There are many things in the world that just have to be said; the question, however, is whether everything that needs to be said always needs to be heard. A lot is said these days by people who believe that they have to say or write something about every topic. However, there are very few who should be listened to, whatever they say. One of them is Trevor Noah.
Seven years ago, Noah became the host of the satirical show The Daily Show, and a lot of people asked back then: who on earth is that? His predecessor Jon Stewart was a legend; also someone you really had to listen to. He distanced himself from the cool satire and often arrogance of the late-night comedians of the time, who commented on the events of the day every evening and sent people to bed in a fatherly manner – satirists at the time were always older white men.
Stewart was someone who wanted to wake people up, and he often succeeded. He was the one the left in the US (and not only there) really listened to. It cannot be stressed enough: no politician, no expert in any field, has been able to make himself heard like the comedian.
Then came Noah, then 31 years old, a relatively unknown African American from South Africa. Viewers knew little about him and therefore had little expectation. Noah had been spotted on late-night talkers Jay Leno and David Letterman, and later in The Daily Show. But he was so fresh that people said: Well, let’s see what he’s got.
His predecessor Jon Stewart was able to work his way through the two bushes. He failed because of Obama
Well, he’s got a lot going for him, this Trevor Noah, and of course it helped that he was able to get used to the Obama administration in the last few months. Stewart had become famous as a Boss W prankster. He made the then US President George W. Bush look like a fool all the time, and even if he worked hard on Barack Obama: In the end, you could tell that he lacked an equal opponent, one that he could really rub shoulders with. That’s probably why he stopped.
Then Donald Trump came along and at first people shouted: Where on earth is Stewart? Those cries were quickly silenced because Noah is one to listen to when it comes to racism. He grew up in apartheid South Africa and now looks at America as a concerned outsider. Immediately after Trump’s election, there was a video of Noah comparing Trump’s behavior to that of a dictator in Africa. A satirical masterpiece that was not only broadcast on TV, but also spread millions of times worldwide via social media. Another strength of Noah.
“I know what it’s like to live in a country that’s divided because of race; and where people think the president doesn’t have the best interests of his country at heart,” Noah said in a 2019 interview with The Hollywood Reporters: “I’m a really bad comedian at trivial things. I wouldn’t know what to do if there weren’t any conflict, or pain, or tragedy. It’s the only thing I can do.”
Trump, the pandemic – Noah had a lot to process
He could because he birthed jokes and comments out of empathy, knowing that what he said needed to be heard. His immense power lies in the fact that he never says anything to correspond to the political line of his station – yes ComedyCentral and not a TV opinion portal like the so-called news channels FoxNews (right) and MSNBC (on the left side are. If he says something, it’s only because the subject really bothers him.
This quality, empathy, he has in common with his predecessor. It would be pointless to list individual Trevor Noah moments; there are too many of them, and anyone who wants to experience them should do so on a video portal.
Only: Someone who has to deal with conflict, pain and tragedy every day – and who knows that this is exactly what he needs to be successful, will eventually reach his limit. Many people feel that they have to say something on every topic – that was kind of expected of Noah. And since he can be described as “moderate-woke” (yes, there is one!), and he wouldn’t be angry with you for that, there was an echo from pretty much all the more conservative directions, who said they always had something to say, especially to Noah have to – mostly in order to distinguish themselves. That must weigh you down immensely.
Apparently Noah has reached that point now, he told people on Thursday evening. “I think it’s about time. I’ve been thinking about what we’ve been through: the Trump presidency, the pandemic and, well, more pandemic.” By focusing on The Daily Show he neglected other things that are important to him: “Learn languages. Shows in other countries. I just miss being able to be anywhere and doing a little bit of everything.”
He announced his departure without giving an exact date for the last broadcast. Which gives ComedyCentral a little time to find a suitable successor in the 25th season of the legendary show. That shouldn’t be easy, but that’s exactly what they said when Stewart said goodbye.