Club Random with Bill Maher - Nicole Avant | Club Random with Bill Maher

Episode Date: November 30, 2023

Nicole’s amazing new book “Think You’ll Be Happy” is the last thing her Mom texted her before she was killed, the danger of home invasions in L.A., moving through grief with grace, victim culture, baseball players who broke the color barrier, violence against teachers, how Obama and Jackie Robinson never took the bait from racists, the cops who helped the night of her mother’s murder, and the glory of living in America.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do not forget, you know, Jesse Owens ran in front of Hitler. Yes. I think he had every reason in that moment to say, I'm out. And it's important you know I'm an ally. I like to look you like an ally. But I bless my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my, my You can see it's such a professionally run operation here. Hello. I'm sorry I didn't see you. Joining me.

I brought you a sign book. She can have it. Yeah, thank you. It's quite a ptohms. Thank you. Yeah, boy. A lot. If I scotted in there.

You're a good writer. Thank you. Is that the first time you ever really tried to write something like like like a yeah, kind of yes. Yeah. I mean, I liked writing when I was growing up and I did, you know, short essays and things like that. But I had so many topics I wanted to write about and I thought, oh, this now, it gives me the answer of what I was been trying to write. Yeah, it's funny because it's deep, but the cover and the title, if I just saw this in a store,

I would think it's, oh, that's stupid. Because flowers and thinking be happy. I would just be like, oh, okay. Okay, I get it. The secret part too, just if I think about puppies and ice cream, everything and then they'll come to me.

Oh no, I'm not gonna come. But, yeah, you fooled them, it's great. Yeah. So, Yeah. Well, I know you have had an emotional roller coaster, like nobody's business. Yeah, it's been an interesting,

it'll be two years next month. Back home to, yeah, my mom. That your mother? It's two years, can you believe that? Remember it was Christmas time. Yeah, right, for Christmas. But your mother? It's two years, can you believe me? Remember it was Christmas time. Yeah, right, for Christmas. Right. Right, beginning in December.

And not too far from here. It's funny when I was walking through your, I was walking through your garden, I was thinking, oh my gosh, I need the kids who live next door when we used to go to the top. Yeah, I mean, people don't know your mother. How old was she? 81.

81. Okay, I lived in this very toning neighborhood. And there's a lot of home invasions. Such a sweet term. It's almost like your book. It's got to the home and you know, but it's not a good thing. No. And that's what happened to her. Some guy killed her in her own home. Yeah. Yeah, she was in the... And the little surprise to know that these neighborhoods, well, because it's where the fucking money is.

Ex-you know, or what it will say. Where the fuck are you going? Where the money is. Exactly. And I think people were surprised, or at least they told me afterwards, oh my gosh, things have been happening in Beverly Hills in Brutmouth and the Palisades, you know, and people felt badly that they weren't really letting neighbors know everyone didn't want, and you

know, you don't want to hurt things, but it's like, what do you mean you don't want to hurt things? You should warden people around you. You're just like a scandal? Yeah, you're not homing me. Exactly. I want to say, you know. You're home got rights. We don't, and it's a 19th century. When we're rape, we shut up about it. You know, we don't tell any what. It's a dishonor to the family.

And you don't allow them to marry my brother. Yeah, there are rules. No, there were no rules. I know. It's all, now, you know, look, I always try to find, I always try to transmute. I shouldn't say I try to find the good thing, but I always do try, I don't want to sit in darkness and I don't want to sit in the neighborhood. I can't. I'm like, I'm not, you know, what I had to decide, but I was like, I'm not going to suffer to be

sane. I'm not suffering for my sanity. That I'm not doing. So that I had to decide not gonna suffer to be seen. I'm not suffering for my sanity. That I'm not doing. So that I had to decide very, very early on. And then I thought, okay, I can talk about her, I can celebrate her, I can talk about everything that everyone asks me about her anyway. And so much of life, I think, is the conscious decision

that people make. How to handle anything, anything, anything. It is a conscious decision. It's a conscious decision. It's a very conscious decision to be a victim. Yes. Or not to be. 100%.

And people don't like to hear that. People don't want to think that they have a choice. They have a decision. And that's why everything is a choice, they have a decision, and that's why everything is a choice and everything is a decision. And the only thing I can rule is my atmosphere, which is my consciousness, and my heart is no one I can do. So if I have been given that power, then I'm going to use it.

Did you just see this video, Harvey Levin sent it to me, but I know other people saw it of this woman pulled over by a cop who goes through every single possible victim category. Oh, God. And you have got to pull this up. It's too fucking funny. First of all, she's driving against traffic. She's driving on the wrong side of the street, facing traffic.

But it's everybody else in the office. Like in a Jason Bourne movie, when he does it on purpose to get away. And so the cop could not be nicer. I know there are asshole cops out there, but somebody should make everybody watch this. There are also cops like this. Right. Because this guy is so sweet to this moron, who is driving in the wrong way.

And she's like, immediately, I'm non-binary, you know, he says, you get out of the car. Oh yeah, I'm telling you, she pulls out, she's native American. She's just like, she's triggered by white people. She's, you know, tre- so he, you know, and then she's going through all these, you know, and he's saying, like, you know, ma'am, I'm triggered. I'm told I'm not buying it.

Yeah, I'm calling ma'am. Yeah. And, you know, he finally says, look, I smell alcohol on you because she was driving on the wrong side. So then when he has to like, cough her, she of course goes mental and all the, but it's just such a perfect epitome of a lot of this culture and I hate to always pin it

on the kids, but it is the kids, sorry, it's the truth. But they just embrace this victimhood and they're just unashamed to like pull them all out whether they fit or not. 100%. And it's the opposite. I remember once you said on your show to somebody, I forget who you had on it, but you said,

I would not be sitting here right now if I spoke to my parents the way that the kids are speaking. Oh, yeah, I would I wouldn't be sitting here I'd be dead too. I mean oh you can my mom heard that in Bristol Farms She was at Bristol Farms years ago, and she said I knew that society was gonna change a good downward When this five-year-old started screaming at her mom Saying you know FU screw you, I hate you. And the mom turned around instead of giving her my mom would have yanked me and just walked out of the place.

She said, I'm so sorry. Please don't yell at me. Why are you mad at me? And this is, I know. No, that's, I don't want to be raised. And they want to be, you have to have authority in the home. It's bad for both. It's terrible for the kids, because the kids do need discipline.

