I am so excited...
to be going back to a show that has a live audience.
For so many reasons. I think one of the biggest reasons
I'm excited to be going back to a show with a live audience
is because then I no longer have to pretend that there's
people here that I'm talking to.
(crew laughs)
Sometimes, I even hear laughs in my head.
It's gotten so bad I've heard that the audience
hears them, as well. That's how you know your delusions are
super delusional.
People are like, "Who are you talking to, Trevor?" It's all
in my head, man. Can't wait for that to be real people.
-♪ ♪ -ANNOUNCER: Coming to you from the heart of Times Square
in New York City, the only city in America,
it's The Daily Show.
Tonight: COVID's back, baby.
The war is raging,
and Tiffanie Drayton!
This is The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
Hey, what's going on, everybody?
Welcome to The Daily Show. I'm Trevor Noah,
and I'm so excited, because joining me for today's headlines
is my good friend, Ronny Chieng. What's going on, Ronny?
-How you doing? -Hey! Trevor, thanks. Thanks for having me.
I'm excited have a last show here in this place.
-We're moving. We're moving to... -Right?
-Studios! And, you know, -Yeah.
I'm gonna-I'm gonna miss, I'm gonna miss this a little bit.
You know? A bit of nostalgia. I'm gonna, miss the shelf.
-Uh, I'm gonna miss.. Uh, this chair. -(giggling)
I am gonna miss performing jokes awkwardly
to complete silence.
But, uh, you know, most of all, I'm gonna miss you.
What?
You know, s-some people would say, you know, that
you're the most important part of the show.
And I just think it's a shame that you're not gonna
-come with us to the new... -What do you, what do you mean?
No, I'm-I'm coming.
Well, you know. (sighs) You shouldn't have signed
that two-year lease here. I'm telling you. But...
Wait. No, no, no. I'm coming... you can't go without me.
-Nah, it's okay. We'll find a new host. -No, no, no. No, no.
-I'm comi-- -We're fine. It'll be fine. Let me guess:
-it won't be that Asian guy. -(crew laughs)
-You know what, Ronny? I'm glad you're coming with me. -(laughs)
All right, people. Let's jump straight into today's headlines.
♪ ♪
We begin with big news from Netflix,
the friend who checked on you most during the pandemic.
Netflix is still the most popular
streaming TV service in the world,
but its lead has been slipping recently.
Major rivals like Disney+ have been gaining steam.
Upstarts like Peacock have also been getting buzz.
And, of course, there's Paramount+, which is the best
streaming service of all. They've got Champions League,
They've got Yellowstone, and they pay me. Ha!
I mean, I can't think of a better network.
So, with Netflix no longer bringing in new customers
the way it used to, the service is looking for ways to
make more money off of the users it already has.
And one idea Netflix is testing out
is the exact opposite of chill.
Sharing your Netflix account with someone else--
or a few someones-- could cost you some money soon.
Netflix says it'll start charging a fee to
primary account holders who share their passwords with
people outside their homes.
They're gonna test this in three countries,
Chile, Costa Rica and Peru.
And depending how the test goes, it could be expanded
to other countries.
Netflix says the fee will allow them to invest
in more shows and more movies.
Uh, also, bottom line here, it'll boost their profits
and cost you more money.
No. No, no, no.
No, Netflix!
This wasn't the deal.
The deal was that we get to share
a single account for our 30 closest friends,
and in return, you get to keep murdering people
to get material for your true-crime documentaries.
And, by the way, you do have to admit,
it's pretty shitty that they're testing this feature
in Chile, Peru and Costa Rica. Right?
I mean, those people just want to watch TV.
They didn't sign up to be guinea pigs.
Like, this makes me wonder how many other things
Netflix has tested on them that we don't even know about.
Yeah, it could be anything. Could be different shows.
It could be different features.
Like the sound, the Netflix sound.
We-We're used to it. "Ba-bum."
You find in those countries, they're testing other ones.
(vocalizes "Shave and a Haircut")
Or it's just someone screaming. (screams)
"Welcome to Netflix."
(laughter)
Yeah, man. I don't know why everyone's always so casual
with these Netflix passwords. You know, everyone's...
What-what happened to ethics in this country?
-You know? -Yeah, are we, like, a...
