kill these women by mistake. 503 00:18:57,369 --> 00:19:00,205 It wasn't a... It's like, he-he knew what he was doing. 504 00:19:00,238 --> 00:19:02,007 And it's so frustrating 505 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:05,677 to see this keep happening in America over and over again. 506 00:19:05,710 --> 00:19:07,412 America sees things coming. 507 00:19:07,445 --> 00:19:09,381 It knows something is going to happen, 508 00:19:09,414 --> 00:19:11,516 but it does nothing to stop it. 509 00:19:11,549 --> 00:19:13,885 But then it's all, all, all in, on saying, 510 00:19:13,919 --> 00:19:15,420 "Oh, so tragic, oh, so... 511 00:19:15,453 --> 00:19:17,155 Who could have predicted this tragedy?" 512 00:19:17,188 --> 00:19:18,823 Anyone who was looking at it could. 513 00:19:18,857 --> 00:19:21,092 Why are people so invested 514 00:19:21,126 --> 00:19:24,529 in solving the symptoms instead of the cause? 515 00:19:24,563 --> 00:19:27,766 America does this time and time again. 516 00:19:27,799 --> 00:19:30,368 A country that wants to fight the symptoms 517 00:19:30,402 --> 00:19:31,736 and not the underlying conditions 518 00:19:31,770 --> 00:19:34,306 that cause those symptoms to take effect. 519 00:19:35,874 --> 00:19:39,177 Racism, misogyny, gun violence, mental illness, and honestly, 520 00:19:39,210 --> 00:19:41,346 this incident might have been all of those things combined, 521 00:19:41,379 --> 00:19:43,148 because it doesn't have to be one thing on its own. 522 00:19:43,181 --> 00:19:46,184 America has a rich tapestry of mass shooting motivations. 523 00:19:46,217 --> 00:19:48,687 But whatever you do, please don't tell me 524 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:50,822 that this thing had nothing to do with race. 525 00:19:50,855 --> 00:19:52,691 Even if the shooter says that. 526 00:19:52,724 --> 00:19:55,427 He thinks it had to do with his sex addiction. 527 00:19:55,460 --> 00:19:57,128 You can't disconnect this violence 528 00:19:57,162 --> 00:20:00,298 from the racial stereotypes that people attach to Asian women. 529 00:20:00,332 --> 00:20:04,803 This guy blamed a specific race of people for his problems, 530 00:20:04,836 --> 00:20:07,105 and then murdered them because of it. 531 00:20:07,138 --> 00:20:10,675 If that's not racism, then the word has no meaning. 532 00:20:10,709 --> 00:20:16,681 And as if the violence, as if the-the trauma isn't enough, 533 00:20:16,715 --> 00:20:18,883 the-the part that breaks my brain-- 534 00:20:18,917 --> 00:20:21,319 and I think so many people get affected by this as well, 535 00:20:21,353 --> 00:20:23,989 because it feels like you're crazy when you're watching it-- 536 00:20:24,022 --> 00:20:27,158 is where you see the police officer come out, 537 00:20:27,192 --> 00:20:30,262 and almost trying to humanize the shooter 538 00:20:30,295 --> 00:20:32,297 more than the people who got shot. 539 00:20:32,330 --> 00:20:34,466 "He was at the end of his rope. 540 00:20:34,499 --> 00:20:36,067 It-it was a bad day for him." 541 00:20:36,101 --> 00:20:37,669 For him? 542 00:20:37,702 --> 00:20:39,571 Yo, yesterday was a bad day for him? 543 00:20:39,604 --> 00:20:41,072 No, yesterday was a bad day 544 00:20:41,106 --> 00:20:44,009 for all the people who lost their lives. 