The Daily Show: Ears Edition - U.S. Sends Missiles to Ukraine | Akwaeke Emezi

Episode Date: June 2, 2022

The U.S. sends missiles to Ukraine, Senator Chris Murphy discusses gun control reform, and author Akwaeke Emezi talks about "Dear Senthuran" and "You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Coming to you from New York City, the only city in America. It's the Daily Show. Tonight, Ukraine borrows the missile. Senator Chris Murphy, and Aquakey Amazi. This is the Daily Show with Trevor Noah. Thank you so much for tuning in. Thank you for coming out in person. Feel that vibe. Wow. This is great. Take a seat, everybody. And first things first, can I just say, happy pride month everybody.

Welcome to it. You know what that means for the rest of June. All crimes are legal for gay people. Woo hoo! Yeah, I studied. thi. thank you. Thank you. Thank th. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. th. Thank you for. th. Thank you for. Thank you for. Thank you for. th. Thank you for. Thank you for. Thank you. Thank you for. Thank you for. Thank you for th. Thank th th for th for th for th for th. Thank th. Thank th. Thank th. Thank. Thank. Thank. Thank. Thank. Thank. Thank. Thank. Thank. Thank. Thank. Thank. Thank. Thank. th. th. Thank. th. th. Thank. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, thi. Thank you, thi. Thank you, thi. Thank you for th. Thank you for th. Thank you for th. Thank know what that means for the rest of June? All crimes are legal for gay people. Woo-hoo! Yeah, I studied. I studied. All right, we got a really great show for you tonight. We'll be talking about the battle to steal Ukraine. We're going to be talking about the battle to steal the next election and the battle to steal star wars back from black people. Plus, Senator Chris Murphy is joining us from Hartford, Connecticut to tell us which Republicans are finally getting on board with gun control. So let's do this people. Let's jump straight into today's headlines. Okay, let's kick things off with the ongoing Russian war with Ukraine. Or as the Russian media says, there is no war, but we're also winning it. Ever since Vladimir Putin decided to aggressively crash on his neighboring country's couch,

Ukraine has been asking America for bigger and better weapons to help them defend themselves. Now, usually when you ask America to send you weapons, they'll send them quicker than a restaurant that pre-cooks the food in the morning and then just reheat it when you order it at night. But because America and the rest of the world is terrified of starting World War III, rightfully so, they've had to find ways to support Ukraine without being accused of attacking Russia. And so just today President Biden announced this. This morning President Biden has announced the US will send another 700 million dollars worth of weapons defense systems to the U.S. will send another, 700 million dollars worth of weapons, defense systems, to the Ukrainian military. Among the newly provided weaponry is the multiple launch rocket system, which

is a highly capable, long-range system. This has been the subject of debate inside the Biden administration for weeks now. Whether or not to provide Ukraine with these more advanced, longer-range weapon systems, concerns within the administration that Russia might view this as a provocative step, giving Ukraine the ability to strike within Russian territory. That's why the United States actually sought assurances and secure those assurances from Ukraine that they would not use these rocket systems to strike Russian targets on Russian territory. Yeah, that's right. Biden made Ukraine promise that they will only use the rockets in Ukrainian territory.

They will not use them in Russia. Yeah, so he's basically giving them advanced rockets like a dad gives his teenager a credit card. It's like, now remember what I told you. This is only for gas, groceries, and the strip club. No textbooks this time. I don't want to see that charge again. But this is major help help tholk thoke thoke thoke thoke thoke tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho thu. tho-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in-in tho-in tho-in tho-in tho-n tho-n tho-n th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thu. thu. thu. thu. thu. the. the. the. theeuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. the the the the textbooks this time. I don't want to see that charge again. But this is major help, though. $700 million. That's a ton of rockets. Or maybe it's like 10 rockets. I never know with military equipment.

