Trump Posts Bizarre AI Videos as Government Shuts Down | Benny Safdie

Summary

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The Daily Show: Ears Edition

Episode Title: Trump Posts Bizarre AI Videos as Government Shuts Down | Benny Safdie
Air Date: October 2, 2025
Hosts: Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta, The Daily Show News Team
Guest: Benny Safdie

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition blends sharp satire with substantive commentary on the latest headlines. Main topics include the U.S. federal government shutdown, President Trump’s unhinged use of AI-generated attack videos, the economic squeeze affecting Americans (from TSA agents to the Tooth Fairy), and an in-depth interview with acclaimed filmmaker Benny Safdie about his new film, The Smashing Machine. The show maintains its trademark irreverent style, blending news analysis with absurdist comedy and biting political commentary.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Federal Government Shutdown

[01:31 – 06:28]

• Shutdown Context & Causes:

  • Democrats and Republicans at an impasse over health care, with the GOP refusing to negotiate until the government reopens.
  • Quote (02:37):
    “Democrats say that the government should help pay for health care, and Republicans say that’s what GoFundMe is for.” — Guest Host
  • Satirical framing: the government as a failed relationship, making parallel jokes about Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s breakup.

• Trump’s Response—AI Videos:

  • Trump posted bizarre AI-generated videos that racialize and caricature Democratic leaders, drawing confusion and mockery.
  • Quote (03:43):
    “Trump is making fun of a black man for being Mexican. It’s almost too confusing to be rac… It’s like putting a headdress on the Twin Towers. I mean, I don’t even know what you’re trying to say. I don’t have the racist math skills to solve this equation. I never thought I’d say this, but Donald Trump, can you be better at racism?” — Guest Host

• Democratic Leaders' Reaction:

  • A measured, mature response; decrying bigotry and reaffirming their focus on policy.
    • Quote (04:30):
      “It’s a disgusting video, and we’re going to continue to make clear bigotry will get you nowhere.” — Ronny Chieng (impersonating Democrats)

• Impact on Federal Workers and National Parks:

  • Up to 750,000 furloughed employees; essential workers like TSA go unpaid.
  • Parks remain open, but basic services are halted—leading to a comedic, crude segment on pooping in the Grand Canyon.
    • Quote (07:41):
      “No, they’re pooping directly into the Grand Canyon… It became a viral challenge after that. You know how the Internet is. It’s called the Fecal Furlough Challenge.” — Ronny Chieng as Josh Johnson

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2. "Costa Doing Business" — Economy, Savings, and Absurd Financial Advice

[10:48 – 18:50]

• Frugality Fads:

  • Adults increasingly order kids’ meals to save money as inflation rises.
    • Quote (12:08):
      “If you see me eating Lunchables in my car, just know that’s not sad anymore.” — Michael Kosta

• Job Market Realities — "Job Hugging":

  • Trend of employees clinging to jobs out of economic anxiety, lampooned as hugging your desk (or not leaving, ever).
    • Quote (14:13):
      “Have you hugged your job lately? Yes. Job hugging. Not to be confused with hugging on the job, which HR tells you is absolutely not allowed, even though it’s not a sexual thing at all.” — Michael Kosta

• Tooth Fairy’s Economic Woes:

  • Kids reportedly earn less per tooth; satirical investment advice given: switch to "dog teeth" for volume.
    • Quote (16:31):
      “You gotta go all in on dog teeth. ... If you want 9K, you gotta round up some K9s, okay?” — Michael Kosta

• Product Recall Comedy:

  • Costco’s exploding Prosecco bottles and a tongue-in-cheek endorsement for tongue bandages.

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3. Interview: Benny Safdie on "The Smashing Machine"

[19:58 – 33:07]

Filmmaking Approach

• Immersive Storytelling:

  • Safdie’s goal: put the audience "ringside" while still maintaining cinematic perspective.
    • Quote (21:03):
      “That was the goal, you know, with this movie, is put you in the best seat in the house, which is ringside.” — Benny Safdie

• Technical Choices:

  • Use of long lens and staying out of the ring to preserve realism.
  • Filmed in a way that evokes the early 2000s—including actual cameras and film stock from the era.

• Working with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson:

  • Johnson altered his gait and physique significantly to authentically portray Mark Kerr.

    • Quote (23:44):
      “I said, Dwayne, as we get closer, maybe you could get a little... puffier, you know, like, bigger.” — Benny Safdie

  • Collaboration with both Johnson and the real Mark Kerr to find the emotional truth of the character.

