Trump Blasts South Africa for “White Genocide” & Trump Merch Needs a Spell Check | Simon Pegg

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition
Episode: Trump Blasts South Africa for “White Genocide” & Trump Merch Needs a Spell Check | Simon Pegg
Release Date: May 22, 2025
Host: Roy Cheng
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and Paramount Podcasts

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, host Roy Cheng and the vibrant news team tackle a series of headline-making topics centered around former President Donald Trump. From his unfounded claims about “white genocide” in South Africa to humorous merchandising mishaps and ambitious defense proposals, the team delivers sharp satire and incisive commentary. The episode also features a special guest appearance by acclaimed actor and comedian Simon Pegg, adding a touch of Hollywood flair to the discourse.

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President Trump's Claims of "White Genocide" in South Africa

The episode kicks off with a satirical take on President Trump's recent meeting with the President of South Africa, where Trump bizarrely asserted that a “white genocide” is occurring in the country.

Trump's Statement: "[...] there is a white genocide happening in South Africa." ([02:10])

Roy Cheng mocks the absurdity of the claim, highlighting its lack of factual basis and the improbability of such a scenario:

“It's not even mathematically possible. I mean, you'll never run out of white South Africans when one of them is making 5,000 kids a week.” ([02:16])

Grace Kuhlensmith interjects with dark humor:

“Death, death, death. Horrible.” ([02:05])

The hosts ridicule the empty rhetoric, pointing out the South African President Carter’s ineffective attempt to placate Trump by gifting a hefty golf book:

“What sweet, sweet bribe did you bring him? I brought you a really fantastic golf book.” ([03:00])

The segment underscores Trump's propensity to amplify unfounded fears, presenting them as crises.

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Mishap with Trump-Branded Merchandise

Transitioning from international absurdities to domestic blunders, the team delves into a hilarious mistake found in Trump-branded merchandise—a watch mislabeled as “Rump” instead of “Trump.”

Grace Kuhlensmith: “Get your Trump watch right now. Go to gettrumpwatches.com It's Trump time.” ([04:02])

Roy Cheng highlights the glaring error:

“The T is missing. Instead, it should say Trump.” ([04:20])

Charlemagne Tha God and Ronnie T. join in the ridicule, dissecting the implications of such a mistake on the credibility of Trump’s merchandise ventures:

Charlemagne Tha God: “It just says R U N P.” ([04:25])

The hosts explore the potential consequences, humorously suggesting that flawed merchandise reflects poorly on Trump’s business acumen.

“The point is, when Donald Trump sells you something, you gotta be skeptical.” ([04:30])

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Trump’s Golden Dome Missile Defense System

Shift gears to discuss Trump’s ambitious yet controversial defense proposal—the Golden Dome—a missile defense system purported to shield the United States from global missile attacks.

Grace Kuhlensmith: “The Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from space.” ([06:15])

Roy Cheng sarcastically responds to the high cost estimate of $542 billion by the Congressional Budget Office:

“Congress is cutting food stamps, but we're getting a golden dome. Yeah, if you're hungry, maybe you can try eating it.” ([06:30])

Charlemagne Tha God amplifies the skepticism surrounding the feasibility and practicality of the Golden Dome:

“The President has long praised Israel's Iron Dome, which can intercept and destroy short range rockets, missiles and drones.” ([06:43])

Grace Kuhlensmith adds:

“We're going to call it the Golden Dome. We had the Iron Dome, but somehow Golden Dome sounds better to me.” ([06:50])

The hosts critique the strategic value and financial burden of the project, questioning its necessity and effectiveness in real-world scenarios.

“It's incredibly expensive and it doesn't work. But at least we'll have a golden dome that says Trump.” ([07:35])

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Republicans and "Daddy Issues" with Trump

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the psychological underpinnings of Republican support for Trump, drawing parallels to paternal relationships and authoritarian dynamics.

Ronnie T.: “Republicans aren't looking for a president, they're looking for a daddy.” ([13:32])

The discussion delves into how Trump's domineering and often abusive behavior mirrors that of an emotionally unavailable father, fostering a loyal yet uncritical base.

