1 00:00:05,632 --> 00:00:09,260 So, we're looking for star potential. 2 00:00:09,344 --> 00:00:11,471 - Oh, wow. - Yeah. So this is the room. 3 00:00:11,554 --> 00:00:13,598 You'll be sitting here at this desk. 4 00:00:13,723 --> 00:00:16,476 The singers are gonna come into this room one at a time, 5 00:00:16,768 --> 00:00:18,395 and this is sort of where they need to stand. 6 00:00:18,812 --> 00:00:20,689 - Okay. - And they'll be singing 7 00:00:20,814 --> 00:00:24,693 from a list of public domain songs we gave them. 8 00:00:24,776 --> 00:00:26,778 - Right. - And that's just so… 9 00:00:27,278 --> 00:00:28,947 we don't have to pay the licensing rights 10 00:00:29,072 --> 00:00:30,949 for the song. It just saves us money. 11 00:00:31,074 --> 00:00:32,659 And then right away, I just make my decision 12 00:00:32,742 --> 00:00:34,160 - at that moment. - Yes. 13 00:00:34,494 --> 00:00:37,956 These are the tickets you give out if you want someone to move on. 14 00:00:38,039 --> 00:00:40,333 You know, we really want the best of the best, 15 00:00:40,417 --> 00:00:43,086 so you can't be giving these out to anyone. 16 00:00:43,169 --> 00:00:45,964 - The standard should be star potential. - Okay. 17 00:00:46,047 --> 00:00:47,047 That's what I was told 18 00:00:47,090 --> 00:00:48,591 - when I did it. - What's star potential? 19 00:00:48,717 --> 00:00:50,635 Star potential is someone that you think 20 00:00:50,719 --> 00:00:52,846 - could be a star. - Okay. 21 00:00:52,929 --> 00:00:54,931 Anyone that doesn't meet that threshold, 22 00:00:55,015 --> 00:00:58,476 you have to deliver the news that they will not be moving on. 23 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:00,437 You know, for a lot of these people, they're coming in, 24 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,148 and they feel like their dreams are in your hands. 25 00:01:03,231 --> 00:01:06,234 You're delivering this hard news. You're saying no to someone. 26 00:01:06,359 --> 00:01:09,571 You need to, you know, assert yourself in that way. 27 00:01:09,904 --> 00:01:13,116 Are you okay with, like, delivering bad news, or… 28 00:01:13,575 --> 00:01:14,576 Just life. 29 00:01:15,910 --> 00:01:19,497 When I was 23, I got my first job in television 30 00:01:19,581 --> 00:01:21,750 as a junior producer for Canadian Idol… 31 00:01:21,875 --> 00:01:23,626 Idol! 32 00:01:23,752 --> 00:01:25,545 The Canadian version of American Idol. 33 00:01:27,088 --> 00:01:30,508 The celebrity judges you see on TV don't have time 34 00:01:30,592 --> 00:01:33,845 to consider everyone that shows up to these auditions. 35 00:01:34,387 --> 00:01:37,015 So, what they don't show you is that all the singers 36 00:01:37,098 --> 00:01:40,143 are first led into tiny rooms off camera 37 00:01:40,226 --> 00:01:43,396 where junior producers like myself were tasked 38 00:01:43,521 --> 00:01:44,856 with thinning the herd, 39 00:01:45,482 --> 00:01:48,943 eliminating anyone that didn't have star potential. 40 00:01:50,278 --> 00:01:53,990 All day long, I told people no to their face. 41 00:01:55,158 --> 00:01:58,745 Some took the news okay, but many did not. 42 00:01:59,329 --> 00:02:02,248 They broke down in front of me, crying, 43 00:02:02,707 --> 00:02:04,542 pleading for another chance. 44 00:02:05,126 --> 00:02:08,463 But no matter what, I had to hold my ground. 45 00:02:09,506 --> 00:02:12,008 It was a brutal experience for me. 46 00:02:13,176 --> 00:02:16,721 Every morning, I woke up in a new Canadian hotel room, 47 00:02:17,097 --> 00:02:19,099 dreading what I would have to do. 48 00:02:20,558 --> 00:02:22,852 When you know that whatever you say 49 00:02:22,936 --> 00:02:25,647 is going to devastate the person across from you, 50 00:02:25,730 --> 00:02:29,025 it makes you not want to say anything at all. 51 00:02:30,693 --> 00:02:34,114 I was becoming convinced that this was the reason 52 00:02:34,239 --> 00:02:37,951 some co-pilots have trouble saying no to their captain. 53 00:02:38,743 --> 00:02:43,123 They just can't imagine a way for the interaction to go well. 54 00:02:45,875 --> 00:02:49,045 But I've always wondered if it could be done differently, 55 00:02:49,963 --> 00:02:52,715 to have someone leave feeling good. 56 00:02:53,967 --> 00:02:56,845 I could never figure out how to do this. 57 00:02:57,554 --> 00:03:01,432 But maybe there was a co-pilot out there who could. 58 00:03:06,855 --> 00:03:13,486 Down in New Orleans 59 00:03:13,570 --> 00:03:16,406 I recruited a sampling of first officers 60 00:03:16,489 --> 00:03:18,700 from all the major U.S. airlines 61 00:03:18,825 --> 00:03:22,036 to participate in a massive experimental study. 62 00:03:22,996 --> 00:03:25,915 All these co-pilots had one unique quality 63 00:03:25,999 --> 00:03:27,417 that made them special. 64 00:03:27,709 --> 00:03:30,378 None of them have died in a plane crash, 65 00:03:30,670 --> 00:03:33,882 which meant there's a chance that at least one of them 66 00:03:34,007 --> 00:03:36,217 may have unknowingly cracked the code 67 00:03:36,342 --> 00:03:39,971 to speaking up to a captain without making them upset. 68 00:03:40,054 --> 00:03:42,599 Wings of Voice! 69 00:03:42,724 --> 00:03:44,309 I hoped this could be revealed 70 00:03:44,392 --> 00:03:47,020 with an aviation-themed singing competition 71 00:03:47,270 --> 00:03:50,690 where any and all aspiring singers from across the country 72 00:03:50,773 --> 00:03:52,150 were invited to apply. 73 00:03:52,525 --> 00:03:54,027 It's not a singing TV show, 74 00:03:54,110 --> 00:03:57,363 it's actually a singing competition as part of another TV show 75 00:03:57,447 --> 00:03:58,907 that has nothing to do with singing. 