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Desi Lydic
Paramount celebrates Women's History Month with the Women who Move Mountains collection. You ready for the women who break boundaries, like Zoe Saldana and Lioness. Let's go. Who are unapologetically themselves, like Kathy Bates in Matlock. Nobody sees us coming. And who forge ahead like Christina Ricci in Yellowjackets.
Jessica Harlov
I thought you'd be more excited to.
Desi Lydic
See me explore the Women who Move Mountains collection on Paramount Stream. Now get the Angel REEF special at McDonald's. Now, let's break it down. My favorite barbecue sauce, American cheese, crispy bacon, pickles, onions, and a sesame seed bun, of course. And don't forget the fries and the drinks. Sound good?
Jessica Harlov
Ba da ba ba ba.
Desi Lydic
I participate in restaurants for a limited time.
Jessica Harlov
Welcome to Raging Moderates. I am so excited about this. I'm Jessica Harlov, joined by the hilarious and brilliant Desi Lydic from the Daily Show. Also from Awkward, which she starred on with my little sister for years. So we go way back. And such a reservoir of affection for you. Desi has been a correspondent since 2015 on the Daily show, and now she's one of the show's main hosts. Absolutely killing it. Covering everything from Obama's last term to Trump's first and now second presidency, plus all the chaos in between. Desi, welcome to Raging Moderates.
Desi Lydic
Oh, it's so good to see you. I love an excuse to hang out. So even if we're doing it over zoom, I'll take it. I'll take what I can get.
Jessica Harlov
There are no cocktails. I mean, there could be. It's a morning record, though, so there.
Desi Lydic
Are no cocktails that you're aware of, but you don't know what's in my travel mug.
Jessica Harlov
Is that how you guys do it at the Daily Show?
Desi Lydic
This is the only way to get through the day.
Jessica Harlov
I feel like probably by the third month of the Trump presidency, I will be there maybe live on the five.
Desi Lydic
With a shaker of, hey, you got to do what you got to do. You got to keep everything under the desk, pull it out as needed. Yeah, if you can make it three months without resorting to that, I'm impressed.
Jessica Harlov
It's also my first year not being pregnant in a while, so I'm taking advantage. Oh, God, it's been a while for you. Anyway, women are goddesses, blah, blah, blah. Um, I want to talk to you about everything that's going on. Wanna start, though, with doing comedy in times like these. And we've spoken about this a bit. We were both at the rnc, obviously, after the Assassination attempt. You guys ended up canceling your shows. It was not the time to do comedy. Can you talk about what it feels like to be making something like the Daily show in these times? Is it cathartic, just exhausting?
Desi Lydic
Yes.
Jessica Harlov
Okay.
Desi Lydic
To all of it, it's exhausting. It's cathartic. I think it depends on the day. I mean, some days are more exhausting than others, but, you know, I'm someone who likes to be tapped in to what's going on. I completely understand the urge to pull the plug on news every now and again and take mental health breaks and just sort of disconnect from it all. I get that, and I think people should absolutely do that when they need to. But I, I do like to be tapped in. And so for. To be able to process everything that's happening in the world, politically and otherwise, with a room full of my funniest friends is, I mean, that is, that's cathartic for, for us, we get to kind of find the joy and find the humor in the wild things that are happening. And sometimes it's really hard to find it.
Jessica Harlov
I agree with that for sure. Have you felt like you've changed the show? Well, first of all, what's it like having the hosting role now and this rotation that seems to work incredibly well for all of you and for the show. And how are you taking on politics specifically when you are the lead host for this?
