Hey, what's going on, everybody? I'm Trevor Noah,
and this is The Daily Social Distancing Show.
Today is February 24, which means
it's the last week of Black History Month.
And that is why, once again, my friends,
I've decided to make new Black history
by becoming the first Black player
in major league baseball.
What? What do you mean that's been done?
Wh... wh... Hundreds of time...
What are you talking about?
Well, I don't watch the...
It's boring. Why would I watch it?
Anyway, on tonight's show,
we look at why Black people
aren't getting vaccinated,
Dulcé Sloan tells you why Oprah is weak,
and we meet the dog
that's gonna put all of us in prison.
So let's do this, people.
Welcome to The Daily Social Distancing Show.
-? ? -ANNOUNCER: From Trevor's couch in New York City
to your couch somewhere in the world, this is
The Daily Social Distancing Show with Trevor Noah.
Let's kick things off with an update
on the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol:
the day white supremacists entered the Capitol
without having to get elected.
Yesterday, Congress held its first hearings
on what went wrong with security that day,
and the testimony from the people in charge
was not encouraging.
NEWSWOMAN: Former Capitol Hill security officials
and the acting chief of the D.C. metropolitan police
recounting the January 6 insurrection, highlighting
major communication failures that led to the deadly riots.
The day before the insurrection, an FBI memo
explicitly warning about the possibility of violence
was sent via e-mail, but never made its way to leadership.
NEWSWOMAN: Here's the intelligence.
"Be ready to fight. Congress needs to hear
"glass breaking, doors being kicked in,
"and blood from their BLM and Antifa slave soldiers
"being spilled. Get violent.
"Stop calling this a march or a rally or a protest.
"Go there ready for war.
We get our president or we die."
ROBERT CONTEE: I would certainly think that something as violent
as an insurrection of the Capitol,
uh, would warrant, um, you know, a phone call or something.
Yeah, man, I agree with this. In fact,
this was the first time in history an e-mail
should have been a meeting.
E-mail is the least effective way
to get an emergency message to anybody.
It goes: text, DM,
message in a bottle that you throw into the ocean,
and then e-mail.
And if it's really not important, a phone call.
I mean, this was an attempted overthrow of the government.
It's kind of important that they hear about it.
I'm just saying, like, if it was me,
I would have sent an edible arrangement.
You know how I know e-mail isn't an effective way
to get someone's attention?
Because whenever you send an e-mail,
what do you have to do immediately after that?
You have to send a text asking, "Did you get my e-mail?"
The problem with e-mail is that we just get so many.
You know? It's easy to miss the one that says
"Insurrection at the Capitol," you know?
'Cause it might be below another e-mail
with three siren emojis like,
"Last chance for ten percent off colored contact lenses!"
And, I mean, I know which one's getting my attention...
ladies.
But yesterday's hearing was just the beginning of a long process.
I mean, President Trump incited a mob
that stormed the Capitol, chanting
"Hang Mike Pence."
That's something that was super upsetting to everyone.
Well, almost everyone.
Former Vice President Mike Pence is standing by his former boss.
That's right, Pence told a group of conservative lawmakers
yesterday he maintains a close personal friendship
with the former president.
MANU RAJU: This is significant because of what happened
on January 6 and pro-Trump demonstrators
coming into the Capitol looking for Mike Pence,
and Donald Trump tweeting abo...
attacking Mike Pence,
even during the Capitol riot.
But he did not express, I'm told, any ill will
towards the former president.
Banks told me, "I got the sense they speak often
and maintain the same personal friendship and relationship now
that they have for four years.
(whoops)
Staying loyal after he sent a mob to kill you?
Man, that shows how committed Mike Pence is
to his principles: he won't even abort a friendship.
And I don't know where the line is between forgiving
and being a doormat,
but Mike Pence crossed it a long time ago.
I mean, yeah, the bible says to turn the other cheek,
but at the same time, one of the ten commandments
is thou shall not be a bitch-ass.
I guess, at this point, there's nothing that Trump can do
to Mike Pence that would make Pence turn on him.
They basically have the same relationship
that we have with our Alexa.
Ugh! Alexa, I hate you.
I wish you would die!
I'm sorry you feel that way.
Is there anything else I could help you with?
And, finally, an update on policing in America.
One of the big problems is that police are too often
called in to situations where they should
actually be the last resort.
So, many activists have said that
we should find alternatives to cops as first responders.
You know, maybe health care professionals
or community members.
And now the NYPD is saying, "All right, I hear you,
but what about robot dogs?"