100%. And boundaries, they're fucking children. They're children. They're not just small adults. Right. So it's bad for them. And of course, it's horrible for the parents themselves. They put themselves in this fucking prison, where they're at the back end call of their

children, and they're always like apologizing to them. And they're at the back end call of their children and they're always like apologizing to them and they're like afraid of them. They're like pussy whip by their children. So it's terrible for an equal terrible for society. It's bad for society. And bad men lose, lose, lose. 100 percent. And people laugh at having decency and really decency is having good manners. Where do good manners, please, thank you. Hold the door, look at somebody. I mean, that's gone too,

but people want a really great functioning society but also want to behave in the rudest unkind way that you don't get both. It just doesn't happen. Well, you also have to make kids understand that they're kids. That of course they're natural inclination to say, why can you do this?

And I can't. And you just say, yeah, I think I remember as a kid not quite understanding that rationale because it went against my whole raise on Jettra which is to do whatever the adults are doing. But I accepted it because it was always consistently put out there. You'll see. And I just, and you kind of get it that, yeah, of course I'm not James Bond.

I want to be, but yes, you're right, I'm 12. I can't do that. It's funny. You said about you in the wherever you were, the store. I remember this girl I knew once told me, she said, the difference between my parents, black parents and white parents is the white parents, like when you we get home, well I'm gonna, and the black parents said,

we'll hit you wherever it is. In front of anybody, wherever it happens. The serial title does not matter. And it's so much of a better. Well, it's you where everybody. In front of anybody. Wherever it happens. Like the cereal aisle does not matter. And it's so much of a better way to do it. It's like a dog. When the dog shits on the rug, everybody who trains dogs will tell you, you can't put his nose in in five minutes later. No, you have to get in the moment.

He does not know what you're talking about. He's like, why are you so mad at me? I don't know. Yeah. And you have to do, and it's the same with the children, because they're very much like dogs. They're stupid, and they just have to be trained at the moment.

In the moment, I remember, it's right now, in Beverly Hills, when it was thrifties, when I was growing up. And my mom, we all had truth or dare, it was 10 years old, it was basically a dare, was even truth. It was who, all the boys and all the girls decided what they're gonna steal,

what candy they could steal, and how they can get in our backpacks and not get caught. All the boys took the things, all the girls, we ran back and we put everything back to the store, and it's like, I couldn't do it, my conscience, I couldn't do it. Put my mom, all the mothers were waiting in the car. The manager of ThriftDs came out

and told everybody what was happening, and to your point, my mom, I swear, I put it down. I don't have anything in my backpack. She was opening up. I go, mom, I swear to God, I don't have anything. She was opening it right now. And she had these beautiful bangles. And I can hear them now because she smacked me in the back of my hand.

Open the backpack right now. And I go, why are you hitting me in front of everybody? She said, because I'm your mother. And I'm going to teach you right now that if you don't stop right now, you are going? She said, because I'm your mother. And I'm gonna teach you right now that if you don't stop right now, you were gonna become a person that I did not raise. You don't get to steal. You're not a thief.

So you're gonna stop it right now. And I remember it like it was yesterday and thanked her for it forever because I thought, thank you. I mean, I never did anything like that again. Every time she and her friends were the same. White and black at that time. If I acted up at their house,

they didn't wait for Jackie to get there. Right. You know, they'd sit down. Well, in the, in the man, maybe not the pilot, but the first days in Mad Men, I knew I loved this show because they portrayed, this is the 60s, where I was growing up. They, in such a funny way. They did it.

Portrayed the idea that, what's in just your parents, who could hit a child? Oh no. It was any adult at the barbecue. Could you, the kid is acting up. 100 men. And the neighbor swatched it right in the face. And the father comes over.

And you know, he's just like thanks Ted That was a that was a nice spot you gave because it was like it takes a village Yeah, you know it takes a worthy adults and then the kids were the adults and of course of course you had to have a whole Different society for that to happen where people trust in each other and thought your neighbors are good people whereas now You might think oh my god, did the neighbors vote for Trump? I wouldn't let the kid talk. The parent talked to my kid, let alone hit him. And that's a terrible problem.

That's a terrible problem. Yeah, and it's not us. I don't think it's really, you know, I think it's the worst part of America. I think that if you can't have people talking uh... you disagree and we all of our neighbors by the way everyone was always republican and i didn't matter always banging that drum and you know the the usual suspects the assholes who you and i both yeah

they're always up my ass like i had ten crews on the as i watched it was great oh thank oh did you get you for that of course Well from the people you would expect it from you know There is idiots who if you if I have a Republican on their mad if they don't walk out When I introduce them and I don't immediately punch them in the nose. That's the only way acceptable way I would want that if I went on to Fox. I wouldn't want that anywhere Why you have to be civil with each other and have different opinions. And it's half the country and they're not going anywhere. No one's going anywhere.

They're not, they're not, they're not even fucking idiot celebrities who always threaten. If there were public and wins, nobody ever did shut the fuck up. We know this. But no, celebrities do that. They do, especially on the left. They threaten to leave the country all the time if the Republican wins. I don't know anyone who ever went through with it.

And that was a smart redecision there, I think, because you probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as your cushy life here in America. And we're not, nobody's going anywhere, like you said. We're nobody is self-deporting. So you're going to have to learn to talk to these people, especially since they may very well take over again. And then,

and then what? And then you're just, now you're someone who won't talk to them and you have no power. But that's not, you know, people are in the positions they're in to do the work and they are in positions to negotiate every day. They're in positions to sometimes compromise.

A lot of the time. The life is compromising. Come on, who agrees on everything? Oh, poor. I don't agree with my husband or no one does. Nobody does. Nobody agrees. So I don't understand.

They get inside of a relationship. Right. They get that. But they can't. And it's the same way, but people are hurting because people do not want to speak to each other. So when your citizens pay you to do a job, you have to get there and do your job, and talk to each other, and try to make a deal,

and try to figure something out. But the idea of, we can't speak to each other. I've never, I can't even imagine not talking to someone because of their political influence. I just, you know, it's not like everyone's treating everybody as if they're a terrorist group. And that's the problem. That's the whole nothing.

Well, everyone's treating each side treats the other one like they're in their, both their favorite phrases and existential threat. Yes. And the problem is that Trump is an egg. It's not like it's wrong. Trump is an existential threat. I mean, the idea that they don't believe that party,

that whole party, doesn't really believe in democracy anymore. They really only believe in elections count if we win, but only if we win. That's not sustainable. leave in elections count if we win, but only if we win. That's not sustainable. But I also see how they think a lot of the social madness on the left, this stuff you're talking about, we were just talking about with,

sure it's fine to say fuck you, mommy. They see that as a left thing, which I think it mostly is. It's a lot closer to home than democracy is. And they're not political thinkers to begin with most people. So they see that as an existential threat. I get that. I mean, I think the one is still far more dangerous than the other because once you do lose democracy, you don't really get it back.