Is this, like, a country of crooks or something?
We should be... We're paying for a good service here.
This is a good service. They make good programs.
This isn't a victimless crime.
This isn't a small crime like-like tax fraud
or arson or being born a crime in...
-half white, whatever you are in South Africa. -What?
This is a major intellectual property issue, man.
Every time you look at someone's Netflix
that you didn't pay for, you're taking money away
from smart, capable, good-looking Netflix executives
who make great decisions,
not to mention comedians who make a ton of money
saying whatever the (bleep) they want.
And on a separate note, my new Netflix comedy special
is coming out April 5th.
-Ronny Chieng: Speakeasy. -(Noah groans)
So, make sure you tune in.
You don't have to watch it. Just put it on.
The-the views still count for my contract negotiations.
-Thanks, guys. -This guy... I thought...
You know, I was supporting you, and then it turned...
You know what? All right. Let's move on
to the coronavirus pandemic,
which, unlike most Netflix shows,
has been renewed for season three.
COVID cases are rising at an alarming rate in Europe,
drawing renewed attention to the Omicron subvariant
known as BA.2 or the stealth strain.
In the U.K., daily COVID cases soared over 100,000
marking a jump of 77% in a week.
This comes right after they dropped
pretty much all their COVID restrictions.
In recent weeks, Germany has also continued
to mark record high daily infections
with more than 250,000 new cases a day.
Meanwhile, in France, Switzerland,
Italy and the Netherlands,
COVID infections are starting to rise
following a rollback of coronavirus measures.
NEWSMAN: We're seeing these cases rise in Europe,
where they essentially have the same vaccines we've used.
They have the same level of protection that we have here
both from natural immunity and from vaccinations,
possibly even higher,
and they're starting to see these cases.
Could be a harbinger of what's gonna happen here.
Ah, shit.
A harbinger?
I don't even know what that word means,
but harbingers are never good.
Yeah, it's never like,
"This dog is heavily pregnant,
which could be a harbinger of more puppies!"
It's always bad shit.
A harbinger of more COVID in Americ... Aw, man.
And-and look, I will say this, guys. Before you panic,
before you panic, please, remember, remember,
if most people are vaccinated,
there will be a lot fewer deaths
and hospitalizations than before.
Even if cases shoot up.
Remember. That's the most important thing.
So we're not necessarily going back to the bad old days
when every day you were scared that one of your loved ones
might send you that "Imagine" video.
-(groans softly) -I mean, I don't know, Trevor.
This-this COVID...
This isn't the weak-ass 2020 peacetime COVID.
This is the 2022 coming out of European war COVID.
-Aw, man. -This is gonna be strong COVID.
This COVID survived, like, a direct nuclear hit.
-(Noah groans) -It's gonna... It's gonna come to America.
It's gonna infect everybody.
You know, it's-it's gonna be tough.
People are gonna get sick from it.
It's gonna call you the N-word.
-Wait, what? -Right? It's gonna-- it's gonna look
through your tweets and find offensive stuff
and get you canceled.
-Wait, wh-what? -I mean, honestly, I'm reading reports
that this spike is gonna be really bad in a few weeks,
especially on April 5.
So I suggest, on that date,
everyone should stay at home
and maybe do less dangerous activities
like watch a Netflix comedy special,
-uh, like mine, um... -(groans)
-...Ronny Chieng: Speakeasy on April 5 on Netflix. -You know...
So tune in.
I thought you were worried... (sighs)
Okay. You know what?
Finally, here's a story that's definitely gonna bring you
a little ray of sunshine in these dark days.
Because-- let's be honest, people--
all of us are pretty stressed out right now.
Right? The pandemic doesn't seem to end.
There's a giant war. There's mega draughts in Africa.
And just yesterday, just yesterday,
my dentist told me that I've been grinding my teeth
while I sleep.
Which just stressed me out even more,
because how did my dentist get into my bedroom?
But if your favorite coping method
isn't doing the trick anymore, well,
there's now a group of experts that you can call for advice.
If you've been feeling mad, frustrated, or nervous,
just know you're not alone.
There is a group of elementary school students
with some positive messages only a phone call away.
Welcome to the Peptoc hotline,
real advice you can use
from the students at West Side Elementary.
