WEBVTT - Conversations with… Billy Bush 0:00:02.160 --> 0:00:06.680 This is Conversationous with Olivia Jade and my Heart Radio podcast. 0:00:09.600 --> 0:00:15.120 Hi everybody, welcome back to another episode of Conversations with 0:00:15.200 --> 0:00:17.800 Me your host Silvia Jade. We all know this already. 0:00:18.000 --> 0:00:22.760 I am honestly, so so so excited about today's episode 0:00:22.800 --> 0:00:25.439 because I'm bringing on a dear friend, somebody I know 0:00:25.560 --> 0:00:28.920 personally and somebody that you guys probably have seen through 0:00:28.960 --> 0:00:31.560 the media and just being around and being a host 0:00:31.600 --> 0:00:34.279 for so many years. And you probably already know from 0:00:34.320 --> 0:00:38.120 the title, But today we have Billie Bush coming on 0:00:38.159 --> 0:00:41.880 the podcast, and I am just thrilled. I want to get, 0:00:42.240 --> 0:00:45.000 honestly some advice from him, because he's been in the 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:47.280 industry for so long and I think that he has 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:51.440 so many wise and just key points to make it 0:00:51.600 --> 0:00:53.440 and so you don't drown in this whole thing. But 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:55.440 I also want to talk to him about things that 0:00:55.480 --> 0:00:57.279 he's been through and things that I can relate to. 0:00:57.600 --> 0:01:01.120 And um, yeah, with all that being said, please welcome 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:08.160 Mr Billy. What's up? What's up? Billy Fish? How are 0:01:08.200 --> 0:01:13.520 you very well? Very two? I'm nine pounds down in 0:01:13.560 --> 0:01:17.960 eleven days. Are you serious? Yeah? How what if you 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:20.679 did you cut our alcohol? No? I cut off a 0:01:20.760 --> 0:01:24.640 Leg'll do it. That's a heavy leg. No, I'm going 0:01:24.720 --> 0:01:27.600 booze list. You know what your father Gosh, if he 0:01:27.600 --> 0:01:29.360 can go booze list for like a month at a 0:01:29.400 --> 0:01:33.319 time and he's going longer, U, then I can go like, 0:01:34.640 --> 0:01:37.240 you know, two weeks. Although I'm making the move from 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:40.800 dry January, I think to damp January. I'm hearing this 0:01:40.959 --> 0:01:42.880 term out there and I like it. What is that 0:01:42.920 --> 0:01:45.400 where you just dabble a little bit but not full 0:01:45.480 --> 0:01:49.040 send weekends only weekends only. I should join you in 0:01:49.080 --> 0:01:51.360 that endeavor, even though I'm not nearly as crazy as 0:01:51.360 --> 0:01:55.640 you and my dad. But no, you're you're you're young. 0:01:55.720 --> 0:01:57.680 I would go hard in the paint if I thank 0:01:57.680 --> 0:02:00.200 you for the advice. Well, welcome on the podcast us. 0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:02.760 Thank you so much. I am really excited because I 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:04.440 feel like I've been talking to you about this for 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:08.560 quite some time and I think, well, good for you 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:12.680 do it. Thanks, thank you so much. Um. You can 0:02:12.720 --> 0:02:14.959 also jump in and carry as much as this of 0:02:15.040 --> 0:02:18.079 this conversation as you want, because you are the pro 0:02:18.560 --> 0:02:20.280 at everything that has to do with this. But for 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:21.800 those that don't know you, do you want to just 0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:24.160 give a little intro as to who you are. I'm 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:26.840 Billy Bush and I've been doing this far too long, 0:02:27.280 --> 0:02:30.919 the host of Extra before that, Access Hollywood very briefly 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:35.560 the Today Show two months, um, but father of three 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:39.600 girls and uh friend of your father and your mother 0:02:40.600 --> 0:02:49.120 and uh golfer, patriot advocate, uh philanthropist, bicyclist, whatever that 0:02:49.200 --> 0:02:52.560 sums it up. That's perfect. Well, Honestly, I think something 0:02:52.600 --> 0:02:54.000 that I kind of want to start out with is 0:02:54.080 --> 0:02:56.560 I don't even really know this. I don't think I've 0:02:56.919 --> 0:02:59.120 really ever had an end depth conversation with you. But 0:02:59.240 --> 0:03:02.760 obviously people know your last name and it's very connected 0:03:02.800 --> 0:03:05.320 to politics, and I'm curious how you went the route 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:09.160 of journalism. Well, no one would ever vote for me, um, 0:03:09.280 --> 0:03:12.120 so I thought would would would they? Possibly? You know? 