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

Episode Date: May 16, 2019

Desi Lydic heads to Spain, the birthplace of machismo, to discover how a historically patriarchal society is reducing toxic masculinity. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Stewart here, unbelievably exciting news. My new podcast, The Weekly Show, we're gonna 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. You're listening to Comedy Central. The US 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. 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 copying off some of their homework. So I said I say to to to to to to thine the thine the thine thine the thine thine the the thine thine thine the thi thi thi thi. thi. thi. thi. thi, thi, thi, th. th. thi. the the thoom. tho-a. 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 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. thea. threatea. threate. thea. tea. tea. tea. tea. thea. thea. thea. thea. the of the world, we're going to have to start copying 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. I started in Iceland where I learned about paid parental leave, and then crossed over to Namibia and got a refresher in female representation and government. Now my last stop, Spain. I'm here in beautiful Spain, number 24 on the list, but number one on the list.

This historic Southern European oasis is known for their love of life. Their modern artists with upside-down mustaches. Their massive spirit and minuscule tampas. Is that Hamier Bardem and Penelope Crews making out? Which the Spanish love to share. That's called in English Blood Pudding. What? Yes. It's a historically patriarchal society where men prove their masculinity by wearing crop

jackets while waving tiny tablecloths at oncoming livestock. We're born equal, but then culturally, expectations is that you are a macho man. In fact, Spain is the birthplace of machismo. Thanks for that, Spain. The disease of the machismo is to make you feel in a secondary position. But Spain is changing. In March of 2018, they launched their own Me Too movement, when 5 million women went on strike to make their voices heard.

Women took to the streets to protest Spain's laws on reproductive rights and sexual violence. It signaled a nation heading in a new direction. To learn more, I went to meet journalist and gender correspondent Pillar Alvarez. She agreed to meet me in the only location I could remember from eighth grade Spanish. Where is the biblioteca? Here. Grazias for meeting me here. It was this or El Banyo.

And I will not do that again. Absolutely. Pilar's been at the forefront of the massive changes that are spreading across Spain. I think it's a very interesting moment to be here now in Spain. Women are awake right now, you know. Three months after the strike, they have a new government, and 11 of the 17 people in that government, they are women. 11? Mm-hmm. That's more women than we got for an Oceans movie.

Spain's female majority cabinet got straight to work, introducing a progressive yes-means-yes consent law. Maybe with a male cabinet you don't have that debate. I'm sorry, I just have to wrap my mind around this. Women spoke out and the government listened. Yeah. How does that feel? Doesn't happen in the States?

Not yet. Madrid's not just peacocking with their architecture. The city council has an entire department dedicated to gender equality. I develop gender policies and policies against gender violence. So other council members are like, I got to work on these potholes, done. And you're like, I have to work on this patriarchal structure that's existed since the dawn of man.

You really chose the hardest job. Gender equality, sometimes it's hard, but we need to change the culture of power, which is mainly masculine. We need to convince men that they need to change some of their attitudes. How do you convince the men? Do you trick them into thinking it's their idea? No, not at all. Right now we are creating a spaces of equality. These public spaces scattered throughout the city are built for the support and empowerment of Madrid's women with free psychologists, legal advice and arts initiatives. These are spaces of sorority. I don't know if you use this work?

Sorority? Yes, I was in one. Okay, cool. Yes. I mean, they would say I wasn't, but I basically was. Okay. We're trying to give tools to women to react to inequalities. But there is also men workshops.

Men too. Yes, for sure. To work with their toxic masculinity. A room filled with men whipping out their toxic masculinity, I wasn't going to take any chances. To most people, toxic masculinity is just an expression. But to me, it's literally toxic. When I went to the entourage premiere, I broke out in hives.

Drop it. Don't get better, anything you do it not do, but talks for myself that once in a letter. So if I'm going to expose myself, I've got to protect myself. Emotions, what it to support us. Emotiolmion is what their their their their their their their their their theno normally more difficulties, of surprise, of expectations. My motivation for being here, I am coming off a divorce after 20 years of marriage.

I've been told on many occasions that I don't understand women. To understand situations of marginalization and discrimination against women, it is necessary that we work together to achieve empathy. Wait a second, marginalization, empathy? I didn't need the suit or my epipen. These men were so evolved and vulnerable. But could this drastic shift be an overcorrection? Are you worried about little boys growing up without machismo culture? Aren't you worried about a society of Michael Saras?

No, I'm not worried about that at all. I think it would be a huge advantage when it comes to not being influenced by stereotypes and gender mandates and being free men. What are you doing about how men just leave their clothes right on the floor when the hamper is right there? What are we doing? Reviewing those habits. The idea would be more for men to become aware of their occupation of space and be more

receptive to giving up space so that women can occupy it. It is a distribution of spaces. Could we take you back with us? I think I heard he yes. This masculinity repairman was just getting started. And he's not alone. Just like Iceland and Namibia, Spain still got a long to-do list. It's just a beginning, you know.

In fact, they are talking about a new strike. I will be all the women that's saying advice. Conquer yourself, love yourself. I conquer myself, Clyde, if we're being honest, in the bath, in bed, when I'm watching Wolf Blitzern. Wow. No one said the quality was going to be easy. to say it's going to be tough. It's not going to be easy.

But if the culture that gave us machismo can change, maybe there's hope for America. I'm ready to go home and put the U.S. back on top. So where did all of my hard work get us, and how quickly can we turn this all around? Watch Desiletic 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 gonna 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 gonna 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.