1 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:05,160 Speaker 1: Hello Sunshine. 2 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:08,720 Speaker 2: Hey, Bestie's today on the bright Side. We're talking to 3 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 2: legendary broadcast journalist Connie Cheung. She's out with a brand 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 2: new memoir called Connie, and she's here on the bright 5 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 2: Side to offer a glimpse into her trailblazing career and 6 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 2: share how she paved a path for both herself and others. Plus, 7 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 2: she tells us why everyone needs a mentor or a MARII. 8 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 2: It's Monday, September twenty third. I'm Simone Boyce. 9 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 3: I'm Danielle Robe and this is the bright Side from 10 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 3: Hello Sunshine, a daily show where we come together to 11 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 3: share women's stories, to laugh, learn and brighten your day. 12 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 3: On My Mind Monday is brought to you by Missus 13 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 3: Meyers Clean Day, inspired by the goodness of the garden. 14 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 2: It's on my Mind Monday, y'all our opportunity to start 15 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 2: the week off with some fresh energy and something that 16 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 2: motivates us, inspires curiosity, and provides a fresh perspective. Daniel Yeah, 17 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 2: what's on your mind today? 18 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 3: Okay, before I tell you what's on my mind, I 19 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 3: have a question for you. Two questions actually. The first 20 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 3: is what compliment means the most to you? And the 21 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 3: second is what compliment is the hardest for you to 22 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 3: take or hear. 23 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 2: The compliments that mean the most to me have to 24 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 2: do with my brain, my integrity, or my skills as 25 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 2: a parent. And the compliment that's hardest for me to hear. 26 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: I actually am or like one that makes you uncomfortable. 27 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 2: Let me read it makes me uncomfortable. Yeah, oh my gosh. 28 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 2: I mean I can think of so many compliments that 29 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 2: have been if you can even call it that, you know, 30 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 2: that have been handed to me over the years that 31 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 2: have made me uncomfortable. But I think anything related to 32 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 2: my appearance, it's not even that it makes me uncomfortable. 33 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 2: It's just like, Okay, yeah, I get it, that's the 34 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 2: first thing you notice. But let's go let's go deeper, 35 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 2: you know. 36 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 3: So I think what you just shared is how so 37 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 3: many people feel and know. I have that card game 38 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 3: question everything, and that's one of the questions in there. 39 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 3: It's a double question. And I put it in there 40 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 3: because I think compliments and criticism are at the heart 41 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 3: of our relationships, and you need the right ratio. So 42 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 3: I read an article recently from Arthur C. Brooks in 43 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:25,639 Speaker 3: The Atlantic Love Him All about compliments, and he wrote 44 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 3: this piece called a Compliment That Really Means Something, where 45 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 3: he shares how to properly give a compliment, because he 46 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 3: says that when it's done well, words of praise can 47 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 3: be a soothing balm of human relations, but done poorly, 48 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 3: compliments can be ineffective and even destructive. 49 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 2: Okay, So what does he say is the right way 50 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 2: to give compliments? 51 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: Okay? 52 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 3: This is the best part. There's three simple rules. The 53 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 3: first be honest. He says, compliments are usually rejected when 54 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:56,799 Speaker 3: they're not credible or sincere. So before you give somebody 55 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 3: a compliment, you got to ask yourself, do I truly 56 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 3: believe what I'm going to say to this person? You know, 57 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 3: I had a mentor years ago in radio. His name 58 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 3: was ro Con in Chicago, and he said to me, 59 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,959 Speaker 3: don't ever forget Danielle. Audiences have a high bullshit meter, 60 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 3: and I've never forgotten it because it's true. And audience 61 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 3: is you know, anybody's your audience. I think people can 62 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 3: really feel your intentions. 63 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 2: So true. 64 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 3: So the second rule is make your compliment a pure gift. 65 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:30,880 Speaker 3: Arthur writes that for a compliment to be honest, you 66 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 3: have to make it without asking or expecting anything in return. 67 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 3: And the third is avoid qualification. So don't compare a 68 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 3: person with someone else or with a standard benchmark. So, 69 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 3: for example, don't say something like you look good for 70 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 3: your age or your work. 71 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: Is better than I expected. 72 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 3: I actually did this the other day at the end 73 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 3: of one of our interviews. I told somebody that they 74 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 3: were different than what I anticipated them to be. In 75 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 3: as soon as it flew out of my mouth, I 76 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 3: was like. 77 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: That was the worst compliment. 78 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 3: And I meant it as a compliment, but it came 79 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 3: out so wrong. 80 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: So I actually really believe in these three rules. 