Trump Pauses Tariffs, Crashes the Stock Market & Threatens China | Antoni Porowski

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition – Episode Summary Title: Trump Pauses Tariffs, Crashes the Stock Market & Threatens China | Antoni Porowski
Release Date: March 7, 2025
Host: Michael Kaufman and Josh Johnson
Guest: Anthony Perovsky, Best-Selling Author and Host of National Geographic's No Taste Like Home

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1. Opening Remarks and Economic Outlook

The episode kicks off with hosts Michael Kaufman and Josh Johnson delving into the tumultuous state of the U.S. economy. Michael sets a satirical tone, highlighting President Donald Trump's affinity for tariffs as a cornerstone of his economic strategy.

Notable Quote:

Michael Kaufman [03:01]: "Tariffs are easy. They're fast, they're efficient, and they bring fairness. We'll make our country so strong and so rich, it will never be so rich."

Josh humorously counters Michael's remarks, questioning the scientific validity of clams experiencing happiness—a setup for mocking Geico's insurance ads.

2. The Tariff Tango: Policies and Consequences

The discussion intensifies as Michael and Josh explore the impact of Trump's tariff policies on the U.S. economy. They touch upon the stock market's significant drop, consumer confidence decline, and rising layoff numbers, emphasizing the looming threat of a recession.

Notable Quotes:

Josh Johnson [02:56]: "Wait, the R word is bad. Tariffs brought back the R word. So I guess I can say it."

Michael Kaufman [07:04]: "These tariffs are necessary. I've been talking to President Trump, and I can speak exactly to his intentions on tariffs."

As the conversation unfolds, Trump's wavering stance on tariffs is scrutinized, revealing a lack of commitment reminiscent of inconsistent policies.

Notable Quote:

Josh Johnson [04:37]: "Trump just backed away from those tariffs like it was a long time friendship with Jeffrey Epstein."

The hosts humorously speculate on the unpredictable nature of the tariff policies, pondering the potential escalation into a trade war with China.

Notable Quote:

Michael Kaufman [08:19]: "We’re going to have to suffer through some bad news. There’s going to be a short period."

3. America’s Gun Conundrum and Innovative Solutions

Shifting gears, the episode addresses America's pervasive gun problem through an unexpected hero—a priest named Father Yaw spearheading a gun buyback program.

Segment Highlights:

• Father Yaw’s Initiative: Father Yaw introduces a gun buyback program aimed at reducing gun violence, offering incentives like $5,000 gift cards, which swiftly attract participants.

Notable Quote:

Father Yaw [10:32]: "The first buyback we did, we had $5,000 worth of gift cards and the line was two miles long and we gave away the gift cards in 20 minutes."

• Controversy Unveiled: The segment takes a dark turn when it's revealed that the contracted company, Gunbusters, isn't fully destroying the collected firearms but rather salvaging parts to facilitate the creation of ghost guns—untraceable firearms assembled from salvaged components.

Notable Quote:

Father Yaw [12:29]: "We found out they're not really destroying them. They were salvaging most of the gun and reselling the parts."

• Legislative Response: Michigan state representative Natalie Price explains the loophole in the 1968 Gun Act that allows partial destruction of firearms, inadvertently supporting the ghost gun industry.

Notable Quote:

Michael Kaufman [13:51]: "Under this old... 1968 Gun Act, the receiver, or the frame by itself is considered to be a firearm."

• Community Action: Highlighting Michigan’s proactive measures, the hosts commend the state’s collaboration with law enforcement to ensure complete destruction of firearms, contrasting it with Father Yaw's precarious endeavor.

4. Interview with Anthony Perovsky: Exploring Heritage Through Food

In a heartfelt segment, Anthony Perovsky, host of National Geographic's No Taste Like Home, shares insights into his show’s mission to trace the origins of family-favorite dishes and uncover the cultural and historical narratives intertwined with them.

Discussion Highlights:

• Show Concept: Anthony explains how each episode begins with a cherished family dish, unfolding its significance and tracing its roots through genealogical and historical exploration.

