The Daily Show: Ears Edition - If You Don't Know, Now You Know - Ransomware in the U.S. | Frank Luntz & Thuso Mbedu

Episode Date: May 14, 2021

Ransomware attacks pose a growing threat to the U.S., Frank Luntz discusses getting people vaccinated via the power of language, and actor Thuso Mbedu talks about "The Underground Railroad."Donate at��http://www.dailyshow.com/TherapyAid to support the Therapy Aid Coalition's efforts in providing training and compensation to volunteer psychotherapists so people impacted by national crises can receive quality mental health care and support. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at, that's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News,

listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's going on, everybody? I'm Trevor Noah, and this is the daily social distancing show. Today is Thursday, May 13th. Maybe my favorite day of the year. Because the CDC has just announced that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks or social

distance, baby. Woo! Man, and I'm so happy. I'm happy that the CDC has finally come out with some clear, simple guidelines. Yeah, you got your vaccine. You can chill unless you're like swarmed in a mushpit or something. But I'm not going into a mushpit, so I'm gonna be fine. Now I can hang out with my friends. I can tell all my friends, come over and let's hang out. Instead of come over and hang out, as long as we're from no more than two different households, and at least three of us are vaccinated. we're just on Zoom. This is way better. So thank you so much to the CDC because now...

Ah shit. Now all my friends want to hang out with me. Anyway, coming up on tonight's show, we'll talk about how getting vaccinated can make you a millionaire. Getting followers on Instagram can send you to prison and how getting an email can cause a gas shortage around the country. So, let's do this people. Welcome to the Daily Social Distancing Show. From Trevor's Couch in New York City to your couch somewhere in the world. This is the Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noe. Ears edition.

Let's kick things off with Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and man who's definitely shouted the phrase, eliminate him. He's best known for embracing the most futuristic technology. But now he's moved from crashing self-driving cars to crashing Bitcoin. One of Bitcoin's most famous promoters has just turned on the cryptocurrency. Elon Musk, tweeting earlier this hour, you cannot buy Tesla with Bitcoin anymore due to the rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels

for Bitcoin mining and transactions. Cryptocurrency has long had a huge carbon footprint. Bitcoin plunging on the news here, falling 10%. That's right, people from now on. People will no longer be able to say I bought my Tesla with Bitcoin so now I'll have to find a new way to be unlikable at parties but it is shocking to hear this coming from Elon Musk because he has been the guy promoting Bitcoin and now he says the reason

he's doing this is because of environmental concerns but part of me thinks the truth is he probably just lost his Bitcoin password. I mean maybe he he th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the I the th th the I the I the I the I the I the I the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I the the the the the the the the the tfo tfo te te te te te teat teate te. te. te. te. tel. tel. tfo. I tfo. I tfe's doing this is because of environmental concerns, but part of me thinks the truth is he probably just lost his Bitcoin password. I mean, maybe he wrote it down on a post-it note somewhere and lost it, or on his kid's birth certificate. But this really goes to show you that Bitcoin has a long way to go as a currency. Because most established currencies don't go up and down based on a random social media post, right? Like you wouldn't see the effects in real life. Like can you imagine trying to pay a dollar for a candy bar?

But then the cashier is like, Whoa, buddy, that stuff's worthless now. Didn't you see Chloe Kardashian's latest selfie? Yeah, ho buddy. Let's move on now to the coronavirus vaccine. It's the reason you now have specific opinions about pharmaceutical companies. Authorities all over the world have been trying out different ways of enticing people to get vaccinated. Today in New York City, ShakeShack announced that it will give free French fries to anyone who shows their vaccination card.

