MAGA Refuses to Call Iran War a "War" as Americans Scramble to Flee Mideast | Geeta Gandbhir

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode Title: MAGA Refuses to Call Iran War a "War" as Americans Scramble to Flee Mideast | Geeta Gandbhir
Date: March 4, 2026
Host: Michael Kosta
Notable Guest: Geeta Gandbhir (filmmaker)

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition is a sharp, satirical breakdown of America’s latest military conflict in Iran and the government’s rhetorical contortions around labeling it a "war." Host Michael Kosta and the news team lampoon administration spin, highlight the absurdities of evacuation plans for Americans in the Middle East, and examine the human and financial costs of military action. The show shifts gears to address male loneliness, toxic masculinity, and the dangers of isolation as Leslie Jones brings her unique perspective to the studio. The episode culminates in a moving, in-depth interview with Geeta Gandbhir, whose Oscar-nominated documentaries explore the trauma of gun violence and the war on women’s reproductive rights.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. America’s “Not-a-War” With Iran

• US Government Spin: The administration, especially MAGA-aligned politicians, refuses to call the ongoing conflict with Iran a war—opting for terms like “combat operations” or “strategic strikes.” This mirrors Putin’s infamous “special military operation” rhetoric in Ukraine.
  • "We haven’t declared war on Iran. I don’t know if this is technically a war. Strategic strikes are not war. Nobody should classify this as war." — Michael Kosta (05:34)
• Chaotic Evacuations: Amid escalating conflict, Americans are told to evacuate 14 Middle Eastern countries. The evacuation plan is farcical:
  • "You want us to take a bus out of a war zone? In the movies there’s a chopper outside... but you’re sitting there telling me it’s fine, take the Greyhound." — Michael Kosta (02:52)
• Friendly Fire Blunder: US jets downed by Kuwaiti allies using US-supplied missiles, underlining the messiness and cost ($300 million lost in a single incident).
  • "At least we know [the Kuwaiti missiles] work." — Michael Kosta (03:59)
  • "Can we come up with a new name for friendly fire? Shooting your friend's plane down seems like the least friendly thing you could do." — Michael Kosta (04:09)
• Financial Costs / Misplaced Priorities: Enormous sums are spent on war, while American infrastructure languishes.
  • "We lost hundreds of millions of dollars in a single friendly fire incident. Some estimates say the entire war could cost over $200 billion. Yet here in America, people don't have health care. My local library is only open two days a week, which means for five days a week, I have to masturbate at home. It’s shameful." — Michael Kosta (08:19)
  • [06:00–09:00]

Notable Quote

“It’s a slippery slope that could lead to the worst possible Trump—going shirtless.”
— Michael Kosta (06:23)

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2. In My Opinion: Leslie Jones on What’s Wrong With Men

• Male Loneliness and Friendship Deficit: The episode transitions to a comedic but heartfelt segment where Leslie Jones tackles men's lack of real friendships and how that feeds broader societal problems.
  • "15% of American men say they have no close friends and 50% say they have three or fewer friends outside of family."   — Leslie Jones & Geeta Gandbhir (12:06)
  • "To quote the well-known feminist Jaceph Z: 'They got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one.'" — Leslie Jones (11:59)
• Inability to Approach Women: Many young men lack skills or confidence to engage with women in real life.
  • "Half of young men haven’t approached women ever. Talking to a woman is easy. We have one button. Just one button." — Leslie Jones (14:00)
• Toxic Online Influences: Critique of “toxic podcast guys” who profit off isolating and angry men.
  • "Their entire business model relies on keeping you alone and angry and buying their sponsored flashlights." — Leslie Jones (14:57)
• AI Companions and Sex Dolls: Comical but poignant discussion of the rise in artificial companionship.
  • "I've gone from sharing experiences with a real girlfriend to sharing experiences with a synthetic one." — Michael Kosta (16:48)
  • "This is Sherry. I thought, you know, I need more diversity. I need some different ethnic groups in my doll collection." — Geeta Gandbhir, via documentary clip (17:01)
• Men’s Reluctance for Medical Care: Men avoid addressing sexual health issues and basic hygiene.
  • "You not going to get your limp noodle checked. How you sending dick pics to everyone but your doctor?" — Leslie Jones (18:51)
  • "Have you heard that some men don’t wash their bottom for fear of being called gay?" — Geeta Gandbhir (19:20)
• Call to Maturity: Leslie encourages men to grow up and take care of themselves and their relationships.
  • "You are not gonna have a better life being a dirty booty doll, cartoon perv." — Leslie Jones (20:54)
  • [11:07–21:28 — "In My Opinion" segment]