The hotline is the brainchild
of West Side art teacher Jessica Martin
and local artist Asherah Weiss.
Two days after we-we went live,
We were getting 500 calls an hour.
And, uh, uh, last I checked,
we were getting 11,000 calls an hour.
Huh?
Just when you thought there was no goodness in the world,
you see something like this.
I don't care what you say. That is the most adorable way
to feel better ever.
You call a five-year-old and they give you advice.
You know? Like, I got to say, I like getting advice from kids
way more than the alternative.
Because if you tell a kid you're stressed,
they're like, "Go buy some ice cream."
That picks you up, you know?
But if you tell your therapist you're stressed,
what do they do? They're like,
"Let's relive every failed relationship you've ever had."
Yeah. And then just when I'm getting into it, they're like,
"All right, our time is up. Good luck out there, kid."
I will say though,
the effects of kid therapy could go both ways.
You have to consider that.
Because, yes, their advice could make you feel a whole lot better
but then you realize you're taking advice from a child.
Now you're depressed again.
I-I love this service. There's nothing wrong with it.
-Ronny, would you-- would you do th... -Trev-Trevor, hang on.
Uh, uh, Peptoc? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh...
So, I've been feeling this, uh, existential dread
from, uh, this pandemic and this, uh, war.
Gas prices are going through the roof.
Also, my Netflix special is coming out on April 5,
and I've been feeling a little insecure about it.
Um, also, my marriage, uh, you know,
I-I wouldn't say we're unhappy, but, you know, it just feels
like there's this silence and...
emptiness that just keeps growing.
Uh, I don't know. Do you have any advice?
Mm-hmm.
What's that? Uh, drink some apple juice?
Okay.
Thank you. You think I haven't tried that?!
These (bleep) kids, man.
(crew members laughing)
I-I think you're missing the point
of what the kid is trying to do, Ronny.
(exhales) I mean, how much juice can one man take?
You know what I'm saying? Like...
Yeah, I-I get it, but the kid-- It's not, like,
actually about doing the thing.
It's about the feeling of the kid
-giving you the... -Well, if you can't deliver,
then don't (bleep) start the-the business, all right?
It's not-- it's not a business.
It's a thing to make you feel good.
Well, I tell you, I don't want to get a bill for that shit.
That was completely useless,
-all right? -Yeah, it's not about the bill.
Ronny, it's about the joy. It's like--
There's some things in life that bring people joy.
Look, if I'm gonna get advice from kids,
I'm not gonna get advice from American kids.
Okay? (stammers) What do you do in kindergarten?
(stammers) Coloring a book?
Dude, in-in Asia, we'd be doing advanced calculus
by this point. I want some Asian kids to give me some advice.
Wow.
You know... S-So grumpy.
You know what you need to do, Ronny?
You need to go on Netflix on April 5 and watch your special.
It'll-it'll probably cheer you up.
All right, thank you so much, Ronny Chieng.
Let's move on to our top story.
We are now in the fourth week of Russia's invasion of Ukraine,
Russia's worst decision since
sending their horniest spy to kill James Bond.
So, let's catch up on all the latest updates
in our ongoing coverage of the war in Ukraine.
♪ ♪
While Russia's military hasn't had a lot of success recently
in terms of capturing Ukrainian territory,
that doesn't mean the military hasn't been successful
at killing Ukrainian civilians.
Every day brings new reports of a hospital, school
or shelter being hit by a Russian air strike.
Or entire cities under siege
with no access to food, water or medicine.
And I honestly don't know what the point of it all is.
Like, unless Putin's plan is to win over the Ukrainian people
with the world's largest case of Stockholm syndrome,
What is he doing? But, either way, either way,
Ukraine has been saying for weeks
that Russia is guilty of war crimes.
And now it looks like
the president of the United States agrees.
NEWSMAN: Now to Washington, where President Biden has called
Vladimir Putin a war criminal for the very first time.
-He is a war criminal. -(reporters clamoring)
NEWSWOMAN: The White House says President Biden was
"speaking from the heart" about Vladimir Putin's
barbaric actions when he made that declaration.
The Kremlin responded to that charge just moments ago,
calling it "absolutely unacceptable and inexcusable,"
and pointing to the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki during World War II.