81 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 2: I want to talk about the make your compliment a 82 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 2: pure gift part. I don't know if I'm down for this. 83 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 2: I'll tell you, what do you mean If I tell 84 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 2: you I like your outfit, that is my invitation for 85 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 2: you to tell me the details. I'm asking for the details, 86 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 2: sys don't get keep that's what I expect. 87 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: I feel like that's a follow up question. I hear you. 88 00:04:30,560 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 3: You know, my grandmother does something that makes me so annoyed. 89 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 3: If anybody tells her that they like her shoes or 90 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:40,919 Speaker 3: her outfit or whatever, she tells them exactly where she 91 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 3: got it from and exactly how much your. 92 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:45,279 Speaker 2: Cost down to the ninety nine cents right. 93 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 3: Yes, And she's like, oh, I got it on set, 94 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 3: and I'm like, just say thank you, Oma, just say 95 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 3: thank you. 96 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 2: See, I think that's a generational thing because I do 97 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 2: think that older women, older people, it's mostly older women, 98 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 2: like they want to tell you how good, how deep 99 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 2: the discount was, you know, if they want you to know, 100 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 2: which is so funny deal. Yeah, exactly. 101 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 4: You know. 102 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 3: I have one more little addendum because of what you 103 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 3: shared at the beginning of this about compliments surrounding your appearance. 104 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: He actually talks about this in the piece, and. 105 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 3: He said, even if that's our first instinct, instead of 106 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 3: complimenting somebody's appearance, consider complimenting what psychologists call moral beauty, 107 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 3: so a characteristic that's reflected in courage or forgiveness, or 108 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 3: charity or acts of kindness. 109 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: And this is a little bit harder done than said. 110 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 3: Because if you just meet somebody, you don't know if 111 00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 3: they're courageous, you don't know those types of things. You 112 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 3: may just be trying to connect and say like, hey, 113 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:46,720 Speaker 3: I love your shoes. But if you are complimenting somebody 114 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 3: that you know I think it's always nice to be 115 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 3: really detailed about the compliment and to give it moral 116 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 3: beauty instead of you know, surface beauty. 117 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 2: I love this. This was this was such a great 118 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:00,839 Speaker 2: thought starter. Thank you. 119 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: I'm so glad you liked it. 120 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 2: Thanks to money, well, I could give compliments all day 121 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 2: to our guest today. It's the one and only Connie Chung. Y'all. 122 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 2: She made history in nineteen ninety three when she became 123 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 2: the first Asian and second woman to ever anchor a 124 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 2: major weekday news program in the US, and her relentless 125 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:23,359 Speaker 2: pursuit of stories landed her exclusive interviews throughout her career, 126 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 2: including one with President Nixon during the Watergate scandal and 127 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 2: another with basketball star Magic Johnson. But navigating this predominantly 128 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 2: white male industry as an Asian woman was not easy, 129 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:39,159 Speaker 2: and Connie Chung experienced a lot of overt sexism and 130 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 2: racism during her career. It's really wild to think about 131 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 2: the sexism being that overt, because I think you and 132 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 2: I hopefully have experienced a more covert form of it, 133 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 2: as conversations around this topic have really escalated in our 134 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 2: culture lately. But I'm sure things were radically different when 135 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 2: Connie Chung was coming up. 136 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 3: I think about what was overtly and covertly said and 137 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 3: done as I was coming up, and I can't even 138 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 3: imagine what she dealt with. 139 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:13,480 Speaker 1: But she details some of. 140 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 3: That and a whole lot more in her new memoir 141 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 3: titled Connie, A book that's Connie like you've never seen 142 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:24,000 Speaker 3: her before. After spending so many years telling other people's stories, 143 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,040 Speaker 3: She's finally ready to tell her own, and Simona and 144 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 3: I are so excited to hear her tell it in 145 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 3: her own words. 146 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 1: It's coming up after the break. 147 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 2: Stick with us thanks to our partners at missus Myers, 148 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:37,640 Speaker 2: you can learn a lot about a person by their 149 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 2: dish soap. Missus Myers's collection of household products are inspired 150 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 2: by the garden and pack a punch against dirt and grime. 151 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 2: Visit missus Myers dot com. Connie John, Welcome to the 152 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 2: bright Side. Thank you, thank you. 153 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 4: I can't tell you how happy I am to be 154 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:04,640 Speaker 4: with you, and thank you for having me. 155 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: Connie. We're so excited to have you. 156 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 3: Simone and I are both journalists and it feels like 157 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:12,800 Speaker 3: we have royalty in the house. 158 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: So thank you, get out. 159 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 4: Thank you for saying that But seriously, I've enjoyed your 160 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 4: call them broadcasts for your podcasts. I mean I listened 161 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,920 Speaker 4: to a few so that I, you know, be prepared. 