Desi Lydic
Well, I loved the Daily show all through my 20s and watched John and the other, all the correspondence religiously and thought like, that is what I want to do. I want to be a correspondent on that show. And that's something that I, you know, I auditioned for the Daily show three different times over the course of many years. And when I got the job, it was, you know, it's, it's been a dream job. It's continued to be a dream job. I never set out to host a late night show. I never thought that that would be part of my destiny. So to get the chance to do this, you know, even every few weeks, is like, that's beyond anything I could have ever imagined. But it is. It's so much fun. I'm having the time of my life. It's like it's flexing a different muscle for sure. The pace of the show moves so much more quickly when you're sitting at the desk. You have to make decisions very quickly about, you know, what you want the show to look like and what your point of view is on a particular story. Even if you're just hearing it, but it, I think for me as a performer, just creatively, the role of a correspondent is. It's very specific. And you're playing a character and you're playing a heightened point of view. And often you're embodying something ironically. Right. The other perspective. And as a host, you're yourself, like, I get to sit there and be myself and think about, like, what do I really think about this and what do I want to say here? And, you know, with the help of several Emmy nominated writers who make us all look good. No big deal. No big deal. But it was really freeing to get to do that, to kind of shed the armor of the character and be like, all right, this is cool. This is. This is. I'm just gonna be me. And this is just kind of share what I think about the news of the day.
Jessica Harlov
I'll do procedural for a second longer. Cause I feel like it's really interesting to understand how this all works. Do you get to play a role in picking who the guests are for the stories that you're gonna be covering more so when you're a host versus when you're just participating in the show, like, is it really like Desi's week and you have hand selected everything that you wanna be doing?
Desi Lydic
Yeah, I mean, we have a full staff of producers who do a lot of heavy lifting. We have excellent producers who help book the guests and do pre interviews and pitch ideas for guests and obviously like a full staff of writers and a whole studio production team that provides the footage of the top news stories of. But we get to curate. Like, we really do have a huge voice in the process. So if I know my week is coming up, I can say, hey, can we look into this guest and this guest? Or I listen to this podcast and I think it's really interesting. Could we have this person on or I read this book and I think this author could be an interesting conversation. And any guest that is booked, there's always a conversation with us. Whether we've pitched them or they've. The producers have pitched to us. It's always a. It's a conversation. So it's exciting. It's like there's nothing. And that is. That's become my favorite part of the show is getting to have people on who can come on and be experts in their field. Like, I'm not an expert in everything. I don't. It's. I count on people to come on and teach me about what they're working on. There's no one more Passionate than having an author on who's just spent, you know, five years writing their passion project. It's fun for us, I'm sure.
Jessica Harlov
Well, you guys always look like you're having a great time and it feels like the political scene is kind of writing the jokes for itself at this point. Is that how you guys are looking at it?
Desi Lydic
It does, it does feel that way. It's so funny. It's like for so many years it's like, hold on. No, we're supposed to be the clowns. We're the funny ones. And we're trying to find the comedy and heighten from what's actually happening. But, but there are so many wild comedic characters in the political world right now that it does feel like we'll show a clip and we're, we're no longer the clowns, we're the straight people and we're reacting to the madness and the, and the humor that's happening out in the world. So it's challenging. You do have to kind of pivot a little bit for when I do foxplains. I, we, I think that the bar on having to heighten and heighten and heighten as we go has become challenging. So that like, yeah, it, you can't always out out parody. Parody. Like it feels like, you know, Trump himself, whether you agree with him or not, whether you're a fan of Trump or not, as a comedic character, he's hilarious. I mean, just as a person, his personality traits are very, very funny and he's completely uncensored. So the way that he talks and does the, the, the swerve, the bob and weave and it, the fo following his logic is, is funny. So you sometimes can't try to out funny that you kind of have to just react to it.
Jessica Harlov
So I totally agree with you. And I said multiple times on air, you know, if you watch him doing these long form interviews, you completely see the appeal. Right. When he goes on with like an Andrew Schultz. He did an episode of Gutfeld with us at Fox and close to the election day and I thought he was completely charming. Right. He actually didn't talk about politics the whole time. Right. He was. Cuz he's a pop culture icon. Right. He's a pre who became president.
Desi Lydic
Right.