NEWSMAN: Meet Digidog, the newest member of the NYPD's
technical assistance response unit--
yes, a robot dog that's hounding city streets--
assisting its handlers in saving lives
and protecting New York's finest.
Digidog took its first steps here in the Wakefield section
of the Bronx today. The four-legged robot
was reportedly responding to a home invasion,
climbing the stairs of an apartment
here on West 227th Street.
MAN: It allows the NYPD to have
eyes and ears and also
talk to individuals
in life-threatening situations.
This allows them to use
the least amount of force necessary
to resolve that situation.
Wow! A robot dog?
What a cool way for the police to say
they have too much money and should be defunded.
And this robot dog comes with tons of features.
It's got cameras, it's got a microphone,
it's even got an extra knife
that it can plant on an unarmed body--
all sorts of things!
But you got to give props to the police
for how they're marketing this robot.
"Oh, look at our adorable dog."
No, it's a cop made out of steel.
Like, they can call tear gas party smoke,
doesn't mean it's gonna sting any less
when they blast you with it.
It will be funny, though, to see how people
try to bribe a robot police dog.
Listen officer, how about we let this ticket slide and, uh,
I give you ten minutes with my laser printer,
no questions asked.
And, look, I'm not saying robot dogs won't ever be useful.
I mean, they'd be great to send into a hostage situation.
I want a million dollars
and a helicopter to get me out of here.
You hear me?!
-You guys... -(barks)
-what? -(barks)
-What do you want? -(barks)
No, I'm not taking you out.
-I'm doing a hostage thing. -(barks)
-No, I... -(barking)
Okay, fine, I'll take you to the end of the block
-and back, okay? You got that? -(barking)
All right, good boy, come on, come on.
Good boy. Yeah, look at you.
But let's move on now to our main story:
the coronavirus vaccine.
It's the reason your grandma
is now FaceTiming you from a crowded bar.
Today brings some really good news:
the FDA announced that a new vaccine
from Johnson & Johnson has been proven effective,
including against the coronavirus variants,
and could be hitting the streets this weekend.
Plus, unlike the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines,
it works with one dose
and doesn't need to be kept in freezers.
So, this vaccine is basically as low-maintenance
as you pretend to be on your first date.
And with vaccine availability improving,
more and more people are able to get their shots,
and experts actually say that America
will soon be giving out
nearly two million doses a day.
So, with 330 million Americans, two million doses a day,
that means the pandemic will be over in...
Six?
But this is still America,
which means not everyone
is getting access to the vaccines equally.
The big gap in who gets
the coronavirus vaccine in the U.S.
Information from 23 states
that report COVID vaccinations by race and ethnicity
shows a stark difference in the rollout.
NEWSWOMAN: Black Americans are hospitalized for COVID
at almost triple the rate
and are at least 1.5 times more likely
to die from this virus than white Americans.
But just over five percent
of Americans vaccinated are Black
versus more than 60% who are white.
NEWSMAN: Cities like Philadelphia and Chicago
with the Black population double or triple
the percent receiving COVID vaccine.
Unfortunately, in New York City,
we learned that we had managed to vaccinate
more non-New York City residents here in New York City
than we had vaccinated Black, Hispanic
and Native American New Yorkers combined.
Well, well, well,
if it isn't my old archnemesis, racism.
What are you doing here?
What's that?
Oh, you're pretty much everywhere?
Yeah, that's-that's a fair point.
But this is crazy, people.
According to the available data,
New York has vaccinated more out-of-towners
than minorities who actually live here in New York.
I mean, they need to beef up the screening process.
You know, like, before giving someone a shot,
just ask them to walk six feet on a sidewalk.
And then if they stop and look up at a building to admire it,
you send their ass back to Connecticut!
And this isn't just a New York problem.
This is an America problem.
Since Black people are getting sicker at a higher rate,
they should be getting vaccinated at a higher rate
because they need it more.
It's the same reason you hand out free condoms
on college campuses, not at a LARPing camp.
So, why are Black people falling so far behind?
Well, let's find out why in another installment
of If You Don't Know, Now You Know.
? ?
There are two universal truths to living in America.
One: every holiday is a mattress sale in disguise.
And two: the wealthier you are,
the easier it is to access life's necessities.
And, unfortunately, that's one big reason
why Black people are having a hard time
getting the vaccine.
Race and income really determine your access to resources,
um, and that's no different with, uh, COVID.
NEWSMAN: Studies show more than 30% of Black adults
don't have broadband Internet,
leaving many without information online
about where and how to get vaccinated.
