It's the start of the FIFA Women's World Cup! Daily Show correspondents Desi Lydic and Hasan Minhaj argue that the US Women's Soccer Team should get to over-celebrate and make as much money as the men's team. Plus, Women's World Cup champions, Abby Wambach and Megan Rapinoe, encourage female soccer players to fight for pay equity.
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In the past few years, there's been a lot of talk about America losing its standing in the world economically, diplomatically, grammatically, But yesterday the US showed there's at least one place they can still kick ass.
It was a day of record setting domination on the world stage for the US women As the Women's World Cup kicks off in France, the US women's soccer team is showing no mercy and making history in the US.
It's free, nothing, sex, nothing, don't ye nothing, percepts ten nothing in your last.
Test eleven stup the defending champions, posting the tournament's largest margin of victory ever, shutting out Thailand thirteen to nothing.
Wow, fourteen to nothing.
That's not a soccer score. America basically won by a touchdown, a field goal, and a three points are combined. Like they were dominating so hot. This was their goalie during the game.
And it's crazy because.
If you go are soccer in the world, you're like, this is madness. Americans were like.
This is how soccer should be.
I do feel a little bad, though, right because this is the worst thing to ever happen to a Tai soccer team, and yes, I'm including the one that got stuck in the cave. Yeah, because at least the cave wasn't celebrating in front of them. You guys are stuck in me. So this was a historic win for the US women's soccer team, but some people say it might have been a little too much winning.
A lot of controversy orler how the women of TVUSA celebrated over that record breaking win over Thailand. Critics say the team showed poor sportsmanship by continuing to score then celebrate, Some calling Team USA's behavior embarrassing, overboard and disrespectful. That target that they already had on their back as defending champions that just got a whole lot bigger.
They have now painted themselves as villains and as bullies.
Okay, I get what people are saying, right, they're saying that the US beat this team so hard they should have been more sensors not celebrating every single goal. But I mean, at the same time, sometimes taking pitsy can be worse than celebrating. You know, it's patronizing. Like imagine you're in a rat battle and you're losing, and then the other MC's like and another thing wait wait are you okay?
Oh?
I totally crushed you with that line about your mom. Or hey, I can talk if you need to. Do you wanna hug?
Do you wanna hug?
So the big question is has this tarnished the reputation of US women's soccer. Well from all on this, we're joined by someone who's embarrassed America many times while overseas does he like everybody? People are saying the US women's soccer team was unsportsmanlike.
Do you agree?
No?
No, they were not being unsportsmanlike, Trevor. They were being American. Our slogan is America. Yeah, not not America. Oh sorry, we won. We're the country that won of war two hundred years ago and we're still shooting off fireworks to rubin in Britain's face.
So you're saying, it's not arrogance, that's just how America rolls exactly.
It's how we roll on the battlefield, is how we roll on the soccer field, is how we roll. At her daughter's piano recital, which she totally won.
By the way, DESI, I don't think you can win a piano recital, No you do.
If all the other parents' cars get their tire slashed, and suddenly Orchestra Knight becomes Tiffany Knight. I love you, sweetie. You made Beethoven your bitch.
Okay, you're a good mom, I guess, daisy Ah. But don't you feel even a little bad for Thailand's team?
What Thailand?
No, this has nothing to do with them. Our women weren't playing against Thailand. They were playing against the patriarchy. That's what this game was really about.
Well, last time I checked, the patriarchy wasn't made up of thirteen Thai women.
No, no, no, no, no, I'm talking about this.
Eight players are suing their employer, the US Soccer Federation, alleging institutionalized gender discrimination.
According to their lawsuit, the women's team earns just thirty eight percent of a male player for the same kind of work.
The women scored more goals in one match than the men's team has scored in every World Cup appearance since two thousand and six combined.
You see that the women's soccer team is doing so much more and getting paid so much less than the men's team. It's like finding out that Tony Stark got paid less than Hawkey. One's a superhero. The others a dad who's into archery. Yesterday was about the women's team trying to prove their worth. They weren't just playing to win a game, they were playing to win a lawsuit. And yeah, you know, it sucks that Thailand had to get caught in the crossfire. But it's like I said to the parents at my kids' music school, it's not personal and I'll pay for your tires.
So you're saying the women's team was just sending a message to US Soccer.
Yes, and clearly that message is that they need to be paid more. Oh and I don't know, maybe US Soccer should pay the men less. Maybe they then be motivated to.
Actually qualify for their World Cup.
Let's talk about women's soccer players. They're the big stars in the States, with all the money and the glory of the men, well except for the money pots. As Assamnaj reports, superstar athletes have the life.
We're talking cars, jets, even their pet albino tigers get cars. But not all pro athletes are happy with the big bucks.
