The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Stormy Daniels's NSFW Testimony | Lexi Freiman

Episode Date: May 8, 2024

Jordan Klepper recaps his favorite Met Gala looks, Putin puts on his own night of dictator opulence at his inauguration, and Troy Iwata weighs in on the disturbingly dirty details of Stormy Daniels's testimony during Trump's criminal hush money trial. Desi Lydic joins the “Idle Warriors,” a group focused on reporting idle vehicles for a cash reward. Plus, Lexi Freiman, author of “The Book of Ayn”, sits down with Jordan to discuss writing about narcissism and the benefits of cancel culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, the weekly show. It's going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting. You'll be saying to yourself, TGID. Thank God it's Thursday. We're going to be talking about all the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election. Economics. Earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. And I know that I listed that fourth, but in importance it's probably second. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday?

I mean, talk about innovative. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. You're listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Center, it's America's only source for news. This is the Daily Show, I'm George Clepper. Got so much to talk about tonight. Vladimir Putin somehow wins re-election. New Yorkers are getting paid to snitch, and New Yorkers are getting paid to snitch, and we find out if Donald Trump is good at sex. He's not. He's not. so that. to the headlucing. New Yorkers are getting paid to snitch, and we find out if Donald Trump is good at sex.

He's not. So, let's get into headlines. Let's kick things off with last night's met gala. Now, the magical night when the world's most fashionable, cultural icons try to figure out how the fuck they're going to fit their spiky headdress into an Uber pool. On fashion's biggest night, garden inspired looks on full display,

right in bloom with this year's dress code, the Garden of Time. Fans tried to figure out which star was fully covered, head to to toe, and a floor-length beige umbrella. Now this is water singer Tyler, so many people talking about this, she had to be carried up the stairs of the Met. The dress which was made of sand was simply too heavy. Okay, okay. A dress made of sand is super impressive. Who are you wearing? Coney Island, thank you very much. I like how she had four people carrier up the stairs.

I bet Joe Biden saw that and turned to the Secret Service like, Let's just do that from now on. But the true glam heads weren't paying attention to the Metgala because the real action last night was in Moscow, where Vladimir Putin held an opulent inauguration that just screamed definitely not a dictator for life. We continue to watch live pictures from Moscow where Vladimir Putin begins his fifth

term as Russian president. The strongman has already been in office for nearly a quarter century. Putin's new term doesn't end until 2030, and at that point, he'll be eligible to run for another six years if he wants. It's been a lavish and opulate ceremony there in Moscow. Come on Blan you can't show up to all this in a suit? Look they got the wizards and the golden walls you're walking in like you're late from the office man. How do you think Merlin over here feels huh? He He's like, I went full Hogwarts over here and now I feel like a dick, Flan? You act like you don't even want to be here, but this is your whole

thing. I mean I'm not criticizing you, you're the one with the poison, but still we could have done this over Zoom. Let's move on to America's Vladimir Putin. Donald Trump. It's now week four of the Trump trial. And boy, time flies when you're constantly falling asleep in court, doesn't it? But I can guarantee you Trump didn't nap during today's testimony, which brings us to our latest installment of America's most tremendously wanted. Today was the biggest day yet in the trial of Donald Trump because today, Stormy Daniels herself took the stand.

And you could tell from the start that the coverage was going to be delicate. Right now in the courtroom, our reporters in there are sending us notes, updates every second that they can. And Mr. Trump's defense attorney, Susan Nichols, is saying, quote, we're informed the second witness today will be Stormy Daniels. We want to renew our objection to her testifying particularly about any details of any sexual acts.