If you don't have great high-speed Internet,
if you don't have a computer,
how can you jump in line to make an appointment?
NEWSWOMAN: Black residents are significantly more likely
than white residents to live more than a mile
from the closest vaccination facility.
Researchers also found Black people
are less likely than whites to live near a pharmacy,
clinic, hospital or health center
that can administer COVID-19 vaccines.
NEWSMAN 2: Over 50% of the Chicago Black communities
were so-called pharmacy deserts, low-income neighborhoods
where pharmacies are far from the population
and people don't have regular access to vehicles,
compared with just five percent in white communities.
NEWSWOMAN 2: San Francisco's pharmacy desert
is zip code 94124.
92% of the population is Black and Hispanic,
and there's only one retail pharmacy
for the more than 35,000 people who live there.
Where do they go if they don't have
a personal or primary care physician?
And the answer, in many cases, is there's nowhere to go.
That's right. Many Black neighborhoods
don't even have a pharmacy.
There are so few pharmacies that I'm surprised
Republicans haven't made them voting locations.
And this is especially messed up
because in most white neighborhoods,
there are pharmacies everywhere.
I mean, everywhere.
One time, I went into a Walgreens
that had a CVS inside of it.
And it's also crazy
how many people still don't even have broadband.
Before America makes vaccination appointments
dependent on high-speed Internet,
uh, maybe they should sign everyone up
for high-speed Internet.
And then a month later, once those people
are done going through all the Internet porn,
then they can get around to making an appointment.
So, if you don't have the Internet
to schedule an appointment
and you don't have a local pharmacy
to administer the shot
and you don't have transportation
to a vaccine distribution center,
what do you do?
I mean, at that point,
you might as well just make the vaccine yourself.
Which I tried, by the way,
but I didn't have any mRNA in my house,
so I just used barbecue sauce.
I mean, it didn't work, but my blood tastes delicious.
But for the Black community,
the barriers to getting vaccinated
go way beyond a lack of resources.
There's also a psychological barrier.
Many Black people are just reluctant to get the shot.
'Cause the truth is they trust the medical community
less than they trust the Golden Globes.
And that suspicion may seem irrational to outsiders,
but trust me,
it is grounded in some very real history.
There is, especially among the Black community,
a horrible history of mistreatment
that has created distrust in doctors and medicine.
WOMAN: African Americans were experimented on,
used, essentially, to justify the cruelty of slavery,
creating science.
WOMAN 2: This book from 1851
titled The Natural History of Human Species
echoed one of the most prevalent and dangerous beliefs
in medicine at the time:
that Black people did not feel pain or anxiety.
NEWSWOMAN: The federally sanctioned Tuskegee experiment
sought to examine the long-term effects of syphilis
by letting infected Black men go untreated
with no regard to the suffering it caused.
NEWSMAN: There was also Henrietta Lacks,
a mother of five who, in 1951,
sought treatment for a tumor.
She passed away later that year.
Scientists, without her consent or her family's knowledge,
harvested her cells for medical research.
NEWSWOMAN 2: The ties between race and medical treatment
have lasted hundreds of years
and are still alive in medicine today.
The University of Virginia conducted a study
of 200 white medical students in 2016.
40% thought Black skin was thicker than white skin.
The study also revealed that some doctors
think Black patients feel less pain.
Uh, excuse me?
Black people don't feel pain?
Well, I guess you've never met a man named Michael Jordan.
He's been crying about everything for ten years.
I mean, Black people invented the blues.
Nobody feels pain like Black people.
Except for Adele. That woman has been through some shit.
But this is why so many Black people
are suspicious of the medical community.
Because that community has betrayed them again
and again and again.
And you're not gonna trust people
who have betrayed you that many times.
Uh, unless you're Mike Pence.
But, unfortunately,
this mistrust actually hurts Black people,
because these vaccines are safe.
Believe me on this. White people would never let Martha Stewart
get one if it was dangerous.
I mean, if something ever happened to her,
they would have no idea how to match their centerpieces
to their napkin holders.
It would be chaos!
And because this anti-vaccine sentiment
is hurting the Black community,
Black leaders are now stepping in to try
and get the message out through an institution
that the community does trust, the church.
NEWSMAN: Black churches have long been a source of guidance
and strength for the community it serves.
It's the reason why Black clergy across the country
are teaming up with medical professionals
and local officials to educate and encourage people
to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
NEWSWOMAN: Dr. Anthony Fauci, in a virtual face-to-face
with Baltimore's faith and community leaders.
We need your help.
Part of a strategy aimed at getting a message in
to the Black community.