You don't get it back. And I think that people even said to me, there's a thing I written about in the book where I stopped this woman, you know, I stopped this man from harassing this woman. She was an elderly woman and everyone said, I can't believe you did that. You know, he's unhoused. I kept saying, home with it. It's like, you don't say that. You say, on how? use I kept saying, homophobic, you know, say that, you say on how to use this. The way, whoa, whoa, whoa. There was a woman who was being threatened and she was in danger. I saw five guys with their airworn cups, walking with their skinny jeans,

and they saw the same thing I did and they didn't stop. So I thought, okay, well, there's something happening that's not right. So I went, but everyone was mad at me only because or everyone I told only because, well, I mean, it's not his fault that they only focused on he didn't have that he came out of a tent. I said, what does this have to do with anything?

There's something. This has to do with nothing. There's so stupid. It's ridiculous. There's so stupid. It's, and it's hypocritical. Women's rights and women's is. But here's a woman right here.

Again, this is everything always seen through the lens of who's the victim. You're right. Who's the oppressor? Right. It's all this bullshit. It's what the bullshit that's going on now with the Israel Hamas, moral equivalency nonsense. Like Israel is the bad guy simply because they have more money and less melanin. That's all it is with the Palestinians. I always say to these people who

go on, uh, live there for a week or try a day in Gaza or even the Palestinian territories of your woman. I guarantee you will run screaming and begging to live in Tel Aviv, which resembles where you live now, with the same values and freedoms. And that's the essence of it, but they're so shallow, they only see that color or homeless. Homeless is a marginal group. So you know, we have to treat them like an endangered species and protect them in their natural environment. The sidewalk. They're crazy.

It's not a good space to be in. I'll say that. I mean, I've grown up in Los Angeles on my life. And now it's across the country for sure, but especially looking at Los Angeles and looking at the disarray and no order. I'm thinking, what is going on? What is happening? But you're right. It's a consciousness, it's a narrative, and it's a victim of narratives. What did your father say?

He was, or he didn't even know what? He was all the kind of shit we're talking about. He didn't even understand anybody. He would say to me, you know, he lived 92 years, and I'll tell you, when he would, when he'd start reading or he'd listen to the news and eat here, young pundits, come on, and talking about, there's been no progress.

There's no progress. We're still fighting, and he's looking at me going, no progress, you're fucking welcome. You know, when I was writing my book, I said, Daddy, what would your book be called? It goes, you're fucking welcome. He said, how offensive was writing my book, I said, Daddy, what would your book be called? It goes, you're a fucking welcome. He said, how offensive to say to me and my friends and my group and my parents and the one before them

that there's been no progress. He said, I got my ass beat every day. I ran from the Ku Klang clan. Have you, you know, my dad said, I was told not to look up in the sky, in the sky, and a bird because I might see a friend or a family member hanging from like frickin' tree. Have you?

No. So his idea of, like they don't even, people don't realize just this us sitting here right now. This took a lot of work from a lot of people, 100 years ago, 60 years ago, 40 years ago, to make sure that we're here sitting in freedom, having a conversation.

Especially since I kissed you on the cheek, which I believe I know was a controversy. I hopefully I remember the names, but somebody did that in 1967. Okay, I was alive in 1967. So this is my lifetime. Exactly. I think it was maybe something like Harry Belafonte, Kissed Petula Clark, like they sang it duet together, like you could sing it duet together. I guess it still wasn't all that in Alabama, but I guess at the end of the song, you know,

a little peck on the cheek. And forget it. And you know, all the affiliates in the Southern States or something, I don't remember the exact repercussions, but it was a scandal. Yeah, of course. Okay, I mean, really? You know, and when these people, they say to me like, if I even talk about racial matters,

how could you know? It's like, no, I can't never know as well as you. Of course, no one person could ever know what it's like to walk in another person's shoes. But can I tell you how I think? I might have an inkling what's going on. I'm not blind. I'm not deaf.

I'm not dumb. I can read. I can talk to people, including other black people. I can watch TV and I can look at the internet. So this is my magic formula. For fighting this. How could you ever know? I can look at society around me. Yeah, let's just say stick with the commercials. Right. No, because it's intellect because you have intellect intellectual sympathy. You could figure it out through all those mediums and through living. It was living that long ago when black folks couldn't get in commercials. Right. And now they can't get out.

couldn't get in commercials. Right. And now they can't get out. Wow. Everybody kept telling him, I'm telling him, is there any white people in commercials? When even Biden commented on that? This is hysterical.

You remember that when Biden, like a couple years ago, as he was in his, like, rambling stage, you know, like, turn on the TV. And every commercial, you see,

it's an interracial couple. That's where it got. Leave the T on for three, four hours, you'll see every, it's like, the tea on for three, four hours. It's like, all right, and you're commenting, commenting on it. But I think he was making basically the same point. We're making. Let's face it, after a night of drinking, you don't bounce back the next day, like you used to. You have to make a choice. You can either have a great night or a great next day.

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All in the family, forget it. He said, why? This is my favorite show. And you know, it's funny. I had a friend come over from college. And we had, and this is when I knew that everything was getting a little wonky. My mom had a picture of Carol O'Connor

and my father up at the bar. They've been friends forever. I've known them since I was a kid. And my friend walked in and she goes, why would your dad take a picture with Archie Bunker? He's a racist. And I went, his name is Carol O'Connor. It's not a racist.

He's actually a very good friend. And it's a character and he's a bigot. And it's one of the greatest television shows that we've ever had. And it was, no, no, no, no. I mean, she really couldn't wrap her head around with it. And I said to her, fine, and this is the same group. I was just telling someone the other day,

we watched Birth of a Nation. I took a film class, we had to watch the movie. I watched it four times. This was 1991. Well, Birth of a Nation was 1915. Oh, yes, but I was watching the movie. yeah, yes, yes. It was one of the first Oh, I mean it's silent and it's vicious and racist at the White House and the Clans welcome men right let's let support the clan Birth of the nation is it is it's about this civil war?