545 00:20:44,042 --> 00:20:45,277 "It's a bad day for..." 546 00:20:45,310 --> 00:20:46,511 It's-it's always interesting 547 00:20:46,544 --> 00:20:49,481 who police try and find the humanity in. 548 00:20:49,514 --> 00:20:50,615 Like, I can guarantee you, 549 00:20:50,649 --> 00:20:51,983 if a black person or brown person went 550 00:20:52,017 --> 00:20:53,585 on a mass killing spree in a white neighborhood, 551 00:20:53,618 --> 00:20:56,288 not a (bleep) would a police officer go on TV and say, 552 00:20:56,321 --> 00:20:58,089 "well, he was kind of at the end of his rope, 553 00:20:58,123 --> 00:20:59,624 and-and this is what they did." 554 00:20:59,658 --> 00:21:02,127 They barely have patience for black protesters 555 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:04,162 who are not killing anybody. 556 00:21:04,195 --> 00:21:08,199 And the frustrating thing is, that it did not have to happen. 557 00:21:08,233 --> 00:21:10,335 It does not have to happen. 558 00:21:10,368 --> 00:21:12,003 From the top to the bottom, the politicians 559 00:21:12,037 --> 00:21:14,005 who are gonna cry now and say, "Oh, we're so sorry," 560 00:21:14,039 --> 00:21:15,540 yeah, but when it's happening. 561 00:21:15,574 --> 00:21:18,009 When politicians are out there saying, "Kung Flu," 562 00:21:18,043 --> 00:21:20,478 and all of this, what are we doing then? 563 00:21:22,647 --> 00:21:24,983 We can all do something to try and fight against this. 564 00:21:25,016 --> 00:21:27,018 We can't stop every evil person. Please, I'm not saying that. 565 00:21:27,052 --> 00:21:28,186 Oh, somebody's gonna be like, 566 00:21:28,220 --> 00:21:29,487 "Oh, there's always gonna be evil." 567 00:21:29,521 --> 00:21:30,722 Yeah, but you know what we can try and do 568 00:21:30,755 --> 00:21:32,157 is create an environment 569 00:21:32,190 --> 00:21:34,526 where we're not letting specific people be targeted 570 00:21:34,559 --> 00:21:36,561 because of the color of their skin. 571 00:21:37,796 --> 00:21:40,732 In this instance, find an anti-hate organization. 572 00:21:40,765 --> 00:21:42,200 Try and work with them. 573 00:21:42,234 --> 00:21:43,768 Reach out to people who need support. 574 00:21:43,802 --> 00:21:45,904 Donate your money, donate your time, whatever you can, 575 00:21:45,937 --> 00:21:47,639 but do something. 576 00:21:47,672 --> 00:21:49,774 And most importantly, 577 00:21:49,808 --> 00:21:53,178 let's try to (bleep) pay attention 578 00:21:53,211 --> 00:21:56,181 so that it doesn't happen again. 579 00:21:56,214 --> 00:21:59,751 Because the truth is, we could see this coming. 580 00:22:00,752 --> 00:22:00,819 We'll be right back. 581 00:22:03,688 --> 00:22:05,623 Welcome back to The Daily Social Distancing Show. 582 00:22:05,656 --> 00:22:08,459 Earlier today, I spoke with Tony, Emmy 583 00:22:08,493 --> 00:22:12,663 and Grammy-winning actor and singer Cynthia Erivo. 584 00:22:12,697 --> 00:22:15,400 We talked about what it was like portraying Aretha Franklin 585 00:22:15,433 --> 00:22:17,835 in her upcoming anthology series 586 00:22:17,869 --> 00:22:21,239 and how she's been keeping busy during this pandemic. 587 00:22:21,272 --> 00:22:25,676 ? They don't know that I would leave you if I could ? 588 00:22:28,713 --> 00:22:31,883 ? I guess I'm uptight ? 589 00:22:31,916 --> 00:22:35,153 ? And I'm stuck like glue ? 590 00:22:35,186 --> 00:22:37,822 ? 'Cause I ain't never ? 591 00:22:37,855 --> 00:22:39,857 ? I ain't never ? 592 00:22:39,891 --> 00:22:42,860 ? I ain't never, no, no ? 