162 00:08:25,960 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: Because you're a good journalist. 163 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 4: Well, you know, I think that's key. It really is preparation. 164 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 4: It's disrespectful to me if you do not find out 165 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 4: a little bit about the people who are interviewing you. 166 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,400 Speaker 2: Well, I can't wait to hear some more of your 167 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:43,679 Speaker 2: career secrets. But first I want to start with this. 168 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 2: We've all watched you tell other people's stories for years 169 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 2: on TV, telling Americans stories through tragedy through triumph. Why 170 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 2: did you decide that now was the time to write 171 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 2: a memoir and tell your own story? 172 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 4: Well, for years I told my husband I wanted to 173 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 4: do stand up to tell my story. 174 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 2: You would be so good at that stand up as 175 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:07,439 Speaker 2: a stand up comedy. 176 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 4: Yes, but tell my story in a one woman program 177 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 4: I show. And my husband said, absolutely not, you can't 178 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:21,680 Speaker 4: do that. I said, why you're so wrong? And I said, 179 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 4: are you afraid I'll make a fool of myself? And 180 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 4: he said there is that risk? And I thought, oh you, 181 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 4: And so I decided, he said, I really think you 182 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 4: should write a book first, and then you can do 183 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 4: your stand up. And so when I went back and 184 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 4: looked at my father had written me a letter and 185 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 4: he liked doing that. He liked writing letters to my 186 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 4: sisters and me, so we could keep it for posterity. 187 00:09:52,920 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 4: And basically he said in his letter, perhaps you can 188 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 4: tell the story of how the Chug family came to 189 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 4: you the United States, and maybe you can carry on 190 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 4: the family name the way boys do. And I thought, well, 191 00:10:06,960 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 4: because he had written a bit of an autobiography, so 192 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,080 Speaker 4: I read it over and I thought, well, maybe I 193 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:16,080 Speaker 4: can do that, particularly because my parents had in China. 194 00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 4: They had ten children, five of them died as infants, 195 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 4: three of whom were boys, and girls are not wanted 196 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 4: in China sadly, very chauvinistic society. So I actually realized 197 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 4: that I had taken him seriously with that mission. So 198 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 4: I decided that I would actually fulfill my parents' dreams 199 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 4: and become the son that they never had because filial 200 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 4: piety was so strong in my very Chinese home. So 201 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:54,200 Speaker 4: off I went running to write my book. My husband 202 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 4: would tease me, you know Maury, Maury Povich. 203 00:10:57,760 --> 00:10:59,560 Speaker 2: Oh, yeah, we know, Maury. We've heard of them. 204 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 4: It's been determining the paternity of every freaking child in America. Yeah, 205 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 4: you know, Maury, you are the father. You are not 206 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 4: the father, but I guarantee you he has a wider 207 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:14,080 Speaker 4: vocabulary than that. 208 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: I have to tell you. 209 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 3: I don't think it's fair that he told you you're 210 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:21,880 Speaker 3: not allowed to do stand up exactly. Who was Maury 211 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 3: Povich to tell Knnie Chung that precisely? 212 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,680 Speaker 4: I thank you very much. Will you I will invite 213 00:11:27,679 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 4: you over to Dinny and you can tell him that. 214 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, happily, thank you. 215 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 3: Leave. 216 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:33,160 Speaker 1: Connie. 217 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 3: I know, I know we're all joking around, but you 218 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 3: did say something that really struck me, and you said 219 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 3: you wanted to become the son that the Chung family 220 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 3: didn't have. I'm curious what did that mean to you 221 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 3: throughout your career because it's beautiful and it's a lot 222 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 3: of pressure. 223 00:11:50,640 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 4: At the same time, I was filled with guilt, you know, 224 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 4: good old fashioned guilt that one's parents can lay on 225 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 4: you heavily. But it's the same time, it really kind 226 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 4: of worked, Danielle, because when I started working, I found 227 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:09,320 Speaker 4: myself in the late nineteen sixties and early seventies among 228 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 4: what I call a sea of men. It was all men. 229 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 4: Men in the newsroom. Maybe there was one black male, 230 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 4: but there certainly weren't any minorities. And there were maybe 231 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 4: one woman, but not someone who was so young and 232 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:32,320 Speaker 4: thirsty and eager, like an eager beaver. So there I 233 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 4: stood among the sea of primarily white men who were 234 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 4: my colleagues in the newsroom, who were my competitors in 235 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:43,360 Speaker 4: the field. And the men ho I was covering because 236 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 4: it was in Washington, d c. Men at the White House, 237 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:50,160 Speaker 4: men on Capitola Hill, men at the State Department, men 238 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 4: at the Pentagon. So I decided because as I looked around, 239 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:57,559 Speaker 4: all I saw were guys, I thought, well, why can't 240 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 4: I be one of them? You know, I'm just going 241 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 4: to be guy, So I'll be this time. My parents 242 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 4: never had, but I will perceive myself as a guy. 243 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:11,440 Speaker 4: There I was. They were wearing staid suits with wings tips, 244 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:16,080 Speaker 4: and they had stentorian voices, and I was in polyester 245 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:20,840 Speaker 4: bell bottom's miniskirts and stiletto is, trying to be eyeball 246 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 4: eyeball because I did not want to have to look 247 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:28,079 Speaker 4: up at them, you know, it was meaning to do so, 248 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 4: so I took on their characteristics. I had their bravada. 