The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Prioritizing Mental Health for the Olympics and the Emmy-Nominated “The Morning Show” | Guest Spotlight

Episode Date: August 18, 2024

Desi Lydic sits with three-time gold medalist Gabby Thomas to talk about bringing home the gold for Team USA and how her Harvard degree in neurobiology gave her a leg up as she prepared for the Olympics. Plus, Desi chats with actor, writer, producer, and director Mark Duplass to discuss his Emmy nomination for the Apple TV+ series “The Morning Show” and honoring his mental health journey in his latest project, “Penelope.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Listen on the I-Heart radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, the weekly show coming out every Thursday. We're going to be talking about the election, earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday.

Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest and I just returned from the Paris Olympics after winning three gold medals Please welcome, Gabby Tame! Congratulations you must be over the moon good lord three gold medals one gold in the 200 meters sprint another gold in the four by 100 relay another gold in the four by four hundred relay I feel like I just ran a marathon just getting through all of your accolades. This is amazing. Congratulations.

Thank you. I'm honestly very relieved to be back in America. I was overseas for about a month and just so grateful. I really am. This is years in the making. I've been training for this moment for five years and so to have it all turn out this way is truly incredible for me. Oh. You're huge tongue. We just saw you win the 200 meter race.

You were so far ahead, everyone else. Like what was the moment that you realized, oh my god, I'm going to win the gold? So truthfully, I had been envisioning myself winning that race over and over again the entire time that race over and over again the entire time that I was in Paris. And so in my head when I got into the starting blocks I had already won the race. I'd believed that I was an Olympic champion. But the true moment that I realized I had won was coming off the curve. Anyone who watches my track career knows that I finished my races really strongly and the last hundred

meters is my bread and butter and so if I can come off the first hundred meters ahead I kind of I know I've won the race. Thank you. Thank you. You essentially manifested this for yourself. Is there anything you can do about the upcoming election? Acting for a friend. One of my favorite moments in all of this was getting to see your mom's reaction, the moment that you won. Can you talk about how instrumental she's been throughout your journey?

Oh my goodness, I can go on and on about my mom and her support, so I grew up with them. Yeah, I know. Give it up for mom. I know. I mean, my mom has believed in me since I've been born. I grew up with her and my twin brother. And she has done everything for us from, you know, she started as a waitress and then worked her way and now was a professor of an endowed chairman professorship at the University of Michigan. And so I watched her, I watched her, my entire life, work really hard for something and to make her dream happen.

And she's always instilled in me the importance of not only education, but going after your dreams and giving back to your community. And so she was the best role model that I could have ever imagined having. And she told me I will never forget when I was nine, maybe ten years old, that I had a lighten me and that I was going to shine very brightly and that it was my purpose to do so and give it back to the world. And I will never forget that conversation but just constantly having that type of a role model to look up to, it got me to where I am. Well, she was trying.

Yeah. Training for the Olympics is clearly an enormous amount of physical training and exertion, but what about the mental aspect of it, all of the pressure of feeling like you have to perform in this, in this moment, in time. How do you, do you have coping mechanisms that you deal with? Because I pretty much have a mental breakdown within the first four minutes of hot yoga? And how do you manage all mechanisms that you deal with? Because I pretty much have a mental breakdown within the first four minutes of hot yoga. How do you manage all of that? Oh gosh, yeah, a lot of people don't realize that our sport, half of it is mental. You can prepare physically every day and be so

physically prepared, but if you're mentally not there, you just, you're not going to be great. You know, you can be good, but you can't be great. And I remember telling all of my loved ones before I competed at the Olympics, I don't know how I could have prepared for this moment because there is nothing like walking out into that stadium and seeing 80, thousand people on top of you, millions of people watching at home. And in track and field it it's just you out there. You don't have a team to rely on. There are no do-overs, there's no next play. This is it, and this is your moment, and if you don't do it in that moment,

then it's over. And gosh, for me, that was a lot of pressure to take on. But I was as prepared as I just have a healthy relationship with the sport and myself in the sport. So while I did believe that I could win the gold medal, I also knew that it was okay if I didn't. All I had to do was put my best self forward and be the best athlete that I could be. So you're saying no bourbon.