593 00:22:42,894 --> 00:22:44,562 ? Loved a man ? 594 00:22:44,595 --> 00:22:46,998 ? The way that I ? 595 00:22:47,031 --> 00:22:50,401 ? I love you... ? 596 00:22:50,435 --> 00:22:54,205 Cynthia Erivo, welcome to The Daily Social Distancing Show. 597 00:22:54,238 --> 00:22:56,074 Thank you. (laughs) 598 00:22:56,107 --> 00:22:59,877 Um, of all the human beings I encounter in my life, 599 00:22:59,911 --> 00:23:04,916 you are one who I am not eager to see again, 600 00:23:04,949 --> 00:23:07,752 because every time I see you, 601 00:23:07,785 --> 00:23:09,387 you've achieved yet another thing. 602 00:23:09,420 --> 00:23:10,722 And so it puts the pressure on me 603 00:23:10,755 --> 00:23:12,190 to have a thing to talk about. 604 00:23:12,223 --> 00:23:13,691 Like, before this interview, I was like, 605 00:23:13,725 --> 00:23:15,727 maybe I should have a child just so that when I talk to you, 606 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:17,161 I go, "Oh, Cynthia what's happened 607 00:23:17,195 --> 00:23:18,663 since the last time we spoke?" 608 00:23:18,696 --> 00:23:21,032 And then you go, "Well, Trevor, I won a Grammy." 609 00:23:21,065 --> 00:23:23,401 And then I go, "Well, I have a child." 610 00:23:23,434 --> 00:23:25,737 But I have... I have nothing of the sort. 611 00:23:25,770 --> 00:23:27,705 So, um, congratulations on... 612 00:23:27,739 --> 00:23:31,542 You have an Emmy, you have a Grammy, you have a Tony. 613 00:23:31,576 --> 00:23:34,712 You are one short of being the youngest EGOT winner ever. 614 00:23:34,746 --> 00:23:36,080 Do you ever take a moment 615 00:23:36,114 --> 00:23:38,383 to look at your own life, and just go, "Wow"? 616 00:23:38,416 --> 00:23:39,951 I've been... I've been doing that 617 00:23:39,984 --> 00:23:42,019 over this time that we've had. 618 00:23:42,053 --> 00:23:43,888 Like, stopping and making sure 619 00:23:43,921 --> 00:23:47,258 that I, like, embrace what's happening in the moment. 620 00:23:47,291 --> 00:23:49,560 'Cause I've not been very good at that previously, 621 00:23:49,594 --> 00:23:51,929 but because things... because things happened so fast. 622 00:23:51,963 --> 00:23:54,732 Um, and I've sort of... 623 00:23:54,766 --> 00:23:58,036 Sometimes it's kind of, "What on earth and how did I get here, 624 00:23:58,069 --> 00:24:00,204 "and when did this happen, and was I awake for it all, 625 00:24:00,238 --> 00:24:01,939 and did I miss something?" 626 00:24:01,973 --> 00:24:04,709 That's how it feels a lot of the time, yeah. 627 00:24:04,742 --> 00:24:07,311 I remember watching you in The Color Purple. 628 00:24:07,345 --> 00:24:10,448 And I remember the whole time it was almost distracting, 629 00:24:10,481 --> 00:24:12,917 'cause I was like, "Who is this human being?" 630 00:24:12,950 --> 00:24:14,919 And everyone has said that about your singing, 631 00:24:14,952 --> 00:24:18,256 about your performances, about how much you put into it. 632 00:24:18,289 --> 00:24:20,258 We see you when you're on screen, we see you... 633 00:24:20,291 --> 00:24:21,993 I mean, now, you're playing 634 00:24:22,026 --> 00:24:25,296 Aretha Franklin in the new Nat Geo series Genius. 635 00:24:25,329 --> 00:24:28,966 And I mean again, you embody this person. 