And because you're vaccinated, it's safe to suck the ketchup straight out of the dispenser again, which is really cool. Wait, you're not supposed to do that? And free fries are nice. But Ohio has come up with a gimmick that blows everything else away. Ohio is offering its residents a shot at winning a million dollars along with their COVID vaccine shots. Governor Mike DeWine announced that beginning May 26th, the state will draw one vaccine recipient to win. And. And. And, and free. And, and th. And, and th. And, and th. And, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and free, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, th. th. th. th. the, the, thi, thi, th, th, th, th, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, free, 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 that beginning May 26th, the state will draw one vaccine recipient to win $1 million. This will happen every week for five weeks. Well, Governor, you're probably getting an A for creativity, but you're getting an F-4? Huh? Is this

the right thing to do? And you're getting bipartisan criticism on both sides. I know that there'll be some people will say, well, a waste. No one has tried this and we just thought that it was worth to try this to do it. Now this idea is awesome. I support it 100% and I know some people will say but isn't helping to save humanity enough of an incentive to get vaccinated to which I say, Hell no! Have you seen humanity? It's full of jerks. Who will only get vaccinated if there's money in it for them? I mean, forget vaccines.

I think the government should use this for every public health measure. If public bathrooms pumped out a lottery ticket whenever you washed your hands, you'd be able to eat off the door knobs as opposed to now, when we have to open bathroom doors with our elbows like we never evolved hands. But hopefully this does convince some anti-vaxes to get the shot. You know, the only awkward part is that if they actually win, then they're going to have to explain to their anti-vax friends how they got rich. No, guys, guys, dude, it's totally not what you think, man. No, I'm in like human trafficking. Dale, I swear, dude.

So look, I support doing whatever it takes to get people vaccinated. But you've got to admit, this is the epitome of a first world problem. How can we convince people to take all the extra vaccines that we have lying around. Hmm, what if we give them all the extra money we have lying around? Meanwhile, Africa is over here like, ah, yes, well done guys, you cracked it, eh? You cracked it. And by the way, the best part about this lottery is that you don't have to worry about holding

onto a ticket. Yeah, you see, if you win, they'll just find you using the microchip in your bloodstream.. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And. And, and the, and the, and the, and the, and the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their, their, their, their the 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, their, their, their, their, the a ticket. Yeah, you see, if you win, they'll just find you using the microchip in your bloodstream. And finally, Instagram, Twitter for hot people. These days, there's so much content on Instagram, it's harder than ever to get noticed. It's not enough to just copy a dance from a black kid anymore, white girls girls are scouring whole new ethnic groups to steal from. It is out of control th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho-a, ththea, thi, thi, the, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, the. And, the. And, the. And, thin. And, the. And, the. the. And, thin. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, thouring whole new ethnic groups to steal from. It is out of control. And now, one would-be influencer is in trouble for a viral stunt that she couldn't quite pull off. And the Miami Herald reports, a 28-year-old woman allegedly posed as a high school student to promote her Instagram page. Police say Audrey, Francis Queenie,

tried to blend in with students at the Miami Area School Monday. They say she had a backpack and she carried a skateboard as she walked through the hallways handing up pamphlets printed with her Instagram account while recording herself. Security officers tried to catch her, but she got away. They later tracked her down through her Instagram page and arrested her. She faces charges including burglary and resisting arrest. No people, no, no, no. A woman posed as a teenager on Instagram and she thought she could get away with it by carrying a backpack and a skateboard. Yo, that's like the official uniform of old people try to pretend that they're teenagers. Like when Knox get kicked off the force they have to hand over their gun, their badge and their skateboard. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, and, their, and, their, their, their. their. their. their. their. their. their, their, their, their, their, and, their, their, their, and, and, their, their, their, and, 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're teenagers. Like when Knox get kicked off the force, they have to hand over their gun,

their badge, and their skateboard. It's a thing. I mean, this must have been so embarrassing for this woman. And also for Matt Gates, when he found out he was hitting on a 28-year-old. That's not his swag. And the sad. Or did she? But guys, I wish people would realize that your worth as a human being is not defined by

how many followers you have or how popular you are on the internet. What really matters is that you're a good person who is kind to other people and lives with integrity. Man, I've got to post that. That's going to get so many likes. That's dope. But let's move on now to our main story. Gasoline. It's an integral part of modern civilization.