No bourbon. No bourbon. Well, as though it's not 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 not enough to be a three-time gold medalist, you also graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's in neurobiology. You have a master's in public health. Do you use your neurobiology education and to help inform the way that you train? I think so. So I think I actually had a bit of an advantage studying neurobiology when I was an undergrad because I grew to have a very deep understanding of how

the brain could actually help you athletically and what was important. For example, recovery is huge in our sport. It is almost as important as the actual racing and the actual practicing. And understanding neuroplasticity and the neural pathways and how they change when you're doing certain things for your recovery was really important. Understanding how sleep was very important. Understanding how to get enough sleep every day, how that can detramentally affect your training, how can it affect how you compete and just

really having that understanding for it. understanding how going through the train 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 you compete, and just really having that understanding for it. Understanding how going through training and the repetition, the muscle memory, all of that is integral to being successful in track and field. So actually understanding that and appreciating it, I think really helped me. It's different from your coach just telling you, you know, go get eight hours to sleep. hours of sleep you really need it but I really appreciated it. You as though it's not enough all that you do you're endlessly impressive. You dedicate a lot of your time towards volunteer work with a health clinic in Texas providing

medical care for people who don't have health insurance. Why is this kind of work so important to you? Mainly because I believe everybody deserves equal access to health care. Thank you. Simply put, but when I was in school studying neurobiology I started taking a few sociology courses as well to complement it and I realized that there were a lot of things we don't learn about the health care system in our regular curriculum. And I was being exposed to it.

And I drew a passion for studying and gaining a foundation and racial disparities in health care. And it just really struck me to my core, especially being a black woman in America. And now that I'm actually seeing it in real time in Austin at the Volunteer Health Care Clinic, there are just so many things that we can do better. I mean, these are people who really don't have access to health care otherwise. I don't know where they return to.

And we are people, it's a volunteer-based clinic. So these are people who are dedicating time to give just primary care, preventive care, education. And it's unfathomable to me that these people would have nowhere else to turn to if this clinic didn't exist. And it's just so simple. It's a simple concept, right? We could increase funding for it and people can have access to health care so easily. And that's what we do with the clinic and it's really just near and dear to my heart because everybody deserves that. It's so easily. And that's what we do with the clinic and it's really just near and dear to my heart because everybody deserves that. It's so inspiring to do that. It's true. I refuse to ask the question what will you do next? Because for the love of God,

you just won three gold medals, you should celebrate it and enjoy it. So what I'm curious about is how are you celebrating this incredible moment? Well, I'm just really excited to go back home to Austin, Texas, to be honest, and spend time with my puppy, Rico. Get back into my morning routine of going to my local coffee shop, go see my friends and family and get to celebrate with them just in our home setting and then maybe plan a vacation after that, but I just can't wait to get back to my normal life. I'd say you were in a pretty nice vacation after all of this. Thank you so much. Gabi Thomas, everyone!

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Four out of five employers who post on Zip Recruiter get a quality candidate within the first day. Try it for free at this exclusive web address. Zip Recruiter.com slash Zip. Again that's Zip Recruiter. The smartest way to hire. It's been said that Nye Skies finished last. But is that really true? I'm Tim Harford, host of the Cautionary Tales podcast, and I'm exploring that very question. Join me for my new miniseries on the Art of Fairness. We'll travel from New York to Tahiti to India on a quest to learn how to succeed without being a jerk.

We'll examine stories of villains undone by their villainy and monstrous self-devaring egos and will delve into the extraordinary power of decency. We'll face mutiny on the vast Pacific Ocean, blaze a trail with a pioneering skyscraper and dare to confront a formidable empire. The art of fairness on cautionary tales. Listen on the IHart radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, The

Weekly Show coming out every Thursday. We're going to be talking about the election, earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts but how many of them come out on Thursday? Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. They love you. Oh man. How much did you pay for that? That was... Not a dime, not a dime, baby. Congratulations.

Emmy nominated. This is your second nomination for the morning show. And this time you're alongside other, your co-stars, Billy Crudup and John Ham. Tell us why you feel you're, you deserve the award more than time you're alongside other, your co-stars, Billy Crudup and John Ham. Tell us why you feel you deserve the award more than them. Oh, well, there's a couple of things. The first is a smaller thing, but it's just my talent. Sure, yes, obviously.