In fact, the.
Women's soccer team is taking legal action because they.
Want more players in the US women's national soccer teams.
Say they're being.
Discriminated against because.
They make less than members of the men's team.
Filed a federal complaint against the US Soccer Federation.
I sat down with three members of the US women's soccer team to find out why they're being so greedy.
We're not being greedy. We're just fighting for what's right.
Our contributions to the federation should be seen as equal to what the men have done.
Fine, whatever, but you need to understand that the men made it to the round of sixteen in the World Cup.
Well, we've won three World Cups.
Well, they are ranked thirtieth in the world. We're ranked number one.
They play with so much.
Passion, we have four Olympic gold medals.
Humble brags. Okay, but how much less could their pay possibly be?
If we win a match, we get thirteen hundred dollars and then they get around seventeen thousand dollars.
Whoa.
If the men's loses, they make five thousand dollars.
Five geez, if you lose, could you imagine having.
That much money? Can't really imagine it because we don't get paid anything if we lose.
Maybe that's why you guys don't lose Silver lining any why don't you guys just pick up second jobs uber driving after your guys' games. Searge pricing will definitely be high boom, you're driving fans home at one point five maybe two three x oh.
Time to go be an uber driver. We put in our time to win gold medals for this team.
Well, the US Soccer Federation has their own interpretation of the pay differences.
The bottom line is the women want them to level the playing field.
Oh and they also want them to literally level the playing field. They're constantly forced to play on AstroTurf, even at the World.
Cup, something that the men's team has never had to do.
They don't play a turf that one game.
Others would argue that the women's soccer team should be grateful just to play. Like Gavin McGinnis. Sure he looks like an art school dropout with the Shin's cover band, but he has his own show and is a Fox News contributor.
Women do earn less in America because they choose to yep.
Not surprisingly, he thinks the women's lawsuit is a waste of time.
Men's soccer has been getting ten times the eyeballs.
You know what I'm gonna let the ladies handle this one.
Well, we actually broke the record for the most latch soccer game in the history of America between men or women.
You're playing a man's game by man's rules. This is the way it is in our world.
You gotta earn it.
Now.
We've brought in what seventeen million this past year.
The men lost two million dollars in profit for the federation this last year.
US men's soccer still gets a lot more enthusiasm.
Now why is that?
Is that because.
Men's soccer is more interesting, more exciting.
Yeavin, you're down to nothing. You know what, Let me try to help you. Name three US men's soccer players current. We have Bobby Daniels. Bobby Daniels, Okay, let's check the list. Nope, not a player.
Ziggler Norris also not a player, and a.
Guy we've known to everyone in the Junebug.
Come on, man, if you're gonna make up fake names, do better than Junebu.
If Luna takes like this or against the women, who's on their side?
Billy Jian King?
I mean, she's done so much for women's work.
Who's that tennis player?
I don't, I don't tennis star Billy Jean King has long been campaigning for women's rides.
Damn turns out Billy Jen King is a badass tennis player, but also she paved the way for equal paying tennis when she defeated Bobby Riggs in the nineteen seventy three Battle of the Sexes.
Let me get this straight.
All you did was defeat a man, and now you have equal pan tennis.
Prom's alf It wasn't easy peasy man.
When I played Bobby Riggs, that was about social change. Our racial prize money was about eight to one, and I think the women's soccer is four to one.
And I know what you're gonna say, improvement, Yeah.
Improvements, not enough.
We're so to be so happy if we get one crumb.
Oh thank you. I am so grateful. We deserve the cake, the icing, and the cherry on top two, just like the boys.
So let's put some cleats on you. You play the men and let's get them ladies paid.
You're missing the point, Okay.
I will play the women.
Do you honestly think you can keep up with the women's soccer players?
Seriously, we will do a Battle of the Sexes BJK style because it.
Worked for texts.
No, we'd crush you.
Bobby Riggs was a champion in his sport.
We didn't even know who you were until today.
I played two years of as so fine, I was in the pot pick and I have also won trophies for effort.
This is definitely a different level than that.
Okay, fine, So the Battle of the sexes is a bad idea. What else can we do?
People have to get to know us, so we need to really get behind women. Get behind them with money, exposure, give them more commercial.
Commercial Yes, I can see it now.
You can defy the odds the.
Od I became one of the best players in the world at the age of seventeen.
You can be great.
A start, a game winning PK and a World Cup.
You can make his We won three World Cups and four Olympic gold medals.
You can aspire to be less than Wait what did you say?
You can be just.
As good as any other person, as long as that person doesn't have a penis.
Are you kidding me?
And for all that hard work, you can make four times less than a man.
I don't think so.
You can treat it equally.