NEWSMAN 2: On Friday, Black pastors
from several Boston churches received their first round
of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
They're also here to educate and reassure
the minority community the vaccines are safe.
NEWSWOMAN 2: Reverend Liz Walker says she preaches
about three things: truth, love, and lowering anxiety.
Her focus now is spreading the truth about the vaccine.
Half her congregation says they won't take it.
Some believe God will save them.
I always respond that,
yes, you should put your trust in God.
But, remember, God uses doctors.
That's right.
God uses doctors.
I mean, not all doctors.
You know, Dr. Phil is the devil's work.
But doctors who are actually doctors,
well, they're doing the Lord's work.
And props to people like Dr. Fauci
for speaking to Black churches
and for not doing that thing that white people do
when they visit a Black church,
where they start talking like Martin Luther King, Jr.
"And I can tell you that we as a people
will get to herd immunity!"
"Hey, man, you can just use your normal voice."
(high-pitched): "Oh. Thank God.
(clears throat) My voice was killing me."
And if you ask me,
Black church is the number one place to reach Black people.
I mean, the only other place that would make sense
is a Verzuz on Instagram
and a Black barber shop.
But that one wouldn't work,
because then they'd just get sidetracked debating
which vaccine is the greatest of all time.
"No, man, listen up.
Polio is the greatest vaccine of all time!"
"The hell it is, man. What about mumps?"
"Mumps?!
Man, don't bring that mumps bullshit into my shop."
Look, the point is
encouraging vaccination through the church
is a great idea.
It's actually something that The Daily Show
wants to get behind,
which is why we asked Pastor Roy to help us out.
Thank y'all for logging on to the Lord this morning.
It has come to my attention that some of y'all
are looking at the COVID vaccine
the way Jesus looked at Judas during the Last Supper,
suspicious.
And, look, I understand that the medical community
has done unholy things to Black people.
But I'm here to tell you
to put your trust in the trinity
of Moderna, Pfizer,
and Johnson & Johnson.
'Cause if you get the 'rona,
Jesus can't put his hands on you.
He's social distancing.
So I want you to let Jesus
and that vaccine into your soul.
Or least into your left shoulder.
Look, I don't think y'all hear me.
-? ? -I said...
I want you to let Jesus and that vaccine into your soul!
See, I need some help in here.
Somebody get me my soldiers of the Lord.
-(clapping) -I want you to baptize yourself
in the healing waters of the vaccine!
Push out the Antichrist and let in the antibodies.
I want you vaccine atheists to believe.
Preach, brother!
Do not be led astray by false Facebook prophets.
Let the vaccination be your salvation
from your isolation.
Amen!
? Go outside! Go outside! ?
? Go outside! ?
(whoops)
Blessed are the immune,
for they shall inherit the earth,
from the movie theater to the gym,
all the way to the promised land of Red Lobster!
Now, I ain't gonna hold y'all up.
I think we made the point.
Also, I got to wrap this up.
My little boy got a clarinet lesson over Zoom.
I only paid for the free 40-minute version.
Uh, praise Jesus,
and God bless Dr. Fauci.
And I'll see you next week for the booster shot.
? ?
Oh, yes!
I can feel it!
All right, when we come back,
Dulcé Sloan tells us why Black women
aren't as strong as you may think.
And Andra Day is joining us as a guest.
Don't go away.
Trevor: WELCOME BACK TO "THE
DAILY SOCIAL DISTANCING SHOW."
IT’S NO SECRET THAT BLACK WOMEN
HAVE ALWAYS HAD TO DEAL WITH
NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES.
BUT FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH,
DULCE SLOAN LOOKS AT A POSITIVE
STEREOTYPE THAT STILL HAS A
NEGATIVE IMPACT IN ANOTHER
EPISODE OF "DUL-SAYIN’."
♪ ♪ ♪
BLACK WOMEN, WE GAVE YOU
OPRAH, BEYONCE, AND ALL YOUR
FAVORITE REACTION MEMES.
I’VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THEY LIKE
THEIR WOMEN LIKE THEY LIKE THEIR
COFFEE: STRONG, BLACK, AND HOT
ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU SECOND-DEGREE
BURNS.
CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR,
DARIUS.
BUT THE THING IS, NOT ALL BLACK
WOMEN ARE STRONG, AND EVEN THE
ONES THAT ARE STRONG AREN’T JUST
THAT.
WE LIKE DOORS OPENED FOR US,
TOO.
ESPECIALLY BY SOMEONE WITH
BICEPS, LIKE MICHAEL B. JORDAN,
AND LIKE MICHAEL B. JORDAN.