Notable Quote:

Anthony Perovsky [17:07]: "We explore what was going on culturally, politically, socially. And then we break down the dish and the elements while introducing key members of their family."

• Emotional Connections: The conversation touches on the emotional journeys of guests, such as Awkwafina’s exploration of her mother's seaweed soup, which symbolizes healing and familial bonds.

Notable Quote:

Anthony Perovsky [19:44]: "It's the soup that my mother was trying to use to heal herself and also to make sure that her daughter was okay."

• Personal Reflections: Anthony shares his personal connection to food and heritage, revealing how his Polish upbringing and familial interactions around the kitchen table shaped his passion for the show.

Notable Quote:

Anthony Perovsky [27:30]: "Food is there for you when you're depressed, when you're really happy, when you're celebrating life's achievements, when you're celebrating or dealing with loss."

• Cultural Preservation: Emphasizing the importance of preserving family stories and traditions, Anthony advocates for conversations that bridge generational gaps and foster understanding.

5. Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Michael and Josh reflect humorously on the day's discussions, weaving in light-hearted jokes and teasing upcoming segments. Anthony Perovsky’s segment leaves listeners contemplating the deep connections between food, history, and personal identity.

Notable Quote:

Michael Kaufman [25:48]: "Holy shit. 1000%. That's like four ghost guns for every ghost."

The hosts encourage listeners to engage with No Taste Like Home, praising its blend of education and emotional storytelling.

Final Thoughts: The episode masterfully balances satire with substantive discussions on pressing issues like economic policies and gun control, while also celebrating the profound role of cultural heritage through food. Anthony Perovsky’s interview serves as a poignant reminder of the power of storytelling in preserving and understanding our roots.

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Resources Mentioned:

• No Taste Like Home – National Geographic Series hosted by Anthony Perovsky
• ParamountShop.com – Discount code "TDS20" for 20% off The Daily Show products
• Comedy Central – Watch The Daily Show weeknights at 11/10c or stream on Paramount+

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This summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting key discussions, notable quotes with timestamps, and providing a coherent narrative for those who haven't listened to the full episode.

Transcript

[Michael Costa]

Geico's motorcycle expertise means I'm covered by people who know bikes like I do. I'm happy as a clam.

[Josh Johnson]

No conclusive scientific research has shown clams can experience happiness. It just meant that I feel really good about my coverage. I mean, even if you took the clam out for the best day ever, visiting the zoo, taking a scenic ride, knowing you're insured by specialists, and sharing a strawberry ice cream cone together, the clam would not feel happy and your strawberry cone would taste sort of clammy. Geico's motorcycle specialists who know bikes like you do, assume no liability for clammy ice cream cones. Geico expertise for your motorcycle. You're listening to Comedy Central.

[Michael Costa]

From the.

[Josh Johnson]

Most trusted journalists at Comedy Central. It's America's only source for news. This is the Daily show with your host, Michael Kaufman. Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Michael Costa. We've got so much to talk about tonight. The US Economy is down bad. Apparently America likes guns and Trump broke a campaign promise. So let's get into it. I'm going to come. I'm going to come. Being president comes with a lot of pretty cool powers. You can write executive orders, you get one free checked bag on Air Force One, and you even get an uncensored feed of C Span. But for Donald Trump, the power he enjoys the most is the power to impose tariffs. Tariffs are easy. They're fast, they're efficient, and they bring fairness. We're going to bring so many things back to our country, and the thing that's going to get us there is tariffs. We'll take in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs, and we're going to make our country so strong and so rich, it will never be so rich. Tariffs. It's a beautiful word, isn't it? Tariff. It's a beautiful word. It's why I named my daughter Tariffany. This guy's so horny for tariffs, isn't he? I love any word with big natural double F' According to Donald Trump, tariffs are great. And I also want our country to be rich without any negative consequences. So let's see how he's imposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico. And let's sit back and let's watch that economy roar, baby. Tonight, the stock market dropping more than 600 points.

[Michael Costa]

US stock markets plunged. For the second day in a row.