Jessica Harlov
Which says something about our society, obviously. But how do you balance the fact that he is so funny and entertaining with the seriousness and the gravity of what's going on? Because that has been a criticism more of John than of you that, you know, poking fun or going after Democrats makes People feel like Trump isn't necessarily as bad as he is. Right. That it's. And I'm finding the right way to formulate it, but that it's essentially making it like two sides of the same coin. Right. They're all bad or they're all, you know, they're all too old. Et cetera is such a dangerous place. And how do you think about that when you are going out there to do your show?
Desi Lydic
Well, I understand why people feel that way, but I think. I think the job that we've always tried to do is to find the comedy on all sides of things, and John has always done that. That's not 100.
Jessica Harlov
It's not new. No, right.
Desi Lydic
That's not new. And, you know, I think there is. There are blind spots on both sides, for sure. And to decide, you know, every day, you have to go, okay, what am I going to talk about today? And just from a purely creative place, you don't want to be shouting about the same thing every single episode. So I think we do look for ways to vary up the show and talk about different issues and kind of like, you know, find the hypocrisy and the humor on all sides of the issues. I understand that. When the stakes. I think. I think the challenge for us sometimes in finding the humor in Trump is when the stakes feel so high or it's a particularly precarious issue, it can be hard to let go and laugh about it because it's hard to not have the perspective of, oh, but we could really be fucked. Like, there's nothing funny about that. But we're not. I think we keep telling people, like, we are a comedy show. It's our job to find the humor. Okay? And, like, for us, it feels cathartic. We hope it feels cathartic for other people. And. But it's. To your point, like, that's something that we talk about every single day. And, you know, sometimes there are bigger fish to fry, and sometimes you go like, do I want to jump into that outrage machine right now on this one issue? You know, the Gulf of America, are we gonna pounce on this? And even though that something like that is perfect for you guys and concerning, but it's like, you know, we don't want to waste all of our outrage on one thing, and then, you know, he's flooding the zone. So I think just to keep ourselves from being completely exhausted, we have to sort of pace ourselves and. And pick and choose our battles.
Jessica Harlov
It's especially important right now because you guys are filling A space where there are a lot of these key voters who didn't necessarily even vote before. Right. That are coming into the fray where they are not traditional news consumers. They are podcast and TV shows and YouTube clips that they like consumers. And it feels like there's heightened responsibility on. You know, obviously you have a show that plays on Comedy Central, but you exist much more in the social ecosphere. Right. Than an average show going viral all the time.
Desi Lydic
Sure.
Jessica Harlov
So there's a lot more responsibility, I feel like, that you guys must be taking on or, you know, sensing as you're crafting your show versus regular times.
Desi Lydic
Yeah, I think, you know, we. We try not to get bogged down by that. When we. When we all first came into this setup at the beginning of last year, with John coming back on Mondays and the four of us rotating, we had a meeting, and John was so gracious and encouraging and just, like, just wanted to check in with us and. And say, like, hey, this is new. This is gonna be working a new muscle. Being a correspondent is one thing. Being at the desk is a vulnerable experience. You're gonna feel pressure to say something incredibly insightful every show. You know, like, John has. He's very aware that he. He built a particular DNA in the show and that there's sort of an expectation that the show has because of that and because of what. What he brings to it. And so I think he didn't want any of us to feel that pressure to take on, like, us having to change the world Tuesday through Thursday. And he's like, just go out there, find what makes it yours, and try to make the funniest, smartest shows that you can every single night. That's it. Don't take on the burden of changing this or changing that or, you know, don't. Don't put too much pressure on yourselves. And I think we. We continue to remind ourselves of that.
Jessica Harlov
Last week, you covered some very serious topics. What's going on with Doge. What was it called? The destruction of government by Elon. Congressman Jasmine Crockett, who I feel like has been everywhere speaking her mind, telling musk must to f off. I don't. I think I can say fuck off. It is my podcast.
Desi Lydic
Fuck it. Say whatever the fuck you want. Fuck it.
