The fact that the Olympics is coming to Paris and the Paris is like don't come don't don't we don't want a house We don't watch you here. It feels exactly like when the Avengers say the world, but then the New Yorkers like guys Guys they ruined everything This is terrible and then they're like guys, but we were the Avengers. Did you not see us hop over the buildings? Like we don't care Yes, they're also like there is there is no more building. Yeah, you know, you know, this is one of the reasons I always hated Superman. I felt like Superman was a spoiled brat Who wasn't taught things by his parents because if you're Superman and you blow up half the city fighting zod Or whoever you're fighting How are you gonna go and spend the rest of your days working as like a fake journalist getting pictures of yourself? Instead of like why don't you rebuild the city you dick? Yeah, Superman. That's that's that's like. Yeah, so I agree with you Josh The Avengers. I'm like they heroes to like the outside world. Yeah, but I bet everyone who lives there's like, oh god Here comes Hulk again. Well, wish me luck You're listening to what now the podcast where I chat to interesting people about the conversations taking over our world For this week's episode. I am actually in Paris at the same time as the Olympic Games And so because of that, I have a few thoughts many thoughts on the various winners the storylines from Simone Biles to the infuriating controversy over the Algerian boxer and Some fun thoughts on whether the Olympics might be one of the last collective experiences we have left As usual, I'm joined by my good friends writer and journalist and professional hater Christian and backway Medina and comedian and human chill pill Josh Johnson This is what now This episode is presented by Lulu lemon Everyone has those moments where they say not today when it comes to fitness. I mean, I know I do Well, Lulu lemon restorative gear is made for those days days where you want to max out your rest and not your reps Lulu lemon's new campaign features Odell Beckham Jr. And DK Metcalf in their buttery soft breathable restorative wear Designed to keep up or kick back with you Visit lulu lemon calm for everything you need to bring it tomorrow Rest day is the best day This episode is brought to you by the podcast tools and weapons with Brad Smith You know one of my favorite subjects to discuss is technology because when you think about it There are a few things in the world that can improve or destroy the world like the technologies that humans create The question is how do we find the balance? Well, one of my favorite podcast that aims to find the answers to these questions is hosted by my good friend Brad Smith the vice chair and president of Microsoft from AI to cyber security and even sustainability every episode takes a fascinating look at the best ways We can use technology to shape the world follow and listen to tools and weapons with Brad Smith on Spotify now Apple card is the perfect cashback rewards credit card Burn up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase every day Then grow it at four point four zero percent annual percentage yield when you open a savings account with apple card Visit apple dot co Slash card calculator to see how much you can earn apple card subject to credit approval savings available to apple card owners Subject to eligibility savings accounts provided by Goldman Sachs bank USA member FDIC terms apply Happy podcast day everybody be in the new happy happy podcast everybody. We're coming happy looking good Welcome to the podcast Trevor happy podcast day in French. I put in subtitles and Where are you? Can we assume where you are but you never know with you? I mean, I would hope you would assume it would be weird if I was just talking to you guys in a French accent And I'm in like like Ohio or something the French colonized a lot of people you could be No, you say you're not wrong. You're not wrong. You're not wrong. No, I am I am coming to you from Paris Yes gay Paris the home of Zeolim peaks obviously, you know, we're recording this today and You know people are gonna be listening to this in a few days from now So if you're listening to this is we recorded it three days ago essentially, so something something might have changed I doubt that it will All the biggest races have been run. So yeah, unless you want to make like a like a crazy prediction Just you want to act like we recorded this thing right now. You can just like make it all again You say ball came back and snatched the goal from no a liar That was wild. That was pretty wild when he did that. That was wild Would that happen just today? That was wild, you know, it's really what's been really funny to see is how like I'm sure there's I'm sure there's a term for this in in maybe an economic or in sociology or you know in one of those fields But it's been interesting to see how Paris for the Olympics has been Completely empty like and and I've been talking to people in the streets and it's been interesting how People who didn't come to Paris didn't come because for two main reasons one Things are really expensive and they were told that nobody's gonna be able to afford anything, which is true And they were also told that it's gonna be a shit show and Parisians don't want them here Which was also true, you know, so when they announced that the Olympics was coming to Paris They were like yeah, Paris is gonna host the Olympics and then I guess the Olympics didn't realize that in order to be a host it means you have to want people to come to where you are and The Parisians the French were like we don't want people here. They were like don't come don't come don't come whatever you do You're going to spoil Paris don't come here Please if you are please and they have these videos. They're really funny if you go watch them on TikTok from a while ago People were literally like they're like, please don't come Americans. Please don't come here Everybody you are spoiling Paris is too much traffic. We're going to spit on you You don't want to you don't want to come here So a lot of people didn't want to come and it got so bad that Delta Airlines announced that They're expecting to lose a hundred million dollars because this is one of their most important routes like flying to Paris and people aren't coming So that was the one side people aren't coming because they felt like this is not the Olympics for them now on the Parisian side Most French people have left Paris because they were told it is going to be a shit show because all the foreigners are going to be coming and nobody wants to be in Paris when it's full of foreigners and you can't navigate you can't move around you can't do anything So everyone from Paris is gone everyone from overseas is gone the streets are basically littered with a few die-hard tourists who don't read the news and then basically like Olympic teams and athletes that's it That's where I am right now in