636 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:32,070 You embody her songs, you embody her work. 637 00:24:32,103 --> 00:24:36,541 Do you think that Aretha being such a big influence 638 00:24:36,574 --> 00:24:37,975 in your life is a big reason 639 00:24:38,009 --> 00:24:40,044 that you play her the way that you do? 640 00:24:40,078 --> 00:24:41,979 I think so. Yeah, for sure. 641 00:24:42,013 --> 00:24:44,749 I think that she's so singular. 642 00:24:44,782 --> 00:24:46,017 There was so... there was something 643 00:24:46,050 --> 00:24:48,586 so very individual about her. 644 00:24:48,619 --> 00:24:53,257 And that sounds so... plain to say, 645 00:24:53,291 --> 00:24:55,860 but-but there aren't very many people 646 00:24:55,893 --> 00:24:57,562 who you are like, "That's her." 647 00:24:57,595 --> 00:24:59,697 -There's no one else like her. -Ah, yes. 648 00:24:59,731 --> 00:25:02,033 When you hear her voice, "Must be her." 649 00:25:02,066 --> 00:25:03,568 You... There's something she'll do. 650 00:25:03,601 --> 00:25:04,902 The way she'll-she'll take a breath 651 00:25:04,936 --> 00:25:06,237 before she sings the next note. 652 00:25:06,270 --> 00:25:07,472 That's an Aretha thing. 653 00:25:07,505 --> 00:25:08,806 And then, when we were learning music, 654 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:11,843 more and more as I learned, um, songs, 655 00:25:11,876 --> 00:25:14,512 the thing that she would always do is just whenever... 656 00:25:14,545 --> 00:25:15,947 Whenever she was performing live, 657 00:25:15,980 --> 00:25:18,049 she would just sing whatever she felt like singing, 658 00:25:18,082 --> 00:25:19,417 -however she felt like singing. -Wow. 659 00:25:19,450 --> 00:25:21,519 There's melody, and then there's how Aretha sings it. 660 00:25:21,552 --> 00:25:23,254 -That's what happened. -Wow. 661 00:25:23,287 --> 00:25:26,324 What I was learning when I was learning all her music is that. 662 00:25:26,357 --> 00:25:28,359 The... this is how Aretha sings it. 663 00:25:28,393 --> 00:25:31,396 You know, you hear, uh, "Border Song," 664 00:25:31,429 --> 00:25:33,197 which is originally by Elton John, and you think, 665 00:25:33,231 --> 00:25:35,166 well, Aretha doesn't sing like that. 666 00:25:35,199 --> 00:25:37,535 And when Aretha sings it, it's a completely different song. 667 00:25:37,568 --> 00:25:40,905 -Yes. Yes. -It's the power she has. 668 00:25:40,938 --> 00:25:44,575 It's the idea that she has this really wonderful ability 669 00:25:44,609 --> 00:25:49,113 to... to communicate a feeling and an emotion 670 00:25:49,147 --> 00:25:51,816 through a song, and she... it's like speaking to people. 671 00:25:51,849 --> 00:25:53,484 It's like a language that she speaks, 672 00:25:53,518 --> 00:25:55,553 and that's something that, for me, 673 00:25:55,586 --> 00:25:58,389 has really influenced how I perform, what I... 674 00:25:58,423 --> 00:26:00,525 what I sing when I choose to sing, 675 00:26:00,558 --> 00:26:02,727 -how I sing... -Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. 676 00:26:02,760 --> 00:26:05,530 Because it really is about, first and foremost, 677 00:26:05,563 --> 00:26:08,032 communication, Trevor, you know? 678 00:26:08,066 --> 00:26:10,401 And-and... just... 679 00:26:10,435 --> 00:26:13,671 you know, she was also afraid of being imperfect when she sang. 680 00:26:13,705 --> 00:26:15,273 -Right. -There were times she'd fall off a riff, 681 00:26:15,306 --> 00:26:17,475 and it wasn't... but it still was 682 00:26:17,508 --> 00:26:20,945 the perfect thing to have done in that moment, you know? 683 