[Josh Johnson]

We'Ve seen consumer confidence tank. Layoff numbers across the US are the.

[Michael Costa]

Highest they've been since 2020. The R word is back, thanks in large part to tariffs.

[Josh Johnson]

Wait, the R word is bad. Tariffs brought back the R word. So I guess I can say it.

[Michael Costa]

Wall street banks are starting to raise a red flag that recession odds have become unsettlingly high.

[Josh Johnson]

Right, right. That R word. Of course. That's what I was thinking. It can be such a recession sometimes. By the way, is recession an R word? Now, who thinks the word recession is offensive? Finance Bros. Did they get woke? Before we discuss the impending R word, we begin by acknowledging that we are on the ancestral grounds of Capitol Grill, where Chad was unjustly removed by the bartender before he could get a chance to cheat on his wife. Sup, Chad? So basically, Trump said the tariffs are going to be a quick and painless way to get rich. And now that it turns out we're not all shitting gold, Republicans have moved into their new talking point. Hey, nobody said this was going to be easy. Trust the process. There'll be a little disturbance, but we're okay with that. There's going to be a little bit of pain going into this. It is going to be painful. And if I have to pay a little bit more for. For something, I'm all for it. We're going to have to suffer through some bad news. There's going to be a short period.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Of time where there'll be some higher.

[Josh Johnson]

Prices on certain products. It's not inflation. That's nonsense. Yeah, yeah, nonsense. It's not inflation, people. It's just higher prices. Food and cars and gas and every other product we import from our biggest trading partners. But you know what? We might be in for some hard times, but tariffs are Donald Trump's whole thing. And if there's one thing I know about Donald Trump, he's a man who sticks to his guns. Uh, breaking news into cnn. President Trump's officially delaying tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. After all that, tariffs are now on hold. Trump just backed away from those tariffs like it was a long time friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. So tariffs are on, they're delayed, they're off. Who knows if they'll come back or when or for how long? Look, I'm not a big business guy, but quick question. Does anyone know if businesses need to make decisions more than four hours in advance? So it appears the only silver lining in this pointless trade war is, is that at least we're only fighting with Canada and Mexico. You know, if you're going to pick a fight, pick a fight with two sissy countries you can beat. Right? Right, Right. The Chinese embassy in the US Tweeting earlier this week, quote, if war is what the US Wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we're ready to fight till the end. Oh, shit. China. China don't play. They're like, if you got beef, we got broccoli, bitch. Let's go. Listen, Donald, Canada and Mexico are one thing, but please don't piss off China. I know you wrote the art of the deal, but they wrote the art of war. And I think a trade war with China might lead to, at best, a devastating economic depression or at worst, nuclear destruction of our most of American cities. Or as Trump might say, may there be a little disturbance. Look for more on Trump's tariff policy and its economic effects. We go live to the White House with Josh Johnson. Josh. Josh. What. What exactly. What exactly is going on with these tariffs?

[Michael Kaufman]

Costa? This is nothing we haven't seen before. These economic decisions are smart, so everyone should stop throwing around the R word.

[Josh Johnson]

Oh, recession.

[Michael Kaufman]

Okay, everybody should stop throwing around both R words.

[Josh Johnson]

All right?

[Michael Kaufman]

In fact, these tariffs are gonna help out all my N words.

[Josh Johnson]

Your. Your.

[Michael Kaufman]

My net gains, Costa.

[Josh Johnson]

Right, right, of course. Of course. Your net gains.

[Michael Kaufman]

Hey, hey, you not an economist. That's not your word to say. Okay, Point is, these tariffs are necessary. I've been talking to President Trump, and I can speak exactly to his intentions on tariffs. I mean, come on. Y'all heard Donald Trump. He said during the campaign, we're doing this. It's an economic street fight, so you better get on board because the pain is worth it to bring back manufacturing, even if it leads to higher prices. We are not backing down.

[Josh Johnson]

Okay, but the American people don't like higher prices.

[Michael Kaufman]

Then forget the whole thing. Tariffs off.