76 00:03:58,990 --> 00:04:00,241 - Okay. - Oh, cool! 77 00:04:00,325 --> 00:04:02,660 - Yeah. So… - Is there like a prize at the end 78 00:04:02,744 --> 00:04:03,953 or kind of what's the setup with it? 79 00:04:04,037 --> 00:04:07,916 Okay, so the winner will get to sing a song of our choice 80 00:04:07,999 --> 00:04:10,835 on national television with a full backing band… 81 00:04:10,919 --> 00:04:12,503 - Oh, sick. - …in a partial recreation 82 00:04:12,587 --> 00:04:13,838 of the Houston Airport. 83 00:04:14,214 --> 00:04:15,423 - Wow. - Wow. 84 00:04:15,506 --> 00:04:16,841 Sounds amazing. 85 00:04:16,966 --> 00:04:21,429 O'er the land of the free 86 00:04:22,180 --> 00:04:28,645 And the home of the brave 87 00:04:30,271 --> 00:04:32,941 That was great. Unfortunately, you're not moving on. 88 00:04:33,066 --> 00:04:34,776 - Okay. - Thank you for your time. 89 00:04:41,366 --> 00:04:42,867 You did good, baby. You did good. 90 00:04:43,034 --> 00:04:46,037 You did good, you did good. You did great. 91 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:48,289 I'm always proud of you. I'm always proud of you. 92 00:04:48,373 --> 00:04:49,874 I had really done it. 93 00:04:50,583 --> 00:04:53,211 I had brought Canadian Idol back to life. 94 00:04:53,544 --> 00:04:56,047 - I love you. - I love you, too. 95 00:04:58,132 --> 00:05:01,010 Because the experience can be so brutal, 96 00:05:01,094 --> 00:05:03,972 I found some co-pilots would try to get around 97 00:05:04,055 --> 00:05:07,600 upsetting the singers by giving out endless golden tickets. 98 00:05:07,684 --> 00:05:09,060 So, yeah. 99 00:05:10,061 --> 00:05:12,730 Well, congratulations, you're moving on! 100 00:05:12,814 --> 00:05:14,190 Oh my goodness! 101 00:05:17,485 --> 00:05:20,446 It was a byproduct of this being a real competition. 102 00:05:21,072 --> 00:05:22,407 - Congrats. - Thank you. 103 00:05:22,490 --> 00:05:25,660 But ultimately, this was all about rejections. 104 00:05:25,743 --> 00:05:27,745 Hey, I was a little surprised about that one. 105 00:05:27,870 --> 00:05:28,997 Yeah. 106 00:05:29,455 --> 00:05:30,623 You feel she was good? 107 00:05:30,707 --> 00:05:32,166 - Yeah. - Yeah. 108 00:05:32,834 --> 00:05:34,627 You've sort of given a golden ticket to everyone? 109 00:05:34,711 --> 00:05:37,297 I know, I know, I know. 110 00:05:37,380 --> 00:05:39,007 That's why I was like, okay, okay. 111 00:05:39,716 --> 00:05:41,634 We only want to give to the best, remember? 112 00:05:41,718 --> 00:05:43,261 - The best, all right, the best. - Yeah. 113 00:05:43,344 --> 00:05:47,223 You do have to do the hard work of saying no. 114 00:05:47,390 --> 00:05:49,517 - All right. I got you. - Yeah. Okay, great. 115 00:05:49,892 --> 00:05:50,893 Okay. 116 00:05:51,185 --> 00:05:54,981 The holy grail I was looking for was a method of rejection 117 00:05:55,064 --> 00:05:56,774 that left everyone happy. 118 00:05:56,858 --> 00:06:00,695 Amazing grace, how sweet the sound 119 00:06:00,820 --> 00:06:03,406 It was fascinating to watch the different ways 120 00:06:03,489 --> 00:06:05,366 these co-pilots would say no to people. 121 00:06:05,783 --> 00:06:06,784 You're doing great, buddy. 122 00:06:06,868 --> 00:06:08,745 Just keep focusing on the donut and not the hole. 123 00:06:08,828 --> 00:06:10,079 That's what they always told me. 124 00:06:10,163 --> 00:06:13,166 But I was curious to see which of these techniques 125 00:06:13,249 --> 00:06:15,626 would make the singers feel the best. 126 00:06:18,421 --> 00:06:19,797 Sorry, thanks for coming. 127 00:06:20,506 --> 00:06:23,843 People are very good at hiding their true emotions. 128 00:06:24,344 --> 00:06:27,096 That's why I didn't want to evaluate anything 129 00:06:27,221 --> 00:06:28,681 by the singers' faces. 130 00:06:28,765 --> 00:06:30,808 Hi, would you be willing to rate your judge? 131 00:06:30,892 --> 00:06:32,268 - Yeah. - Okay, thank you. 132 00:06:32,435 --> 00:06:35,480 So, I put ballot boxes outside of each room 133 00:06:35,563 --> 00:06:37,815 so after every rejection, the singers 134 00:06:37,899 --> 00:06:40,234 could rate their co-pilot's likability 135 00:06:40,318 --> 00:06:42,445 on a scale from one to ten. 136 00:06:43,029 --> 00:06:44,030 - Thanks. - Thanks. 137 00:06:44,113 --> 00:06:45,490 - Have a good one. - You too. 138 00:06:47,367 --> 00:06:49,994 After a day of heartbreak and tears, 139 00:06:50,286 --> 00:06:54,290 me and my Canadian Idol colleagues would go to a local bar to unwind. 140 00:06:55,291 --> 00:06:57,543 I found that talking to people who were going 141 00:06:57,627 --> 00:07:00,338 through the same thing as you helped me realize 142 00:07:00,421 --> 00:07:02,799 that it wasn't so weird what I was doing. 143 00:07:03,132 --> 00:07:06,302 So, I wanted this experience for the co-pilots too. 144 00:07:06,928 --> 00:07:10,056 And it was important enough that I had the bar I owned 145 00:07:10,139 --> 00:07:13,184 transported once again across state lines 146 00:07:13,267 --> 00:07:16,771 and added to my Los Angeles set of the Houston Airport. 147 00:07:16,854 --> 00:07:18,064 Well, that was fast. 148 00:07:18,147 --> 00:07:19,482 - Yeah, thanks a lot. - Awesome. 149 00:07:19,607 --> 00:07:21,818 These people are gonna think I'm so mean, but… 150 00:07:23,319 --> 00:07:24,737 - It is. It is. - Yeah. 151 00:07:24,821 --> 00:07:27,865 And she just started crying, and I was like, 152 00:07:28,324 --> 00:07:29,784 "I'm sorry." 153 00:07:29,867 --> 00:07:31,536 - Did you have a crier? - I had one crier. 154 00:07:32,745 --> 00:07:35,289 - I'm so sorry. - And I was like, "Oh no!" 155 00:07:37,708 --> 00:07:40,294 But when I started going through the singers' ratings, 156 00:07:40,378 --> 00:07:43,089 I was surprised by how likable they found 157 00:07:43,214 --> 00:07:44,590 these co-pilots. 158 00:07:45,383 --> 00:07:48,970 One co-pilot, a first officer from Southwest Airlines 159 00:07:49,053 --> 00:07:50,304 named Mara'D, 160 00:07:50,513 --> 00:07:52,723 had an average score of over nine, 161 00:07:52,890 --> 00:07:55,059 which seems suspiciously high. 162 00:07:55,268 --> 00:07:56,686 Thank you so much. I like your rendition. 