The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Thirty F#@king Years | Grace Kuhlenschmidt & Josh Johnson Swap Favorite TDS Moments

Episode Date: August 10, 2026

Josh Johnson and Grace Kuhlenschmidt celebrate 30 f**king years of the Daily Show by discussing what it's like to be people’s source of news, their favorite things about working on the show, and revisiting the Daily Show archives to watch the best from Lewis Black, Stephen Colbert, and their own first pieces. -- Go to https://Quince.com/dailyshow for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. -- The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11/10c on Comedy Central. Stream full episodes on Paramount+ Follow TDS: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You're listening to Comedy Central. Genuinely, my favorite part of the show is the morning meeting. Just because I feel as though I am cosplaying having a real, real 9 to 5. That part specifically, I'm like, I just, you know, I'm one of the guys. I'm an employee, you know? It really feels good. And it may be as close to a desk job as I'll ever have. Welcome to 30 fucking years.

It is the mini-series podcast that we are hosting, some of, where other people are going to do other parts of it. I've already talked too much. Welcome to 30 fucking years, the mini series recapping the Daily Show's 30 fucking years on the air. It has been 30 of those a lot. And I'm Josh Johnson. I'm joined by Grace Coolen-Schmidt. Hey.

And we're going to be looking back at some of our favorite segments. Woo-hoo! From 30 years. 30. Can you believe it? 30 full years. Yeah. That we were both.

So that would be. 1996. Yeah. Yeah. Did you know I was a math whiz? That was really quick. If we chop that together, by the way, if the editors are listening, make that, make the little gap between when I was guessing really fast and people would think I'm a fucking genius.

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Because it's really hard to do subtraction. Yeah, especially with time. Totally. Especially with time. Because even though the numbers work the same in your mind, it feels different. Absolutely.

Yeah. Well, how are you feeling about 30 years of this show? I feel good. I feel like if there's ever a legitimately stable job at entertainment, it's the thing that is 30 years old. Absolutely, right? That's trustworthy. Especially 30 years up until now. Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Because it's very different 30 years than if you had gone from like 1960 and 1990, you know? Yeah. It does make me like a little bit at peace just knowing like, oh, thank God, like politics have always been fucking insane. we've always had to do like comedy about it. Yeah, sure. Just because this time specifically feels so gnarly. Yeah.

That I'm just relieved that, you know, there's always been problems. Yeah, I mean, I think you could look at this as, um, I know we're not doctors, but when. I actually am. Oh. Yeah. Oh, then this will make even more sense to you. Yeah, perfect. Continue.

Don't work. So when someone walks up to you and they're like, hey, you're a doctor. Can you check this out? Uh-huh. People are going to do that from the time you even say you're in medical school. Right. But now the time we live in politically is a lot like if they're like, hey, can you check this and it's fully gangrene? Completely.

Yeah. A hundred percent. Yeah. It is, it's a funny, you know, comedy world to be in. Uh-huh. Because so much of it is horrific. Absolutely. But I will say, like, when you get recognized for the Daily Show specifically, what do you, what do people say to?

to you. Well, the number one thing that happens is that people mix Klepper and I up all the time. Oh, totally. So that, so that's already. And by the way, I have mixed you guys up many times. Yeah, yeah. It's just where the same height and we carry the same amount of confidence and everything. And so it's an easy mistake to make. But the number one thing they say to me is that they really enjoy watching the show and they actually tell me that they watch the show instead. of news. Yes, I get told that law as well. Which is a thing that I tell people not to do. We don't even cover like a third of what happens.

No, we do not. We're making jokes and we cover some of it. But like, y'all, you got to watch some other dude. I know. This is very important. I wish. Josh is begging, you guys. I don't even anything, anything else.

Just so that actually, I'll even pitch you this. The jokes on the show will be fun. if you already have a little bit of an awareness of the story. You know what? That is true. So if you're watching just us singularly only as the news, you'll be finding out so much that you may not laugh at some of the really funny parts. But if you're already aware that, hey, they've done an analysis. They did an analysis today.

I think Washington Post released something about it where they found that it was the application of the reflecting pool. lining that is why it's peeling and there was no terrorism. It was just a bad job. And now when we do a joke about that, you knowing that already will make the jokes funnier. Exactly. As opposed if it's just information. It doesn't hurt. Context is very important.

Absolutely. Do you have, because of course you were a writer on the show before being on air on camera. Do you have memories like of what you're like, did you submit a writing packet? Yeah, submit a writing packet. Did you feel like you nailed that or what? Not at all. I actually, so I did a one-man show. Okay.