empty Paris and Trevor Noah. How did you end up there? That's my question. So so this is fun fun fact. I love saving on flights Love, this is like one of my passions. I hate giving airlines more money than they deserve I hate giving airlines more money than they deserve So what I do is I spend a lot of time trying to find the cheapest flights possible when flying from one place to the next and Because nobody's coming to Paris one of the cheapest flights I could find I was actually going to do shows in Germany and Then one of the cheapest flights I could find was through Paris And then I caught a train from Germany to Paris So I flew into Paris went to Germany and they caught a train back And then I'm gonna fly out of Paris and it was the cheapest flight I could find so I'm only here I'm literally here for a day the hotel I'm staying in drop their prices because they didn't get the people they expected So I'm out here saving money people. This is this is this is the life. This is the most Swiss German thing you have ever said No, no, Africa is like if an African gets as rich as you he's actually just buying a pain I'm saving as much money as possible and then you got a train. That's the thing that's tripping me out I love trains. Yeah, I do think you'll go. Do you think you'll go to the Olympics or there for a day? The Olympics only know what you want to be for you to the events are you gonna go to the Olympics? No Josh I am not planning to attend any of the Olympic events. What are you saying? So, okay, all right. Here's the thing First of all as my friends. I don't appreciate how you judge me with the looks that you give me. I think I think I think friends I think friends are supposed to meet you with curiosity and compassion. No, I'm curious. I'm curious Okay, so here's the thing. Here's the thing. I am not a fan Generally, I'm not a fan of live sporting events. I find they're not designed for the person in the stadium So I'll go and watch like a like a soccer match Right, I'll go and watch like football because like the atmosphere will come alive But I won't even do that regularly because I when I'm at home. I like the replays I like that I get to see like close-ups of what happened. I think the technology has improved the game I think small sports are great in person like basketball tennis those types of things because it's I actually think it feels way better in person It's more impressive But like Olympics what I'm gonna go to the stadium first of all you have to go stand in lines for hours and hours There's like multiple checkpoints then you get into the stadium You're not allowed to bring your own food and drink so now you got to buy their trashy food and drinks That's like the sponsor stuff. So like I can't drink what I want to drink I have to drink the water that you want me to drink and now I'm in the stadium And then I'm watching like table tennis. I can't even see the ball There is a ball now I'm just like cheering and then you know what you end up doing you're watching the event on the big screen in the event So I went to a stadium to go watch a big TV with a bunch of strangers and there's no sound So no, that's probably why I'm not gonna go to any Olympic events I would go by the way if it was like if Simone Biles was on now I would I would go that would be different if like if there was like a major major sport where I was like Oh, I want to be there for this moment, but I With all due respect to all athletes I I don't care who throws the javelin the furthest I I can watch that from home and and that's me. So I apologize Josh, but I'm not going I'm not going to any Olympic events. Okay. Wow. Oh once again a lot has happened So first to be fair to you I will say that there are lots of events where if you see it live You can't tell how impressive it is because sometimes I think you need the focal length of the camera to show you what just Happen and how far someone went exactly. I mean that you can see it from my There there are some sports that are absolutely Electric to see live like like if I were you I would say going to the judo is like Phenomenal because I could be wrong I'm pretty sure the judo isn't that big of an arena and there's a call in a big arena That's that's the thing usually judo is in a space that fits the amount of people who want to watch judo Which is like 50 people But in this instance because the Olympics they've just put people in giant arenas And then the judo is taking place in like one corner And then like the other thing is in another corner and then do you get what I'm saying? So yeah, this is a major major major event. Uh-huh. It doesn't take up the whole arena So you're just watching like a corner of the and I would go for the vibe But it's it's not I'm only here for a stop over trying to save money people I know I don't talk about almost nobody there that I could see even though it's the Olympics the three on three basketball Okay, this Everybody try to see LeBron everybody try to see yeah, but but the three on three basketball is outside So it's it's sunny and I I don't think anybody was there Because I didn't hear much cheer and when people when people were scored Um, yeah, so either the game was bad or nobody was there and it seemed like nobody was there because I could hear a couple people Right wait wait. I didn't even know three on three basketball was a thing Okay, I didn't know this either until I was hanging out this weekend with my buddy mandel And he says that uh the three on three basketball goes through a tournament style Just like the full-on team usa big basketball there by I didn't know that apparently the us is already out And we're out because we couldn't get any stars to play on the three on three I don't know why I don't know if it's like a junior varsity vibe But we could not get you you got the whole of the mba The former mba and the people who didn't make the mba And they still grab three dudes that I think play college ball that are 33 So it's it's wow Yeah, but I think serbia knocked us out And and and which is crazy because serbia the one that labron had them crying Like not not crying like you could tell they were going to cry in the locker room because they looked exhausted with labron That game right there that game right there probably brought a little bit of racism back to the world because It's one thing to see a black man succeed But with this man dunking all you and moving you out the way labron when I will I tell you labron was not even pushing them He just elbowing his way He elbowing his way forward and they getting out the way because they're like i've never felt this before Right. And so then he would dunk and then run off at that you could you could see them looking at the ref like is that allowed? Yeah, you know the only thing I would have gone to is I would have I would have gone to trekking because trekkers look I grew up watching trekking field I feel like it's the most important event of the olympics I would