249 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 4: I would walk into a room with confidence. I owned 250 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:41,560 Speaker 4: the room. I was bold, and I was sassy, and 251 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 4: I was body and I had a potty mouth. They 252 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 4: didn't know what to do with me because here I 253 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:51,160 Speaker 4: was as little Ludus blessom, and I wasn't behaving the 254 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 4: way they expected me to behave like a dautiful little 255 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 4: Chinese style, And so taking pages from their playbook worked 256 00:13:59,360 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 4: for me. I really became a guy in my mind, 257 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:07,720 Speaker 4: so much so that when I walked past a mirror 258 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 4: or a storefront, I'd be shocked to see a Chinese 259 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:11,440 Speaker 4: woman staring back at me. 260 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 3: Connie, you grew up in the DC area in the 261 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:18,599 Speaker 3: fifties and sixties, and that was a time of tremendous 262 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 3: social change. One of the things that I think is 263 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 3: the most gratifying about being a journalist is that you're 264 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 3: a first draft historian. Oh yes, are there any seminal 265 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 3: moments from history that you reported on that you think 266 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 3: about to this day? 267 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 4: Ordergate it was an extraordinary time because the presidency was 268 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 4: at stake, very simply, and I think all of us 269 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 4: felt the huge responsibility of not reporting anything inaccurate because 270 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 4: the presidency was at stinct and I covered the House 271 00:14:55,880 --> 00:15:00,080 Speaker 4: Judiciary Committee hearings into the impeachment of Richard Nixon. And 272 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:05,360 Speaker 4: there's this iconic photograph of me. Have you seen it? Yes, 273 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 4: yes you have. 274 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 2: So there's a photograph of one of your meetings with Nixon, 275 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 2: and you were with the other members of the Press corps. 276 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 2: But everyone else in the shot is a white man. Yeah, 277 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 2: except for you. It's crazy. 278 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 3: Was it crazy at the time? Did anybody notice how 279 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 3: crazy it was? Because we look back on I didn't 280 00:15:22,640 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 3: think it was crazy. 281 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 4: Yes, I think that they realized that I was an 282 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 4: art art I was not sitting there like a plant either. 283 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 4: I was vocal. I actually would speak up, and I'd 284 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 4: ask tough questions. And I think my whole being was 285 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 4: so antithetical to what they thought this little China dolls 286 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 4: should be like. It kind of stopped people in their tracks. 287 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 4: But then once they got used to, you know, this 288 00:15:54,680 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 4: pestive or person of me, I got some acceptance. It 289 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 4: was grudging, you know, it was a grudging acceptance. I 290 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 4: continued having to prove myself, which is something that I 291 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 4: find women are perpetually settled with having to prove ourselves. 292 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 4: No matter how old we are, or how seasoned we are, 293 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 4: or how experienced. 294 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 2: I completely agree with what you said about living a 295 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:28,040 Speaker 2: life of feeling like you have to prove yourself at 296 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 2: every turn, and then when you pivot, you got to 297 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 2: prove it yourself again. And hopefully we live a life 298 00:16:32,920 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 2: where we are always evolving and always pivoting and always growing. 299 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 2: But I think the most telling part of that equation 300 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 2: for me is who are you trying to prove this too? 301 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 2: Is it to yourself? Is it to other people? Is 302 00:16:47,760 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 2: it to your family? Who was it for you? 303 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:53,920 Speaker 4: Who is I trying to prove it to you? I 304 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 4: think your correct I was trying to prove it to myself. 305 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 4: Not that I had imposterous syndrome, was just I wanted 306 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:06,640 Speaker 4: to have genuine confidence in myself, which I think is 307 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,919 Speaker 4: very hard to do because as a woman and as 308 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:15,399 Speaker 4: someone who's Chinese, I found myself second guessing myself all 309 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:19,840 Speaker 4: the time. I have a perpetual should have could have? 310 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:24,160 Speaker 4: What a personality? And when I would come away from 311 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 4: an interview, I'd say, yeah, I should have asked this, 312 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:29,879 Speaker 4: and I should have asked that, and I forgot to 313 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:35,919 Speaker 4: ask this. It's striving for perfection, which I think afflicts 314 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:39,880 Speaker 4: many women because men, I believe, think that they are 315 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:46,120 Speaker 4: perfect already, and I think we're always striving for perfection, 316 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:51,120 Speaker 4: and a sooner we realize that being perfect is not necessary, 317 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 4: that it's actually a somewhat fruitless goal because there's no 318 00:17:59,119 --> 00:18:02,920 Speaker 4: such thing just doing anything perfectly. 