And it was part of a festival. So part of the solo show festival. And then the night that I got back from doing the solo show festival on my girlfriend's couch, I did the packet for a daily show that was due eight hours from when I started it. Yeah. And shout out to girlfriends of comedians, by the way. Yes, shout out to every girlfriend of every comedian that's ever lived because you are, you are probably why that project got done.

Totally. Because you had a couch. I was about to say that. You literally had a couch. Some things comedians don't have. Yeah. And a lot of the times, that's a couch. That's a couch or a place.

Yes. A place. You know, comedians are not good at the ownership of things that are nouns. person, place, or thing. And so usually comedians don't have a place. They don't have things in that place if they do have a place. And they also don't have a person in that place to help them. So that ends up being the girlfriend.

So shout out every girlfriend of every comedian. So you didn't think you nailed it, but then you got it. Well, I didn't think I nailed it and then I got an interview. And I was like, okay, I still don't know if I barely slid or if I nailed it. Yeah. And then after the interview, I really didn't think I was going to get hired. Yeah. And then I got hired.

Well, an interview anywhere is like really, you know, can really go either way. And also an interview where you're like interviewing for like a comedy job is specifically so strange because you're like, what is the line between I'm a professional who can work in an office and like I can make jokes, you know? Yes. It's like I want to show that I am fun without seemingly. like a freak. I mean totally. The best way to do that would be do the interview completely plain and normal at the end have a little clown flower that sprays water on the interviewer. Yeah. And then they know, whoa, that is one funny motherfucker. Somebody's professional and fun. Exactly. Somebody is a little bit of a firecracker.

Absolutely. They bring life to the party a little late. Mm-hmm. Business in the front, party in the back. Yeah, because they, They didn't come in with a bunch of jokes or an interesting personality. They were very buttoned up to let you know, hey, hey, you're never going to have an HR issue. Right. Exactly. And then they hit me with the water and I was like, this person got me right in the eye and I like that. I like, I like that. I'm seriously watching this person closely now.

Yeah, yeah. I know I got to keep my eye on them. They're a real prankster prince or princess. Of course. And they, hey, let's include. Prince they. Prince they. Yes.

Prince they. We should say that more. We should. We should. We should. Prince they. Prince they. Yeah.

Royalty. Royalty. What about you? When you were getting started here, what was that? What was the week like before you very first came on versus once you started doing pieces? My, I will just say like my first piece happened right before the writer's strike. So I told all my friends that I work at the day. show and there was no proof that I worked on the daily show for seven months.

So it kind of was me being like, yeah, like I got the job and they were like, so do you go in? And I'm like, no. And like they knew of the writer's strike and everything, but it did seem like, I think to my friends, they thought I did not get the job. And did they think that you didn't get the job in in the way of who's going to tell her? Or did they think it in the way of like, oh, this is a facade? I think in the way of. of who's going to tell her honestly. I really do. I really do.

Just because it was like, I was like, I filmed something. They were like, has it aired? And I was like, no. And so, you know, it just was a little tricky. Yeah. It's tough because in this scenario, you were spot on and telling the truth and thing was going to be coming out. Right.

But this is exactly what it looks like when someone's doing fraud. Yeah. A hundred percent. Like when someone's like, y'all don't understand escrow. The money is. an escrow. Right. So the money's that, your money's there. Yes. Okay. Yeah, I can't get it to you right now, but that's not how money even works. Exactly. It's also just classic acting job where it's like, I got a role. And then like, you could even get edited out of the whole movie. I've heard that

happened to hundreds of people. Did you ever see the, I can't remember the actor's names. I feel bad right now, but basically in both Avengers Endgame and in Dune part two. There were whole, like, pretty important roles that got to delete it from the movie. Because one was either for time or because they were like, oh, structure-wise, we think it's better to not have this moment. But imagine if you were in two of what at least at- This is the same actor? No, two different actors. Okay, okay.

I was going to say that is really, there's a curse on this person. No, that would tear you up if it was both movies. But basically, they were like, when you're sitting reading and auditioning and probably fifth auditioning for the part, in the moment when you get hired on and when you're shooting it, these are two pivotal points.

Yep. In the movie. So you actually, you don't just think you're in the movie. You're in two of the most important scenes in the movie. Yeah. And then they're like, actually, nah. Sounds so brutal.