163 00:07:56,769 --> 00:07:57,812 - I like the change. - Thank you. 164 00:07:57,895 --> 00:08:00,523 I think for me, it's not quite the sound we're looking for today. 165 00:08:00,773 --> 00:08:02,275 When I looked at her footage, 166 00:08:02,358 --> 00:08:04,610 nothing she was doing seemed that notable to me. 167 00:08:04,694 --> 00:08:06,237 I am going to pass today. 168 00:08:06,362 --> 00:08:09,157 But people, for some reason, were leaving happy. 169 00:08:11,826 --> 00:08:14,495 I was starting to wonder if these L.A. singers 170 00:08:14,579 --> 00:08:15,913 were just a different breed 171 00:08:15,997 --> 00:08:18,749 than the ones I used to reject back in Canada. 172 00:08:19,459 --> 00:08:22,044 Maybe they were just so used to hearing no 173 00:08:22,128 --> 00:08:23,504 that it didn't affect them. 174 00:08:24,088 --> 00:08:25,882 So, I decided to sit in for a bit 175 00:08:25,965 --> 00:08:27,425 and see for myself. 176 00:08:27,550 --> 00:08:33,431 Amazing grace 177 00:08:33,723 --> 00:08:36,142 How sweet… 178 00:08:36,225 --> 00:08:38,519 It was cool to be back in the seat again. 179 00:08:38,728 --> 00:08:40,480 I felt like I was in my element. 180 00:08:40,771 --> 00:08:43,024 So, there… you know, there's a lot of… 181 00:08:43,774 --> 00:08:46,527 Like, I'm not gonna be able to put you through to the next round… 182 00:08:46,986 --> 00:08:48,404 - For sure. - …because there's a lot of, 183 00:08:49,030 --> 00:08:50,865 you know, people coming in. 184 00:08:53,034 --> 00:08:55,036 So, sorry about that. 185 00:08:56,746 --> 00:08:58,289 Sure, you're the judge. 186 00:08:59,123 --> 00:09:02,084 I just put forth my best performance, so… 187 00:09:02,335 --> 00:09:04,170 Okay, you did good. Thanks. 188 00:09:04,253 --> 00:09:05,505 Okay. Thank you. 189 00:09:40,081 --> 00:09:44,085 Confrontation is… is not… doesn't come naturally to me at all. 190 00:09:44,168 --> 00:09:45,461 I mean, you're doing something right. 191 00:09:45,545 --> 00:09:47,588 You're delivering bad news to these people 192 00:09:47,672 --> 00:09:49,549 and they are leaving happy about it. 193 00:09:49,632 --> 00:09:51,968 I mean, I don't understand how that works. I'm happy to hear that. 194 00:09:52,051 --> 00:09:54,178 Do you have a technique that you're doing or… 195 00:09:54,262 --> 00:09:56,597 No. Look, not really. 196 00:09:56,681 --> 00:09:59,475 - Should I? - No, no, I don't know. 197 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,103 - Okay. - I mean, I don't know what it is, 198 00:10:02,186 --> 00:10:03,479 but yeah, okay. 199 00:10:03,729 --> 00:10:05,648 Well, keep going. 200 00:10:05,731 --> 00:10:06,941 - Yeah, okay. - Okay. 201 00:10:08,901 --> 00:10:11,696 I decided to spend some time watching Mara'D 202 00:10:11,821 --> 00:10:13,906 to see if there was anything I was missing. 203 00:10:13,990 --> 00:10:15,533 - Hi! - Hi. How are you? 204 00:10:15,616 --> 00:10:17,910 - I'm good, how are you? - I'm fantastic. 205 00:10:18,035 --> 00:10:19,954 And the only thing that really jumped out to me 206 00:10:20,037 --> 00:10:22,707 was how often she used the word "fantastic." 207 00:10:22,790 --> 00:10:23,791 Hello, how are you? 208 00:10:23,874 --> 00:10:25,585 - Hi, I'm well, and yourself? - Fantastic. 209 00:10:25,710 --> 00:10:28,504 - Your volume control is fantastic. - Thank you. 210 00:10:28,588 --> 00:10:30,464 You have an absolutely beautiful voice. 211 00:10:30,548 --> 00:10:32,258 - Thank you. - Fantastic voice. 212 00:10:32,341 --> 00:10:34,552 It's not quite the right sound, but your sound is fantastic. 213 00:10:34,635 --> 00:10:36,512 So, for the next singers that came in, 214 00:10:36,596 --> 00:10:38,389 I adjusted my approach. 215 00:10:39,390 --> 00:10:40,808 - Hi. - Hi. 216 00:10:40,975 --> 00:10:43,644 - Hi, I'm Austin. - Fantastic. 217 00:10:43,728 --> 00:10:44,937 - All right. - All right. 218 00:10:45,062 --> 00:10:46,480 What are you gonna be singing today? 219 00:10:46,564 --> 00:10:48,357 So, "The Star-Spangled Banner." 220 00:10:49,150 --> 00:10:50,568 - Fantastic. - Yeah. 221 00:10:50,693 --> 00:10:51,861 Okay, whenever you're ready. 222 00:10:51,944 --> 00:10:54,530 And the home 223 00:10:54,614 --> 00:11:01,370 Of the brave 224 00:11:02,997 --> 00:11:04,874 - Wow, fantastic. - Great. 225 00:11:07,001 --> 00:11:09,211 I'm gonna have to say no for today. 226 00:11:09,378 --> 00:11:11,047 - Okay. Okay. - But that was so good. 227 00:11:11,172 --> 00:11:12,381 Thank you. 228 00:11:13,799 --> 00:11:15,426 But yeah, great stuff. 229 00:11:15,509 --> 00:11:16,677 - Okay. - Good stuff. 230 00:11:17,428 --> 00:11:19,388 All right. Well, thank you so much. 231 00:11:19,472 --> 00:11:20,514 - Thank you. - And, yeah. 232 00:11:20,598 --> 00:11:22,642 - Thanks again for the opportunity. - Yeah. Fantastic. 233 00:11:39,450 --> 00:11:41,118 - What is your name? - Adore. 234 00:11:41,243 --> 00:11:42,953 Adore, that's beautiful. What are you singing today? 235 00:11:43,371 --> 00:11:45,331 - What's your name? - My name is Darian. 236 00:11:45,414 --> 00:11:47,124 Darian, beautiful. What's your name? 237 00:11:47,208 --> 00:11:49,168 - My name is Isabella. - Isabella, beautiful. 238 00:11:49,585 --> 00:11:51,295 - What's your name? - My name is Danny. 239 00:11:51,629 --> 00:11:54,256 - Danny, that's beautiful. - Thank you. 240 00:11:56,926 --> 00:11:59,762 Hey, the last couple of guys who were in my room, 241 00:11:59,845 --> 00:12:00,888 are they still here? 242 00:12:00,971 --> 00:12:03,057 Do you know… if they're still here? 243 00:12:03,891 --> 00:12:06,727 Hey, this is Nathan from Wings of Voice. 244 00:12:06,811 --> 00:12:07,937 Have you left yet? 245 00:12:12,274 --> 00:12:14,735 If you're still close, do you wanna come back for a sec? 246 00:12:14,819 --> 00:12:16,195 I just had a quick question. 