1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Hello Sunshine. 2 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 2: Hey, bestie is today on the bright Side. This conversation 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:10,800 Speaker 2: was so nice we had to play it twice. Today 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 2: we're bringing you an encore of our chat with legendary 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 2: journalist Connie Chung. She tells us about her early days 6 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 2: as a pioneering Asian American journalist, how she code switched 7 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,479 Speaker 2: in a male dominated environment, plus her signature word of 8 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 2: advice that might surprise you. It's Monday, December thirtieth. I'm 9 00:00:28,760 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 2: Simone Boyce, I'm. 10 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 3: Danielle Robe and this is the bright Side from Hello Sunshine, 11 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:36,919 Speaker 3: a daily show where we come together to share women's stories, 12 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:41,480 Speaker 3: to laugh, learn and brighten your day. On my Mind 13 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 3: Monday is brought to you by Missus Meyers Clean Day 14 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 3: inspired by the goodness of the garden. 15 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 2: It's on my Mind Monday, y'all, our opportunity to start 16 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,440 Speaker 2: the week off with some fresh energy and something that 17 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 2: motivates us, inspires curiosity, and provides a fresh perspective. 18 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 4: Danielle, what's on your mind today? 19 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 3: Okay, before I tell you what's on my mind, I 20 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,959 Speaker 3: have a question for you. Two questions actually, the first 21 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 3: is what compliment means the most to you? And the 22 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 3: second is what compliment is the hardest for you to 23 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 3: take or hear. 24 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 2: The compliments that mean the most to me have to 25 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 2: do with my brain, my integrity, or my skills as 26 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 2: a parent. And the compliment that's hardest for me to hear, 27 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 2: I actually am. 28 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: Or like one that makes you uncomfortable. 29 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:33,759 Speaker 4: Let me read for it makes me uncomfortable. Yeah, oh 30 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 4: my gosh. 31 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 2: I mean I can think of so many compliments that 32 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 2: have been if you can even call it that, you know, 33 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,360 Speaker 2: that have been handed to me over the years that 34 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 2: have made me uncomfortable. But I think anything related to 35 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 2: my appearance, it's not even then it makes me uncomfortable. 36 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 2: It's just like, Okay, yeah, I get it, that's the 37 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 2: first thing you notice. But let's go let's go deeper, 38 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 2: you know. 39 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 3: So I think what you just shared is how so 40 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 3: many people feel. And you know, I have that card 41 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 3: game question everything, and that's one of the questions in there. 42 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 3: It's a double question. And I put it in there 43 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 3: because I think compliments and criticism are at the heart 44 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 3: of our relationships and you need the right ratio. So 45 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 3: I read an article recently from Arthur C. Brooks in 46 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 3: The Atlantic Love Him All about compliments and he wrote 47 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 3: this piece called a Compliment That Really Means Something, where 48 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 3: he shares how to properly give a compliment, because he 49 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 3: says that when it's done well, words of praise can 50 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 3: be a soothing balm of human relations, but done poorly, 51 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 3: compliments can be ineffective and even destructive. 52 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,399 Speaker 4: Okay, So what does he say is the right way 53 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 4: to give compliments? Okay? 54 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 3: This is the best part. There's three simple rules. The 55 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,200 Speaker 3: first be honest. He says, compliments are usually rejected when 56 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 3: they're not credible or sincere. So before you give somebody 57 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 3: a compliment, you got to ask yourself, do I truly 58 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 3: believe what I'm going to say to this person? You know, 59 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,399 Speaker 3: I had a mentor years ago in radio. His name 60 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 3: was ro Con in Chicago, and he said to me, 61 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 3: don't ever forget Danielle. Audiences have a high bullshit meter, 62 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 3: and I've never forgotten it because it's true. And audience is, 63 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 3: you know, anybody's your audience. I think people can really 64 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 3: feel your intentions. 65 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 4: So true. 66 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 3: So the second rule is make your compliment a pure gift. 67 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 3: Arthur writes that for a compliment to be honest, you 68 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 3: have to make it without asking or expecting anything in return. 69 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 3: And the third is avoid qualification. So don't compare a 70 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 3: person with someone else or with a standard benchmark. So, 71 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 3: for example, don't say something like you look good for 72 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 3: your age or your work is better than I expected. 73 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 3: I actually did this the other day. 74 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 4: At the end of one of our interviews. 75 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 3: I told somebody that they were different than what I 76 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 3: anticipated them to be. 77 00:03:57,720 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: In as soon as it flew. 78 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 3: Out of my mouth, I was like, that was the 79 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 3: worst compliment. And I meant it as a compliment, but 80 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 3: it came out so wrong. So I actually really believe 81 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 3: in these three rules. 