That is Mr. Trump's attorney, the prosecutors is also saying, quote, in terms of the sexual act, it will be very basic. I can't believe that to read this on television. It's not going to involve any descriptions of anything. Just read it. Oh, come on, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Acting like you're too good for this. Like you've never seen genitalia before, all right? You're very prudish for people whose names sound like poor names. Jake Tapper and Dana Bash in State of the Union. Yeah, oh. They're gonna smear conish all over your wolf blitzer, you know? Now, the crux of this case is that

truckonish all over your wolf-blitzer, you know? Now, the crux of this case is that Trump allegedly paid Stormy Daniels hush money to cover up their affair just before the 2016 election and today Stormy Daniels told us exactly what all that money was hushing. Starting from the very beginning of the night Donald Trump invited her for dinner in his hotel room. Daniels testified that when she first entered Trump's hotel suite he greeted her wearing silk pajamas. She says, she joked that he stole Hugh Hefner's pajamas and asked him to change, which he did. According to Daniels, when she asked Trump about his wife,

he admitted that he and Melania sleep in separate beds. After speaking with Trump for a while, Daniels told Trump he was rude and didn't know how to have a conversation. Someone should spank you with that magazine, she told him. She says Trump then rolled up the magazine and quote, gave me a look. So she took it from him, told him to turn around, and swatted him on the butt. Oh, that poor, poor magazine. Hasn't print media suffered enough? Spanking, silk pajamas, separate beds. These revelations are so uncomfortably personal that even Drake is like, oh, sucks to be

that guy. But if that stuff made you uncomfortable, hold up, it gets worse. Daniels testified that at one point prior to them having sex, Trump told her she reminded him of his daughter Ivaka, saying they were both smart, blonde, beautiful women who people underestimated. Hashtag, girl dad. Look, I know it's old news to us that Donald Trump wants to smearconish his daughter, but, remember, the court worked hard to find an unbiased jury which means there's at least one person on there who was in a

coma for the last 10 years and I bet that guy is losing his mind today. Are you hearing this? Are you hearing this? That's the president and his daughter and a porn star? Oh well my friend Prince hears about this. You know what? Maybe the actually damning part of all of this is how Trump got Stormey to have sex with him. According to Daniels, he suggested that she could be on the apprentice. Later, he stripped his underwear and told her, quote, this is the only way you're getting out of the trailer park.

Yikes. So, Trump isn't just a bad lover who thinks talking about his daughter is an acceptable form of foreplay. He's a creep who dangles career advancement over women to get them to have sex with him, because Lord knows, they're not in it for the two minutes of thrusting. And personally, I find it disappointing. I mean, who would have thought a man found liable for sexual assault would coerce a woman into sex. I mean, honestly, it's like you can't even trust sex offenders these days.

For more on today's testimony, let's go live to the courthouse with our own Troy Awada. Troy. What's the mood down at the courthouse today? I would say the mood is uncomfee. Like I was so perturbed. I made myself feel better by remembering that time I watched Salt Burn with my parents. That's how bad it was today, but I gotta tell you, it's pretty brutal hearing someone's dumb, horny man moves read aloud in the cold light of a courtroom.

I'm sorry, dumb horny man moves? You know, the things that you say and do right before you have sex with someone for the first time, the sexy stuff that you do in the moment that no one should ever rehash, you know, the faces and phrases like, your lips look like two big worms. Oh, okay, well, I mean, some people's man moves are pretty solid, I bet. Okay, you keep telling yourself that big guy. Like, what's your go-to move when you get to the bedroom? Oh, well, I don't know if this is the time or the play. One time, uh...

One time I said, oh, righty then. Just like Ace Ventura. But it was a good reference because we had both just seen Ace Ventura. I mean, she hadn't, but I had explained the movie to her and it was, it's kind of a sexy moment for both of us. Oh. Oh. Oh, Troy, what's your point? That, that testifying about people's man move should have no place in the legal system? No, no, I actually, I think the opposite. I think, th think, th think, th th think, think, thin thin, thin, I thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thi, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, the movie, thi, thr-a, thr-a, thr-a, thr-a, thr-a, thr-a, thr-s throan, told-s, told-s, told-s told, to-s told, told, to-s told, told, the told, the movie, the movie, thr point? That testifying about people's man move should have no place in the legal system? No, no, I think the opposite.

I think every trial should have it. Imagine if every time you committed a crime, the prosecutors could put your ex on the stand and describe your most mediocre hookup in grave detail. And then a stenographer and a carnigan wrote it all down, and then Jake Tapper broadcasted on national television. Yeah, frankly, okay? I see you...