Storytelling Philosophy

• Focus on Human Experience:

  • Despite being a “fight movie,” it’s about internal pain, perseverance, and the psychological challenges of public life.
    • Quote (26:14):
      “It’s the fact... I know what it feels like to have a kind of deep pain inside of you and have to go out in front of everybody and act like it’s not there, you know, but it’s always there.” — Benny Safdie

• Aesthetic Aims:

  • Wanted to evoke the time period’s vibe through film stock, music, and lighting.
    • Quote (29:34):
      “So I chose 16 millimeter to shoot this on because aesthetically, it has a feeling. Everybody remembers what 2000 feels like.” — Benny Safdie

• Comment on American Film:

  • Disagrees with doom about the current state of American cinema, suggesting focus should be on emotional and human stories amid the overwhelming sheer volume of content (and challenges of AI).
    • Quote (31:53):
      “To me, it’s just about humanity. You have to focus on emotions and human beings because we’re here. This is what’s important.” — Benny Safdie

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Trump’s AI Videos

• “I don’t have the racist math skills to solve this equation. I never thought I’d say this, but Donald Trump, can you be better at racism?” — Guest Host, [03:43]

On Poop in the Grand Canyon

• “It started with a couple people who just desperately needed to go, but then someone posted it online and it became a kind of viral challenge after that. ... It’s called the Fecal Furlough Challenge.” — Ronny Chieng as Josh Johnson, [08:48]

On Economic Absurdities

• “If you see me eating Lunchables in my car, just know that’s not sad anymore.” — Michael Kosta, [12:08]
• “Have you hugged your job lately?” — Michael Kosta, [14:13]
• “You gotta go all in on dog teeth. ... If you want 9K, you gotta round up some K9s, okay?” — Michael Kosta, [16:31]

On Directing The Smashing Machine

• “I wanted you to be there. That was the goal, you know, with this movie, is put you in the best seat in the house, which is ringside.” — Benny Safdie, [21:03]
• “It’s the fact... I know what it feels like to have a kind of deep pain inside of you and have to go out in front of everybody and act like it’s not there, you know, but it’s always there.” — Benny Safdie, [26:14]

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Important Timestamps

• Intro & News Setup: [01:31–02:24]
• Shutdown & Trump’s AI Videos: [02:24–05:53]
• Government Shutdown Impacts/National Parks: [05:46–09:24]
• Costa Doing Business (Economy/Job Market/Tooth Fairy): [10:48–18:50]
• Interview: Benny Safdie & Filmmaking Philosophy: [19:58–33:07]

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Tone and Style

Irreverent, fast-paced, and satirical, blending absurd hypotheticals and sharp one-liners with moments of genuine insight (especially in the interview segment). The hosts maintain high energy, frequently using self-deprecating humor and pop culture references to engage with often bleak subject matter.

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Summary Takeaway

This episode delivers biting comic relief as the U.S. faces government dysfunction and yet another wave of divisive political theatrics. Through ridicule, satire, and a surprisingly warm and nuanced interview with Benny Safdie, the show reminds listeners of the absurdity—and the humanity—at the heart of current events.

Transcript

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It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone.

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[Michael Kosta]

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, Ronnie.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Hey, welcome to the Daily Show. I'm Roy Cheng. We got so much to talk about tonight. The White House is just a meme account now. The tooth fairy so broke, she's on OnlyFans. But first, the federal government shut down last night. So if you're wondering why the mailman didn't come by this morning and bang your wife, now you know why. Let's get into it with our coverage of shutdown showdown 2020.

[Michael Kosta]

Locked up, locked down, and closed the business.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I thought the worst thing that could happen this week was when Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban broke up. I mean, I know if two hot Australians with the same face can't make it work, then what hope is there for the rest of us? But then to make it worse, my favorite federal government also couldn't make it work. And the breaking news.

[Michael Kosta]

As of this morning, the US Government.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Is officially shut down. The main sticking point is health care. Democrats want to reverse Medicaid cuts and stop enhanced Obamacare subsidies from expiring.

[Michael Kosta]

But top Republicans say they will not negotiate until the government reopens.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Wait, this is all because of health care? But I thought that hot guy murdering our CEO solved all of this. Look, this is the classic dispute between the parties. Democrats say that the government should help pay for health care, and Republicans say that's what GoFundMe is for. But because the Republicans need Democratic votes to keep the government open, the two parties have to come together. So this moment calls for a serious and sober minded leader like President Trump to work, work with the other side to find compromise with dignity and mutual respect.