Notable Quotes

"At that age, your dick should be able to karate chop a two by four. Hiya, hiya."
— Leslie Jones on erectile dysfunction under age 40 (18:10)

"If you think you gonna get gay from washing your booty... you’re already gay. Come on out."
— Leslie Jones (19:51)

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3. Interview: Geeta Gandbhir on Documentary Filmmaking, Gun Violence, and Community Trauma

[23:09–38:42]

The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

• Body Cam Footage as Truth: Gandbhir’s Oscar-nominated film uses unfiltered body cam footage to tell the story of Ajika Owens’s murder, exposing the failings of "stand your ground" laws and institutional racism.
  • "There was no way I could have recreated that… there was no camera crew on the ground directing anything. There was no journalists on the ground. And it’s just sort of the unvarnished interactions between the police and the community." — Geeta Gandbhir (26:28)
• Stand Your Ground Laws’ Deadly Toll: These laws, present in almost 40 states, embolden violence under the guise of “perceived threats.”
  • "If you are anywhere lawfully and you feel your life is in imminent danger… you have the right to use deadly force without having the duty to retreat. Right now, there is no way bias doesn’t play into that." — Geeta Gandbhir (28:43)
• The True Cost of Gun Violence: Powerful scenes depicting the grief of children learning of their mother’s death—left in the film at the family’s request to underscore the real human cost.
  • "If my grandchildren had to go through this, then the world can bear witness." — Geeta Gandbhir, citing Ajika’s mother (28:13)
• Bitter Justice: The perpetrator, Susan, was convicted, but the damage and trauma to the community was lasting and profound.
  • "Although they were called multiple times and Susan showed erratic behavior… she was able to weaponize her privilege. And the police never saw her as a threat or the community as worth protecting." — Geeta Gandbhir (31:54)
• Aftermath: The formerly vibrant, multiracial community is shattered; only one family remains on the block.
  • "There was only one family left on that block. The rest of them have moved." — Geeta Gandbhir (33:13)

The Devil is Busy (HBO)

• Women’s Health Post-Dobbs: Gandbhir’s short documentary follows a Christian security guard at a women's health clinic in Georgia, exploring the intersection of faith, reproductive rights, and community under siege.
  • "You have protesters every day outside… weaponizing religion… and on the inside you have Tracy, who holds the same faith but has somehow managed to find a place where faith and women’s reproductive rights can coexist." — Geeta Gandbhir (35:27)
• Creative Purpose: Gandbhir’s core motivation is to spark conversation by holding a mirror up to society’s ills—especially weaponized fear, racism, and the need for active, caring communities.
  • "Being the perfect neighbor to me is being like that community, being an upstander, being involved... not being quiet." — Geeta Gandbhir (38:10)

Notable Quotes

"We decided to do it through body camera footage. We wanted to warn the world of the dangers of these laws... but we also had this pipe dream that maybe we could help the family. Luckily, that came true."
— Geeta Gandbhir (25:42)

"If we fear and hate our neighbor, then when they are kidnapped and trafficked to what is ostensibly a concentration camp, we might not say so."
— Geeta Gandbhir (37:20)

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Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• 02:52 — Michael Kosta satirizes the U.S. evacuation plan from the Middle East
• 04:09 — Riffing on the absurdities of “friendly fire”
• 06:23 — Comparison of U.S. war rhetoric to Putin (“Slippery slope to shirtless Trump!”)
• 08:19 — Masturbation joke about library funding cuts
• 14:57 — Leslie’s takedown of “toxic podcast guys”
• 18:51 — Leslie’s “dick pics to everyone but your doctor” line
• 19:51 — Leslie lampoons men afraid to wash themselves
• 27:29 — Gandbhir on showing the moment children learn of their mother's death
• 28:43 — Gandbhir explains “stand your ground” laws
• 33:13 — Gandbhir reveals near total dispersal of the community
• 37:20 — Gandbhir’s warning about weaponized fear and division

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Tone & Style Highlights

• The episode blends pointed political satire with genuine empathy and serious investigative journalism.
• Leslie Jones’s segment is both bracingly frank and ultimately encouraging, aiming to jolt her audience toward self-improvement.
• Gandbhir’s interview is candid, urgent, and personal—a call to consciousness and action.