That is a clear point. I mean, you put it that way, I would be the most law-abiding citizen in history. Exactly, yeah. Right now I'm about 50-50 on committing crimes. Like, like I can see myself counterfeiting stamps, but if it meant I'd have to sit through a retelling of how one night I got on all fours and I said, Tell me you're proud of me. I wouldn't even get a parking ticket. I I wouldn't even own a car. This might be the greatest crime deterrent in history. So you're saying we should just air all of Trump's dirty details

in an attempt to lower crime rates. No, Jordan, I am asking you to tell me you're proud of me. Oh, all righty then. Troy you want everybody. We come back, we'll find out how to, Troy Yawanna everybody. We come back, we'll find out how to make money by snitching. We'll go away. Hey, everybody. John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast.

The Weekly Show. It's going to be coming out every Thursday. Hey, every Thursday. I am here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast. The weekly show. It's going to be th.. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to be th. to be th. th. to be th. th. th. th. th. th. th. tho. tho. thi. tho. tho. tho. tho. tho. We'll tho. We'll tho. We'll tho. We'll tho. We'll tho. We'll tho. We'll tho. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. All. All. All. All. All. All. All. th. All. th. th. th. All. th. All. All. th. All. th. th. th. th. to. to. to. to. to. th. to. to. to. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, The Weekly Show. It's going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting. You'll be saying to yourself, TGID. Thank God it's Thursday. We're going to be talking about all the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election. Economics. Earnings calls. What are they they obsess me. The election, economics, earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient-to-bread ratio on sandwiches. And I know that I listed that fourth, but in importance it's probably second.

I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday? I mean, talk about innovative. Listen to the weekly show with There are a lot of annoying problems with living in New York City, but Desilidic found some heroes who are trying to solve one of them. Take a look. In New York, you've got to have a side hustle, whether it's being a naked cow girl or being an older naked cowgirl. But I recently learned about a new hustle that's actually helping the planet. The way to make some easy money gets some video of a trucker idling in New York City.

There are hefty fines for dirtying the air and so-called idle warriors get a share. To learn more, I met up with the idle warriors, a group of citizen vigilantes who are cashing in on this green gig. They say idle hands are the devil's workshop. What made you decide to use your idle hands to stop idling? Over 7 million people die every year on this planet due to air pollution. And we can change this if we just turned our engines off. The anti-idling law was created in 1971 by City of New York, but it wasn't being enforced at all.

So it's kind of like when white people do drugs. I thought that if citizens got an opportunity, they would do it. As an environmental attorney, Samaras Swanson wrote a law allowing any Nark Yorker to report an idling vehicle and collect 25% of the city fine. That's almost 88 bucks a pop. But what if I don't want a Karen on my Amazon driver? The companies are the ones who pay the fine. The drivers themselves do not pay the fine.

It's the owner of the commercial vehicle. So you're actually snitching on the companies. What we're actually doing is holding big companies like Amazon, Con Ed and Verizon accountable for polluting our air and literally killing people in New York. That is so cool. See in elementary school I was always known as a tattle tale but now I'm saying that that was just good training to be an environmentalist. Okay so we're taking down the man, not my actual mailman. Clearly, this isn't about the money, but we're all friends here. How much, how much do you make? I know a gentleman have made over $100,000 a year. What?

Wow, I'm not a mathematician, but if I take the sum of my credit card debt, added to the cost of being a woman in America, multiplied by 84% of what a man makes, and the earnings from reporting on a dozen idling vehicles, I'm rich. How many people know about this? Am I getting in on the ground floor or is this like Bitcoin where I'm going to have to cut my losses by selling my beanie babies? It's only about maybe 20 to 30 of us who are submitting the bulk of the complaints. I think we should just keep it between us. It's like an orgy. You don't want to 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 20, 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 the the to to to to to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to to, the the the the the the the the the the the, the, the their, 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, toea, toe, their, their, their, their, their, their, the bulk of the complaints. I think we should just keep it between us. It's like an orgy. You don't want to advertise it to everybody. You want a small dedicated group and hopefully Jake Jilin Hall. Wow. With an orgy you would think the more than marry and we hope that everybody participates. Our ultimate goal is for idling to end. The best thing that we can get is clean air. Clean air. Clean air. There's so much island going on that as long as you're in the right place you can really get one