No, you never know how much anything costs. It's like when someone tells me they spent $100 at Sephora. I get it for a whole season of euphoria. thii. I glitter for a whole season of euphoria. I don't know how much it is. And look, I get that America is trying to find the balance between helping Ukraine and triggering its own war with Russia, but still, this is putting Ukraine in a tough spot. Because who knows how easy these missiles are to use. You know what I'm saying? Because, who thi, who thi, who thi, who thi, who thi, who thi, who thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, I'm thi, I'm thi, I'm tho, I'm tho, I'm thi, I thi, I'm tho, I'm tho, I'm tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I is thi, I is tho, I is tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thoooooooooooooomooooooomuu. thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. thi, I thi. to be in World War III just because some Ukrainian soldier entered the distance in kilometers when it was supposed to be in miles. Do you know what I'm saying? It's like, oh, 1.6, I meant to put thaw! But I will say, this is good for Ukraine to defend themselves. And this is good for Russia to know they can't just push other countries around.

And you know who this is most exciting for. American missiles. Yeah, what a different experience this is going to be for them. I'm so excited. Oh I'm so excited to be going overseas for the first time and the best part is I've been invited. Wow! Because my dad went to Iraq but he wasn't invited and my grandfather he went to Vietnam and boy did they not want him there but look at me I got invited to Ukraine! I'm a missile going to Vietnam and boy did they not want him there, but look at me I got invited to Ukraine I'm a missile going to Ukraine they invited me. I'm a good miss out in my family My new one-man show missile in Ukraine will be debuting next week you guys can join in

I try to watch it. All right let's move on Disney released a new Star Wars show on their streaming platform Disney plus which I've thi I sort of watch it. All right, let's move on. Disney released a new Star Wars show on their streaming platform, Disney Plus, which I've heard is good, but not as good as Paramount Plus. Now this Star Wars show is not the one about the Mandalorian and it's not the one about Boverfeat, no, this one is about Obi-One Canobi, the Galaxy's most powerful hobo. And anyone can see where this is going, right?

It's just like show after show on Disney. You see what they're doing? You get it. Their plan is to release a show about every character in Star Wars. It's genius. Make a ton of money. Personally, I can't wait for the job of the hot sitcom. What?

I know she broke your heart, Javaaba, but you gotta start dating again. Oh, oh, oh, for sure, how soon, John, bar. Dude, chaining her up and putting her in a gold bikini doesn't count as a date, silly. Ha ha ha ha! Ha! That show's also premiering next week. Anyway, the Obi-Wan Konobe show is introducing a lot of new characters to the Star Wars franchise, but there is one character in particular who isn't getting the warmest welcome from the fans. Anyway, the Obi-Wan Kenobi show is introducing a lot of new characters to the Star Wars franchise, but there is one character in particular who isn't getting the warmest welcome from the fans. This morning, Obi-Wan K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K K won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won won getting the warmest welcome from the fans. This morning, Obi-Wan Canobi himself

putting his force behind co-star Moses Ingram, where is it? After social media users launched racist attacks against her after her debut in the Jedi Knights' new series. She brings so much to the franchise. And it just sickened me to my stomach to hear that this had been happening. We stand with Moses. We love Moses. And if you're sending her bullying messages,

you're no Star Wars fan in my mind. Moses sharing she had received hundreds of racist messages following the series premiere. There's nothing anybody can do to stop this hate. I think the thing that bothers me is that like sort of this feeling that I've had inside of myself which no one has told me but this feeling of like I just got to shut up and take it and I'm not built like that. Neither should you be. No one should have to just shut up and take

racism. I agree with that. Especially in Star Wars. Like what is this? You racist install? Like from the very thia. thia. thia. thia. thia. thia. thiii. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. th. You racist in Star... Like, from the very beginning, this has been a series where no one thinks twice if Harrison Ford is best friends with a giant dog bear. Or if a brother and sister want to smash, no one complains about that. They're not getting death threats. I'm so tired of fans attacking black people in Star Wars. When there are so many other racism species they could be bagged and bigoted against.

Think about it. You could hate everyone. Go on a rant about the creepy Twilex, you know, or the greedy Jawa's. There's so many more opportunities for racism than just black people. Mix it up, broaden your horizons. Or is the Ewok saying, never what you know? You know, what are you? You know? You gotta think bigger. It really is.