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Takeaways

• The U.S. government’s refusal to call the Iran conflict a "war" is both self-serving and transparently absurd.
• The episode satirically exposes the dysfunction of U.S. foreign policy, the comedy of bureaucracy, and America’s deeper social fractures.
• Gandbhir’s documentaries remind us of the persistent dangers of “stand your ground” laws, the trauma that ripples through communities in the wake of violence, and the ongoing battle over women’s autonomy.

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Watch the documentaries featured:
The Perfect Neighbor — streaming on Netflix
The Devil is Busy — streaming on HBO Max

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(Episode content summarized, advertisement and non-content sections omitted.)

Transcript

[Narrator/Announcer]

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[Leslie Jones]

You're listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news. This is the Daily show with your host, Michael Costa.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

This is the Daily Show. We've got a great one. I'm Michael Costa. We've got so much to talk about tonight. Mag is in a war over whether we're in a war. We'll tell you where your tax dollars really went. And Leslie Jones tries to fix men. Good luck. So let's get into the latest on America's war with Iran. Nothing bad can happen. It can only good happen. We are now four days into this war and it's going great. It's definitely not expanding into an ever widening regional conflict that puts Americans in immediate danger overnight. The State Department issuing its strongest warning

[Leslie Jones]

yet, urging US Nationals to depart.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Now the State Department advising Americans to evacuate from 14 countries covering most of the Middle East. Things are escalating fast. Americans now have to evacuate from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and several other countries where Louis CK does stand up. Of course, the problem with evacuating from a war zone is that all the airports are closed and I'm sure our government plan for this. US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. Help us out. Tell the stranded Americans how to get home. The Israeli Ministry of Tourism is providing bus service from several locations. I'm sorry, you want us to take a bus out of a war zone? In the movies there's a chopper outside and a Navy SEAL comes down. On a rope, and he pulls you on board, and he says, you're gonna make it in time for your daughter's birthday, but you're sitting there telling me it's fine. Take the Greyhound. There's no WI fi, and the bathroom works as long as you don't poop in it. By the way, is this the official Ambassador outfit these days? He looks like the guy who sits outside of a gas station and gives you directions to someplace in the woods where he can kill you. But you know what? I'm sure that mass evacuations aside, the

[Leslie Jones]

rest of the war is going great.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Breaking news.

[Narrator/Announcer]

U.S. central Command says three fighter jets were shot down by friendly fire from Kuwaiti forces.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Sengkhan says all six crew members aboard

[Narrator/Announcer]

the jets ejected were safely recovered and are in stable condition.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Okay. Now, I know it's not great that our allies shot our planes down, but the good news is that they were probably using the missiles we sold them, so at least we know they work. By the way, can we come up with a new name for friendly fire? Shooting your friend's plane down seems like the least friendly thing you could do. Imagine you find your best friend banging your spouse, and he's like, relax. Just a little friendly penetration. Penetration. But you know what? The pilots are. Okay. We'll just buy some new planes. What do they cost? We should note that the estimates of costs on these F15 Strike Eagle jets range from anywhere from $30 million per unit all the way up to $100 million. Up to $100 million each. You may have lost $300 million in one friendly penetration incident. I mean, look, I live in New York, so I am used to seeing obscene amounts of money wasted on jets, but still, 300 million.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Oh,