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:16.120 Um watch Me TV? I found later I was in 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:20.720 um in college and I found the college radio station 0:03:21.440 --> 0:03:23.880 and started having a lot of fun on that, you know, 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:26.760 just calling buddies and putting them on the air and 0:03:26.760 --> 0:03:29.320 and playing some music. And I really fell in love 0:03:29.360 --> 0:03:32.480 with the radio. And after I graduated college, I spent 0:03:32.800 --> 0:03:36.360 seven years in radio before touching local television, which of 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:39.760 course then led to everything else. But radio was my 0:03:39.800 --> 0:03:42.200 first love, which we're kind of doing right now. Yeah, 0:03:42.200 --> 0:03:44.360 it kind of feels like that. Yeah. I started in 0:03:44.480 --> 0:03:48.480 radio in Lake Winnipesake, New Hampshire, up in I mean, 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:52.760 very very small town, three thousand watt station, an unrated market. 0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:55.960 It was so small the the Arbitron Ratings Care didn't 0:03:55.960 --> 0:03:58.240 even care about it. But I started in sales because 0:03:58.280 --> 0:04:00.120 the general manager of the station was like, yeah, you 0:04:00.120 --> 0:04:02.040 can be on the air, but we're gonna pay you 0:04:02.160 --> 0:04:05.360 five dollars an hour. No kidding, five dollars an hour. 0:04:05.560 --> 0:04:07.640 You're not gonna make any money, but you seem to 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:10.320 have a decent personality. Maybe you know you could sell 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:14.240 some advertising. Well, there is no harder job. I'm convincing 0:04:14.240 --> 0:04:16.800 the world and selling air to people. I mean it's 0:04:16.800 --> 0:04:19.840 not you have to sell them on this idea of 0:04:19.839 --> 0:04:24.080 filling sixty seconds of air. It was brutal, doors slammed 0:04:24.120 --> 0:04:26.840 in my face everywhere, but I broke through as a 0:04:26.880 --> 0:04:33.080 sales guy by figuring out this lesson. Everybody buys differently. 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:36.400 You buy you, you make a different decision when you 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:40.360 buy Olivia that the car dealer makes it different. This guy. 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:45.000 The biggest advertiser was Plymouth Auto Village and Tilton Ford 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:49.920 a duopoly, a huge car dealer duopoly, and they're advertised 0:04:49.920 --> 0:04:52.400 on seven out of the eight radio stations in the 0:04:52.480 --> 0:04:55.320 Lakes region of New Hampshire. I was the eighth, and 0:04:55.320 --> 0:04:57.359 I'm like, what this guy is spending so much money? 0:04:57.360 --> 0:04:59.159 How come he's not doing it here. I went to 0:04:59.160 --> 0:05:03.120 see the guy lo and behold, he slams the door 0:05:03.160 --> 0:05:05.760 in my face four or five times. My boss finally says, 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:07.600 you have to go back one more time and ask 0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:11.160 him why he won't buy from you. So I go 0:05:11.400 --> 0:05:13.680 and I show up and they said, why won't you 0:05:13.720 --> 0:05:16.000 buy from me? I just wanted to know that one 0:05:16.040 --> 0:05:18.680 thing before you throw me out again. He said, well, 0:05:18.720 --> 0:05:20.200 you know what, if you had a nice set of 0:05:20.279 --> 0:05:22.880 legs and a good set of buns, you know, maybe 0:05:22.920 --> 0:05:27.960 we'd uh, maybe we'd get somewhere. And I went, oh, okay. 0:05:28.360 --> 0:05:32.400 It just so happens that we have an exchange program 0:05:32.400 --> 0:05:35.800 with this radio station in Sweden and we have this 0:05:35.880 --> 0:05:38.960 new girl working for us named Olga. I could send 0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:41.159 her up here on Monday and maybe we get there. 