Our grandparents learned about current events by reading large sheets of paper covered in ink. Our parents’ generation watched local and national news on television. But our generation? We keep up through late-night comedy talk shows that poke fun at current events.
Although names like John Oliver, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart have long been synonymous with this form of news, there is a new face in the business — the South African stand-up comedian Trevor Noah, who succeeded Stewart as the host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” following Stewart’s retirement from the show in August.
Most of these late-night comedy news shows are similar in their format: They poke fun at current events and heads of state around the world. On established shows, many of these jokes are recycled; for instance, jokes about Donald Trump’s stances on immigration and prisoners of war have gotten stale.
On Noah’s show, however, each joke is more creative than the last. Even Noah’s humor targeting Trump is original enough to make viewers laugh out loud.
In one episode, Noah, born and raised in South Africa, said that “something familiar about Trump makes [him] feel at home,” comparing him to corrupt heads of state of different African countries.
Rather than simply joking about Trump’s absurd statements, Noah compared Trump’s assertion that vaccines cause autism to Gambian president Yahya Jammeh’s claim that AIDS can be cured with herbs and bananas. Noah humorously said that people should not be calling Trump “unpresidential” because presidents in different parts of the world say similar things.
Another example of original humor on Noah’s show was a segment called “Mike Huckabee’s Food-Based Politics.” In this episode, Noah pointed out Huckabee’s tendency to work food metaphors into almost any major political issue; one time, Huckabee compared politics to the opening of a Baskin Robbins store.
Noah’s comedy shines in its breadth as well. In addition to coming up with new commentary on well-known political matters, he brings to light current events that are not as well-known by the public. He showcased this quality with his feature on Myanmar and the “Buddhist terrorists” in the region. While Noah did make jokes about the irony of the existence of Buddhist extremism, the segment also debunked the pernicious myth that all terrorists are Muslim.
Another instance of Noah’s addressing Islamophobia was with his commentary on the Colorado Planned Parenthood shooting. He staged a “conference” with one of the show’s correspondents, Jordan Klepper — a white male — asking him to condemn the shooting, which was carried out by a white Christian male. Although done in a humorous manner, Noah drew a parallel to the way Muslim religious leaders are asked to condemn acts of Islamic extremism, as if it is their responsibility.
In a day and age when Islamophobia runs rampant, Noah, without explicitly saying so, was able to send a message that not all religious extremists are from an Islamic background and that normal peaceful Muslims should not have to condemn acts of terrorism.
Noah may seem like nothing but a new face in a broad genre. In reality, however, Noah serves as an original comedian who can bring his skills from standup to the studio. But most importantly, he educates and informs the public and disproves stereotypes, challenging his viewers’ to change their perspectives and prejudices while still entertaining them with his witty, original humor.
Stewart is one of the greatest political comedians of our time and Noah is doing a fine job filling his shoes, while carving his own original style.