247 00:12:18,656 --> 00:12:20,700 - Thanks for coming back. - Yeah, of course. 248 00:12:20,825 --> 00:12:24,286 I was just curious as to why you gave me 249 00:12:24,370 --> 00:12:26,038 such a low score. 250 00:12:28,624 --> 00:12:31,627 I don't know. I was just like, I was nervous 251 00:12:31,711 --> 00:12:33,671 and I didn't know really what was happening. 252 00:12:33,754 --> 00:12:37,675 I showed him a video of Mara'D and told him people loved her, 253 00:12:37,758 --> 00:12:40,344 even though she delivered them all bad news. 254 00:12:40,428 --> 00:12:42,179 'Cause I said a lot of the same things 255 00:12:42,263 --> 00:12:45,015 like she did and… but she would get, 256 00:12:45,099 --> 00:12:47,143 you know, she gets pretty high ratings. 257 00:12:47,393 --> 00:12:49,603 So like, what's the difference? What do you think? 258 00:12:49,937 --> 00:12:53,649 She just… I think that she just kind of came off 259 00:12:53,733 --> 00:12:54,859 a little bit more… 260 00:12:56,527 --> 00:12:58,362 I don't know what word to use. 261 00:13:00,322 --> 00:13:01,991 The way that she did everything, 262 00:13:02,241 --> 00:13:05,619 the way that she was, just her aura, her general aura, I would say. 263 00:13:06,620 --> 00:13:08,831 - Okay. Her aura. - Yeah. 264 00:13:09,373 --> 00:13:11,167 And how do you change that? 265 00:13:12,793 --> 00:13:14,170 I don't know, I don't think that it's… 266 00:13:14,253 --> 00:13:16,672 - I mean, I really don't know. - Okay. 267 00:13:16,714 --> 00:13:18,424 I don't know if that's, like, you know, 268 00:13:18,507 --> 00:13:20,551 I don't know if that's… you can really control like 269 00:13:20,676 --> 00:13:23,471 what your natural energy is, you know? 270 00:13:26,682 --> 00:13:28,142 - All right, well, thank you for… - Okay. 271 00:13:28,225 --> 00:13:29,477 - Yeah, thank you for that. - Yeah. 272 00:13:29,560 --> 00:13:33,439 Even though it was hard to hear, I disagreed with this man. 273 00:13:34,774 --> 00:13:37,777 I believe that any human quality can be learned, 274 00:13:37,860 --> 00:13:39,403 or at least emulated. 275 00:13:40,571 --> 00:13:42,990 Sometimes, it just takes time. 276 00:13:47,536 --> 00:13:48,537 - Hey. - Hey. 277 00:13:48,662 --> 00:13:50,080 - How's it going? - Good. 278 00:13:50,164 --> 00:13:52,208 But the more I got to know Mara'D, 279 00:13:52,333 --> 00:13:55,044 the more I learned about her life in the cockpit. 280 00:13:55,169 --> 00:13:58,297 He was making a lot of inappropriate jokes 281 00:13:58,339 --> 00:14:01,342 and whatnot. You know, "Does your boyfriend satisfy you?" 282 00:14:01,425 --> 00:14:03,385 - Kind of weird questions. - This is the captain saying this? 283 00:14:03,469 --> 00:14:05,763 - This is the captain. - How do you respond to that? 284 00:14:06,013 --> 00:14:08,140 I would blow him off or change the subject. 285 00:14:08,516 --> 00:14:10,059 Just kind of chuckle and just kind of, 286 00:14:10,142 --> 00:14:12,436 - you know, like, hope it goes away. - Okay. 287 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:14,855 I mean, at this point in my career, I'm very skilled at that. 288 00:14:14,939 --> 00:14:16,482 It was a little more rough then, but… 289 00:14:16,941 --> 00:14:17,942 Holy crap. 290 00:14:18,025 --> 00:14:21,654 I was realizing I had still never witnessed a real captain 291 00:14:21,737 --> 00:14:24,281 and first officer interacting with each other. 292 00:14:24,990 --> 00:14:27,243 So, I invited some airline captains 293 00:14:27,326 --> 00:14:31,205 to join the first officers at our nightly hangs at Nate's, 294 00:14:31,288 --> 00:14:33,999 as I was curious to see how they got along. 295 00:14:37,795 --> 00:14:38,796 Okay. 296 00:14:51,517 --> 00:14:52,810 With the captains in the bar, 297 00:14:53,269 --> 00:14:55,896 the energy in the room seemed to change, 298 00:14:56,021 --> 00:14:57,648 but I couldn't tell what it meant. 299 00:14:57,731 --> 00:15:00,067 Is that the female pilot table over there? 300 00:15:00,150 --> 00:15:01,443 I see a bunch of female pilots. 301 00:15:01,527 --> 00:15:03,612 - I guess there are, yeah. - I'm gonna talk to them. 302 00:15:03,696 --> 00:15:05,656 Mara'D got into a conversation 303 00:15:05,739 --> 00:15:09,326 with a captain named Jeff, who worked for American Airlines. 304 00:15:09,493 --> 00:15:12,246 I got hired in 2013, and I've been there 305 00:15:12,371 --> 00:15:13,831 - for about 11 years. - Right on. 306 00:15:13,914 --> 00:15:17,084 Yeah. So, life could be worse, right? 307 00:15:17,167 --> 00:15:19,545 - You wide body or narrow? - Narrow. Airbus. 308 00:15:19,628 --> 00:15:20,629 - Okay. - Yeah. 309 00:15:20,713 --> 00:15:22,882 But I couldn't tell from watching any of this 310 00:15:22,965 --> 00:15:25,718 if captains were aware of how hard it can be 311 00:15:25,801 --> 00:15:28,262 for their co-pilots to speak their mind. 312 00:15:28,762 --> 00:15:31,515 So, when I invited Jeff to sit down for a chat, 313 00:15:31,807 --> 00:15:33,642 I was surprised when he claimed 314 00:15:33,726 --> 00:15:35,728 that he was the one who felt the pressure 315 00:15:35,811 --> 00:15:37,104 to stay silent. 316 00:15:37,187 --> 00:15:40,024 I mean, you know, especially being a male captain 317 00:15:40,107 --> 00:15:43,402 and a female first officer, you always have to also kind of, 318 00:15:43,736 --> 00:15:45,654 you know, walk on eggshells or whatever, 319 00:15:45,738 --> 00:15:46,989 - if you will because you… - Why? 320 00:15:47,114 --> 00:15:49,742 Because something you may think is a joke and try to be funny, 321 00:15:50,284 --> 00:15:52,411 - she might get offended by, right? - Sure, yeah. 322 00:15:52,494 --> 00:15:54,538 You know, I've been doing this for a long time. I feel like… 323 00:15:54,622 --> 00:15:57,291 I'm not a psychologist, but I feel like I know how to read the room pretty well. 324 00:15:57,374 --> 00:15:59,752 - Doing what for a long time? - Just, well, flying. 