319 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 3: During the height of the Me Too movement, you were 320 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 3: asked if you were sexually harassed and your reply was, oh, yeah, 321 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:15,200 Speaker 3: oh sure, yeah every day. I mean a lot, especially 322 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 3: when I started out and now getting to talk to you, 323 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 3: I understand the intonations of that, but I think that 324 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:30,160 Speaker 3: those experiences shape us, whether we want to admit it 325 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:30,560 Speaker 3: or not. 326 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 1: When I was starting out. 327 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:36,399 Speaker 3: I just recently started reflecting on this, because when you 328 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 3: have a goal, you just move forward. You don't think 329 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 3: about things, you don't have time to necessarily feel them 330 00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:46,199 Speaker 3: or reflect. You just move forward. And in hindsight, I 331 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 3: was harassed so much. Really, Oh my god. 332 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 4: What year would you say? 333 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 3: This was twenty thirteen. I started working and I was 334 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 3: harassed up, I'd say through the Me Too movement. Things 335 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,919 Speaker 3: changed after that, but I moved into women's spaces, and 336 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 3: I think it was in part because of that. I 337 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:10,399 Speaker 3: didn't want to deal with it anymore. And that was 338 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:15,440 Speaker 3: twenty thirteen. Connie, I cannot imagine what you dealt with 339 00:19:16,800 --> 00:19:19,879 Speaker 3: the shouldow would have could have in hindsight, how do 340 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:21,919 Speaker 3: you think about that? Do you wish you would have 341 00:19:22,359 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 3: dealt with it differently? And what exactly were people doing 342 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 3: and saying? 343 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 4: The sexist remarks were really pretty blatant, and they were daily, 344 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 4: and it was everything from a stupid sort of leering 345 00:19:41,119 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 4: but in a joking fashion. So I had this thing 346 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 4: whereby I would make a joke to them or shock 347 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:55,400 Speaker 4: them with a gotcha before they got me, and so 348 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 4: it was a preemptive strike, and it would be so 349 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,520 Speaker 4: I was shocking to their little virgin ears that I 350 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 4: would that they they couldn't believe that I had the 351 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:14,680 Speaker 4: audacity to say something rude, I mean rude to them 352 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 4: before they could to me, and they would, you know, 353 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:24,399 Speaker 4: just sort of be shocked. They had no response. And 354 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,880 Speaker 4: then the racist ones were equally as bad. You engage 355 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:33,679 Speaker 4: in yellow journalism, you slanth the news and dragon lady, 356 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:36,440 Speaker 4: and they thought they were the first ones to ever 357 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:40,960 Speaker 4: come up with those phrases. I mean, duh, no, you're 358 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 4: not that clever. I mean, you're not clever at all. 359 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 4: I've heard them all my life. 360 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:47,240 Speaker 1: Did they affect you? 361 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:47,399 Speaker 3: No? 362 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 4: You know what. I was so focused. It's weird how 363 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 4: focused I was. It broke the tension for me because 364 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 4: I was so freaked and nervous about what I was 365 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,640 Speaker 4: going to write, how I was going to write this story, 366 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,919 Speaker 4: whether I could get it done, whether I'd done it correctly. 367 00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 4: I actually found it. It was a good mo for 368 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 4: me back in the late sixties and seventies, because it 369 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:18,719 Speaker 4: would be wholly unacceptable today, but back then it was 370 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:21,879 Speaker 4: what it was. I'll tell you one incident when I 371 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:26,400 Speaker 4: was covering George McGovern's campaign against Richard incident. I would 372 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 4: always be in my room pretty early so that I 373 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:31,680 Speaker 4: could get a good night's sleek. So the next morning 374 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:34,960 Speaker 4: i'd be bright and cheerful and ask the first question 375 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:38,480 Speaker 4: of the candidate. And then I noticed that a lot 376 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:42,560 Speaker 4: of the men were getting scoops. So I would call 377 00:21:42,640 --> 00:21:46,160 Speaker 4: the Washington Bureau and ask the overnight desk what happened 378 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:50,199 Speaker 4: overnight so I can ask the candidate about it. They 379 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:52,639 Speaker 4: tell me that there was a big New York Times 380 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:55,439 Speaker 4: article or a big Washington poster or Boston Globe article, 381 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:58,679 Speaker 4: and I thought, how did they get that story? I 382 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 4: realized the guys were going down to the bar, getting 383 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 4: drunk with the campaign workers and getting them to spill 384 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 4: the beans. So that did it. I was down at 385 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 4: the bar, you know, I was not getting a good 386 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 4: night's sleep anymore. I was trying to drink them under 387 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:17,120 Speaker 4: the table. So I took on these characteristics of the men, 388 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,560 Speaker 4: and I just became one of the guys. One time 389 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:24,919 Speaker 4: in the bar, a guy was so drunk he kept 390 00:22:25,080 --> 00:22:29,200 Speaker 4: coming around and being a pest, and finally I looked 391 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 4: at him and said, you don't want to sleep with me. 392 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 4: An hour later, you'll want to do it again. 393 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 2: And then. 394 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:42,439 Speaker 4: The whole table of guys applauded, and they just knew 395 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:46,920 Speaker 4: that I could come back more badass than they could. 