I know the clan a birth of a nation maybe is right after yeah it's it's after and it's so it's celebrating oh like the like the end of reconstruction right and just I know it's horrible yeah but my point of bringing up was saying I don't even remember I remember watching and I remember the feelings and we had to write about it of course but there was I don't know six black people in the class. We watched the film and we all looked at each other like shit. Can you believe that? Right. Oh, but then we also said thank God. Thank God. I came later. Yes. More after. Yeah. Thank God. Now though, they don't want anyone seeing the movie. It's offensive. It triggers, it's important to see everything.

You have to watch these movies. You have, guess who's coming to dinner? I think it's a great example. I think it's a beautiful example. It is a beautiful movie. Of just, yeah. The mother is wanting, okay, fighting for love and the father is being protective, saying,

I'm not a racist, but I don't think this is gonna work. I don't think you're gonna be happy and I don't think you're gonna be safe. And that is okay to say, and not be called a racist. 1967, was that movie? Yep. Same year as the kids. Yeah, from a rebelophond.

Right, so that's, yeah. And they were, you know, for people who don't know or don't remember, they were a couple in San Francisco. So, I mean, but San Francisco, again, the liberalist place on Earth, right? And Spencer Tracy is a liberal. You know, it's perfect casting. You know, Catherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy,

they have such gravitas. Of course, this was the autumn of their careers. And, you know, they. And young Sydney, you know, so you can see it looking great and dapper and... But, you know, Kate and Spencer were lifelong lovers. Oh, yeah. Elicitly.

Yeah. Because he was married and Catholic. Yeah. And you couldn't get divorced. Right. So, they were basically with each other for something like 28 years, but on the slide. Right. I mean, that's the world we lived in.

That's right. So, when she's crying on camera, it's so real. You know, there's so much going on underneath the surface. Well underneath, right. And then of course, you said, the Poitiers is just impossibly gorgeous. Just everything. Everything about that movie is...

The daughter... Not the one trying to be mean. Don't be mean, don't be mean. Don't be mean. I don't remember. I don't remember working again. I'm not saying she was bad. I'm just saying like if we have these four leads, there's one that was not maybe quite as strong as Hepburn and Tracy and Portia. But look at the competition. But she, yeah. It's the tough role to film. It really is. I mean, but what a great classic film.

And I think every American, I think everybody should rewatch all the classic movies to understand our history, to understand us as moving forward in society. And to be able to say, you can't look at people, even if you don't know them who lived in that era and say there's no progress, it's just not true. It's just, and you can't run a society or build as a society or grow if you're just viewing lines all the time about everything and especially about history.

It's not okay. And it's coming from both sides and it's not cool. What do you think of Candace Owen? I think she has a brilliant voice and I tell every black conservative who is looking for a voice that they should listen to Candy. You know, I don't listen to her all the time, but what I have heard, I'm like, why? You listen to all these guys who don't even,

I think she's way better. Well, she sat there. Yeah. We had just such an amazing time. I'm sure. I mean, and of course, you know, we don't really. Oh, you get shit for that too. Of course, I get shit right.

I don't pay. I know, guess. But, you know, no, I mean. But good for you guys again, of course sitting down and having a conversation. And I bet you agreed on a lot more than you thought. Exactly. No, actually I knew because I've seen her stuff

that we would, and I even said to her, I said it's funny like what we have to do in this country is find a way to think about somebody who, just like her, somebody who I think is incredibly smart. And I'm just really amazing at what she does. And I can agree with you on ABC, D, and E, and I'm thinking, and I told her, I said, when I can agree with you on ABCD and E and I'm thinking and I told you I said when I when I do agree with you, we're not where there's nobody I'd rather see now somebody

been here. Right. You're you're just tickled my exact bone that I need. But ABCD and then E, I think you're completely insane. And you think that of me on the topic. And we have to be able to go for this live. Yeah, okay. That's right. You know, I'm just gonna have to live with that. You have to live with it. It's okay.

My friend John Rich, I don't, John and I, on paper, like I said, the book, where else was we friends? We should be friends. But I've known John. We're in the music business together. We know each other. We agree on lots of things. And then, and then he looks at me at,

by the time he gets to Affy, he's like, what are you talking about? And I'm the same with him, but we're friends. And we talk. And I've learned from him, and he's, same from me, we hang out, I know his friends, he knew my parents, I mean, it's just, no, and you learn with a friend.

Again, the way people can get this in a relationship, but somehow not politically, but in a relationship you learn to just go, oh, okay, we don't go there. Right. Because it doesn't... It doesn't, you're not going exactly. It's going to end up at nils, so just stop. Right. Right.

But it doesn't take away. My little thing is judge the character of a person. I know lots of liberals who are not good people. Oh, I would much rather have, you know, I would much rather, I call them liberals in theory. They are in theory. They love the theory and the cause. They're always up for the right cause, but they hate privilege. But then you live on these clowns of gaseous nonsense that I always say the greatest privilege is the privilege to be impractical.

Yeah, right. That's right. They think there's such great allies of the black person because when it comes to your shop shove like the black people went for oh, of course, a Biden because that's the practical choice because we don't have the luxury of holding out for, you know, we got to just take the same choice. 100%. And it's so funny that the privilege to be in impractical and fantastical and nonsensical without consequence. Well, no consequence. It's so white

and it's like just eight all these privileged kids during COVID and then the Black Lives Matter thing happened and I remember being in Malibu and I was picking up food and a bunch of white kids, you know, marching and they have black lives matter black I was matter and I thought, oh good for that. Okay, that's great. I Get out of my car to go pick up my food and I walk by and I just grow looks and I go hi and she's what? And I said, oh, I'm just saying hi. And she looked at me as if she's like, I'm marching right now. I'm doing something that I'm looking at. And I went and I'm black.

Thank you very much. OK, OK, my life matters. Jesus Christ. I mean, but right there, and then I opened the door. I was holding the door open for the same group. They went to get their smoothies, their $30 smoothies, and they walked out, and then I held the door, but not one. Looks at me and said, thank you.

Wow. But they couldn't wait to put their sign up, the Black Lives Matter, and I said, people matter. That's so simple. It was so typical. That is so, that's such a perfect story. It was, because they can't talk about the forest and the trees. Right. They can't see the actual black person in front of them. But yeah, in theory, it was Black Lives Matter because I'm telling you the cause is them.

The so no, there are of course people who are sincere about social justice. Of course, of course, but a lot of these people like these assholes that you're describing, I swear to God, it's not about Palestine. They'd give a shit about Palestine. They just have it in their head. That they need their version of the apartheid battle. They need their version of decolonizing. And they don't know anything about this.