Get out there. And you know, it's really great that Ewan McGregor made a video supporting his co-stop, but I think Star Wars needs to come back even harder at the racist. Really make them suffer. It should give Princess Leia a new black boyfriend. Yeah, that's right. It's going to be a dope scene. It's going to come back in and be like,

hey, yo, Leah, I got the plans for the Death Star. We're going to f-doh tonight. All right, finally, let's talk about families. You know, one of the best parts about having a family is that you have people to blame in therapy for why you haven't succeeded in life. And also, you have people who will continue your lineage, deep into the plastic bag global warming apocalypse. Now, there are few cultures who take family more seriously.

But as this next story shows, some of them might be taking it a little too seriously. All right, let's take a quick peek at what's trending right now, an unusual lawsuit in India. Parents are suing their only son for not giving them a grandchild. Sajiv and Sadaya Prasad say that they've done their part. They paid for their son's pilot training, a lavish wedding, and even a honeymoon. And they say that they've waited six years for a grandchild, and now they have filed a lawsuit saying that if their son and daughter-in-law don't give them a grandchild within a year, they owe the parents 50 million rupees, which is equivalent to $6,000 Damn Damn, this is wild. They're suing their son for not giving them a grandchild

Being parents is so weird You spend the first 18 years doing everything you can to stop your kids from having sex And then as soon as they grow up you turn into fret pros. You know you got to get laid dude, And don't use a condom either. That shit's for losers. Just do it. Do it now. As weird as it is, part of me sees where these parents are coming from, though. I mean, the only reason you have kids is so that you can get grandchildren. Yeah, let's be honest, nobody wants to be a parent. It's, it's just what you have to do to become a grandparent.

The name is in it. It's grand, it's better. Yeah, and also grandkids and grandparents are on the same page. Of course, grandparents want to be grandparents, you know? They're the same thing. They both love telling long and pointless stories. They have so many of the park and I saw a puppy and I pooped it in my pants. Like, wow, same here, kiddo.

But look, if these parents really want grandkids, I don't know if a lawsuit is really going to help make that happen, especially with like a year, you've given them a year, you realize every time now, their son has sex, he's thinking about his parents. They did this, not me. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thoom. tho, tho. tho. tho. tho. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. the thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the the the the the the to, the the the the the the the the the the the the their, thi. thi. th realize every time now, their son has sex, he's thinking about his parents. They did this, not me. And that lawsuit is definitely going to help his dirty talk. Can you imagine this poor Indian guy is going to be in his bedroom? He's just like, do you like that? You like the way I'm trying to avoid paying $6,000 to my parents? This is a 50 million rupee pump right here, 50 million rupees with them to thu se thi. How would you do that? All right, that's it for the headlines, but before we go, let's check in on traffic with our very own.

Roywood Jr. everybody! What's up, man? What's up, man? What's going on, Roy? What is happening in the traffic, man. Hey, man, you know, I'm like a pigeon at the bakery, just trying to get his bread up, it is what it is. A quick look at the roads, now as you can see, the northbound 770, starting to clear up. We had a little bit of a disruption a little bit earlier.

Tracted trail over Yeah, yeah, I've been going to therapy man. I figured like she told me to be a vessel of positivity to people within my circle and this is amazing. Karma would be reciprocal so you know I've come out here before and we go back and forth and I want that. Yeah because you never want to do the travel and then you like then you want to talk about like the things I'm talking about, but this is great, you doing that now. Yeah, I'm just doing the job. This is therapy? Yeah, that's my man. Look at, this is growth. Real quick. I'm glad you're not jumping in.

Let's, what's the traffic? About Ukraine, real quick. Let me just say something. Just real quick about Ukraine. the weapons and we send them money. But the issue, bro, is that that ain't what the Russians respect. We gotta get their respect. We gotta get the respect of the Russians. And the only thing, some people only respect crazy. So you gotta be crazy.