“The whole point of a democracy is that the President is not an all-powerful figure who's always right and can never be questioned.” ([13:21])

Charlemagne Tha God humorously exaggerates the lengths to which Trump supporters go to idolize him:

“Thanks to our big, beautiful dome, Americans are finally safe from our enemies. Which means I'm finally free to become an international roast comic.” ([08:29])

The segment further explores the detrimental effects of this dynamic on both political discourse and personal accountability within the party.

“If you see him stepping out of line, accepting bribes from foreign countries, and violating the Constitution, call it out.” ([17:55])

---

Interview with Simon Pegg

Adding a refreshing change of pace, the episode features an insightful interview with Simon Pegg, renowned for his roles in the Mission Impossible series and the Three Flavors Cornetto Trilogy.

Roy Cheng: “What's tougher, making the movie or doing the press afterwards?” ([21:05])

Simon Pegg shares anecdotes from his early career, including his time at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the creation of Shaun of the Dead alongside Edgar Wright. The conversation highlights the challenges of independent filmmaking versus blockbuster productions.

Simon Pegg: “There is no substitute for seeing the actor playing the part doing the crazy stuff...” ([28:01])

The duo delves into the making of Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, emphasizing Tom Cruise’s dedication to performing his own stunts.

Simon Pegg: “He's always in character, even when he's hanging off a biplane.” ([28:41])

They discuss the integration of practical effects with modern CGI, underscoring the importance of maintaining character integrity amidst high-octane action sequences.

Roy Cheng: “Mission Impossible on your toilet is just...” ([26:04])

The interview wraps up with reflections on the enduring legacy of the Mission Impossible franchise and its impact on contemporary cinema.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition masterfully blends political satire with entertainment, offering listeners a comprehensive and humorous critique of Donald Trump’s recent actions and their broader implications. Simultaneously, the insightful interview with Simon Pegg provides a delightful glimpse into the world of filmmaking, balancing the episode’s heavier themes with lighthearted celebrity conversation. Through sharp wit and engaging dialogue, Roy Cheng and the team deliver a compelling narrative that is both informative and entertaining.

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Notable Quotes

• Trump's Absurd Claim: “It's not even mathematically possible. I mean, you'll never run out of white South Africans when one of them is making 5,000 kids a week.” ([02:16])

• Merchandise Mishap: “The T is missing. Instead, it should say Trump.” ([04:20])

• Golden Dome Critique: “It's incredibly expensive and it doesn't work. But at least we'll have a golden dome that says Trump.” ([07:35])

• Republican 'Daddy Issues': “Republicans aren't looking for a president, they're looking for a daddy.” ([13:32])

• Simon Pegg on Practical Effects: “There is no substitute for seeing the actor playing the part doing the crazy stuff...” ([28:01])

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This detailed summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and humorous exchanges from the episode, providing a comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened.

Transcript

[Roy Cheng]

You're listening to an I Heart podcast.

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[Roy Cheng]

You'Re listening to Comedy Central. From the most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news.

[Ronnie T.]

This is the Daily show with your.

[Roy Cheng]

Host, Ronnie T. Welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Roy Cheng. We got so much to talk about tonight. America gets some dome. Republicans deal with their daddy issues, and something associated with Donald Trump went wrong for the first time ever. So let's get into the headlines. Let's kick things off with President Trump's meeting with the president of South Africa today. And because it's Donald Trump, things got weird.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

Death, death, death. Horrible.

[Roy Cheng]

Death, death.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

I don't know.

[Roy Cheng]

What a host. Death, death, death. Hey, do you want a Diet Coke? Death, horrible, death. That's now, the reason Trump turned this White House event into a murder podcast is that Trump is convinced that there is a white genocide going on in South Africa, which of course means there is no white genocide happening in South Africa. It's not even mathematically possible. I mean, you'll never run out of white South Africans when one of them is making 5,000 kids a week. But, but still, Trump thinks there is one. And you know, he cares about it because he said white genocide. It's like someone told him, hey, it's not just a genocide, it's a white genocide. You know, the bad kind. And Trump's like, oh, shit, get him in. But don't worry, South African President, there's a way out of this. Carter got Trump a plane. What sweet, sweet bribe did you bring him? I brought you a really fantastic golf book. Where it's 14kg, and it showcases the golf courses in our country. Yeah, you that up. You lost Trump at book. And you, you definitely lost him at kilograms. If you really want to impress Trump, you should have given him one of your golf courses. Then Trump would be like, hell yeah. Sorry, white South Africans, if that's even a real thing. Thoughts and prayers. Let's move on from a fake international crisis to a real domestic one. If you bought any Trump merchandise, I don't want to surprise you, but it might be a piece of junk. Trump time. A mistake on a Donald Trump keepsake might be funny to some, but it wasn't a laughing matter for the couple.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Who paid more than $600 for the Trump branded watch.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

Get your Trump watch right now. Go to gettrumpwatches.com It's Trump time.