[Josh Johnson]

All right.

[Michael Kaufman]

I don't even know who suggested it.

[Josh Johnson]

Trump did. He said they're necessary to bring back America's economy, and they are, which is.

[Michael Kaufman]

Why they're back off.

[Josh Johnson]

So we are doing tariffs.

[Michael Kaufman]

Damn right we are. I ain't scared of shit.

[Josh Johnson]

Not even more expensive housing tariffs are off. Okay, but that will increase the trade deficit. On.

[Michael Kaufman]

Again.

[Josh Johnson]

Well, what about the price of breakfast?

[Michael Kaufman]

Off in the morning, on at night.

[Josh Johnson]

But. But Canada is retaliating.

[Michael Kaufman]

Off with Canada. On with China. We'll go to war with China.

[Josh Johnson]

I don't give a. Josh, China has nukes.

[Michael Kaufman]

No tariffs on China.

[Anthony Perovsky]

In fact.

[Michael Kaufman]

We'Re part of China now. All hail President Xi. Year of the snake, mother. Get on board.

[Josh Johnson]

Josh. Josh. How can Trump run this country like this? Tariffs. We're Chinese. We're not Chinese. It's unsustainable.

[Michael Kaufman]

Get off his ass, Costa. All Trump's trying to do is stand firm on his principles, even though he doesn't know what they are yet, no matter the cost. Although cost really shouldn't be a single dollar and what anybody thinks. But please, nobody get upset.

[Josh Johnson]

Josh, Josh, be realistic. Part of being a leader is knowing there are trade offs to every decision. It's not possible for everyone to have a net gain. Whoa.

[Michael Kaufman]

I thought I told you, Costa. That's our word. Okay, me and my economist are gonna you up.

[Josh Johnson]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Josh Johnson, everybody. Josh Johnson. When we come back, we get guns off the streets. Don't go away. Matt Gaines, welcome back to the Daily Show. There are millions of guns in America, but one 40 year old virgin is trying to change that. Desi Lydic has more.

[Michael Costa]

It's no surprise America has a gun problem. In fact, even if our legislators could pass comprehensive gun reform, there's already over 400 million guns in this country. A number statisticians call really high and huge. But one brave Michigander is taking action into his own hands, and it's not someone you would expect. I haven't been confused about a priest since I binged fleabag. How does a priest get involved with getting guns off the streets?

[Father Yaw]

In America, it's a lot easier to get a gun than to get rid of a gun. There is this sense that in churches we're just going to pray for this gun problem. But church people are sick of thoughts and prayers, too.

[Michael Costa]

You know, it's bad when a priest is sick of thoughts and prayers. I mean, that's your bread and butter. And just as Jesus turned water into wine, Father Yaw turned prayers into action and started a gun buyback program.

[Josh Johnson]

The gun buyback program is aimed at reducing gun violence.

[Anthony Perovsky]

They're popular.

[Josh Johnson]

And that's because it's your choice to turn.

[Michael Costa]

And because this is America, people are more willing to part with their guns if they get something out of it.

[Father Yaw]

The first buyback we did, we had $5,000 worth of gift cards and the line was two miles long and we gave away the gift cards in 20 minutes.

[Michael Costa]

What, what kind of gift cards are we talking about here?

[Father Yaw]

Usually Target.

[Michael Costa]

Target, Target. I'm not allowed in Target anymore. I had a bit of a run in with the law involving an incident with a cheese grater.

[Father Yaw]

Do we want to save that for later? We'll take care of that in confession.

[Michael Costa]

Okay, thank you. And what happens to the guns once they're collected? Do they go to that farm upstate with all the dogs.

[Michael Kaufman]

After guns are processed, Michigan state police send them to a company in Missouri called gunbusters, and they destroy parts of the guns.

[Father Yaw]

The state police then was contracting with a company called gunbusters who has a gun Pulverizer.

[Michael Costa]

The pulverizer. That was my signature move when I was on the amateur wrestling circuit.

[Father Yaw]

No, no, it's. It's. It. These things destroy weapons.

