The Daily Show: Ears Edition - The Daily Show Presents: Desi Lydic: Abroad in Iceland

Episode Date: May 14, 2019

In search of ways to increase U.S. gender equality, Desi Lydic visits Iceland to learn how this tiny nation led the way in electing female leaders and closing the wage gap. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. John Stewart here. Unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast, The Weekly Show. We're going to be talking about the election, economics, ingredient to bread ratio, on sandwiches. Listen to the weekly show with John Stewart, wherever you get your podcast. The U.S. is ranked 49th in the world when it comes to gender equality.

49th. How did America get so far behind? We have Oprah. The global gender gap report measures the disparity between men and women in terms of education, health, economic participation, and political empowerment. And we can't be ranked this low again. If America wants to catch up with the rest of the world, we're going to have to start coughing off some of their homework. So I said goodbye to my family, to to the family, the to, the the the the the the the the the to, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, th. I, th. I, the, the, th. I, and, and, and, the, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, the, and, the, the, the, and, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, is.a.a.a.a.a.a.a.a. the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the rest of the world, we're going to have to start coughing off some of their homework. So I said goodbye to my family and headed out to explore some of the countries who are getting gender equality right. It wouldn't be easy, but like my grandma always said, when times get tough, throw on some lipstick and get to work. My first stop, number one on the global gender gap. Iclera. Iclerd. I'm Iceland. their their theirra at the edge of the world. There are glaciers, waterfalls, even the ground has been in organisms. With the total population of just over 300,000, they're a happy people, one with nature and so friendly.

Oh, you can't walk there. Oh, it's okay. I'm an American. They've led the world in equality for nine years straight, but things weren't always so evil here. Iceland was once as male dominated as a White House cabinet. Ugh. But then, in 1975, almost every woman in Iceland went on strike, both at home and in the workplace, and the entire country shut down.

According to former presidential candidate, Hala Thomas daughter, this is the moment when everything changed. It was a crucial event in order for us to five years later be the first country to democratically elect a woman as president. You had a female president in 1980? We did.

Her name was Vigdys Femboa daughter. Vigdys Findem Bindum. Vigdis Finnbog d'Ogotter. Vigdisfi. Vigdis Finnin. I'm going to call her Madam President. Iceland's Madam President serve for 16 years, all while being a single mother. Live in Ishland. Hushering in an era where a woman in power was the norm, not the exception. And women in Iceland aren't just getting their dream jobs. They're getting paid.

We are probably the most progressive country in the world when it comes to closing the wage gap between women and men. Specifically, what is the wage gap? It's when women get paid up to 20% less for doing that same that same do. For all women, the average gap in America is around 20 cents on the dollar, and when you break it down further by race and ethnicity, it gets even wider. But Iceland is moving fast to eliminate their gap. We have legislation that requires every employer with 25 employees or more to be transparent about their pay practices, and they have to show proof

that they're not discriminating against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against against to.. to their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their thiiiia. thia. their. thiaeee, their. their. their. their. Weaee, their. Weae. Weae. their. their. their. their. their. their. Weeeee. Wea. Wea. Wea. Wea. Wea. their. their, their, thiiii. the. the. the. the. te. tei. tea. tea. tea. tea. te. te. te. the. te. the. the. the. te. their pay practices and they have to show proof that they're not discriminating against women. It's very important to have equal parental leave if you want to close the gap between women and men because motherhood does increase the potential for a wage cap. What? Yeah, motherhood doesn't just decrease our ability to sleep or P&Ps. It also decreases our salaries by up to 18% percent. Rough when considering that one-fifth of families are headed by a single working mother. Meanwhile men's salaries actually increased by 26%

with fatherhood. Their genitals weren't even destroyed. When you make parental leaves equal for women and men, it makes it equally risky for an employer to hire a woman or a man during childbearing years, so it leveled the playing field. What is your parental leave policy? Men and women are given total of nine months. 80% of the pay that you were earning before you go on leave. Nine months?