We use it to drive our cars, to fly our planes, and to destroy our planets. But thanks to a hack on a major pipeline this week, America has been going through withdrawal. The effects of the Russia-based ransomware attack are being felt up and down the East Coast. And what some homeland security officials are calling in a new bulletin, the most devastating ransomware attack on critical infrastructure in the U.S. to date. A new report says colonial pipeline company paid nearly 5 million dollars in ransom to hackers. Operations at the colonial pipeline are now back online. But the ordeal isn't over yet. Overnight people driving from station to station just looking for gas. How many gas stations have you tried? Eight. This is my six. Everything is like out of gas. People were coming in and

loaded, trying to buy, you know, five and ten cans worth of gasoline. They're just hoarding it. In Richmond it. This this, th, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their their their their their their their their their their o' their the 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 their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. their. their. their. their their their their their tooooo.o.oo.ooo.one.oo.oo. to.o.o. to. their their their their their their their their in and loaded trying to buy, you know, five and ten cans worth of gasoline, they're just hoarding it. In Richmond, Virginia, this man filling up water bottles with extra gas. And in North Carolina, tensions high, a fight breaking out in line for the pumps. The FBI identified the group responsible for the attack as Darkside, a gang of hackers based in Russia in a brazen scheme to extort money. According to Reuters, Darkside posted a statement Monday saying it, quote, never meant to create havoc, and our goal is to make money and not creating problems for society. Wow, these hackers caused so much damage that they felt like they had to apologize. We just wanted to steal money.

We never wanted to make people wait in lines. To hear more of our apology, please, please th th th th th th th th th th th th the thiipip please thipip please thipip please thipip please thipipe please thi. Please thi. Please thi. thi. thi. thi. thiolken thiolked their their thiolk. thiolk. thiolk. thi. to to to to to to to to to to We never wanted to make people wait in lines. To hear more of our apology, please, type in your bank account number. But hey, man, you gotta admit, that's still more responsibility than most legitimate businesses ever accept. You know, when drug companies flooded America with opioids, they were just like, yo, sorry your whole town is dead everybody, but maybe next time you shouldn't have back pain. The crazy thing to me is is is is to me to me to me to me th, th, th, to me th, th, th, th, th, to thi, to thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, to to to to thi, thi, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to th, please, please, please, please, please, th, th.... th. th. th. thi, thi, the, the, the, the, the. Wea, thean, thean, thean, please, the thean, please, the thean, please, please, please, thean, please, please, please, please, the. The crazy thing to me is that there wouldn't even have been a gas shortage if people hadn't panicked and started hoarding gas because they thought there would be a shortage.

And guys, please use your heads. You don't need to rush out and buy something just because you think it might be in short supply. Always remember to take a moment, breathe and realize that you can always just rob your neighbor later if shit gets hard. And while I'm giving advice, obviously filling water bottles with gasoline is a stupid idea people, because now you realize you're going to have bottles of gas right next to your bottles of water. And then what's going to happen, huh? If you're not careful, you might end up accidentally drinking Dasni.. th. th. th. th. th. to. th. to. to. th. th. to breathe. th. to breathe. th. to breathe. th. th. th. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe to breathe to breathe to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. Breathe. Breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. to breathe. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii next to your bottles of water. And then what's gonna happen? If you're not careful, you might end up accidentally drinking Dasani.

Now, thankfully, it's looking like America will soon be back to burning as much fossil fuel as it wants. The bigger problem is that America's vulnerability to ransomware is here to stay. The question is though, what is ransomware? And why is it so hard to stay. The question is, though, what is ransomware? And why is it so hard to stop? Well, let's find out in another episode of If you don't know, now you know. Ransomware. It sounds like a fashion line for casual yet elegant kidnappers, but it's actually a big problem that's only getting worse.

Ransomware is a cyber attack in which hackers threaten to shut down networks or publish private information unless paid a ransom. Department of Homeland Security estimates a 300 percent increase in such attacks in the past year alone, with a cost of more than $350 million in ransoms. Ransomware encrypts a computer network's data to hold it hostage, and then we'll only give the digital decryption key to unlock it for a price. The average payment climbed from a few thousand dollars in 2018 to more than 230,000 dollars. Desperate to recover their data, some businesses have paid as much as $935,000 in ransom.