[Roy Cheng]

Make sure Melanie Pettit likes the style. But it's what this watch does not.

[Ronnie T.]

Have that makes it stand out.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

I noticed it right away.

[Roy Cheng]

The T is missing.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

It just says R U N P.

[Roy Cheng]

So it should say Trump.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Should say Trump.

[Ronnie T.]

Instead it says rump.

[Roy Cheng]

What a shocking story. I mean, truly, I did not expect them to be able to read. And you might be thinking what kind of respectable, horological craftsman of luxury timepieces would allow this to happen. Well, it turns out watches might just be their side business. New eye popping details about Donald Trump's watches. And there's a link to Viagra honey. This is a product that is born out of a licensing agreement with a company called the Best Watches on Earth llc. There is another company at this business registered at the same address called the Best Honey on Earth. They sell male enhancement honey, which is exactly what it sounds like. It is a softness team product that helps men perform in the bedroom. Wait. Everyone shut up. Stop laughing. That's Boner honey. This changes everything. I mean, I guess this does explain why that honey I bought looks so weird. But you know Trump's gonna be bathing that like the baron in Dune. But I. I just hope that those watches have like a little warning label on them like you do for people with nut allergies. Like, warning, this watch was manufactured in a plant that also processes honey. The point is, when Donald Trump sells you something, you gotta be skeptical. And I'm so glad we all learned our lesson. On an unrelated note, Donald Trump's got something new to sell us.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

This morning, President Trump revealing his plans for a Golden Dome, a defense system designed to shield the US from missile attacks.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

The Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world. And even if they are launched from.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Space, the Congressional Budget Office says it could cost up to 542 billion.

[Roy Cheng]

Good news, everyone. Congress is cutting food stamps, but we're getting a golden dome. Yeah, if you're hungry, maybe you can try eating it. Quick question, though. Where did Trump come up with Golden Dome?

[Charlemagne Tha God]

The President has long praised Israel's Iron Dome, which can intercept and destroy short range rockets, missiles and drones.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

We're going to call it the Golden Dome. We had the Iron Dome, but somehow Golden Dome sounds better to me.

[Roy Cheng]

You know, it takes a special leader to look at what's going on in Israel and be like, hey, we need to copy those guys, all right? Because it's going great. Second of all, I don't think missile defense shields work like frequent flier programs. Alright? Hey, check it out. Our dome just earned gold status. I hope China doesn't get a platinum dome. Then they get lounge access. And by the way, the poster board he put up just raises even more questions, like, why is every country launching missiles at us? Starting to look like a U.S. problem. But you know what? I guess the money is worth it if it's capable of defending all of America.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

A missile shield in the US Will not be capable of defending all of America.

[Roy Cheng]

I'm a missile defense guy. But it's never going to be possible.

[Ronnie T.]

To defend against everything.

[Roy Cheng]

And so we are gonna have to be selective. Gonna have to be selective. Like, what are we gonna do? Like what, just save New York and LA and what, the stage of good barbecue? Actually, yeah. Yeah, that works. Yeah, let's go with that. The bottom line is it's incredibly expensive and it doesn't work. But at least we'll have a golden dome that says Trump.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Ah.

[Roy Cheng]

For more on the Golden Dome and whether it's cost effective, we go live to Grace Kuhlensmith. Grace. Grace, let's. Let's be honest here. Is the Golden Dome really worth the price?

[Charlemagne Tha God]

You bet your Asian ass it is, Ronnie. Thanks to our big, beautiful dome, Americans are finally safe from our enemies. Which means I'm finally free to become an international roast comic. Buckle up, Bahrani and Ayatollahs, because Roastmaster Grace is ayatolling you to go yourself.