Aw, seriously, Russia? You're gonna bring up something
America did in the '40s?
America's committed plenty of war crimes since then.
Keep up with the times, yo. Come with that old shit.
And just because America committed war crimes
doesn't mean that you have to as well, Vladimir Putin, okay?
I mean, what-- if all your friends
jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?
No, seriously, would you?
I'm just brainstorming ways to end this whole thing.
I just want to know what you'd do, you know?
Now, despite being under constant bombardment,
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky--
he's made it clear that he has no plans-- zero, nada--
to ever surrender to Russia.
Yeah, practically every day, he releases a new video
reassuring Ukrainians that he's still in charge,
he's still in Kyiv,
and he's still making olive-green T-shirts
the hottest fashion item of 2022.
Although, if you were watching Ukrainian news yesterday,
you might have heard a very different message.
A video claiming to show Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky
calling for the Ukrainian people to surrender to Russia
was aired on news station Ukraine 24.
It then circulated on social media.
In the deepfake video, a phony President Zelensky tells
Ukrainians to put their weapons down in their war with Russia.
Digital forensic experts quickly picked it apart,
catching a number of visual and audio glitches.
The official Facebook account for Ukraine's land forces
posted a warning that more videos like this may be coming.
Yeah. You know what's funny is the first time I saw a deepfake,
the first time, I wondered when it would finally be used
for something dangerous in the world.
Like, something actually meaningful. 'Cause you realize,
like, some Ukrainians could have seen this video
and actually surrendered.
And the only reason they spotted this was because of
small discrepancies and also because the fake Zelensky
said Putin had a big dick and he's a karate king.
I mean, that sort of gave it away.
But you realize why deepfakes are so scary, right?
It's because they can make you think that anyone
was doing anything, even if they weren't.
Like, for instance, for instance, have you seen--
there's a video of me online where they make it look like
I was crying at the end of the Jurassic World.
Which is ridiculous. Why-why would I-- why would I cry
just-just because that one dinosaur-- p-p--
fought with the other dinosaur, like...
I like dinosaurs. Why are they killing each other?
Why do dinosaurs biting each other?
(crying) Why are they doing that?
You see? They did it again. That was...
The point is... the point is, this was a bullshit way
for Russia to try and win this war. Yeah.
Which is why we at The Daily Show decided
we're getting back at Putin
by releasing our own deepfake video.
It's me, Vladimir Putin.
I made boo-boo invading Ukraine,
and I just pooped my pants.
Ha! Checkmate, Putin.
Now we don't know for sure who's behind this deepfake,
but it obviously wouldn't be shocking
if it was the work of the Russian government
since fake news is kind of their whole thing right now.
In fact, if you turn on Russia state media,
you'd probably hear that Ukraine was the aggressor in this war,
and that Russia had no choice but to defend itself.
And also, that the war is going great
and if a few thousand Russian soldiers don't come home,
it's not because they're dead.
It's because they're on a permanent vacation.
You know how it is.
And believe it or not, believe it or not,
the Russian government is being helped in this propaganda effort
by conservative TV networks in the United States.
Yeah, as wild as it sounds,
channels like Fox News, Newsmax and OAN--
they've been so friendly to Putin's narrative
that Russian TV stations have even reportedly been ordered
to play clips of Tucker Carlson on its broadcasts.
And that's a smart move by Tucker, you know?
You might be like, "Why is he defending the Russians?"
Yeah, it's a smart move.
You don't want all your eggs in the Trump propaganda basket.
You got to diversify, you know?
Think about other bad guys you could roll with.
Putin, Kim Jong-un, hey, maybe The Joker.
Are we really supposed to believe
a Batman is keeping our streets safer?
Why is that?
But the point is,
America's conservative media is doing almost as good a job
at spreading Russian propaganda as Russia itself,
which is why we thought now's the perfect time
for a good old-fashioned Propagand-Off!
♪ ♪
Ukraine wasn't a thing until 1989.
Ukraine was created by the Russians.
It was... You know, they speak Russian.
So, yes, we're funding secret bio labs in Ukraine.
Just like we would not want Russia to come in
and start putting their tanks and missiles on our borders,
Russia says "Hey, I don't want U.S. and NATO coming
"and making their military outposts
on our borders within Ukraine."