They demand a ransom, usually in Bitcoin, a largely untraceable digital currency. Ransomware has become such a frequent occurrence. 40% of companies in the UK with over 250 employees are now stockpiling Bitcoin in the event of an attack. Oh man, this is terrible. These hackers aren't just forcing people to pay money. They're forcing them to learn about Bitcoin. Well, that's the real crime. But at the same time, it makes sense.

If your company gets hacked, then you're prepared. And if you don't get hacked, you can always give Bitcoin to your employees as Christmas gifts. Happy holidays, everyone. Go buy a hitman off the dark web. Yay! But yes, much like matcher flavoring, ransomware attacks went from something you've never really heard of to being basically everywhere, which makes sense. Because as the world gets more online, there are more and more targets to choose from.

And it's not helping that it's also really cheap and easy to pull these scams off.. Which. Which. Which. Which. Which. Which. to to to to the to the the the to the to their to their to to to their to to their to their to to to to to to to to to to to to to their to to to their. to to their. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their their their their their their theirc. their the th. the the. the the the the the thi. the the the the the the the the the thi. the the the the thi. thi. the the. the the. more targets to choose from. And it's not helping that it's also really cheap and easy to pull these scams off. Ransomware incident usually starts innocently enough. Maybe an interesting special promotion offer or an email disguised as coming from your boss. But once you click on the link or download the file, it can kick off a debilitating attack. The barriers to entry to create ransomware are really low. Hackers advertise do it yourself ransomware kits on the dark web. It's an incredibly detailed guide that enables you to customize every aspect of the ransomware without ever really having to write any code yourself. Today almost anyone can get their hands on ransomware technology, ransomware, can be purchased on the deep web for as little as $39.00. Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa. That's that's that's. that's. that's. that's. that's th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th, th, th, th. th. thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. 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 thi. thi.ooomooomea.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thiware technology. Ransomware can be purchased on the Deep Web for as little as $39. Okay, whoa, whoa, that's crazy to me.

You can buy ransomware for just $39? It's like nothing. I mean, to be fair, though, that's probably the version that has ads, right? Like you can shut down America's energy infrastructure, but every 10 minutes you have to watch that stupid Limu-Emo commercial. What the hell is that? I'm not going to buy insurance from an Emo. I'm going to buy it from a gecko, sophisticated like that. And by the way, am I the only one who feels like it kind of ruins the drama of a ransomware attack when you find out that all think of hacking, what do you think of?

You think of the computer equivalent of Tom Cruise breaking into a building with diamond cutters and coming down from the ceiling on wires and dodging the lasers, you know? When in reality, it's more like Tom Cruise just yelling at a security guard, and then the guard just waves him in. And the reason this works so well is because people will click on anything. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. th. What th. What th. What th. What th. What th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. What, th. th. th. thi. th. th. th. What, th. What, th. th. What, th. I I, thi. I, thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I thin. I'm thin. I'm thin, thin. I'm thin. I'm thin. I'm thin. I'm thin. I'm thin. I'm thin. I think thin. I think thin. I think th hey I'm here to fix the toilet, and then the God just waves him in. And the reason this works so well is because people will click on anything. I mean, have you seen the links at the bottom of news articles? You'll never believe what the house from Malcolm in the middle looks like today. I mean, I've never even seen that show, but I've read that article eight times. And one of the most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most most m messed things messed thi mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes mes- the most most most things about these crimes is who tends to be the victims. It's not usually rich corporations because they can afford the latest cybersecurity and the best IT guys.

You know, talking about the guy with the shortest, short-sleeve button downs, you know, the ones that barely make it past the shoulders. So because these companies are harder to strike, and instead, the hackers squeeze ransom out of the thanks, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, tha, thanks, thanks, and, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, the Instead, the hackers squeeze ransom out of the places that can already least afford it. For years, ransomware attacks have targeted retailers, hospitals, police departments, utilities, state and local governments. Their data held hostage until they pay up. Cash-strap municipalities are uniquely vulnerable to this kind of ransomware attack because they're using older systems, they don't keep them updated and they don't have the resources to be able to respond. Today, 26% of cities and counties say they fend off an attack on their networks every hour.