0:05:41.279 --> 0:05:44.880 He goes, now we're talking. I said, great, no problem, 0:05:44.920 --> 0:05:48.240 thank you for that information. I left. I come back 0:05:48.320 --> 0:05:52.039 Monday morning. The mid day woman on the on the 0:05:52.120 --> 0:05:54.760 station had lent me her heels. She was a tall woman. 0:05:55.200 --> 0:05:59.919 Her heels, her miniskirt, her wig, her lashes, her lipstick, 0:06:00.040 --> 0:06:02.719 a pair of socks in the chich rolled up Daisy 0:06:02.800 --> 0:06:06.279 Duke style. I pulled in. I had already pre written 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:10.400 the largest contract our station had ever seen. I printed 0:06:10.440 --> 0:06:13.400 it out. This was like more money than we make 0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:17.240 in a quarter. I walk in. The little guy sitting 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:19.680 behind his desk. They're busy on the sales room floor. 0:06:19.760 --> 0:06:22.280 I walk in. I put my foot up on it. 0:06:22.480 --> 0:06:25.160 Everybody in the showroom stops. They're looking going, oh my, 0:06:25.720 --> 0:06:28.520 what is this horror? I mean, this is New Hampshire, right, 0:06:28.600 --> 0:06:32.839 Northern New Hampshire, all freaking out. The service guys in 0:06:32.880 --> 0:06:35.120 the back bays, they come out there in the floor. 0:06:35.120 --> 0:06:38.400 Everybody's going crazy. I walk over, put my foot up 0:06:38.400 --> 0:06:41.480 on this little man's desk, and I said, Mr Vincent, 0:06:41.839 --> 0:06:44.720 my name is Old God from the Oldie's one oh 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:47.719 five radio station. Billy Bush sent me here. He didn't 0:06:47.720 --> 0:06:51.240 tell me how cute you are. Look, oh my god. 0:06:51.400 --> 0:06:53.839 I put my foot up. He looks at me and 0:06:53.839 --> 0:06:58.040 he goes, Jesus, kid, you have some balls. Oh my 0:06:58.720 --> 0:07:01.760 gut and I put the contract out in front of him. 0:07:01.800 --> 0:07:05.160 I held my composure. They're all cheering, going crazy. He 0:07:05.200 --> 0:07:09.440 takes out his pen. He signs the biggest radio contract 0:07:09.520 --> 0:07:13.120 our station at ever seen. Bam, it goes through the roof. 0:07:13.680 --> 0:07:17.120 I make the sale, I leave, I go in town. 0:07:17.160 --> 0:07:20.160 I get a couple of beers with a friend. It's terrific. 0:07:20.200 --> 0:07:22.720 And just as I'm leaving, I'm driving out of town 0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:25.280 and there's my other client. I managed to get on 0:07:25.400 --> 0:07:29.200 Community Bank and Trust a great The president was Ron Sibley. 0:07:29.440 --> 0:07:32.160 I'll never forget little Ron. He's sitting in his office. 0:07:32.160 --> 0:07:34.800 There's a light on in there. This is She goes, YEA, 0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:37.480 how fast word travels in a small town. I decide, 0:07:37.520 --> 0:07:38.960 you know what, I've had a little couple of beers. 0:07:39.000 --> 0:07:40.600 Let me say goodbye to Ron. Let me say hi. 0:07:40.840 --> 0:07:43.960 I knock on the door. Ron Sibley comes and opens 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:46.960 the bank door, and he says hello, Billy. I said, Ron, 0:07:47.000 --> 0:07:49.000 I'm sorry to Bobby. I just wanted to stop in 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:51.600 and and say hello. He goes, no problem, I'm just 0:07:51.680 --> 0:07:57.920 so sorry you're not wearing a dress. That is honestly 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:01.240 one of the greatest stories I've ever been told I've 0:08:01.240 --> 0:08:03.480 been dying to get a chance to tell that story 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:05.880 to someone in some sort of public form. So you're 0:08:05.920 --> 0:08:08.320 the You're the You're the one who is this the 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:10.680 