[Roy Cheng]

Okay, Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. We're spending half a trillion dollars just so we can roast our enemies.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Thanks to that metallic wonder bubble watching over us, I can finally say, hey, Chinese President Xi Jinping, make like your pandas do once a year. And get. Boom. Roasted.

[Roy Cheng]

Okay, Grace, gra. Grace. You might want to hold off on ripping out enemies.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Ronnie, we're fine. Gold doesn't melt. It's the strongest metal on Earth. Speaking of, who else we got on the Earth? Oh, yeah, what's up with this Erdogan guy? You're the president of Turkey. Good job being named after the worst food on Thanksgiving. Put some gravy on that shit.

[Roy Cheng]

Grace. Isn't this the problem with missile defense shields? It just encourages aggression.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Sorry, I can't hear you under my. No give a umbrella. Hey, Liechtenstein, lick my ass.

[Roy Cheng]

France.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Take a shower. Russia. Why don't you rush into the shower or something? Got em. Hey, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Do you have to suck moose every night? Or you just do that for fun, you poutine bitches? Sorry. Not sor.

[Roy Cheng]

Okay, okay. Grace. Grace, come on. Canada's not even the enemy.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Oh, my God. Shut up. I haven't even gotten into Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Un? More like Kim Jong Un. Hey, Kim, you ever think about a demilitarized zone between the buffet table and your mouth?

[Roy Cheng]

Boom.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Roasted. I am immortal.

[Roy Cheng]

Okay, okay. Grace, you do know that the dome isn't ready yet, right? Like, it won't be active for a while.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Like, tomorrow it'll be ready.

[Roy Cheng]

No, I like at least three more years at best.

[Simon Pegg]

Oh.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Worth it.

[Roy Cheng]

Oh. Okay. I'm sure she's fine. Thank you, Grace. When we come back, Dollar man will give us his opinions. It won't go away. That was awes.

[Podcast Sponsor]

This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. May is mental health Awareness Month, and Talkspace, the leading virtual therapy provider, is telling everyone, let's face it, in therapy, by talking or texting with a supportive, licensed therapist at Talkspace, you can face whatever is holding you back. Whether it's mental health symptoms, relationship drama, past trauma, bad habits, or another challenge that you need support to work through. It's easy to sign up. Just go to talkspace.com and you'll be paired with a provider, typically within 48 hours. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule. Plus, Talkspace is in network with most major insurers, and most insured members have a zero dollar copay. Make your mental health a priority and start today. If you're not covered by insurance, get $80 off your first month with Talkspace. When you go to talkspace.com and enter promo code SPACE80. That's S P, a CE80 to match with a licensed therapist today. Go to talkspace.com and enter Promo Code SPACE80.

[Roy Cheng]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. We all know I've got great opinions, but turns out 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 Charlemagne. Tha God.

[Ronnie T.]

Yes. Yes. One of the big mysteries of the Trump era is how so many Republicans can see everything Trump is doing and not say anything. The blatant corruption, disregarding the Constitution, that MAGA masturbation dance. Mr. President, I don't know who you've been jerking off this whole time, but if they haven't come by now, they never will. Okay, look, the whole point of a democracy is that the President is not an all powerful figure who's always right and can never be questioned. That sounds more like a little kid's idea of their father, and I think that's the answer. Republicans aren't looking for a president, they're looking for a daddy. Yeah, and that's not me just saying it, it's them.

[Roy Cheng]

There are thousands of people here. They started screaming and chanting, daddy's home and Daddy dog. It's like Daddy arrived and he's taking his belt off.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

When dad gets home, you know what he says? You've been a bad girl. You've been a bad little girl and.

[Roy Cheng]

You'Re getting a vigorous spanking right now. Check the stats.

[Podcast Sponsor]

Stop throwing stones and straightened up, sucker.

[Simon Pegg]

Cause his daddy's home.

[Ronnie T.]

What the hell? What the helly? Uh, you're. You're 54 years old. You can't be talking about needing a daddy if you have an AARP card. Okay? My God. If you got daddy issues, don't go into politics. Become a stripper like a normal person. Okay, creepy porn shit aside, when most MAGA folks say they want a daddy, what they mean is they want somebody to protect them. And that's what Trump promises all the time.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

You will once again have a protector in the White House. I'm going to be a protector. I will protect women at a level never seen before. I will protect our workers. I will protect our jobs. I will protect our borders. I will protect our families.