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

300 million is crazy. But on the other hand, if we watch the video in reverse, I just saved us $300 million. So not bad for the old costume. And the most upsetting thing about this is that it's all happening under a president who promised that this wasn't going to happen. I'm not going to start a war. I'm going to stop wars. No new wars. We don't need the wars. My personality is going to keep us out of wars. I am the candidate of peace. I am peace. I will stop the chaos in the Middle East. Well, well, well. Looks like we caught Donald Trump in a lie. That ought to do it for his presidency. Not bad for the old Casta. You're welcome, America. All right, so to Trump supporters, I'm sorry, but you have to admit, he's gone back on his promise by starting a new war. This isn't a war. We haven't declared war on Iran. I don't know if this is technically a war. Strategic strikes are not war. Nobody should classify this as war. It is combat operations. Sure, sure. It's a strategic combat operations. Guys. You can call it whatever you want. We all know it's a war. This reminds me of how my Aunt Trudy, she used to bring her so called roommate to Thanksgiving every year. We all knew they weren't roommates, they were soulmates. And they were scissoring. The war with Iran is just like my two gay aunts. Exactly how they look. By the way, this all seems a little familiar. Where else have I recently heard such a pathetic attempt to not call a war a war? Russian forces began hitting targets in Ukraine. Overnight, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced what he called a special military operation. He refused to call it a war. Ah, great. Always good for the country to have the same messaging strategy as Vladimir Putin. We don't need Trump copying more shit Putin does. It's a slippery slope that could lead to the worst possible Trump going shirtless. And I know they don't want to admit it's a war because that would require Congress approval and directly contradict President Trump's promises. But they're also so desperate not to call it a war that one conservative newscaster is arguing with his own graphics package. All right, war with Iran. Maybe it's war in Iran.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

War.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

War from Iran. War via Iran. What if we combine them? War ran. Is that anything? Look, call whatever you want a war. A combat operation. International fight Club. How long is this thing going to take? This is not an endless war.

[Leslie Jones]

This is not endless.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

The President doesn't believe in endless wars. This is no forever war. As Trump critics keep complaining. Yeah, okay, but that's not as comforting as you think it is. Don't worry, everyone. This war will last a number below infinity years. But okay, fine. At least we know this war won't be fought forever.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Breaking overnight, President Trump touting that the

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

U.S. has a, quote, virtually unlimited supply of weapons. The President posting on Truth Social in part, wars can be fought forever. Great news, everyone. Now the war never has to end. I guess I'm happy for Trump that we have unlimited weapons, but it's worth considering what all these weapons cost and whether we could be better spending that money on something else here at home. I mean, we lost hundreds of millions of dollars in a single friendly fire incident. And some estimates say that the entire war could cost over $200 billion. Yet here in America, people don't have health care. Our infrastructure is crumbling. My local library is only open two days a week, which means for five days a week, I have to masturbate at home. It's shameful. If there was only some image that could symbolize the confidence I have in our country's elected leaders right now. Yep. Yep, that's it. When we come back, Leslie Jones gives us her opinion. Don't go away.

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[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. We all know I've got great opinions, but I'm not the only one. Studies show that other people also have opinions. So here with another installment of in my Opinion is our good friend Leslie Jones.

[Leslie Jones]

Hello. Today I came to talk to you about one of the world's greatest mysteries. What the hell is wrong with you men? Because something is wrong. Too many men don't understand. Women don't like women and are afraid of women. And they think that all their problems come from women, but they don't. To quote the well known feminist Jaceph

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

z,

[Leslie Jones]

they got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't 1.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

A growing crisis nationwide. Male loneliness.

[Narrator/Announcer]

15% of American men say they have no close friends and 50% say they have three or fewer friends outside of family members.

[Leslie Jones]

I literally don't got no friends. It's like you gotta go somewhere to make friends.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

I don't go no where. Am I supposed to like cozy myself up to another man and be like, hey, man, you wanna be friends? Do you wanna go play tag sometimes?

[Leslie Jones]

Yes.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Yes.

[Leslie Jones]

That's what you're supposed to do. I mean, don't use that voice. It's kind of creepy, but that's what you're supposed to do. Put in the work. He probably don't have no friends either. This is sad. And also, isn't this the whole point of sports? You see another guy in the same shirt as you, bamboo, that's a friend. You like the Giants? I like the Giants. You like the Knicks? I like the Knicks. You like the Mets? The Mets? Yankees. All day, baby. But you were friends for a few minutes. Didn't that feel nice? Now maybe you're asking Leslie, why do you care if men have friends? First of all, my name is Ms. Jones. You don't know me, and it affects me as a woman, because men who have trouble talking to other guys can't talk to women either.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Pew research found that roughly half of men surveyed said a key reason they struggled to get a date in the past 12 months is was the difficulty of approaching women. 50% of men aged 18 to 24 have never approached a woman in person in their life.