have watched any of the women's races. I was sad that Shelly Ann Fraser price from jamaica pulled out of the race and then also Um is what was it? Jackson? She also pulled out it was weird there were two jamaica two jamaica's dropped out And we don't know why it's like lots of conspiracies around it like something about warming up And maybe some people were insulted. I I really don't know It's like a very strange olympics like this is like the most witchy olympics we've ever had because It actually is nothing makes sense like weird things are happening. You know, I don't want to get too much into it But it's like they're calling a woman a man, but no one cares about the man who's a natural rapist Like it's just like what what like we feel like we're in like some certain alternative timeline But I did watch the men's 100 meter final and they took too long to start it gave me so much What was going on there by the way? I can't help wondering if that race would have turned out differently if they didn't have The delay that they had in the beginning and so for those who don't know the the the men's 100 meter final was run and I think the commentator actually said this is the longest delay We've ever experienced in the lead-up to the race like the the runners just stood there And they stood there and then they started playing some random music in the background And no one was allowed to line up and it was a whole thing and then the race starts it But it was it was a good like I don't know maybe like five minutes or something of them just waiting around And you know what happened here They've been cursed. They've been cursed by that last supper thing that they did in the opening ceremony And I can tell you now there's a whole bunch of like very religious people including my mom who probably prayed against the olympics and Things will never be the same for them. Like everything you saw people are throwing up swimming in the river sand That's nasty water. That's because of the E. coli Yeah, that's dirty water. I know But I have family members who are very religious and they're like they literally they they're just like you see They're like we rain the blood of Jesus on this event They thought they're gonna sit here and turn our religion into a mockery and we prayed And now the demons are coming out of them and I'm like no, I think that was dirty water I think these people are sick and they're like it's coming out of them. The demons are coming out. Hallelujah My thing is that like Do people know that the the painting isn't of the actual last supper? That's like my big Like this is what somebody imagined the last supper to be. It's like no It is a painting of the actual last supper. It was taken the people posed When they were at the thing they got a painter And then they were all there together. Judas said he said yo guys I got us a painter For the for the supper and then people were like wow Judas you never get you never get anything Why would you get a painter? It's this is just a normal supper and then Judas was like well technique This is the last supper and then they were like what do you mean the last supper? And then Judas was like a man ignore me And then they painted them They painted them and then that's that's actually how it came to be christiana I see you haven't read up on your history. I know it's a it's an actual actual painting Of the event. That's that's my only thing I'm like it's like a fictional depiction of an event that definitely happened because i'm a biblical Yes, it happened the last supper happened And I don't know people are very mad about it people are very mad about people are people are people are yeah I don't know if okay So I don't know if it's because we didn't have an olympics technically with japan You know because of covid or if people are just more connected to these olympics But it feels like there are more and more stories popping up like And mad mad doesn't encapsulate how everybody feels, but this olympics I find Is is more trolley more more like spiteful more angry more So for like a good example was um shakari richison, right One of america's greatest sprinters ever she was running she came second in the hundred meters She got beaten by the runner from st lusia who was yo big ups to st lusia She was phenomenal. She beat her in the heats and then I thought oh no she carries holding back But no she was not holding back like The runner from st lusia was out of this world and it was amazing to see how many people Didn't just say like she carried lost they were like oh you lose her ha ha yeah You see she's got a big mouth and now she you suck it you lose her and I was like guys She won a silver medal She is the second fastest woman in the world currently in the 100 meters And people are treating her like she cannot run to catch a bus Let me tell you something If I run at the olympics listen to me clearly now if I run at the olympic games against everybody from around the world And I come second. I get this silver medal. There is one person in the world who can tell me shit one And they stand on the podium above me, but people are treating her like she failed everything Part of me also thinks it's like an american thing. Yeah. Yeah, it's insane like if you're silver You are one Trip away from being the fastest person of the entire world like I know exactly who I got to get next run I think it's our obsession with being number one that we only accept number one As a man. Oh, okay. Okay. Yeah, because did you see the whole controversy where where the u.s Finally got called out for their medals placement. No, okay, so the rest of the world counts their medals by golds so then they show the standings throughout the world by gold silver bronze for a long time We were counting overall medals so we would be at the top to us So like our like our broadcasters were doing that so that it would look like as far as medals go We have 45 and the rest of the world has right and then they wouldn't say how many golds We had until we finally got more golds than another country Once we were like 22 golds and everybody else had like 8 9 10 we would show that but if we were lagging They would they would just be putting totals. So then a bunch of people called the us out for it I guess people visiting from Paris who were wanting to watch but didn't want to be there And they were like this is crazy. Y'all are losing y'all have a bunch of bronze Yeah, I understand that winning is why you're there. Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those people who's like oh participation No, the whole point it is a competition. This is the purpose of it but I do think seeing how america will treat a silver medalist or even a bronze medalist way It's like you're a no-name bronze forget even bronze like silver at least you're called the loser bronze They don't even acknowledge your existence and I I feel like in many ways This this is part of the problem That america has to deal with about itself in that like the gift of america is that america Repels you and constantly pushes you to be the best and it tells you that being the best is everything And I think that's why america has produced So many exceptional everything's you know what I mean whether it's inventions or companies or actors or athletes or whatever it is There's no denying that But the downside the curse of that gift Is that america also makes people feel like Everything below number one is losing like america's the only country in the world Where they'll write an article about a billionaire Losing a few billions and dropping out of the Forbes list and then they'll write the story as if this person is now a pauper They'll be like, uh Mark Zuckerberg who was once in the top five billionaires in the world Now languishes in eighth place with a measly 60 billion dollar fortune and you're just like wait. I'm sorry. What is happening right now? Like it's bizarre land. I think yeah, and I think if if if if if you if you're not careful If you live in a society like that It will make you feel like you are losing even when you are winning relatively because life isn't the olympics Life isn't a zero-sum game. Life isn't it's all or nothing In fact the olympics isn't even a zero-sum game the fact that they have multiple medals tells you something They decided a long time ago that the first person is the winner The second person needs to be applauded and the third person also needs to be it's like wow You're the top three in the world And and and yet a lot of the time america lives in this space where it goes If you are not number one on the stock market If you're not number one with your returns if you're not number one in class If you're not number one in box office, then you are nothing And I think while that can propel people to excellence I think it can also create a very depressing society where people constantly feel like they've lost when As you said josh, you were literally a nose away from being the winner, which in my world means you are all the winner I think Simone Biles kind of crystallizes it For me when she had the twisties Um in tokyo and she was like, yes, I actually can't compete guys like she knew herself enough Which is like really impressive. She's only like 23 24 at the time. Yeah, and she was just like I I know myself well enough to know that I am putting myself in harm's way And people caught her a week. Why do you think this is like a really decorated athlete, right? Yeah, and now she's come back And she's done the thing that she knew she could do in the conditions that were right for her What gets me about america? It's like everyone's forgotten the tokyo lesson. They forgot that she had to take time out She had to sit on the side. She had to quote blue And then she came back and that's she sometimes, you know, you have to lose to win And Simone is like a sophisticated and I think her to be like that is what i'm gonna do But people are just like Simone is the greatest at gymnast ever We beat you we beat the brazilians and it's just like no guys Yeah, yeah, it's like The greatest athlete of all time in american history knew there was a time she had to sit aside And she didn't care about what people said and then she came back when she was ready But that's not the story because I don't think it like matches The kind of stories america likes to tell itself We'll be right back after this This episode is brought to you by kpmg The people at kpmg make the difference for their clients Talented teams leveraging the right technology to uncover insights that illuminate opportunity kpmg teams together with their clients working shoulder-to-shoulder to help grow and transform their enterprise Are you ready to make the difference together? Go to visit.kpmg.us/transformation to learn more Apple card is the perfect cashback rewards credit card Burn up to three percent daily cashback on every purchase every day Then grow it at four point four zero percent annual percentage yield when you open a savings account with apple card Visit apple dot co slash card calculator to see how much you can earn apple card subject to credit approval Savings available to apple card owners subject to eligibility savings accounts provided by golden sax bank usa member fdic terms apply As I remember when samon had the twisties when I learned about the twisties it sounded like What's supposed to happen? Because if i'm upside down I'm not supposed to know where I am in the air That's the fact that she ever knows where she is on that 15th flip is what's amazing about her The twisty sounds like when I get up from the couch too fast like sometimes you ever you ever get up fast Are you full and you're like i'm not this tall. I think I must be dizzy Do you know the crazy thing about the twisties josh apparently they're contagious So she just wasn't only looking out for herself She'll yeah If you my sister used to be um a gymnast And if you go to the competition and it just takes a couple people to mess up in a specific way and all the girls are All of the body just all these men your girls just like this is But there's like a it's like, you know, especially seeing someone like samon not know her place in the air You're gonna be like what's got what if she doesn't know her place? I definitely don't know my place, right? She didn't just do this right thing for herself She did the right thing for like the people she was competing with I don't say this to be disparaging in any way But this is how you can tell that humans when it comes to gymnastics are not supposed to be doing it Because that's the most loony tunes thing i've ever heard That's the most wily coyote looks down and there's no ground and so he falls thing i've ever heard about life The fact that somebody else's flips could be contagious means that we should be flipping That's me but i'm swimming I do not like the long distance like god gave me Not gills. I do I do not Also, I believe in my mates, which is a different story But I do not fuck with the water on like a fundamental level And i'm my kids are learning to swim because I don't want them to die But I don't want them to be like competitive like long distance swimming no no no no that's how i'm a because you're terrified You know, you know, you know what I what I really loved about samon biles's story I I think she's an amazing athlete who also has the burden of everything that comes with being the top athlete on her shoulders You know people expect her to be Super poised people expect her to you know, they want her to be like nice at a press conference even when the journalists are being dicks They they want her to be they want you to be everything and it's like well Remember this the person's an athlete first they're here to run and beat everybody else If you want them to be an orator, that's your business, you know And and one thing I loved about samon biles is I don't know what she did in her time off But it's almost like she went to