325 00:15:59,835 --> 00:16:01,170 - Not only flying but also just… - Yeah. 326 00:16:01,253 --> 00:16:03,964 …like interacting with people, being single. 327 00:16:04,048 --> 00:16:06,800 I've been banned from pretty much every dating app known to man. 328 00:16:07,676 --> 00:16:09,261 - Banned? - They kick you off… 329 00:16:09,345 --> 00:16:10,804 - For what? - They don't give you reasons. 330 00:16:10,888 --> 00:16:13,140 So like, I've been banned from Tinder, 331 00:16:13,349 --> 00:16:15,225 Hinge, Bumble. 332 00:16:15,768 --> 00:16:19,563 And I think that's it. And Seeking… 333 00:16:19,647 --> 00:16:22,691 Seeking Arrangements, it's where you go meet girls 334 00:16:22,775 --> 00:16:24,652 that are looking for, like, more like… 335 00:16:25,069 --> 00:16:26,737 like a mutually beneficial arrangement. 336 00:16:26,820 --> 00:16:30,157 How is that even possible, to be banned from so many sites? 337 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:31,951 You don't have to do anything illegal. 338 00:16:32,034 --> 00:16:34,328 It could just be like you offended someone 339 00:16:34,411 --> 00:16:35,663 based on something you said. 340 00:16:35,746 --> 00:16:37,081 - Sure. - I don't remember saying 341 00:16:37,164 --> 00:16:38,332 anything too offensive. 342 00:16:38,457 --> 00:16:40,209 - I just don't know, right? - You don't know? 343 00:16:40,292 --> 00:16:41,961 They don't give you a reason of why. 344 00:16:42,044 --> 00:16:43,671 So, you have no clue why you got banned? 345 00:16:43,754 --> 00:16:45,381 No. I got kicked off of Instagram too. 346 00:16:46,507 --> 00:16:47,841 For like three months. 347 00:16:48,217 --> 00:16:51,637 If a captain can be banned from five different dating apps 348 00:16:51,762 --> 00:16:54,098 and still not know what he's done wrong… 349 00:16:54,181 --> 00:16:55,683 They don't believe in second chances either. 350 00:16:55,766 --> 00:16:58,560 I tried to sign up with my mom's phone number and stuff, 351 00:16:58,644 --> 00:17:02,231 but Bumble has an algorithm, I think, where it recognizes your photos. 352 00:17:02,314 --> 00:17:04,191 …it might be the perfect opportunity 353 00:17:04,274 --> 00:17:07,444 to see if something emerges in a cockpit scenario 354 00:17:07,528 --> 00:17:10,197 that would reveal Mara'D's special talent. 355 00:17:10,322 --> 00:17:13,283 All right, so yeah, you guys can just do your thing, 356 00:17:13,492 --> 00:17:17,371 - and I'll be watching. - All right. Sounds good. 357 00:17:17,454 --> 00:17:19,748 - Generators one and two. - On. 358 00:17:19,873 --> 00:17:21,417 - Probe heat. - Auto. 359 00:17:21,500 --> 00:17:23,168 - Wing anti-ice. - On. 360 00:17:23,252 --> 00:17:24,878 - Engine anti-ice. - Auto. 361 00:17:28,173 --> 00:17:30,300 - Positive rate. - Landing gear up. 362 00:17:30,884 --> 00:17:31,927 Gear up. 363 00:17:32,177 --> 00:17:35,514 And JetLine 56, we are cleared ILS nine. 364 00:17:35,973 --> 00:17:40,352 Set maintain 2,000 feet, turn left heading one-three-zero. 365 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:44,606 Yeah, so… 366 00:17:48,444 --> 00:17:50,029 So, you've been five years flying, huh? 367 00:17:50,112 --> 00:17:51,321 - Seven-three? - Yeah. 368 00:17:51,405 --> 00:17:53,073 - Five years on the seven-three. - Wow. 369 00:17:53,615 --> 00:17:55,492 - You single? - Yeah. 370 00:17:56,618 --> 00:17:57,870 Married before? 371 00:17:57,953 --> 00:18:00,164 - No. Never married. - No? Wow. 372 00:18:00,414 --> 00:18:01,874 - No kids? - Nope, no kids. 373 00:18:02,166 --> 00:18:03,333 Wow. 374 00:18:03,625 --> 00:18:06,211 - Is it hard, dating? - I don't date. 375 00:18:06,420 --> 00:18:07,838 - You don't date? - No. 376 00:18:08,005 --> 00:18:10,799 But when Jeff started asking about her romantic life, 377 00:18:10,924 --> 00:18:14,803 I couldn't tell if she was enjoying this conversation or not. 378 00:18:16,055 --> 00:18:19,266 - You're just too picky? - No, just, you know, ten years ago, 379 00:18:19,349 --> 00:18:23,687 it didn't work out with a situation, and I really haven't wanted to. 380 00:18:23,771 --> 00:18:25,397 - I have a completely full life. - So you're just, 381 00:18:25,481 --> 00:18:26,607 you're not dating or anything? 382 00:18:26,690 --> 00:18:28,317 - You're just celibate? - No. Yeah. 383 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:30,694 - Wow. That's crazy. - Yep. 384 00:18:31,403 --> 00:18:32,529 Yep. 385 00:18:33,530 --> 00:18:36,116 It can be like that. 386 00:18:36,283 --> 00:18:39,536 If she was trying to steer Jeff away from this topic, 387 00:18:39,661 --> 00:18:41,038 he wasn't getting the hint. 388 00:18:41,121 --> 00:18:44,541 I should hook you up with my dad. He's been celibate for like four years. 389 00:18:45,793 --> 00:18:47,377 - No, I'm good. - I tried to sign my dad up 390 00:18:47,461 --> 00:18:49,213 - on eHarmony… - But what I was witnessing 391 00:18:49,296 --> 00:18:52,841 between Mara'D and this captain felt eerily similar 392 00:18:52,925 --> 00:18:56,553 to a situation in my own life, where I couldn't figure out 393 00:18:56,637 --> 00:18:59,973 the right way to express my true feelings. 394 00:19:00,307 --> 00:19:01,350 "Deny nothing." 395 00:19:01,433 --> 00:19:04,186 - That's our slogan. - Yeah. I love that. 396 00:19:04,311 --> 00:19:06,980 I'd gotten in the habit of giving away jackets, 397 00:19:07,106 --> 00:19:10,943 sweatshirts, and socks to the pilots I've been working with. 398 00:19:11,068 --> 00:19:13,570 You can wear them to bed too. Like pajamas, too, 399 00:19:13,654 --> 00:19:14,863 - if it's cold. - Yeah. 400 00:19:14,947 --> 00:19:17,407 This brand had a special meaning to me 401 00:19:17,491 --> 00:19:19,201 as it began a decade ago 402 00:19:19,284 --> 00:19:21,370 as part of a comedy series I used to make 403 00:19:21,829 --> 00:19:23,455 called Nathan For You. 404 00:19:23,831 --> 00:19:25,207 As part of the show, 405 00:19:25,290 --> 00:19:28,877 I launched a real outdoor apparel line called Summit Ice 406 00:19:28,961 --> 00:19:33,465 that has gone on to raise millions of dollars for Holocaust awareness. 