Republicans Play "War Plan" Semantics as Journalist Brings Receipts | Steve Coogan

Summary

Summary of "The Daily Show: Ears Edition" - Episode: Republicans Play "War Plan" Semantics as Journalist Brings Receipts | Steve Coogan

Release Date: March 27, 2025

Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, hosted by Ronny Chieng, the team delves into a whirlwind of current events, political controversies, and insightful interviews. The episode masterfully blends sharp humor with critical analysis, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of today’s most pressing headlines. Notably, the show features a special guest appearance by the legendary comedian and actor Steve Coogan, who discusses his latest film, "Penguin Lessons," alongside his illustrious career.

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1. Trump Administration’s Group Chat Controversy

Timestamp: 00:27 – 07:57

The episode opens with Ronny Chieng addressing a heated controversy involving the Trump administration’s group chat. Reports have emerged that members of Trump’s cabinet, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, inadvertently included journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in a private chat discussing sensitive military plans for a potential Yemen strike.

Ronny humorously critiques the administration’s handling of the situation:

"Hashtag listening and learning, and blah, blah, blah. But they just can't help themselves because whenever they're in trouble, their default response is to punch their way out of it, which only makes things worse." (00:52)

He emphasizes the absurdity of the situation, questioning how a journalist was mistakenly added to a group chat discussing war plans:

"I think this guy is having an affair with Jeffrey Goldberg." (02:16)

Michael Kosta joins the discussion, dismissing the notion that the messages constitute actual war plans:

"Nobody was texting war plans. Nobody's texting war plans." (07:11)

Ronny and Michael engage in a back-and-forth debate, highlighting the thin line between policy discussions and actual war strategies. This segment underscores the challenges of maintaining confidentiality and professionalism within high-stakes political environments.

2. "Can Chris Solve It" Segment

Timestamp: 11:27 – 18:42

In a lighthearted interlude, comedian Chris DiStefano takes the stage in the new segment "Can Chris Solve It," where he humorously attempts to address major global issues with minimal understanding. Chris tackles topics such as tariffs and immigration with his signature comedic flair:

"I have to be honest, I have no idea what a tariff is. I really don't." (12:03)

Chris jokes about America’s reliance on imports and suggests a playful solution to immigration:

"Our soccer team has never won a single World Cup. It's embarrassing." (13:30)

Despite his comedic approach, the segment subtly touches on the complexities of these issues, providing listeners with both laughter and a moment to reflect on serious topics.

3. Interview with Steve Coogan

Timestamp: 19:36 – 37:58

The highlight of the episode is an in-depth interview with Steve Coogan, a renowned comedian and actor celebrated for his creation of the iconic character Alan Partridge. Ronny Chieng and Steve discuss Coogan’s career trajectory, his dedication to live performances, and his latest film, "Penguin Lessons."

Career Insights and Live Performing

Ronny praises Coogan’s commitment to live comedy:

"You still stick with live performing. Never let that go." (19:58)

Steve shares his perspective on the importance of staying connected with the audience through live performances:

"It's important to get rid of all the filters because you can sort of be connected with your audience." (21:24)

He elaborates on the challenges and rewards of live comedy, highlighting the immediate feedback and the personal accountability that comes with performing on stage.

Transition to Dramatic Roles

The conversation shifts to Coogan’s ventures into dramatic roles, such as his portrayal of Jimmy Savile:

"I played a sex offender. I know it's a terrible thing, but it was a terrible story in the UK." (29:59)

Steve discusses the balance between comedy and drama in his work, emphasizing the need to inject humor into serious narratives to engage and educate audiences effectively.

"Penguin Lessons" and Political Activism

Coogan introduces his latest film, "Penguin Lessons," describing it as a blend of comedy and dark political commentary:

"It's a cute film about a penguin... set against the fascist regime of Argentina from the late 1970s." (32:32)

He explains the film’s premise, where a character who dislikes penguins inadvertently adopts one, leading to unexpected personal growth against a backdrop of political turmoil. The film aims to juxtapose the innocence of penguins with the harsh realities of fascism, offering a unique take on historical narratives.

Philosophy on Comedy and Activism

Steve shares his approach to comedy as a tool for political activism:

"If you can laugh, have that gallows humor, then we can all get through it together." (31:05)

He underscores the power of storytelling and humor in bridging ideological divides, advocating for comedy that both entertains and provokes thoughtful discussion.

Closing Remarks

Ronny and Steve wrap up the interview on a positive note, with Ronny expressing deep appreciation for Coogan’s contributions to comedy and film:

"Thank you for entertaining everybody. Thanks for coming on this show." (37:15)

Steve reiterates his commitment to meaningful entertainment:

"I like to make people laugh. I like to punch up, not punch down." (26:27)

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Conclusion

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition expertly navigates through a spectrum of topics, from high-profile political mishaps to the intricacies of comedy and cinema. Ronny Chieng’s dynamic hosting, coupled with insightful contributions from Michael Kosta, Chris DiStefano, and guest Steve Coogan, ensures a compelling and informative listening experience. Through humor and critical analysis, the show delivers both entertainment and enlightenment, making it a must-listen for audiences seeking a nuanced take on current events and cultural phenomena.