Jessica Harlov
Good point. Fuck it. Fuck it. Fuck Elon. What do you think that level of rage or that level of energy is doing to the national discourse? Do you think it's helping or hurting the Democratic Party? This is something, you know, I think about a lot in terms of effective messaging. You know, how is that resonating with people?
Desi Lydic
Yeah, I don't know how effective it is from a political perspective. I certainly understand it. I get it. Like, I understand the impulse to do that. And, you know, is it effective? Is it resonating with the party? I don't know. But I think, like, I think there's room for all of it. And I think the most important thing right now is that our legislators and people who are in positions of power are speaking up and saying something. And then you have protests and you have activism. And, you know, in times like this, you want people to make their voices heard. And they're going to do that in a million different ways. And I think, I think there's a place for all of it. I think at the, at the core, the most important thing for the Democrats is to, you know, really take this time and figure out what is the vision. Who, who is going to lead this party. What do we want? What does that look like? What is the Democratic version of, you know, Project 20? I think there's so much disagreement in the party and, you know, there's a, they're kind of like stuck in this cycle of reacting all the time. And that's only gonna get you so far. Like, you can't be on your, on your back foot just reacting. It's like there has to be some kind of proactive mission. And until the party really figures out what, what the vision is, what the path forward is, then it's going to continue to be rudderless.
Jessica Harlov
Yeah, I'm definitely feeling that deeply at this particular moment.
Desi Lydic
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Jessica Harlov
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Jessica Harlov
When you're approaching a show and you're thinking about they're going to be jokes that poke fun at Republicans and jokes that poke fun at Democrats, which party do you think is more fun to roast?
Desi Lydic
That's a great question. It depends on the day. It really depends on the day. I think there are great characters on both sides of the aisle. It depends on what the, what the stories of the day are. So much of it is visual for us. And, you know, if there is funny footage of, you know, Biden doing something, it can be golden. If there's funny footage of Trump doing something, then we lean into that. I think there's definitely a real lack of censorship or restraint in the Republican Party that tends to be funnier when people are just off the rails and saying whatever the hell they want to say. There definitely seems to be a little more of that energy happening on the Republican side, so they tend to give us a little more material. But listen, we're out to poke holes in both sides and call BS wherever it exists.
Jessica Harlov
Yeah, no, it's definitely true. I feel like the Democrats, the funny stuff, the funny stuff about Democrats, you kind of have to peel back a layer or, like, look under the hood a bit for the absurdity of everything. And then Marjorie Taylor Greene is just Marjorie Taylor Greene. And so.
Desi Lydic
And that's the other thing that we, that we kind of grapple with is, I mean, she's. She's a machine. She's just out there saying wild stuff all the time. And I think that the other, the challenge that we're coming up against is like, you know, sometimes these politicians are out there just saying stuff because they want the press, they want to be covered, you know, and it feels like taking the bait. So for us to kind of figure out, all right, Marjorie Taylor Greene said this thing that was very upsetting today, and we want to respond to it. We want to call it out, but then we don't want to feed into it because this is exactly what the reaction that she's trying to get. So, like, that's. I mean, that's another conversation that we're constantly having.
Jessica Harlov
Yeah, they're definitely looking for the amplification. I'll regularly say on air. Well, they won, right. Because they're gonna be on Hannity or whatever tonight to talk about some ridiculous stunt that they did on the floor or what they said in an earlier interview. But, I mean, that's the way that it works. The Democrats are desperate to get out there now, even more so since the election, that everyone thinks, you know, if I'm on a million podcasts, us, we're gonna win.
Desi Lydic
Right.
Jessica Harlov
And I'm a beneficiary that people want to come on the podcast and talk to me about their vision for the future of the party, but it doesn't feel authentic. And it's so hard to get that for people. I mean, that's what voters are desperate for. And Trump weirdly feels that way to people.