HAIR LIKE MICHAEL B. JORDAN.
BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, THE STRONG
BLACK WOMAN STEREOTYPE IS
INGRAINED IN AMERICAN CULTURE.
IT HAS A LONG HISTORY BAS OLD AS
MORGAN FREEMAN AND BETTY WHITE
COMBINED.
NOTICE, YOU MAY BE WONDERING
WHAT IS A STRONG BLACK WOMAN?
IT’S THE IDEA THAT BLACK WOMEN
ARE EMOTIONALLY RESILIENT,
NATURALLY SELFLESS, TOO PROUD TO
ASK FOR HELP, AND CAN SUCCEED
WITH NO RESOURCES.
SO, BASICALLY, EVERY CHARACTER
PLAYED BY VIOLA DAVIS.
THE IRONY IS THE STRONG BLACK
WOMAN STEREOTYPE WAS STARTED BY
BLACK WOMEN TO COMBAT ALL THE
NEGATIVE ONES.
SEE, IN THE AFTERMATH OF
SLAVERY, THERE WERE REALLY ONLY
TWO STEREOTYPES OF BLACK WOMEN:
YOU WERE EITHER SOME SEX
TEMPTRESS JEZY BELL, OR A MAMMY
JUST THERE TO SMOTHER PEOPLE IN
HER WOMB.
MARY CHURCH DURLE COINED THE
STRONG BLACK WOMAN MOTTO,
"LIFTING AS WE CLIMB."
AND I GET WHAT SHE WAS GOING
FOR, BUT LIFT AS WE CLIMB?
EVEN BODY BUILDERS DON’T DO BOTH
AT THE SAME TIME.
YOU CAN’T EXPECT AWE BLACK WOMAN
TO DO MORE THAN SCHWARTZ NARG IN
HIS PRIME.
BUT OVER TIME, SOCIETY SHRANK A
BLACK WOMAN DOWN TO JUST HER
STRENGTH.
AND THE POPULAR PERCEPTION NOW
IS THAT BLACK WOMEN CAN BEAR AND
OVERCOME ANY BURDEN.
WE SEE IT ALL OVER OUR CULTURE.
IN MOVIES LIKE "THE COLOR
PURPLE.
."
ALL MY LIFE WE HAD TO FIGHT.
AND HOW CAN WE FORGET "GHOST"
WHERE WHOOPI WHOOPIE GOLDBERG LI
HAS TO LET A WHITE MAN USE HER
BODY TO RUB FOREHEADS WITH HIS
FIANCE.
EVEN WHEN BLACK WOMEN ONLY HAVE
ONE LINE, IT’S STRONG AS HELL.
MOVE, OR YOU WILL BE MOVED.
DAMN!
AT LEAST LET HER SAY HELLO.
BUT DULCE, WHAT’S WRONG WITH
BEING PERCEIVED AS STRONG?
ISN’T IT A GOOD THING?
NO.
NOT IF BLACK WOMEN DESTROY THEIR
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH
TRYING TO LIVE UP TO IT AND NOT
IF PEOPLE THINK BLACK WOMEN ARE
SO STRONG THEY MAKE THEM DO ALL
THE WORK ON THEIR OWN.
LOOK AT STACEY ABRAMS.
SHE HELPED DEMOCRATS WIN
GEORGIA, AND BEFORE YOU KNEW IT,
SHE WAS BEING ASKED TO DO
VACCINE DISTRIBUTIONS, THE NEW
YORK SUBWAY, AND KIM AND KANYE’S
MARRIAGE.
THE STEREOTYPE EVEN REACHES THE
DOCTOR’S OFFICE.
BLACK WOMEN ARE LESS LIKELY TO
BE PROPERLY DIAGNOSED.
THEY HAVE A MUCH HIGHER MATERNAL
MORTALITY RATE, AND THEY’RE LESS
LIKELY TO BE BELIEVED ABOUT
THEIR SYMPTOMS AND PAIN.
SO A BLACK WOMAN BASICALLY HAS
TO BE A DOCTOR TO KNOW
EVERYTHING GOING ON WITH HER
BODY AND THEN CONVINCE ANOTHER
DOCTOR THAT THAT’S WHAT’S
HAPPENING.
I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT.
I HAVE CONTUSIONS, LACERATIONS
AND INTERNAL BLEEDING.
GET ME A MORPHINE DRIP AND PREP
SURGERY STAT.
WE’LL GET YOU A COUPLE OF
BAND-AIDS AND YOU’LL BE FINE.
WHAT?