00:26:20,978 --> 00:26:22,947 See, that just... And I've been listening to her 684 00:26:22,980 --> 00:26:24,882 for such a long time that I have... 685 00:26:24,916 --> 00:26:27,318 like it's imprinted on my... like, in my head. 686 00:26:27,351 --> 00:26:29,087 It... Yeah. 687 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:30,388 (audio breaks up) 688 00:26:30,421 --> 00:26:31,556 I feel it. 689 00:26:31,589 --> 00:26:33,291 I'd love to know, when you're singing Aretha, 690 00:26:33,324 --> 00:26:35,326 because you-you... you're one of those people 691 00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:37,228 where you have that talent where I know what you sound like 692 00:26:37,261 --> 00:26:39,263 when you sing, but then you can sing like other people 693 00:26:39,297 --> 00:26:41,199 when they sing, and so, I mean, that for me is, 694 00:26:41,232 --> 00:26:42,533 like, an insane talent. 695 00:26:42,567 --> 00:26:44,602 I mean, singing was already, like, the hardest thing to do. 696 00:26:44,635 --> 00:26:47,638 But then you can sing like another good person can sing. 697 00:26:47,672 --> 00:26:48,973 'Cause I can sing like my uncle can sing, 698 00:26:49,006 --> 00:26:50,408 but that's not an achievement. 699 00:26:50,441 --> 00:26:53,244 You can sing like Aretha Franklin can sing. 700 00:26:53,277 --> 00:26:56,414 I'd love to know, like, in a technical sense, 701 00:26:56,447 --> 00:26:59,016 -Yeah. -what are you doing when you're doing that? 702 00:26:59,050 --> 00:27:02,987 Like, how hard is it to sing like another singer, 703 00:27:03,021 --> 00:27:05,690 and are you trying to completely mimic Aretha, 704 00:27:05,723 --> 00:27:07,892 or are you trying to bring something that is different 705 00:27:07,925 --> 00:27:09,560 to Aretha singing in that moment? 706 00:27:09,594 --> 00:27:11,696 Like, I'd love to know what you're trying to do 707 00:27:11,729 --> 00:27:12,997 when you are portraying Aretha 708 00:27:13,031 --> 00:27:14,365 and when you're singing the songs, 709 00:27:14,399 --> 00:27:16,300 -'cause you are singing them. -Yeah, so, um, 710 00:27:16,334 --> 00:27:18,336 I have an amazing vocal coach with me. 711 00:27:18,369 --> 00:27:21,572 Her name's Antea Birchette. Antea Joy Birchette. 712 00:27:21,606 --> 00:27:23,608 And we would sit and listen to each song, 713 00:27:23,641 --> 00:27:26,344 about an hour, an hour or two, and just break it down... 714 00:27:26,377 --> 00:27:27,678 -(sings quietly) -Wow! 715 00:27:27,712 --> 00:27:31,182 Um, so that you would hear all of the choices she was making. 716 00:27:31,215 --> 00:27:33,151 Um, I'll pick a song. 717 00:27:33,184 --> 00:27:36,387 Uh, when we would do... Okay, I'll pick "Border Song," 718 00:27:36,421 --> 00:27:37,789 'cause it's an easy one. 719 00:27:37,822 --> 00:27:39,123 Um... 720 00:27:39,157 --> 00:27:42,326 The-the basic, uh, melody is... 721 00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:46,064 ? Holy Moses, I have been deceived ? 722 00:27:46,097 --> 00:27:50,401 ? I've seen the spectre, he has been here, too. ? 723 00:27:50,435 --> 00:27:54,472 She does... ? Holy Moses ? 724 00:27:54,505 --> 00:27:56,908 ? I have been removed ? 725 00:27:56,941 --> 00:27:59,911 ? I've seen the spectre ? 726 00:27:59,944 --> 00:28:03,081 ? He has been here, too ? 727 00:28:03,114 --> 00:28:05,750 ? Distant cousin from down the line ? 728 00:28:05,783 --> 00:28:09,987 ? Brand of people who ain't my kind ? 