[Michael Kosta]

The president last night posted an AI generated video depicting House Minority Leader Hakeem.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Jeffries wearing a sombrero and mustache and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaking in a fake voice.

[Ronny Chieng]

There's no way to sugarcoat it. Nobody likes Democrats anymore. We have no voters left because of all of our woke trans bullshit.

[Guest/Interviewer]

What the. Did I just watch? Trump is making fun of a black man for being Mexican. It's almost too confusing to be rac. It's, it's like putting a headdress on the Twin Towers. I mean, I, I don't even know what you're trying to say. I don't have the racist math skills to solve this equation. I never thought I'd say this, but Donald Trump, can you be better at racism? I mean, what, what's making reality break down even more is that this is the official position of the President of the United States. Is it hilarious?

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Is it professional? No. So let's see the mature, measured response from the Democrats.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's a disgusting video, and we're going.

[Michael Kosta]

To continue to make clear bigotry will get you nowhere.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Finally, some adults in charge. You know what I'd like to see Donald Trump make fun of that.

[Ronny Chieng]

President Trump posting another AI generated video. It's a disgusting video, and we're going.

[Michael Kosta]

To continue to make clear bigotry will get you nowhere. We are fighting to protect the health.

[Ronny Chieng]

Care of the American people in the face of an unprecedented Republican assault.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Goddamn. This makes even less sense, but it's even more funny. What is the bit here? What? So, so Hakeem Jeffries is, is Mexican now, and so is Trump, and, And they stutter. A mariachi band. I mean, maybe this is them coming together. I mean, this is. Maybe this is President President Trump's way of outreach to the other side, like he's trying to signal that they can work out a deal at band practice. I don't know. I don't know. But yes, I, I, I, I hope they do get together soon, because as long as this government is shut down, this is gonna over a lot of people.

[Ronny Chieng]

As many as 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed. Many others will have to report to work but will not get paid. That includes TSA officers.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Wait, TSA officers were getting paid this whole time? Then why are they so angry? Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know Kindles were laptops. All right, Stop yelling at me. And it's not just the TSA this shutdown is also affecting the one thing in America that everyone actually liked.

[Michael Kosta]

Among the big impact of our shutdown are national parks. They will remain partially open, but buildings that require staffing, like visitors centers, well, they will close.

[Ronny Chieng]

The last time there was a shutdown, human waste had been left outside of.

[Guest/Interviewer]

The restrooms with no one there to clean anything up. Yeah, you know what? That makes sense. You know, when the trash can is full and you put your trash next to it to indicate that you at least try to put it in. It's like that, but with shit. This sucks. Because national parks are, like, the one thing in America that's not a left right issue. Everyone, regardless of political party, goes there to enjoy the beauty and splendor of being outside staring at your phone. For more on the shutdown's impact on national parks, we go live through the Grand Canyon with Josh Johnson.

[Michael Kosta]

Josh. Josh.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Josh. What? What's the latest?

[Ronny Chieng]

It's pretty bad, Ronny. The shutdown got everybody stressed out. Smokey Bear already made it through a whole pack of cigarettes. He flicked the butts into the forest and everything. He doesn't care anymore.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Okay, wow, that's horrible. I mean, is it true that people are straight up pooping on the ground outside the bath?

[Ronny Chieng]

Of course not, Ronnie. Have some faith. People aren't pooping outside the bathrooms of the Grand Canyon. No, they're pooping directly into the Grand Canyon.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Wait, wait, how do you even do that?

[Ronny Chieng]

Ronnie, Are you not potty trained? So first you pull your pants down. That's actually gonna be the most important part.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Okay, no, no. I mean, yes, I am fully potty trained. I mean, how, How. How can someone bring themselves to poop in the Grand Canyon? There's just a big hole in the ground. Do they not have holes where you're from?

[Ronny Chieng]

I mean, when you think about it, a canyon is just nature's toilet and.

[Michael Kosta]

The squirrels are its toilet paper.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Okay? What? But isn't it. Isn't it dangerous?

[Ronny Chieng]

For the first few hours it was, people would lose their balance and plunge anus first 6,000ft to their death. But now the poop has reached the top. So good news.