Like, it is a nightmare, but at the same time, you still got that paycheck. You still got the paycheck. And that might be the most important part of acting. I think it is. Are you looking back on 30 years in your time of the show? Are you having any moments stick out to you that were like personal off camera, anything that happened that was particularly fun?

That's a good question. Well, I will say I am 31, so I've of course been on the show since I was one. on. Yes. And so, God, so many memories, like just hundreds and thousands. Let's see. I mean, really for me, I will say genuinely, my favorite part of the show is the morning meeting just because I feel as though I am cosplaying having a real, real nine to five. Which some people could argue this is, even though we're like on camera.

But that part specifically, I'm like, I just, you know, I'm one of the guys. employee, you know? It really feels good. And it may be as close to a desk job as I'll ever have. It's really fun. Getting coffee. My favorite part of the job. I went to Cape Cod a few weeks ago for the show and I'm like, no, my favorite part is the morning meeting. Yeah. Yeah. What's your favorite part? My favorite part was actually when I was a writer. And I was rooming with Devin because I feel like we had so much fun. Our office was like a real hang. And now that I have my own office, people only ever come to me with mail.

No one comes to hang out. And to be fair, I'm also in my office less because I don't, I don't. don't need to be as much. But that was some of the best times at the show. I remember when like Djibuki would come through. And when then Kubukha roomed with us for a little bit, but then Randall took his place for a bit. Gotcha.

And yeah, and we had a couch. A couch once again is. That's special. Yeah, it's all coming back. Yeah, it really was. would because then there'd be days where if we were doing a live show. So obviously we come in later when we're covering like live election results or anything like that. Also I find very fun.

Yeah. Those are good times. And in the interim, shouldn't say this, but can't admit it now that so much time has passed. But when you would get in, if I was getting in early, like let's say we need to be the morning. The morning meeting is now shifted to the afternoon and it's going to be at, let's say, two or three. I would get in at one and I'd sleep on that couch, get a little midday nap, totally. Wake up revitalized.

Absolutely. Yeah. A brand new day. Our live shows that we do are always really fun. I will say during the most recent presidential election. I forget who won. But I had three bowls of fruit loops, like, throughout the course of the day. And I was like, this is so fucking cool.

Yeah. I can do that because I'm, like, working a really, long day, you know? Yeah, I specifically remember you were with us in the back writers lounge and it was their presidential debate and was that first debate where Biden just was struggling to get the words out. And I remember looking over at you and the way you were watching, it was like you were watching someone fall in slow motion.

That is how it felt. It's how I feel right now. I'm having a visceral face reaction. Your eyes were so wide and your mouth was open and he was like, we beat Medicaid. Yeah, it really was tough to watch. And you were like, oh, oh. And then at one point I did scream at the TV like he could hear me, close your mouth. Totally.

Because that was a thing he was doing when he was watching Trump. His mouth was wide open. Those are the beautiful moments. we get to share. Do you have any correspondence that inspired you? I mean, for sure. I mean, honestly, like, the three that come to mind I'm talking about today. Okay. So that'll be Djibuki, Kristen Shaw, Lewis Black. Wow. All right. I would say those are huge for me. Got you. Mm-hmm. What about you? Oh, Roy Wood, Jr. Absolutely. Roy Wood, the best, the best, absolutely. Um, so we're going to get in.

into some of these clips for you all right now. I'll kick it off. Okay. Yeah, please. We're fighting to kick it off. Josh, I really want to. You should. The first clip is from October 2nd.

Can you imagine that? Just feel that crisp fall air on you, if you can, listeners. 2018. This is a Lewis Black segment. His classic Back in Black segment, and it's about bird scooters. By the way, Lewis, obviously a legend. He's also the show's longest running contributor,

which is epic. And we should have a statue of him in the office. We have to be careful about statues because people are bad at making them. Totally. I have seen a recent statue. Woof. Yeah.

I thought you were going to say, we have to be careful about statues because people will steal them. And I was going to be like, Yeah, I would steal a Lewis statue. Yeah. I mean, I'd steal a bad statue just to look at it and laugh. I mean, totally.

Yeah. Bad, yeah. So, this segment is basically Lewis in classic Lewis style. He is talking about bird scooters, which are, of course, like, very polarizing. Yes, people either get by with them or hate them. And I will say I've had good and bad experiences on bird scooters. Yeah, I feel like the bad. that so deeply outweighs the good that I've not met anyone who loves them.

Totally. I've never met anyone who passes by a bird scooter while they're walking or in their calling. They're like, those things are great. I mean, totally. If anything, people just don't care. Right. And then other people hate them. Yep.