(translated): Rampant neo-Nazism in Ukraine itself.
There were Nazis in Ukrainian divisions,
and there still are Ukrainian Nazis.
You can find pictures of them online
holding up the NATO flag and the swastika.
Remember that Zelensky is a thug.
Remember the Ukrainian government
is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil.
(translated): ...an illegal coup in Kyiv in February 2014
with the support of the United States
where the legitimately-elected president
of the country was overthrown.
A country which government only exists
because of the Obama state department helped
to overthrow the previous regime.
Look, Russia is now being cancelled.
All right, when we come back, Desi Lydic checks in
with the Russians we shouldn't be blaming.
You don't want to miss it.
Welcome back to The Daily Show.
Since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine,
everyone has been looking for a way to help Ukraine
and get back at Russia.
But it turns out some people are doing it the wrong way.
And Desi Lydic has more.
♪ ♪
DESI: Like pride flags in June, freedom fries after 9/11,
or black squares on social media, Americans have a knack
for making real change with their creative activism.
And, no surprise, now they're turning their focus to Russia.
Russian restaurants here in the U.S. that once proudly displayed
the county's heritage are feeling repercussions
from a war thousands of miles away.
A new call this morning to ban the sale of Russian
alcohol here in New York.
DESI: Surely, these savvy New Yorkers know a Putin supporter
when they see one, right?
But are these businesses really in the pockets
of Russian oligarchs? And how much are they sending back
to Putin himself?
As a true patriot, I had to find out how well our boycott
strategy was working.
My first stop, a Russian front-- sorry, restaurant--
in the West Village, Tzarevna.
Sounds suspicious already.
-Did Putin help you set up this place? -No, no.
How much of a share does he have in this business?
None that I'm aware of.
If I order the borscht,
how much of it will go back into his hands?
Presumably none.
It's here somewhere.
-(hitting bar) -(Lydic clears throat)
-Where's the yacht? -There's no yacht.
LYDIC: I wasn't able to find the spy stuff at Ricky's,
but a restaurant with "Russian" in the name
must be a front for Moscow loyalists.
I went to the Russian Samovar to meet with the owner.
Look at this guy. He's got to be in Putin's pocket.
You brought this out for me?
Yeah.
-Misha Von Shats. -Yeah.
-That's your real name? -That's my real name.
Misha want a shot.
Do you always refer to yourself in the third person?
Misha sometimes does.
-Oh, this is gonna be a long shoot. -Yeah.
You know what, you should probably try this first.
-I know what Russia does to journalists. -Oh.
-Mmm! -Mmm.
What is your most popular dish and drink here?
Uh, no surprise, chicken Kiev.
And how has business been up until this point?
Uh, business was just getting, uh, good again
coming out of the pandemic.
And then because we have "Russian" in the name,
we're automatically vilified.
You know, just 'cause we are a "Russian" establishment
doesn't mean we write a check to Putin or the regime.
We're standing with Ukraine
and our staff that is mostly Ukrainian.
People don't understand many Ukrainians
work for Russian establishments,
and by blackballing the business,
you're hurting them earning their wages and their tips
where they need to send it back home to help theirs,
which becomes a problem, as well.
Where exactly do you stand on this war?
We stand behind all Russian New Yorkers
when we say that violence is not the answer
and we are here to make borscht, not war.
How has your business changed since this war started?
Since the first week of the war, we definitely noticed
a big decline in business and revenue.
We probably see about half of what we normally do.
Just people not coming in.
Americans have a way of sort of...
not knowing exactly where to put their activism
and sort of misunderstanding a proper boycott.
-Yeah. -Is that what's happening in this situation?
That's sort of what's happening, yeah.
They-they like to assume that maybe the Russians in New York,
by maybe hurting us,
it might hurt Russians back home.
When, in reality,
the Russians that are here left Russia for a reason.
LYDIC: Could it be that our protest strategy
was punishing the wrong people?
I mean, these guys are even part Ukrainian themselves.
This is worse than the time my sister went to jail
because our DNA profiles are so similar.
Business dropped, like, uh, overnight.
We were just getting threats and calls,
calling us all types of names--
Nazis, this and that.
And being of Jewish descent,
isn't always a-a nice thing to deal with.