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Additional Information

Listeners can watch The Daily Show weeknights on Comedy Central at 11/10c or stream full episodes on Paramount+. For exclusive content and extended interviews, visit ParamountShop.com and use discount code "TDS20” for 20% off all The Daily Show products.

Transcript

[Ronny Chieng]

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, Ronny Chang.

Hello. Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Ron Ch. We got so much to talk about tonight, so let's get right into the controversy that's still rocking Trump's cabinet in another installment of the worst wing.

[Michael Kosta]

What a bunch of losers.

[Ronny Chieng]

None of that was AI. By now, we all know that Donald Trump's meritocracy brain geniuses planned an attack on Yemen in a signal group chat and accidentally invited a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg. And this story might have ended on day one if the administration had just owned it and made some bullshit statement like, sorry, we're taking accountability. Hashtag listening and learning, and blah, blah, blah. But they just can't help themselves, because whenever they're in trouble, their default response is to punch their way out of it, which only makes things worse. So now we're still talking about this three days later instead of what I wanted to cover tonight, which was 23andMe going bankrupt and what they're gonna do with all your DNA. One word, face off. Okay, okay, that's, that's two words with a slash, and we can't decide. Look, it doesn't matter, all right? The point is, they're gonna put your face on someone else, and the White House wants to move on. They've got to come clean and stop stepping on their own dicks. Okay, so let's start with something easy for National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. How did the reporter get invited into the group chat? I don't mean to be pedantic here.

[Steve Coogan]

But how did the number.

[Ronny Chieng]

Have you ever had a.

[Michael Kosta]

Have you ever had somebody's contact that.

[Ronny Chieng]

Shows their name, and then you have an. And then you have somebody else's number there, right? You've got somebody else's number on someone else's contact. So of course I didn't see this loser in the group. It looked like someone else. I mean, I'm sure everybody out there has had a contact where you. It was said one person and then a different phone number. No, no one's, no one's ever had. No one's ever had that. All right? People don't have a contact with a phone number for, like, a different person unless they're having an affair. So I, I, I guess I'm saying I think this guy is having an affair with Jeffrey Goldberg. And, and look, even if that was an actual somewhat relatable mistake, maybe try not making that mistake when you're planning a war. And why are you shitting on Jeffrey Goldberg? He's a loser. This guy sucks. He's dishonest. He didn't do anything. All he did was wake up in the morning. And you added him to your group chat. You, like, abducted him and forced him to see your secrets. But, okay. The bigger issue is what was shared in the group chat. Jeffrey Goldberg says there were war plans that were so sensitive, he didn't even put them in his article. But Pete Hegseth spent the last two days saying he's lying. Nobody was texting war plans. Nobody's texting war plans. Nobody's texting war plans. Okay, great. Couldn't be more clear. Nobody was texting war plans. You hear me? Nobody was texting war plans. Nobody was texting.

[Steve Coogan]

And we begin with the breaking news. The Atlantic magazine's editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, is releasing the messages from the Yemen strike plan's group chat. And the screenshots show discussions of weapons and specific timing of US military strikes.

[Ronny Chieng]

11:44Am Eastern that time weather is favorable.

Just confirmed with CENTCOM. We are a go for mission launch.

12:15 Eastern, F18 launch declaring this first strike package. 13:45 Trigger based. F18 first strike window starts. Target terrorist is at his known location, so should be on time. 14:15 strike.

[Michael Kosta]

This is all caps.

[Ronny Chieng]

This is when the first bombs will definitely drop. Okay, look, just because you write in all caps, this is when the first bombs will definitely drop doesn't mean they're war plans.

Okay?

This is P. Hegseth. Maybe he was talking about Jaeger bombs. But if you. Yeah, if you. If you ask me, that looks a lot like a plan for the war. It had military time and everything. Okay? It had more details than you get from Doordash. And those guys tell you everything.

[Steve Coogan]

All right.

[Ronny Chieng]

8:56, we have received your order. 8:59, we are preparing your food. 9:06, we accidentally dropped your food. 907. Actually, don't worry about it. We're on our way. So I think it's a war plan, but what the hell do I know? I've never seen one before. Because no one's ever been dumb enough to put one in a group chat with a journalist. But maybe. Maybe it's. Maybe this is a good thing. Okay? The receipts are out, so we can call a spade a spade and admit that these are indeed very specific war plans. I don't think it's specific enough to be considered war plans. It doesn't tell you. Hey, we're gonna hit this particular village, this particular city, this particular target, this particular individual.