729 00:28:10,021 --> 00:28:12,357 ? Holy Moses ? 730 00:28:12,390 --> 00:28:16,327 ? I have been removed. ? 731 00:28:16,361 --> 00:28:18,429 It's-it's, uh... it's the space... 732 00:28:18,463 --> 00:28:19,697 So you're just gonna carry on 733 00:28:19,731 --> 00:28:21,866 talking like you didn't do that right now? 734 00:28:21,899 --> 00:28:23,901 You're just gonna, like, you're just gonna go from that, 735 00:28:23,935 --> 00:28:25,837 and then you're gonna start a sentence 736 00:28:25,870 --> 00:28:27,972 as if you didn't just do that right now. 737 00:28:28,005 --> 00:28:29,474 (laughs) 738 00:28:29,507 --> 00:28:31,309 You know, I used to read books as a kid 739 00:28:31,342 --> 00:28:33,344 about, like, how sailors would crash into the rocks 740 00:28:33,378 --> 00:28:35,113 listening to sirens, and I was like, 741 00:28:35,146 --> 00:28:37,014 "These people were really not focused in life." 742 00:28:37,048 --> 00:28:38,750 I understand it when I listen to you sing. 743 00:28:38,783 --> 00:28:40,351 And I genuinely mean that. 744 00:28:40,385 --> 00:28:43,888 You-you play her as a complete human being, 745 00:28:43,921 --> 00:28:45,456 because that's what Aretha was. 746 00:28:45,490 --> 00:28:47,191 You know, we know Aretha as a singer. 747 00:28:47,225 --> 00:28:48,626 We know her as a performer. 748 00:28:48,659 --> 00:28:50,762 What we learn over time is, so many of these performers 749 00:28:50,795 --> 00:28:52,897 were dealing with so many demons. 750 00:28:52,930 --> 00:28:54,565 You know, whether it be domestic abuse, 751 00:28:54,599 --> 00:28:56,567 whether it be a relationship with her father 752 00:28:56,601 --> 00:28:58,736 where she was constantly trying to escape. 753 00:28:58,770 --> 00:29:02,774 You are on a path that many of these superstars 754 00:29:02,807 --> 00:29:04,275 have been on before. 755 00:29:04,308 --> 00:29:06,010 I would love to know, as Cynthia, 756 00:29:06,044 --> 00:29:08,379 how do you maintain, like, your mental health? 757 00:29:08,413 --> 00:29:10,248 Like, how do you keep yourself healthy and, like, 758 00:29:10,281 --> 00:29:12,250 not bogged down by all the pressures 759 00:29:12,283 --> 00:29:13,785 that your success sort of creates? 760 00:29:13,818 --> 00:29:15,553 I mean, you have a children's book. 761 00:29:15,586 --> 00:29:18,156 You know, you have... you have this series. 762 00:29:18,189 --> 00:29:21,392 You have movies. You have an album that's coming out. 763 00:29:21,426 --> 00:29:24,896 You are in that vein, even though you're portraying them. 764 00:29:24,929 --> 00:29:28,399 A) Do you ever worry about how so many of these great artists 765 00:29:28,433 --> 00:29:31,235 get burdened by this world and then leave us too soon? 766 00:29:31,269 --> 00:29:33,971 And B) What do you do as Cynthia to just give yourself 767 00:29:34,005 --> 00:29:36,741 an opportunity to not worry about it and enjoy it? 768 00:29:36,774 --> 00:29:39,010 Yeah, I-I... 769 00:29:39,043 --> 00:29:44,082 I think I've spent so long watching some of our great be... 770 00:29:44,115 --> 00:29:46,617 (sighs) running away from things that have hurt them, 771 00:29:46,651 --> 00:29:49,620 not really having the dialogue, not really having the language 772 00:29:49,654 --> 00:29:51,889 to express what they're feeling, 773 00:29:51,923 --> 00:29:56,194 and also, in that community, we don't talk about getting help, 774 00:29:56,227 --> 00:29:58,830 -having therapy enough. -Right. 