after another. Oh, fuck it. Let's snitch. We are a group of vigilant New Yorkers looking out for the best interest of our neighbors. I wrote this bill because I wanted to see a change in the future. I've a Nordstrom credit card that hasn't been paid off in seven.. the right the right the right the right the right the right th the right th th the right th the right the right th th th the right the right th the right th th the the right right right right right the right right right right right right right right right right right right to th right right to to to the to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the to the to to to to the to to to to to the to the to to the to the the the the the the th bill because I wanted to see a change in the future. I have a Nordstrom credit card that hasn't been paid off in seven years. Are they even in business anymore? What do I do? I'm ready to make some money.

A difference. Make a difference. You have to keep your ears tuned to the sound of engines. Listening ears. Yes. You use your iPhone to capture the headquarters address and the license plate. See these blinking lights here on this truck van? Yes. That's a good signal that they're idling.

So you're a heavy. So when I see these blinking lights, there's a good opportunity. Be just like that. And then how long do we do this for 10 seconds. Yeah, it's a long period of time. I gotta do this for three minutes. If you want to get paid, you have to do it right. Turns out activism is really boring, anti-hydrating. I'm just gonna pop in for a quick mark.

You want to mark? That's fine. Confronting truckers takes balls. Luckily, George and I have those balls. I'm going to go and tell 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 and tell that driver that he's breaking the law. George, yes. I just want you to know. Yes. I'm right here with you. I am right behind you.

I got your back. Do you know why? Because we're partners for life. Love it. I'm right behind you. Can you shut the engine off so you're compliant with the law? I'm not with him. So you think you've learned enough to go out on your own? Oh, totally. All right.

I'm going to welcome you to become an idle warrior. George, you can count on me. After a full day of saving the earth, it was time to celebrate with my fellow warriors. This rounds on me. Cheers! To the real superheroes protecting the planet. Woo! Yeah, tho hold on. So when do we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we we 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 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. th. th. th this planet. Who? Yeah, that'll hold on.

So when do we get paid? It takes about two years. Okay, I'm out. Thank you, Dessie. We come back. Novelist Lexi Freeman will be joining me on the show. Don't go away. Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, The Weekly Show, it's going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting you'll be saying to

to tell you about my new podcast, the weekly show. It's going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting. You'll be saying to yourself TGID. Thank God it's Thursday. We're going to be talking about. We're going to saying to yourself, TGID. Thank God it's Thursday. We're going to be talking about all the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election. Economics, earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches.

And I know that I listed that fourth, but in importance it's probably second. I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday? I mean, talk about innovative. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. My guest tonight is an author whose latest book is the book of Ayn. Please welcome Lexi Freeman. Welcome. Welcome. Welxy, welcome. Well, thank you so much. Wexi, yes.

Yes. Yes. I love this book. This book is so funny and searing. Searing. Do you like searing? Yeah, all authors like searing. Yeah, you want a searing novel, it gets into the shit.

It makes fun a little bit of everything, it reveals something about yourself. I mean, it revealed nothing about me. I don't see myself at any kind of literature. But I love this book. I think this book starts, it follows somebody who gets canceled. Yes. And then one of her first moves is she finds the the writings of Einrand. Yes. And you describe her initial thoughts about Iran as the character says, and the main character says, I had always considered her the gateway drug for bad husbands to quit their jobs and start online stock training. Yeah, yeah. True. True.