[Guest/Interviewer]

When you fall, you just land on the poop. Okay, are you telling me the Grand Canyon is already full of poop? It's been less than a day.

[Ronny Chieng]

It started with a couple people who just desperately needed to go, but then someone posted it online and it became a kind of viral challenge after that. You know how the Internet is. It's called the Fecal Furlough Challenge.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Okay? Oh, my God, Josh, are you eating chili out of a can? Don't tell me you're trying to take a dump in the Grand Canyon as well. Yeah, man. I'm not gonna be the only guy.

[Ronny Chieng]

Who didn't do it, you know. I don't want people to think I'm weird. Oh.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Oh.

[Ronny Chieng]

It's happening. That's bad chili.

[Guest/Interviewer]

One bite was all it took.

[Michael Kosta]

Oh.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, shit.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Wait.

[Ronny Chieng]

Somebody get me a squirrel.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Oh, wait. Cut the cameras. Just Johnson, everybody.

[Michael Kosta]

Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

When we come back, Michael Klassa will tell you how to get rich. So don't go cooler.

[Michael Kosta]

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[Guest/Interviewer]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. If you want honest and rigorous financial news, then go eat a dick. But if you want to get rich, then you want Michael Kosta in another installment of Costa Doing Business.

[Michael Kosta]

Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo. What up, playas? This is the Costa doing business, and I'm Michael Kosta. Let's make some fat stacks of stanky cash. Okay, but first, I know what you're wondering. Hey, Costa, why do you have a stuffed crow on your head? Are you being pursued by a Mongolian crypto tycoons enforcer who uses hawks to hunt down debtors? And crows are a natural defense system against predatory raptors. Correct. Yo, but enough about crow. It's time to talk dough. All right, now, look. Unemployment is up, inflation is up. Bloodthirsty hawks are up in the sky. So that means in this economy, we gotta start downsizing. Specifically down to the size of a child. Hit me. If you're an adult who sometimes orders food off the children's menu take comfort. You're not alone. A survey finds 44% of grownups choose kids meals to save money and limit their portion sizes. The practice makes even more sense when you consider the rising cost of dining out.

[Guest/Interviewer]

I'm never going to order an adult meal at Culver's ever again.

[Michael Kosta]

The value you get for the kids meal is crazy. That's right. With food prices on the rise, more adults are eating kids foods. So if you see me eating lunchables in my car, just know that's not sad anymore. And it's not just the kids menu. These are all kinds of discounts you can take advantage of pretending you're a child. Movies, aquariums, even flights if you can convince a mom to sit on her lap. Don't forget about education. Why spend 200 grand on college when you can just do what I did and pay ten grand for preschool? Cha Ching. All right. That's the sound of me saving cash and learning all my colors. Especially green. Shout out to Ms. Danielle for taking us to touch a truck day. Sorry, I spent the whole time crying. Anyways, to save in this economy, adults need to keep eating foods for younger and younger kids. Well, Costa smells a cash of tunity. Introducing baby food for adults. Get yourself some kid Costa's Yum Yum pouches. These packets of puree are 100% organic looking. And if you, like me, struggle eating solids because a Mongolian enforcer knocked your teeth out. Well, these Yum Yum pouches are easy on the gums and on the wallet. Oh, God, that is a taste. Okay, you know what? Money Mail alert. Well, you know what that sound means. It's time to take questions from the Money Mailbox. Here we go. Ballortuyangolian.gov writes, where's my money? Oh, let's go to a different question. Doug writes, hey, Kosta, I'm sick of my job, but I'm scared to quit. What should I do? Great question, Dougie style. And it turns out you are not alone. I said, hit me. As the labor market grinds to a slower pace, job hopping has been given way to job hugging. That's the term some career experts have coined for employees hanging onto a position.

[Ronny Chieng]

For longer than planned. Rising unemployment, small wage growth, and overall economic uncertainty are main factors causing people.