[Michael Costa]

A deadly machine that destroys deadly guns. Problem solved.

[Josh Johnson]

This machine called the pulverizer can turn this into this. Most of the metal left behind can be recycled.

[Michael Costa]

I love a name that says exactly what it is. Busting guns. No deception there.

[Father Yaw]

But they weren't busting them.

[Michael Costa]

Come again?

[Father Yaw]

We found out they're not really destroying them. They were salvaging most of the gun and reselling the parts. On the Internet, people can make their own ghost guns.

[Michael Costa]

So gun busters is actually contributing to making more guns.

[Father Yaw]

Yeah.

[Michael Costa]

Jeez. Sorry. Shit. Sorry. Jesus. Turns out they were using the pulverizer more for evil than good. Doing only partial destruction means that the guns can be born again and not in the jesus y way. I reached out to speak with gunbusters, but much like the fate of their guns, they ghosted me. If I can't find answers to this gun problem in God's fancy buildings, maybe I could find some in the state's fancy buildings. Michigan state representative Natalie price. How the Is it legal for gunbusters to get away with this?

[Josh Johnson]

Because of the gun act of 1968.

[Michael Costa]

Sure. The famous 1967 Gun Act. 1968 Gun Act. The act of.

[Josh Johnson]

When we only destroy that narrow part of the weapon, A receiver and a frame which includes the serial number, the firearm is considered by federal law to be fully destroyed.

[Michael Costa]

Yes. Receiver in the frame. So just to reiterate, under this old.

[Josh Johnson]

Timey law, the gun control act of.

[Michael Costa]

1968, the receiver, or the frame by itself is considered to be a firearm. So if gunbusters tells you they've destroyed the firearm, Technically, they only have to have destroyed that one tiny piece, Leaving the rest to be potentially used for ghost guns.

[Josh Johnson]

There's no good way to keep track of how many there are. From 2016 to 2021, there was over 1000% increase in ghost guns.

[Michael Costa]

Holy shit. 1000%. That's like four ghost guns for every ghost. Luckily, Michigan has a solution.

[Josh Johnson]

I can tell you what we are doing here in Michigan, which is partnering with state police and a company that will fully pulverize and destroy the complete weapon.

[Michael Costa]

Right here in Michigan, women get shit done. So it seems the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a pulverizer. But this time, Michigan has their very own state run pulverizer, ensuring that the guns that they receive are completely destroyed. I went back to the church to spread the good word to Father Yaw, only to discover he had taken it upon himself to fulfill his own prophecy.

[Father Yaw]

There's more that needs to be done. We're planning to actually destroy the weapons ourselves with chop saws.

[Michael Costa]

That sounds dangerous.

[Father Yaw]

I can take you to a place where we're practicing and you can watch it happen.

[Michael Costa]

All right, sure. Just follow a priest I just met to the set of the movie Saw. But for guns, what could go wrong?

[Father Yaw]

And that goes in the disposal here.

[Michael Costa]

Three guns down now. Just 399,999,997 more to go.

[Josh Johnson]

Thank you, Daisy. When we come back, Anthony Peravski will be joining me on the show. So don't go away. Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is a best selling author, culinary expert and host of National Geographic's no Taste Like Home. Please welcome Antony Perovsky. Nice, nice, nice, nice, nice, nice. Wow. Thank you for coming.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Thank you for having me.

[Josh Johnson]

This show is amazing. It made me hungry. It made me emotional.

[Anthony Perovsky]

It made you hungry for testicles.

[Josh Johnson]

It made me hungry for testicles. For those of you that are unaware, maybe watching online, there was a clip before this that mentioned testicles.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Yep. It's always good to have a little bit of yep.

[Josh Johnson]

But I mean, we're all, look, we're all hungry for testicles. Did you know that this show would get as elevated emotionally as it does?