[Leslie Jones]

Half of young men haven't approached women ever. Talking to a woman is easy. I've seen y' all beat a game of Madden in 20 minutes, but you can't take two seconds and say hey to a woman. Women are way easier than video games. We have one button. You need to figure out how. One. Just one button. Where are the daddies? Where's the uncles? The older cousins? Y' all don't have no good role models. Instead, you got these creeps.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Women are so ridiculous as people.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

One of the biggest mistakes we made was letting women have rights. Women usher in all of the bad things that happened in society forever. Yeah,

[Leslie Jones]

fellas, these toxic podcast guys aren't here to help you. Their entire business model relies on keeping you alone and angry and buying their sponsored flashlights. And I just found out what flashlights are. Y' all out here? Flashlights? What happened to socks or pies? And if you're not stepping to women, what are you doing with your time?

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Why would I go looking for a girlfriend when I can just go into

[Leslie Jones]

my room and masturbate? Hey, Michael Myers, you know you can spend a whole day with an actual woman, right? How long can you spend jerking off on a normal basis?

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Like six to seven hours? Probably like 12 at the max. I'm not Superman. So for 12 hours? Yeah, I think that would be watching pornography. Mm.

[Leslie Jones]

Jerking. Nine two, five ain't no way to make a living. 12 hours a day. You're working overtime, dude. Your dick needs to join a union. And you know how pathetic this is. Even when they're jerking off, they're not even jerking off to real women.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

There's a dramatic surge in the use

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

of so called AI Companions.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

I will be whatever you want me to be.

[Leslie Jones]

Stop these cartoons. Don't you want a woman you can actually put your arms around?

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

I've gone from sharing experiences with a

[Leslie Jones]

real girlfriend to sharing experiences with a synthetic one. That's not what I meant.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Dean shares his house with a total of seven dolls.

[Leslie Jones]

This is Sherry. I thought, you know, I need some diversity. I need some different ethnic groups in my doll collection. And this was the most African looking head that I could find. R.A. cherry Rock, you in danger. I love that he looked at his den filled with sex dolls and thought, I need more diversity. They're gonna start thinking I'm weird. Let me tell you, homeboy, I'm speaking for all the black women when I say, we good, homie.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

We good. We good.

[Leslie Jones]

Men, you have a problem and all this crazy is starting to go to your dick.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Erectile dysfunction rates have increased from 5% in 1999 to 34% in 2018. The most intense part of this data is this is all for men under 40.

[Leslie Jones]

Under 40. At that age, your dick should be able to karate chop a two by four. Just hiya, hiya. But you know what? I don't blame men who have medical problems. What I blame men for is not getting it fixed.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

64% of men wouldn't go to a doctor unless a medical condition is considered severe in sexual areas like erectile dysfunction. Men said they'd rather break up with their partner, avoid sex altogether, or look on the dark web for help.

[Leslie Jones]

You not going to get your lymph noodle checked. How you sending dick pics to everyone but your doctor? You know, a lack of self care shows a lack of. And apparently men aren't taking care of their fronts or their back.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Have you heard that some men don't wash their bottom for fear of being called gay? I was dating this guy, so I asked him, I was like, when you're in the shower, do you like spread your cheeks to let the water in? And he was like, nobody does that. Like literally nobody does that. And he was like arguing with me about the fact that you're not supposed to wash your booty hole in the shower.

[Leslie Jones]

Y', all. Y' all ain't washing the one part of your body where the doo doo comes out. So your assholes are welded together with doo doo. That's the craziest thing I ever heard. And let me tell y' all something. If you think that you gonna get gay from washing your booty, ho, you're already gay, babe. You're gay. Come on out. Come on out. So many of these problems could be overcome if men would just go. But since y' all won't, I am offering a special one time session. Y' all are sexually immature. Women all their lives are taught about sexual maturity and you guys weren't. But you're adults now and you are not gonna have a better life being a dirty booty doll, cartoon perv, and to quote the great philosopher leftist Oculus Lopez, women don't want no scrubs. But that's just my opinion. It's just my opinion.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Let's get going everyone. Welcome back. Dita Gondebel will be joining me on the show. Don't go.