like a like a monastery or Some some sort of retreat where they fortify your mind because I wish I had The retorts and the presence of mind that samon biles has one of my favorite things she posted the other day She said please stop asking athletes. What's next? After they've just won a medal at the olympics And I love that idea. It's it's it sort of goes back to the thing We're saying about america and pursuing and like just this idea of like the constant chase I get what she's saying. She's like you've just won at the olympics and somebody goes so what's next? And you're like guys this was the next I've spent four years coming to this moment I've spent four years trying to get here Allow me to revel in this and I think what she said was so much more profound than we think Because we live in a society where we're constantly pushed to think about what's next You buy a house and immediately somebody goes oh, I wonder what the next house will look like and you get a promotion And like before you even spend one day in your new position or in your new promotion You're already thinking about how to get to the next promotion all these things in life that we take for granted You are at the next right now And if you're not careful you'll spend your entire life thinking about next not realizing that you're currently in next Does that make sense? Trevor, I think we speak about this like america's the only place where somebody can be objectively rich but feel poor You know, I mean I call them like the poor rich people and I think that Has like a trickle-down effect on everyone else in society because like the people who have made it are still striving They still think they can lose it tomorrow And i'm always like i'm in that what next thing all the time because i'm just like well, it's a volatile country Not everyone gets a shot. I've got my shot You can't revel in it like where's the space to do that because this country tells you The moment you relax you're gonna lose it And I think that's why I have compassion for people that are like always striving because you're just afraid you're gonna lose The thing that you already have in your hand if that makes sense Yeah, it makes a complete sense and I I think that's that's why I say I think every country, you know, america's no different Every country everything in life your gift will be your curse Your gift will always be your curse and so you have to monitor that And I will never I'm not one of those people who goes like, oh, that's america's terrible I'm like, no, no, no the thing that makes america so fantastic is also its curse If you're constantly in the chase You never get to revel in the fact that you've arrived somewhere and so yeah, you know, it's a balance And so I I don't know I I hope we can all be more like simon biles and just take a moment to go like Yeah, I can't see the ground right now. You know, I I have I have the twisties in my life And I'm just gonna pause for a moment to appreciate where I am Step back so that I don't fall on my head and also step back so that I don't infect the people around me And then you you can come back stronger. I like to your point christian I hope that actually does become the narrative is that like simon biles showed everybody That your greatness isn't limited by your ability to take a moment and breathe your greatness isn't limited By your ability to acknowledge a moment of weakness of sadness of failure of despair You can you can still be the greatest so well. Yeah kudos simon biles. That was like honestly She just turned to like not just one of the greatest athletes for me But one of the greatest people just because of how she's handled it all and how much swag she has and you know how cool She makes it for me. That was what I oh no I mean incredible like a goat and by the way how she supports other women athletes I think that's been one of the most amazing like did you see that photo there's a there's a brazilian gymnast Who for years has been chasing simon biles always coming second or third and she would even tell like this I'm in a generation where i'm competing against the greatest of all time Uh, what am I supposed to do and just think about that for a moment? Somebody else is going to walk around with a gold medal and it shows you like just the perspective and so uh simon biles she Lost one event now to the brazilian gymnast And she celebrated her like she celebrated her like she had won the medal. She's like bowing They're like applauding her. They're jumping around with her and I think it was cool to see because We take for granted as people from the outside That they have more in common than we do with them You know, you might think to yourself. I support simon biles So I have more in common with her than she does with a brazilian athlete. He's like no, no No, simon biles is like I know what it's like to be a gymnast. I know what it's like to be an Olympian I know what it's like to lose. I know what it's like to fall I know what it's like to be a woman in this sport And this human being has more in common with me And so i'm going to support them and I I love that. I actually I wish we had that in in the women's boxing Because that's that's something we have to talk about like depressing right like infuriating what what what is what is going on in this world this More than any other example so far this year is why I tell people not to get their news from twitter um How do I put this? You know how like wildfire spread and how people think that people think that whatever start the wildfire Is just the most extra hot thing that's ever happened, right? So they'll be like no some lava drop from the sky and then everything bursts in the flames like no the conditions around where the fire happened were actually ripe for potentially months for a fire And that's what it feels like journalism is at where it's like we're we're so ripe for a convenient lie That like anyone who shows up after the lies already spread to be like here's all the reasons why this thing isn't true They they can't even shout down enough. The thing is the thing is not what you think it is and because people By and large people cannot handle the idea that they were tricked I won't even say wrong the idea that they were given bad information because we feel like we are the discerners of good and bad information And Trevor can you break it down for our people at home who maybe don't know like the story because it's kind of it's kind of complicated So if you don't know the story um in the women's boxing competition, there's a uh, uh, An Algerian boxer by the name of iman keleef. I think she was fighting against an italian boxer, right? and She was pummeling her, you know having a good round Punched her punch to punch her and she pulled out of the fight and then said i've never been hit that hard in my life I couldn't carry on fighting. Okay. Seems like a normal boxing match and then almost overnight exactly like a wildfire josh Rumors