[Anthony Perovsky]

Yes and no. I mean, the original look, it's National Geographic, which for me, I've been reading the magazine since I was a kid. We had a subscription. It's like the iconic yellow rectangle. But I think once we started going down and each episode is a little different but once it does get personal and you kind of. Everyone's just trying to answer that question of why I am the way I am and learning that we're all standing on the shoulders of giants and we have all these people in our lineage that we can kind of explain why we are the way we are. I think it's sort of. So I would say it was like a mix, I think with someone like Awkwafina. It was very emotional because she was going back to South Korea. It was the first time since she'd been there, since her mother passed away when she was 4 years old. And Then we had a bit of a bromance with Justin in Italy. So it kind of ran the gamut a little bit.

[Josh Johnson]

Explain to those that haven't seen it about how you start at home with this family dish, a favorite dish, and you trace it back to the origin, and not only that, but through jeans as well, right?

[Anthony Perovsky]

Yeah. No, all of it. So it starts out with, like, a dish that shaped the guest. And it could have been something that was enjoyed during, like, a special family occasion or a birthday. Or for, like, James Marsden, it was chicken fried steak that his mom was making in Oklahoma City as a single mom, just to, like, feed the kids. And then we go to their country of origin, we explore what was going on culturally, politically, socially. And then we kind of break down the dish and the elements while introducing. It's a lot going on. No, while introducing. To, like, to different key members of their family. And we meet genealogists and historians, and it's like, it's a whole journey.

[Josh Johnson]

I love that. In that episode, James is in his family's kitchen. His mom is cooking. He says, oh, that's the smell that brings me back to my childhood. Fast forward to you guys in an outdoor kitchen in Bavaria. And they're making. You're making schnitzel, right? And he goes, it's that smell. It's the same smell.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Totally.

[Josh Johnson]

That's when I started weeping. No, but it's schnitzel.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

I'm crying over schnitzel.

[Anthony Perovsky]

It's okay to cry.

[Josh Johnson]

It's okay to cry. Yes.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

Great.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Because it is an emotional thing. And I mean, like, it's. You know, I go, like, the most emotional episode of all of them is Awkwafina's. And they're all really special for different reasons. But hers actually started out with jjajangmyeon, which is a completely different dish. But we were making this seaweed soup that this woman who had a PhD in fermentation, which they do that in Korea because food is truly healing there. And it's like UNESCO protected, and she's making this soup. And Nora Awkwafina remembered this smell that her mom. It was the one smell she remembered of her mom when she was around and she was making this soup.

[Josh Johnson]

Wow.

[Anthony Perovsky]

And we learned that in Korean history, women make this for their daughters after they're born because they're depleted of iron. It's something that's very healing, and it's passed on from mother to daughter. So for her to learn, like, oh, my gosh, that smell is Literally, the soup that my mother was trying to use to heal herself and also to make sure that her daughter was okay. Like, it's. And it all, like, it's never. It's so much more than the dish. It's like when you look back on it, there's always a story, there's knowledge of history, and it's.

[Josh Johnson]

I'm thinking there could be a spinoff called no smell like home and you smell like your grandparents boxers or something. And then you.

[Anthony Perovsky]

I mean, you know, there are a lot weirder things that are making it to streaming services these days, so I feel like we should definitely pitch it. Also, you know, it's Nat Geo after hours. Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

You also don't have to respond to that, but you do. Nice job. So talking about parents, you know, this is a cookbook that my wife made after my father passed. And it's of his favorite dishes. And talking. Watching this made me think of this recipe for this Eastern European soup that my dad made called Struchki. I mean, look at this thing. How can anybody read that?

[Anthony Perovsky]

But when I. Was he a physician?

[Josh Johnson]

No, he was not a physician. I mean, by the way, when I was watching your show, I was thinking of this, and then I'm thinking of my dad's handwriting and then I'm thinking of him in the kitchen with the apron on. Now I'm crying. It's not even about your show. It's about my dad. You really me up, Anthony.

[Anthony Perovsky]

But that's exactly. No, but genuinely, that's what I want. I want people to watch the show. And like, while I understand that not everyone has a National Geographic historical team that can do three to six months of research for each episode.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah, I wanna hear about that.