775 00:29:58,863 --> 00:30:01,099 And I'm lucky that I'm part of a time 776 00:30:01,132 --> 00:30:03,601 that is starting to really discuss what it looks like 777 00:30:03,634 --> 00:30:05,903 for someone like me to reach out and get... 778 00:30:05,937 --> 00:30:06,938 and go and get some help. 779 00:30:06,971 --> 00:30:09,207 So I do have therapy. I do. 780 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:11,976 Um, and it's wonderful. 781 00:30:12,009 --> 00:30:13,544 Because it means I can... 782 00:30:13,578 --> 00:30:15,213 when I can't process something myself, 783 00:30:15,246 --> 00:30:16,981 I'm able to go and speak to someone 784 00:30:17,014 --> 00:30:19,584 -Right. Yeah. -and talk it out and figure something out. 785 00:30:19,617 --> 00:30:22,220 And at the same time, I also... 786 00:30:22,253 --> 00:30:24,889 I can sometimes be really hard on myself, 787 00:30:24,922 --> 00:30:26,257 very hard on myself. 788 00:30:26,290 --> 00:30:27,992 If something doesn't quite go right, 789 00:30:28,026 --> 00:30:31,963 or, uh, I'm like, "Oh, I should have done that instead," 790 00:30:31,996 --> 00:30:34,265 or if I feel like-- not everyone is going to like 791 00:30:34,298 --> 00:30:37,969 the things that you do, and so you're always on a path 792 00:30:38,002 --> 00:30:40,538 -to try and please everyone with what you do. -Right. 793 00:30:40,571 --> 00:30:42,507 There is a part of me that is starting to learn 794 00:30:42,540 --> 00:30:44,609 that you cannot do that, it's impossible, 795 00:30:44,642 --> 00:30:46,677 and if you did, you would be very boring. 796 00:30:46,711 --> 00:30:49,647 So it's okay to not please everyone, 797 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:52,050 as long as when you... on your... 798 00:30:52,083 --> 00:30:54,485 on your path to creating something, 799 00:30:54,519 --> 00:30:56,888 the thing that you're searching for is truth, 800 00:30:56,921 --> 00:30:59,757 and the thing that... is honesty. 801 00:30:59,791 --> 00:31:02,727 And your honesty and your truth might not be someone else's, 802 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:04,996 it might not be in alignment 803 00:31:05,029 --> 00:31:07,365 with what someone else believes is true. 804 00:31:07,398 --> 00:31:10,768 But if comes from a place of, um, 805 00:31:10,802 --> 00:31:14,338 kindness and love, you're... you're okay. 806 00:31:14,372 --> 00:31:17,075 And I think there's a knowledge in... 807 00:31:17,108 --> 00:31:20,244 that I have to, well, I've told myself, 808 00:31:20,278 --> 00:31:24,682 that, uh, when good things happen, I'm deserving. 809 00:31:24,716 --> 00:31:27,385 You know? Sometimes we talk ourselves out of the good things 810 00:31:27,418 --> 00:31:30,321 that-that come our way, and we make excuses 811 00:31:30,355 --> 00:31:33,458 to, "Well, you know, I don't really deserve this, 812 00:31:33,491 --> 00:31:35,193 "and I'm not as good as that person, 813 00:31:35,226 --> 00:31:36,761 maybe it should have gone to..." 814 00:31:36,794 --> 00:31:39,697 Well, no, it came to you, so thank the universe, 815 00:31:39,731 --> 00:31:42,367 thank God, thank whatever you believe in 816 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:44,135 for the things that come your way, 817 00:31:44,168 --> 00:31:47,772 and wish abundance on yourself and-and everyone else. 818 00:31:47,805 --> 00:31:50,508 It might actually... (audio breaks up) 819 00:31:50,541 --> 00:31:52,343 And deserving, you are indeed. 