And Lewis is, I know it's shocking to believe, but he's coming at the bird scooter with hatred, which is so shocking for him. And, I mean, it's truly, like, for me, his. his cadence like his delivery is so specific in this piece like he just really has I wrote down some some favorite quotes of mine he says at the beginning he goes um like if I can't use a bird scooter or I can't figure out a way to get around no problem for me because I get around by parkour and that is just like to me a perfect joke it would be funny for anyone to say sure it is specifically funny hearing Lewis say it.

Yeah, yeah. Let's take a look at the clip. Let's face it, commuting sucks. Subways smell like rat sex. Buses have other people on them. And forget driving. City streets are more clogged than my colon. I mean, it's no problem for me

because I get around my parkour. But for those of you who are less agile, Well, there's a new option. From ride sharing to bike sharing, there are plenty of ways to get around without driving your own car. And now in dozens of cities across the country, electric scooters are giving people a fun way to get to their destinations. It's the invasion of the birds. We're talking about the electric scooters called bird. The motorized scooters are catching on across the country.

Riders find them with an app on their phone and can ride for as little as a dollar. The scooters can hit speeds of up to 15 miles an hour. I love it so far. It's really convenient. convenient. Whoa, 15 miles an hour. You can get to your destination five minutes earlier. And all you have to do is give up your dignity. There's a lot of things to hate about these scooter sharing programs.

For starters, there's no dock. People just leave them lying around anywhere for the next person to find them. That's not sharing. That's lettering. You can't do that with anything else. Hey, how about I launch a dog poop sharing app? I'm not leaving my dog shit on the sidewalk. I'm sharing it with the community.

You know what pisses me off about Silicon Valley? They don't worry if something's good or bad for us. They just want to sell their damn app. Fortunately, there are a few brave souls out there who are standing up to these two-wheeled menaces. These birds don't fly. And they're not designed for this. not designed for this. Whether they're launched from buildings, sent off of

mountain tops, thrown into the ocean, or pushed down storm drains, an Instagram account called Bird Graveyard is documenting all the ways electric scooters are meeting their demise. Okay, this is officially my new favorite thing on Instagram. Um, one thing I noticed just on the rewatch is how weirdly perfect, a bird scooter fits in a storm drain. Yeah. It's like it was made to go there. It is exactly.

Yeah. That's like truly just folds right in. Yeah. The guy who grabbed it by the handlebars to slam it to the ground was also, uh, it was very satisfied to watch. Absolutely. Yeah.

I don't know where you fall on bird hate, but, oof, whenever I see somebody hate something enough to, flip it like that. I'm like, maybe they have a point. It's funny because when bird scooters first came out, I do remember my dad being like,

I want to kick these things. And now I'm like, oh my God, he is so not alone. Yeah. Like, he is actually with the majority, perhaps. Yeah, because being left in the patch of grass next to the sidewalk is not, it's not just like an eyesore sort of thing. Yeah.

But then people, I've heard of people, getting into accidents because they couldn't get around other bird scooters that were parked out of nowhere. I know. One thing about Lewis in this piece that brings up what my next piece is, by the way, is in the piece just visually, I'm talking. He has his tie, like, pulled down and a couple buttons undone, which brings me to this next piece I want to show, which is Lewis's first ever appearance, July 31st, 19th.

on the Daily Show's seventh ever episode. And he's complaining about the Olympics. And let's pull it up really quick just so I can discuss visually what I want to talk about. Now for another perspective on the world around us, we go to our newsroom where Daily Show commentator, Lewis Black, is standing by. Thanks, Craig.

You know, I've been laying around this past week or so watching the Olympics, and I got to tell you something. tell you something. You know, how stupid are we as a culture to sit there, lie down for like eight or nine hours on a Saturday or a Sunday and watch perfect specimens of humanity do things that are absolutely astounding? While I lay there, you know, just like eating, did they eating to eat? Just eating! You know what happens after about two hours of that? I just feel like a big fat pig. I am tired of it. I'm tired of the Olympics. I'm tired of the interviews. There's no reason on earth for... What are they asking these people? This