407 00:19:34,216 --> 00:19:36,343 It's been my proudest achievement 408 00:19:36,426 --> 00:19:39,096 and served as my only proof to these pilots 409 00:19:39,179 --> 00:19:42,474 that a comedy show can actually make a difference. 410 00:19:42,724 --> 00:19:45,519 These things that start off as like maybe a little silly 411 00:19:45,602 --> 00:19:48,647 can actually have an impact in the world so… 412 00:19:48,772 --> 00:19:50,065 It does. It really does. 413 00:19:50,149 --> 00:19:52,860 But this is where the story gets complicated. 414 00:19:54,111 --> 00:19:55,654 Okay, sit here. 415 00:19:56,697 --> 00:19:59,199 So, I was at the computer just like this. 416 00:19:59,700 --> 00:20:02,202 And this is my exact correspondence. 417 00:20:02,661 --> 00:20:05,080 Okay, so I want you to type the same words I did. 418 00:20:05,414 --> 00:20:06,415 Okay. 419 00:20:06,999 --> 00:20:11,795 In late 2023, I discovered that the episode of Nathan For You 420 00:20:11,879 --> 00:20:15,591 featuring the Summit Ice story mysteriously went missing 421 00:20:15,674 --> 00:20:18,260 from the Paramount Plus streaming service. 422 00:20:19,011 --> 00:20:21,805 It's season three, episode two. 423 00:20:22,347 --> 00:20:24,975 You can see right there, it's gone. 424 00:20:26,268 --> 00:20:30,564 But everything I did after that point wasn't captured on camera. 425 00:20:30,647 --> 00:20:33,942 Are you supposed to be at home, or in the office? 426 00:20:35,110 --> 00:20:36,612 I don't remember where I was, 427 00:20:36,695 --> 00:20:39,781 but it could've been one of those. Yeah. 428 00:20:42,242 --> 00:20:43,243 Okay. 429 00:20:43,327 --> 00:20:45,871 Which was frustrating, because my headspace 430 00:20:45,954 --> 00:20:47,831 in that moment might be the key 431 00:20:47,915 --> 00:20:51,168 to understanding how to get through to a captain. 432 00:20:54,213 --> 00:20:57,633 I wrote an email to some contacts I had at Paramount, 433 00:20:57,716 --> 00:21:00,802 asking them why the episode was removed. 434 00:21:02,054 --> 00:21:03,889 The thing that made this tricky was, 435 00:21:04,014 --> 00:21:07,559 Paramount is currently airing a different series of mine, 436 00:21:08,018 --> 00:21:11,146 a scripted drama that hadn't yet been renewed. 437 00:21:11,813 --> 00:21:15,317 How I spoke to them could have career repercussions, 438 00:21:15,442 --> 00:21:17,694 just like it did for co-pilots. 439 00:21:20,322 --> 00:21:24,076 I remember wanting to convey how urgent this was for me. 440 00:21:24,618 --> 00:21:28,121 And yet, my email was extremely cordial, 441 00:21:28,372 --> 00:21:33,210 using phrases like "forever grateful" and "happy holidays." 442 00:21:38,507 --> 00:21:40,717 The network confirmed in their response 443 00:21:40,801 --> 00:21:43,011 that it was taken down intentionally 444 00:21:43,178 --> 00:21:46,431 and gave me a one-word explanation as to why. 445 00:21:47,140 --> 00:21:48,600 "Sensitivities." 446 00:21:50,102 --> 00:21:51,853 How does that response make you feel? 447 00:21:56,108 --> 00:21:57,150 Frustrated. 448 00:21:59,194 --> 00:22:01,863 Right, yeah. I think I felt that way too. 449 00:22:04,533 --> 00:22:05,951 Okay, now type my reply. 450 00:22:06,410 --> 00:22:09,955 I was frustrated, but my reply, again, 451 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:12,749 didn't communicate my level of concern. 452 00:22:13,583 --> 00:22:16,503 I used three friendly exclamation points 453 00:22:16,586 --> 00:22:18,839 in just two sentences. 454 00:22:20,590 --> 00:22:22,092 What was I so worried about? 455 00:22:26,179 --> 00:22:28,807 I think you didn't want to be too pushy. 456 00:22:29,308 --> 00:22:30,559 Which was strange 457 00:22:30,684 --> 00:22:34,229 because I remembered my emails being very pushy. 458 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:38,942 But I'll never forget exactly where I was 459 00:22:39,026 --> 00:22:41,278 when I finally learned the truth. 460 00:22:42,154 --> 00:22:44,698 What I discovered was so shocking 461 00:22:44,781 --> 00:22:48,660 a tornado of emotions began spinning inside my body. 462 00:22:49,745 --> 00:22:52,497 The email said in late 2023, 463 00:22:52,581 --> 00:22:55,542 a decision was made by Paramount Plus Germany 464 00:22:55,625 --> 00:22:57,711 to remove the episode in their region 465 00:22:57,836 --> 00:23:00,714 after they became uncomfortable with what they called, 466 00:23:00,797 --> 00:23:03,425 "Anything that touches on antisemitism 467 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:07,554 in the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas attacks." 468 00:23:08,305 --> 00:23:09,723 But it didn't stop there. 469 00:23:10,682 --> 00:23:13,352 This act by Germany triggered the attention 470 00:23:13,435 --> 00:23:16,229 of other European Paramount branches, 471 00:23:16,438 --> 00:23:19,316 and they in turn pulled the episode too. 472 00:23:20,233 --> 00:23:24,363 Before long, the ideology of Paramount Plus Germany 473 00:23:24,446 --> 00:23:26,656 had spread to the entire globe, 474 00:23:26,865 --> 00:23:30,786 eliminating all Jewish content that made them uncomfortable. 475 00:23:31,828 --> 00:23:33,372 This is real, by the way. 476 00:23:34,414 --> 00:23:39,127 Currently, on the Paramount app, there are 50 results for "Nazi," 477 00:23:39,586 --> 00:23:43,256 ten for "Hitler," and zero for "Judaism." 478 00:23:46,259 --> 00:23:47,594 We've been erased. 479 00:23:49,971 --> 00:23:53,600 I wanted to urge Paramount to reconsider their decision. 