396 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:51,280 Speaker 4: And it's not something to be proud of. It's just 397 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 4: it was my mo to survive. 398 00:22:54,760 --> 00:23:00,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, you also have that wit, so it worked for you. 399 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 2: Do you feel like you ever got to fully be 400 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 2: yourself because of the ways that you had to, you know, 401 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 2: act like your male colleagues in order to just survive 402 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:11,400 Speaker 2: in that industry. 403 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:13,920 Speaker 4: A friend of mine told me, you know, the first 404 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 4: one through the door faces the heaviest gunfire, and I 405 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:21,360 Speaker 4: realized in writing the world that that's what was happening 406 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 4: to me. But yes, I was finally myself. After weaving 407 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:29,720 Speaker 4: through the jungle. I had to cut down a lot 408 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:34,440 Speaker 4: of trees to create a path, but I would whack them, 409 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,360 Speaker 4: you know, right and left. But I still took pages 410 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:41,400 Speaker 4: from the male playbooks, like for instance, Madeline Albright said 411 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:44,400 Speaker 4: one time she was the first woman's Secretary of State. 412 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:48,240 Speaker 4: She said, mehan, she was on the National Security Council. 413 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:51,440 Speaker 4: She was afraid to speak up. Can you imagine Meddline 414 00:23:51,440 --> 00:23:54,199 Speaker 4: Albright afraid to speak up? She said she would sit 415 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 4: there and some guy would say the same thing she 416 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:00,439 Speaker 4: was thinking, and she'd go, darn, I should have said it. 417 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:03,879 Speaker 4: And you know, I realized that's what I do. I 418 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:08,200 Speaker 4: get fra You know, I don't think I can say 419 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 4: that because maybe it'll be stupid. Man say stupid things 420 00:24:11,320 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 4: all the time. Everybody goes, Yosh, good thought. 421 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 2: Joe, Well, I want to ask you about one of 422 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 2: your male colleagues. Yeah, you made history as the first 423 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,200 Speaker 2: Asian woman to co anchor the CBS Evening News in 424 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:30,719 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety three alongside Dan Rather. Yeah, and you had 425 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:34,720 Speaker 2: a complicated relationship with him. What was it like anchoring 426 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 2: with someone that you're having friction. 427 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:41,680 Speaker 4: With the relationship was quite superficial in many ways, in 428 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 4: that he was on the surface very gracious and friendly. 429 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:51,120 Speaker 4: But you know, I'm no DOMI. I could see behind 430 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 4: the facade very easily. I had known him for years 431 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:00,639 Speaker 4: prior to sitting side by side. In fact, one of 432 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 4: my girlfriends, Leslie Stall, who is still in sixty minutes, 433 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 4: she said, I don't think he would have been happy 434 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,880 Speaker 4: with anyone sharing the seat with him, because he had 435 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 4: had that seat all by himself for many years. I 436 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:17,639 Speaker 4: was more than thrilled to sit and have for Walter 437 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 4: Crodcast's chair. I never thought that would ever happen. You know, 438 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 4: it was a big cherry on top of my cake. 439 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:26,919 Speaker 4: So I wasn't about to say no, I don't think so. 440 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,800 Speaker 2: You spent all those years proving yourself. Whenn't you finally 441 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:33,919 Speaker 2: got that chair? Did you finally feel worthy? 442 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 4: I was under the silly illusion that I was equal 443 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 4: and that the other two anchormen, Tom Brookeclaw and Peter 444 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 4: Jennings considered me to be there equal. Nah. I now 445 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 4: realized that that was really never the case, and of 446 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 4: course makes me sad. I was riding a nice high 447 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 4: of that roller coaster, and it was so much fun 448 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 4: to cover major stories and to believe that there were 449 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 4: many people out there who felt as if I had 450 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 4: broken some ceiling. But unfortunately, you know, we're back to 451 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 4: males anchoring the three network newscasts. Not that three network 452 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 4: newscasts mean anything today. The media has changed so much. 453 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:34,560 Speaker 4: The paradigm has altered our entire media universe. It's just 454 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,520 Speaker 4: not the same. Yeah, I think I was in the 455 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:39,640 Speaker 4: news business at the best time. 456 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 2: You really were, thanks to Danielle and I came in 457 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:47,800 Speaker 2: after her, and it was not great. You had the. 458 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, but I don't blame you, But I think you 459 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:56,440 Speaker 3: make a great point though. I mean, Nora O'Donnell just 460 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 3: stepped down from CBS Evening News and they replaced her 461 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 3: with two men, And I mean Katie Kirk wrote a 462 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 3: op ed about it in the New York Times. It's right, 463 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:07,280 Speaker 3: it feels like we're going backwards. 464 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:11,960 Speaker 4: Yeah. Yeah, it's depressing, it really is. But I don't 465 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:14,800 Speaker 4: give I won't give up. You know, I don't think 466 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:19,080 Speaker 4: anybody should give up. We can find our comfort zones 467 00:27:19,119 --> 00:27:22,359 Speaker 4: and our niches, which you all have found so beautifully. 