They don't know the history. They don't know who's really a colonizer. And they don't understand terrorist groups. And they don't know anything about this. They don't know the history. They don't know who's really a colonizer and what. And they don't understand terrorist groups. And they don't understand that. That's my point. My God, you're talking about. They just, because it's not about the issue. They're the issue.

It's about them and making them feel good. And it's important to you know I'm an ally. Right. I might tell you I'm an ally. May I pledge my, my own relationship to you. God. I mean, it's just. You know, the, again, if you think, if you believe that you are, well, I don't even know

what to say to all that. I just, it's, again, what, what saddens me though is especially going back to my father and my parents. I mean, my mom was moved by Andrew Goodman being killed by the clan. She was from New York City. She's thinking, well, I'm getting people to register to vote here. And wait, Andrew left New York City and then went to Mississippi. And what do you mean the three of them got murdered by the clan?

She had never heard of really, I mean, she knew, she knew what it was. She grew up in Virginia in the summer with her grandmother, but she lived in New York City. My mom was a New Yorker. Right. For my mom, all of a sudden, she took that and thought, okay, then I'm going to be more of service because Andrew died. And Andrew and James and Michael died for people like being, everybody else to be able to vote. And so she did something with that, which I think is great. And when she told me that I go, but mom, you didn't even know him. You didn't know him.

Why would, how could someone you didn't know change your mind? She said, well, live a little longer. Live a little bit, Nicole. You know, wake up. They don't have to look like you. They don't have to be the same race. They don't have to be the same gender. They don't have to look like you, they don't have to be the same race, they don't have to be the same gender, they don't have to be the same religion. When you see good character, when you see somebody doing the right thing, and that's about American progress, which my parents were committed to, then that's what you do.

And now it's the oppressive become the oppressors. And that's a sad thing. And everybody looking to hurt somebody or looking to find something that they can get you, get what we're human and the and the people who absolutely hate bullying They just cry bullies and there is such bullies. They are such a leader. They hate bullying And then and they hate privilege They hate bullying. And then, and they hate privilege. Boy, there's one thing I hate more than privilege is bullying. Now, shut up and only cancel you.

I mean, I have another interview. My, so Ted's daughter, Sarah, I had just gotten engaged to Ted. I was moving to the Bahamas and she got in trouble at school. And I said, well, what happened? She said, well, I was fighting with these girls because they wrote terrible things about me on Facebook and they said this and thought, so it was all this bullying. How's that? Oh, God. So she said, I don't know why my parents know. So you go up to the principal. Well, I went to the principal's office at Beverly High.

The principal was my former coach. Look, that's just he was a football coach when I was at Beverly and then he became the principal. I'm in the office, we go through the whole thing and all the girls are denying it. I said, can you open your computers please? Cause I don't have time, open your computers. The mothers are there and the mothers to your point. My daughter did nothing. Of course.

I said, can I, then if that's the case, I don't know why we're here, but open the computer. Of course, all the shit's there, trash is there. So Sarah got a little, you know, cocky and she was like, because I said, see, this is bullshit, you need to apologize and everyone did. And then Sarah kind of sat up and I grabbed her,

I became my mother and I go, and let me tell you something. If I find out that you were hurting people on purpose, if I find out that you're building anybody, I'm beat your ass. And the principal looks me, goes, you can't say that anymore, I just said it. I'm beat your ass. And the principal looks at me, goes, you can't say that anymore, I just said it. I'm beat your ass, Sarah, I mean it.

And I hadn't, I remember she went home and she looked at her, like, oh wow, you're really marrying her. It's like, yes, but I told her that take, this is not happening because I knew what was gonna, I knew that she felt great. She felt grand, I caught the other kids, and I saw it in her eyes.

Oh, she's about to go do this. Nope. And parents used to do that, I caught the other kids and I saw it in her eyes. Oh, she's about to go do this. Nope. And parents used to do that. I remember my, not anymore. And so everyone's talking about this pandemic and this epidemic of bullying. But I think that a lot of it, a parents don't know what their kids are doing on their phones. They don't know what they're saying to people. Everyone's sticking up for everybody. No one's in trouble. I go, call things as they are. It's not okay. Of course this is crazy.

What do you mean people are dying at school, beginning beating up for this kid, had a break through it. How many died three days later? Because no one stopped him getting bullied. You have all the teachers there and the teachers' aids. And then what? Right.

This is not how societies move forward and you can't function and we're not going to get better if you can't control your child and it does come from the home. I got so depressed writing and putting together this thing we did last week where I showed all these teachers getting hit. Oh, I saw that. It made me, I saw it. It was the end of the show. Yeah, it was the 10th of the night.

Yeah, I was, I was so obsessed. I said, oh my God. It's so disturbing. You see, it's the worst. Teachers and people. The lack of respect is, I mean, respect is one thing. I mean, we didn't even have a lack of respect when I was,

no. Like I said, like I couldn't roll my eyes. No, you get, I get to the principles of it. But just the fact that these kids are not the least bit intimidated by authority. And if you do anything, like, I mean, you took my phone, pooh, just that you can show a montage. And this is just the stuff that's quite on video.

Right. Of students whaling on teachers. Just, I feel like- I did not, I was not expecting that at the end. And it scared me and it saddened me because it again shows when you don't revere authority in your home, you're not going to accept it anywhere. But the fact that you could just pummel and children.

I got to say, no, we all have a lot of blame to go around, I'm sure, but the Democratic party owns education, locks stock and Tomahawk, right? From colleges, I mean, something like 99%, or maybe it's a little less, but very high percentage are Democratic voting professors. The administrator is DEI. This is all debt. Okay, then we get into the teachers union. I mean, the Democratic convention is a teachers convention, basically, more than any other profession by far.

I feel like they gotta own this a little more. Oh, I agree. Like, you're letting what? I don't know if that's gonna happen, but I agree with you. Yeah, I mean, you're letting a school become a place where the teachers can actually punch you. They're probably afraid of the parents.

Exactly. That was what I was saying. It was like, you know, the kids can do no wrong. Right. But at some point, I mean, if that is your portfolio, if things like you are the education minister, we are giving this, you got to take a little ownership of that. Let's at least get it. Okay, you know, bad enough that they can't read anymore. But actual violence, Mm-hmm.

I mean, yeah. No, it's... No, it's... You're probably right, I don't see that issue. Yeah. I mean, the Democrats are not going to... But again, that's their flaw there that they will not stand up to their own constituency.