Cybercrooks know governments and hospitals are likely to pay because they can't afford not to. There was nothing that we could do to unlock those files. The best option for us, even though it was the last and worst option for us, was to pay the ransom. Shame, man. I can't believe hackers are stooping so low that they're demanding ransom from police departments. It's disgusting.

They need that money for their brutality settlements, you monsters. And of course, our hospital has no other choice but to pay. I mean, th, down your operating room in the middle of a surgery, what are you going to do? Send the patient home with only one of their butt implants put in? No, the cheeks would be uneven. So, hackers are using ransomware to cripple hospitals, police departments, utility companies, and local governments. And as a society, it's going to be chaos if all of those things crash. I mean, except for the hospitals. I don't need those. When it's my time, it's my time, and I'm ready, B.

Unless it's my appendix, then I need a hospital. But I mean for like major shit, you know what I mean? So because it's so major, you'd thin' throwne thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' thin' th The problem is, there's actually not much the federal government can do. This chaos left in the wake of colonial pipelines ransomware attack has heightened concerns. The energy grid and water supply have almost no federally mandated cybersecurity protections. The federal government depends on private companies improving their cyber hygiene to avoid ransomware attacks. 85% of American critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector. The government has very little visibility on whether these private corporations have good cybersecurity. One of the issues is with private companies, they are not required to

disclose cyber attacks. That really hinders the ability for law enforcement and the government to make an informed decision and develop the best policy options that they have to try and counter this attack. No country is more connected technologically than the US. And that makes you more vulnerable to this kind of stuff. I mean, really the only solution is turn the switch off, right? Yeah, disconnecting from the internet doesn't th. to to to to to to. to, to, to, to, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. the internet, the, the internet, the, the, the, the the, the thi. the the the the the tho, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their. And, their. And, their. And, their. And, their, their, thr. Andeanananananananananuu. Andeanananli. And, th th they. And, their, their, their, their, their, their. Yeah, disconnecting from the internet doesn't sound so hard. I mean, all you have to do is subscribe to Spectrum. No, but for real, though? I get that it's difficult for the government

to regulate the internal security of private companies, but the solution to ransomware cannot be to put the entire country into airplane mode. I mean, no one even does that on airplanes. Unfortunately, as of right now, there's not another solution that seems workable. So, until there is, Americans might need to stop panic buying gasoline and start panic buying Bitcoin. And if you don't know, now you know. All right, when we come back, I'll be talking to a pollster about how vaccine hesitancy can be changed just by language.

You don't want to miss it. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like, none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible.

I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome back to the daily social distancing show. My first guest is Frank Lunt. One of America's's top pollsters who's here to talk about how you can convince people to do the right thing if you just say it in the right way. Frank Luntz, welcome to the Daily Social Distance. This is such a privilege. I want you to know that I'm actually right here in Oxford,

England. I'm brave.this is not just social distance. I am 5,000 miles away from you at least, but I feel safe and I feel secure as long as we can keep it a continent apart. Well, I feel like you went a little bit too far because the CDC just announced that if you're vaccinated, you can be in the same space, but I'm happy that you feel safe. That's all that matters, right? Well, damn it, I didn't know this was going to happen.

I got up and get as far away as I could. The reason I wanted to have you on the show is because from the very first time I engaged in American politics, I found you to be one of the most interesting people in it because you showed me how Americans and American politics are oftentimes influenced more by how people perceive the message than by the actual policy itself and it has been no different in and around vaccines. You've been conducting polls showing how you can get people who don't want to take vaccines or against vaccines or vaccine hesitant or Trump supporters, Republicans,

whatever, to actually go, no, you know what, I will take the vaccine. What have you found is the best way to get somebody to take the vaccine when a few weeks or days ago they said, you know what, I will never get it? It's simple. Talk to your doctor, talk to your pharmacist. They know you. They know your history. They know what you're about. They know how to influence you and you trust them. Number two is to remind people or tell them that their own doctor got the vaccine. If 90% of doctors are vaccinated, if 90% of doctors are vaccinated, if 90% of doctors are vaccinated, what did they know that we don't? That's the second thing. And the third is the idea that if if if if if if if if that if you that if you that if you that if you that if you the idea thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi, thi, the the to to the their to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their to to their to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to toe. too. their, their their thi. their thi. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their the. And the third is the idea that if you won't do it for yourself, do it for your friends,