Swimmers, they're in the, they've been in the pool eight, 12 hours a day since they were four years old. Their brains are chapped. And while we're on the subject, these gymnasts, their brain casings, they've got the brain casing of a Doberman for crying out loud. And they don't menstruate. The women don't menstruate, and that isn't right. Okay? Okay, what I love about this piece, just like, this was my first time just a few days ago, watching that first clip of Lewis. And, you know, his tie is around his neck. He's got multiple buttons undid. He has like a taco or like a cheeseburger in front of him, a bag of chips. And at the beginning, he's putting out a cigarette. Yeah. And what I found so fun about that is like,

that is the vibe of Lewis in all of his pieces since then, but he doesn't need the props anymore. Sure. He's internalized the cigarette. He's internalized the taco. He's internalized the messy desk. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Just something about like his cadence. It's so like I'm fed up and here's why. Yes, yes, absolutely. Which is like perfect comedy too because, I mean, it's like, you know, complaining is fun. Complaining is pretty great. And not everyone can pull it off in the way that Lewis can. What is your favorite complaint right now? My favorite complaint right now probably is that currently I'm wearing flip flops and people really are anti flip flop in New York City. I understand it from the perspective of New York is so disgusting.

Yeah. But ultimately it's the summer. Got you. So you are willing to have a summer no matter where you are if it's summer. Yeah, exactly. And also, by the way, yesterday we had an insane downpour. I was in flip-flops. That's actually the safest shoe you can wear in downpour.

Is it? Because you're not getting socks wet. Yep. I said it. Sure, I'm not talking safe. in terms of like for your toes. I'm talking safety in terms of like, I don't have to throw anything in the dryer.

That is safety to me. I can just wipe off with a towel. It's like being naked, frankly. It's like, it's freeing to me. Okay. All right. Let me have this. Yeah.

You can judge me after. No, I'm not taking it away from you. What's your complaint right now? My favorite complaint right now is I've noticed that people this has happened to me like two times in the past three weeks where people will knock on the the door to the bathroom i'll be in line for the bathroom somebody will knock on the door of the bathroom and then try the door it was locked because someone's in there they knocked and then they

tried the door but they didn't wait for a response totally so then they knock they try the door it's locked and then they go yeah as if it's rude to be locked totally and it's very funny to me. Because people don't realize they're doing it. Also, then it was a full throwaway knock. Yeah, you didn't mean the knock. You didn't mean it. This was for show. This was for me, if anything. You knocked for me to look like

you knock. Big time. You're trying to be like a knocker. Right. And then you tried the door anyway before the person could even say someone's in here. It's like saying thank you under your breath. Yes. Rude. And then you turn to me as if like, isn't this outrageous? Right. A locked door for a place. I want to get in.

Right. And I'm like, yeah, you've never had anything bad happening. Yeah. Perhaps someone's naked behind that door, so let's keep it locked for the meantime. Yeah. Yeah. Perhaps someone is using the bathroom right now and they've done everything on their end. Precisely what you'd like to do very soon. They did everything right. Totally.

They went in there and they closed the door and they locked the door. Frankly. Yeah. And you're like, I can't believe that you. Exactly. So that's a top, top notch complaint. Lewis would do a great version of that, I'm sure. Lewis's complaint feels like it would be that they're just not dead in there.

I mean, totally. If you're the type of person to go in the bathroom and lock the door, just die. Yeah. Lewis would be like 30 seconds max. I don't care what you have to do in there. We got people who need to pee. Wrap it up. You have at least two people in line behind you.

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slash daily show for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com slash daily show. So I'm going to kick it to our former correspondent. Colbert. I've heard the name. Colbert was at a KKK rally in June of 99, and let's play it real quick. Welcome to Sweet Sleepy, Pulaski, Tennessee. Birthplace of the KKK and host of this year's 1997 European Culture and Crafts Festival, starring America's sweetheart, the White Knights themselves, The Coo, Cox, Clan.

It's racist fun for the whole family, with crafts, dancing, and hate literature. I guess that makes them Aryan librarians. And what symbolizes rabid redneck rhetoric more than a clown? My name is Candy, the clan clown. And what's funny about the clan? There's not a lot really funny about it. We're here to have a good time. It's been a cland-tastic day, but it ain't over yet.

When the sun goes down, it's time to party. It's been a great day. What's the exciting event tonight? Well, for us, it's a cross-lady, and we'll be having in a few minutes. Yeah, this feels right. Who can become a member? Christian. You have to be a Christian. You have to be white. What about homosexuals? No.

What about hematheliacs? Animated characters? It depends. Mickey. Good. Donald. Yes. Goofy? No. Too goofy. No. There's nothing goofy about these guys.