[Ronnie T.]

Yeah, Trump is protection. The same way a condom is. Like you see him coming and you know you're gonna get. But here's the thing that I don't get about making Trump your father figure. If you listen to his own family members, he sounds like he's a terrible father.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

He would not really be a dad, which would take them for the stroll in the Central park. In the stroll or go and play the soccer with them or do something like that. He was always on the telephone making the business.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

I'll supply the funds and she'll take.

[Roy Cheng]

Care of the kids.

[Simon Pegg]

Right.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

It's not like I'm going to be walking the kids down Central Park.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Donald Trump was never keen on bequeathing.

[Roy Cheng]

His name to anybody. It was Ivana who wanted to call.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Newborn son Donald Jr. You can't do that.

[Roy Cheng]

Trump is quoted as saying in Ivana's memoir.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

What if he's a loser?

[Ronnie T.]

What if Don Jr. Is a loser? I mean, I guess those hats are true. Trump really is right about everything. Okay. And Daddy Trump does something even worse than insult his children. He plays favorites among them. For instance, here's a fun Christmas story from Donald Trump Jr. Himself.

[Podcast Sponsor]

I got re gifted all of the.

[Simon Pegg]

Things that were monogrammed for him at times. So, you know, there was one Christmas.

[Podcast Sponsor]

Where he may or may not have given me the gift that I had given him the year before because I.

[Simon Pegg]

Monogrammed it and it was like, oh.

[Roy Cheng]

Yeah, here.

[Ronnie T.]

Now see if you can spot the subtle difference between giving the child he hates a re gifted tie and what he gives the child he actually likes.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

A great gift that my dad gave me recently is an apartment because I'm graduating.

[Ronnie T.]

See? See, you see that? You thought he only denied housing to black people. Turns out he also denied it to his son. And maybe you're thinking, come on, Trump is proud of all his kids equally. He's not.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

I'm very proud, cuz Don and Eric and Ivanka and you know, to a lesser extent, cause she just got out of school, out of college. But Tiffany.

[Ronnie T.]

That'S kind of how he's treating the country, isn't it? Like the red states are Ivanka and the blue states. Yeah, we're Tiffany. You see, Trump isn't just any dad. He's a particular type of dad, the bully. Sometimes that's great for, you know, if you're having problems with another kid at school or immigrants or the president of Ukraine, he'll bully them for you. But the thing is, a bully dad will bully his own kids too.

[Roy Cheng]

President Trump has slammed Bolton as a wacko and incompetent, calling Rex Tillerson dumb as a rock and Jim Mattis overrated, called Attorney General Jeff Sessions mentally retarded and a dumb southerner called Omarosa a low life and a dog.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

John Kelly or one of the. He's one of the dumbest people I've ever met. Stupid Generals like Millie, who's a stupid person, a person known as Nicky. Birdbrain. Haley. Bird brain.

[Ronnie T.]

Look, man, if you hate your kids that much, at least have the decency to go out for cigarettes and never come back, okay? It's okay. We won't miss you. And when you have an emotionally unavailable dad, you're constantly having to beg for his love. And then you get stuff like this.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Your entire life, you have stood for doing things that other people thought they couldn't do.

[Podcast Sponsor]

He is the most important, the smartest, the most capable leader in the world.

[Roy Cheng]

The greatest negotiator, the greatest dealmaker, the greatest diplomat, and the greatest peacemaker.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Every day is like waking up to Christmas. President. Your first 100 days has far exceeded that of any other presidency in. In this country ever.

[Roy Cheng]

Ever.

[MIDI Health Representative]

Never seen anything like it.

[Ronnie T.]

Thank you. Yes, you're damn right. We've never seen Dick riding like this. Okay. All right. This is unprecedented glazing. All right? Or at least it's weird to talk about a president this way. But an emotionally abusive father, then it's very normal. Some of you know the drill. You stay on daddy's good side because you know when he has a bad day, he's putting belt to ass. All right? But Republicans, to paraphrase the immortal Maury Povich, he is not your father. Okay? All right. If you see him stepping out of line, accepting bribes from foreign countries, and violating the Constitution, call it out. Because the truth is, America doesn't need a daddy. It needs to grow up and not be a damn child itself. But that's just my opinion.