What is compelling about Einrand for you in starting a novel like this? I mean, to me, she was, you know, basically the worst person I could write a book about, which really appealed to me. She's so contentious. I 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 to to to to to to to to to to to to quit to quit to quit to quit to quit to quit to quit to quit to quit to quit to quit to quit 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 the the the the the the the the the the their their their their their their their their their their their the the the the the their their the basically the worst person I could write a book about, which really appealed to me. She's so contentious within the culture, and, but I had recently watched a documentary about her when I started thinking about this, and to be honest, I mean, her ideas are provocative and difficult, but she also just had like a crazy sex life, which I found, you know, she was essentially in an open relationship at the end of her, you know, in her 60s. She was having an affair with like a man 25 years younger

than her. So like, Einran was basically a polyamorous, like she had a poly-cule, which I think people sort of like don't know about her. And it kind of destroyed her in the end. She ended up sort of like having a nervous breakdown when he was cheating on her. It kind of undermined her whole philosophy of selfishness in a way. And I found that incredibly interesting and funny. She's just funny. Yeah, if there's one thing that's going to take Ian down, who've tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho-a tho-a tho-a thi, tho-a tho-a tho-a tho-a tho-a tho-a tho-a tho-a tho-a 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 tho-s. tho-s. tho-s. tho-s''eo-a'eo-a'ea tho-a tho-a thi th funny. Yeah, yeah. If there's one thing that's gonna take Iran down who thought it was gonna be polyamory? It was polyamory that did it in the end which I just find delicious. I think it's it's

it's it's fat I think your book sort of looks at what it means to be selfish it sort of examines narcissism like what's you is interesting about the idea of narcissism? And if you can make it about me. Well, yes, exactly. I mean, you know, I'm not the first person to say this, but the culture is pretty narcissistic. And so, you know, wanting to write a satire about the culture, you know, you want to write something that's going to speak to all sides. And I kind th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th, you know, you want to write something that's gonna speak to all sides. And I kind of felt like, you know, narcissism is also

something that speaks to the nature of the artist, which this book is about, someone who's grappling with this idea of selfishness, and wanting to be the best, and wanting to be interesting and special and have you know contrarian opinions. But then there's also this desire to be empathetic and to do good in the world and it's the kind of the conflict between selfishness and altruism that is Einran's whole philosophy that I feel is kind of distilled in the artistic temperament and the artist's personality that feels like this really interesting kind of paradox to me and narcissism plays into that really

beautifully and is and is also funny. It starts it starts to unpack, starts to unpack this idea of cancel culture. Like how do you see that? Is there an upside to cancel culture? I mean yes sure there's you know things, things, it moves the needle, there's there's cultural change in a way that can be good. And then there's also just, you know, I had a conversation about this with a canceled person and and the the conversation went in the sort of direction of, you know, what being canceled kind of affords you the opportunity to do is to kind of kill your ego and not give a shit anymore about like what people think and because the ego is all about

reputation and trying to succeed and and when that's not a possibility for you anymore then you get to pursue enlightenment which I think is the other thing we could all be doing with our lives if we wanted to. So you're saying in order for me to get enlightened I have to first get canceled? Is that what I need to do tonight tonight? Maybe yeah. I'm gonna hold up I want to hold out to that ego just a little bit longer. Yeah I think enlightenment is good for you know as you get older and you know we are all supposed to be sort of shedding our e. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the to to to the their their 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 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 their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their to to their to to to to to to to to to are all supposed to be sort of shedding our egos and not caring about these things that preoccupy us in our youth.

So I feel like getting enlightened is something you could put off for retirement, you know, retirement slash enlightenment and that seems like a good thing. Yeah, yeah. If working at Walmart, go, go, go work at enlightenment, right? Yes. Yes. Now, this is a satire. I think it's, I think it's, it's fascinating how you're so specific in this book and you're able to satirize the left and the right as you move this character through these spaces. I guess, I'm curious, I always view satire and the daily show, we dabble in it here and there. But more often than me, it seems like satire is a broadsword. It's rarely, it's scalpel.

It seems as if you find complexity, and how do you find complexity in satire? I think you just have to be really specific. You have to be really generous. Like the reader is smart. You can't try to trick them with easy kind of ideas and jokes. I mean, sometimes it can be very rewarding. Yes, and a lot of people will fall for it. But if you want to kind of, if you want the reader