do it for your family, do it for the people that you love. Because in the end, we need both sides to be vaccinated, you and the people that you come in contact with, and we know that young women are most likely to motivate. And by the thi, thu, tho, tho, thu, thu, thu, thu, thu, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. thi, thi. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. Do it thi, thi. Do, thi. Do, thi. Do, thi. Do, thi. Do, thi. Do thi. Do thi. Do thi. thr. thr. thr. thr. to toooooooooooooooooooooooo. thr. thr. thr. thr. Do it thr. Do it brown community is most likely to be motivated by people who come from the black and brown community. Same thing with Trump voters. And by the way, all three of those groups, they don't agree on much, but all three of those groups do agree that if they hear it from a professional, if they hear it from someone who they trust, do much more likely to believe it, but they're hesitant about whether or not they're going they're going they're going they're going they're going they're going they're going they're going they're going they're much more likely to believe it, but they're hesitant about whether or not they're going to get vaccinated. The world of polling is really interesting to me, especially in the way you do it, because you know, you don't just ask people what they will or won't do, you then probe those answers.

So where most pollsters will say, will you vote for Trump, yes, no? But what if I told you that, or what, the most. So, 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, their, their, their, their. And, their. Ande, their. And, their. And, their. And, their, is. And, is. And, is. And, so. And, so. And, so. And, so. And, so. And, so. And, so. And, some, some, some, some, some, some, some. And, some. And, their, their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their? Yes, no, but what if I told you this, or what if I told you that, or what if it was said to you like this, etc. And you, and you oftentimes in your polling expose how much people's preconceived notions or biases affect how they end up making a decision. That has been, I don't think it's ever been more apparent than it is in America now. The Republican Party is a good example of that. The parties in just chaos and disarray right now. You have that group of 130 or so Republicans who are saying, we're threatening to break off and start a new

party because the message of an election stolen is something we don't like. As a pollster, what have you found in the Republican Party? Which side is actually more connected to their voters? It's the reason why I want to get out of America. I'm with some of my students here at Oxford right now. I'll answer your question. Those who are with Donald Trump more closely reflect the Republican Party. Those who are against Donald Trump more closely reflect America. So if you're trying Donald Trump more closely reflect America. So if you're trying to win a primary, you want to be with Donald Trump. If you're trying to win the general election, Trump is going to sink you. Wow.

Yeah, I mean, it really is that graphic. The GOP absolutely believes that the election was stolen, absolutely believes that Donald Trump should be president, and they're going to fight for him. The independents and Democrats believe exactly the opposite. So frankly, I don't know how you win a GOP primary without the support of Donald Trump. I don't know how you win an election with his support. Wow, that's a crazy conundrum in a space to be in politics.

And I wonder if we take a step out of that, let's take a step out of the Republican Party and apply some of these lenses to America. Joe Biden won, I think it was 8% fewer Hispanic votes than, I think it was, you know, Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, I stand to be corrected. But people were th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th in th in thin thin thin thin thi thi thi thi thi thi thoen tho thi, tho thoe tho thoe, thoen, thi, thi, the, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to tho tho tho the tho the the tho the the the tho, thi, the, thean, thean, thean, thean, thean.ean, thean.ean, thean.eanan, theanananan, toen, thean, to I stand to be corrected, but people were shocked by this. And people were shocked at how Hispanic voters aren't maybe as liberal as maybe, or progressive as, as, as, as people previously thought, especially in and around issues of immigration.

Have you seen messaging that resonates and hurts people or helps them in certain ways? Absolutely. I don't give you a great example is that the American people desperately want something done. They want solutions. They want results. And they're tired of this fight back and forth. And immigration is a great example. They want a safe and secure border. But they believe in the DREAM Act. They believe that kids who are brought to this country through no fault of their own, have the right to earn citizenship. And Trevor, that's the key word. Nobody wants to just give people something.