SO THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE A BLACK
WOMAN STRUGGLING AT WORK OR
TRYING TO LIFT A BOX, HELP HER.
DON’T JUST STAND THERE LIKE
YOU’RE ABOUT TO SEE WONDER WOMAN
IN ACTION.
IN FACT, IF YOU’RE IN THE NEW
YORK AREA...
I’M MOVING THIS WEEK.
AND I COULD USE SOME HELP.
MOVING MY COUCH.
BECAUSE I’LL BE DAMNED IF I’M
GOING TO PULL MY BACK LIFTING MY
OWN COUCH.
Trevor: THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR THAT DULCE.
I WISH I COULD HELP YOU MOVE,
BUT I’M BUSY ON WHATEVER DAY
THAT IS.
ALL RIGHT, WHEN WE COME BACK,
THE MULTI-TALENTED ANDRA DAY
TALKS ABOUT PLAYING THE
LEGENDARY BILLIE HOLIDAY. YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS IT.
DAILY SOCIAL DISTANCING SHOW."
EARLIER TODAY, I SPOKE WITH
SINGER, SONGWRITER, AND ACTOR,
ANDRA DAY.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE LEGACY OF
BILLIE HOLIDAY AND HER PORTRAYAL
OF THE LEGEND IN HER NEW
MOVIE THAT’S JUST GOTTEN HER TWO
GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS.
█0NO, JOE.
I WANT TO SING THE DAMN SONG,
ALL RIGHT?
THE CLUB ADVERTISES IT.
PEOPLE PAY GOOD MONEY TO COME
HERE AND HEAR ME SING IT.
I TOLD YOU 100 TIMES, PEOPLE
IN HIGH PLACES DON’T WANT YOU
SINGING THAT SONG.
AND I’VE ASKED YOU OVER A
HUNDRED TIMES WHAT PEOPLE, JOE?
WHAT YOU LOOKING AT HIM FOR?
I’M THE ONE WHO PAYS YOU.
THE GOVERNMENT.
Trevor: ANDRA DAY, WELCOME
TO THE "THE DAILY SOCIAL
DISTANCING SHOW."
THAT’S WHAT IT IS, ISN’T IT
( LAUGHING )
I ENJOY IT JUST AS MUCH AS THE
REGULAR "DAILY SHOW"."
Trevor: THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
I APPRECIATE THAT, I REALLY DO.
BEFORE WE GET ANY FURTHER, LET’S
START WITH THE CONGRATULATIONS
THAT ARE IN ORDER.
TWO GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS,
WHICH IS HUGE FOR YOUR WORK ON
THE NEW BILLIE HOLIDAY MOVIE.
AND WHAT’S REALLY IMPRESSIVE
ABOUT IT IS NOT JUST THE
NOMINATIONS.
THIS IS YOUR DEBUT ACTING ROLE.
I MEAN, WHAT A WAY TO START.
YEAH, YEAH, DEFINITELY WHAT A
WAY TO START
( LAUGHS
( OPINION.
AND IT WAS ALMOST A WAY TO END
WHILE I WAS ON SIT.
IT WAS LIKE THIS MIGHT HAVE
TAKEN ME OUT.
BUT, NO, I MEAN NOW I’M
DEFINITELY MORE BALANCED AND I
FEEL KIND OF AT A HEALTHIER
PLACE.
I DIDN’T WANT TO DO IT AT FIRST,
BUT I’M REALLY GLAD THAT I
DIDN’T AND I DIDN’T SORT OF
SELF-SABOTAGE MY WAY OUT OF IT.
BECAUSE IT’S AN HONOR TO BE A
PART OF BILLIE’S STORY AND
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND TO HELP
BRING THE TRUTH OF HER LIFE TO
THE PUBLIC EYE.
Trevor: BILLIE HOLIDAY,
PEOPLE MIGHT KNOW AS THE
MUSICIAN, BUT WHAT MAKES THE
FILM SPECIAL IS YOU SHOW US
BILLIE HOLIDAY AS THE CIVIL
RIGHTS ICON, AS THIS WOMAN WHO
IS FIGHTING AGAINST THE SYSTEM
THAT IS TRYING TO SHUT HER DOWN.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
THAT STORY AND THE PART OF HER
LIFE THAT PEOPLE DON’T REALLY
KNOW ABOUT.
ABSOLUTELY.
TO PUT IT FRANKLY, IT WAS THE
PART OF HER LIFE THAT PEOPLE
WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO KNOW
ABOUT.
PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE
REASON THEY KNOW BILLIE HOLIDAY
AS THIS SORT OF TRAGIC DRUG
ADDICT BUT LIKE A GREAT JAZZ
SINGER BECAUSE THAT WAS THE
NARRATIVE FED TO US AS A PEOPLE.
BUT WHAT THEY REALLY NEED TO
KNOW IS SHE WAS SORT OF A
GENESIS.
SHE WAS THE BREAKOUT MOTHER OF
CIVIL RIGHTS.
SHE WAS THE FIRST MARTYR IN THE
WAR ON DRUGS.
SHE WAS SINGING ABOUT A SONG OF
LYNCHING IN AMERICA, IN DEFIANCE
OF THE GOVERNMENT.
AND SHE WAS INTEGRATING
AUDIENCES.
YOU KNOW, SHE WAS A FIGHTER, AND
DOING IT ALL ON HER OWN.
WE DID NOT HAVE THE CIVIL RIGHTS
MOVEMENT AS WE KNOW IT TODAY,
AND WE WOULD NOT HAVE IT IF IT
WASN’T FOR HER SACRIFICE, SO SHE
IS A HERO.
Trevor: SHE’S A HERO
BECAUSE SHE WENT UP AGAINST
ARGUABLY THE MOST POWERFUL FORCE
IN THE WORLD AT ONE TIME, AND
MAYBE NOW, THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT.
IT’S A REALLY SCARY STORY.
TALK ME THROUGH YOUR ROLE AND
WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR YOU█ç TO PL
THIS WOMAN WHO, ON ONE HAND, IS
THIS AMAZING ICON WHO IS
PERFORMING AND REALLY
ENTHRALLING AUDIENCES.
AND ON THE OTHER HAND, A WOMAN
WHO IS DEALING WITH HER FEARS,
HER INSECURITIES, AND THE DARK
WORLD THAT SHE IS A PART OF,
WHETHER SHE LIKES IT OR NOT.
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY, AND I LOVE
THAT YOU SAID THAT JUST NOW,
WHETHER SHE’S A PART OF IT OR
NOT.
ONE OF THE THINGS I HEAR ALL THE
TIME IS, YOU KNOW, BILLIE
HOLIDAY IS A VERY COMPLICATED
FIGURE.
AND I’M LIKE THERE WAS NOTHING
COMPLICATED ABOUT A BLACK CAREER
WOMAN TRYING TO LIVE FREE.
WHAT’S COMPLICATED IS THE
CIRCUMSTANCES.
SHE’S IN THE 30s, 40sING,
AND 50s, AND THE ENTIRE
GOVERNMENT WAS USING THEIR FORCE
AND ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL
FORCES AND FIGURES.
ONE OF THE PROBABLY MOST
DIVISIVE.
THE ENTIRE SYSTEM COMING AFTER
HER, FOR SING A SONG ABOUT
RACIAL TERROR, AND THAT SHE LOST
HER FATHER TO JIM CROW.
SHE WAS RAPED AT 10 AND PUNISHED
FOR BEING RAPED BY A 40-YEAR-OLD
MAN, WAS SENT TO A BROTHEL,
RAISED IN A BROTHEL.
AND SHE USED THAT AS A WAY TO
DEAL WITH THE TRAUMA OF IT.
THERE WAS NOTHING COMPLEX ABOUT
HER.
SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL, AND SHE WAS
A-- THAT’S WHAT MADE ME
APPRECIATE HER AND LOVE HER.
THERE WAS A SENSE OF URGENCY.
Trevor: RIGHT.
PERFORMING THIS ROLE AND
SINGING-- YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS
ON YOUR SHOW AND DOING IT IN THE
CAST IT WAS PAY HOMAGE TO BILLY
AND PAY HOM ANNUAL TO OUR PEOPLE
AND BRING THE SONG INTO A NEW
ERA.
ON SET IT WAS DIFFERENT, AND IT
WAS THE FIRST TIME I SANG THE
SONG AND REALIZED THIS IS NOT A
BEAUTIFUL SONG.
THIS IS AN UGLY SONG.
IT’S A HORRIFIC SONG.
THE BULGING EYES, TWISTED MOUTH,
AND THE BURNING FLESH.
I DIDN’T WANT THEM CLAPPING.
GO DO SOMETHING, BECAUSE I MIGHT
DIE AFTER SINGING THIS TONIGHT.
SO IT IT DEFINITELY TRANSFORMED
Trevor: YOU COULD HAVE
TAKEN THE EASY ROUTE IN PLAYING
THE ROLE THAT YOU DID, BUT YOU
DIDN’T.