It ain't enough just to send them a rocket, the United States got to go over there and just buck up a couple shots and just to let, buck, bup-but. Just a cup, just shoot a cup of rockets and this was in the air and then they'll be like, all right, they're crazy, let's leave. Because that's how you handle stuff in the streets, man, you put your ten toes on the ground, and you'll bop, bop.

That's what you do in the streets. Like North Korea, right? What, don't do that would be? Does anybody ran up in North Korea? Anybody ran up in North Korea? Nobody ran up in North Korea? Because every two, three months, North Korea. Don't swoop, pop, pop, pop, pop. They shoot. They should have to the rocket up in the air for no reason.

That's what you got Russian Ukraine, that's what the United States got to be. We got to be like ice cube. Like, you remember boys in the hood. Ricky got bumped into by the game bangers. And the game bangers was getting ready to beat up. And the ice cube stepped up and then ice cube. We got a problem, what you want to do? And then Rush would be like, all right, let's go on back and drink some vodka. That's everything.

What? That's a novel way to solve. All right, so what's happening in the traffic there, Roy? Them kids should counter-sue their parents. They, I'm going to get to that. Okay. They should be able to sue me for having a kid, I should be able to, if you can sue me for not having a kid, I should be able to sue you for having a kid. I didn't consent to being conceived. Therefore, I want some money. I just don't think that's right. And that behavior from their parents anyway. That come from parents who ain't scared of their kids. At a certain point, your parents

supposed to be scared of you. Yeah, you stronger, you faster. Your parents can't be behaving like that. That's where every time I go back to Alabama, I go home visit my mama. I turn on one of the murder forensic shows where they killed a parent and then I just look at it. Just a letter know I got some ideas up and the child You gonna scold me into having a child. You don't scold me into having a child?

Scold and don't work? Everybody know that's scolding don't work. It's like him boys in the hood. You see boys in the hood. their boy's mama scolded him. She said, don't you go to that store and go steal it some stuff and what do they do. after Ricky. We got enough time left to be even had any time? No, we don't.

We don't. We had the time and then, I mean, we basically watched the boys in the hood. But, you know what, I'm glad you've been going to therapy. That's been helping. Roywood Jr. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All right, when we come back, Senator Chris Murphy is joining us on the show. You don't want to miss it.

It's just... Welcome back to the Daily Show. My first guest is Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. He represented Newtown when the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre occurred a decade ago. And following the devastating school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, he begged his colleagues to act. Why do you go through all the hassle of getting this job, of putting yourself in a position of authority, if your

answer is that as the slaughter increases as our kids run for their lives, we do nothing. What are we doing? Why are you here? If not to solve a problem as existential as this. Joining us live now from Hartford, Connecticut, please welcome Senator Chris Murphy to the data show. Senator Murphy, it must feel at some point like you are going up against an immovable force. Senator Murphy, it, it must feel at some point like you, you are, you know, going up against an immovable force. It must feel at some point like you're engaging in a conversation that seems to go around and around in circles, but it seems like in and around this time, there is some movement, there are some Republicans who have said, you know what, maybe there is something we should

be doing, even if it is not the perfect solution. Let's jump straight into that and talk about what you've seen in terms of a bypasses and move to change what gun safety should be in America. Well, Trevor, thanks for having me on. And it does feel, often like deja vu repeating itself. Ten years I've been at this. The American public has made up their mind. There's nothing in this country that's as popular

as changing the gun laws to make our kids safer. 90% of Americans support things like making sure that everybody has to go through a background check before they buy a gun. But we run up against this brick wall, which is the power of the gun industry in the gun lobby, but you're right. It does feel different this time. I just got off the phone off a zoom call with about 10 or 12 Republicans and Democrats that are trying to pass something that will save lives, not do everything, but try to break this log jam. And I think it's because

of the very unique cataclysmic nature of this last mass shooting, but also because over the last 10 years, you know, we've built an anti-gun violence movement that is powerful that has just as many members and just as much money as the NRA and the gun lobby has and that has started to have an impact. So I don't know whether this is going to succeed. I've been, you know, Charlie Brown kicking a football that gets pulled out from under me over and over again, enough times to know that maybe this won't turn out differently. But I owe it to the families in Texas, the families in my state in Sandy Hook to give it a try. What seems to be the holdup? What are some of the internal conversations that you're having, you know, without betraying anybody's