480 00:23:54,309 --> 00:23:57,312 But what could I say that wouldn't annoy them? 481 00:24:00,148 --> 00:24:02,067 That's what I was worried about. 482 00:24:02,818 --> 00:24:05,987 That's what I was thinking about in the shower that day. 483 00:24:07,739 --> 00:24:08,949 I remember now. 484 00:24:13,036 --> 00:24:15,455 Why did I expect them to get the hint 485 00:24:15,789 --> 00:24:18,583 when I didn't even say what I really felt? 486 00:24:19,251 --> 00:24:20,335 Here you go. 487 00:24:21,962 --> 00:24:23,296 But if the right girl came along, 488 00:24:23,380 --> 00:24:25,382 - I would definitely wife her up. - Yeah. 489 00:24:25,465 --> 00:24:27,175 If she was okay with non-monogamy. 490 00:24:27,259 --> 00:24:29,261 Okay. Yeah. 491 00:24:29,469 --> 00:24:32,764 But unlike me, who stopped communicating altogether, 492 00:24:33,014 --> 00:24:35,851 Mara'D kept engaging with her captain. 493 00:24:35,934 --> 00:24:37,519 Lots of beautiful Latina women there. 494 00:24:37,686 --> 00:24:38,895 - Right on. - Right. 495 00:24:38,979 --> 00:24:41,189 I need to brush up on my español a little bit. 496 00:24:41,606 --> 00:24:42,816 - Yeah. - That's cool. 497 00:24:42,899 --> 00:24:45,068 Yeah, I mean, I downloaded that Duolingo app. 498 00:24:45,152 --> 00:24:46,778 - Yeah. - Yeah, I've been practicing. 499 00:24:46,862 --> 00:24:48,363 - Right on. - Acting interested 500 00:24:48,447 --> 00:24:51,533 in his perspective, whether she agreed with it or not. 501 00:24:51,992 --> 00:24:53,827 Gotta impress all these girls all the time. 502 00:24:53,910 --> 00:24:56,621 - Wining and dining 'em, you know? - Poor thing. You want kids someday? 503 00:24:56,705 --> 00:24:58,582 - One day, yeah. - You gonna keep them alive? 504 00:24:58,665 --> 00:25:00,333 I'll try. Well, I'm gonna hire a nanny. 505 00:25:00,417 --> 00:25:02,919 And when she eventually did shut him down, 506 00:25:03,086 --> 00:25:05,714 it felt like there was no tension at all. 507 00:25:05,839 --> 00:25:07,549 I'm aiming to retire at 60. 508 00:25:07,632 --> 00:25:09,634 Financially, I can retire at 60 right now. 509 00:25:09,718 --> 00:25:12,012 How many years you got left, if you don't mind me asking? 510 00:25:12,804 --> 00:25:15,515 Not enough. I don't… Or too many. I don't know, depends on the day. 511 00:25:15,599 --> 00:25:17,851 - I'm not gonna try to guess. - I'm not gonna answer. 512 00:25:17,934 --> 00:25:20,353 - You're not gonna answer? Okay. - No, we're not answering that. 513 00:25:21,730 --> 00:25:23,815 I couldn't tell if this was a strategy 514 00:25:23,899 --> 00:25:25,859 or what I was even looking at. 515 00:25:26,610 --> 00:25:28,570 But maybe there was more I could try 516 00:25:28,653 --> 00:25:31,656 with my captain to get my point heard. 517 00:25:35,994 --> 00:25:39,539 I didn't know what the Paramount Plus Germany offices looked like, 518 00:25:39,623 --> 00:25:41,666 so I sort of had to take a guess. 519 00:25:45,837 --> 00:25:48,965 I tried to make the environment feel hostile to me, 520 00:25:49,174 --> 00:25:53,428 as a reminder to not go soft on them like I did in my emails. 521 00:25:58,058 --> 00:26:00,519 Mr. Fielder, it's a pleasure. 522 00:26:00,644 --> 00:26:02,437 - Hi, nice to meet you. - Yeah. 523 00:26:02,896 --> 00:26:06,775 So what brings you all this way to our humble offices? 524 00:26:09,277 --> 00:26:10,320 How rude of me. 525 00:26:10,403 --> 00:26:12,280 Fritz, will you bring our guest some tea? 526 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:16,576 Hospitality is what separates us from the animals. 527 00:26:16,660 --> 00:26:18,578 - Don't you agree? - Sure. 528 00:26:19,371 --> 00:26:20,705 I guess I'll just get right to it. 529 00:26:21,081 --> 00:26:23,333 You guys removed an episode of a TV show I made 530 00:26:23,416 --> 00:26:24,543 called Nathan For You, 531 00:26:24,626 --> 00:26:26,753 and I was told the reason was sensitivities 532 00:26:26,962 --> 00:26:28,713 related to antisemitism. 533 00:26:29,089 --> 00:26:32,050 That's right. It's something we take seriously. 534 00:26:32,842 --> 00:26:35,387 In Germany today, we have no tolerance 535 00:26:35,470 --> 00:26:39,182 for any images that may evoke hate 536 00:26:39,349 --> 00:26:43,603 or incite violence towards any group of people. You know? 537 00:26:43,687 --> 00:26:45,689 But, look, I know you guys are… 538 00:26:46,356 --> 00:26:48,066 You know, probably feel a lot of shame 539 00:26:48,149 --> 00:26:49,442 about what you did in the past, 540 00:26:49,526 --> 00:26:50,986 and now you're trying to overcompensate 541 00:26:51,069 --> 00:26:54,197 by being the world leaders in fighting antisemitism. 542 00:26:54,281 --> 00:26:58,702 But when it comes to art, I think you have to know your place. 543 00:26:58,827 --> 00:27:01,454 And you have to let us Jews express ourselves, 544 00:27:01,538 --> 00:27:02,747 because honestly, 545 00:27:02,831 --> 00:27:05,875 the way you're approaching this whole thing, it… 546 00:27:06,167 --> 00:27:08,503 You know, people might get the wrong idea 547 00:27:08,587 --> 00:27:10,589 about what you actually stand for. 548 00:27:10,839 --> 00:27:12,090 I'm on your side, 549 00:27:12,173 --> 00:27:14,134 believe it or not, we're on the same side. 550 00:27:14,259 --> 00:27:15,343 You take sugar? 551 00:27:17,721 --> 00:27:18,763 Sure. 552 00:27:30,609 --> 00:27:33,403 Okay, let's start over. Let's do it again. 553 00:27:33,695 --> 00:27:34,946 Let's do another one. 554 00:27:36,698 --> 00:27:39,868 - Want me to go out there, or… - Yeah, you can start outside. 555 00:27:40,201 --> 00:27:43,622 But as I began rehearsing, something felt off. 556 00:27:44,581 --> 00:27:46,499 Mr. Fielder. It's a pleasure. 557 00:27:47,334 --> 00:27:49,169 The actors were very good, 558 00:27:49,294 --> 00:27:51,254 but I felt they were being constrained 559 00:27:51,338 --> 00:27:53,131 by the direction I had given them. 560 00:27:53,214 --> 00:27:55,842 Fritz, will you bring our guest some tea, please? 