[Michael Kosta]

To cling to their jobs. Have you hugged your job lately? Yes. Job hugging. Not to be confused with hugging on the job, which HR tells you is absolutely not allowed, even though it's not a sexual thing at all. You know, sometimes as a human, you just long to be held, to be comforted, to feel the warm embrace of another soul. And you're not alone in this world. I mean, why do we have these rules that say just because you're in an office, you shouldn't experience one iota of platonic affection? I mean, is it so wrong for one of God's creatures to share a hug with an intern? And for that. And for that, you're told to go to Meredith's office to watch the training video again? It's my fourth viewing. When are you gonna realize I'm not gonna get it? I'm a hugger anyways. This is about job hugging. Totally different concepts. So if you want to keep your job, you gotta be prepared to stay at your desk. No leaving ever. That's why I'm going long on medical toilet chairs. All right, now, look. Your office mates might ask, is that human shit I smell? No. It's the stench of job security. Now get out of my office, Meredith. Yeah, moving on. If you want to master the market, you got to know where to look for economic indicators. Because sometimes they could be staring at you right in the face. Specifically, the mouth part. Hit me.

[Ronny Chieng]

The tooth fairy is tightening his budget.

[Michael Kosta]

Not leaving as much under the pillow as he used to.

[Ronny Chieng]

Delta Dental's annual Original Tooth Fairy poll finds kids are getting, on average, just.

[Michael Kosta]

A little over five bucks per tooth.

[Ronny Chieng]

The average payoff for a tooth loss has fallen 14%. And that is one of the steepest.

[Michael Kosta]

Declines since Delta started tracking toothpaste 27 years ago. Damn. You know, losing teeth is how kids stash cash. So let me talk to all the children over here at the Costa Kids Camp. Come here.

[Ronny Chieng]

Hey, hey.

[Michael Kosta]

Hey there, little slugger. I know, I know. You're pretty sad that your molars aren't bringing in the moolah like they used to. So Uncle Mikey's gonna tell you what to do, all right? You gotta go all in on dog teeth. All right? Now listen. This is a volume play, kids. If the individual, you need to be putting teeth under your pillow 3, 4, 5 times a week to make up the difference. If you want 9K, you gotta round up some K9s, okay? And you know what? And I know what you're saying, but Uncle M. Where am I gonna get a hand? Where am I gonna get my hands on a jowl full of Fido fangs? Unfortunately, that's something for legal purposes you'll have to figure out on your own. My lawyers informed me that telling children to rifle through a vet clinic's bio waste dumpster is something I can't do. Again, moving on. This hits home because it's about Costco, and I've been a costco member from 2004 to 2008, then again from 2012 to 2014, then 2019 until 2023. It's been a tough road. Anyways, hit me. Well, this next story gives a whole.

[Ronny Chieng]

New meaning to popping bottles. Costco is sounding the alarm about spontaneously shattering bottles of Prosecco. They were sold in 12 states across the Midwest and South between April and August.

[Michael Kosta]

They're being recalled, but Costco does not want them back.

[Ronny Chieng]

Costco's warned unopened bottles are at risk of shattering, even when left on a shelf.

[Michael Kosta]

Ouch. Looks like grandma's mimosa just became a Bloody Mary. Oh, but let's be real. If you're buying Kirkland Prosecco in bulk from an Ohio Costco, you're lapping that shit up, even if it's spilled on your driveway. That's why I'm going all in on tongue bandages, because what? Are you gonna let ingesting a little broken glass stop you from saving $4? Hell, no. Oh, you know what that sound means. Time to put the old crow hat on and call her a day. Sure, I may live every waking moment in fear of a murderous bird, but, hey, that's just the cost of doing business, you know? Hey, it's Ashley, right? Oh, come here. Give me a hug. You go to Hofstra. Come on. Come here. Come on.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Thank you, Michael. When we come back, Vinnie Safka will be joining me on the show, so don't go.

[Michael Kosta]

Your sausage McMuffin with egg didn't change your receipt, did the sausage McMuffin with egg extra value meal includes a hash.

[Ronny Chieng]

Brown and a small coffee for just $5 only at McDonald's for a limited time.

[Michael Kosta]

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[Guest/Interviewer]

Welcome back to the Daily Show. My guest tonight is a critically acclaimed writer and director whose new film is called the Smashing Machine. Please welcome the one and only Benny Safdie. Oh, my. Go. Standing ovation. New York's own standing ovation for the Ben Safdie.

[Ronny Chieng]

That is awesome. Thank you.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Wow. Yeah, that's how I feel every day. No, that was amazing. You saw that clip.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes.

[Guest/Interviewer]

And it was. People were so in it, they. They felt the pain of the punch.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes.

[Guest/Interviewer]

And the crowd went out.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes.

[Guest/Interviewer]

And for a second, we all forgot we're watching a movie.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's amazing. Well, that's what I wanted it to. I wanted you to be there. That was the goal, you know, with this movie, is put you in the best seat in the house, which is ringside.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Sure.