Desi Lydic
Right? Yeah. Or. Or they're out there starting podcasts. Gavin Newsom just is starting a new podcast. I'm like, oh, okay.
Jessica Harlov
His promo feels like a Daily show bit, actually, and I really like Gavin Newsom, but it obviously fits into a particular mold.
Desi Lydic
Exactly. It was so funny. I mean. Yeah. That whole. I thought, well, we couldn't have written that any better.
Jessica Harlov
No, that one was a gift. That was a Democratic gift to the Daily show gods. You covered both Trump presidencies now, or I guess we're in the beginning stages of the second.
Desi Lydic
Is that all it is?
Jessica Harlov
Yeah. No. When people do it in days, I think this is like day 41 or something like that. I know. Definitely going to get my first gray hair. How does it feel covering him in comparison to the first time around? Is it different? Does it feel largely the same?
Desi Lydic
It feels a little different this time around. I think, for one, I think we all feel fatigued. I mean, there's so much fatigue because we had his first administration the first four years. Then there was the campaigning for the next. And it's not like he ever really went away. So we've been covering him this whole time. And now for the second administration, the biggest change is probably that things are moving along at such a rapid pace. There is a lot that he is doing. I guess you got to give him credit for that. He's seeing. Seeing things through. Whether they're effective or helpful in any way, that's debatable. But he is getting stuff done, which is what he said he would do. So it. It.
Jessica Harlov
The.
Desi Lydic
The pace in which things are happening is real rapid. And it hit us right after the inauguration. It was like the first week that he was president. We kept getting these like news bombs at 4:45pm and we taped the show at 6 and then. And the second it started happening, we went, oh, right, that's what this is like. That's right. We used, this used to happen for the first four years where like he would just do something at the end of the day and we'd have to upend the show and rewrite the opening or whatever. So it's, I think the pace is moving much more quickly. There are a lot fewer guardrails. I think there were a lot of people in his administration before that were kind of old school Republicans that were going to kind of keep him in line. And now he's able to appoint whoever he wants, this media star and that media personality. And so it feels a lot more out of control right now.
Jessica Harlov
Yeah, it's funny to me, it feels like what we all thought the first term would be like.
Desi Lydic
Yes, right.
Jessica Harlov
Or what we were promised about the end of days of all of it. And then, you know, there were kind of mainstream Republicans that stood up to him certain times or at least there were people resigning. And it doesn't feel like that is going to happen at all. You know, the folks that you thought were the safeguards on this have actually either been completely converted or just, you know, wanna be Secretary of state bad enough like Marco Rubio that they're gonna go along with it all. And I think everyone is struggling with how to meet the moment of covering what's going on while also understanding that a lot of people want this.
Desi Lydic
Right, right.
Jessica Harlov
I mean, some of your viewers as well. Right. Are not, not against what's going on.
Desi Lydic
Do you think any of that will change in terms of people in the Republican Party standing up and saying, you know what? No, this is not what we want. You know, it seems like no one is doing that currently. Do you think that would change? What would be the thing that would change course on that?
Jessica Harlov
I think the only thing that'll move the needle basically on anything is the economy. So, I mean, it's already not going well. People know what tariffs are and they don't like it. The market drop, we're recording on Tuesday, drop what, like 750 points yesterday because of that. So I think it has to be that or you see, like if they're going to take away people's Medicaid, it'll be something like that where people think that they won't get reelected. But it feels like the bar has shifted so far compared to even the first term that you think it has to be extraordinary circumstances, and you don't want that to happen to people. You know, you guys have. You're making fun of things, but your show has a tremendous amount of heart to it, and so you wouldn't want anyone to be suffering. Of course, you're like, of course I'm not touching that, obviously. Yes, yes, of course. I know we're almost out of time. I want to quickly talk about the People on People segments, because it's absolutely a favorite. So if you were playing a hype woman for the Democrats right now, what would your rallying cry be?