to really come on side with you, and especially with your most transgressive material, then you've got to really not take them for granted. And you've really, I edit the crap out of my books. I go in there, I there, I there, I the the the their their their their their their their their, I their, I their, I th. I th. I th. I to th. I th. I th. I try try try to to try, I'm, to try, to to to to to to to, to, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, tie, tom...... I, t, t, t, t, t, th... I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, try, thin. I, thin. I'm, try, try, try and, try and, try and, try and, try and, try and, try and, in there, I try to see it from all different sides and I really try to get as specific as possible, you know, so that the reader feels like I respect their intelligence and I, you know, I'm thinking of the thing they might argue back with me about. And I get specific, you know, there's a scene in the book, a sex scene where the character is pretending to do the locker room scene from Jerry McGuire. Do you remember that fit? Yeah. So, you know, I watched that scene a lot

and I really got very specific about how you might perform certain sexual acts while doing the Jerry Maguire locker scene. So, you know, you just, you do it, you just, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, to, to, to, to, to, to, 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, while doing the Jerry McGuire lock a scene. So you you just you do it, you just you you commit and you and you really go all the way with it. If if obsessing and thinking about sex scenes from movies could make you a great author, I think I would be a great author. I'm curious what you say about the editor. That's all it is right right? I'm curious when you talk about editing too. Like, are you, are you having a conversation with yourself as you're writing that with like more extreme points of view than you don't know if you fully believe and you're writing that thing out and then your editing process is a chance to essentially see if it holds water? Exactly, that's it. I'm always, in a sense, trying to cancell-a cancel try to cancel to cancel to cancel to cancel to cancel to cancel the to their their their their their their their their th. their, their, their, their, their, th. th. their, thin, their, thi, 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, th. th. th. th. th. the. the. teate. te. thea. thea. thea. thea. to. thea. thea. th. th. to, that's it. I'm always, in a sense, trying to cancel myself as I'm writing.

I'm thinking of like, what would someone who thinks the opposite of this say, and then what would the counter argument be? And like, how would I destroy myself if I wanted to? That's how I write. I'm just constantly thinking of these other arguments. And in a sense, it just makes your writing better and better. And in a weird, corny way, it makes you better. Because the more you think about what the other side might think and try to make your argument better, you know, the smarter and the more kind of compassionate you become. And I think that's why I get away with saying some of the things I say in the book. Because it's done with, you know, I'm not, I think

I'm respecting these characters and their complexity and their wholeness and and understanding why they think what they think and looking for the funny, funny parts really and the absurd parts, which, you know. Who do you imagine your audience when you're writing? Oh God, I mean, I think it's just like this mean voice in my own head. It's just, you're trying to quiet down the mean voices in your head. Yeah, it's literally just me being as mean as I can to myself. I don't know, there's probably a few,

I think there's a couple of critics I think about a little bit, ones I respect and ones I don't. They're in my head, some of my friends who are writers are kind of in my head. But yeah, and yes, definitely like these people I imagine holding really different opinions to me. I feel like there's like an avatar of that person that's sort of there saying, but what about, you know, this and and why aren't you thinking about this? And I'm like, okay, okay, and then, you know, you go back in. So I don't know. It's a whole, there's a whole parliament of people in there

telling me that I'm getting it wrong. Well I would say I think you got it right. I find this book hilarious, fantastic. Congratulations. I hope at least one of those voices in your head is happy with the product. The book of Ine is available now, Lexi Freeman. We're going to take a quick break. We're right back after this. Hey, everybody. John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast, the weekly show, it's going to be coming out every Thursday. So exciting. You'll be saying to yourself, TGID, thank God it's Thursday. We're going to be talking about all the things that hopefully obsess you in the same way that they obsess me. The election. Economics. Earnings calls. What are they talking about on these earnings calls? We're going to be talking about ingredient to bread ratio on sandwiches. And I know that I listed that fourth, but in importance it's probably second.

I know you have a lot of options as far as podcasts go, but how many of them come out on Thursday? I mean, talk about innovative. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. That's our show for tonight, now here it is. Your moment of Zen. Who directed you to the bathroom? How's that question, Hoffinger to Stormy Daniels? I went out of the dining area, through a room, through a bedroom, to the master bathroom. Did notice that someone had used the restroom

because there was a leather-looking toiletry bag on the counter with products in it. And there was Old Spice. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching 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. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. John Stewart here. Unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast, The Weekly Show. We're going to be talking about the election.

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