468 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 4: You know, that's one of the reasons why if the 469 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:28,680 Speaker 4: Bridside is sponsored by Witherspoon, Right, Yeah, I mean she's 470 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 4: pretty dark, not pretty darn amazed. She's amazing. I mean, 471 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 4: look at how much she has done. 472 00:27:36,119 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 1: She's changing the strata she is. 473 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, she one person, she has changed everything. One woman 474 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:47,199 Speaker 4: at a time, or one program at a time, or 475 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:52,240 Speaker 4: one news outlet at a time, we really can change 476 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:57,440 Speaker 4: the nature of our world. You're listening to The Brideside 477 00:27:57,520 --> 00:27:59,160 Speaker 4: with Connie chan stay with. 478 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 2: Us, and we're back with Connie John. 479 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:13,439 Speaker 3: You were really great friends with Barbara Walters, two women 480 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:17,919 Speaker 3: who changed things. Yes, what do you think it was 481 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:19,160 Speaker 3: that connected you too? 482 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:19,879 Speaker 2: So much? 483 00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 4: I was someone who she very much related to, and 484 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:28,199 Speaker 4: I related to her because I became the breadwinner for 485 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:33,679 Speaker 4: my family and because her father's nightclubs tanked, she became 486 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:37,480 Speaker 4: the breadwinner of her family. And so we both had 487 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,040 Speaker 4: to have our jobs. And we put up with the sexism, 488 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 4: and she put up with ageism, and I put up 489 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:48,720 Speaker 4: with the racism just because we needed the paycheck. We 490 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 4: both adopted a baby because we both forgot to. I 491 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 4: mean I forgot to have a baby, but first I 492 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 4: forgot to get married. Then I forgot to have a baby. 493 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 2: Love the wording of that so much forgot to have 494 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 2: a baby. 495 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:04,640 Speaker 4: No, it really was. I had it not been for 496 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 4: my husband and said I think you want a baby, 497 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:10,840 Speaker 4: and I was like, no, no, don't take my basket 498 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 4: tool pills away from me. And I said, I'm a 499 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:18,880 Speaker 4: convention to cover an election, to cover it's it. Come on, well, if. 500 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:23,960 Speaker 2: Anybody knows how babies are made, it's it's Mary Y. 501 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:34,280 Speaker 4: Well, he's my baby daddy. And Barbara was the first 502 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:38,440 Speaker 4: to co anchor the evening news on ABC with a 503 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 4: guy who despised her, and I was the first at 504 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 4: CBS with a guy who despised me. We both lasted 505 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:48,080 Speaker 4: two years and then we were we were yanked off. 506 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 4: So when when I was stumped, you know, only she 507 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,880 Speaker 4: could comfort me. She had this incredible ability to sort 508 00:29:56,880 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 4: of just say the right thing. 509 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:02,800 Speaker 3: Well, Connie, I feel like you two did what nobody 510 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 3: had done before, and you probably related to each other 511 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:08,640 Speaker 3: in a way nobody else could. 512 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:09,719 Speaker 2: Yeah. 513 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:13,040 Speaker 3: When I think about her signature, there was always a 514 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:16,760 Speaker 3: question behind the question. She would ask you something, but 515 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 3: she was getting to something else. 516 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, what was your signature? 517 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 4: Oh? Unfortunately people would walk out on me. They weren't 518 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:34,800 Speaker 4: expecting a tough question. Have you ever seen you got 519 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:38,400 Speaker 4: to go on YouTube Bill Gates jumps over a chair 520 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:41,280 Speaker 4: from a standing position. I asked him to do that. 521 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:43,320 Speaker 4: You got to see it. It's hysterical. 522 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,520 Speaker 2: She wanted you to like yesterday as I was proging 523 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:49,560 Speaker 2: to this interview. Yes, but give me the context. Why 524 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:51,920 Speaker 2: did he Why did you ask him to do that? Oh? 525 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 4: Because I heard that he could jump over a chair 526 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:57,480 Speaker 4: from a standing position, and so I asked him to 527 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:00,480 Speaker 4: do before we got into the interview. When I got 528 00:31:00,520 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 4: into the interview, I was really tough on him because 529 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,000 Speaker 4: at the time he was getting a lot of heat 530 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 4: for unceremoniously gobbling up other little companies. So he walked out. Yeah, 531 00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:21,040 Speaker 4: where'd you go? Tanya Harding walked out on me? I mean, 532 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:23,480 Speaker 4: there is a number of people walked out on me, 533 00:31:24,080 --> 00:31:28,360 Speaker 4: and it's actually I considered it a badge of honor. 534 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 2: Did you feel that way in the moment or is 535 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:33,600 Speaker 2: that something that's come to you as you've looked back 536 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:33,920 Speaker 2: on it. 537 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 4: A little of both. I mean, I think as soon 538 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:40,960 Speaker 4: as it happens, it's a little bit shocking. I would 539 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 4: I say, yeah. 540 00:31:43,600 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, I know that feeling for sure. You know, we 541 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:50,160 Speaker 2: started this conversation with you sharing how you wanted to 542 00:31:50,760 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 2: please your family and how you wanted to really bring 543 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:56,800 Speaker 2: dignity to the family name and be the standard bearer 544 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:59,240 Speaker 2: of the Chung name and be the son that your 545 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:02,920 Speaker 2: family never had, and that I want to talk to 546 00:32:02,960 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 2: you about this New York Times article about Generation Connie. 