trust? What are the sticking points? Because if so many Americans, if such a large percentage is in support of many of these common sense measures, why then do their representatives not seem able to put those things into effect? Well, right now this is a problem inside the Republican Party. Every single Democrat in the Senate would support things like expanded background checks. And the reason that it's a problem in the Republican Party is that to win a Republican primary today, a lot of my colleagues think that you need the endorsement of the gun lobby, not just because of the money that comes from groups like the NRA, but because associating yourself with the gun industry has become kind of a proxy for a broader set of conservative values. And so we've got to solve that problem for Republicans. We've got to find another way for

them to demonstrate how conservative they are without having to do the bidding of an industry that is supported by only 10 percent of their constituents. But that's starting to change because now a lot of Republicans are starting to see that if they vote for things, Because now a lot of Republicans are starting to see that if they vote for things, you know, like restrictions on assault weapons, they actually will be rewarded by larger numbers of their constituents than ever before that support these things. So I think the political calculations of some of my colleagues are beginning to change, but it's slow, you know, for decades they were told you can never ever beat the gun lobby in an election. That's not true anymore, but th th th th. But th. But th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, 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. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. to to to thi. to to to to to to thi. to to to to to to to to thi. to to thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi they were told you can never, ever beat the gun lobby in an election. That's not true anymore, but it takes a little while for that lesson to be learned. Let's talk about some of the concrete steps then you're looking to take. You know, every mass shooting in America is followed very promptly by people saying, this

wouldn't be solved by that solution. Though the concrete measures that you can tak, to to to to to to, to, tho, tho, tho, th, th, th, th, th, 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, tho, tho, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, and, th, th, and, th, and, thin, and, thin, thin, and, and, thin, tho, and, tho, and, thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, and, and, and, tha, tha, becomes a chicken and the egg scenario that never seems to end. What are some of the concrete measures that you can take now to change some of the gun laws in America to make the country safer at least, if not perfect? Yeah, and I think it's really important to remember that there's a mass slaughter in this country every single day. I get it. There's good reason why this country pays more attention after a catastrophe like Euvaldi, but there's 110, 120 people every single day who die from guns. And in fact, since Uvaldie, there's been 18 mass shootings in the United States. Now it was four people, 10 people, 12 people, not enough to get the headlines,

but there's a crisis every single day. What are we talking about? Red flag laws, these are the laws that allow you to take to take to take to take to take to take 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 to the the the the to the the the to to the the the the to to to to to to to to to too 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 th.... th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the the thi, thi, thi, thi, the the the te tean tean tean tean te. tean too. too. too. too. thi. th These are the laws that allow you to take guns away temporarily from kids like this guy and Uvalde, who is showing signs of doing something disastrous. We're talking about strengthening our background checks. We're not going to get all the way to universal background checks, but making sure that more gun sales come with these background checks. We're talking about money for community anti violence initiatives, trying to wrap services around at-risk kids, especially in our cities, where poverty often leads to violence, that could make a big impact as well. So it's not everything I want, but it would be the most significant set of gun reforms

in really 30 years, and we're closer than ever to getting it done. There are many people who voted for Democrats who I think would sometimes look enviously at what Republicans are able to do despite their setbacks. You know, we've seen what Mitch McConnell has been able to do with the Supreme Court. We've seen what Republicans have been able to do with abortion and restricting it around the country.