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[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is an award winning filmmaker who currently has two Oscar nominated documentaries including the Perfect Neighbor. Please welcome Geeta Gandabir.

[Leslie Jones]

Wow.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Wow.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

What a powerful film. The Perfect Neighbor nominated For an Oscar. Most of the film is compiled of body cam footage from law enforcement.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Correct.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Tell me about the story and how you compiled that.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Sure. So there's a personal connection to the story, which is that Ajika was a friend of my family, and I have family that lives in Florida, and she was close with them. So on the night that she was murdered, we received a call from my family members down there. It was a distress call. And when I say we, I mean myself, my husband, Nikan Kwantu, who is also a producer on the film, and my team at Message Pictures, Elisa Payne and Sam Pollard. And so we were immediately on the ground trying to support the family and trying to get the story in the news. And then about two months later, we received the body camera footage. It was through the Freedom of Information act that the lawyers for the case, Benjamin Crump, a very famous civil rights lawyer, and Anthony Thomas, they were able to acquire the footage, and they sent it to us. And they said, can you look through this? There's so much material here. We've never seen anything like it.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Yeah.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

And it was about 30 hours. So I used to be an editor. I was the assistant editor on the project. I like to say I strung it out. And then when we saw that basically this material went back two years, and we see the lead up to the crime and this beautiful multiracial community as they were before. And then we see how one outlier who used. She basically weaponized racism, used manufactured fear and lax gun laws, and she was emboldened by stand your ground law. And the intersection of all those things led to this terrible crime.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

I was so surprised to learn that only eight states in the United States require law enforcement to use body cam. And without it, could you even tell this story? Would you even have access to it?

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

So, honestly, this story, I think it was such a unique way of telling the story, and we really. We decided to do it through the body camera footage. We had two purposes. We wanted to get the story out, to warn the world of the dangers of these laws and the things that can happen, the tragedies that can occur accordingly. But we also had this pipe dream that maybe we could help the family. That if it was a little independent film and we thought maybe if we sold it, that we could then support the family with the proceeds. Luckily, that came true. We went to the Sundance Film Festival and that bought the film. We were able to give the money to the family. But the body camera footage.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

But the body camera footage, we felt, was so critical because Again, it was somewhat undeniable. There was no camera crew on the ground directing anything. There was no journalists on the ground. And it's just sort of the unvarnished interactions between the police and the community. And because Susan called the police so many times, Susan Lawrence, the perpetrator, we have this evidence of what unfolded, and there was no way I could have recreated that. As a filmmaker,

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

parts of the film feel like a horror film.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Yes.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

And as a viewer, the one scene that my wife and I, I look at her, she looks at me, and we both are weeping is when the children learn through law enforcement that their mother's been killed. And it's such a powerful scene. I've never felt anything like that watching a film. Why? Why was it important to share that scene?

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Sure. So that scene, again, this is the worst day of these, ostensibly, of these children's lives. And it was very difficult for us to watch ourselves. I mean, honestly, we were devastated by it. But Pamela Dias, who's Ajika Owen's mother, and she is honestly the bravest person I know, she said when we obviously wanted her to bless us making this film, she did. And when it was finished, I shared it with her and said, you tell me what to do here. Do we continue? If not, if you don't want to, this film, it can disappear, and it can just have been my process. And she watched it, she wanted to move forward with it. She wanted to make change in Ajika's name. But that scene, to her, she said, you leave that in. This is the true cost of gun violence.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Yeah.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

People are numb to it in this country. Again, there's a shooting every day almost. And she was like, people don't understand the grief and the impact of the grief. And if my grandchildren had to go through this, then the world can bear witness.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

I mean, you watch everyone, but in particular, the children's lives change immediately. As a viewer, stand your ground.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Stand your ground.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Laws contribute to over 700 additional gun deaths each year.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

That's right.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Who are these laws meant to serve?