You can give us grasps. The playoffs you can pay us what we deserve.
Yes, do it, Please enjoy it.
Is a two time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA Women's World Cup champion. She's also an activist and best selling author, whose latest book is called Wolf Peck How to Come Together, Unleasha Power and Change the Game. Please welcome Abby, Wow, all for you, All.
For you, Thank you, Welcome to your intivation. You have an amazing audience.
Yes they will be receiving that money I promised them. Welcome to the show. Thank you, and congratulations on the book. Let's talk about the book because it really speaks about everything that you've done in your life and everything that we deal with. Many people know you as a really successful soccer player who in many ways led the US women's soccer team to some of its greatest victories. You know, your head in the World Cup against Brazil is one of the most famous ones. But the conversations in this book speak about many of the conversations that people are still having today about women's soccer in the US. And that is why is the women's team not getting paid what they are owed, in other words, equal pay for the work that they're doing.
It's insane. You know, I really feel like this is a true discrimination lawsuit that they've just filed against US Soccer, and I'm proud to be supporting them. But here's the thing. The big argument right that I hear is that the men's team brings in more money, so of course that's why they should deserve to make more money. But that's just not true. In twenty fifteen, the women's team brought in six point six million dollars and the men's team only brought in two.
If you look at the book, it's based on a commencement speech that you gave that really went viral, you know, because it connected with so many people. And one of the quotes in the book reminds me of what you said in that speech, and that was when you were looking at yourself on a stage at the SP's. It was yourself, and it was Kobe Bryant, and it was Peyton Manning and you all on the stage being honored as legends in your fields. And you walked off that stage and you had a very civic thought, and that thought was, Wow, all three.
Of us are walking into very different retirements on stage. I was feeling this immense amount of gratitude like, Wow, we women had finally made it, you know. And what I realized when I walked off stage is that's like basically the emotion that women are granted to feel when they are given an award, this idea of just being grateful. So for me writing this book and trying to unpack some of these moments in my life that taught me things. I mean, that night is when I dedicated and I promised myself that I would dedicate myself for the rest of my life to fighting for equality, whether it be equal pay in my sport and for my team, but also for every women and every industry because this is a fight that is necessary, and it's not necessary just because women deserve it. It's necessary for all people everywhere, right because our world feels like I mean, you talk about all the things that seem to be on fire, right, that seemed to be going wrong, and I believe that women having more access to the tables where decisions are made that will help this world better to be better.
Really is interesting that you that you bring that up, because this is this is a really interesting part of the book. It's right at the beginning and and it's just a beautiful little anecdote. You go recently on a call with a company hiring me to teach about leadership. A man said, excuse me, Abby, I just need to ensure that what you present is applicable to men too. I said, good question, But only if you asked every male speaker you've hired if his message is applicable to women too, which is a really powerful thought that you don't think about. People will often say that, They'll be like, oh, man, yes, the do the men understand women leadership? Yes?
Well, And also this was like a women leadership conference, and I was wow, so like for this dude to like say this on the call, and I'm saving him from from actually putting this company out in his name. But but the reality is, like, these microaggressions happen all the time, and I think what we need to start doing is becoming aware of what these microaggressions are. That's what this whole book is about, and then having the courage and the language to be able to counteract some of these things that we are interacting with in the everyday life. So me asking him that very question, my wife is the best at this. She's like, just flip it, just flip the scenario.
Put yourself in their.
Position, yes, and if it is not equal, then that is prejudice, that is treating somebody less than.
There's a part of the book where you specifically say, Hey, if you are a man reading this book, I hope you realize this book is for you as well. This is a message we all have to engage in. And you speak specifically about the wolves in Yellowstone, right, And it's a story many people know or don't know what it's about. How in Yellowstone they were struggling with overpopulation of deers, and the deer were destroying everything, that were eating everything. They had no predator, and so the people said, we need to introduce wolves.
Yeah, the rivers stopped running, right, And so this decided that the scientists decided that they would reintroduce wolves into the Aliston National Park ecosystem. And soon enough the wolves they displace the deer through hunting, and then the vegetation grew back and the riverbank started to strengthen, and then the river started to run again. And so when I was giving this speech at Barnard last May, I was hoping that these Barnard graduates would get the connection between what the wolves were experiencing like what they You know, wolves are worth threat to the system, and they ended up being the salvation of this dying ecosystem, and so too, can we as women be the salvation of what's happening in our system right now.
It's a really beautiful message.
It's a powerful book.
I'm excited for the journey that you're going to be on. Thank you so much for being on the show.
Thank you.
Today I spoke with Meghan Rapino, a two time World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist. She opened up about her activism, her success on the soccer field, and so much more. Megan Rapino, Welcome to the Daily Social Distancing Show.