[Ronny Chieng]

You know, but it's interesting if you look at it. You weren't in the ring in that. No, because I very like specifically wanted to be outside looking in. Because if I was actually there filming it, you would see a camera person if you went into the ring, which makes sense.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Right. You know, which is also how like every other fight movie would do it. Would do it.

[Ronny Chieng]

And so I was like, can I make it so that you're in there without being inside? And then I use the ropes, I use everything to kind of hide some tricks so that when that punch happens.

[Guest/Interviewer]

You feel it, you know, and they definitely felt it.

[Ronny Chieng]

I know. I was excited to hear that reaction.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yeah. And you also shoot a lot of long lens. You shoot like, can you. What was your kind of process for mapping out how to shoot this story?

[Ronny Chieng]

So essentially I would approach each scene and be like, okay, what if we were here? How would we film this? And with Maceo Bishop, the cinematographer, we would game plan and figure out how the best shots we could get, different angles and all that. And basically with the long lens, you know, I felt like you can kind of pull an audience in with that, which kind of seems counterproductive, but something about being attached to the character. If you can get close to them, then you kind of want to lean in and get around the ropes that. And see around things.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Sure. Well, it's. I mean, to my naive. It seems a little counterintuitive because you figure if you want to get close to the character, you just get close, but then you're shooting it as though we. You're a camera person covering the actual event.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes. So it situates you in a perfect pov. Like, okay, this is. I know somebody's there and they're filming it. So now you're in their head looking at it. And that kind of process puts you in a special place when you watch it.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Well, this is why this. You are you. Because I wouldn't have thought of doing that. And it friggin worked. Cause I watched the whole film and it's great.

[Ronny Chieng]

That's Amazing.

[Guest/Interviewer]

And the other thing about this film, obviously, you gotta talk about the Rock.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, my God.

[Guest/Interviewer]

And he comes in and he embodies this character so much. Because for me, the Rock is such a familiar figure in pop culture. Especially when you get him in wrestling underwear.

[Ronny Chieng]

Of course. No, it's true.

[Guest/Interviewer]

The way he moves as the Rock. We all. In our head, we all know. We've seen it so many times. And in fact, just by his gait, you can recognize him.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

In this movie, he changed his gait. He changed.

[Ronny Chieng]

He changed how he walked. Something that was really difficult was if you look at pictures of Mark Kerr back in the day, he was a big guy. Yeah, Dwayne's a big guy. But Mark was a little bit bigger. And so I had to.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Is that even possible? How do you think? No.

[Ronny Chieng]

And so I'm thinking. I'm like, how do I bring this up, you know, to Dwayne?

[Guest/Interviewer]

Just say, you're not big enough.

[Ronny Chieng]

And so I just said, you know what? Exactly. I said, you know what I said? So I said, dwayne, I said, as we get closer, maybe you could get a little. How do I say it? I was like, puffier, you know, like, bigger. Sure. And he's like, oh, okay. He goes, give me 24 hours to, like, process that. And then he's like, I know exactly what you mean. And then he put on, like, 30, 40 pounds of muscle to, like. And because it's not normal muscle, his shoulders are huge, his legs are big, but his waist is tight. Because he's like a wrestler, you know, so. But like a freestyle wrestler. Not like the performative wrestling, which is what he would do.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Oh, so he actually changed the way he bulked up things.

[Ronny Chieng]

Exactly. So he had to literally, like, you're picking people up and throwing them down. Interesting thing I said to the real marker, I wanted him to take me down so that he knew what it felt like. And he's like, I'm not gonna do that.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Cause you would snap in half.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes, I would get destroyed. But the stunt coordinator, Greg Rementer, was like, I'll do it. And so literally.

[Guest/Interviewer]

And now that guy's dead.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes, exactly. But he did it. And it's a really remarkable thing. You're standing there, and then a half a second later, you're like, okay, here I go. And you're just down. Sure. There's nothing you could do.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Right.

[Ronny Chieng]

Cause the fights were physical. And that was another thing. I wanted to know what that felt like, because I'm gonna be asking these guys to get in there and do that. You know, there's a level of physicality. Sometimes they're not getting punched in the face. But he did get punched at the very. Towards the end of the movie. He really got punched. Cause I was like, I don't want to cut away. And that's another hard conversation to have.