Desi Lydic
Oh, that's such a good question. We will win, if that's okay with you. And then someone else in the Democratic Party would say, no, no, I think it should be, we will win. And then someone else would be like, we will win. No, it should be the. And then they wouldn't be able to decide on what the rallying cry is, and it would just be pure chaos.
Jessica Harlov
And then we have nothing. I love it. Definitely going to send that right over to Chuck Schumer and be like, next time you do this and take a listen. My last question. We do this with every guest. What's one issue that makes you absolutely rage, and what's one issue that you think everyone needs to really just chill out about?
Desi Lydic
Oh, the issue that makes me absolutely rage would probably be subway train. Train delays. That would be top of mind.
Jessica Harlov
Do you feel like the subway is much better since congestion pricing kicked in? Because I do.
Desi Lydic
Yeah. I think everything has been a little. A little bit better since congestion pricing. I hate to admit it, but.
Jessica Harlov
I know. Me too.
Desi Lydic
Yeah.
Jessica Harlov
But we did publicly just now.
Desi Lydic
Yeah, we did. We'll cut that part out, right?
Jessica Harlov
Yeah, totally. What about chilling out about.
Desi Lydic
Chilling out about. This is. This is so. This is so small, and I don't even know if you're. Are you on. Are you on blue sky?
Jessica Harlov
Yes.
Desi Lydic
Okay. There's a lot of.
Jessica Harlov
It's a weird place.
Desi Lydic
There's a lot of discussion on blue sky not wanting to be X and a lot of, like, tampering down on having a variety of perspectives on blue sky. There's a lot of, like, you can't say that here. That's toxic. That's, you know, and it. It's like, no, no, there's. It's not abusive. It's not toxic. It's just varying. Varying opinions. And I think there's. We can't be so afraid to share varying opinions and have calm, thoughtful discourse. You know, again, it's so small. I don't even know if this is like a thing, but it's just something that I was noticing. People were jumping off of X and hopping on Blue sky or Threads, but then wanting to police only people, only having one perspective, one frame of mind. And that's not what this is all about. I think we have to be able to go to places and have thoughtful conversations and disagree and hopefully, you know, come to a. Come out a better, A better way through all of it. Which is why I appreciate your podcast and what you're doing. I think what you and Scott are doing here is so amazing. And your work on Fox is. I mean, I just, it's a masterclass.
Jessica Harlov
I wouldn't go that far. But I definitely feel what you're saying about Blue sky deeply also vis a vis my TV work. And I've been shocked actually by how siloed the Blue sky users are, you know, because they all went over there as a reaction to the election. And I get it, you want to save space for a few days, but then if you're actually thinking tactically about winning, how does it benefit anyone to be that snipey and that exclusionary in the name of inclusiveness?
Desi Lydic
That's exactly right.
Jessica Harlov
Like I posted something about, you know, while we all agree with the mission of Doge, which is technically to get out rid of waste, fraud and abuse, and then I go on to argue that they're not actually doing it or whatever, the amount of replies that I had that were like, we don't agree with the mission of Doge and I'm like, you love government waste just cuz you hate Elon that much or you hate Trump that much, or you genuinely feel that way. It's like the Blue Anon crew. I didn't know that was a thing. My husband told me about it.
Desi Lydic
Wait, what is the Blue Anon crew?
Jessica Harlov
There's like QAnon, which is like Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Desi Lydic
Uh huh.
Jessica Harlov
And then Blue Anon is the left version of it where they believe like every conspiracy thing possible about Trump and co. And I mean, I'm willing to think like some rando thing is actually true, but generally speaking, I don't know, I don't want to call Trump Krasnov or whatever they say is his actual like Russian asset name from 1987 when he got recruited. And like, you know, it's a, it's a lesson in insanity in a different way. Um, so at least I have a seat to both sides of it, which I feel like is where everyone should be and you guys do as well. You see it all.
Desi Lydic
We're trying.
Jessica Harlov
You're doing a great job.
Desi Lydic
Well, thank you. You're over there doing God's work. So thank you for, for the work that you do.