Do you ever consider these options? Do you ever think to yourself, oh man, we should also be looking at ways to use the tools and the mechanisms that are present to us in America to get something done? Or is there a reason that you don't take that approach? Well, right now, we have a majority in the House, the Senate, that support expanding background checks to every gun sale, which would probably save the most lives. We have a president who will sign that bill. The problem is the rules of the Senate right now require you to get 60 votes, not 50 votes

in order to pass a bill like that. So for the American people, it's frustrating, right? because they did their job. They put majoring thethe House, the Senate, President of the White House, who support where they support, expanded protections when it comes to our nation's kids and the safety of our communities. But the rules of the Senate, but the rules of the Senate. Now, when Mitch McConnell wanted to get conservatives on the Supreme Court to outlaw abortion, he. to to to the to ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab. the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, the th. And, the the the the the the th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, thi. And, the. And, the. And, to, to, to, toe. And, toe. And, to, toe. And, the. And, the. And, the. And, the the. outlaw abortion, he changed the rules of the Senate. But right now, we are a few votes shy in the Democratic caucus of changing the rules now that we're in charge. So yes, I don't think we should deliberately adopt the policies of Mitchell McConnell,

but I do think that when we have power, you know, when the voters have given us power, we should listen to them and do what the majority of Americans want us to do...... Well. Well. Well. Well. Well. Well, to, th. Well, the, to, to, the, to, to, the, to, to, the, th. to, th. th. th. th. th. th. tho, tho, tho, tho, thi, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, 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. But, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the. to to the. to to to to thean. to to to to to to thean. thean. to thooo. the. tho. given us power, we should listen to them and do what the majority of Americans want us to do. Well, I'm sure most Americans would hope, in fact, all, that you're not Charlie Brown this time, the ball doesn't get taken away and something actually gets done. Thank you so much for taking the time to join us, and we hope to their day show.

My next guest tonight is an award-winning best-selling author. They're here to talk about their new novel. You made a full of death-s sotterian. their next guest to-night is an award-winning best-selling author. They're here to talk about their new novel. You made a full of death with your beauty, and their memoir, Dear Centuron, which will be available soon in paperback. Please welcome, Aquirto the Daily Show. Thank you for having me. I feel like I've met you before. It's so weird. We have like this energy between us. There's something about it.

I shouldn't just welcome me to the Daily Show. I should also say congratulations on being not just one of the most prolific writers, but one of the most celebrated prolific writers. You have written four books in how many years now? Seven books in four years actually. All right. You see, I was counting four. How many in the pandemic alone? In the pandemic about four years.

In the pandemic, it was four. In the pandemic, it was four. Yeah, because I remember going to look at everyone who worked in the pandemic and how much work they did. And it was four books just in the pandemic, right? Everyone else was like, we're making bread, and you're like, I'm gonna make a best-selling books. I would love to know how you switch so seamlessly between genres, because you aren't celebrated in one. You know, people love your poetry. People have fallen in love with your memoirs.

And then now you've switched into the world of novels, which everyone was shocked by, because they were like, why would you do this?????................. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. 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 th, th, th, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, th. I, thi. I, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. theeeat theateateat thea. the the toe the the toe toe toe toeea. toea. do this? It's trash. Romance novels. Specifically, yes. People are like, no, romance is trash. And now you've written it and people like, maybe, maybe it's not trash. Maybe it's a, I'd love to know how you switched so seamlessly. I think it's because I'm a reader of every genre. we would smuggle them to school because they were banned for being vulgar and inappropriate.

And they were like the Harlequin, the Mills and Boone's romance with like, you know, Fabio undercover. Wait, you were a fan of those? Yes. I mean, I was 13. Okay, but still there. Okay, all right, still. And I really got into them as a kid. I think there's something in there about like being young and exploring your own sexuality. And then I came to the States when I was 16 for

college and I discovered paranormal romance and I was like, oh my goodness. I'm like, shapeshift us. Oh my lord, that's hilarious. And then I took a break from it, but I came back around like in the last couple of years and I found like the romance that was being written now was so different from what I grew up on and it had like so much representation in it and it had so much hope in it you know you could read these love stories about people that society considers deviance whether it's just because you're black or you're queer or your newer divergent or you're in a wheelchair and they get happily ever after us and I was like there's a little magic in that like a little magic of hope. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I'm th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi thi. the. the. the. the. the. th. th. the the the the th. th. th. th. 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. theeeeeeat theat theat theat theat theat theat theat theat theat theat thea thee. the. the. I was like there's a little magic in that, like a little magic of hope. I think that's what people love about your work is