But they were talking about when not specific. Longitude and latitude and all that other stuff.

Oh, man, Jeanine must be a nightmare to make plans with. Hey, you said meet at Chili's at 7, but where's the longitude? Like, stop pretending you need some arbitrary detail to make it a war plan, okay? It's like saying this wasn't an orgy. We didn't have the pink feathers and the Eyes Wide Shut mask. Were there more than three dicks? Then it was an orgy, okay? Everything else is semantics. You know what? You tell me. If having a detailed schedule, plan of attack is not a war plan, then what is it? Do you think these are war plans?

Oh, this.

[Steve Coogan]

You know, it's a.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's an outline of what is about to happen.

[Michael Kosta]

There were no war plans in any of this stuff. There's a conversation.

[Ronny Chieng]

This was a private conversation. I would characterize this messaging thread as a policy discussion. A sensitive policy discussion. Surely. What is a war plan? Whoa. What is war? Man, it's just raw spelled backwards. I think it was Shakespeare that said, what is in a plan? That which we call a war by any other name would accidentally get texted to Jeffrey Goldberg. For more on this stupid argument, we go live to the Pentagon with senior war correspondent Michael Kosta. Hello, Michael. Hey, am I crazy, or are these very clearly war plans?

[Michael Kosta]

You're crazy, Ronnie. You know, maybe a civilian reporter like yourself spills his cortado all over his little ugg boots reading these texts, but the grizzled veterans at the Trump administration know that these are not war plans? I mean, would it be a war plan if I said, carrier strike group two will engage 14 targets in northeast Syria at 0900 tomorrow? Centcom says go. I repeat, Centco.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, that sounds like a war plan.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, because you're a civilian, you know, peeing through his fall Raven jacket all over his Lululemon yoga mat, but it's not a war plan because I didn't say something specific like what type of plane they're using. You have no idea that it's an F18?

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, you just said that it's an F18.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah, well, F18 could mean anything. It could be a bingo number or a parking spot. F18 could be Pete Hegseth's search on a dating app. You don't know.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, but F18 is clearly a plane.

[Michael Kosta]

Oh, you're an expert now? The only military figure you know anything about is General, so.

[Steve Coogan]

By the way, by the way, by.

[Michael Kosta]

The way, that's a burn about you being a civilian, not an Asian.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, then why don't you enlighten me with your military genius? If that's not war planning, then what is it?

[Michael Kosta]

It's. It's war manifesting. You know, Hegseth was asking the universe to drop a Tomahawk missile, and it happened. How many of you ever read the Secret? You know, the Book, not the State Secrets. He texts Jeffrey Goldberg.

[Ronny Chieng]

You really want me to believe this was war manifesting?

[Michael Kosta]

Of course it was manifesting. No different than making a vision board. Kind of like this one, you know? Look, look.

[Ronny Chieng]

Holy shit. Is that a war plan for Canada?

[Michael Kosta]

There you go again with that phrase, war plan. It's not a war plan. It's an operational scribbling of a war plan.

[Ronny Chieng]

Look, it has, like, arrows and airplanes and, like, weapons and those little crosshairs, and there's times that it's clearly a plan to invade Canada.

[Michael Kosta]

Okay, look, but we don't know which Canada you know. And none of these arrows are even labeled, so we don't know where we will be attacking. Which is why the people of Winnipeg and Banff, here and here, will never see this coming on Saturday at noon. It's gonna be sweet.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, where did you even get that war map?

[Michael Kosta]

The DoD accidentally mailed it to my house. Mike Waltz has my address in his contacts. It's not a big deal. He's having an affair with my wife.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, well, great job, I guess. Michael Costa, everyone. When we come back, we find out Chris DiStefano can solve it. So don't go away. Welcome back to the Daily Show. America has a ton of problems right now, and no one knows who can solve them. But Chris DiStefano will give it a try in our new segment, can Chris Solve It?

Hey, guys. I'm Chris Disfanu, as Ronnie Said, AKA Chrissy the American. And if you're like me, you love having opinions on things that you don't know anything about. Like, for example, there's no way childbirth is that bad, right? I mean, we have Tylenol. See, it's easy, Ronny. So today we're gonna go through some of the world's biggest problems to find out if Chrissy can solve them.

[Steve Coogan]

Hit me.

[Michael Kosta]

Markets gripped by anxiety about an all out tariff.

[Ronny Chieng]

War.