Jessica Harlov
Truly, it's all great, and I'm thrilled for your success, and it's great how much people are connecting with the show and with you. My friend was so excited that I was interviewing. He was like, desi is the star. I was like, I know. She's always been a star.
Desi Lydic
That's so nice.
Jessica Harlov
Thank you for joining me. I'll text you later. It was great for our listeners to hear from you. Thanks so much.
Desi Lydic
Thank you.
Jessica Harlov
All right, Shawn, you can do this promo.
Desi Lydic
Talking about all the great Vox Media podcasts that are going to be on.
Jessica Harlov
Stage live at south by Southwest this March.
Desi Lydic
You just need a big idea to get people's attention, to help them, you know, keep them from hitting the skip button. I don't know. I'm gonna throw it out to the group. Chat. Kara, do you have any ideas? In these challenging times, we're a group of mighty hosts who have banded together to fight disinformation by speaking truth to power. Like the Avengers, but with more Spandex. What do you think, Scott?
Jessica Harlov
I'm more of an X Man fan myself. Call me Professor.
Desi Lydic
Can I read minds? I can't really read minds, but I can empathize with anyone having a midlife crisis, which is essentially any tech leader. So. Minds are important, Scott, but we're more than that. I think that you can't really separate minds from feelings. And we need to talk about our emotions and explore the layers of our relationships with our partners, coworkers, our families, neighbors, and our adjacent communities. I just want to add a touch more. From sports and culture to tech and politics, Vox Media has an all star lineup of podcasts that's great in your feeds, but even better live. That's it, All Stars.
Jessica Harlov
Get your game on, go play.
Desi Lydic
Come see a bunch of Vox Media All Stars and also me at south by Southwest on the Vox Media podcast stage, presented by Smartsheet and Intuit. March 8th through 10th in Austin, Texas. Go to VoxMedia.com SXSW you'll never know if you don't go. You'll never shine if you don't glow.
Podcast Summary: Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Harlov – Desi Lydic on Comedy, Chaos, and Covering Trump (Again)
Introduction
In the March 7, 2025 episode of Raging Moderates, host Jessica Harlov engages in an insightful and candid conversation with Desi Lydic, a correspondent and now one of the main hosts of The Daily Show. This episode delves deep into the intricate balance of producing political comedy during tumultuous times, particularly under the second Trump presidency. Through their discussion, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the challenges and responsibilities that come with shaping political discourse through humor.
The Role of Comedy in Political Discourse
Desi Lydic opens the conversation by addressing the dual nature of creating comedy in today's volatile political landscape. She describes the process as both "exhausting" and "cathartic," reflecting the emotional toll and the necessary release that humor provides (02:25). Desi emphasizes the importance of staying connected to current events, noting, “I do like to be tapped in” (02:27). While acknowledging the mental strain, she underscores the therapeutic role that comedic discussions with colleagues play in navigating chaotic times.
Transition from Correspondent to Host
Jessica and Desi explore Desi's evolution from a correspondent to a host on The Daily Show. Desi shares her journey, expressing how becoming a host was beyond her initial aspirations but ultimately rewarding. She states, “I get to sit there and be myself and think about, like, what do I really think about this and what do I want to say here” (03:43). This transition allowed Desi to shed her character's armor and present her genuine perspectives, a significant shift from her previous role where she embodied a heightened point of view.
Selection of Guests and Topics
Delving into the production aspects, Desi explains the collaborative process behind selecting guests and topics. She highlights the role of producers in handling logistics while hosts retain significant creative control. “We really do have a huge voice in the process,” Desi notes (05:41). She appreciates the opportunity to bring experts onto the show, acknowledging that her strength lies in facilitating insightful conversations rather than being an expert herself.