And-and that's happening pretty frequently?
On a constant basis, yeah.
It's time for another shot.
-I'm... (stammers) That's okay. -Yeah?
-I'm-- Yeah, I better not. -Yeah. Yeah, it's all right.
-Okay, I'll do it. Okay. -You know? Yeah. That--
-There we go. -Okay.
(gulps)
Oh, you went for the whole thing. Okay.
I don't want to be rude.
You sure you're not a Russian spy?
You drank that like a Russian.
I'm so sorry that your business is suffering
and that Americans are so misguided on this whole thing.
I want to support your business.
You know what? I'll take one of everything.
Round of drinks for everyone!
Well, there's no one in here,
but you-you get the idea.
Just e-everything.
We can get you our...
Russian kid juice.
Yes!
Cheers.
And to wash that down,
some of our famous borscht.
Nice!
Okay, I've very much been looking forward to this.
What is in this?
So, beets and beef and potato.
-Ooh. -All Russians' favorite thing.
Mmm.
I have a slight beet allergy,
-but it'll be fine. -(chuckles)
Oh, it's so good.
I'm not gonna let that get in the way.
What would be your message to Americans
-during this time? -Uh, my message to Americans
is, uh, don't vilify anything or anybody that is Russian.
We didn't start this war. It's Putin's war.
One final question.
Why so many beets?
Why not?
It's full of vitamins and minerals.
(gags)
(vomiting)
Well, if one thing is abundantly clear,
it's that that New Yorkers have gotten this one all wrong,
and the only Russian asshole in this war is Putin.
Now the only thing left to do
is to support my fellow Americans.
Thank you so much for that, Desi. All right, people,
don't go away, because when we come back,
you know how people always say,
"If you don't like America, you should just leave"?
Well, we're gonna talk to someone who actually did that.
So stay tuned.
Welcome back to The Daily Show. My guest tonight
is journalist and author Tiffanie Drayton.
Her new memoir is about how her family came to America
for a better life, and why she returned to Trinidad and Tobago
because she felt they couldn't find it.
Tiffanie Drayton, welcome to The Daily Show.
Thank you so much for having me, Trevor.
You know, you have one of the
most interesting takes in this book.
You do not want to be middle of the road.
You very much want to speak your piece.
Black American Refugee.
You say something that-that I think a lot of people feel,
but you have acted on. You have gone,
"America is not my friend as a Black American person,
and so, for-- because of that, I'm leaving."
-Absolutely. -So when you say "Black American refugee,"
that's a, that's a very specific title to choose for a book,
because you don't say Black American immigrant,
-Precisely. -You say Black American refugee,
-which implies some sort of fleeing. -Mm-hmm.
You know? You're leaving the place.
-You're living in exile now. -Mm-hmm.
I would love to understand the thought behind that,
because many would say, "Oh, but you chose to leave and you,
you could stay, as well." But you argue in the book--
-You couldn't stay. Staying wasn't -Right.
actually an option for you if you wanted to live a life.
Right. And that's when you have to really take a good look
at systemic oppression
and what that does to an individual.
So, when I made that decision to leave,
I was being oppressed in so many ways.
Whether it be the withholding of your diploma,
the, uh, living in a neighborhood
that is rife with violence.
Uh, these are all things that I was experiencing at that time.
And then on top of that,
to add an additional layer of trauma,
I was in a narcissistic, abusive relationship.
And that's something that's more common
with people who are of an oppressed minority.
You realize it's so hard
to not find yourself in abusive dynamics
because-- guess what-- everybody is existing
in a way that's so traumatic
and so full of constant distress.
And not only that but, you know, we internalize
so many of the messages from our abusers
and, in this case,
this larger structure of systemic oppression, right?
For example, you know, so many Black people
internalize ideas of self-hate
that they would have learned from the media
that brands us thugs or crack babies
-or welfare queens. -Right, right.
All of these brands and all of these labels.
And, so, my decision to leave was really born of my desire
to even free myself from those labels,
and that's what I was able to do by going back to Trinidad.
There are... There are pros and cons to every country.
-Absolutely. -I have friends from Trinidad who'll be like,
"Man, Trevor, I wish I lived in America.
"There's opportunities. There's ways you can do things.