[Anthony Perovsky]

But I think it's like an important. It's an opportunity to start having these conversations with people in your family or like, maybe even like the awkward uncle and like learning those family stories because we have to pass those things on for our children, for our chosen family, for whoever it is. And sitting around the table is like being raised the way that I was raised. That's when we share those stories. There's a universal thread there. And I think God knows we're living in a time and place where like, we need to figure out how we can like, relate to each other as opposed to the opposite. Not that there's anything wrong with this country right now, but, you know, yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

Look, it's great if our favorite dish has a lineage back to the origin of country, but what sometimes happens, and I wonder and, you know, my dad made this soup for us every Christmas Eve. No one in the family liked the.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Soup, but it was his dad's soup, and you don't mess with it.

[Josh Johnson]

Exactly. At one point, we said to his mom, my grandma, like, dad's been making struchke. And she goes, well, we don't eat that shit, you know? But there's also something fun about your show. When you go backwards, you find out stuff that maybe isn't so complimentary of the family or of the lineage. How do you process that?

[Anthony Perovsky]

That isn't complimentary of the family or the lineage.

[Josh Johnson]

I mean, there was the one with James where it's like, oh, my great, great, great grandfather was in prison.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Oh, yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

You know, they didn't really know why. And there was a moment there where it's like, what did he do? Well.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Cause he was, like, a political activist. The guy was a rebel. Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

It turned good. Let's talk about the history. I mean, this is actually research, right? This is.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Oh, 100%. I mean, it's not like I love Queer Eye, but that's like a different unscripted show where I can say whatever I want. And it's a very different editing process here. You know, we have. Every single thing that I say has to be corroborated by three independent sources, which is, like, kind of wild. So we're dealing with places like Germany, where, you know, they have the infrastructure and the places that you go to to get these documents, they give it to you, like, within the hour because the Germans have it all figured out. In Italy, they take, like, two to three weeks, but, like, they'll get it as well. Like, they take their time. If you're in Senegal, if you're in where we went with Issa Rae, or if you're in Borneo, where we went with Henry Golding, they don't have that. It's oral history. So the team has to go there a few months prior, speak to village elders. And if the three village elders are saying the exact same thing, they consider it a fact. If anything is like, 80. I've done voiceover for narration on the show and had to go back to the studio after because our showrunner, Robin, was like, we're not 100% sure. We can't say it. We gotta, like, go back.

[Josh Johnson]

I watched your show and I said, wow. TV studios do have money. Let's be honest. Let's be honest. You're in a lot of foreign places. You're eating a lot of food.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Yeah.

[Josh Johnson]

You're using Your hands. Did you mark off a day for traveler's diarrhea for you and the crew? I mean, did so. Interestingly I knew something would happen.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Interestingly so, I mean. Well, the thing is, like, I'm not, like, if I eat something and it's good, I just keep on eating it. I don't have, like. I've never believed in a spit bucket. I'm just. It's not in my DNA to do that. Yeah. But I was in. It didn't happen on set, but I happen to be. We were filming in Italy, and then I had 10 days off before I had to be in South Korea. And I was like, I'm already sort of on that side of the world, so, like, why don't I go to Bali for 10 days? Like, what's the worst that could happen?

[Josh Johnson]

Right? Right.

[Anthony Perovsky]

And I went to this market, and there was a beautiful piece of tuna, and I just wanted, like, a light sear on it. And I picked it out and they gave it to me. And it was like. Also, the food in Bali was, like. It was exceptional on all fronts. This is not to, like, put any, like, negative beef there. Yeah. Or tuna there. And so they serve it to me, well done, just draped in a cream sauce. And I ate it. And I felt a little weird, but I was like, I'm sure I'm fine. I ended up with double IVs at the exact same time the night before my Red eye to soul. And I was FaceTiming my dad, who's a physician, and he was like, why do you have two IVs at the same time? I've never seen this. There's a language barrier. I have nurses there that the hotel sent because, like, people get this thing called Bali Belly. But the crazy thing that happened, because I'm an optimist at heart, I can eat ghost peppers now. And they don't, like. They don't kill me. I can eat spicy things. I'm a Polish guy. We don't do heat.