Right. You know, they can't. No. And my sister's a teacher, you know, I mean, I have the greatest affection for teachers and me too. And I, that's one reason I showed all that. It's like, could you, people please have a little compassion? Have compassion for the greatest teachers or the people who change the lives of your children. They're better beaten up for them. They're the greatest teachers of the best. I was, I, I wasn't a teacher, but I was, I, I, I taught the social behavior class down in South Central. And my mom would always go down and tutor and do these things. And there was, there was such a reverence for me for teachers because

because my mom made sure that I told me every day, like, these people get up every day to deal with all your stuff. And the sad thing is, is that now I feel bad for teachers because we're expecting it supposed to teach, and then they're supposed to be the parent, then they're supposed to be the psychologist, and the sociologist, and everybody down, they have, please, they are there to teach, your child needs to get in the class, sit down, pay attention, do this, and, but they're there to teach your child needs to get in the class, sit down, pay attention,

do this, but they're there to serve. And we don't look at them or we don't give them the credit that they deserve. They are serving or credit at all, like at the store. Right. Because they don't even have enough money in these budgets for you often. And the teachers, I've seen this many times, say, I have to buy the school supplies. I, the teacher who gets a pretty shit salary to begin with, and then, you know, has to buy, I mean, some of these. I was just kind of talking to my cousin in New York,

and he's, they were buying supplies for their daughters. Books, I mean, yeah, everything. Some of these sex books for five-year-olds, not two. No, you need to run the country here. In your imagine. I, you need to run the country here. Can you imagine? I think you'd be great. Oh, I think I'd be too. I do.

I think I could step into that job tomorrow. So could you. We would be totally great. But the hard part is getting elected. It's not the presidency is easy, but it's a lot easier than getting elected, getting elected, going through that steeple chase of the political parties, the stupid populists, I mean, the fucking electoral college. It's just like, that's why I know Obama, somebody we both are huge. I mean, you work for him. You're the ambassador. But I gave him a million dollars, you know, I mean, we're for it, you were the ambassador. But I gave them a million dollars, you know,

I mean, we're big fans. And I think one reason is because just the political skill, the, you know, to get elected as the first black president, that is, I mean, that takes a, a lot of skill. Well, just, yeah, and it was a, I think a really great president, but just the skill to get there. And then that is, you know, just yeah, and he was a I think a really great president, but just the skill to get there

Mm-hmm, and then that is I mean disciplined so Disciplined like and everyone thinks that oh you could just get there and that's the difference with him Yeah, that people don't understand the discipline. Yeah, that man has I was the first one to say you to Jackie Robinson And I because and the analogy was that Jackie Robinson had to never take the bait. That was the deal from Brent Ricky's like they're going to come after you. They're going to say the worst things and Obama, you know, I mean, that they and he never took the bait. Never took the bait. Jesse Owman's didn't take the bait.

Right. Garin didn't take the bait. Jesse Owman's didn't take the bait. Garen didn't take the bait. Right. And again, progress. And everyone now gets all these deals. I'm like, yeah, you're welcome. Again, for all the men who came before you who were spit on, had death threats, went through real trauma,

and real shit never talked about it. I mean, that's why I always tell people, I do think that I respect everyone getting, you know, being nervous or I'm not judging anybody for how they feel. However, or anything, if they say, oh, I'm triggered by this and I'm doing this. My whole point is do not forget, you know, Jesse Owens ran in front of Hitler. Yes. I think he was. I think he had every reason in that moment to say, I'm out.

Right. I'm triggered. I am scared. I'm, but he, but he, again, the discipline, I just like studying people who were so disciplined and faced the worst that you can imagine and still decided to say, I'm going. And I'm, I'm fast on every level. I don't care if they're an athlete, a, a first responder. Again, first responders even going back to my mom. That place was a shit show,

you know, from what I heard for an hour of the call, the Brevvy Hills Police, getting the call, getting to the house. I had all of them at my parents' memorial. I had the police chief there. I had the gentleman who, the officer who rode in the ambulance with my mother to the hospital. I honored all of them. I had law enforcement in the front row. They should be in the front row. Right. And none of them looked like, you know, oh, well, they actually did look like my mom, because my mom is next, but the whole point is they were everyone was like, oh, I go, yeah, these are all white cops. By guys, by the way, and they everyone showed up, the paramedic showed up, the fire department showed up,

everyone was there in eight minutes and what they saw and what they had to do. Eight minutes. Eight minutes. And they were guiding me, I had to talk to them every day for months and months. And you know, one of the officers said to me, and says, why I wanted to met the memorial with me,

he said, you know, he wrote in the ambulance with my mom and he told me how strong she was and got her to the hospital, and she didn't make it through surgery, obviously. But I just looked at these people like, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. And not only because of my mom, I have been like this about law enforcement forever. We all forget, of course, our bad apples everywhere. And of course, five people who have had the worst history with police officers, we know that.

Of course, I'm not denying any of that. But to continuously judge, no one wants to be judged by a group, nobody does. So black men get that way of like, well, I don't want to be judged because of these people, nobody does. So everybody just take a beat for a second and remember, you know, I have this black woman, so you know, people forget that police officers

look like me too. And she said, and I have children and I have a husband and I go in when your shit falls apart, if someone's getting raped, someone's getting hurt, who do you call? Me. And I run in. And then everyone says, a few later to all of us. So it's just a reminder of, there's, you know, I mean, it's in the statistics. I mean, if you look at the number of black young black men killed, it's ridiculously higher than other minority groups. 100%. But they're not being killed by white supremacists. And it's the police who have to deal with that.

And they should have started doing this a long time ago. You know, I mean, and they're doing it though. Yes. And also generations change. They do change. I mean, I've made this point many times. To anyone like under 30, even 40 at this point, most of the country, not all, not everyone, but for most of the country, certainly in any city, the most unhipped thing you can be

is racist. That wasn't the case 30 years ago. It just wasn't. It's just, so, you know, when I saw that cop dealing with the not binary indigenous triggered lady and he's just being super nice, I'm like, that is just a young guy here. I don't know where it is actually where this took place, but it's just a guy of his generation. And that's, he's of the same generation. He gets the non-binary thing. He doesn't hear it. He's not some old Southern sheriff who's like,

what's up boy? You're a half a woman and a, you know, today he's a young guy who grew up with the same influences that the girl did. They're about the same age. They're both probably 30. Right. And you understand it's just a different time. It's a different world. We have to be able to keep saying that. Like that black female officer was saying to me, it's a different time.

You didn't see me in this 30 years ago. I must say, the fact that they got there in eight minutes, is just perfect evidence of one of my themes I'm hitting lately or trying to or thinking about, which is it's the Democrats are fighting the last war. They're obsessed with race and it's really about class. It's about money. It's the fact that they got to a black woman in eight minutes.