547 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:09,760 Speaker 2: It's about a whole group of young Asian American women 548 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:12,360 Speaker 2: from the eighties who were named Connie as a tribute 549 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:15,760 Speaker 2: to you. And I just think it's so beautiful and 550 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:20,880 Speaker 2: poignant and just magnificent that you wanted to be the 551 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:23,719 Speaker 2: son that your parents never had, and now there's an 552 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:28,720 Speaker 2: entire generation of women who are named after you. What 553 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:30,320 Speaker 2: does this mean to you? 554 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 4: It's really quite extraordinary. I didn't know when I really 555 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:38,840 Speaker 4: got into writing my book. I didn't know how it 556 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,400 Speaker 4: was going to end, you know, I didn't have this 557 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 4: perfect to ending. And I mean there were so many 558 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 4: times that I would come home and say to Mauri, 559 00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 4: you know, I you know what this guy said to 560 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:58,280 Speaker 4: me today, And it was like there was this great 561 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:01,520 Speaker 4: wonderful Sissy space movie. It was called Crimes of the 562 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 4: Heart and she played a sister named Babe McGrath. And 563 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 4: when one of her sisters came home, she said, why 564 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:13,280 Speaker 4: why Babe, why did she stick your head in the oven? 565 00:33:13,880 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 4: And Babe Sissy say says, I don't know. I had 566 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 4: a bad day. So what I would do is come 567 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:26,360 Speaker 4: home and say, Maury, I had a bad day. And 568 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 4: he would say, do I need to remove the sharp 569 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:31,840 Speaker 4: outrojects from the kitchen? And I thought, I can't end 570 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:36,400 Speaker 4: my book like that. So when a woman named Connie 571 00:33:36,480 --> 00:33:40,120 Speaker 4: cold emailed me, she said when she was about three, 572 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 4: one of her parents had come from China and they 573 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,640 Speaker 4: settled in the Midwest. They said to her, at only three, 574 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:51,320 Speaker 4: you need an American name. What name would you like 575 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:55,000 Speaker 4: to be? And she said she knew what she saw 576 00:33:55,040 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 4: on television, and she said Connie or Elmo. Fortunately her 577 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 4: parents selected the human instead of them uppet. And then 578 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 4: she became a curious reporter, and she began to notice 579 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:17,440 Speaker 4: this peculiar phenomenon that other people were named Kanie. So 580 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,600 Speaker 4: she's such a good writer. She wrote this piece, as 581 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 4: you said, for the New York Times Opinion section when 582 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:29,279 Speaker 4: I learned of this, I couldn't believe it. Really, it 583 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:31,760 Speaker 4: was as if a star had fallen out of the sky. 584 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:34,840 Speaker 4: It was as if she were tinker Bell and she 585 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:39,680 Speaker 4: had sprinkled some fairy just on me and anointed me 586 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:46,480 Speaker 4: with this incredible denouement actually to my book and giving 587 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:52,920 Speaker 4: me the confidence that I actually could possibly declare success. 588 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:56,800 Speaker 4: And because I honestly, this is I think a Chinese 589 00:34:56,840 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 4: thing and a woman thing, I could never go I 590 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:02,600 Speaker 4: am you know the way men do. I'm a success. 591 00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:06,880 Speaker 4: I'm a triple, double, quadruple success. I had this, and 592 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:10,879 Speaker 4: I did that. I can't do that. I just could 593 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:15,399 Speaker 4: never do that. But now the Connie generation, because these 594 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:22,680 Speaker 4: parents see me as a success, I think maybe I 595 00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:25,960 Speaker 4: can get my arms around this and own it. And 596 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:29,279 Speaker 4: I have girlfriends who keep saying, would you please own it? 597 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:34,719 Speaker 4: And my husband constantly say, you're the Jackie Robinson. I no, 598 00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:40,719 Speaker 4: I'm not, really, we're not. For my husband not only 599 00:35:40,760 --> 00:35:43,120 Speaker 4: determine any the paternity of a rich child in America, 600 00:35:43,239 --> 00:35:49,359 Speaker 4: but being so supportive really in building me up when 601 00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:55,719 Speaker 4: I was so down, I honestly I could not have 602 00:35:56,800 --> 00:36:00,480 Speaker 4: gotten to the end of the tunnel, you know, it's 603 00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:04,600 Speaker 4: a wonderful thing. I say that everybody needs a mentor 604 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:05,520 Speaker 4: or a more. 605 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:08,000 Speaker 1: Oh that's so beautiful. 606 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:11,359 Speaker 4: Thanks, he's a good guy. 607 00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 1: I do hope you own it, Connie. 608 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,200 Speaker 2: Connie Chung, thank you so much for joining us on 609 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:19,919 Speaker 2: the bride Side. Truly one of our brightest, best episodes yet. 610 00:36:20,080 --> 00:36:23,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, oh, thank you, Thank you so much. 611 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:28,120 Speaker 2: Connie Chung is a veteran journalist and former anchor at 612 00:36:28,120 --> 00:36:31,000 Speaker 2: CBS News. Her new memoir Connie is out. 613 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:35,800 Speaker 1: Now that's it for today's show. 614 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:39,840 Speaker 3: Tomorrow, we're joined by actor and Emmy winning producer Laverne Cox. 615 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:42,840 Speaker 3: She's talking all about her role in the new Netflix 616 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:43,800 Speaker 3: film Uglies. 617 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:48,160 Speaker 2: Join the conversation using hashtag the bright Side and connect 618 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 2: with us on social media at Hello Sunshine on Instagram, 619 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:54,640 Speaker 2: at the bright Side Pod on TikTok, and feel free 620 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:57,760 Speaker 2: to tag us at Simone Voice and at Danielle Robey. 621 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:06,399 Speaker 2: We'll see you tomorrow. Keep looking on the bread side.