Tariffs. I have to be honest, I have no idea what a tariff is. I really don't. And don't pretend you do either, babes. And unless you went to, like, Hofstra University or one of the Fancy ones. But I couldn't get in. When I first saw the word tariff, I thought it was a dune character. I was like, yes, tariff will lead the Sand People to freedom. I'm in. But listen, apparently that's not what tariffs are. It's. Yeah, it's a tax on imports. And that sounds bad cuz America imports everything. I'm pretty sure the only thing America makes are the Real Housewives. And those ladies are 50% plastic. So I don't even know if that counts. I mean, where does plastic come from? I honestly don't know, but it feels Chinese. Anyway, if you're gonna have a war, a trade war is probably better than like a war war, you know what I mean? Like with guys and women, obviously, you know, they kill each other too. Ladies. Mike, Gramps was in a war war. He was crawling through the mud, dodging bullets in Okinawa. Now I'm just paying 80 cents more for guac. But hey, we're still both heroes. I'm gonna go ahead and call this one solved. Next topic, the battle over President Trump's.

Actions to secure the border. Illegal immigration.

Immigration. Everyone buckle up. Everyone please stop saying there are two sides to this issue. We have to have a country with laws. The border should at least be as secure as the deodorant at cbs. If you want to get in, you have to hit a button and wait for ICE to come unlock the wall. But listen, that being said, we also have to celebrate legal immigrants. That's right. Even though I look like the fire chief of Ronkonkoma, my. My wife and kids are Puerto Rican. Hola. So, yeah, so I know how it feels when people hate on the Latino community. What's up, dad? Look, the reality is this. Immigrants can make our country better. For instance, our soccer team has never won a single World Cup. It's embarrassing. How about free green cards to anyone who can make a penalty kick?

[Steve Coogan]

Right?

[Ronny Chieng]

It's a good idea. That's what I thought. I mean, let's get it done. Vama nosotros or whatever. I'm not. It's hard for me to learn Spanish. That's for my wife and kids who talk shit about me. I mean, crap. Sorry, mommy. At. As you can see, I actually know what I'm talking about on this subject. Because like I said, I not only have a Puerto Rican family, but I'm also from Queens, the most diverse community in America. And. Yeah, right, fella. And look, hey, look how I turned out. I'm only kinda racist. So what I'm saying is this country should welcome everyone who wants to meaningfully contribute to American society. Except Dominicans. I'm sorry, but, yeah, like I said, I'm Puerto Rican, papi, and apparently there's bad blood, but I don't speak Spanish, and my kids will teach me, so either way, this one's solved.

[Steve Coogan]

All right.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, there we go. No, seriously, that was. I was nervous on that one. That was a controversial subject, so I want to get to something a little lighter, so hit me. All right. Can I spin again? I'm not doing. Can I spin again? Because I just. I don't want to say anything yet. Can we just get rid of the trans rights thing on the board? Not in life. On the board. Jesus Christ, don't clip that drama surrounding Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency.

Doge. Whew.

That was close. Wiggled out. Okay, Doge, please do not tell me you're against the government running more efficiently. I mean, anyone who says that doesn't remember the DMV before they installed the bakery number system. I mean, right? Remember that. It's still too slow, though. I mean, by the time I get to the window, I forget why I'm even there. I'm like, yeah, let me get a half a pound of mortadella. I mean, sorry, I have a DUI that said, some of these cuts might be going too deep. I mean, they just listed Guantanamo Bay on Airbnb. And, hey, if you've ever stayed at an Airbnb, it could be worse. My solution. Let them do their cuts. But I get to bring a baseball bat on a plane. If you're defunding air marshals, I'm not going down without a fight. Now give me that seat. Give me that aisle seat. I pee a lot.

[Steve Coogan]

Christy.

[Ronny Chieng]

The prostate. All right, solved it. Moving on.

President Trump is doubling down on claims that controlling Greenland may be in America's future.

Okay, so Canada isn't the only cold, pasty country Trump wants. He's also after Greenland. Now, people are really mad about this for some reason, and I gotta be honest with you, I've never even met a single person that's been to Greenland, let alone anyone from Greenland. And like I said, I'm from Queens. We got everybody there. One time, I had to break up a fight between Ahari Krishna and a meter maid from Tajikistan. I was like, you guys both wear robes. Just be friends. True. Now, also, this is crazy. Did you know there's only 50,000 people in Greenland? I have 50,000 people on my block. Not for nothing, you guys are also Being kind of greedy with that land. It's 600 million acres. That's gotta be at least four Home Depots. What are they doing in Greenland? I mean, is that where they make the plastic? I don't know. And if you're a liberal and you hate this, maybe you shouldn't have spent so much time telling Trump to go green. This is what he thought you meant. So. And I. It's true. And I gotta be honest, that's what I thought you meant, too. I'm an idiot. We cannot please these people. So I'm just gonna mark this one. Not soft. All right? Yeah. Can't win them all. Well, that's it for me. I hope you didn't learn anything today, because if you did, that means you're even dumber than me. And I got bad news for you. You're definitely getting rejected from Hofstra. So, I'm Chris Disttefano, and I hope I solve that one for you.

Thank you.

[Michael Kosta]

Thank you, Chris.