[Guest/Interviewer]

That I need you to get punched in the face for this thing.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yes.

[Guest/Interviewer]

But, I mean, he committed so hard. I'm sure that wasn't a.

[Ronny Chieng]

He knew he had to. That's what he actually brought up to me. The hard part was reminding him that he said that early on.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Right. And did you have. Were you working with him in the characterization for him to embody it for sure, or was he off on his own and then he come back and do.

[Ronny Chieng]

As I was writing it, I was talking to Dwayne the whole time. And I was also talking to Mark, too. Because I felt, if I'm gonna tell this story, I gotta get to know Mark. And Duane and I, at that point, had gotten very close. And it really was just like there was this shared experience, you know, which is strange because we have very different, you know, upbringings. But there was something that I really felt connected to with both him and Mark. And I could sense that we all felt the same thing. And so I was like, okay, there's something to explore here. You know, there's a shared, like, human experience that I could get into.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Do you want me asking, what was that thing?

[Ronny Chieng]

It's okay. It's.

[Guest/Interviewer]

What do you have in common with the Rock?

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay, so, yes, it's the fact. And it's actually a little sad, but so I know what it feels like to have a kind of deep pain inside of you and have to go out in front of everybody and act like it's not there, you know, but it's always there. And it's something that, you know is there, but for the benefit of other people. You're like. And it's also. You're not gonna let yourself be defined by that. And that's something that I think Mark Kerr felt. And I felt Dwayne had a relationship to that as well. And it was something that, like, okay, this is something that I want to explore. I want to feel what he feels like. And so that's why with the movie, I felt, let me give you what the life was like. And I'm going to give it to you in all of its realness. And then hopefully, you can take the clues from the stuff that happens in his life. Mark's Life. And then come to a realization at the end of the movie about life, you know, that, like, maybe things can be really bad, but you'll be okay. You know, like life, we're alive and. Isn't that great? Sure.

[Guest/Interviewer]

You know, And I mean, that's what's interesting about this film, what you just said, is that to me, I mean, on the surface, it looks. Even the title, the Smashing Machine, you figure it's gonna be a fight movie.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

And it's more like a character movie with. That happens to be about this guy who fights. Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

Cause, like, I had done a lot of boxing, I was gonna play a boxer in something, and so I said, well, I gotta learn how to do that. And so I got into a boxing gym, did sparring, got my ass kicked. And I loved it, you know, thank you very much. And somebody's like, you wanna do it again? I'm like, yes. And there's really no explanation to that. I don't know what it is. Something about it makes you feel alive. Sure. The bad part is forgetting words, you know, but that's. That's.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yeah, brain damage is the downside. Yeah, brain damage is the downside.

[Ronny Chieng]

I don't even know where I went see there. Whatever that was. But basically what I realized is I got close to some of these fighters and I would go and see them fight.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Ronny Chieng]

And what made it so exciting to me was, win or lose, I was connected to the person inside the ring.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Ronny Chieng]

So that's what the movie I try to do, is I try to put you in a place of deep connection with Mark so that when he gets in the ring, you feel the butterflies or you feel the weight of everything he has outside of it. So you understand this is what it's like to be a fighter. I wanted it to be very truthful in that.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Sure. I mean, it is truthful and it is super engaging. I mean, I would say almost in a surprising way.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

But what's also cool is that you actually, aesthetically, the movie looks cool. And as someone who, I mean, just not to cast aspersions here, but, like, I think the MMA world is sometimes kind of tacky looking.

[Ronny Chieng]

Yeah.

[Guest/Interviewer]

You know, like, it gets a little. These guys aren't known for their aesthetics a lot.

[Ronny Chieng]

But the thing is, Mark was very aware of how he wanted to present himself. You know, he got a really expensive suit for his press conference. He wears this sick Nautica yellow sweat.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Ronny Chieng]

You know.

[Guest/Interviewer]

No, he was street wear fan. I'm saying how you shot this movie Versus how? Like, let's say, a certain MMA company.

[Ronny Chieng]

I know exactly what you mean.

[Guest/Interviewer]

If they were to make this movie.

[Ronny Chieng]

It would be very different.

[Guest/Interviewer]

It would be very different. And some. But say shitty.