82 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 2: I want to talk about the make your compliment a 83 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 2: pure gift part. I don't know if I'm down for this, 84 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 2: And I'll tell you what do I mean? If I 85 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:20,719 Speaker 2: tell you I like your outfit, that is my invitation 86 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 2: for you to tell me the details. I'm asking for 87 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 2: the details, sys don't gate keep that's what I expect. 88 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 3: I feel like that's a follow up question. 89 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 4: I hear you. 90 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 3: You know, my grandmother does something that makes me so annoyed. 91 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 3: If anybody tells her that they like her shoes or 92 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 3: her outfit or whatever, she tells them exactly where she 93 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 3: got it. From and exactly how much it cost. 94 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 4: Down to the ninety nine cents, right, yes. 95 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 3: And she's like, oh, I got it on set, and 96 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 3: I'm like, just say thank you, Oma, just say thank you. 97 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 4: See. 98 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 2: I think that's a generational thing because I do think 99 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:59,200 Speaker 2: that older women, older people, it's mostly older women, like 100 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 2: they want to tell you how good, how deep the 101 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 2: discount was, you know, they want you to know, which 102 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 2: is so funny deal. 103 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly. 104 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 3: You know. I have one more little addendum because of 105 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,280 Speaker 3: what you shared at the beginning of this about compliments 106 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:16,120 Speaker 3: surrounding your appearance. He actually talks about this in the piece, 107 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 3: and he said, even if that's our first instinct, instead 108 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 3: of complimenting somebody's appearance, consider complimenting what psychologists call moral beauty, 109 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:30,359 Speaker 3: so a characteristic that's reflected in courage or forgiveness, or 110 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 3: charity or acts of kindness. And this is a little 111 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 3: bit harder done than said, because if you just meet somebody, 112 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 3: you don't know if they're courageous, you don't know those 113 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 3: types of things. You may just be trying to connect 114 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 3: and say like, hey, I love your shoes. But if 115 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 3: you are complimenting somebody that you know, I think It's 116 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 3: always nice to be really detailed about the compliment and 117 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 3: to give it moral beauty instead of, you know, surface beauty. 118 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 4: I love this. This, This was such a great thoughts start. 119 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 4: Thank you. 120 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 2: I'm so glad you liked it. Thanks se money Well. 121 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,040 Speaker 2: I could give compliments all day to our guest today. 122 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 2: It's the one and only Connie Chung. 123 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 4: Y'all. 124 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,119 Speaker 2: She made history in nineteen ninety three when she became 125 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 2: the first Asian and second woman to ever anchor a 126 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 2: major weekday news program in the US, and her relentless 127 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:23,000 Speaker 2: pursuit of stories landed her exclusive interviews throughout her career, 128 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 2: including one with President Nixon during the Watergate scandal and 129 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 2: another with basketball star Magic Johnson. But navigating this predominantly 130 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 2: white male industry as an Asian woman was not easy, 131 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 2: and Connie Chung experienced a lot of overt sexism and 132 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,359 Speaker 2: racism during her career. It's really wild to think about 133 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 2: the sexism being that overt, because I think you and 134 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 2: I hopefully have experienced a more covert form of it, 135 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 2: as conversations around this topic have really. 136 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 4: Escalated in our culture lately. 137 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 2: But I'm sure things were radically different when Connie Chung 138 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 2: was coming up. 139 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 3: I think about what was overtly and covertly said and 140 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 3: done as I was coming up, and I can't even 141 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:13,080 Speaker 3: imagine what she dealt with. But she details some of 142 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 3: that and a whole lot more in her new memoir 143 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 3: titled Connie, a book that's Connie like you've never seen 144 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 3: her before. After spending so many years telling other people's stories, 145 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 3: She's finally ready to tell her own, and Simon and 146 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:28,840 Speaker 3: I are so excited to hear her tell it in 147 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 3: her own words. It's coming up after the break stick 148 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 3: with us. 149 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 2: Thanks to our partners at missus Myers, you can learn 150 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 2: a lot about a person by their dish soap. Missus 151 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 2: Myers's collection of household products are inspired by the garden 152 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 2: and pack a punch against dirt and grime. Visit missus 153 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 2: myers dot com. 154 00:07:56,200 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 4: Connie Jong, Welcome to the bright Side. 155 00:07:58,480 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 5: Thank you, thank you. 156 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 6: I tell you how happy I am to be with 157 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 6: you because and thank you for having me. 158 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: Connie. 159 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 3: We're so excited to have you. Simone and I are 160 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 3: both journalists and it feels like we have royalty in 161 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 3: the house, So thank you. 162 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 5: Get out. 163 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 6: Thank you for saying that, But seriously, I've enjoyed your 164 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 6: call them broadcasts for your podcasts. I mean I listened 165 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 6: to a few so that I, you know, be prepared. 