[Ronny Chieng]

Thank you, Chris. When we come back, Steve Cooling will be joining me on the show, so don't go away. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is a legendary comedian and actor whose new film is called the Penguin Lesson. Please welcome the one and only legendary Mr. Steve Coogan. Standing ovation. Standing ovation. In New York.

[Steve Coogan]

I know that's unusual.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, we reserve it for legends. You're a legend. So great to finally meet you. I've been following you for a long time. Huge fan of yours.

[Steve Coogan]

You make me feel old, but keep going.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. I mean, because I kind of. We kind. You started in live performing, and I also started in live performing.

[Steve Coogan]

I know.

[Ronny Chieng]

And we both went to Edinburgh. You went to Edinburgh in 1990, you did a show with Mr. Frank Skinner. And then you went back in 1992, you did a show with Mr.— John Thompson. And a second. At the same time, you're doing a show with Richard Herring. And. Was it Armando Inucci?

[Steve Coogan]

Armando Inucci. Patrick Marvel.

[Ronny Chieng]

Stuart Lee was on that.

[Steve Coogan]

Stuart Lee, yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

And then you won the Perrier, which is the best show at Edinburgh, for the show with John Thompson. And I went to Edinburgh, I won nothing. And I hated it.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah. So. Yeah, I hated it, too. The first time I went with Frank Skinner, this British comedian. And the reviews. The reviews were great for him, and for me, they were terrible. And the newspaper they're in, he hid under the sofa so I wouldn't find it, but I did. Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

But then you came back with a vengeance.

[Steve Coogan]

Oh, in the end, I won.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. Yeah. But I guess, yeah, no, Edinburgh. I say all of that to be like, first of all, I've been to Edinburgh. It's the biggest live performing festival. But I guess you being a household name comedy legend, very established in the uk, but you still stick with live performing. Never let that go. And I guess I'm wondering for myself, like, you know, I like to. I like to think I'd be able.

[Steve Coogan]

To do it too, but I think it's good. I mean, I have a recurrent dream where I'm about to go on stage with no material and I wake up in a cold sweat. But, but, you know, I think.

[Ronny Chieng]

But why, why do you stick. Why do what. What makes you stick in the library?

[Steve Coogan]

I think it's important to, you know, when you, when you write comedy and you do comedy on tv, you know, you. There's so many layers between you and the audience. You don't see them laughing. You do. I mean, you do, because they're over there and you're there.

[Ronny Chieng]

These guys are here.

[Steve Coogan]

But. But a lot of the time.

[Ronny Chieng]

But they're not forced to. These guys are forced.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah, I know. Yes. That's where those guys with the whips are at the back.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah.

[Steve Coogan]

Okay. Yeah, yeah. So I think it's important to get rid of all the filters because you can sort of. You can. You don't want to be in an ivory tower. You've got to be connected with your audience and make sure they're still laughing and see the whites of their eyes and all that stuff.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right. As a live performer, you use it to stay connected to the crowd. Is there any element of it where you feel like just as career diversification and just from a pure money point of view in terms of like, oh, that stuff people can take away from you. Tv, film, but live performing, it's always.

[Steve Coogan]

It's true, if you, if people want to come and see you, they'll come and see you. And there's no. And you, you got. You're in total control, you know, and also, it's like, it's quite gladiatorial. You know, if it's successful, you get all the credit, but if it fails, it's all your fault.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. And you do like. I mean, you kept. Again, you got. I don't know if I should tell people this. You have, like, all the money in the world. You don't need to do anything anymore.

[Steve Coogan]

I'm not quite as rich as Elon Musk, but, you know.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right.

[Steve Coogan]

You're close. You're second.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. And you still got And I mean, you did. Not only do you do the Alan Partridge Live show, you did, like, Dr. Strangelove recently.

[Steve Coogan]

I did the Stanley Kubrick movie. We did it on stage where I played Peter Sellers. Did this famous. Anyone over 50 in the audience might know this movie. Wow. Okay.

[Ronny Chieng]

I'm surprised, too. Where did you guys come from?

[Steve Coogan]

So this. He did this movie about nuclear war, a comedy. A black comedy about nuclear war. And Peter Sellers played three roles in it. And I did a live stage version, and I did four roles because I wanted to do better than Peter Sellers. I just wanted to beat a dead man. That's nice to do that.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, but which is great, because four rolls, and you were, like, losing. I saw you doing press for it, and you were, like, losing your voice from it. You're doing it.

[Steve Coogan]

Like, when you're doing four roles on stage, you're on and off so fast. When you go off stage, they pull all the clothes off you. Not in a good way, and then put it all back on. And it's like a formula on Pit Stop because you're just going bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. And you're back on stage. And I did 140 shows, and I'm done.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, again. Again. All the money in the world. Why did you do that?