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

So stand you'd ground was penned in Marion county in Florida, where actually where Ajika was murdered. And they were penned by Dennis Baxley, who is a Republican lawmaker and with tremendous support from the nra. So I think that might lead us all to understand who they were mentioned. And in Florida in particular, the law exists in about 38 states in some shape, form or fashion. But what makes the law so dangerous is, for example, in Florida, if you are anywhere, you don't have to be in Your home. But if you are anywhere lawfully and you feel that your life is in imminent danger from it can be a perceived threat. You have the right to use deadly force without having the duty to return. Right now, there is no way bias doesn't play into that. And what you believe to be a threat and the duty to retreat saves lives. And racial bias is often at the forefront of these incidences. We have the example of Trayvon Martin.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Yeah. Yeah. One of the most beautiful parts of this community was how often the cops showed up and the kids were playing outside.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Yes.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

And it was multiracial kids.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Yes.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

And different aged kids. And I remember we were watching, going, this is what I want kids to be doing. I don't want them on TikTok. I don't want them inside. They're literally outside running around in the field. I had a logistical question. The vacant lot where they're playing, whose property was that?

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

So that actually belonged to a neighbor and they had permission to be there. And as you can see, the children were often supervised. That little community, to me, is the best of us. That is the American dream. Again, it is a working class community, but a beautiful community. Strong social network. Everyone looks out for each other's kids. I kind of grew up like that, where the neighbor could yell at you, but they also loved you. They also looked out for you. You know, they would call your parents on you, but you knew where to go if you were in danger. And you see that with the these children. You see that love and support.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Yeah. Is there an argument to be made that justice ultimately was served to Susan? I mean, she's in prison right now. I believe she was sentenced to 25 years. Did the system work?

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

So my feeling is that the justice is bittersweet. Again, Susan, we were surprised because Susan was convicted by an all white jury in Marion County. Again, the heart of where stand your ground was born. So we did not expect that, particularly with the precedent of what happened with Trayvon Martin and other cases in Florida in particular. However, I personally feel that the systems that be failed Susan as well. They failed that community. Absolutely. But they also failed Susan. She should have never had access to a guy.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

I mean, they came so many times. And even just watching the body cam footage, you're saying this person should move or be given professional help. Certainly should not have access to a firearm.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Yeah. She should have been flagged.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Yeah.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

And I think again, the police were well intentioned and they were polite, but I think sometimes our. And my producer says this Nikon Kwan, too, sometimes Our expectations of the police are. Are so low that we mistake their kindness or politeness for competence. And I think what happened in this case is, although they were called multiple times and Susan showed erratic behavior and she was again, she was using hate speech against children. She was doing things that, again, should have been a red flag, she was treated as a nuisance. She was able to weaponize her privilege. And the police, again, brought their own biases and never saw her as a threat or the community is worth protecting. And the worst possible outcome happened.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Yeah. Do we know what happened to this community of kids after the incident?

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Yes. So the community. We shared the film with them as well, prior to it airing on Netflix. It was really important to us, and it was devastating for them to watch, but they believed in what we were doing. They understood why we were trying to share the film, and they also didn't. Their hope is this doesn't happen to another community. They were so close. They were really like an extended family, and it was so devastating for them what happened. There was only one family left on that block.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Wow.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

The rest of them have moved.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

So, I mean, it's really powerful and painful to watch, but I'm hoping it gets all of us to talk and think about trauma.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

That's right.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

I mean, this whole community went through trauma, the kids in particular. But it's just such a powerful film. I want to talk to you about your other film that's also nominated for an Oscar. I mean, my God. Thank you. You have two more films nominated for an Oscar than I do this year. The Devil is Busy is up for best documentary short. And it follows a security guard. It's about 34 minutes. It follows a security guard at a women's health clinic in Atlanta. And that's a moving story.

[Sponsor/Advertisement Voice]

Wow.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Tell me a little bit about that. How did you find the security guard and how did that come about?