[Ronny Chieng]

Okay. And to that point, I wanted. So I chose 16 millimeter to shoot this on because aesthetically, it has a feeling. Everybody remembers what 2000 feels like. It's a very close time period, but it's actually a long time ago. So what I wanted to do is I wanted to evoke what that feels like. And how do you do that? And it's with sound, it's with music, the songs that are playing on the radio. But it's the way it looks. There's something about the way it looks that I just thought felt right. And I wanted it to look really nice. I wanted it to be lit well. I wanted. We looked at all these photographs, like Gary Winogrand photographs, Like, it was a very aesthetic thing. So I'm happy you saw that. And a lot of old documentaries that were made on 16 millimeter, I think just deep down, what that does is you watch something that isn't shot on DV or digital, and you think, how did they do that? Because they're walking around with a film camera that, you know, only has a certain amount of time in it, and yet they're there and they're editing it, and you think there's something else happening here. So we took that and we shot it on 16 millimeter. Did a bunch of stuff to it to make it look the way it does.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Sure.

[Ronny Chieng]

To get. Because there's some grain that we wanted to get rid of.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Because I wanted to Snapchat filled up.

[Ronny Chieng]

You just put a. Yeah, exactly. Just throw that through and then just like, print it out. And then we. But I wanted the beginning of the movie starts out like a big YouTube. So we shot it on the cameras that they shot those fights on. So then we go from there. So you're watching it on YouTube, and then it hard cuts to 16 millimeter, where it's clear but evocative of this kind of dreamscape.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Sure.

[Ronny Chieng]

And then we also use 65 millimeter for a section of the movie as well. So you go through this journey of resolution, which sounds really exciting.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Yeah, it is. It looks great. And the way you talk about film is so exciting. And I don't know if you have any kind of like. Like perspective on this idea. That kind of American cinema is kind of in a down slope in terms of quality and storytelling and whatever. Like, do you agree with that? Is that just. Oh, so you do agree? I don't know.

[Ronny Chieng]

I don't know.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Sometimes we have, like, nostalgia bias.

[Ronny Chieng]

Oh, yes, that's true.

[Guest/Interviewer]

We tend to think that it was always better back then, for sure. And I got to ask a few people from that school of filmmaking, was it better back then, or. We just, you know. And they said they didn't really feel that way, you know?

[Ronny Chieng]

Well, I think it's harder because now there's so much out there and there's so much stuff to watch that it gets overwhelming. And so what do you do to break through in that? And then you bring in AI and all this stuff, and it gets even more complicated. So to me, it's just about humanity. You have to focus on emotions and human beings because we're here. This is what's important.

[Guest/Interviewer]

This is actually AI, right?

[Ronny Chieng]

Is it? Okay, I didn't know you can all. But I just think that that's the thing is focusing on stories that you can kind of get into. And for this, I really wanted it to be, like, really get into the emotional vibe of the whole thing and feel these fights and really just kind of, like, take it to another level. And that's what movies do. But I wanted to just really make it feel like it was really happening. Even though everything is telling you it's not right.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Well, hey, I mean, you definitely succeeded in doing that. You make it sound so easy, but, you know, it's about telling stories. But everyone tries to do that, and very fun. A few people can accomplish it, and you did with this film. Thanks for making it. Thanks for putting your heart into it, and thanks for coming on the show. Thank you so much. The Smashing Machine will be in theaters nationwide October 3rd. Benny Savage, everybody.

[Michael Kosta]

We're gonna take a quick break.

[Guest/Interviewer]

We'll be right back after this. I could talk to you.

[Ronny Chieng]

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[Guest/Interviewer]

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[Ronny Chieng]

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[Guest/Interviewer]

Learn [e-mail] Business Platinum.

[Ronny Chieng]

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[Guest/Interviewer]

Hey, that's our show for the night. Now here it is, your moment of Zen.

[Ronny Chieng]

My favorite animal everybody thinks is a chimpanzee, but it's not true. Chimpanzees are so like people that, you know, some chimpanzees are really not nice at all. Just like some people are really not nice. My favorite animal altogether is a dog, because dogs have taught me so much and dogs are so faithful and dogs give unconditional love. And I don't like to think of a world without dogs.

[Michael Kosta]

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.

[Guest/Interviewer]

Plus.

[Michael Kosta]

This has been a Comedy Central podcast. Limu Emu and Doug Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual.

[Ronny Chieng]

Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Michael Kosta]

Cut the camera.

[Ronny Chieng]

They see us. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty Savings vary underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates.

[Michael Kosta]

Excludes Massachusetts.