first hit on this story? Have you never talked about 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:14.120 that on any of your first hit on this? Absolutely 0:08:14.160 --> 0:08:17.280 the first hit on this story. But it does go 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:21.600 to show you, like in life, like everybody buys differently, 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:25.000 there's a way to get almost anything done. You just 0:08:25.040 --> 0:08:27.840 got to know who you're dealing with. That is so true, 0:08:27.880 --> 0:08:31.600 and the persistence too, is so admirable. The fact that 0:08:31.640 --> 0:08:34.679 you walked in with heels and you stop on his 0:08:34.800 --> 0:08:38.000 desk is the funniest thing I've ever heard, and it's genius. 0:08:38.840 --> 0:08:41.960 Well yeah, I mean, you know, it was such a moment. 0:08:42.000 --> 0:08:45.400 He was totally peer pressure, the crowd cheering. He had 0:08:45.440 --> 0:08:48.000 to then sign, you know, which was I don't know, 0:08:48.080 --> 0:08:50.559 like ten grand a month or something, But in that 0:08:50.640 --> 0:08:53.079 kind of in that area, it's unbelievable. I then moved 0:08:53.080 --> 0:08:56.199 to a lake house and bought a small boat. Wow. Okay, 0:08:56.240 --> 0:09:00.160 So then what happened after that encounter? So and you 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:05.160 got the well, then eventually the I I was accounting 0:09:05.160 --> 0:09:07.880 for about fifty percent, if not a little more of 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:10.760 the of the radio station sales, and so they I 0:09:10.800 --> 0:09:12.960 became the sales manager. But I'm like, this isn't what 0:09:13.040 --> 0:09:15.840 I wanted to do, what I came for. So I 0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:18.160 said to the guy who was running the station, Look, 0:09:19.240 --> 0:09:22.400 I gotta sell very less. I'll manage my accounts, but 0:09:22.440 --> 0:09:24.640 I need to take over one of the full time shifts. 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:27.440 I had the leverage. He gave it to me. Two 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:29.400 months of being on the radio full time and I 0:09:29.440 --> 0:09:32.880 packed up my bags and left. And where did you come? 0:09:33.120 --> 0:09:35.640 And on the greener Pastors? Yeah, I ended up in 0:09:35.640 --> 0:09:39.640 in Rockville, Maryland, which serviced the d C market, on 0:09:39.679 --> 0:09:42.760 a classic rock station. So I was getting slightly younger. 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:45.640 I started on an oldies station and then I went 0:09:45.679 --> 0:09:49.480 to a classic rock station. A year into that, the 0:09:49.520 --> 0:09:52.800 brand new Top forty station picked me up as the 0:09:52.800 --> 0:09:56.360 morning drive host at years old. Wow, you know what's 0:09:56.360 --> 0:09:58.640 so interesting to me too? I feel like when you 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:02.240 I'm from like some any sort of well, I can 0:10:02.280 --> 0:10:03.880 kind of relate to this, but or how I feel 0:10:03.920 --> 0:10:05.920 in my life, it's like, since people know that I 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:07.880 come from some sort of family, that's like in the 0:10:07.920 --> 0:10:10.080 business or in an industry, I think that there's like 0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:13.080 a big misconception that you don't have to work as 0:10:13.160 --> 0:10:15.520 hard and honestly, just even from the first story you 0:10:15.600 --> 0:10:17.840 just told, like hearing that you went in after time 0:10:17.880 --> 0:10:19.840 after time of being declined and then dressing up as 0:10:19.880 --> 0:10:22.439 a woman, even though you did grow up around people 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:24.760 that were very influential and you probably did have great 0:10:24.760 --> 0:10:28.760 connections and opportunities. But I just think it's it's something 0:10:28.800 --> 0:10:31.680 that I feel like most people maybe wouldn't assume, which 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:35.320 I think is really really cool. Yeah, I would say 0:10:35.320 --> 0:10:38.200 the you know, in the grand scheme of things, the 0:10:38.200 --> 0:10:42.320 the