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Sure. So that project started with Soledad o' Brien Productions. So Soledad o' Brien and her partner, Rose Arce, wanted. They knew that the Dobbs decision was coming, and they knew that Rose was going to fall at the federal level and that we wanted to tell a story that was a window into the impact. Basically, 25 million women have lost health care, reproductive health care, since that decision. And so the outcome is tremendous. It's a terrible, tremendous impact. And so in searching for this story, I also have an incredible producer, Amber Faris, and my co director, Chris Lynn Hampton, who is my best friend from college. So this was a family affair also. But we found this clinic in Georgia. And we realized we wanted to make a film that was representative of A Day in the Life. And Tracy, who is the security guard, really was a window in to that world. But also she's someone who is deeply Christian.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Yeah, that was some of the most

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

powerful stuff that was fascinating to us because you have protesters every day outside the clinic who are using religion against women, essentially weaponizing it and shouting parts of the scripture. We realized that sometimes it was wrong, but they were shouting parts of the scripture.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

They were shouting wrong scripture.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Yes.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

God, that's like what I always assumed, but I never check it.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Yeah, but so, like, you know, against, you know, basically yelling at the women who are entering the clinic. It's an all day barrage of noise. And on the inside, you have Tracy, who holds the same faith, but has somehow managed to find a place where the intersection of faith and women's reproductive rights can coexist. And that, to us, we were like, she is this incredible. She's almost like a unicorn again in this sort of battle for women's reproductive health care and justice. And we're hoping that she might be able to open that door for many others who might be struggling with that, you know, the sort of dichotomy of those two issues.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

You had such judgment outside and you had such service to others on the inside. So basically, I've watched all your films this year, and I've cried through all of them. But please, everyone, watch them. It's excellent. The Perfect Neighbor's on Netflix. The Devil's Busy is on hbo. One last question. You're up for all these awards. I'm curious, creatively, what your motivation is for these films. It's not to win awards.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

No, honestly, I mean, the awards are a huge honor, of course, because these are my peers. And you never know how your peers really feel about you. I'm just gonna say that you're like, oh, you know, like, then when they vote for.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Everybody in this building loves me.

[Leslie Jones]

Thank you.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Thank you.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

If we put that. That to a vote, you'll find out,

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

yeah, let's not do that.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Let's not do that. Yeah, yeah. But so incredible honor. But I think for me, the most interesting thing is our films that hold a mirror up to our society and present an angle into it that we haven't thought about that spark ideas and conversation. And the Perfect Neighbor to me, holds a mirror up to our society 100%. It reflects all the illnesses that right now are plaguing us. And really coming from the top down, you know, these are devices the things that I spoke about, weaponized racism, manufactured fear, they're deliberately being used by the powers that be to divide us and to polarize us and turn us against each other. Because if we fear our neighbor, and if we fear and hate our neighbor, then when they are kidnapped and trafficked to what is ostensibly a concentration camp, we might not say so. I think we have to. I hope that these films give people a window into a way of looking at things that might shift minds, that might shift hearts. And again, being the perfect neighbor to me is being like that community, being an upstander, you know, again, being involved, caring, not being quiet. And as Susan said, she was the perfect neighbor. And she claimed it by. She said, you never see me. I'm quiet. I do. You know, I stay in my house. That's not what we need at this time. The perfect neighbor is in the streets of Minneapolis. The perfect neighbor is.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Thank you.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

But the perfect neighbor is, you know, again, everyone who is speaking out in

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

this time, thank you for your films. They are doing that. Please watch. The Perfect Neighbor is available to watch on Netflix. And the Devil is Busy is available to watch on hbo. Max, Gita, Gandaber, get a quick break. We'll be right back after this.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today, while I'm letting go of the worry that it wouldn't get much

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

new contacts in time for this class,

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

Oh, my gosh, they're so fast.

[Leslie Jones]

And breathe.

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Oh, sorry.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

I almost couldn't breathe when I saw

[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

the discount they gave me on my first order. Oh, sorry. Namaste.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

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[Geeta Gandaber (Filmmaker)]

Experian.

[Michael Costa (Host of The Daily Show)]

That's our show for tonight. Now here it is, your moment of Zen. And everybody was enthusiast about it. Germany, everybody. And Spain didn't do it. And now Spain actually said that we can't use their bases, and that's all right. We don't. We could use their base if we want. We could just fly in and use it. Nobody's going to tell us not to use it. Explore more shows from the Daily Show Podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Show Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount. Plus,

[Leslie Jones]

This has been a Comedy Central podcast.