[Steve Coogan]

I think I know. Maybe I'm a Catholic. And because I'm Catholic, I like to sort of punish myself and do penance. You know, what they call penance is Lent.

[Ronny Chieng]

So, you know, that was your pen, Dr. Strange. Love was your lent.

[Steve Coogan]

I think somehow, like, hard work is good. If life gets too easy and you get too lazy, it's good to kind of make. To scare yourself.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right. And I guess that goes back to what I was saying about you being this legendary comedic figure in the uk, Alan Partridge. And you've done it for so long now. I mean, do you do stuff to just kick yourself in the ass just to. Because you've managed to, like, reinvent this character you've been doing for, I guess, what, 30 years now?

[Steve Coogan]

Well, yeah, in the UK, he's an institution. People over here, he's not that well known over here. The only people who know him over here are the cool people like Bill Hader.

[Ronny Chieng]

Me, I know him.

[Steve Coogan]

I know you're one of the new gens. Are you Gen Z or Millennial?

[Ronny Chieng]

I don't even know. I'm like, why? And then they call me Millennial, and I resent that. But I don't know. I don't know.

[Steve Coogan]

Okay, well, I'm definitely an unreasonable last of the baby boomers. Start of Generation X in between there.

[Ronny Chieng]

So just to set it up, I'm.

[Steve Coogan]

A white middle aged guy, so I know I'm an endangered species.

[Ronny Chieng]

Not as endangered as you think. Right now they're doing pretty well. Right now they're having a resurgence.

[Steve Coogan]

That's true.

[Ronny Chieng]

Actually, they were in danger for a while and we accidentally brought them back.

[Steve Coogan]

I know, but I'm sorry about that.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, no, but, but the point is that Alan Partridge is. I like to call you, you, mom famous in the uk. Everybody know moms know, you know how famous you have to be to be mom famous. It is very difficult. And so you're that level in the uk and so, like, is that, like, why you.

[Steve Coogan]

I'm kind of part of the furniture in the uk, your institution over here. I'm still kind of. I'm still a bit. Because no one knows who I am. I'm a little underground. So I'm still quite cool and edgy.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right.

[Steve Coogan]

So I come here, I come here to feel cool. I go back there to earn a living.

[Ronny Chieng]

But, yeah, but I mean, that also is relevant for me too, because I really had to ask myself this, not only coming to America, but staying here in American show business. Why do you come to America? Why are you in America?

[Steve Coogan]

It's not like I want to come to America to live the American dream. I come here because I get to work with interesting people. And fortunately, because the people I admire have had a chance to work with them in the past. People like Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller and, you know, so I go and work with people I respect, people who want to do, you know, I want to entertain people and. But I want to have some substance to it too. You know, I like to make people laugh. I like to punch up, not punch down. Like your president. Right, right.

[Ronny Chieng]

So, yes, that's right. Our president. We are applauding the president right now.

[Steve Coogan]

Okay. God bless America.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. And you. So you do come to America to kind of get your ass kicked a bit and challenge yourself.

[Steve Coogan]

And I just, I go where the, where the, where the interesting people are. You know, I'm lucky enough in my career that I can work with people I like and respect. That's why I'm here with you.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, yeah. Thank you. I really appreciate it. That's very nice.

[Steve Coogan]

So that's what I do. And I'm over here right now promoting this new movie, Penguin Lessons.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes.

[Steve Coogan]

So. And I know that there's a good audience here. I'm not, in some ways in the UK Because I have this famous character. I'm kind of pigeonholed over here. I do some odd, odd movies that kind of have. I did a movie called Hamlet 2 that has some kind of cult following over here.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, you did everything you. In everything you did around The World in 80 Days with Jackie Chan. You did. Oh, my God, you're put me on spot. Right? You were in Tropic Thunder.

[Steve Coogan]

Tropic Thunder. Other Guys and Other Guys.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, IMDb. Philomena was.

[Steve Coogan]

Philomena was Oscar Nominator. Yeah, I got an Oscar nomination. I was nice to win, but so, you know, didn't happen.

[Ronny Chieng]

But so you did a bunch. I mean, you talk about this a lot in America, about how you were doing. You were kind of doing Alan Partridge, household name. And then you came to America and you were doing kind of not bit roles in American movies, but kind of smaller profile.

[Steve Coogan]

If someone will pay me my airfare and put me in a nice hotel and pay me. I mean, I did like two days on the Joker, and that was great.

[Ronny Chieng]

And so I guess by asking for myself here is like, it seems like you. Because I'm trying to build. That's kind of what. That's kind of where I'm going myself. I'm like, you know, I'm doing 20 on the call sheet. Grateful to do the role. Have fun. But you talk about doing these roles in America, finding them a little bit unsatisfying. And that's what inspired you to write your film. You know, I was.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah, I mean, I was doing a film called the Other Guys and Mark Wallach and Will Ferrell, very funny guys.