They want them to earn it. The fact is the left does not want to hear from the right. The right does not want to hear from the left. We've never had a better opportunity to hear what people have to say. And we've to to to the to to to the to to to the to to the to the to to the to to to thii. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I've toe, thoen, thi. I'm thoome, tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. I tho. I tho. I thoe, the the the the th. I the th. I th. I th. I th. I th th. I th th th th th th th th th thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thr. thr. toe. toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooe. to listen than we are right now. There's a lot of anger, a lot of frustration, a lot of division, and the sense of writing people off or writing ideas off. My job is to reflect accurately where the America people think, where they're passionate about things, what they're afraid of and what they desperately believe. And if I can present that accurately, along with language that will help people communicate, then just maybe of and what they desperately believe. And if I can present that accurately along with language

that will help people communicate, then just maybe, and I'm not sure of this anymore, but just maybe we can make our democracy work. At least we got to try. Well, on that hopeful and yet also dystopian note, I want to say thank you so much for joining me on the show. Good luck out there in Oxford. You can come back now.

And if I bump into you in a space and you're vaccinated and I'm vaccinated, I will be able to greet you without wearing a mosque. And so travel safe, look after yourself as a human being and hopefully I'll see you again in the future, sir. You got it. Thanks. incredibly talented actress, Tucson Bedou, will be joining me on the show. So don't go away. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes.

It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome back to the Daily Social Distancing Show. My next guest is actress Tussomberdu, who stars in a new television series that takes place in a world where the underground railroad was an actual underground railroad. We talked about that and what it's like to be the first South African actress to lead an American television series. Tusombedu, welcome to the Daily Social Distancing Show. Hi, Trevor, how are you? I am fantastic because I'm speaking to somebody who is not just from my home country, but somebody who is also moved to America and is making a name for themselves. I'm less happy for your success and more happy that I have somebody to share South African stories and eat South African food.

That's really what I'm excited about. But congratulations, first of all, on not just making it into the industry, but making it in such a big way. What has that journey been like? And please tell me, how on earth did this happen for you? You know, I don't even know where to start, but I heard of the Underground Railroad in November 2018. I was in New York for the International A Awards. And I did the first audition then, and I sort of just forgot about it because I didn't

think anything of it. I was like, this is my first international audition. I don't even have the accent, right? It's just like, go there, do your best. And then I came to LA and top of 2019, and then I was able to make it into a room with Francine Maisler, who was the casting director for Underground Railroad. And then at the end of that night, I got a call from my manager telling me that it was a callback and that Barry wanted to meet me the next day. Barry Jenkins.

Barry Jenkins. And I'm like, wait, you know, first of all, call back how? I don't even know, I wasn't emotionally, mentally, you know, like just yeah. And so I met Barry the next day. At the end of it, he actually looked at me and he said, you are the character. I'm not saying you got the role, but Cora was you. You know, and then in those two weeks between meeting Barry and the tissue, I read the book like twice in preparation for that. And I was like, you know what, I, I, I this, but I don't know if I have it in me

to serve the character as authentically as she needs to be served, but I'll just do my best and then the rest is up to Barry. So what makes the story so difficult to tell is you're talking about one of the most painful periods in American history and that is slavery. When you're playing this character, it must have tha tha tholed tholed tholed tholed tholed thuuuuuuuu and thu and that is slavery. When you're playing this character, it must have felt strange and yet familiar to be an African woman playing a story about Africans who are displaced and put into America. What was that journey like for you in building and creating that character? So for me most importantly I realized very early on that I had a lot of unlearning to do in order to learn the truth and the same that whattruth and the same

that what I knew about the enslaved body in America was shaped by media and a very white male gaze so that serves a particular agenda. So I have to throw all of that away and completely, you know, be open to new information. Barry sent me stuff to read, he sent me audio tapes to listen to audio tapes of former enslaved people. And it's when I heard them, like the sound and how they spoke that something in me really shifted. Because here I was listening to people who are 75 years old, you know, 90 years old but they sound 16. And the English that they speak is broken. And it made sense because they were being taught English for instruction and not their their their their their their their their their their their their their to their to to to to their their to toe their their the English that they speak is broken. And it made sense because they were being taught English for instruction and not English for conversation.