[Roy Cheng]

Darla. Mean to God, everybody. When we come back, 7Tag will be joining you on the show, so don't go away. Let's go. Let's go.

[Podcast Sponsor]

This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. May is mental health awareness Month, and Talkspace, the leading virtual therapy provider, is telling everyone, let's face it, in therapy, by talking or texting with a supportive licensed therapist at Talkspace, you can face whatever is holding you back, Whether it's mental health symptoms, relationship drama, past trauma, bad habits, or another challenge that you need support to work through, it's easy to sign up. Just go to talkspace.com and you'll be paired with a provider, typically within 48 hours. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule. Plus, Talkspace is in network with most major insurers, and most insured members have a $0 copay. Make your Mental health a priority. And start today. If you're not covered by insurance, get $80 off your first month with Talkspace when you go to talkspace.com and enter promo code SPACE80. That's S, P, A, CE80. To match with a licensed therapist today, go to talkspace.com and Enter promo code SPACE80.

[Roy Cheng]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is a screenwriter, comedian and actor who stars in the film Mission Impossible, the Final Reckoning. Oh, my God. Please welcome Mr. Simon Pei. They love you.

[Simon Pegg]

How wonderful.

[Roy Cheng]

They love you.

[Ronnie T.]

Thank you so much.

[Roy Cheng]

You look great.

[Simon Pegg]

I am very touched. In a good way.

[Roy Cheng]

Yeah. Thanks for coming on the show.

[Simon Pegg]

Oh, my pleasure. Always a pleasure.

[Roy Cheng]

What's tougher, making the movie or doing the press afterwards?

[Simon Pegg]

Man, I've been on a press tour for four months.

[Roy Cheng]

Yeah, I know.

[Simon Pegg]

I don't know what day it is. I really don't know what day it is.

[Roy Cheng]

All over the world, right?

[Simon Pegg]

Yeah. We started in Tokyo, Seoul, Cannes, London, here. And this is my last engagement. What a way to end the tour.

[Roy Cheng]

Oh, wow. Thanks so much. Thanks for coming.

[Simon Pegg]

Yeah, my pleasure.

[Roy Cheng]

Thank you so much. I want to talk about one thing, though. Maybe the only thing we might have in common is you used to do the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

[Simon Pegg]

I did.

[Roy Cheng]

Back in the day. Live performer, doing stand up comedy in these bars. I used to do the Edinburgh Festival. Did you? Yeah, we were just in. I was at the underbelly.

[Simon Pegg]

Did you hand out flyers all day long?

[Roy Cheng]

All day long you hand out flyers begging people come in to your show. And then maybe three people would come, and you're in this makeshift cave with, like, mold and asbestos, and you're doing comedy with three people. And then you go watch other people's shows and you drink all night. Then you wake up next day and you do it all over and you.

[Simon Pegg]

Do it again for like a month.

[Roy Cheng]

It's like a month long.

[Simon Pegg]

An amazing, amazing festival.

[Roy Cheng]

What's harder? That festival or Mission Impossible? Do you remember those?

[Simon Pegg]

I do. I did Edinburgh in 95 and I had a little show. I had my goldfish with me and he was called Rover. And I would perform poetry on behalf of my goldfish, Rover, who was a Marxist. And I actually would take the real fish with me. It took me like a year to realize I could just put a carrot in there and no one would know, you know? But, yeah, it was great. And then as a result of that, I got a tour of Australia. And, you know, it opens a lot of doors. Edinburgh, a lot of people are there, right.

[Roy Cheng]

And then you go from that Edinburgh, which I was also. But my point is, like, with your goldfish and this small little room in this closet, and then you're like, Mission Impossible.

[Simon Pegg]

Yeah, I mean, it was a little, you know, I mean, stuff along the way.

[Roy Cheng]

Yeah.

[Simon Pegg]

I did some. I did stand up. I always wanted to be an actor. I did a standup coming out of university. Cause it was a way to perform. I loved comedy, and I didn't have an agent, so I. You know, stand up was a great way to be the master of my own.