[Ronny Chieng]

With Adam McKay directing.

[Steve Coogan]

Adam McKay, who is a great director. And I was. I know I enjoyed it a lot. But, you know, it was kind of like, I like to be in the driving seat. And when I was doing that, that's why I discovered the story of this Irish woman whose child had been taken from her and sold to an American couple back in the 1950s. And that was it. So I pursued that as a writer, which was drama. And before that, I'd just done comedy. And I didn't know if it'd work out, but wound up at the Oscars. So I thought, okay, well, I'll do some more of this stuff. Seems to be. Seems people seem to like it. Right.

[Ronny Chieng]

But is that the strategy? I mean, would you. So you. Would you say you need to do these kind of small roles in America to build enough political capital?

[Steve Coogan]

I know I have a career in the UK and I like to do a bit of comedy, a bit of. A bit of drama, you know, like sometimes you don't get too serious because you can vanish up your own ass. So it's important to have a laugh and just remember it's just don't get too full of yourself. So I like to do a little bit of yin yang, you know, so make people laugh, make them cry, make them cry too much, they're not going to want to see you anymore. So you're going to laugh again.

[Ronny Chieng]

No, but you definitely play that yin yang almost better than anyone I've ever seen because you got the comedy bonafide, like legend comedy characters. And then you do dramatic roles, not just Filamena, but you do like Jimmy Savile, you know, which is one of probably the most.

[Steve Coogan]

I played a sex offender. I know it's a terrible thing, but, you know, it was a terrible story actually in the uk. But the worst thing about it was when I said, I'm playing Jimmy Savile, the sex offender, people actually said you'd be perfect for that. Wait a second.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, so you managed to do yin yang.

[Michael Kosta]

Just.

[Ronny Chieng]

I don't. Anyway, just, you know, hats off to you and every project you do, you know, you were talking about it with the other legend, Irish legend, Tommy Tiernan, on his show. You said you're looking for projects that are funny but have heart in it.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

And I feel like you've definitely been going that way. I mean, you did this movie in 2019 called Greed, which was about a fashion mogul and kind of there were political overtones in that about kind of the wage gap and.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah, I mean, the thing is, you want to make people laughing, you want to make people think at the same time. And there's ways to do that also. I think, you know, a lot of comedy is about some. Some comedy can be about cruelty. I think it's always important to be to you. You can be smart and. And tough and you can be kind at the same time. You don't have to be a dick. Right.

[Ronny Chieng]

I gotta write that down.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah, do, do. I'll email it to you later.

[Ronny Chieng]

I didn't know you could do without being a dick. I've been approaching this all wrong. Yeah, but you. So, I mean, just going back to the politics. So what my point is that you kind of try to do things that have. Not just be funny, but have a message.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah, Well, I think, look, it's like anything when you have an argument with someone, you can bang heads and if you have a different point of view, you can not End up resolving anything.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes.

[Steve Coogan]

And also, if you have loads of facts and statistics, they get twisted, and people can present their alternative facts and all that stuff. But if you tell a story or you make someone laugh, then you kind of show people relax a little, and you can talk about serious stuff, as you do on this show, in a funny way, then people relax about it, and it takes the edge off it, and it stops people being scared. You know, we're living in scary times, and if you can laugh, have that gallows humor, then we can all get through it together, I think. Right, right, right.

[Ronny Chieng]

And I. I have to expertly pivot to what you're promoting or your publicist is gonna kill me, so. No, but really, I mean, this. I. I did have a plan, and this is where I wanted to get with all this, is that you talk about political activism. So your latest movie is Penguin Lessons. Like, what is it about? And do you mind just saying, what do you think of the message?

[Steve Coogan]

I mean, it's a film, ostensibly, you look at it go. It's a cute film about a penguin. I'm not really interested in doing a cute film about a penguin. I just think.

[Ronny Chieng]

Did you tell the penguin that?

[Steve Coogan]

I didn't. I didn't. I told his agent, there is a.

[Ronny Chieng]

Lie penguin in this thing.

[Steve Coogan]

There's a few penguins in it. But to me, my buddy was writing it, Jeff Pope, who I've written a bunch of films before with, and he said, hey, I made this film about a penguin. Do you want to be in it? And I said, no. I said, well, hang on. If I make the guy, someone who doesn't like penguins and doesn't like animals and doesn't like children, doesn't really like people, then that gives him somewhere to go. And the penguin acts as a catalyst. But it's set against the fascist regime, the military dictatorship that existed in Argentina from the late 1970s. So there's a kind of dark, brooding backdrop to it.

[Ronny Chieng]

Any parallels to modern times?

[Steve Coogan]

Well, I figured out everyone loves the penguins because they're cuddly, and fascism's very popular at the moment, so something for everybody, Right?