that it has shifted the ideas of what is quote-unquote the norm and just told stories through multiple different lenses. You know, I'll start with your memoir. The style that you wrote it in, i'm really interesting because it's a series of letters to people to the the the the, the, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, the, the, the, the, the, the, i. the, i. the, i. the, i, i, i, it, it's, i. the, it, it's, it's, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, i, i, i, i, i, i, i, i. is is is is, i. is, i. is, i. is, i. is, i. the, i. the, i. the, the, the, they. the the the the they. the the the the the the the the the they. the the the the the the they. the they. the, is, it's, it's, is, takes us through a journey of your life. Why did you choose to do it in that way? Why didn't you choose to address the book to the reader and rather let us in on a world where we almost become voyeurs of your relationships? Well, so the secret is I hate writing essays because you have to be so serious about them and you have to do research and things like that. And I just wanted to write a book that tha that thia tha tha tha tha tha tha tha tha th and th and I th and I th and I th and I the the the the the the the takes takes takes takes takes takes takes takes takes takes took took took took tha tha to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the thi the the the the the the the the the their their their their their their their their things like that. And I just wanted to write a book that felt like the conversations I have with my friends.

I think like these are the spaces in which you're really honest because it's intimate, because you're speaking without a filter, you're not worried about how some random reader is going to take it. And it strips down that artifice, it's a different kind of vulnerability. And also in writing and letters, it's like a citational practice for me, I think in terms of community, like all the ideas I have, the stories I tell, I tell them with my friends, I tell them with, I tell them with,

and so to write the letters, it was a way of showing the world, like these are the people I th worlds with, and I wanted them to be recognized as well. It's a beautiful journey and then to switch from, you know, from one style of book to the other, you made a full of death with your beauty. Has it's just gotten everybody buzzing? And Michael B. Jordan is going to be making the film adaptation. to the thraph. And, to be, to be, the film, the film, the film, the film, the, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it, it's, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it, it, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's a the, it's a the, it's a beautiful, it's a beautiful, it's a beautiful, it's a beautiful, it's a beautiful, it's a beautiful, it's a their, it's a beautiful, it's a beautiful, it's a beautiful, it's a beautiful, it's producer on it. It's a really beautiful story. Before we get into that, I'd love to know why you chose not to write the screenplay, because you are a writer, why not do that part of it as well? I have too many books to write right now. Okay, okay.

Oh, you know what? That's, yeah, I mean, I get it. I get it. I get it. But also, I th I th I th I th I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th th th th th th th th th th th tho, I have too, I have too, I have too, too, I have too, too, too, too, too, too, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why too, why too, why too, why too, why too, why too, why too, why too too too too too too too too too, why too, why too, why too, why too, why too, why too, why too, why too, why too, why too, why too, why too, too, too, too, 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 too, why to to to Hollywood, like in film and TV, it's a different style of writing. Like I was executive producer in development for my first book, Freshwater, and we were working with FX and we're in development for like three years and I was like, oh, this is very different from writing books. Because in books you can do whatever you want. And no one's going to stop you.

Your editor can say, well, I want you to change it and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you, to, to, to, to, to change, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, I want you to change it. And you can be like, no. And nothing happens. But in TV, you kind of have to listen to the people who are giving you notes. Yeah, they don't play that game. Yeah, no, no, no. This is not going to work. Yeah, I wanted to hand it over to people who actually do work in that and kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind, and kind the to, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, their, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, and, 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, to, to, to, to, the, the, the, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, so they're like the conduit between yourself and the TV. Okay, I get that. The story is a really beautiful, painful look at,