There it is. So one thing, Colbert has told the story of being chased out of there after the crossburning. And I didn't realize until rewatch it that he was at the crossbarting. I mean, totally. For a second, I thought it was green screen behind him. And then I realized that he was there, there. I am like, my first question watching this piece is like, how did this happen? I feel like back in the day

people were less discerning about being on camera. Totally. That's, I think it. Now people are like paranoid almost. I don't know if you felt this when you go to do packages or something. People are like paranoid you're trying to make fun of them even if you are asking them in earnest

because you've seen with clips before that sometimes the entirety of getting a clip in the intro is getting people's opinion on the thing. Then we start the piece. But there are some people that maybe it's sometimes because of the history of like candid camera type TV that

they think that a joke's going to be made on them. Absolutely. But I think that in the 90s it was such an innocent time for being on camera and TV still had this mystique to it. Right. Whereas now people can have millions of followers through their phone. Totally. So TV

doesn't always have the same. No, that is so true. I think that is what it is. Because there's just no way we would even get the permission to do something like this today. Sure, sure. And it is, I mean, I think that also one of my favorite parts of this segment is the intro, the way that he frames it up as if it's almost like an infomercial. Like, you have got to try this new, you know, club. It is like, it's just really, it's a smart, like, opening.

It's also wild because you would think. I think surely if you're going to interview as a clan member that you would use the hood. Yeah, you have a really easy disguise right there. We saw everyone's face. That's a really good point. That's kind of crazy. We saw every single person's face. That is so funny.

Even when they were like walking around for the crossbirding, they had the hood up. Totally. So we could. Oh my God, my God, my God. That's crazy. Like, you know, you see movies about the FBI infiltrating and so like that. It's like, you wouldn't even need to. They were on TV with their face.

Face was out. No, 100%. Also, at the end of this clip, there's a moment where he's, Stephen is back at the desk with John. And Stephen is still, you know, in character saying, like, you have got to, like, it was so fun. you've got to join and John's like well I can't I'm Jewish and Stephen goes oh well that's fine it's not like you guys even celebrate the 4th of July anyway which is just a really good like ending beat to just like keep it goofy yeah I mean I feel like Colbert's always been good at immersing himself

in a way that is like he ingratiates himself with the people yeah but but it's still yeah I haven't seen anyone be as good at making fun of the people that they are winning over as Colbert. Completely. Well, I will go to my next piece. Okay. If that's cool with you. Yeah, please, please. I'll go to my next piece, which is 2019, June 18th, Djibuki Young White at the Pittsburgh Pride Festival.

Hi, I'm Djibuki Young White. The Daily Show's senior Rusbo correspondent. J.K., I'm gay. And so is Pittsburgh. It's Pride Month. An Equality March is the original Pittsburgh Pride. It has bikers, pups, pups, furries, queens, twunks, drunks, cops, bears, and fish creatures.

But there's one group that not everyone is happy about. A lot of corporations are capitalizing off pride and off LGBTQIA plus like merch. I don't know, they're just making a lot of money off this. That's what the Q and LGBTQIA stands for, corporations. okay yeah this pretty you know clear piece to me and that like my absolute favorite moment of it is just going to be the opening reveal of jibuki in the speedo in the speedo suit i mean it's just so instantly like he had to have been having fun yeah he had to rock that we get put in like so many different like costumes and whatever um like in this job and that is one where

where I'm like, I wonder how much of that he asked for, you know? Because I could see him being like, I have to be in a speedo. If he said, I have an idea. Yeah, exactly. Let's put it to work. Let's make it a reality. Absolutely. And, you know, it's a smart piece because this is obviously still a prominent discussion today

of like, you know, what is capitalizing off of queer culture. What is helping the queer community? it's a tricky line, especially when it comes to Walmart. And, oh, also a favorite moment of mine in it is that someone he's interviewing says, like, you know, there's so many gay people, like famous gay people these days. And Djibuki looks right to camera and goes, could you name a few? And just lets there be a really awkward silence. And it is just, I think, perfect delivery.

Yeah, yeah. No, Djibuki did phenomenal. job with that one. I actually want to toss it to Hassan and Klepper because this was Hassan's debut in 2014. All right, let's see it. Hassan, first of all, welcome to the show. We're awfully excited to have you there. Let me ask you first. Why are you against the use of gestation crates? Thank you, John. You know, John, farm animals give their lives to give us sustenance. And in return, owe it to them to make their time on this earth, however brief it is, as dignified as possible. For when we brutalize the helpless creatures who depend on us, aren't we in fact brutalizing

our own souls? Oh my God, that was beautiful. Thank you so much, John. Return Jordan. Ah, I don't think pigs should turn around. I don't like it. You want to elaborate on that? One more?