Yes. This is for every job in the country? Yes. The teachers? The doctors? Yes. The elf hunters? Every job. Can the policies that you've created in a small country actually work for a much larger

and more diverse, much better country like ours? Is it working not to completely assimilate into Icelandic culture. I'm Iceland and this is Desi, no, that's not right. Clearly Iceland had me shook. I never forget my own name, but this country is making me re-examine the future of gender equality. We are very proud of the fact that we are number one when it comes to closing the gender gap. And even more impressive?

Fathers in Iceland also take time off to be parents to almost equal levels as most women do. Fathers putting their careers on hold to take care of their newborns isn't the norm in the US. When American men actually take paternity leave, 72% of them only take two weeks or less. So could could Iceland Iceland Iceland Iceland Iceland Iceland Iceland Iceland Iceland Iceland Iceland Iceland could could could could could could could could could could could could could could weeks or less. So could Icelandic men be that different? What was really going on here? Like? So how long have you been unemployed?

Well, I'm currently employed, just on a parental leave at the moment. You can admit it. My dad used to pretend to go to work every day, but really he was at the casino, bankrupting his family. It was all because he was fired. I'm employed. You have a job. It's perfectly normal for fathers to take paternity leave.

It would be hard to imagine the first months without being able to take this parental leave. That might be a hungry baby. No, I know. Yeah. I'm a mother so. Can we make it stop? Ruder wasn't just taking his parental leave he was only in it. How do you get him to go to sleep? Well sometimes we sing Icelandic lullabies. Oh I love love lullabies. Yeah I love lullabies. Yeah I love that one. Yeahrumyswavv' Klaetaka? Krummsv'a'a'kav K'a, yeah, I love that one.

It's such as weird. Krummsvv thaw to thu. It translates to Mary had a little clap d'oeuvre. It's about a raven who sleeps during in the cold night. It's dark. Sure he loved singing his baby nightmare lullabies now, but Rudra must be terrified of losing his career. Both me and my fiancé have careers and it's not fair for her to take too much time

of work when I can also take time of work. I mean, aren't you afraid of missing all the gossip at work? I put in a nest cam when I'm not at work, so I don't miss a single thing. We're a small company, so there are not many rumors. Well, if you don't think there are rumors, the rumors are about you. Mm-hmm. When Rueter abandoned his job as an attorney in downtown Reykjav work. And there was only one way to do that. Become one of them. So I went undercover, deep undercover,

transforming myself into a typical Icelandic lawyer. Perfect. I'm not in their food. That's a paper then rollante grue. Best of my boys the clinic. No one suspects a thing. So excited for the weekend. I can't wait to go to my fish drying shack.

Okay. Who are you actually? Who are you? Are you? Are you? I work here? Really? Time to get the truth.

Grue to a guy being at home, not even working. The whole place is just like in shambles. No. I mean, look at your desk. Shambles. What a difficult Icelandic working day, huh? How about this Rueger guy? It's like we all resent him.

Not really. You don't? Ritter is okay. He's just at home with his baby. He's coming back soon. Whose foot is that? It's mine. Really?

Karen? That's me. I was starting to sense they were on to me, even with my impeccable Icelandic disguise. This may come as a great shock to you, but I am not an Icelandic lawyer. Yes, we all know that. Bottom line. How much is revenue bleeding with Ruder sitting around with this baby at home?

We're actually doing okay. Honest truth? Yeah. We think you need to have a family-friendly kind of environment for people to want to work for you. These small businesses are so precious in their infancy. Yeah, but society also believes that the time when the children are very young is very precious and it is important for the fathers as well as the mothers to be with them.