started coming out that the Algerian boxer wasn't in fact a woman But was and if I this is how I saw the story, I think everyone got a different one But the one I saw was oh, this was actually a trans athlete Mascorating as a woman and didn't transition and this was actually a man And then that story slowly evolved and changed and then it was like no actually the Algerian boxer is A man because she has x y chromosomes and she failed agenda test Through some other boxing organization and she shouldn't even be at the olympics And then it I mean all the usual actors came up, you know everyone from you know, donald trump elon musk, you know, joe rogan Jk rolling jumped in as well. Oh, yeah, you see this is the world. We want to live in misogynists want women to get punched by men and they celebrate it and then Just in a just in the space of again a day or so First of all the olympic committee came out and said okay. All of this is trash. This is not true This is a woman, right born a woman raised a woman And then the other boxing organizations came out and said oh That boxing organization that says she failed a test didn't even say what kind of test and I know this is complicated so stick with me but the boxing organization that claims this woman is in fact a man Did that because that boxing organization Is essentially run by russia now and is a russian front And because the Algerian woman beat a russian boxer at some point They just wanted to strip her off the win and they were like she's a man And I I know this is a weird thing to like throw in but it was it was interesting. Algerians were going Hey, do you know that being transgender is illegal in Algeria? I mean, it's not the most woke defense, but it was a defense like Like people were like you can't be trans in our country will kill you. It's illegal and people are like, uh, okay But they ignored that and then this this this poor woman was was lambasted and was and I don't Look, here's the thing You know when it comes to everyone out like donald trump. He's donald trump He's gonna say whatever he says anything that pushes narrative. He's gonna say it. I expect that Uh elon musk come on elon musk loves fake stories so much The guy spent 44 billion dollars to become like the captain of the conspiracy team Joe rogan he gets bamboozled all the time by the internet like all The time like if you just have photoshop and like a few lines. You've got joe rogan. You've got him The one that got me to be honest was jk rolling Really? Are you surprised? No, no, no, I I don't know why like I Know christian i look like right now it is her thing, but she she reads Yes, josh. This is like for me. It was it was so crazy to see Somebody who and i'm maybe it's because i'm a huge fan of the harry poser series I can't believe that somebody who would write a series that is that nuanced about being an outsider and that nuanced about What is or isn't and doesn't doesn't belong and so it's it's literally a story of purity you have a wizard who is half human half wizard And the story has people hating him because they call him a mudblood So you have mudbloods which are like the mixed wizards and then you have muggles Which is like a sort of derogatory term for like plain-ass humans who don't do magic And then you have like the wizards the pure ones the whole book Is about ostracized ostracizing people Hating people just because they are slightly different and because somebody lies about them that like they literally oh man God they literally do this in the book and some of them were born a crime They literally do this in The book blood get right to the point too. That's that feel like racism like mud blood. Oh I knew jk has some hate in her wish he made a mudblood I'm just like jk rolling like what happened to you what and then she like you're a woman claiming to protect women and all these people now not just her but like all these people I go do you do you understand like because Here's the thing forgive me. I'm getting I'm getting a little pissed off at this because like You're gonna claim That you hate trans athletes or you you hate you claim that and the reason you say it is because you say like we're here to protect women That's why we're doing this to protect women But then a story like this shows you that it's not about protecting women It's just using women as a cudgel to go after trans people and people in the trans community And you just use women as the excuse do you know what I mean because now they still say That the algerian boxer is a man and then they put up pictures and they're like look at this jaw Tell me that that's not a man look at this nose. I know a man when I see one and I'm like you dicks For people who are claiming to protect women now you're running around saying women have to look a certain way In order for them to be considered women Think about how many women have faced discrimination in their lives For how their face looks for how their jaw looks how their nose looks and people have been like you look like a man You look like a stew we may and these are the same people. I was so pissed off but I couldn't believe jakey rongdon It to me was immaterial whether she was a trans woman or a cis woman I just thought the treatment was so cruel So even if it all came out That this woman was a trans woman. It doesn't justify any of this I'm like is this how we Talk about another human being in a sport somebody's child And I think it's just comes down to like if you dehumanize trans women or trans people enough Actually, you dehumanize Women that don't fit your idea of what a woman is yeah, and I already know for a lot of people I don't fit the idea of what a woman is. I'm a black woman I'm hairy as hell I think I would fail a gender test the amount Be the beard and the chest here I have like it's insane like I spent most of my money on laser hair removal But it's just like the ideas of femininity are like so bound up in like who's thin who's blonde Who's white who's tall who has a very like certain type of voice, right? She just doesn't fit what you believe an ideal woman is Right and what I've loved about this olympics whether it's some Simone whether it's the women's rugby team We're seeing all of these different body sizes different kind of aesthetics and women who are like we're women and we don't we don't need to be skinny And we don't need to be like blonde and white and thin But that's also womenness and we're fine with that But a woman can be loads of different things and it's so interesting to me that all of these rulings always seem to be women of color And I'm like, yeah Is there a coincidence? Yeah, you know, I'm like the science of it I'm like do you need to broaden your sample to make sure you have indigenous women from the middle east and africa and see What is the average testosterone level there? Because we know that like some cultures have a higher incidence of PCOS or just like yeah Women with higher testosterone women women who do