not just love, because you know, when I heard it was gonna be a romance model, I was like, oh, this is gonna be interesting. And it's more than like a romance model in the way, novel in the way we thi thin thin th. It th. It th. It's th. It's thin, it's th. It's th. It's thin, it's thin, it's thin, it's thin, it's thin, it's thin, it's thin, it's thin, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's, th. th. the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the story, the the the way, the way, the way, the way, th............. th.. th. thin, it's, it's, is, is, is, is, is, is a the story, is a th th th th th th th th th th th the story, is, is, is a the story, is a the story, is a the story, is a the story, is really. You know, we follow the story of Faye in the book, who is a woman who's lost her partner, and she's in this world where it's just grief. What is the point of life almost is what we're experiencing in the book? And then we see her fall in love with someone. I won't spoil all of it, but that person is tied to her through grief. I'd love to that I'd thapapapapapape. tho. tho, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th, th, the the the the world the world the world the world the world the world the world the world the world the world the world the world the world the world the world thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. thi's thi's thi's thii's thii. thi's thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi's th know how that became a theme for a romance novel. You wouldn't think that death and grief would be something that you'd want to put in a book about love. It snuck in. You know, initially I was like, this is going to be a fluffy book.

It's just going to be messy, hot girl summer. And then I met the character, and she was like, I have depths that you can only dream of. And when I started writing it, it felt, it felt fitting because I think there's so much grief in the world we're living in now. There's so much of it. And so many people are trying to figure out this question of how do I keep living throughout it. In some ways it feels sacrilegious, almost. It feels wrong. It feels like survivors' guilt. Like there's so many people who are suffering and you're here having a hot girl summer and how do you balance all of that? So in the book I wanted to write about this woman who's exploring that and figuring it out because at some point we do have to find a way to live and so she's like chasing life,

she's chasing joy and she's chasing happiness and she's making a lot of messy choices along the way, but I think that's part and parcel of it. With grief, the world doesn't stop. And that's something I wrote about, like in my memoir, it seems wrong the way that one world can stop when you lose someone and the rest of the world just keeps going. Like it doesn't matter that your world just stopped. And at some point you have to figure out how to blend back into it. Yeah, how you get back into the highway of life that's just moving along. The main character in the book is also an artist, and I feel like that was inspired a little bit by your world because I know you are, I mean an artist almost doesn't describe it because

you like everything, you know, it's video arts and pictures and it's everything. But her style of art is very particular because she works with, you know, and I've, and I, and I, and I, and I, 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, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the their, the their, the their, the their, the their, the their, the their, the their, the their, the their, the their, the their, the their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, seen some of the images, it's blood, you know, which feels very morbid. I wanted to know how you got into art that involves like portraits of people where there's a lot of blood in the image, but it's not sad somehow. What is the message you're trying to convey and what connected you to that art form? You know, for me, it's always something spiritual. Like, one of the things I tried to do, and that was why I also wrote the memoir, the way I wrote it, is to figure out how to move spirit first. In a world that's always asking you to translate it into something that's more legible to, you know, the mainstream or to the layperson.

And I find that with their their. visceral about it where you can't mask it. You look at it and it's exactly what it appears to be. It's jarring in that sense and it's such a big part of rituals, especially for indigenous like African fate traditions. It's such a big part of ritual. So with my work a lot of times what I'm doing is I'm creating these self-portraits, I'm recreating rituals, I'm trying to find a way to like connect back to all these ways of being like before we were colonized and you know our whole cultures were stripped from us. Right, right, right. It really is an interesting journey and it's fun to see you to see you thrown. It's a try and it's fun to see you the book and it's funnighed to the book and you to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. thrary thrary thrown. thrown. thrown. the the the the the the thrown. thrown. throwne throwne the the the the the the throwne throwne throwne throwne throwne throwne throwne. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. t. tree. tree. tree. tree. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. ttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttrye. tttttrye. trye. ttrye. tt. I don't want to tell you the book because I see you you guys now. Tell us Mortar, I'm not going to tell you anymore. Thank you for joining me on the show. Congratulations on yet another critically acclaimed book and I hope to see you again on the show. Thank you. Thank you so much. You made a full of death with your beauties available now and dear Senkivan will be available in paper. We're 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 to to the the the to the the the to to the the to to the the their their the their their their their their their to see to see to see to see to see to see to see to see to see to see to see to see to see to see to see to see the the the to see 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 show. And I I I the the the the the show. And I the the the the the the the the the the the the. I the thean. I thean. I thean. And I the Please consider donating to every town for tonight's spot. Please consider donating to every town for gun safety.

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