That's not the case with most black women, or most anybody. It's the fact that she lives in- Beverly Hills. Exactly. And that's what it's about. That is what it's about, oh, 100%. And that's why she stayed here, by the way,

because my dad said, everyone was saying, why aren't you go live in Baltimore? He's like, well, I want to live where all the good school, I'm living here. Schools are great. Why did we lift ourselves? Why did you lift yourself up? What is aspirational mean?

We aspired and then we got there. And we got there and this is why I'm living here. I mean, all the time, every response was dead. Can you believe this is happening in the world? It's like, that's why I live in Beverly Hills. I mean, he always was. And they had 54 years there. It wasn't like, you know, it was,

oh, they were always scared of this. No, 54 years. And after COVID, like we were talking earlier, things changed around all the affluent neighborhoods. It just did. People following people, this and that. It doesn't, and my whole thing is to everybody, it doesn't matter.

It just doesn't matter. She's not here. it doesn't matter. I don't care about all the bread, it doesn't matter. The point is, it is about class. And people need to, I don't know if we're gonna get there talking about that because they're probably getting trouble talking about class, but it is true. And to your point about the superliverables,

I mean, I, it's take care of, try to take care of people, not just at a charity event. Yeah, it's just not- It's not just- It's not, it's not. It doesn't deny that racism is still with us because of course it is. A hundred percent.

It's just putting it in a perspective. I mean, if racism is a malady and it is, okay, so you're doing blood work on, use the blood work from this, this time, not the blood work from 1990. Right. You know, of, it's never been worse. No, it's not, again, it's not fair enough. Nothing is ever in place.

And I look at people and Andrew Yagin who's still alive and God bless them. I mean, is the right hand a doctor can? And God bless them, he is the right hand of Dr. King. And I'm like, you're gonna say that to him? You're gonna look, I dare you to look at Andrew Young, who's beaten up for you, who's gone through everything, who changed laws for you, and then scream at him, nothing's changed, and it's still terrible.

Again, it is the most offensive thing. Yeah. You can say to people, but generations of people, that's the thing. It was not just six years ago, 100 years ago, we're talking 300 years. And also, like, I must say, somebody like AOC, who's like, what, she's 30, so she grew up something like that, early 30s. Okay, so, you know, she often, you know, talks about being a person of color. Would I know that? Would I even, would that even register me if I'd soar? And she grew up in

New York City, the most liberal city in the country, in this century. Did it really affect her life? I mean, was that, was there something that they said, well, we need a bartender here, but let's hire the white girl. Right. It did that really happen. You know what I'm saying? Like, if nothing ever actually happened, and again, this is people only of that age. Right. There's not a people who are 60. We know things happen. Exactly. Even if it was slights and little indignities and cabs and following and that kind of, you know, grade 2.0 racism, it happened.

It happened. But I mean, I don't know, you know, maybe something happened at AOC, but I mean, she's gorgeous. You know, she's a woman in New York in the 21st century. I just think it's a little shady to wear the mantle if you, if she didn't have it. You know? I agree.

I think that this gender, the whole, everyone who's 30 and 40, again, I just, let's get back to the time we're in right now. But I don't think, I think if you don't understand, if you really don't study, and I think people say history, people are going back 100 or 200 years. Go back 10 years. Go back 20 years.

Go back when my mom was growing up. She would have loved to have your job. There was no chance in hell. She was getting your job. No chance. No chance in hell. My mom was the same color. mom is mixed my mother the same way No chance in hell was she getting that job she wanted to be a

Book editor not happening she wanted to do lots of things wasn't gonna happen in her lifetime And then she looks at me and said but you're gonna do it because I'm opening all these damn doors and you go do it I mean I'm watching this HBO series the The Guild of the Age. Have you seen it? I saw a little bit. I've only seen the promos of it. I'm liking it.

I mean, I watched the first season. You know, it's a real HBO production. The production value is just like off the charts. I mean, they recreate the 1880s. Right. I mean, it looks like it cost a trillion dollars. But it's not my money, or maybe it could be more money. It could be your money.

There weren't one thing in all this. No, but it's so interesting because all these characters, and this is only 1880s. So I mean, that's like a century and a half. No, is that so? So 1880s. Where are we? To information? Oh, that's a. you know, a century and a half, you know, is that so? 1880s. Where are we? Oh, that's so bad.

Yeah, not even. So their mindset and their values are just so crazily different. Like the, the first of all, the people who have money have servants. And I mean like, livery servants in these like revolutionary war outfits that come even the, you know, there's like the super rich people on Fifth Avenue and right across the street, lives these two spinsters. But even they have servants and people who live in the basement, like four or five people, like Titanic, like below deck. And or five feet, like, like, like, Titanic, like, below deck. And that's just the way it is.

And the young girl, she wants to, like, teach, like, volunteer teaching art school or something. And it's like, the aunt is like, I will not have you do that. It's because she's working, you working. Just like the values of these, there's a gay couple and of course, they have to like completely keep it off the ground. Well, I mean, you'll be killed and they have to marry, a woman. I mean, it's not that many generations ago.

And it's like from, it seems like, that's right. It seems like a, that's right and not to mention the black character of course there's and she of course she's a free woman it's after the Civil War but you know free to right associate with right exactly it's just like but I think that having these shows thank God if you're watching them hopefully I mean you think by this time between Bridgeton and everything else in this show,

people understand about class. I mean, even the Titanic. I rewatch the Titanic, and they go, there's not a black person on the ship. Right. And it was about class. Yeah, because the eye was where the black is. Exactly.

And I remind everybody, there's not a black person on that ship. The rich ones got off first. Remember ship. The rich ones got off first. Remember that. The rich ones got off first. The ones who were on the bottom. The last ones. Good luck.

The ship is going to sink with you. Right. I mean, you know, but it's been that way. Yeah. I remember the great line when the ship is going down in Billy's ainer's just deliciously awful as the people. husband, boyfriend, and somebody says, half the people on this ship are gonna die,

and he goes, not the better half. Before. It was like, exactly. But the way, like in the Guilded, it just shows they never sort of entered their mind. They were so structured into like this caste system. Like we are the people of New York. We came over on the Mayflower and that's who we are.

We're old New York and we have the money and these other people, that's their station in life. They, there's another plot line where this, some girl gets into society, but her father is a servant, and that's a scam. He can't be in the same room. Find out it's a, I mean, and this I assume, I know, I know the history of the era, that's how people were.

That's how they thought, and they will look back on this time I assume, and they will look back on this time, I assume, and we will look just as crazy. That's it, crazy. Yeah. We actually have everything. That's great. And that was a good.

Right. This isn't, again, nothing's perfect. No country is perfect. I always ask people, please show me the country that got it all right. And I'll follow. Please show me that, because I haven't seen one. No. So everyone who's talking about, please show me the country that got it all right. And I'll follow. Please show me that because I haven't seen one. No.

So everyone who's talking about please compare us to everyone else. Stop it. Stop. And wherever you moved, even if it looked pretty great from the beginning, if you're there for long enough, there will be things at bug you. I promise you there will be things in Stockholm that you will drive you fucking crazy. My mom is. We're having fish again. Oh, what? I used to land in LA with Alex with my parents and I would say, oh, we're back in Los Angeles.

From anywhere to here for I could have been from Paris. I could have been from New York. It could have been from Tanzania. Oh, we're back in Los Angeles. My mom would turn around and she goes, no, we're back in America. Right. Thank God. Yes. And it didn't matter.

And we were at the nicest places. It didn't matter. She's like, there's nothing like it. No place like home. And it's, I'm actually amazed that we still are functioning. I mean, for all it's worth, the toilet still run. I mean, it's like, yes, you see a diminution of us moving more toward third world stuff. Lots of, I mean, we live in Beverly Hills or somewhere.

We don't want to say exactly. I mean, take two. We live in a nice area. We live in Pasadena. Just to tie around that in. We live in Pallo Alto and the roads. Yeah. Fucking look the Baja out there. I mean like the nicest places. The one you big when you come up because of the mouth, you know that's out there. I mean, it's ridiculous. They can't, and where the rich people,

and they can't do it. But somehow, it functioned. There's something about Americans. There's a million shitty things about it, but they just keep going. I thought after the pandemic, and then the preposterous overspending we did on it, that certainly the economy would go into toilet.

And we came back better than every other country and people just shrugged it off and said, put it on the card. Yeah. And I assume that card at some point will fuck us in the ass. I mean, the inflation does it. Yeah, it does. But we just seem to keep going and life itself, you know, our lives are still cushy.

It hasn't, you know, we're still in a glass bottom boat looking at a shark. Right. Right. We're not in the water. I feel like we could be. Yes. Like January 20th, 2025 is a day when I feel like the shark might come up. Yeah, like a drop. The shark will actually attack the boat.

Oh, chief. And then we'll really be fucked. But yeah, I mean, you know, I think what you said is true about even during COVID and we came back better than ever, which is, that's Americans. It is our spirit of America. It's just the spirit of yes, I don't know where we get it. I don't know what it is, but we have it. We have people come here for that.

I mean, look at your father. Look, what are you right from? From zero. From literally starting at zero. Negative. Negative. Yeah. And to the high to the black godfather, to the big being the ultimate power broker and.

And he just, but it was his thing of, okay, you know, he had, you know, people get offended by this saying now to you. And I was like, it really is that offended you, you know, he had, you know, the people get offended by this saying now to you. And I was like, really is that offended you? You know, he finished his by saying, it is what it is. Now, what are you gonna do about it? Right. And he lived his life that way.

He loved being alive, so to my mom. And he was like, weren't you scared? Weren't you this? Weren't you that goes, yes. And I still lived. Yes, I was afraid. And yes, it wasn't fair. And but you that goes, yes, and I still lived. Yes, I was afraid. And yes, it wasn't fair. But you know what, you keep going and you keep chipping at it. And history

will prove to you, it does get better if you're going the right way. You just have to keep chipping at it. I love the thing you wrote in, I'm just remembering this now. What was it? Some magazine about the three. Oh, yes. The Rolling, yeah, about Jerry Moss from A&M Records. And yeah. No, I always knew the name Jerry Moss because Albert and Moss, I mean, when I was a kid, her, but Albert had, you know, this guy's in love with the Eulips and everything.

Yeah, the best song, yep. And A&M Records, I would see that on a lot of records. A&M was a big, and I, you know, was a kid who was interested in that kind of stuff. Albert and Moss. So that was your father's great buddy, and then some other Jew. Yeah, I was in Abe's summer.

And Abe was their lawyer, and they all met in New York before they all got married. They ended up moving here, and then all married, had children. We're all still friends. All the kids, all of us, are still friends. So we all grew up with each other and how crazy that I was afraid to call them

to say that my dad was dying and had passed away on Sunday. I was the first three calls I was gonna call Quincy, Jerry and Abe. And Abe and Jerry passed. So my dad does Sunday, Jerry does Tuesday. Right. I'm like, you've got to, what is this? Abe and Jerry passed, so my dad does Sunday, Jerry does Tuesday. Right.

I'm like, you've got to, what is this? It was, but then at the same time, I thought, of course they didn't. Of course they didn't, it's just life. And it is, again, it is what it is, but the beauty of the reason I wrote that in Rolling Stone was because I loved that Jerry and my dad, again, different backgrounds, different people, and they had so much more in common which they focused on. And then my dad, you know, one of his things was I don't have problems. I have friends and he didn't, wasn't trying to poop away problems, but he was saying,

thank God, I have good friends who actually show up. And Jerry showed up. I mean, when my dad was overstretched and making mistakes and too many businesses and everything fell, everything went away. And Jerry was Jerry and Joe Smith and a bunch of people. But Jerry was the one who said, he and her, wrote a check, gave it to my father, said, look at the contract, and you get home. And my dad's like, this is not a contract. What is this? And I wanted to write that in,

because they said, you know, write about your dad and to honor him. And then I had to put them in there also, because they were a part of my life. And they raised me too. You know that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same day. Did you know that?

I did not know that. You know what day it was? Exactly 50 years from July 4th, 1776. How weird is that? That is weird. The two fought two of them. And Adams' last words were, thank God Jefferson lived. last words were thank God Jefferson lived. The chocolate's on him because he lived back then before they communicated to these stupid things. Now we know right away. All right.

Okay. I am so so happy. We did this. Thank you. We don't ever need a camera to do it, but pleasure that we have this one. I know. And I have my grandchildren. I can show them.

No, I think that busses. But maybe not. I know. And I have my grandchildren, I can show them. No, I think that bus is so. But, maybe not. I don't think so. Yeah. Maybe 85. I got out of high school. Climb. Thank you.

Thank you. It was great. And I appreciate you having me. And I'm still going to come on the show when it's right. and I'm still gonna come on to show what it's like.