That's generally it. Then, it's like a Hollywood thing. We like to talk about it a lot. Do you go on. But there's a there's a penis size issue as well. So. So. Hands down. You know, like, they do these, you know, these aren't their real names. You know, it's like John Ham. Oh, maybe that insinuate. Like, Billy crewed up. And I'm just like, I'll just go duplass. the their their their their their their their their their their their their 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. T. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. th. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. the. that's. the. the. the. th. th. th. th. th. uate, like Billy crewed up. Up. You know? I'm just like, I'll just go duplass. Like, I don't need to brag. Yes, I love it. This is you, you, it is well deserved.

Very well deserved. Congratulations. I imagine being on the morning show you have to do a lot of research by watching all the other morning shows. Do you have a favorite? And keep in mind, Gail King does watch the daily show. So careful what you say. I like Gail King's show. That's it. I like Gail King's show. Yes. We love you, Gail. It's the best of all the shows. You know what? I'm not like a big research actor. Like I'm kind of, I would say Chip is like a 20 to 30% more stressed out version of me

and how I am. But what I did discover when I was talking to people about this show is how freaking stressful the live news thing is. Because I produce independent films and I'm like, I know what it's like to work on time constraints and budget constraints, but the live thing. Right. I really kind kind of a a a to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to th a th a th a th a th a th a th a thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty thirty percent thirty percent thirty percent thirty percent thirty percent thirty percent thirty percent thirty percent thirty percent thirty percent thirty percent thirty percent thirty percent thirty it's like to work on time constraints and budget constraints, but the live thing, right? I really kind of got a sense of that. I was like, oh that's real like shit your pants material. Oh yeah, that's that's where it goes down. Oh for sure. Like I'm sure right now you're sitting in a whole oh there's a whole shit your pants situation happening under Yeah. I mean, I can't avoid it.

I got a whole stock of diapers down here. Listen, I'm right there with all the bourbon. I got all the tools. It's so funny because in season one, your character, Chip, goes in. And it feels like he's kind of the audience in a way. Like, we see ourselves in Chip. He has great journalistic integrity, he's level-headed, he's the every man and throughout season three we get to watch your character unravel completely and chip gets messy. He does.

He gets a little messy. Sloppy. A little sloppy. Yes. Well here's a great thing about Chip in my opinion why he's so fun to play because you're right. He was essentially the moral center of the show. He was the bastion of the b b. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. the th. the th. th. th. the the th. thi. thi. thi. the thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. He's the thi. the, the, the, the, the, the, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the, the, the, 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 the thi. thi. the thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the theeea. the the the the the the the the the the thea. thea. thea. thea. thi're right he was essentially the moral center of the show he was the bastion of journalistic integrity but he's got this wonderful Achilles heel which is that he is completely co-dependent upon and obsessed with Alex Levy which is also easy to play because I'm completely obsessed with Jennifer Aniston you know so so like yeah really hard getting into character on that one, you know? But that's the great thing about Chip is he's got it all right until it comes to his relationship with Alex.

And that really is kind of his, his, his, his downfall. Um, you, you're getting ready to start up in season four. Yeah, we're a few weeks into shooting. What can you tell us? I feel like if I said something, I can even like really try to say it and I feel like Apple is like inside of that camera that camera right there. They're all watching. And I think we might both get zapped. That's probably true. So they do have zappers at Apple. They have Apple zapp. They have apple. they have a tap. the. their zap. the the the the their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. th. th. their. th. th. th. th. th. th. their. th. th. Yeah. Yeah. their. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. the. Yeah. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. the. t. the. the. the. the. the. the t. t. try. t. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. zapping. Do you guys have the new eye zap? It is incredible. It's amazing. Sinks that you need a new charger for it. I know, but you can kill people from across the street. It is really, really something, guys. Don't worry, Apple. We'll edit this part out.

Yeah, we're, no, no. Oh my god. You're not only such a talented actor, but you're an insanely talented writer and producer and director. You and your brother Jay essentially defined an entire subgenre of indie film. And that's really important to you still. Yes. So why is championing those projects, indie film and TV so important, even with that sweet apple cash? Well here it comes. I'm gonna be like, Chip on the morning show. I'm gonna get up on my high horse now. Because like that, your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your your, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your, your brother, your brother, your brother, your brother, th. th. th. th. And, th. And, your brother, th. th. th. th. th. And, your brother, your brother, your brother, th. th. th. And, your brother. I'm gonna be like Chip on the morning show. I'm gonna get up on my high horse now because like that stuff is going away. Okay, like our business model is failing.