[Ronny Chieng]

Fascism. But Disney. Disneyfied.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like fascism meets Disney.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. Which is Disney.

[Steve Coogan]

Which is Disney.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. Wait, hang on. I had to. I had to quickly do a calculation to see if our parent company was Disney, but it's not.

[Steve Coogan]

Okay. Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's Paramount. Well, fine.

[Steve Coogan]

Okay.

[Ronny Chieng]

So I think I did a show with. Anyway, they don't watch YouTube, so. Yeah. But I did. This is kind of Just for me now, because. Did you. When. When you.

[Steve Coogan]

Again, by the way, I just want to say about the penguins, because I'm a little worried. No penguins were harmed in the making of this film. And we have a robot penguin as well as real ones. So if we asked the penguins. We didn't ask the penguins to do anything difficult.

[Ronny Chieng]

It was difficult because there's one scene where you throw the penguin back into the ocean.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah, that's. That's like. That's cut, though. There's a fake one that I throw, and then it puts. And then we cut it together.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right. You got to say that for legal reasons.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah. No. And also, I've never thrown a penguin in my life. I get canceled for throwing penguins.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's in the movie.

[Steve Coogan]

It's in the movie. It's trickery.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay.

[Steve Coogan]

Magic. The magic of movies.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's not a real penguin. Okay.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah, but we had a robot penguin and we had a puppet penguin. Someone had their. Their hand up, a fake penguin, so to speak. And. And so. So, yeah, we sort of mixed the. The two together. And I just.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah, and when you're doing these scenes, I was watching it, and it's like. It's comedic. It's not. I wouldn't say you did. You're not. You're obviously not doing a sketch when you're in this movie. So is it difficult to kind of like, dial it to where it's. You know what I mean? Where you're not doing a sketch?

[Steve Coogan]

No, no. It's funny. It's not silly. It's not dumb funny. I play a guy who doesn't really like penguins and winds up adopting one by mistake and ends up teaching these kids at school with it.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's very touching. And it's not goofy. It's not played goofy.

[Steve Coogan]

And like I say, the. There's a little bit of fascism in there. Cause, you know, we need more of that.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. Little bit sprinkled in there.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah. A little sprinkling of fascism.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. And I just feel like you're like this beloved character in the uk, both Steve Coogan and Ellen Partridge. I think you appeal. Your character, Ellen Partridge appeals to people on the left and the right in the uk. I would say.

[Steve Coogan]

That's true.

[Ronny Chieng]

Right?

[Steve Coogan]

That's true.

[Ronny Chieng]

And you're Steve Coogan yourself. You're very politically active. You're out there, you're campaigning publicly.

[Steve Coogan]

I pick and choose my fights. If you bang on about what you think about stuff, after a while people go, who cares what you think? And it's like, oh, not him again.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's where I'm at right now. No one cares about what I think I want. But I guess that's what I asked. I was like, why? You kind of answered the question. How come I feel like you never chose to use Alan Partridge as a political overt character?

[Steve Coogan]

Well, the thing is, you have to.

[Ronny Chieng]

He's more satirical.

[Steve Coogan]

You've got to. If you're just trying to entertain the people who already agree with you, you're never gonna change anyone's opinion, going to challenge them. So you have to reach out. You have to put your arms around everybody and say, look, I don't agree with you, but come over here, let's have a laugh, and maybe we can learn something. And so I do that with that Alan Partridge character. And, you know, sometimes I slip. I try to make people laugh. And if occasionally you can slip a secret message under the door while you're doing it, then that's great. And I do do that with Partridges. But if you're just preaching to the converted, what's the point?

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah. Other than making money.

[Steve Coogan]

Yeah. I mean, and I like to do that occasionally anyway.

[Ronny Chieng]

But I could talk to you forever. But I just want to say thank you so much, Mr. Steve Coogan. You're a legend. Thank you for calling me Cool. I really appreciate it. You increased my street cred in uk. Thanks for entertaining everybody. Thanks for coming on this show. I really appreciate it. You're the best, man.

[Steve Coogan]

Thank you.

[Ronny Chieng]

This is Steve Coogan, everybody. The Penguin Lessons will be in theaters nationwide March 28th. It's Mr. Steve Coogan. We're going to take a quick.

[Steve Coogan]

Great.

[Ronny Chieng]

We'll be right back after this. That's our show for tonight. Now here it is, your moment of Zen.

[Steve Coogan]

What's your reaction to all of this and what do you think the lesson.

[Ronny Chieng]

From it should be, Secretary? Well, Martha, but I'm going to leave all that to the legal experts.

I'll say.

One of the few advantages of being one of the older people in the.

Cabinet is that I still like to.

Pick up the phone and call people.

Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the.

[Michael Kosta]

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[Ronny Chieng]

Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime.

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[Steve Coogan]

Paramount Podcasts.