There's... It seems like there's upward mobility."
Trinidad is so small.
It's-it's a community. It's a village.
But it also feels constricting at times.
Do you... Do you not think it's just a case
of maybe the grass being greener?
Or do you... do you think it's something
that you've chosen to weigh up and go, "You know what?
"Me feeling being Black is not an issue
"is worth more to me
than the ease of upward mobility"?
Or do you think upward mobility itself doesn't even exist?
I-I feel like, you know,
when you recognize that you are in a caste system,
it is true that upward mobility may exist for the few,
but what does that say about the majority?
And is there truly upward mobility if,
when you move into that rich neighborhood
or you start driving that BMW,
you are still under the same threat of white supremacy?
Is it truly upward mobility if you have to be afraid
to gift your child a car that's expensive
because a police officer may shoot that child
because they think that the child stole the car
-just because they're Black? -Mm-hmm.
You know, I think that we can only view mobility
in terms of maybe our economic circumstances.
But when that brand of blackness
puts you at the bottom rungs of a society,
there is really no way to escape that,
aside from destroying that very system
that seeks to put people in that rung and keep them there.
I like that you say "caste system."
-'Cause it is that. -Yeah, but I think
people don't understand what a caste system actually is
-all the time, right? So... -No, they don't. They're like,
"But it's not India." It's like, it doesn't have to be India.
-Right. Yes. -It could be the American version.
But I still-- I often say to people
we're still dealing with a very basic level of it.
Because, here, it's still-- Like, we're still, like--
I always think of-- If-if I was playing a video game,
race is still, like, almost, like, the first boss.
Do you know what I mean? They're still gonna--
Like, classism is still gonna come in as the next boss,
-which is almost what, like, the racism is hiding. -Eh...
-You don't think so? -I mean... No, absolutely not.
-Because, ultimately... -You don't think so?
Darling, let's go take a trip down MLK.
Let's got-- take a trip down Malcolm X.
In fact, let's go to Barack Obama schools
-across the United States of America... -Yeah.
...tell me about class not being interconnected with race.
No, I'm not saying not interconnected.
-No, no, no. -It is actually part of the same thing.
-Yes. Yeah. -Because the class system in America,
-remember, the-- you brought enslaved people... -Yes. Yes.
-...to act as your... -Completely with you.
-And from that moment,
you built a system around oppressing them.
-Right. -So that you can constantly use their bodies
to profit from. Let's look at mass incarceration.
-Let's... -And I'm not saying not interconnected.
This is what I'm saying, as a-- as a-- This is what...
No, one and the same. Like this. Hand in glove.
-In America. It may not be everywhere. -Oh, yeah, yeah!
-They may be intertwined now, yes, yes, yes. -In-in America,
-you built both systems simultaneously. -Yes. Right.
-Right. -I mean, it's a very young country.
-It's not like it's a brand-new country. -Yes.
-That's the thing. -It's not like it's a very old country.
And that's-that's what I'm saying. People, I think, don't
seem to-- So, I-I appreciate that you said it like that.
-Mm-hmm. -So, okay, let's look at America,
-as an example, right? -Mm-hmm.
The thing I always try and explain to people is this.
The system that exists screws over
-so many white people as well, right? -Agreed.
Because there are so many white people who are kept poor
by a system that has taught them that
Black people are coming to take your shit,
-Precisely. -so you need to fight the Black people,
-when in fact-- -And that's what the caste system does.
-If you look at the history of America, right? -Yes.
-"Europeans" of all sorts can come to America -Mm-hmm.
-and eventually assimilate. -Right.
-You absorb the whiter folks so that your power -Yes.
is maintained. But that doesn't -Yes. Completely agree
-with you. -But the key thing is that the white is on one end
-and the Black is on the other. -Yes.
So, anybody who falls off into that Black category...
-Yes. -Like, if you're dealing with descendants of slaves
-who are American... -Uh-huh.
Um... they know it's a caste system.
-There's no question for them, because -Right, right.
they see how there is no, like...
-generational wealth. -Yes.
-Where? Where-where's it at? -Right.
Like, the average white family has, like, 16 times
the amount of generational wealth.
-So, to say it's not race, that's just... -No, no, no.