Sure, John. They should be facing forward. Make sure they can't move. Biggs are fine, clamped right in there. Um, uh, Hassan. I... Is this how the debates usually go? I don't, I don't...

Uh... It's my first day. Okay, let's see. I have a... I got a Bible verse here. I got poetry from college. Okay, um... Okay, here we go. You know, I got one. No, no, no.

The great philosopher, Emmanuel Kant, once said. Here's what I got. When I eat bacon, I want to know it's been facing forward. That's where the flavor comes from. Really? You can taste the difference between pork raised in crates where they can't move and pork raised more humanely.

You can taste that. Okay. Probably not. I just don't like pigs facing different directions. They shouldn't move. It's a gut thing. And so I think that what's funny about this is that when you start as a correspondent, there's sometimes a character that gets developed.

And I think that starting out and having a piece like this, like a desk piece like this, you get to see that Jordan's characters kind of already established in there of like brash and overconfident and everything. And then Hassan's, even though it's the first time, you see a little bit of it popping out where his character's going to be more sort of earnest and like reserved. and everything. And so I think it was a really cool that they got to do that first piece together and then that you see so much of that play into Hassan's pieces into the future. I mean completely.

Also, it's like there are two lines in it that I think makes so much sense. And like I wonder if basically the line is is this how the debates usually go? This is my first day here, like back to back. I'm like, I wonder if Hassan thought of that, if they had, like, if the writers had written that for him, it just feels so funny to be, like, so self-aware in that moment. Whereas you'd think his character really is like, um, this is not going according to plan.

And then, you know, Jordan just perfectly embodying like this overly confident idiot. Yeah, yeah. All right, I'll go to my next clip. We've got January 28th, 25th, I still love saying the exact day. January 28th, it was freezing. 2015, Kristen Shaw, talking about man spreading. For more, we're joined by senior

women's issues correspondent, Kristen Shaw. Kristen. This is a big deal, John. And I just want to say men, I'm sorry. You should absolutely have that extra seat. You deserve that extra seat. Do the math. Men make 30% more than women.

They should have 30% more space. on the ride to work. It's not... This is not even what it's about. This is just an issue of common courtesy on the subway that's... Oh, no, John. You've been so brainwashed by this feminized world.

You can't even see everything that men have lost. You used to run companies by yourself. You used to run countries by yourself. You used to do everything. Just you dudes. And if a woman showed up, you got to call her sugar.

tits with no consequences. You gave her a seat in the typewriter pool with all the other sugared titses. Minor point. I think it's tits eye. Tits eye. The subway is the only place men have left. We've literally

driven you underground to find that last inch of ball space. And now society's saying, no. Even there a man's place is on one seat, knees together. As a woman who has struggled her entire life to Keep her knees together?

I am your ally. Well, that, you know, I, you may not be aware of this, but one regular subway seat does grant you a good amount of ball space. It's not, it's not. Wow. What? What? John, can I talk directly to your testicles for a second?

Because I think you're holding them hostage. My favorite line in that one, for sure is John, may I speak directly to your testicles for a day? Yeah. It just is such a visual, but without being like a graphic sexual joke. And it's so, I think, just like hits the exact point of the piece, which is just satirizing, you know. Male oppression. 100%.

Yeah. Which is so funny. Mm-hmm. Will always be funny to me. Also, Kristen Chal, I just love, love, love. Yeah. I mean in everything she's done, she's a favorite of mine. And, yeah, I mean, John does also a perfect job in this of just being like, Kristen, what are you talking about?

I mean, I honestly can't believe how much you love male oppression. You said you would always love it. You would always find it funny. Absolutely. And you are, you're sticking to your word. It's something we have to actively fight, Josh. It really is. I put little notes under Josh's office store that say,

hey, you should always make more than me. Don't let our lawyers change that. I have seen those notes. I have collected them as a reminder, you know, of male oppression. Because even though you are saying, hey, you should be making more, I'm still as a man oppressed. No, of course. Of course, you're feeling self-conscious about it.

you're not confident about it. Yeah, so I just love that piece. I think Kristen is so amazing in it. And, like, also, that's the kind of piece where she could probably go on for an hour. Like, I'm sure it was so fun to write that. Yeah, yeah. Because there are so many different directions of things that they could, yeah, laugh about. And to just have her take the position of, like, we have to protect these men who are.

who are halfway nuts out on the subway. Exactly, exactly. I know. It's very funny. It's so good. So this next piece is very special to me. I actually pitched this for and then wrote this with Roy. Awesome.