The streamers are reducing. And when that happens, all they're gonna do is make the big stuff, like the Game of Thrones that they know can work. And the really exciting things like I may destroy you and baby reindeer. They're just cutting that stuff away. So what I'm doing right now is like taking the money I make from the morning show, and I'm just gonna go and invest and make my own TV series independently. I made a show recently called Penelope that's really close to my heart,

because it's about a 16-year-old girl who leaves behind sort of the trappings of her modern life to go in the woods. And I did it because I have teenage daughters who deal with mental health issues and I deal with mental health issues and like our technology and the way we're living is kind of destroying us right now. I don't know if you guys have read the anxious generation. It's an incredible book. Yeah, it's incredible. It's incredible. And so I really wanted to make something that the story and the only the the the the the the the th. the the th. th. the the th. th. I the th. I th. I the th. I the the thin. I the the the the the th. I th. I te. I've te. I'm. I'm te. I'm. I'm. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. I'll. 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. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I'll. I. I. I'll. I'll. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. t. t. t. t. t. t. te. t. t. te. te. te. te. te. I'm. I'll. I'll. I'll. I t make something that could contribute to that story and the only way I can do it now is like Get rich on the morning show and go blow it on my stuff So yeah That's it

It's so awesome that you do that you mentioned that you've talked very openly about struggling with anxiety and depression. How did that? that? Were you surprised feel to share that? Did that, were you surprised by the reaction that you got? 100% surprise. And here's the thing, it didn't feel weird to share because I live in Los Angeles amongst a group of artists where this is just dinner table conversation. We're all anxious and depressed and we're always talking about it all the time. We're tra. Yeah, the the they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. to all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all all. they. they. their. to. to. to. to. to. to. the the to. to. to. to. to. to. their. their, their, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th...... I.. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. te. te. to. to. it all the time. We're trading therapists. My therapist is right under the set right now. She's just waiting on call. Yeah. And so it's like what medication are you

want? I'm switching over to SELEXA now. You know, it's this, these are our conversations. But what I didn't realize is that, you know, as you well know, because I don't know if you guys know, Desi was with the the th. Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, Dess, 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, what, what, thi, what, what, what, thi, the thi, thi, the the the the thi, thi, they, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the a lot of the men who watch that show are not the men who are comfortable with talking about their mental health because they're football dudes and whatnot. And so when I started going on my social media, I got this outpouring, particularly from men just being like, I can't believe you're saying this out loud and it makes me feel really good to know that someone that I view as somewhat successful is still on their feet despite this and it offers hope in that way so I never really planned on being some sort of mouthpiece for it I was just sort of whining on social media and then

it kind of had this effect so I'm like oh well this is this is something it's so it not only brave but it's a generous thing for you to do to help support others. So it's really meaningful that you did that. I have one final question. The morning show. Is there any thought about spinning it off into doing a behind the scenes late night show?

I'm just curious. So there's this one little thing that we've been pitching, okay? It's about a woman who... Fine, I'll do it. I'll do it. Yes, yes, yes. Okay. I accept.

The only thing is the title. It's called Diarrhea, Diarrhea. Say no more. Good? Contracts already signed. I'm in. Mark to Okay, great. I'm in. Mark Duclass, everyone.

Oh, man. All episodes of the morning show are swimming now on Apple TV Plus and Tumelope will be available to stream on this list. September 24, March 2, 7th. Explore more shows from the Daily Show to the Daily Show, wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and stream full episodes anytime on Fairmount Plus. Paramount Podcasts.

Do nice guys really finish last. I'm Tim Harford, host of the Cautionary Tales podcast, and I'm exploring that very question. Join me for my new miniseries on the Art of Fairness. From New York to Tahiti will examine villains undone by their villainy. Monstrous, self-devaring egos and accounts of the extraordinary power of decency. Listen on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hey, everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, the weekly show coming out every Thursday.

We're going to be talking about the election, earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread bread the bread to to the to to the to to to the to the to to the to to the to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday? Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart wherever you get your podcast.