I'm a big fan. I'm very excited to be here. It's exciting.
I am a bigger fan now that I see what you're wearing. Because as a fan of hoodies, I am partial to the hoodie game. That's a pretty dope hoodie. I like that.
Yeah, it's a good one Chinatown Market. It's you know, nice and colorful. It's comfy. I'm probably sweating underneath, but you can't tell all.
That's what makes hoodies the best. No one knows what's happening underneath what matters is what you look like. That's all that matters. Welcome to the show, And before we get into it, congratulations on your recent engagements.
Thank you, thank you very much. We're both very excited.
You engage with somebody now who has a list of achievements that could only be matched by yours. So, on your side, you have won two World Cups, an Olympic gold medal, one ballon d'Or. Sue, on her side, has won four w NBA titles, four Olympic gold medals, and four fever World Cups. Question is in the IKEA like bookshelf, who gets to put the trophies? Where is that? Like? Is there like priority?
Even my mom we first got together, She's like I googled Sue and like You're really not that impressive anymore. I know this is crazy. It's probably be like percentage. So I'll like, have you know, my little sliver of like twenty percent and then like Sue's gonna take up the rest of the Yeah.
I like that.
There's no lie that there has been a pay disparity between people of different genders and different races. You know, in sports, it's really interesting because you know people always go like, oh, well, I mean it's about income and it's about revenue. People don't go to the games as much, the women's games. That's why they don't get paid as much. It's not us, it's the fans who are not going. How do you handle that dispute and how do you try and educate, you know, onlookers who are just going like, well, Megan, I don't know who's rights and who's wrong in this thing. I mean, I understand what these owners are saying, but I understand what you were saying. How do you handle that side of the arguments to win people over?
I think when in sports we often go to like what's your salary and how many people are watching you or how many people in the stadium, But it really starts a lot before that. You have to think of it like a business that needs to be invested in. And you know, if the NBA is getting a billion dollars of investment, the WNBA is getting, you know, even one hundred million dollars of investment, Like one business is going to be more successful if you spend more on your marketing person and your branding person and you're taking your CEO and you have all these people, like the business is going to run better. So by the time we get to the game, we've been so underinvested in or at such a disadvantage the whole time. Like it's shocking that we have as much success as we do or as popular as we do as we are. I think it's like, let's understand the entire picture before we just go to the very last stage and be like, well, see, no one wants to come.
I also love that your fight has inspired other women, and you talk about this in your book, and you know, you've shared the story your aunt told you that she fought for her pay when she saw you fighting for yours? What was that like? And like what did she do in her world? That changed everything?
To know that, like she found herself in our fight. Yeah, it made me really emotional. Was a really touching moment. I think that's the probably the most rewarding and the most important part out of our team's fight with the federation and the lawsuits and the equal pay fight. Is like, yeah, of course we're doing it on our behalf, but still in the grand scheme, like we're so privileged, we still make a lot of money. We're still like superstars of some kind, but for so many women out there, like it's my aunt in her job, it's you know, a domestic worker, or it's a restaurant workers. It's so difficult to do these things, even in our position, it's difficult. So to know that we've inspired or at least made people think, you know, down to every single level, is like, that's the biggest win. I think that we could have.
The title of your newly released memoir is One Life, which I think is very misleading because I feel like you've lived many lives. You share so many inspiring heartfelts and painful experiences from your journey, you know, I mean just some of the stories that stick out for me is you know, the moment when you realize that your dad is a Trump supporter and yourself and your twin sister, who are both gay, say hey this this breaks our hearts and you have to deal with that with somebody that you love. Do you have any tips or tricks on how to mend the wounds between family members who've been ripped apart because of politics.
I just tried to keep talking. I still like, obviously have this relationship. I love him, and while it's painful, of course, and it was painful to know that, you know, we would have voted for someone like that and supported him for a lot of years. I don't think you voted for him this year, which which I'm thankful for. But it's like we can't just not talk to each other. I mean, it's it's obviously a tough time for everyone right now, knowing it's that, what's seventy one million people something voted for someone who's just viewed hatred and chaos and disaster and we have, you know, approaching two hundred and fifty thousand people dead from COVID and all of these things. To know that someone supports that like that, clearly there's much more to it that I think we need to dig into and have more conversation with, just as family, as friends, as a nation, as everybody.
I thank you for sharing your book. Truly, Truly, Truly is something that I think everybody should read. They're going to love you even more, You're going to be You're gonna have even more fans, and you're probably gonna have to build like an extra trophy cabinet because of all the awards the book is probably gonna win as well. So tell us Sue to make some space for those extra trophies and congrats on the hoodie. Thank you so much for joining Megan, I appreciate you.
Thank you.
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