561 00:27:56,509 --> 00:27:59,262 Hospitality is what separates us from the animals. 562 00:27:59,387 --> 00:28:00,430 Don't you agree? 563 00:28:04,476 --> 00:28:06,102 Try something else. Just… 564 00:28:07,312 --> 00:28:09,856 So, I encouraged them to speak more freely, 565 00:28:10,315 --> 00:28:11,733 whatever came to their mind. 566 00:28:12,192 --> 00:28:13,693 Well, tell me this. Is there… 567 00:28:13,777 --> 00:28:16,196 Did you get any complaints about the episode? 568 00:28:16,946 --> 00:28:20,241 If we did have complaints, would you be open to hearing them? 569 00:28:20,742 --> 00:28:24,704 I mean, that's the reason I'm here, is to understand your perspective. 570 00:28:25,246 --> 00:28:27,957 Yeah? I have a hard time believing that. 571 00:28:28,708 --> 00:28:31,419 Why? I'm here. I'm asking you questions. 572 00:28:32,003 --> 00:28:34,506 You designed this office to look like a war room. 573 00:28:35,173 --> 00:28:37,175 Dressed me to look like a Nazi. 574 00:28:37,509 --> 00:28:39,427 - I mean… - Pretending to want feedback, 575 00:28:39,552 --> 00:28:42,389 but you don't actually want to get the Paramount Plus perspective 576 00:28:42,555 --> 00:28:44,140 or the German perspective. 577 00:28:47,018 --> 00:28:49,020 Look at you, pretending to be serious. 578 00:28:49,771 --> 00:28:50,897 This is not sincere. 579 00:28:52,107 --> 00:28:54,859 You're just a man with a grudge 580 00:28:55,318 --> 00:28:57,529 using his television show to smear us… 581 00:28:59,114 --> 00:29:01,616 instead of trying to understand us. 582 00:29:19,551 --> 00:29:22,804 I've always felt that sincerity is overrated. 583 00:29:25,223 --> 00:29:27,225 It just ends up punishing those 584 00:29:27,308 --> 00:29:29,686 who can't perform it as well as others. 585 00:29:30,145 --> 00:29:33,064 Joe S, 7.02! 586 00:29:34,524 --> 00:29:38,403 Michael S, 7.17! 587 00:29:40,029 --> 00:29:41,573 8.03! 588 00:29:41,698 --> 00:29:43,533 - Wow. - 7.25! 589 00:29:44,367 --> 00:29:46,119 9.07! 590 00:29:48,288 --> 00:29:50,915 Some people are born great performers. 591 00:29:52,375 --> 00:29:55,837 They have the talent to effortlessly convince others 592 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:57,797 they're more than just a number. 593 00:29:59,883 --> 00:30:04,763 But for the rest of us, no matter how sincere we are inside… 594 00:30:04,888 --> 00:30:05,889 Hi. 595 00:30:06,306 --> 00:30:07,891 - How are you? - I'm good. 596 00:30:08,016 --> 00:30:10,018 …it'll always be a struggle. 597 00:30:10,101 --> 00:30:13,021 Beautiful dreamer 598 00:30:13,146 --> 00:30:16,983 Awake unto me 599 00:30:22,739 --> 00:30:24,908 Thank you so much for sharing that, Sophia. 600 00:30:24,991 --> 00:30:26,159 Thank you. 601 00:30:28,286 --> 00:30:29,954 Can I ask how old you are? 602 00:30:30,038 --> 00:30:32,123 - I'm 15. - You're 15. 603 00:30:33,917 --> 00:30:36,252 What do you want to do with your life, Sophia? 604 00:30:37,587 --> 00:30:39,172 - What do I want to do? - Yeah. 605 00:30:40,423 --> 00:30:45,887 Well, I wanna go on a stage and, like, sing my own songs. 606 00:30:46,262 --> 00:30:48,389 Like, I'm a songwriter and I love singing. 607 00:30:48,890 --> 00:30:53,394 Okay. So, I need to tell you that I can't put you through 608 00:30:53,478 --> 00:30:55,605 to the next round because you're not quite 609 00:30:55,688 --> 00:30:58,650 at the level we're looking for, okay? 610 00:30:59,192 --> 00:31:02,070 But can I tell you why I think you're going to succeed? 611 00:31:02,529 --> 00:31:03,571 Why? 612 00:31:04,155 --> 00:31:06,950 There are millions of people in this country 613 00:31:07,158 --> 00:31:10,745 that are your age that want to be singers, okay? 614 00:31:11,079 --> 00:31:13,998 And I'm sure a lot of them saw the same ad that you did 615 00:31:14,082 --> 00:31:15,750 to come out and audition today. 616 00:31:16,751 --> 00:31:19,587 But you actually got out of bed this morning. 617 00:31:19,671 --> 00:31:21,965 You drove here, you waited in line, 618 00:31:22,173 --> 00:31:24,425 and you stood in front of me right now 619 00:31:24,509 --> 00:31:28,805 knowing that there was a chance that you might fail, right? 620 00:31:28,888 --> 00:31:30,056 Yeah, right. 621 00:31:30,139 --> 00:31:32,934 I've been in this industry for a long time and… 622 00:31:34,644 --> 00:31:38,398 the number one thing that shows me that someone's gonna succeed 623 00:31:38,565 --> 00:31:40,775 is if they're willing to take that risk, 624 00:31:41,442 --> 00:31:44,696 to put themselves out there and to give it a shot, 625 00:31:44,946 --> 00:31:46,781 even though it might not go their way. 626 00:31:47,907 --> 00:31:50,785 And you have that ability, Sophia. 627 00:31:50,869 --> 00:31:53,663 And it's very rare and it's very special. 628 00:31:54,163 --> 00:31:55,373 - Okay? - Okay. 629 00:31:55,456 --> 00:31:56,875 And all the other singers 630 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,003 that are still in bed right now, they don't. 631 00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:03,464 - Okay? - Okay. 632 00:32:05,008 --> 00:32:06,175 How do you feel right now? 633 00:32:07,135 --> 00:32:10,179 Well, I'm a little disappointed. 634 00:32:11,639 --> 00:32:16,060 You're talented and you have a nice voice, 635 00:32:16,519 --> 00:32:19,147 but you're not at the level that we need right now 636 00:32:19,230 --> 00:32:22,817 for this competition. But you're so young, 637 00:32:22,901 --> 00:32:25,194 you have lots of life ahead of you, okay? 638 00:32:25,278 --> 00:32:26,821 - Okay. - So, just remember that. 639 00:32:27,322 --> 00:32:29,782 Keep going. Don't give up, okay? 640 00:32:29,866 --> 00:32:31,409 - Thank you. - Okay. 641 00:32:32,201 --> 00:32:34,203 - Okay, good luck out there. - Thank you.