[Roy Cheng]

Sure. Not waiting for the phone to ring. You can go then.

[Simon Pegg]

And then through stand up, I got into sort of sketch comedy. And then I wrote a sitcom with my friend Jessica, which Edgar Wright directed, called Spaced. And then Shaun of the Dead happened, and then.

[Roy Cheng]

The great Edgar Wright and the great Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy, starting with Shaun of the Dead, which was a kind of, I think, landmark independent comedy. I mean, was it independent? I mean, very.

[Simon Pegg]

Yeah. I mean, we shot that script around. We decided we had a little moment in space where I was fighting zombies, and Edgar and I were like, hey, we should make a zombie movie. I mean, we were so naive, you know, we thought, yeah, let's just do that now. And we. And we wrote this script and we took it around, and it took a long time for someone to actually take a risk. And eventually, working title, whose parent company was Universal, they sort of stepped in and we got it made.

[Roy Cheng]

Yeah. And that was, I mean, quite a label of love.

[Simon Pegg]

Absolutely. I mean, my God, I. You know, I was such a fan of George Romero growing up. The best moment was when George Romero, who is the godfather of the modern zombie film, watched Shaun of the Dead in a. In a cinema in Florida, guarded by a Universal security guard. Like he was gonna steal our movie, when the whole movie was just us stealing his movie. And he called us afterwards, and it was like speaking to dad, you know, that's cool. It was incredible.

[Roy Cheng]

That's cool. Yeah. And I mean, you know, that's such a triumph of independent comedy filmmaking. And, you know, we look at what in 2025 right now, and we kind of look back on films with a lot of nostalgia. Sometimes rose tinted glasses. I mean, do you feel that was a moment in time? Is that replicatable or. We.

[Simon Pegg]

It's difficult because back then, in 2004, we still went at the point we are now when there are so many different ways to watch movies. Like now we all have, you know, the right aspect ratio for movies in our houses. Our TVs are all you know, the right size. They're big. They're not that expensive. We have all the streamers. The Pandemic taught us that you can stay home and watch movies. And that was a terrible lesson to learn, because you know, what's better than watching a movie with a whole group of. In this time, at the moment, when we're all at each other's throats. A movie theater is a place where you can all go and you can have a huge kind of political, kind of gulf between everyone in there, and yet you will all experience the same emotions and you will share them, and it brings people together. You know, it's important.

[Roy Cheng]

It does. And I will say no one here applied. Thank you. They did not. They disagree. But boom. I will say the one thing about that is completely true. And all it takes is one really cool film to get people out again. And then you remember what it was like. I forgot for a while until I went out to go watch a film again. I was like, oh, yeah, this is great.

[Simon Pegg]

This is a wonderful film.

[Roy Cheng]

It's way better than watching it on my toilet on the phone. Mission Impossible on your toilet is just.

[Simon Pegg]

Never watched Mission Impossible on the toilet. Although I would advise you being on a toilet watching this particular Mission Impossible.

[Roy Cheng]

Because it does kind of. Yeah. I don't know. You talk about security with George Moreau. Yeah. Man, they're on me for this. I can't give away any spoiler. I'm scared to talk about this.

[Simon Pegg]

So am I. Yeah.

[Roy Cheng]

So I don't know what we can say about it, other than Tom Cruise.

[Simon Pegg]

Has a sniper on me 247 in case I spoil the movie.

[Roy Cheng]

I mean, I. I can. I guess I'll keep talking until someone drags me away. I mean, the movie is the. This current Mission Possible. The Final Reckoning, Part two, I guess.

[Simon Pegg]

Yeah.

[Roy Cheng]

Right. And it is. I mean, there's so many callbacks. It ties into all the movies.

[Simon Pegg]

Yeah. Chris McQuarrie, who's the director, did a really good job of sort of like, gathering the all eight movies and kind of like making this one the culmination of all of them, you know, so every choice Ethan Hunt has made through all the years leads to this. My first scene in Mission Impossible 3, which I filmed 20 years ago this year, I extol the myth of this thing called the rabbit's foot. And McHugh, you know, very artfully managed to pull all that into it, you know, and it makes the whole thing feel very contained. And, you know, it feels like an end.