have children etc etc And I'm just like what are the metrics like what is what data are you pulling from to define? What is an ideal testosterone level and also I think like being an athlete is about being a bit of a freak anyway You're supposed to have some sort of advantage. It's exactly so shall we like be like to Michael Phelps Oh, you should actually just make your arms shorter. So it's fair for you to like swim against these other people We would never say that but I remember being younger and they used to call Serena and Venus men Like that was the thing I remember they'd be like you can you know, you can you can go down list You can go down list you you're not wrong funny enough. It even goes outside of sports How many times has Michelle Obama been called a man exactly? I will say the only person in all of this that I feel worse for than the algarian boxer Is her next opponent because this is a person who was allowed to take all of her aggression out in the ring, right? It's it is interesting as well That when she's lost fights no one accused her of being a man. Yeah, she's not unbeaten She's not the greatest boxer of all time. She's just a good fighter and she's yeah She's lost multiple fights. No one ever accused of this and immediately when she it's so interesting how that happens and to your point christiana, it was when African women were starting to win in like the long distance running events that all of a sudden the european women were like I don't think she's a woman. She needs to get tested and it's like wait what? There were stories of athletes european like long distance runners great runners Who would be like, oh, they don't have their period anymore or their testosterone Or is that elevated levels and they you know they have deeper voices because it's just like it's a body It's a body. There's a range of bodies, but it's it's it's really really interesting How this became a thing The more you saw athletes of color coming into the space particularly black women coming then then people were like, I don't know man You beat me this hard. I Yeah, you must be a man You know, you know, there's there's there's one thing When this story broke, I went down a rabbit hole of this in sport and I found it interesting to to to to see like the correlation between The the the other ring of people winning in sport one sport became integrated I noticed with black athletes That oftentimes they would start questioning like they're very humanness in a weird way There was a there was a university that did a study on how many times the word animal and freak was used With black athletes, but then with white athletes. It was generally so intelligent such such smart movement I mean the way he understands the game and then with a black athlete was like just dominance the beast What a beast what a savage just and it it was interesting to see how Without people realizing it or maybe they did there was this there was this there was this inclination On at least commentator's side to think white athlete who had you know Got into the top of the sport had done it because they were smart They understood the ins and outs of the game and then when a black athlete had done it. They were a freak of nature They were you know, yeah, and You might be going like oh, but Trevor. So is everyone no. No, I'm saying the opposite I'm saying everyone is a freak of nature Everyone who competes in sport is a freak that is what we are paying to see We are paying to see freaks compete I don't understand when people decided that athletes are supposed to be normal human beings They are not normal. They're all freaks swimmers It is not normal to jump into a swimming pool and then wiggle like a fish underwater Halfway to the other side of the pool Halfway to the other side of the pool and then start swimming that is not normal Michael Phelps is not normal. His lungs are not normal. His lactic acid is not normal Katie Ledecky is not normal. LeBron James is not normal. Kevin Durant is not normal Usain Bolt is not normal. No one that tall is supposed to be able to move their legs that fast That's not a thing. You are not normal These Ethiopian sprinters run as if like they just took a break. Do you understand how far 10 kilometers is don't they run it from the beginning to the end the next time you're in an airport Just run to your gate. You're going to see how far 10 kilometers actually is and you'll see that these people are freaks every single athlete Is a freak of nature and that is what we are watching So whenever somebody says like oh, but it's unnatural. Yes That is why we are there and that is what we are celebrating the very unna did you see the guy who did the pole vault the french car did the pole vault and his penis Smashed the bar, but it didn't just like it didn't like tip the bar his penis held the bar and flipped the bar up In a way that like that penis had the strength of like a small baby like a small child imagine if other athletes complained about him And they were like yo if that guy won imagine if the other guys were like yo someone needs to get this guy tested because He's he's got another pole in his pants. You can't be pole vaulting with another pole in your pet All of these people are freaks All of these people are celebrated for being freaks. That is what being an athlete is and To your point christiana. I like I was saddened. I was angry. I was disappointed and I think there were many things at play You know everything Misogyny you name it you name it some of it was racism some but it's like yo man Isn't it cool that we invented a space where freaks can get celebrated instead of instead of exercising people we said you know what you are too tall to sit in any normal sized chair In an old society you probably would have been chained up And taken around from one circus to the next Now we'll give you a jersey we'll get you to put a ball in a hoop And we will celebrate you as the greatest of all time And that's what we should be doing all the freaks should be celebrated because they make us boring people have something to watch Because without them what would be what would we be watching? Huh the rest of us losers lining up? I don't want to watch josh johnson swim. I don't want to watch christiana trying to run If we're gonna treat our freaks like this, we're gonna live in a boring world people This what a rant from someone who's not gonna go to the olympics I didn't say i'm not gonna watch I watch every single sport I just said i'm not gonna go to the stadium There's a difference my friend We're going to continue this conversation right after this short break This episode is brought to you by ricola I think we can all agree that having an irritated throat is one of the worst feelings Thankfully there's an easy solution Ricola cherry drops It provides the soothing throat relief you need and even better It's packed with flavor so you can make every day more delicious and still feel great Try ricola cherry drops now