I'm not saying it is not race. This is what I'm saying. Okay.
-It's the same. They're... -Let's look at... Let's... Yes.
-They're like, "Uh." -But I'm saying, they are intertwined
but I don't think they're the same thing,
and I'll tell you why.
Let's look at immigrants who come to America.
-That first generation will come from a place and go... -Mm-hmm.
-Mm-hmm. -"Ah, I was given opportunities.
"I could make something of it. Yes, I had to be a taxi driver.
I had to be this." Etcetera, etcetera, whatever it is.
-And they'll go, "But my kids now do this." -Right.
"I came from this place, and now my kids do this."
Then, ironically, their kids who are Black American
are now promised a dream like MLK said.
So immigrants will go, "This is not my country.
"Ergo, the promise is not to me
so the country's not failing me."
They have American children.
The American children go, "I have a promise."
Then the promise is not fulfilled, which creates...
You know, I want to give you another thing
-to think about as we're on this. -Yes.
Because if you want to look generationally,
like, my mother--
when she came to the United States of America,
despite the fact that she worked as a nanny
and then eventually became a nurse--
she was actually a very educated woman.
Now for her to give her children that same level
of access to education, uh,
we ventured to three or four states.
So it requires so much effort to extract.
-I'm completely with you, yeah. -Especially, like, within...
If you look at the education system, like,
if are you in a majority Black school, it's going
-to be hot garbage, and that's just a fact. -Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
In other countries, that's not going
to be the thing that's holding you back.
It's not gonna be the fact that you're Black
that you can't get a good education.
-That may play into it, like you say. -Yes. Yes.
That's where you see more of those class-based situations.
-Where we see the stitching, yes. -But in the United States
of America, as soon as you bring your Blackity Black kids
from Africa or from wherever, and you think that, you know,
these titles of being "immigrant" of "Trinidadian"
or whatever are gonna protect you,
-perhaps they might give you a blinder. -That's what I mean.
But for your children, they're gonna have to experience
what it is like to be educated
in the education system of the United States of America,
and it ain't got no time for us, I'll put it that way.
-I'll tell you this. Tiffanie Drayton... -Mm-hmm.
...you've written an engaging book,
which is one of my favorite books to read.
There are things I agree with, there are things
I disagree with, there are things that are new to me.
I hope everybody reads it for that reason.
Thank you so much for joining me on the show.
Thank you so much for having me.
All right, people, Tiffanie Drayton's memoir,
Black American Refugee, is available right now.
We're gonna take a quick break,
but we'll be right back after this.
Well, that's our show for tonight, but before we go,
in honor of Women's History Month, The Daily Show partnered
with Lolly Lolly Ceramics to create three
special edition Daily Show mugs.
All month long, you've seen Lolly Lolly's mugs
right here on our desk, and you've got one last chance
to buy a mug of your very own.
Remember, they're limited. This is it. They are done.
So, if you want to support a Black-owned
women-run small business and look fresh
while drinking your coffee, head to the link below.
The Daily Show will be taking a little break
for the next few weeks.
But the good news is, the good news is
the reason that we're doing that is because
next time you see us, we'll have our audience back!
You see, if there was an audience here,
they would have cheered for that.
That's why I need an audience. Yeah.
Anyway, um, I just wanted to thank you,
every single one of you who has been with us
on this crazy, two-year journey. Yeah.
Like, sometimes I have to stop myself to think
about how wild it is, from not knowing
if we'd still be able to do a show in a pandemic,
to doing the show from my apartment,
to doing it here at, like...
Like, where are we actually? What is this even?
You know? What is this? Is this purgatory?
What is this thing?
Anyway, we're gonna be back with an audience.
And, hey, maybe we'll see you in the audience.
You're welcome to join us at the show.
Until then, stay safe out there, get your vaccine, and remember,
if are you using someone else's Netflix account,
you better watch everything now
because it could all be over soon.
Now here it is-- Your Moment of Zen.
I got this message, this morning from Bono.
And he said, "Ireland's sorrow and pain is now the Ukraine,
and Saint Patrick's name is now Zelenskyy."
(audience gasping, applauding)
Ah. (mumbles)
Okay, we're ready to welcome straight here in the Capitol
-of the United States. Riverdance. -(clapping) -Yeah.