being Ray I certainly raised and privileged, there's no 0:10:42.400 --> 0:10:45.800 question about that. But as far as like getting into 0:10:45.840 --> 0:10:48.959 Hollywood or this business, I mean, I don't know. Last time, 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:52.040 if you check, it's a it's a pretty liberal town. 0:10:52.400 --> 0:10:55.120 A guy named Bush. That's really good to dictate how 0:10:55.160 --> 0:10:57.319 far you go? You really got to cut your own swap. 0:10:57.559 --> 0:11:01.200 In fact, in my first contract at end be way 0:11:01.240 --> 0:11:03.520 back when I first signed with Access Hollywood in two 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:07.840 thousand one, I made it mandatory that they were never 0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:14.720 allowed to introduce me or refer to the Bush family 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:17.760 as far as politics, because I really you know you 0:11:17.760 --> 0:11:20.559 you you you live by that sword. You die by 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:23.720 that sword. Focus less on the bush, don't ride the bush, 0:11:23.800 --> 0:11:27.080 ride the billy, believe in the billy. And so no 0:11:27.120 --> 0:11:29.520 one knew for the longest time. I still have people like, 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:33.560 wait a minute, a way you're connected. Well, to be honest, 0:11:33.600 --> 0:11:35.240 I didn't even really know that until I was talking 0:11:35.240 --> 0:11:38.079 to my mom recently. Well, I tell you what, if 0:11:38.120 --> 0:11:40.280 you want to be a long term player and be 0:11:40.360 --> 0:11:43.640 serious in the biz and all that, you can't I 0:11:43.679 --> 0:11:47.240 don't think it's wise to to ride the easy door 0:11:47.360 --> 0:11:49.840 in or the more notable found the gimmick. I mean, 0:11:50.000 --> 0:11:52.640 you know, build a career. I've been at I've been 0:11:52.679 --> 0:11:57.720 a broadcaster for twenty oh man, I don't know since 0:11:58.880 --> 0:12:19.079 four include radio, so almost thirty years. Wow. So then 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:22.040 at what point did you really when it really started 0:12:22.080 --> 0:12:25.520 to pick up and you're own access and then um 0:12:25.559 --> 0:12:27.719 extra now obviously, but like when you moved to l 0:12:27.760 --> 0:12:29.800 A and you start your family, Like, what give us 0:12:29.800 --> 0:12:34.160 a little timeline my career. I knew I would make 0:12:34.160 --> 0:12:37.120 it in television. Well, I knew i'd make it in 0:12:37.160 --> 0:12:42.120 television when I started it Access Hollywood. My boss was 0:12:42.240 --> 0:12:44.280 like he was a little frustrated with me. One I 0:12:44.360 --> 0:12:47.360 look terrible at like corduroy jackets and my hair was 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:49.560 all over the place. I didn't look like you're slick, 0:12:49.640 --> 0:12:52.840 you know, entertainment guy, or I find that hard to believe. 0:12:54.679 --> 0:13:01.000 I well, I'm smooth. I wasn't. I was a total ruffian. 0:13:01.120 --> 0:13:04.400 I mean right out of you know. Uh, it's certainly 0:13:04.400 --> 0:13:09.240 not Central casting, but I covered. My first interview was 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:13.520 with sir Ian mckillan, Gandalf from Lord of the Rings. Right, 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:16.760 this guy is a great serious Shakespearean actor. And I 0:13:16.800 --> 0:13:21.119 interviewed him at Sardi's Restaurant off Broadway, and I prepared 0:13:21.679 --> 0:13:24.080 meticulously for the interview, and I did about a forty 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:27.600 five minute sit down interview my best Barbara Walters, and 0:13:27.679 --> 0:13:30.120 the boss says, look, he said, Jesus, dude, this is 0:13:30.200 --> 0:13:33.760 Access Hollywood. It's not Dateline. I'm looking for a moment, 0:13:34.200 --> 0:13:36.600 just a moment. If the drink spills on the table, 0:13:36.679 --> 0:13:39.600 it's a moment. If you get you know, if there's 0:13:39.600 --> 0:13:42.360 a laugh about something, it's a moment. We're a show 0:13:42.400 --> 0:13:46.720 about moments. I said, oh, okay, I got it. And 0:13:46.760 --> 0:13:51.000 then the next thing, I started just turning in moments. 