820 00:31:52,377 --> 00:31:54,912 -Thank you. -Uh, I hope to keep having conversations with you 821 00:31:54,946 --> 00:31:56,414 over the years. 822 00:31:56,447 --> 00:31:59,083 You keep stacking up the awards, and I'll stack up children, 823 00:31:59,117 --> 00:32:00,485 just to keep up with you. 824 00:32:00,518 --> 00:32:04,088 I'm gonna call my children Grammy, Oscar, Tony and Emmy, 825 00:32:04,122 --> 00:32:07,191 Just to be like, "Ah, yes, these are my EGOTS. 826 00:32:07,225 --> 00:32:08,860 You've got trophies." 827 00:32:08,893 --> 00:32:11,396 Cynthia Erivo, thank you so much for joining me on the show, 828 00:32:11,429 --> 00:32:13,064 and congratulations on all of your success. 829 00:32:13,097 --> 00:32:15,233 Thank you. 830 00:32:15,266 --> 00:32:19,170 Genius: Aretha will premiere March 21 on National Geographic. 831 00:32:19,203 --> 00:32:21,105 All right, we're gonna take a quick break, 832 00:32:21,139 --> 00:32:21,205 but we'll be right back after this. 833 00:32:24,074 --> 00:32:25,942 Well, that's our show for tonight, but before we go, 834 00:32:25,976 --> 00:32:28,712 it is Women's History Month, so please consider supporting 835 00:32:28,745 --> 00:32:31,815 Black Girls Code, an organization dedicated 836 00:32:31,848 --> 00:32:35,419 to leveling the playing field for girls of color in STEM. 837 00:32:35,452 --> 00:32:37,220 By supporting Black Girls Code, 838 00:32:37,254 --> 00:32:40,190 you're helping empower young girls to use technology 839 00:32:40,223 --> 00:32:42,526 to change their lives, and all of our lives, 840 00:32:42,559 --> 00:32:43,560 for the better. 841 00:32:43,593 --> 00:32:45,896 If you can help out, then go to the link below 842 00:32:45,929 --> 00:32:47,898 and please donate whatever you can. 843 00:32:47,931 --> 00:32:50,100 Until tomorrow, stay safe out there, 844 00:32:50,133 --> 00:32:52,302 wear a mask, and remember, 845 00:32:52,335 --> 00:32:55,205 if you hear a big explosion coming from somebody's Zoom, 846 00:32:55,238 --> 00:32:57,908 that shit is fake-- they're probably fine. 847 00:32:57,941 --> 00:33:00,677 Now, here it is, Your Moment of Zen. 848 00:33:00,710 --> 00:33:03,647 -Top of the mornin' to you. -Top of the mornin' to ya! 849 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:04,714 (Irish accent): We've got more weather, 850 00:33:04,748 --> 00:33:06,483 and then after that, some news. 851 00:33:06,516 --> 00:33:08,118 Top of the mornin' to ya! 852 00:33:08,151 --> 00:33:09,119 Top of the mornin' to ya. 853 00:33:09,152 --> 00:33:10,454 Just a wee bit there, laddie. 854 00:33:10,487 --> 00:33:12,656 (Irish accent): Blizzard conditions back through... 855 00:33:12,689 --> 00:33:14,424 (Irish accent): Why won't he shut up? 856 00:33:14,458 --> 00:33:16,426 -Top of the mornin' to ya. -Oh. 857 00:33:16,460 --> 00:33:19,196 -I didn't know you spoke Irish. -I speak leprechaun. 858 00:33:19,229 --> 00:33:21,364 Thank you very much, Ashley O'Sutton. 859 00:33:21,398 --> 00:33:23,700 And we'll be seeing you at 11:00. 860 00:33:23,733 --> 00:33:26,169 Join in with the Irish dance we got going with ya. 861 00:33:26,203 --> 00:33:28,205 This afternoon, some clouds around. 862 00:33:28,238 --> 00:33:28,305 Now, what about the commute this mornin'.