[Roy Cheng]

I mean, it calls Back to even the first Mission Impossible, which is pretty interesting.

[Simon Pegg]

And that knife that.

[Roy Cheng]

Can we even say that?

[Simon Pegg]

Yeah, we can say that. Cause it's in the trailer. Anything in the trailer?

[Roy Cheng]

I don't know. But yeah, it comes back to the first one. So it really ties. I mean, I gotta ask, like, when you're on, you know, Mission Impossible is kind of like the flagship movie franchise right now. When you're on it, is it because you went, you know, you've not only seen Edinburgh, you've seen independent filmmaking.

[Simon Pegg]

Yeah.

[Roy Cheng]

When you're trying to get enough money to get a camera rolling and Mission Impossible where it's just like, here's. Just take this money. Just keep spending his money. Like, do you see that? What would do you see? Struggle on that? Or it's just like, just whatever it takes to get this thing made.

[Simon Pegg]

These two movies. We were supposed to, but then of course we had the Pandemic and then we had the writers strike and we were sort of, you know, we were. We were. It was a Mission Impossible, if you will, to get these films made. But yeah, the Eye of the Storm is always the same. It's you, it's the actors, it's the camera crew, it's the sort of camera adjacent departments. And it always feels the same. It's just everything that surrounds it gets bigger on big films, like the sets get bigger. And Mission is all about practical. Like. Like Tom does all of that stuff. Like, I mean, I watched it again the other night and I'm just thinking, what I know. You know, he's hanging off a biplane. How the.

[Roy Cheng]

What? Yeah, he's like zero gravity in between two, it looks like.

[Simon Pegg]

But he's, you know, that's him. He just. He'll risk his life for cinema. I don't risk my life for anything other than my daughter.

[Roy Cheng]

I know. He really does risk it. And there's also something with Tom Cruise films lately. I think that where he's really brought this like analog. I don't know. Can you describe what that, you know, that love of movie making is that he. He gets this look or this feel.

[Simon Pegg]

I think it's because we've entered a fantastic age with digital, you know, cgi, that kind of thing. And we can create any environment, any planet, and we see that in all sorts of movies. And it's wonderful and it's a great tool. But there is no substitute for seeing the actor playing the part doing the crazy stuff, because that way the character never disappears. Like when you. When you hand over to a stunt professional. It's about the stunt and the character sort of disappears a little bit. But you can see there's a bit when he's trying to get into the back cockpit of this plane and the wind hits him. It just fills his head with air.

[Podcast Sponsor]

Yeah.

[Simon Pegg]

It's the most unflattering picture of Tom Cruise you will ever see. He just goes.

[Roy Cheng]

Right. But he does that. But. But he also stays in character, which is crazy because he's hanging off a plane. I know.

[Simon Pegg]

In Dead Reckoning, there's a bit when I'm in the car, as I usually. I'm always just telling him what to do. And he jumps off the cliff on a motorbike and he's base jumping. He's free falling. And I say, are you on the train yet? And he says, I'm trying to get away from this mountain. And he delivers a joke in free fall, you know, with comedy timing. Yeah, it's very impressive.

[Roy Cheng]

Yeah, no, it is very cool. The movie is very cool. Thank you so much for making the movie. Thank you for everything you've done. Thank you for taking shot of the dead. Thank you. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world. I really appreciate your inspiration. Everybody. Mission Impossible, the Final Reckoning will be in theaters and IMAX on May 23rd. It's Simon Peck, everybody. We're gonna take a quick break. We'll be right back after this. Thanks for speaking to me. I gotta be thank. That's our show for the night. Now here it is, your moment of Zen.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

We need an Air Force One until our. Since Air Force One, it's being built. Two of them being built, but Boeing's a little bit late, unfortunately.

[Roy Cheng]

I'm sorry, I don't have a plane to give you.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

I would. I wish you did.

[Roy Cheng]

I take it.

[Grace Kuhlensmith]

I would take. If your country offered the United States Air Force a plane, I would take it.

[Ronnie T.]

Okay.

[Roy Cheng]

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 Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount plus.

[Charlemagne Tha God]

Paramount Podcasts.

[Podcast Sponsor]

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[Simon Pegg]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.