166 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 1: Because you're a good journalist. 167 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 6: Well, you know, I think that's key. It really is preparation. 168 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,719 Speaker 6: It's disrespectful to me if you do not find out 169 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 6: a little bit about the people who are interviewing you. 170 00:08:38,920 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 2: Well, I can't wait to hear some more of your 171 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 2: career secrets. But first I want to start with this. 172 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 2: We've all watched you tell other people's stories for years 173 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 2: on TV, telling Americans stories through tragedy through triumph. Why 174 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 2: did you decide that now was the time to write 175 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 2: a memoir and tell your own story? 176 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,959 Speaker 6: Well, for years I told my husband I wanted to 177 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 6: do stand up to tell my story. 178 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 4: You would be so good at that stand up as 179 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:06,920 Speaker 4: in stand up comedy. 180 00:09:07,400 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 6: Yes, but tell my story in a one woman program 181 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 6: I show. And my husband said, absolutely not, you can't 182 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 6: do that. I said, why, you know? You are so wrong? 183 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:22,680 Speaker 6: And I said, are you afraid I'll make a fool 184 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 6: of myself? And he said there is that risk? And 185 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:32,840 Speaker 6: I thought, oh you, And so I decided, he said, 186 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 6: I really think you should write a book first, and 187 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 6: then you can do your stand up. 188 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 5: And so when I went back and looked at. 189 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 6: My father had written me a letter and he liked 190 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 6: doing that. He liked writing letters to my sisters. And 191 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 6: ME said we could keep it for posterity. And basically 192 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:56,319 Speaker 6: he said, in his letter, perhaps you can tell this 193 00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 6: story of how the Chuang family came to the United States, 194 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 6: and maybe you can carry on the family name the 195 00:10:04,360 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 6: way boys do. And I thought, well, because he had 196 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 6: written a bit of an autobiography, so I read it 197 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 6: over and I thought, well, maybe I can do that, 198 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 6: particularly because my parents had in China, they had ten children, 199 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:21,839 Speaker 6: five of them died as infants, three of whom were boys, 200 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 6: and girls are not wanted in China, sadly a very 201 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 6: chauvenusic society. So I actually realized that I had taken 202 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 6: him seriously with that mission. So I decided that I 203 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 6: would actually fulfill my parents' dreams and become the son 204 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 6: that they never had because filial piety was so strong 205 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 6: in my very Chinese home. So off I went running 206 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 6: to write my book. My husband would tease me, you 207 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 6: know Maury Maury Povich. 208 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 4: Oh, yeah, we know, Maury. 209 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 6: We've heard them he's been determining the paternity of every 210 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 6: freaking child in America. Yeah, you know, Maury, yes you 211 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:11,000 Speaker 6: are the father. You are not the father, but I 212 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 6: guarantee you he has a wider vocabulary than that. 213 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 1: I have to tell you. 214 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,320 Speaker 3: I don't think it's fair that he told you you're 215 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 3: not allowed to do stand up. Who was Maury Povich 216 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 3: to tell Kddie Chung that precisely? 217 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 6: I thank you very much, will you I will invite 218 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,199 Speaker 6: you over to dinner and you can tell him. 219 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: That, oh yea happily, thank you. 220 00:11:31,600 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 3: Please, Fanny, I know we're all joking around, but you 221 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 3: did say something that really struck me, and you said 222 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:43,360 Speaker 3: you wanted to become the son that the Chung family 223 00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 3: didn't have. I'm curious what did that mean to you 224 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 3: throughout your career, because it's beautiful and it's a lot 225 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 3: of pressure. 226 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 6: At the same time, I was filled with guilt, you know, 227 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 6: good old fashioned guilt that one's parents can lay on 228 00:11:56,640 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 6: you heavily. But at the same time it really kind 229 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 6: of worked, Danielle, because when I started working, I found 230 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:08,800 Speaker 6: myself in a late nineteen sixties or early seventies among 231 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 6: what I call a sea of men. 232 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 5: It was all men. Men in the newsroom. 233 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 6: Maybe there was one black male, but there certainly weren't 234 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 6: any minorities. 235 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:21,720 Speaker 5: And there were. 236 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 6: Maybe one woman, but not someone who was so young 237 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 6: and thirsty and eager, like an eager beaver. So there 238 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 6: I stood among this sea of primarily white men, who 239 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:39,319 Speaker 6: were my colleagues in the newsroom, who were my competitors 240 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,839 Speaker 6: in the field, and the men I was covering because 241 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:46,040 Speaker 6: it was in Washington, d c. Men at the White House, 242 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:49,640 Speaker 6: men on Capitola Hill, men at the Stage Department, men 243 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 6: at the Pentagon. So I decided because as I looked around, 244 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,079 Speaker 6: all I saw were guys, I thought, well, why can't 245 00:12:57,080 --> 00:12:59,319 Speaker 6: I be one of them? You know, I'm just going 246 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:01,680 Speaker 6: to be a guy, So I'll be this time my 247 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:05,440 Speaker 6: parents never had, but I will perceive myself as a guy. 248 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 5: There I was. 249 00:13:07,120 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 6: They were wearing staid suits with wingships, and they had 250 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 6: stentorian voices, and I was in polyester bell bottom's miniskirts 251 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 6: and stiletto. Was trying to be eyeball because I did 252 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 6: not want to have to look up at them, you know, 253 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:28,959 Speaker 6: it was meaning to do so, so I took on 254 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 6: their characteristics. I had their bravado. I would walk into 255 00:13:33,679 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 6: a room with confidence. I owned the room. I was bold, 256 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 6: and I was sassy, and I was body and I 257 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:45,440 Speaker 6: had a potty mouth. They didn't know what to do 258 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:48,840 Speaker 6: with me because here I was this little lutus blessom 259 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 6: and I wasn't behaving the way they expected me to 260 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 6: behave like a dautiful little Chinese style, And so taking 261 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 6: pages from their playbook worked for me. I really became 262 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 6: a guy in my mind, so much so that when 263 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 6: I walked past a mirror or a storefront and be 264 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 6: shocked to see a Chinese woman staring back at me. 265 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 3: Connie, you grew up in the DC area in the 266 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 3: fifties and sixties, and that was a time of tremendous 267 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 3: social change. One of the things that I think is 268 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 3: the most gratifying about being a journalist is that you're 269 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 3: a first draft historian. 270 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 5: Oh yes, are. 271 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 3: There any seminal moments from history that you reported on 272 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 3: that you think about to this day? 273 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 5: Order game. 274 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 6: It was an extraordinary time because the presidency was at stake, 275 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 6: very simply, and I think all of us felt the 276 00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 6: huge responsibility of not reporting anything inaccurate because the presidency 277 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 6: was at stake, and I covered the House Judiciary Committee 278 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 6: hearings into the impeachment of Richard Dixon. And there's this 279 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 6: iconic photograph of me. 280 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:05,680 Speaker 5: Have you seen it? Yes, yes you have. 281 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 2: So there's a photograph of one of your meetings with Nixon, 282 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:12,200 Speaker 2: and you were with the other members of the Press corps. 283 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 4: But everyone else in the shot is a white man. Yeah, 284 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 4: except for you. It's crazy. 285 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 3: Was it crazy at the time? Did anybody notice how 286 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 3: crazy it was? Because we look back on I didn't 287 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 3: think it was crazy. 288 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 6: Yes, I think that they realized that I was an 289 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 6: art art I was not sitting there like a plant either. 290 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 6: I was vocal. I actually would speak up, and I'd 291 00:15:36,360 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 6: ask tough questions. And I think my whole being was 292 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:44,760 Speaker 6: so antithetical to what they thought this little China dolls 293 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 6: should be like. It kind of stopped people in their tracks. 294 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 6: But then once they got used to, you know, this 295 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 6: testip person of me, I got some acceptance, but it 296 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 6: was grudging, you know, it is a grudging acceptance. I 297 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 6: continued having to prove myself, which is something that I 298 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:14,359 Speaker 6: find women are perpetually settled with having to prove ourselves, 299 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 6: no matter how old we are. Or how seasoned we are, 300 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 6: or how experienced. 301 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 2: I completely agree with what you said about living a 302 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:27,560 Speaker 2: life of feeling like you have to prove yourself at 303 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 2: every turn, and then when you pivot, you got to 304 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:32,360 Speaker 2: prove it yourself again. And hopefully we live a life 305 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 2: where we are always evolving and always pivoting and always growing. 306 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 2: But I think the most telling part of that equation 307 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 2: for me is who are you trying to prove this too? 308 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 2: Is it to yourself? Is it to other people? Is 309 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 2: it to your family? Who was it for you? 310 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 6: Who is I trying to prove it to? I think 311 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 6: your correct I was trying to prove it to myself. 312 00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 6: Not that I had imposterous syndrome. It was just I 313 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:05,840 Speaker 6: wanted to have genuine confidence in myself, which I think 314 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:10,239 Speaker 6: is very hard to do because as a woman and 315 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 6: as someone who's Chinese, I found myself second guessing myself 316 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 6: all the time. I have a perpetual should have could 317 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 6: have what a personality? And when I would come away 318 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 6: from an interview, I'd say, yeah, I should have asked this, 319 00:17:26,840 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 6: and I should have asked that, and I forgot to 320 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:35,399 Speaker 6: ask this. It's striving for perfection, which I think afflicts 321 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 6: many women because men, I believe, think that they are 322 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:45,640 Speaker 6: perfect already, and I think we're always striving for perfection, 323 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:50,640 Speaker 6: and the sooner we realized that being perfect is not necessary, 324 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:58,480 Speaker 6: that it's actually a somewhat fruitless goal, because there's no 325 00:17:58,600 --> 00:18:02,400 Speaker 6: such thing doing anything perfectly. 326 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 3: During the height of the Me Too movement, you were 327 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 3: asked if you were sexually harassed and your reply was, oh, yeah, 328 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,640 Speaker 3: oh sure, yeah, every day. I mean a lot, especially 329 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:18,560 Speaker 3: when I started out and now getting to talk to you, 330 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:24,199 Speaker 3: I understand the intonations of that, but I think that 331 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 3: those experiences shape us, whether we want to admit it 332 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 3: or not. 333 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:31,240 Speaker 1: When I was starting out. 334 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:35,920 Speaker 3: I just recently started reflecting on this, because when you 335 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 3: have a goal, you just move forward. 336 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 1: You don't think about things. 337 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:42,520 Speaker 3: You don't have time to necessarily feel them or reflect. 338 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:46,480 Speaker 3: You just move forward. And in hindsight, I was harassed 339 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:51,520 Speaker 3: so much. Really, Oh my god, what year would you say? 340 00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:56,840 Speaker 3: This was twenty thirteen. I started working and I was 341 00:18:56,880 --> 00:19:00,400 Speaker 3: harassed up, I'd say through the Me Too movement. Things 342 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,399 Speaker 3: changed after that, but I moved into women's spaces, and 343 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 3: I think it was in part because of that. I 344 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:09,919 Speaker 3: didn't want to deal with it anymore. And that was 345 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 3: twenty thirteen. Connie. 346 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: I cannot imagine what. 347 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:18,480 Speaker 3: You dealt with the shouldow would have could have in hindsight, 348 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 3: how do you think about that? Do you wish you 349 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 3: would have dealt with it differently? And what exactly were 350 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 3: people doing and saying? 351 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:33,439 Speaker 6: The sexist remarks were really pretty blatant, and they were daily, 352 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 6: and it was everything from a super sort of leering 353 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 6: but in a joking fashion. So I had this thing 354 00:19:45,240 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 6: whereby I would make a joke to them or shock 355 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:54,920 Speaker 6: them with a gotcha before they got me, and so 356 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 6: it was a preemptive strike and it would be so 357 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:04,199 Speaker 6: shocked look to their little virgin ears that I would 358 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 6: that they they couldn't believe that I had the audacity 359 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 6: to say something rude I mean rude to them before 360 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:20,160 Speaker 6: they could to me. And they would, you know, just 361 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 6: sort of be shocked. They had no response. And then 362 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 6: the racist ones were equally as bad. You engage in 363 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 6: yellow journalism, you slant the news and a dragon lady, 364 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 6: and they thought they were the first ones to ever 365 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,440 Speaker 6: come up with those phrases. I mean, duh, No, you're 366 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 6: not that clever. I mean, you're not clever at all. 367 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 6: I've heard them all my life. 368 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: Did they affect you? 369 00:20:46,800 --> 00:20:46,879 Speaker 2: No? 370 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:47,680 Speaker 5: You know what. 371 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:52,479 Speaker 6: I was so focused. It's weird how focused I was. 372 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:56,399 Speaker 6: It broke the tension for me because I was so 373 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 6: freaked and nervous about what I was going to how 374 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 6: I was going to write this story, whether I could 375 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 6: get it done, whether I'd done it correctly. I actually 376 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 6: found it. It was a good mo for me back 377 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:13,200 Speaker 6: in the late sixties and seventies, because it would be 378 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:18,919 Speaker 6: wholly unacceptable today, but back then it was what it was. 379 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 6: I'll tell you one incident when I was covering George 380 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:26,439 Speaker 6: McGovern's campaign against Richard Wilson. I would always be in 381 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 6: my room pretty early so that I could get a 382 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 6: good night's sleep. So the next morning i'd be bright 383 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:35,320 Speaker 6: and cheerful and ask the first question of the candidate. 384 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 6: And then I noticed that a lot of the men 385 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 6: were getting scoops. So I would call the Washington r 386 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 6: and ask the overnight desk what happened overnight so I 387 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:50,359 Speaker 6: can ask the candidate about it. They'd tell me that 388 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 6: there was a big New York Times article or a 389 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:56,400 Speaker 6: big Washington poster Boston glove article, And I thought, how 390 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 6: did they get that story, I realized the guys were 391 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,440 Speaker 6: going down to the bar, getting drunk with the campaign 392 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:05,160 Speaker 6: workers and getting them to spill the beans. 393 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:06,440 Speaker 5: So that did it. 394 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:09,520 Speaker 6: I was down at the bar, you know, I was 395 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 6: not getting a good night's sleep anymore. I was trying 396 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,399 Speaker 6: to drink them under the table. So I took on 397 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:18,399 Speaker 6: these characteristics of the men. Wow, and I just became 398 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 6: one of the guys. One time in the bar, a 399 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,880 Speaker 6: guy was so drunk he kept coming around and being 400 00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 6: a pest, and finally I looked at him and said, 401 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 6: you don't want to sleep with me. An hour later, 402 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 6: you'll want to do it again. And then the whole 403 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:42,919 Speaker 6: table of guys applauded, and they just knew that I 404 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:48,680 Speaker 6: could come back more badass than they could. And it's 405 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,879 Speaker 6: not something to be proud of. It's just it was 406 00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 6: my mo to survive. 407 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, you also have that wit, so it worked for you. 408 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:01,960 Speaker 4: Do you feel like you ever got to fully be 409 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 4: yourself because of the ways that you had to, you know, 410 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:09,560 Speaker 4: act like your male colleagues in order to just survive 411 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:10,879 Speaker 4: in that industry. 412 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,119 Speaker 6: As a friend of mine told me, you know, the 413 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:16,959 Speaker 6: first one through the door faces the heaviest gunfire. And 414 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:20,439 Speaker 6: I realized in writing the book that that's what was 415 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 6: happening to me. But yes, I was finally myself. After 416 00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 6: weaving through the jungle. I had to cut down a 417 00:23:29,040 --> 00:23:32,920 Speaker 6: lot of trees to create a path, but I would 418 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:36,160 Speaker 6: whack them, you know, right and left. But I still 419 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 6: took pages from the male playbook, like, for instance, Madeline 420 00:23:40,119 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 6: Albright said one time she was the first woman's Secretary 421 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,120 Speaker 6: of State. She said when she was on the National 422 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 6: Security Council, she was afraid to speak up. Can you 423 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:53,280 Speaker 6: imagine Meddleine Aubry afraid to speak up? She said she 424 00:23:53,320 --> 00:23:55,639 Speaker 6: would sit there and some guy would say the same 425 00:23:55,680 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 6: thing she was thinking, and she'd go, darn, I should 426 00:23:59,480 --> 00:23:59,960 Speaker 6: have said it. 427 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 5: And you know, I realized that's what I do. I 428 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:05,200 Speaker 5: get Frae. 429 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 6: You know, I don't think I can say that because 430 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:11,359 Speaker 6: maybe it'll be stupid. Men say stupid things all the time. 431 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:15,040 Speaker 6: Everybody goes, Yosh, good thought. 432 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 2: Joe, Well, I want to ask you about one of 433 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 2: your male colleagues. Yea, you made history as the first 434 00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:25,680 Speaker 2: Asian woman to co anchor the CBS Evening News in 435 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety three alongside Dan Rather. Yeah, and you had 436 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:34,200 Speaker 2: a complicated relationship with him. What was it like anchoring 437 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:36,800 Speaker 2: with someone that you're having friction. 438 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:41,159 Speaker 6: With the relationship was quite superficial in many ways in 439 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 6: that he was on the surface very gracious and friendly. 440 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:47,840 Speaker 5: But you know, I'm no DOMI. 441 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 6: I could see behind the facade very easily. I had 442 00:24:53,640 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 6: known him for years prior to sitting side by side. 443 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:02,440 Speaker 6: In fact, one my girlfriend's Leslie Stall, who is still 444 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 6: in sixty minutes, she said, I don't think he would 445 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 6: have been happy with anyone sharing the seat with him, 446 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 6: because he had had that seat all by himself. Yeah, 447 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 6: for many years. I was more than thrilled to sit 448 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,160 Speaker 6: in have a Walter Cronkast's chair, and I never thought 449 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 6: that would ever happen. You know, it was a big 450 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 6: cherry on top of my cake, so I wasn't about 451 00:25:24,840 --> 00:25:26,359 Speaker 6: to say no if they. 452 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:29,840 Speaker 2: So you spent all those years proving yourself. When you 453 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 2: finally got that chair, did you finally feel worthy? 454 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 6: I was under the silly illusion that I was equal 455 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 6: and that the other two anchormen Tom Roclaw and Peter 456 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,680 Speaker 6: Jennings considered me to be there equal. 457 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:48,240 Speaker 5: Nah. I now realized. 458 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:52,680 Speaker 6: That that was really never the case, And of course 459 00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:57,520 Speaker 6: makes me sad. I was riding a nice high of 460 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:03,320 Speaker 6: that roller coaster, and it was so much fun to 461 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 6: cover major stories and to believe that there were many 462 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 6: people out there who felt as if I had broken 463 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 6: some ceiling. But unfortunately, you know, we're back to males 464 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:24,359 Speaker 6: anchoring the three network newscasts. Not that three network newscasts 465 00:26:24,480 --> 00:26:28,919 Speaker 6: mean anything today. The media has changed so much. The 466 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 6: paradigm has altered our entire media universe. 467 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 5: It's just not the same. 468 00:26:35,200 --> 00:26:35,400 Speaker 4: Yeah. 469 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 6: I think I was in the news business at the 470 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:39,120 Speaker 6: best time. 471 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 2: You really were, thank so to Neille, and I came 472 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:43,400 Speaker 2: in after her and it was not great. 473 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:52,359 Speaker 5: You. Yeah, I don't blame you. 474 00:26:52,880 --> 00:26:54,760 Speaker 1: But I think you make a great point though. 475 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:57,639 Speaker 3: I mean, Nora O'Donnell just stepped down from CBS Evening 476 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:00,879 Speaker 3: News and they replaced her with two men. And I mean, 477 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 3: Katie Kuric wrote a op ed about it in the 478 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:04,400 Speaker 3: New York Times. 479 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:06,760 Speaker 1: It feels like we're going backwards. 480 00:27:07,359 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 5: Yeah. 481 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:11,640 Speaker 6: Yeah, it's depressing, it really is. But I don't give 482 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 6: I won't give up. You know, I don't think anybody 483 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:18,719 Speaker 6: should give up. We can find our comfort zones and 484 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:22,159 Speaker 6: our niches, which you all have found so beautifully. You know, 485 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:24,359 Speaker 6: that's one of the reasons why if The bright Side 486 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 6: is sponsored by Witherspoon, Right. I mean, she's pretty not 487 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:33,680 Speaker 6: pretty darn amazed, she's amazing. I mean, look at how 488 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 6: much she has done. 489 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:36,880 Speaker 1: She's changing the strata. 490 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 5: She is. 491 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:44,000 Speaker 6: Yeah, one person, she has changed everything. One woman at 492 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:47,000 Speaker 6: a time, or one program at a time, or one 493 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:52,159 Speaker 6: news outlet at a time, we really can change the 494 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:56,920 Speaker 6: nature of our world. You're listening to the Bride Side 495 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 6: with Connie Chuhn. 496 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:07,440 Speaker 4: Stay with us, and we're back with Connie Chung. 497 00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 3: You were really great friends with Barbara Walters, two women 498 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:17,440 Speaker 3: who changed things. Yes, what do you think it was 499 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:19,359 Speaker 3: that connected you to so much? 500 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:24,359 Speaker 6: I was someone who she very much related to, and 501 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:27,680 Speaker 6: I related to her because I became the breadwinner for 502 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:33,159 Speaker 6: my family and because her father's nightclubs tanked, she became 503 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:34,720 Speaker 6: the breadwinner of her family. 504 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 5: And so we both had to have our jobs. 505 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 6: And we put up with the sexism, and she put 506 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 6: up with agism, and I put up with the racism 507 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:49,640 Speaker 6: just because we needed the paycheck. We both adopted a 508 00:28:49,680 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 6: baby because we both forgot to I mean I forgot 509 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,479 Speaker 6: to have a baby first. I forgot to get married. 510 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 6: Then I forgot to have a baby. 511 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:00,640 Speaker 4: Love the wording of that so much. Oh, I forgot. 512 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 5: To have a baby. No, it really was. 513 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,160 Speaker 6: I had it not been for my husband and said, 514 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 6: I think you want a baby, and I said, no, no, don't. 515 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 5: Take my baskettol pills away from me. And I said, 516 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:16,400 Speaker 5: I'm a convention to cover an election. To coverage He'd said, 517 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:18,160 Speaker 5: come on, well. 518 00:29:18,080 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 2: If anybody knows how babies are made, it's it's Mary. 519 00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:27,720 Speaker 6: Rory my baby daddy. 520 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:31,680 Speaker 5: You betcha. 521 00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:36,040 Speaker 6: And Barbara was the first to co anchor the evening 522 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:39,719 Speaker 6: news on ABC with a guy who despised her, and 523 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 6: I was the first at CBS with a guy who 524 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,520 Speaker 6: despised me. We both lasted two years and then we're 525 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 6: we were yanked off. So when when I was dumped, 526 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 6: you know, only she could comfort me. She had this 527 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 6: incredible ability to sort of just say the right thing. 528 00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:02,280 Speaker 3: Well, Connie, I feel like you two did what nobody 529 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 3: had done before, and you probably related to each other 530 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 3: in a way nobody else could. 531 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 4: Yeah. 532 00:30:09,320 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 3: When I think about her signature, there was always a 533 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 3: question behind the question. She would ask you something, but 534 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 3: she was getting to something else. 535 00:30:18,200 --> 00:30:26,600 Speaker 6: Yes, yes, what was your signature. Oh, unfortunately people would 536 00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 6: walk out on me. They weren't expecting a tough question. 537 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 6: Have you ever seen you got to go on YouTube 538 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:39,480 Speaker 6: Bill Gates jumps over a chair from a standing position. 539 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:41,920 Speaker 6: I asked him to do that. You got to see it. 540 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:42,840 Speaker 6: It's hysterical. 541 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:44,600 Speaker 4: She wanted you to like. 542 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:48,000 Speaker 2: Yesterday, as I was brokering this interviewed, yes, but give 543 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 2: me the context. 544 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,440 Speaker 4: Why did he Why did you ask him to do that? Oh? 545 00:30:51,520 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 6: Because I heard that he could jump over a chair 546 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 6: from a standing position, and so I asked him to 547 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 6: do before we got into the interview. And when I 548 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 6: got into the interview, I was really tough on him 549 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:06,160 Speaker 6: because at the time he was getting a lot of 550 00:31:06,240 --> 00:31:10,960 Speaker 6: heat for unceremoniously gobbling up other little companies. 551 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 5: So he walked out. Yeah, where'd you go? 552 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:21,480 Speaker 6: Tanya Harding walked out on me? I mean, is there 553 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,400 Speaker 6: a number of people walked out on me? And it's 554 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:27,840 Speaker 6: actually I consider it a badge of honor. 555 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:30,960 Speaker 2: Did you feel that way in the moment or is 556 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 2: that something that's come to you as you've looked back on. 557 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 5: It a little both. 558 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,240 Speaker 6: I mean, I think as soon as it happens, it's 559 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:43,360 Speaker 6: a little bit shocking. I what did I say? Yeah, yeah, 560 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 6: I know that feeling for sure. You know, we started 561 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:50,520 Speaker 6: this conversation with you sharing how you wanted to please 562 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 6: your family and how you wanted to really bring dignity 563 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:56,640 Speaker 6: to the family name and be the standard bearer of 564 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 6: the Chung name and be the son that your family 565 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 6: never had, and that I want to talk to you 566 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 6: about this New York Times article about Generation Connie. It's 567 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:09,520 Speaker 6: about a whole group of young Asian American women from 568 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:12,120 Speaker 6: the eighties who were named Connie as a tribute to you. 569 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 6: And I just think it's so beautiful and poignant and 570 00:32:16,920 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 6: just magnificent that you wanted to be the son that 571 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:24,440 Speaker 6: your parents never had, and now there's an entire generation 572 00:32:25,160 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 6: of women who are named after you. 573 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:29,720 Speaker 4: What does this mean to you? 574 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 5: It's really quite extraordinary. 575 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:36,880 Speaker 6: I didn't know when I really got into writing my book. 576 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 6: I didn't know how it was going to end, you know, 577 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 6: I didn't have this perfect to ending. And I mean 578 00:32:44,960 --> 00:32:48,160 Speaker 6: there were so many times that I would come home 579 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:52,520 Speaker 6: and say to Maury, you know, I you know what 580 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:55,560 Speaker 6: this guy said to me today, And it was like 581 00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 6: those great, wonderful Sissy's Fasic movie is called Crimes of 582 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 6: the Heart, and she played a sister named Babe McGrath. 583 00:33:05,040 --> 00:33:08,480 Speaker 6: And when one of her sisters came home, she said, 584 00:33:08,880 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 6: why why Babe, why did she stick your head in 585 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 6: the oven? And Babe said, Sissy say says. 586 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 5: I don't know. 587 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:21,360 Speaker 6: I had a bad day. So what I would do 588 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 6: is come home and say, Mari, I had a bad day. 589 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:27,960 Speaker 6: And he would say, do I need to remove the 590 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:31,080 Speaker 6: sharp objects from the kitchen? And I said, I can't 591 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:35,480 Speaker 6: end my book like that. So when a woman named 592 00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 6: Connie Cold emailed me, she said when she was about three, 593 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 6: one of her parents had come from China and they 594 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:48,120 Speaker 6: settled in the Midwest. They said to her, at only three, 595 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 6: you need an American name. What name would you like 596 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:54,480 Speaker 6: to be? And she said she knew what she saw 597 00:33:54,520 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 6: on television, and she said Connie or Elmo her Fortunately, 598 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 6: her parents selected the human instead of the uppet. And 599 00:34:06,880 --> 00:34:10,840 Speaker 6: then she became a curious reporter, and she began to 600 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:15,960 Speaker 6: notice this peculiar phenomenon that other people were named Kane. 601 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:19,760 Speaker 6: So she's such a good writer. She wrote this piece, 602 00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:22,360 Speaker 6: as you said, for the New York Times opinion section. 603 00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:28,240 Speaker 6: When I learned of this, I couldn't believe it. Really, 604 00:34:28,640 --> 00:34:30,800 Speaker 6: it was as if a star had fallen out of 605 00:34:30,840 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 6: the sky. It was as if she were tinker Bell 606 00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:38,000 Speaker 6: and she had sprinkled some fairy dust on me and 607 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:44,440 Speaker 6: anointed me with this incredible denuma actually to my book 608 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 6: and giving me the confidence that I actually could possibly 609 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:55,719 Speaker 6: declare success. And because I honestly, this is I think 610 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 6: a Chinese thing and a woman thing. I could never 611 00:34:58,120 --> 00:35:01,520 Speaker 6: go I am you know the way men do. I'm 612 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:06,080 Speaker 6: a success. I'm a triple, double, quadruple success. I had this, 613 00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:10,359 Speaker 6: I did that. I can't do that. I just could 614 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:14,920 Speaker 6: never do that. But now the Connie generation, because these 615 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:22,160 Speaker 6: parents see me as a success, I think maybe I 616 00:35:22,200 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 6: can get my arms around this and own it. And 617 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:28,759 Speaker 6: I have girlfriends who keeps saying, would you please own it? 618 00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:33,280 Speaker 6: And my husband constantly say you're the Jackie Robinson. 619 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:36,080 Speaker 5: No I'm not. I really were not. 620 00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:41,759 Speaker 6: For my husband not only determine the paternity of every 621 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:48,160 Speaker 6: child in America, but being so supportive really in building 622 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:53,880 Speaker 6: me up when I was so down. I honestly I 623 00:35:54,440 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 6: could not have gotten to the end of the tunnel. 624 00:35:59,160 --> 00:36:02,000 Speaker 6: You know, it's it's it's a wonderful thing. I say 625 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:05,120 Speaker 6: that everybody needs a mentor or a mouri. 626 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:07,480 Speaker 1: Oh that's so beautiful. 627 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:10,879 Speaker 5: Thanks, he's a good guy. 628 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:14,439 Speaker 2: I do hope you own it, Connie, Connie Chung, thank 629 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:16,520 Speaker 2: you so much for joining us on the bride Side. 630 00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:19,399 Speaker 4: Truly one of our brightest best episodes yet. 631 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:22,800 Speaker 5: Yeah, oh, thank you, Thank you so much. 632 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:27,600 Speaker 2: Connie Chung is a veteran journalist and former anchor at 633 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:28,480 Speaker 2: CBS News. 634 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:30,479 Speaker 4: Her new memoir Connie, is out. 635 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:35,399 Speaker 1: Now that's it for today's show. 636 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:38,319 Speaker 3: Tomorrow, we're bringing you an encore of our conversation with 637 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:41,520 Speaker 3: Lizzie Mathis, editor in chief of The Cool mom co. 638 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:47,760 Speaker 2: Join the conversation using hashtag the bright Side and connect 639 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:51,000 Speaker 2: with us on social media at Hello Sunshine on Instagram 640 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:54,239 Speaker 2: and at the bright Side Pod on TikTok oh, and 641 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:56,879 Speaker 2: feel free to tag us at Simone Boyce and at 642 00:36:56,960 --> 00:36:57,920 Speaker 2: Danielle Robe. 643 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,439 Speaker 3: Listen and follow The bright Side on the iHeartRadio app, 644 00:37:01,520 --> 00:37:04,160 Speaker 3: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 645 00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:14,200 Speaker 2: See you tomorrow, folks, Keep looking on the bright side.