0:13:51.360 --> 0:13:54.199 And the first one I think was the victorious Secret 0:13:54.760 --> 0:13:59.439 fashion show, Heidi Kloone, Gazelle, Bunch, entire of banks, oh gee, 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:03.080 super models, I mean the bosses of bosses, and I went. 0:14:03.440 --> 0:14:05.480 They were all doing makeup and they let the press 0:14:05.480 --> 0:14:08.559 come in and I brought in three large pizzas from 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:12.199 across the street as a delivery man. The cameras rolling, 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:16.120 and I said, pizza for Clome, Pizza for Clome, and 0:14:16.240 --> 0:14:19.280 Heidi is like, what new, and all the girl they don't. 0:14:19.320 --> 0:14:21.720 They've been they've been getting ready for this fashion show, 0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:24.760 so they've been watching their diets. And the pizzas came 0:14:24.800 --> 0:14:27.320 in and everybody devoured him and it was really fun. 0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:31.760 That's a clever way. Yeah, So it was just a moment, right, 0:14:32.600 --> 0:14:34.440 No one had ever seen that kind of thing, right, 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:36.360 some moments that's like the key kind of thing that 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:39.640 you've taken home. Yeah that makes sense. Okay, I'm like 0:14:39.720 --> 0:14:41.560 taking that as a note for myself because I still 0:14:41.560 --> 0:14:43.520 feel like I'm new out all of this and this 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:45.440 is one of my I mean, this is really one 0:14:45.440 --> 0:14:47.880 of my first I think I've only released like five 0:14:48.000 --> 0:14:51.640 or six episodes so far up the podcast. So they 0:14:51.640 --> 0:14:54.280 say five is the number for legitimacy, right, you gotta 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:55.840 have five if you want to get to all the 0:14:55.880 --> 0:15:00.320 platforms or something like that. Is that a thing? I think? So? Um, 0:15:00.400 --> 0:15:08.000 if you say unless you work for a woman named Amy, shoot, um, 0:15:08.080 --> 0:15:10.160 well yeah, so I think that's actually some great advice. 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:14.880 And also I was wondering about the I don't know 0:15:15.000 --> 0:15:17.640 how much you want to get into certain things, so 0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:22.480 I won't. Yeah, because I think I can really relate. 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:24.680 And I've talked to you privately before when I went 0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:27.560 through like my family stuff about just honestly just being 0:15:27.600 --> 0:15:31.600 in the media something that I can um understand, and 0:15:31.680 --> 0:15:34.560 when you do have a setback, like just some advice 0:15:34.640 --> 0:15:36.360 not even just for me, but for those that have 0:15:36.520 --> 0:15:40.000 had setbacks too in different capacities, like in the darkest times, 0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:41.920 how you kind of got through it because I know 0:15:42.000 --> 0:15:44.520 you and you're such a lighthearted fun man to be around, 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:48.520 but obviously you went through something. Yeah, oh for sure. Well, 0:15:48.560 --> 0:15:51.320 I mean, look, it's like canceled culture is a little 0:15:51.320 --> 0:15:54.880 bit like um, it's kind of like you know, my 0:15:55.000 --> 0:15:57.240 dad used to say about a motorcycle accident. If you 0:15:57.280 --> 0:15:59.240 have a motorcycle, if you haven't been in an accident, 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:02.040 you will be There's two types of motorcycle riders right, 0:16:02.200 --> 0:16:04.240 those who have been in the accident, those who will 0:16:04.280 --> 0:16:07.160 be in the accident. And at this rate, if you 0:16:07.200 --> 0:16:09.880 haven't been canceled, your time is coming because we're we're 0:16:10.040 --> 0:16:13.520 we're we're getting into an area that's and I'm the 0:16:13.560 --> 0:16:16.160 o G. I guess I'm the o G of canceled culture. 