So that's kind of what we are participating in. What is this place? As I become more and more one with Iceland? Right side, Desi, right side. Sorry, I thought this was European. My own life is becoming more the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th th the 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 thiole time the time time time time time time time time time time time time time time time the time time the the the the the the the the the the the the th. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi is becoming thi. thi. thi is becoming thi is becoming thi is becoming thi. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi toooooooooooooooooooooooooooee is Desi, right side. Sorry, I thought this was European. My own life is becoming more and more distant. Hey, buddy. Hey, I heard what happened at Playgroup today.

What does mommy always say? We never hit, ever. We get inside people's heads and play on their weaknesses. Everywhere I traveled, Icelanders were content, especially in their aqua blue earth jacuzies. But policies are like deodorant. Just because it works in one place doesn't necessarily mean it can be applied all over. Could this system ever work in America? I mean, it's difficult to generalize. I know many Americans. They are as different as they are many. The size difference, of course, the man is such a trueful.

Size does matter. Yeah, size does really matter. Of course, maybe it's because it jokes like that that were 49. Yeah, I could believe that. Iceland's emphasis on gender equality is trickling down to every corner of their culture. Just look at the daughters of Reykjavik, anfemale rap collective who are running the scene like an Icelandic lady Rue-Tang plan. We didn't politely ask, we just took the space. And got all the hate for it?

Yes. And that was ours. We have also space to swing our clits. But we took the space. Mmm, clit swinging. Here I had done it so many times, yet never knew it had a name. Are you a feminist band? Yes, of course, just by being very energetic and powerful and not perfect, but really perfect, though. Just being us so many together, being gorgeous, being fucking saucy. They're not just swinging their pleasure centers. They're also changing the way Iceland's

male rappers view women. Since we are like such a big heart of the scene now, they're not as rude. So you change the conversation? Yeah. We decided all to get the same tattoo like this. It's just simple. That's so cool. Do you have a tattoo? No. There was one time my sorority sisters and I agreed that we would all get bangs. And then didn't show up because I got too scared. Yeah bangs can be tricky. We were really starting to connect. I was basically an honorary member who they wouldn't let on stage. I thi longed to be fluty. I'm just a sip, I'm just a tip thi. B. She'll say the ecton k'en things do thin thin thin thin thin thin thin thin thin thin spit. Bitches, and say, ectin'keer's their will be in grue and crue me there come with me the drama

I'm a little bit fun. They were amazing. For that moment we were all sisters, and daughters, and clip-swingers. And we were all We were all one. This night was so special. And now with the band's symbol on their wrist, it was official. Oh, I see.

I don't know. Yeah. Like another beautiful vagina tat. I just got a vagina tattooed on my arm? Yeah, yeah, but... Obviously, it's a vagina. That's right, I just got a vagina tattooed on my arm. Suck it, patriarchy. Maybe it was the blood rushing from my head to my wrist wound, but Iceland is truly like no place on earth.

Though even in a country where the water is the color of the sky and the sky is the color of Chris Pine's eyes, everyone I spoke to made sure to point out that it's not all as dreamy as it seems. Iceland is not perfect when it comes to gender equality. We still have work to do. I'm glad you're like at least a little bit fucked up. We are. I would like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like to like 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 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 th., I, the the., the the.e.e.e.ea.ea. too. toea. I. I s. I s. I s. I like to see a lot more women in leadership roles. They say that we have more gender equality here than in other countries but really we're not equal just to make them clear. But you're number one. Number one it doesn't mean that there is equality. We're not going to keep being number one if

we relax. Oh I'm not relaxing. I'm doing Kegels right now. No, please not. Kegels could wait. I still needed to tighten up America's situation. Iceland is truly a beacon for gender equality. But across the globe, there's another place jam-packed with politically empowered women. Where the hell is everybody? So, where did all of my hard work get us? And where am I going next? Watch Jesse Leidic abroad on the Comedy Central app

and watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11 o'clock on Comedy Central. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. Hey everybody, John Stewart here. I am here to tell you about my new podcast. The weekly show is 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.

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