America Say Hello to Trevor Noah

30 Mar, 2015

 Trevor Noah, a 31-year-old comedian from South Africa who has contributed to “The Daily Show” a handful of times in recent months, will become Jon Stewart’s replacement as host, Comedy Central announced Monday.

Noah was chosen a little more than a month after Stewart unexpectedly announced he was leaving “The Daily Show” following 16 years as the show’s principal voice.

New Jersey native Stewart is being replaced by the son of a black South African mother and white European father. Noah has an international presence, and hosted a late-night talk show in South Africa, “Tonight With Trevor Noah.”

Noah, who has appeared on Jay Leno and David Letterman, was the subject of a 2011 documentary film by David Paul Meyer, “You Laugh but It’s True,” which followed his career in post-apartheid South Africa.

He will join Larry Wilmore, a writer-comedian who replaced Stephen Colbert in January in the half-hour slot following “The Daily Show.” When Noah takes over, Comedy Central will have completely remade the one-hour comedy block that gave the network critical acclaim and, arguably, its identity.

In an interview, Noah likened himself to Stewart, his soon-to-be-predecessor, as a fellow progressive.

“Obviously where you’re from may inform a lot of your decisions. But traveling the world I learned that progressives, regardless of their locations, think in a global space,” he said by phone from Dubai, where he is on a comedy tour.

“Although I’m a guy who happens to be not from the same place that Jon’s from,” he added, “I’ve lived in America for years before I went back out on the road and I’ve learned to love the place.”

He dismissed the notion that he’ll be “taking over” the program.

“I’m joining the team,” he said. “I get to be a part of that as the host and a face, sharing that space with my fellow correspondents.”

Noah made his debut on “The Daily Show” last December.

Stewart has been a part of the cultural landscape with a bitingly comic look at the news and how it is covered in the media. He has not set a date for his exit from “The Daily Show” and, as a result, Comedy Central said nothing on Monday about when Noah would take over.

Stewart offered his endorsement on Monday.

“I’m thrilled for the show and for Trevor,” he said. “He’s a tremendous comic and talent that we’ve loved working with … In fact, I may rejoin as a correspondent just to be part of it.”

In South Africa, the announcement made breaking news on a national television news station. On social media, Noah’s name became a trending topic within minutes, with some Twitter users saying he not only represented South Africa, but also the African continent.

South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, congratulated Noah on his appointment.

“This is a big achievement not only for South Africa but the continent,” the party said in a statement.

Noah used his biracial identity to challenge South Africa’s race issues, using personal anecdotes from his own life. Growing up biracial in the formerly segregated township of Soweto, Noah once said his birth was a crime.

AP

Image the telegraph

Mentioned In This Post: