The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Correspondent Spotlight: The Best of Aasif Mandvi

Episode Date: October 12, 2023

Former Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi explores Southern voter suppression laws with the late Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis and a North Carolina GOP executive who is forthright with his true feelings and political motivations. Also, Aasif joins Jon Stewart to discuss the racist backlash to Nina Davuluri winning Miss America and the disastrous environmental waste and controversial GMO crop developments coming out of the mysterious Simplot corporation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Survivor 47 is here, which means we're bringing you a brand new season of the only official survivor podcast on fire. And this season we are joined by fan favorite and Survivor 46 runner-up, Charlie, Charlie, I'm excited to do this together. Thanks, Jeff. So excited to be here, and I can't wait to bring you inside the mind of a survivor player for season 47. Listen to On Fire the official survivor podcast starting September 18th wherever you get your podcast. You're listening to Comedy Central. Earlier this year the Supreme Court effectively struck down the Voting Rights Act saying that it had been immensely successful at redressing racial discrimination.

So basically saying, enough's enough. I mean, why ruin a good thing by continuing it? Asif Monvi reports on how states have responded. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 protected voters from racial discrimination until June, when the Supreme Court struck down a key provision saying it was no longer necessary, which Red State celebrated by introducing brand new, now constitutional, restrictive voting laws. These laws are just as racist as they can be.

Congressman John Lewis apparently doesn't like progress. In another time and another period, these devices was used to make it harder, make it difficult for the average person or color to participate in the process. But I don't think any part of the law is racist. North Carolina Precinct Chairman and GOP Executive Committee member Don Yelton thinks his state's new voting restrictions are just fine. What's going to happen to result of this law the process is going to have more integrity. Right here in Buncom County there's always one or two that voted

twice a year. They don't know one or two million people? No one or two people and that's one or two out of 60,000. So statistically there is there is enough voter fraud to sway thee the tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho the tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho thi tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho the tho the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the tho tho tho. tho. thi tho. tho. the. the. the is to the. to to to to to to to to to to to to too. to to to to to to to tho. tho. tho tho of 60,000. So statistically there is enough voter fraud to sway zero elections. Mmm, that's not the point. The point is, the voter fraud does just barely exist, while racism, according to the Supreme Court, is a thing of the past. The scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in every corner of American society. Yeah, but you're just talking about racism, racism, racism as if as if it it it it it it it it's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's not that's not that's not that's not that's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's that's, that's that's that's that's that's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not that's not that's not the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not's not.. are still deeply embedded in every corner of American society.

Yeah, but you're just talking about racism, racism, racism, as if it's like the 1960s, and it's not the 1960s anymore. I think the men in this picture would be a shame that you're just thrown around the word racism so cavalier. I'm in that picture. I'm there. See, this is why you people need ideas, because we can't tell you a part. I mean, you know, civil rights leaders.

We all don't look alike. But you know what you all have? You all have the same aura of hope. We never gave up. We never gave in. We never became bitter. Is that Denzel Washington? No, that's Roel Wilken. He was a head of the NACP. The bottom line is, the law is not racist. Of course the law is not racist, and you are not racist. Well, I've been called a bigot before. Let me tell you something. You don't look like me, but I think I've treated you the same as I would anybody else.

Matter of a fact, one of my best friends is black. So one of my best friends is black. So one of your best friends is black. Yes. And there's more. When I was a young man, you didn't call a black a black, you called him a negro. I had a picture one time of Obama sitting on a stump as a witch doctor, and I posted that on Facebook. I was making fun of my white half of Obama, not the black half.

And now you have a black person using the term this, this, and it's okay for them to do it. You know that. You know that we can hear you, right? Yeah. Okay, you know that. You know that. You know that. Then I found out the real reason for the law. The law is going to kick the Democrats into butt. Wow. An executive GOP committee member just admitted that this law isn't designed to hurt black people. It's designed to hurt Democrats. If it hurts a bunch of college kids is too lazy

to get up off their bow honkers and go get a photo ID, so be it. Right. If it hurts the whites, so be it. If it. If it. the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the black the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their bohunkers and go get a photo ID, so be it. Right, right. If it hurts the whites, so be it. If it hurts a bunch of lazy blacks, it wants the government to give me everything. So be it. And it just so happens that a lot of those people vote Democrat. Gee.

That's right. To supposedly prevent one or two cases of fraud, this law could suppress hundreds of thousousousousousousousousousousousousousousousousousous thous thous thous thous thous thous thous thous thous thous thous thous thous thous thous thous th cases of fraud, this law could suppress hundreds of thousands of actual voters. I can't believe we've got that many stupid people in North Carolina. And people that don't know how to follow directions that go down there and get a photo ID for free at the DMV? Do you want those people picking your president?

No, we certainly don't want stupid people picking our president. Or Democrats, apparently. Racism is over! Yes! It's not there yet. No. Oh, okay. Everyone should have the same opportunity to vote. So the playing field should be leveled. Must be leveled. The playing field must be leveled. Well, since Republicans are trying to suppress democratic votes, perhaps the only fair way to level the playing field is to trying to suppress democratic votes, perhaps the only fair way to level the playing field is to try to suppress Republican votes. Do a lot of Republicans come in here? No. All right, wheel it in!

Move voting booths to black hair salons. And here. Add mandatory friend requirements. Tell Republicans to do what Jesus would do. And remember, most importantly, vote. Vote. Vote. Because I voted, and now I'm gay.

That's right, Republicans. Voting makes you gay. It seems like there's been a lot of bad news recently. It seems like there's been a lot of bad news recently. Because there has been a lot of bad news recently. Because there has been a lot of bad news recently. It doesn't just seem that way. But that's why it's all the more important to celebrate the good news. Your new, Miss America is Miss New York.

Miss New York. In New York. In New York. The Miss of New York! In New York, the best of New York, the bits of New York, make you feel big lights inspire you. New York. Put your hands on your head like you just don't care. That's how we do!

I am... I'm an increasingly old man. I'm just really proud. Last night, 24-year-old Nina Dapaluri was named Miss America for 2014. She is the first American of Indian descent ever to win the crown and said she is happy the pageant organization has embraced diversity. Yes! The Miss American Pagin has embraced diversity!

It is a beautiful mosaic of women sized zero to nearly two. It is a panoply, a myriad. But still, great news for Ms. Nino Davaluri and the country. It was very fun for me to report just a simple story. It was just pleasant. It's a pleasant story. It's not steeped in any controversy. We'll be right back after this. It's a... No, that...

But no, that's the bad shark sound. How could that be bad? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? th Unfortunately? th. but no, that's the bad shark sound. How could that be bad? How? How? Unfortunately, there was some ugly backlash on Twitter. Some people calling her a foreigner, an Arab, even a terrorist. Another reading, Miss America, you mean Miss 7-Eleven. And Miss New York is Indian with all due respect, this is America.

Yes, this is America. And you know that is, the word, tha, tha, thu, thu, thu, thu, thu, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, thi, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, thi, thi, thi, thi, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the thi, thi, thi, the the the the thi, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thi, thi, thi, thi, that's is thi.a.a.a' is that's, that's, thi.augh, is thi, thi, thi.a, thi.a, the thi. do you know how we know that this is America? The way you know that is the word do is... It's misspelled. That's how you know this is America. Well, when Indian news stories fall to the cracks, our own Osse of Manby catches them for a segment we call, Back in Brown. Yeah, that's not, first of all, that's not actually a song Ossep, so I just want to mention that off the top. Listen, this Miss America win, it's quite a milestone for the Indian community.

Not a milestone, John, more like a beach head. Beach head? What is this? Sounds like a military invasion. Well, damn right it is. Wake up and smell the curry, John. Indians are taken over America. What? You, you won one competition. Clearly, you have not been paying attention.

This is only the most recent ass kicking. Canadal. German derived Yiddish. K, N, A, D, E, L, Canadal. You are a champion of the B. Boom! That's right. Boom! That's right. He won with one of your words, my Yiddish or friend.

Tell me how my tucus tastes. So you're dominating our spelling and swimwear competition. Yeah, we're not just smarter than you. We're also America's most scrumptious eye candy with the tiara to prove it! If you like it then you should have arranged a marriage with it. If you like it then you should have arranged with it. Uh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!

And yet you dance like a white man? Awesome, you don't, you're not angry at all about the backlash on Twitter, the racial slurs about 7-Eleven. Look, John, it is Twitter. It's like that movie Crash, you got 140 characters and like 120 of them are racist for no apparent reason. I mean, sure some of us work in convenience, selling you the crap that gives you diabetes, but guess what? The rest of us, including the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial racial the racial racial racial racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial the racial. The racial. The racial. The racial. The racial. The racial. The racial. The racial. The racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, the racial, th. The racial, th. The racial, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. that, th. th. th. th. th. that gives you diabetes but guess what? The rest of us, including the numerous America, are in medical school

cashing in on that illness. Double chitching! You got what we like to say you got Guptod. You spent all this time worrying about Mexicans coming over the fence when the real enemy was approaching from underneath to cup your balls and ask you to cough. So it's, so I guess it's, so it's over. Yeah, it's over. You had a good run. He took this country away from the Indians and now it's, and now it's, so I guess it's, so it's over. Yeah, yeah, it's over. You had a good run. He took this country away from the Indians, and now a different group of Indians is taking it back.

Awesome Monday, everybody. Thank you very much. We'll be right back. John Stewart here. Unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast, The Weekly Show. We're going to be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches.

Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. Idaho, to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. Idaho, the tho-dead. Idaho, home to some of America's most beautiful rivers. But according to conservationist Marv Hoyt, there is a dark secret lurking in these waters. The fish are suffering massive deformities. Deformities you just don't see in nature. Like what?

Two heads? Two heads. Two heads? Yes. Oh, that's a fish? Yeah. Those are heads? Yes. Oh.

OK, put that away. What is causing that? Well, it was the selenium in the water. Peep. Well, it was the selenium in the water. Poh! And what is selenium? It turns out selenium is a toxic byproduct of phosphate mining. And in southeast Idaho, one company loves mining phosphate. It's the Simplot company that operates the Smoky Canyon mine. Have you shown Simplot that operates the Smoky Canyon mine. Have you shown Simplot, these mutant fish pictures?

Those pictures came from Simplot's own report that they commissioned in order to get around the current selenium standard. You see, with six of Simplot's six Idaho phosphate mines cited for grossly exceeding federal selenium limits, Simplot took action and issued a report saying the federal limits needed to be higher. I went to Simplot to talk it over with a company spokesman. Can you tell me about this exciting two-headed fish that you guys are developing? We really appreciate it if you leave the premises. Thank you very much.

Are you make, who you call them? Hi, this is David at the Simplot headquarters. We have some pesky reporters here who won't leave, and I'd appreciate it if you'd send an officer to escort them out. Sure, Simplot can bully me, but wait until the EPA gets their hands on the report. All of the federal and state regulatory agencies reviewed the report. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, you're saying the EPA saw this report. I bet they were pissed, right? No, they were not pissed.

They failed to call out the fact that there were two-headed fish deformities were in that report. That can't be right. But in fact, the EPA called the report outstanding, and they may even use it to address national selenium standards. When interview requests to the EPA were ignored I headed to their offices to see how they could overlook a two-headed fish. I'd like to talk to somebody about the Smoky Canyon mine. Where you guys from? I'm from a river up in... No, no, what company are you from? I'm not with a company, I'm a two-headed fish. I've called the police because I don't really appreciate the way you guys are coming in and getting in our face. I can't really make an appointment. I'm a two-headed fish, I live in a river. You're, you're not a fish, you're a person.

Why would the EPA call Homeland Security? I needed answers, but everywhere I went, no one would talk. What is this? Does Simplot run this whole state? Literally, every single place I went in Idaho, there was Simplot. So I looked him up. And they're one of the largest privately held agribusiness companies in the world. The governor of Idaho worked a Simplot for 30 years and married J.R. Simplot's Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, chairs the subcommittee that sets the EPA's budget?

What the f-fix? Is this an actual conspiracy? There's certainly a conspiracy of silence. This is really dangerous. Yeah. What do you mean, yeah? Well, I've received threatening phone calls from people who suggested that I don't work on this issue or come back to Caribou County, Idaho again.

Okay, are you kidding me? Look, next time a fake reporter comes to ask you to do an interview about Simplot, you should lead with the stuff about the threats. If they were threatening this nobody, what the hell were they going to do to television's Asif Monvi? There was only one person who could help, Aaron Brockovich. I have uncovered a real corporate conspiracy. What the fuck do I do? You kind of expose it, man. You found out information. It's going to be up to you to expose that information. Blow the whistle. I don't want to blow the whistle. I want to bury the whistle. Stop being a pussy. It's your responsibility to go out there and make it right. Aaron Brockovich had given me good advice. I had to make things right.

Simplot, a true American success story, and a company that is definitely not polluting Idaho. What do you think about Simplot? Not very much. Okay, you love them. You love them. Can you just look at that camera and say thank you, Simplot? No, I won't do it.

Come on, just say that, no. Just look in to to to look in the camera in th, th, th, th, th, to, th, th, th, th, won't do. Come on, just say that. No. Just look in the camera. F. Those guys. Well, you heard it here, folks. Fishermen in Idaho love Simplot. There's nothing wrong with Simplot and there's nothing wrong with this water. Here we go. We're all good now, Simplot. And there is no way water this clean could cause a two-headed fish. I just want to go home. Oh, oh, it's just a dream. Just a dream. Hey, much better on TV.

Ah! SHAM! SHB WHAT! Oh! Sam Blanc! Sam Blanc! If you spend a lot of time looking at a food packaging, and I do, because, you know, when you're high you want to know what you're eating. You might think the three most terrifying letters in the English language are GMO, but Y-H-Y. Asif Manvi investigates.

Potatoes. These starchy delights have been a staple of our food since the dawn of man. But now, science is trying to change all that. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has given the green light to a genetically modified potato. No potato, why? And this deadly GMO tuber, developed by evil agri corporations, has men like Jeffrey Smith terrified. We believe that genetically engineered crops may be one of the most dangerous introductions of an additive in our food supply, in our history.

Smith, founder of the Institute for Responsible Technology and one of the leading anti-GMO voices in the world, explains exactly how GMO potatoes will kill us. The process itself is dangerous. They create a little piece of RNA and put it into the potato so that it silences some genes. If we eat the potato, it might regulate our own gene expression, causing serious problems, possibly death. Jesus. That the technology itself is generically unsafe. Ah, fucking Monsanto, right?

Well, not in the case of this potato. This is Simplot. The big potato producer. Did you say Simplot? I did. This is Simplot, J.R. Simplot, the Big Potato Producer. Did you say Simplot? I did. No fucking way. Simplot? You may not remember them, but I do. A few years ago, I went to Idaho and uncovered a conspiracy that involved Simplot,

Pollution, an EPA cover-up, a two-headed fish, and I was almost arrested. Twice. It could have ruined my career I'm not doing it I'm not doing I'm not doing sim parts okay done it done that been there almost no no no you can you can this you're not you this is too far okay you shed told me you're not gonna do it yet! Brennan! Fine, fine, fine. Simplot! But strangely, according to Cornell's potato molecular geneticist Dr. Walter Dung,

Simplot's devil tator is actually an angel taut. The potato produces less acrolimide when fried. Chrolomide is a neurotoxin, a possible carcinogen. Angel tart. The potato produces less acrolimide when fried. Cholamide is a neurotoxin, a possible carcinogen. Wait, wait, wait, wait. So you're telling me, the Simplot potato cuts down on possible carcinogens. Yes. But what about, like, when the RNA gets into my body and then changes my DNA?

Says moving shit around. Genetically modified crops don't alter human DNA. But what if they did? They don't. Our bodies have been slicing and dicing DNA for as long as we've been in existence. So there's no change to the DNA? There's no change to our DNA.

Sounds like somebody who's working for Simplot. They pay for your research in any way. Then you go their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their thoe. thoe. thoe. thoe. thoe. thoe. thoe. thoes. thoes. thoes. thoes. thoes. thoes. thoes. thoes. thoes. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. It. It. It. It's. It's. It's. It's, the. It's, t. It's toea. It's tosea. It's tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooesesesn. Sosoesoeaa. Soea. Soe. So pay for your research. They don't fund my research in any way. Then you go to their parties and you hang out with them. No, I do not. Okay, okay. All right, just because he's not on the potato payroll doesn't mean other franken veggies won't kill us. There's also corn that produces its own toxic insecticide that breaks open little holes as well. The BT protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein protein that that that that that that that th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. thoome. thoome. thoome. thoom. thoom. thoom. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. I I. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I don't the. I don't the. I don't toeat. toea. too. to. tog. tog. to. to. to. tho. tho. I that you're referring to does not create holes in our cells.

Like no, it like burns through the cell, it creates a hole in your cell? What would make a hole in your cell? I don't know, I heard that somewhere. It's... Um, yeah. So you're telling me that these potatoes are not dangerous. That potato is just as safe as conventionally developed potatoes. Potato. Potato. Really? That's not dangerous? That's not dangerous. It's not dangerous. Please stop doing that. It's not dangerous?

Pretty dangerous to me. Turns out Walter's not alone. A recent pupil shows that 88% of scientists believe GMOs are safe, while only 37% of Americans believe them. But lucky for us... I'm not a scientist. I'm not a scientist. I work, I interview scientists and translate scy into English so that I interview science to enger so that everyone could understand. So yeah, so I've interviewed a lot of scientists too.

Sometimes I purposely purp lot of scientists too. Sometimes I purposely play dumb, so that they explain it in a way that makes it really clear. I do the same thing. Yeah. And then I mean. David Suzuki, a geneticist and TV personality, said if any scientist tells you that GMOs are safe, they're either very stupid or lying. I see, so scientists are all stupid liars, which I suppose is why thi thi thi thi thi th thi thi thi thi th is why th is why thi thi th is why th is th is thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi, is thi, is thi, is thi thi thi thi that that that that that that that that that that that that that that th. that so that so th. that so that so th. th. th. thi thi thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi thi thi thi thi thi the thi the thean thean thean thean thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. lying. I see, so scientists are all stupid liars, which I suppose is why none of the actual Simplot

potato scientists would talk to us. No, they're worried that their labs and fields will be targeted. Targeted by who? GM foes. So the anti-GM-o people are the assholes and simplot are the good guys. Uncharacteristic, but yes. Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, th. th. So, th. So, th. So, th. So, th. So, th. So, th. So, th. So, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. Okay, okay, but these agribusinesses have a monopoly on our entire food supply, and that is a horrifying fact that even scientists cannot argue, right? Actually, the greatest damage done by the anti-GMO lobby is the increased regulatory

costs that anyone now developing a genetically engineered crop has to go through, it means that only the big companies with the deepest pockets can play, and it's leaving to a handful of companies controlling seeds of all of our major crops. So you're saying that the anti-GMO lobby is actually resulting in a monopoly by companies like Simplot and Monsanto. It's an unintended consequence, yes.

That's like... P. So there you have it. In this story story, it's, it's, it's, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's thi, it's not the the the thi, it's not the the the the the the the the thi, it's thiPS. So there you have it. In this story, it's not scientists or agro-business messing with our food supply. It's people who have convinced the world that the Simplot potato will turn this into this. It's Mr. Giamo Potato Head. I love you, Mr. Giamo Potato Head. I'm going to eat some, Bob. A tel. the way, love thus all to me.

Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show, wherever you get your podcast. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Central and stream full episodes anytime on Fairmount Plus. This has been a comedy central podcast. Survivor 47 is here which means we're bringing you a brand new season of the only official Survivor podcast on fire and this season we are joined by fan favorite and Survivor 46 runner-up Charlie Davis to bring you even further inside the action Charlie I'm excited to do this together. Thanks Jeff so excited to be here and I can't wait to bring you inside the mind of a survivor player for season 47.

Listen to On Fire the official Survivor podcast starting September 18th wherever you get your podcast.