[Josh Johnson]

You even said that in the Malaysian effort. You're like, I don't really do heat. But now you can do heat.

[Anthony Perovsky]

I can do heat now, which is great, and I hope it lasts for a long time. But I get food poisoning once or twice a year because of the things I put in my mouth. It's just. It's par for the course.

[Josh Johnson]

Enough.

[Anthony Perovsky]

You're all grownups. There are no children here.

[Josh Johnson]

I find your personal history so connected also to this show because of your parents. Explain a little bit to your family history and how it's relevant.

[Anthony Perovsky]

I mean, so I'm. You know, my parents were both Polish. My father was born in Brussels. Cause his family fled there after the war. But, like, I'm like. I think I'm, like, 80% Polish. And growing up, that was the first language we spoke at home. We were only allowed to speak Polish. Had all the food. Cabbage rolls for lunch, the whole thing. And then there was a period of sort of growing up when I was in my teens, like the angsty years, like Oasis. Richard Ashcroft. Just to paint a picture where I. Nothing to do with my identity. I moved to the States. I was in West Virginia. I wanted to assimilate, change my name, the whole thing. And then there came a point when I was in university back in Montreal, and I started working at a Polish restaurant. I met, like, young Polish people who had super Polish names. And I was like, wow, you're actually proud to be who you are. And it's kind of like that whole idea of, like, well, like, this is in my DNA, so why am I trying to fight it?

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah.

[Anthony Perovsky]

And now it's kind of inspired me. Even as a result of the show, I had conversations with my dad. I was like, why do we have so much cabbage in our culture? What's the deal with progeies? Where did those come from? We realized there's so much that we don't know. And so it's kind of sparked conversations within my own family.

[Josh Johnson]

Okay, so you might have answered it, but it's so clear in this show that the guest really sees how important this dish is, how important this food is to their family. For you personally, you know, we don't get to do this show with you, with your dish, but why is food so important to you?

[Anthony Perovsky]

My face just got warm.

[Josh Johnson]

Yeah.

[Anthony Perovsky]

Cause I think. I don't know. I mean, I think it has to do with if. To quote my therapist, if it's hysterical, it's historical. And growing up in my parents, I adore them, and they did the best with the tools they were given. But it was a really dysfunctional household. And the one time where we all got along was when we were sitting at the table and gossiping and just talking shit and having the best time. And that's when everybody had a smile on their face. And so it's personal to me. And I feel like everyone kind of has their own version of that. Like, at any single gathering that my parents would have, everyone always ended up up in the kitchen. And I feel like that's the case with so many people. And so it's, it's, it. Food is there for you when you're depressed, when you're really happy, when you're celebrating life's achievements, when you're celebrating or celebrating dealing with loss. Sometimes people celebrate loss. But I, yeah, but it's, it's, it's just, it's the, it's the. For me, it's, it's, my whole family's just as obsessed, if not more than I am about food. Like, it's just, it's in our DNA.

[Josh Johnson]

The show's great. It's beautiful. Thank you. You kind of do what the Daily show does, which is you trick us by entertaining us, and then somehow we've learned something and there's a message been presented. So I really loved it. Thank you so much for making it. New episodes of More Tastes Like Wine. Thank you. Sundays on National Geographic. And all episodes are streaming now on Disney and Hulu. Anthony Barofsky, we're gonna take a quick break. We're right back after this. Thank. That's our show for tonight. But before you go, if you're looking for a fun read, my new book, lucky Loser, comes out this Tuesday, March 11th. It's a memoir about my life and how failing at professional tennis led me to be a comedian. What the is that? Please, if you know how to read, please pre order it now. Now, here it is, your moment of Zen, sir. This tariff war is heating up, isn't it? Yeah, it is. I mean, look, when Trump says tariff is my favorite word in the English language, I don't quite believe him. I think golf and one or two other things might come. Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcast, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount. Plus Paramount podcasts.