I MEAN, YOU LOST ALMOST, WHAT,
40 POUNDS TO PLAY THIS ROLE.
YOU ALSO TOOK ON SOME OF
BILLIE’S VICES.
YOU KNOW, YOU STARTED SMOKING--
YOU DON’T SMOKE.
YOU KNOW, YOU SURROUNDED
YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE
STRUGGLING WITH DRUGS AS WELL TO
UNDERSTAND ADDICTION, TO SORT OF
UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE WAS GOING
THROUGH.
WHAT WAS THE HARDEST PART OF
INHABITING THAT SIDE OF BILLIE
HOLIDAY’S WORLD?
I MEAN, THE HARDEST PART--
LISTEN, IT TOOK A TOLL ON MY
FAMILY, RIGHT.
BECAUSE THE REALITY IS, WHEN
YOU’RE GOING THROUGH THIS AND
YOU’RE PREPARING FOR IT, YOU’RE
NOT GOING THROUGH IT BY
YOURSELF.
SO ON MY FAMILY, ON MY COMPANY,
ON MY STAFF, ON MY BAND.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY.
YES, STUDYING THE ADDICTION,
LOST WEIGHT, THE DRINKING AND
THE SMOKING, AND OTHER THINGS AS
WELL, TOO.
I DON’T TYPICALLY CUSS.
FOR ME I MADE A PERSONAL VOW TO
BE ABSTINNENT FOR LAST SEVEN
YEARS.
THAT’S NOT A SIDE I ENGAGE IN
EITHER.
IT WAS DEFINITELY CHALLENGING.
BUT I THINK THE HARDEST PART
WHEN I LOOK BACK ON IT NOW WAS
COMING OUT OF IT.
YOU KNOW...
I LIVED AS ANOTHER HUMAN BEING
FOR THREE YEARS OF MY LIFE, AND
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO I AM IN
THIS SEASON OF MY LIFE.
Trevor: WOW.
AND REALLY, REALLY KIFL.
AND I REMEMBER A MOMENT ACTUALLY
ON SET, YOU KNOW, LEIGH WOULD
ASK ME, HE SAID -- WE WERE DOING
THE SONG "ALL OF ME."
HE SAID, "THROW BILLIE AWAY.
AND GIVE ME ANDRE."
ITRIED, WE GOT IT IN THE MOVIE,
BUT I I WAS BREAKING DOWN IN THE
FILM AS YOU SEE IN THAT MOMENT.
I FELT LIKE I LET HIM DOWN.
I SAID,," LEIGH I DON’T KNOW WHO
THE ( BLEEP ) I AM."
I’M SORRY.
I’M NOT SURE IF I’M SUPPOSED TO
BE CUSSING.
I AM TRYING TO GET A FOOTING FOO
MY LIFE AND FIGURE OUT WHO I AM.
GOD IS GREAT, AND PATIENCE AND
I’LL GET THERE.
Trevor: I’LL TELL YOU THIS,
YOU’VE DONE AN AMAZING JOB
TELLING THE STORY.
IT’S NO SURPRISE YOU WERE
NOMINATED.
I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK.
AND I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU
TAKE ON AFTER THIS IS ALL DONE
AND AFTER YOU FOUND THE NEW
ANDRA FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER OF
YOUR LIFE.
HOPEFULLY SHE’S GREAT.
WE’LL SEE HOW IT GOES.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Trevor: THANK YOU, SO MUCH,
ANDRA.
TAKE CARE.
"THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE
HOLIDAY" WILL BE AVAILABLE ON
HULU ON FEBRUARY 26.
OKAY, WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A
QUICK BREAK, BUT WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THIS.
Well, that's our show for tonight, but before we go,
this month is Black History Month,
so please consider supporting an organization
called Free Black Therapy.
Their mission is to connect black therapists
with black and African American individuals
who lack adequate funds or health insurance
so that they can be treated for free.
By supporting Free Black Therapy,
you're helping black people in need
to get culturally competent mental health care
as well as supporting black therapists.
So if you're able to help in any way,
then please, donate at the link below.
Until tomorrow, stay safe out there, wear a mask,
and please remember to spay and neuter
your police robot dogs.
Now, here it is, Your Moment of Zen.
Audio was captured of an American Airlines pilot saying
he spotted, potentially, a UFO.
You're gonna ask me again, aren't you?
I'm just gonna say yes. You've beaten me down.
There are tons of aliens out there,
some maybe even in this studio.
-Oh. Wow. -Yeah.
-I might be one. -? Dun, dun, duh! ?
(beeping)