0:16:16.200 --> 0:16:18.280 I don't know, but we're getting into an area where 0:16:18.680 --> 0:16:21.640 if someone has a thought that is not a good 0:16:21.680 --> 0:16:23.920 thought and intrusive thought, they could be fired for it. 0:16:25.880 --> 0:16:30.360 You know, the rules are getting all life is gray 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:35.080 area and we live in this black and white prism 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:42.240 that somehow has has ruled our culture. I you know, 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:46.360 Steve Harvey just talked a little bit about it. Um, 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:50.440 I can tell you this. It's when it had it 0:16:50.560 --> 0:16:55.320 happened to me. It took me, oh, I think it 0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:58.440 took me until recently, probably four years to really you know, 0:16:58.600 --> 0:17:01.960 four or five years to really get that's how long 0:17:01.960 --> 0:17:09.440 ago was to be through the PTSD, because um, it's 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:12.240 it's brutal. I mean you you you you know you're 0:17:12.400 --> 0:17:15.159 I'm providing for my family, I have a livelihood, you know, 0:17:15.280 --> 0:17:18.080 I'm and all of a sudden, you're unhirable for three 0:17:18.200 --> 0:17:23.399 years in the business that you love. Um, you know 0:17:24.400 --> 0:17:28.400 what did you do in that meantime in those three years? Well, 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:31.800 first I drank a lot of alcohol, uh, very hard. 0:17:32.240 --> 0:17:36.040 The bottle became my my, my bestie. Then I put 0:17:36.080 --> 0:17:39.560 it down and just started figuring. Okay, like behind me, 0:17:39.640 --> 0:17:42.840 over my shoulder. I have but you know, thirty books 0:17:42.920 --> 0:17:45.120 or something. I've read every one of them. The role 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:48.080 in the self help area. Uh. I went to a 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:53.680 retreat for ten days in northern California, no phones, no electronics, 0:17:54.600 --> 0:17:59.119 just about trying to get the first foot forward again, 0:17:59.440 --> 0:18:02.359 get walking again. Went to Tony Robbins. I mean, I 0:18:02.359 --> 0:18:04.679 did everything I possibly could. In the end, it just 0:18:05.320 --> 0:18:08.399 it takes time. And what you really want to do 0:18:08.920 --> 0:18:11.959 is own your own stuff. The best thing for me, 0:18:12.080 --> 0:18:18.040 I finally realize, is to own my faults, own my role, 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:21.720 own accountability for me and let everyone else who whatever 0:18:21.800 --> 0:18:26.199 they did, let them do that for themselves or if 0:18:26.200 --> 0:18:29.760 they're not going to fine, I can only be responsible 0:18:29.840 --> 0:18:32.399 for myself. And frankly, in the end, I'll tell you 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:35.080 what it gave me. It gave me a tremendous blessing, 0:18:35.880 --> 0:18:39.160 and that is and you can relate to this. There 0:18:39.240 --> 0:18:41.479 is a lot of value in knowing what it feels 0:18:41.520 --> 0:18:46.280 like to be down, makes you approach other people a 0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:49.040 different way, makes you think twice before you cast judgment 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:51.879 on someone, makes you kind of have a have a 0:18:51.920 --> 0:18:55.160 more open heart to other people because everybody's going through something. 0:18:55.200 --> 0:18:58.160 We also, Yeah, and I think also it's really interesting 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:01.240 about just cancel culture in general. I mean, right now 0:19:01.400 --> 0:19:05.520 it's at new heights because although like four or five years, 0:19:05.600 --> 0:19:07.679 as you were saying, it was obviously still around your 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:10.280 the o G. But now it's just like you could 0:19:10.280 --> 0:19:12.600 just post the wrong thing, say the wrong thing, and 0:19:12.760 --> 0:19:15.800 instantly with social media and the bandwagon effect, I feel 0:19:15.800 --> 0:19:19.160 like it's just almost too easy. But I also think 0:19:19.200 --> 0:19:22.199 that it's interesting because it doesn't make a lot of 0:19:22.240 --> 0:19:25.679 sense to me. Um, I think that I think that 0:19:25.760 --> 0:19:28.479 it's just I mean, my perfect example would be you, 0:19:28.560 --> 0:19:34.560 obviously we're in a situation that was a mistake on 0:19:34.680 --> 0:19:36.399 I'm sure a lot of people's parts and whatever. It 0:19:36.440 --> 0:19:38.439 was not going to speak on that, but you know, 0:19:38.520 --> 0:19:41.639 like you lost your job and then somebody also became 0:19:41.840 --> 0:19:44.560 the president who's who also was in the car and 0:19:44.560 --> 0:19:47.119 said certain things. Um, and I just find it really 0:19:47.359 --> 0:19:50.000 interesting though, like what I just always think about, like 0:19:50.080 --> 0:19:53.320 what is the what's the decipher like of who gets 0:19:53.359 --> 0:19:56.200 canceled and then somebody becomes the president. It's like mind 0:19:56.240 --> 0:20:00.679 blowing to me. No one can understand the l rhythm 0:20:00.480 --> 0:20:04.000 of crime and punishment. Does the punishment fit the crime? 0:20:04.440 --> 0:20:08.280 There is ano some people can do amazing things, like 0:20:08.320 --> 0:20:10.399 there are certain late night hosts. We don't have to 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:14.080 go back and cancel them retroactively because I don't know, 0:20:14.480 --> 0:20:18.800 maybe they're on the right side of the prevailing media narrative, right, 0:20:18.880 --> 0:20:24.480 so they're considered protected. Uh maybe there. You know, it 0:20:24.560 --> 0:20:28.040 depends on where you fall on the pendulum, and there's 0:20:28.160 --> 0:20:34.959 always usually someone to gain when someone's down. I am 0:20:35.080 --> 0:20:38.159 very good now at seeing all the pieces of the puzzle. 0:20:38.240 --> 0:20:42.320 It's never just oh, that was someone's If someone's going down, 0:20:42.359 --> 0:20:45.600 someone's going up. There there's a sesaw effect, you know. 0:20:45.640 --> 0:20:48.200 I'm working on a new show coming up, a project 0:20:48.280 --> 0:20:52.160 that I have which will be able to lift that 0:20:52.200 --> 0:20:54.760 curtain and show the little man pulling the strings there, 0:20:54.760 --> 0:20:57.080 the little Wizard of Oz in the background of who's 0:20:57.359 --> 0:21:00.280 all the imaginations of what's going on where and who's 0:21:00.320 --> 0:21:03.399 doing what? You know, so people can see now that 0:21:03.440 --> 0:21:06.320 I've survived, there's so much ample material for me to 0:21:06.359 --> 0:21:11.560 analyze um. And in the end, you know, in my life, 0:21:11.600 --> 0:21:14.360 people have I think there are very few people left 0:21:14.400 --> 0:21:19.199 to say, let's punish Billy Bush, I think right. So 0:21:19.240 --> 0:21:23.360 now I'd like to do what I can to embrace 0:21:23.480 --> 0:21:27.200 the gray area again and open people's hearts. And first 0:21:27.240 --> 0:21:30.520 question you gotta ask, Olivia, is does anyone here when 0:21:30.560 --> 0:21:34.040 something happens to someone? So wait a minute before we judge, 0:21:34.200 --> 0:21:37.560 does anyone here have the wiring inside them to maybe 0:21:37.560 --> 0:21:40.400 have done something similar at some point on a bad day? 0:21:40.600 --> 0:21:43.040 Do you have it in you? If you don't, go ahead, 0:21:43.119 --> 0:21:47.919 judge away. Yeah, it's so true. It's so true because 0:21:47.920 --> 0:21:50.719 it's we live in a society though, where you know, 0:21:50.760 --> 0:21:53.600 if everybody's worse moments were caught on camera. I was 0:21:53.640 --> 0:21:56.080 actually talking to a friend about this recently. This is 0:21:56.119 --> 0:21:58.400 a really this is not a serious idea, but we 0:21:58.400 --> 0:22:01.280 were talking about there should be a day, I swear 0:22:01.359 --> 0:22:03.800 and like some somewhere in the near future, because it 0:22:03.840 --> 0:22:07.640 needs to happen where everybody, whatever video they have, whatever evidence, 0:22:07.680 --> 0:22:10.119 are proof of their worst moment or the worst thing 0:22:10.160 --> 0:22:12.400 they've said, or something that's a mistake that you wouldn't 0:22:12.440 --> 0:22:18.440 want public just one day, national like annual time, whatever 0:22:18.480 --> 0:22:20.840 it is. Everybody just throws it up at the same time. 0:22:20.920 --> 0:22:23.879 So it's everybody's worst mistake out there. And then it's like, 0:22:23.920 --> 0:22:27.800