to find out where to buy it near you visit ricola.com This episode is brought to you by the podcast tools and weapons with brad smith You know one of my favorite subjects to discuss is technology Because when you think about it There are a few things in the world that can improve or destroy the world like the technologies that humans create The question is how do we find the balance? Well, one of my favorite podcast that aims to find the answers to these questions is hosted by my good friend brad smith The vice chair and president of microsoft from ai to cyber security and even sustainability Every episode takes a fascinating look at the best ways we can use technology to shape the world Follow and listen to tools and weapons with brad smith on spotify now I One thing I will say about the olympics as a whole Is It's once again reminded me of how important it is for humans to be collectively involved In a single zeitgeist You know we we've talked about this on the podcast, you know when when we had raine wilson on we talked about church And we talked about religion, you know, we we've talked about it within cells We've talked about in so many different episodes in different ways I one thing I I have enjoyed about the olympics that I enjoy about most Live events that bring people together is just that it brings people together to share something We see the same thing. We we you know, we we we have conversations about it You can talk to a stranger now about the olympics. Hey, did you see that? What did you think of that? Now you meet somebody from st lusia and you can be like hey say lusia. Oh, congratulations. You guys Do you know the man? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And I don't know I I feel like it doesn't have to be sport But I I feel like we just need more things like this. Yeah, I mean I think that for the most part Um one of the reasons for me that the olympics will always hold a cultural relevance and probably all over the world Is because even even outside of sport even outside because there's a part of me that doesn't like that the olympics don't like pay out big And stuff like that like you get the medal, but like I don't know I think you should get some money you've dedicated four years if not your your first 16 years to the goal of doing this thing But anyway, maybe it's like child like but there will always be a thing where I look at another person So I could look at you Trevor be like I think I could beat you in a race And then christianic hears me say that and she's like I would watch that I would watch either one of them fall would be very funny to me So let me watch that and as long as you're watching sport there's gonna be An inclination between athletes to be the best and then when you talk about the best and you talk about the best in the world Because you're always be at least curious. Who's the best shooter in the world? Who's the best swimmer in the world? Who's the best? Yes, exactly. I like the stories because I just watched the olympics and cry I like the Brazilian girl her brother walked her from the favelas for two hours And then there's the girl that she wrote the note I want to go to the olympics then the dad died, but she still has the note and then she won the gold like I don't I guess it's the storytelling part of it that compels me But I think for me and maybe it's the people I know this has just felt like the most fractured olympics And maybe it's because I was in London for 2012. I think it was Rio 2016 was the next one Yeah, it felt like those ones everyone was watching and everyone was experiencing it at the same time But maybe it's because of the u.s. Election craziness in Bangladesh like the world seemed like in a weird place It feels like some people are super tuned into the olympics and those people are telling everyone else what's happening in the olympics But maybe that's just my world. It just it feels different right now I agree with you because I was like as a kid linford christy was like That was the british athlete that we all love Yeah, and we had all I had our hopes on and then people like michael johnson etc etc So they were like these big brand names, but I think from apart from simon There's no like you saying bolts equivalent like that everyone is like I want to tune in to watch this person You know like that kind of superstar that draws the eyes to the games And for me, it's just felt a bit disjointed and fractured like I catch it when I can and people like oh This is on and then you're like, okay volleball boring and I I actually think it's good that it's brought some people together But I don't think it has the power to pull people together. They once did I yeah, I think You know, I agree with you. I I think it's I think it's a byproduct of social media and not social media on its own by the way I think also like you know streaming a la carte viewing the fact that you can Watch what you want to watch when you want to watch it how you want to watch it has come with its benefits But as I said in the beginning every gift is a curse and because we now live in a world Where we know we can watch the replays whenever we want where we know we can see the highlights whenever we even know that people will Curate the highlights for us. It's made us less likely to sit through The entire thing because we might miss it and so the gift has been you'll you'll catch it The curse is that you don't know what you'll miss so you don't watch the whole thing And so you know in fact now that you said that I'm gonna go I'm gonna go I'm gonna find my way into one of these olympic venues here in paris and I'm gonna go watch a sport josh I'm gonna go and watch archery just for you Wow and then christiana i'm gonna go and watch volleball and i'm gonna shout out christiana says you're boring Should christiana says you should be able to wear clothes that the sport is so misogynistic They make women wear bikini even though the women want to wear clothes and this is not right And they don't let women compete in her job, but you can compete in a bikini. That's what you should shut Quiet, please. That's what that's what they're gonna say and i'll be like, but I got it out. I got it out Wave at us when you go I will i'll try my best. I will um Yeah, I will I really will you've inspired me now You've inspired me to take part in something that might not be around tomorrow And uh, yeah, this would be uh, this would be a good one wish wish me luck Wish me luck. Yeah, have the best of luck have a great time get a good seat Oh josh now you just added competition to my What now with trebanoa is produced by spotify studios in partnership with day zero productions and full well 73 The show is executive produced by trebanoa ben winston sanaziamine and jodi avagan Our senior producer is jess hackle clair slaughter is our producer music mixing and mastering by hanis brown Thank you so much for listening join me next thursday for another episode of what now [Music]