And it really struck me is that the broken English that they spoke is the in English that if you went to South Africa today or parts of Africa, that's how people in the rural areas or in the townships speak today. So when that hit, it stopped being an African-American story and became a story about Africans in America. And so it would hit much closer to home for me. What was the hardest thing for you to do in playing the character and trying to tell that story as authentically as possible?

You know, man, I think the hardest thing to do was actually outside the world of the character, which was keeping a balance and, you know, being aware of who Tuso is and who the character was, because it's very easy to take on what the character is feeling and have it bleed into your everyday life, especially because what's happening in the story is still very relevant to what is happening today, you know. And the character is shaped by this huge sense of loss, rejection, abandonment, and she kind of has to fight to get that what she wants, which is ultimately her freedom. And you know, being a black woman, being a black body in the world today, I'm not even going to say just America, tha thu thu thu thu thu thu thu thu the same thu to to to to to to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be the same the same the same thu, thi, thi, thi, th being a black body, in the world today, I'm not even

going to say just America, those are the same type of struggles that we see. You know, it's just, it happens to be in a different time. So I had to be very, very self-aware. Wudzi, babes, when you're feeling this way, that's the residue of the character and not just yeah, but otherwise on set I always felt protected. I completely trusted Barry when he pushed me I knew it's because he knew I was capable of doing it. You are now pushing yourself to explore new horizons in the US. I mean you are already lining up projects and one of the most exciting that we've seen is that you are going to be teaming up with none other than Viola Davis herself. Tell me a little bit about that and how, how that came that came the th that th that that that that th that that that that that that th that that th that that that th that that th that that th that th th that that that that that that that that that. that. that. that. that. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. to thi. to to to to to the the the the the the the the the thi. the thi. the thi. thi. to be teaming up with none other than Viola Davis herself. Tell me a little bit about that and how that came about and what you're going to be doing in that.

In the very first audition, I was already working with the director Gina Prince by the wood. She was, you know, it was a whole working session, stretching me. But then she did something to me. She said, good luck. And I said, no, you can't say good luck. Because now imagine going to an interview and then they say good luck with all your other interviews. It means no hope for me. And I was like, but I want you to be my good luck.

We must work to get like, yeah. And then I think a few days later we had a meeting and I got a chance to meet, oh, Viola. And I absolutely loved it because from the interviews I've seen up her, her process is my process and I was like, I'm going to learn a lot from her if I get to work with her. And then eventually we were able to do the test shoot and then, ta-da! We're shooting it in South Africa. It's gonna be awesome. I'm excited. Oh, well, they, they, I feel like you've achieved the ultimate goal. You come to America, you make it in America, and then you find a way to make the American production go shoot in South Africa.

And look at that. You've just got a free round trip. Congratulations. Tucson Beedu, thank you so much for joining me on the show. Congratulations on all of your success, and I cannot wait to watch the full series of the Underground Railroad and everything else you're gonna be doing. Thank you. Bye. Don't forget, people. The Underground Railroad will be available May 14th on Amazon Prime Video. All right, we're gonna take a quick break,

but we'll be right back after this. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple Podcasts starting September 17.

Well, that's our show for tonight. But before we go, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. So please consider supporting an organization called Therapy-Aid Coalition. They're a non-profit, committed to providing free and low-cost online therapy to essential workers and to providing free and low-cost online therapy to essential workers and to victims of national disasters. So if you're able to, please go to the link below and donate whatever you can. Until next time, stay safe out there, get your vaccine, and remember, if you don't want

to get hacked, just don't open any emails ever. And yes, you will lose touch with most of your aunts and uncles, which is why it's really a win-win. Watch the Daily Show, Week Nights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes any time on Paramount Plus. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television.

Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. You're rolling? But that's all about to change. Like, none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts.

This has been a Comedy Central Podcast.