And it's a piece on how Republicans should act like rappers and how they already kind of do in a way, how a lot of what Mitch McConnell and the GOP was trying to do with the 2017 tax bill was purely just like a hip-hop attitude brought into

Congress for the tax bill. So let's take a look at it. Not only do Minutian's numbers not add up, but polls say that this Republican tax bill is super unpopular. Unpopular? No, bro.

Ebola is unpopular. Dating people your own age in Alabama is unpopular. My choices of wardrobe and middle school were unpopular. This tax bill is trash. Say it with me, Trevor. Trash. Trash. Well, yeah, but, Roy, it makes sense. It makes sense.

The bill gives rich people huge cuts, and it hurts average Americans. At this point, it seems like the only solution for the Republicans is to rework the tax plan. No, no, no, no, dude. They don't have to rework anything. just selling it wrong. The problem is, they out here pretending like this bill isn't for the rich. Stop fronting, man. Just ball out. Don't change the bill. Change the message. Wait, what? Trevor, half of being rich. Part of the fun of being rich is being able to rub it in a poor person's dusty-ass face. The Republican's attitude, look, the Republican's whole attitude about this

tax plan should just be, hey, look, America, check this. We just signed paperwork. We're about to be stunting on you broke bitches we riding clean we flossing we pop on our collar get my private jet all you broke ass middle class haters about to be sitting on struggle and if any of you punk-ass Democrats got anything

to say about it please believe I ride with my mother fucking second amendment and I keep mine on me my fo' my phone make sure all your kids go broke so so yeah basically I had pitched this thing to Roy

he really liked it and then they even have at the end of the at the end of the chat a music video that Roy that Roy kind of like dubs against the the GOP trying to pass the tax bill. The tax cuts and jobs act as amended is passed. Tax cuts on my private jet is past. Witing off private school is past. Look at your broke gas. It's past. Big win for the corporation.

His path. Drilling for all in the last. This path. Cut mandatory health and shit. His path. Bill will, however, double the amount of money that teachers can write off. It's past. Okay, that part is so good.

And truly shout out to the graphics department. Yes, yes. Because it reminds me of jib jib. Do you remember jib jib. Not that well. It was when people would like, it was like pre, unfortunately, like, pre-AI. Now it's all ruined, but jib jib jibb was beautiful at one point. You would, like, send a photo of your face and it would put you onto an elf,

and you would send it as like an email to someone to say like Merry Christmas. Yeah. But it is like a really funny graphic and really funny video. Yeah. But I would say like Roy's delivery in that is so good. Like even just in the beginning, like when he stands up, I feel like it is like that's the kind of thing where like conscious or not, it is like a testament to his comedic timing. Yeah. Yeah.

And just the fact that he, the fact that he had so much input on like, let's say it like this. Let's, let's frame it this way was not just helpful as a writer, but it just made the overall thing more fun. And I think it got the idea across really well. Do you remember pitching it to him? Yeah, yeah. Was it, did it go on air that day? Did it take you guys a couple days? Was it a week?

No, it took a while. So I had pitched it, it got approved, and then just other things were going on. So it took a while. Yeah, that's pretty classic for the show. Yeah. It took a good while. But yeah, I remember the day that it got on because I especially like sat and then watched in, not in studio, but just in the office.

Yeah. Because I just wanted to hear people's reactions and everything. I was really nervous. It was my first piece that I like, would. had pitched solely myself. Oh my God. And I pitched it to someone as well. So it's like when you start, not that anyone here is like actively being intimidating,

but I think it's just intimidating when you start, you, you get your, your first couple pitches and to just go right to the person as well was a little nerve wracking. Because I had known Roy a little bit through stand-up, but I got to know him much better here. Totally. And after it happened, like while you were watching it. like as soon as it ended before you even like chatted with other people were you like okay that was a huge success i i definitely felt that way but i also felt that way more for roy's performance than like just what i wrote or something you're like my jokes were incredible roy sucked

no it was awesome so that was that's like one of my fondest memories i mean totally yeah love it all right that's all the time we have thank you so much for joining us and you can catch 30 more years of the Daily Show on Comedy Central, Paramount Plus, and in podcast form on the Daily Show Ears edition. I've been Josh Johnson. I've been Grace Conchement. Thank you guys so much. 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 Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast. Thank you.