The Trump Presidency: Comedy and Chaos
A substantial portion of the discussion centers on covering the Trump presidency and its impact on comedic narratives. Desi observes, “There are so many wild comedic characters in the political world right now” (07:32), indicating that political figures themselves are becoming rich sources of humor. She reflects on how the show has shifted from actively creating comedy to reacting to the unprecedented antics of the current political scene, particularly Trump's uncensored and erratic behavior.
Balancing Humor and Seriousness
Jessica raises concerns about the balance between humor and the gravity of ongoing political issues. Desi acknowledges this delicate balance, stating, “When the stakes… feel so high or it's a particularly precarious issue, it can be hard to let go and laugh about it” (10:17). Despite these challenges, Desi and her team strive to maintain the show’s comedic integrity while addressing serious topics, recognizing the cathartic impact humor can have on both the creators and the audience.
Responsibility in Political Messaging
The conversation shifts to the responsibility that The Daily Show holds, especially in influencing voters who consume news through non-traditional mediums like podcasts and YouTube. Desi emphasizes the importance of not being “bogged down” by the weight of changing the world, recalling guidance from John Stewart to focus on creating the “funniest, smartest shows” without feeling pressured to effect monumental change every episode (13:13). This perspective underscores the show's commitment to maintaining comedic quality while navigating political discourse.
State of the Democratic Party
Desi critically analyzes the current state of the Democratic Party, highlighting internal disagreements and a lack of a unified vision. She remarks, “There has to be some kind of proactive mission. And until the party really figures out what the vision is, what the path forward is, then it's going to continue to be rudderless” (15:27). Desi suggests that the party’s continual reactive stance limits its effectiveness, advocating for a clear, cohesive strategy to move forward.
Social Media and Discourse
The discussion then navigates the complexities of social media platforms like Blue Sky, touching upon the phenomenon of “Blue Anon” similar to QAnon. Desi expresses concern over the policing of perspectives and the suppression of diverse opinions, stating, “We can't be so afraid to share varying opinions and have calm, thoughtful discourse” (27:30). Both hosts agree on the necessity of fostering open conversations to bridge divides and promote understanding.
Covering the First vs. Second Trump Terms
Reflecting on covering both Trump presidencies, Desi notes significant differences in the second term. She points out the increased pace and lack of traditional Republican safeguards, making the political environment feel “a lot more out of control” (22:17). Desi observes, “The pace in which things are happening is real rapid” (23:04), highlighting the intensified chaos and the challenges it presents for maintaining comedic relevance and accuracy.
Audience Interaction and Final Thoughts
In the episode’s concluding segments, Desi and Jessica engage in light-hearted interactions, including hypothetical scenarios and personal reflections. They discuss what issues make them rage versus what they believe others should chill out about, adding a personal touch to the otherwise intense conversation. Desi humorously cites subway train delays as a top rage-inducing issue (27:02) and critiques the over-policing of social media discourse as something to chill about (27:39).
Notable Quotes
Desi Lydic on the cathartic nature of comedy: “I like to be tapped in to what's going on... with a room full of my funniest friends is, I mean, that is, that's cathartic for us” (02:27).
On transitioning to a host: “I'm just gonna be me. And this is just kind of share what I think about the news of the day” (03:43).
Discussing political figures as comedic subjects: “Sometimes you can't try to out funny that you kind of have to just react to it” (07:21).
On Democratic Party's direction: “There has to be some kind of proactive mission. And until the party really figures out what the vision is, what the path forward is, then it's going to continue to be rudderless” (15:27).
On social media discourse: “We can't be so afraid to share varying opinions and have calm, thoughtful discourse” (27:30).
Conclusion
This episode of Raging Moderates offers a profound exploration of the intersection between comedy and politics in today's polarized environment. Through Desi Lydic's experiences and insights, listeners gain a comprehensive view of the challenges inherent in creating political satire amidst chaos, the evolving role of a comedian-turned-host, and the broader responsibilities of influencing political discourse. The conversation highlights the necessity of maintaining humor without compromising the seriousness of critical issues, advocating for thoughtful and inclusive dialogue both on and off the screen.