South Africans scrutinize US coverage of Trevor Noah
Trevor Noah鈥檚 new role as host of 'The Daily Show' has given South Africans a rare moment of shared pride. But they also wonder if Americans can handle his international brand of comedy.
Trevor Noah鈥檚 new role as host of 'The Daily Show' has given South Africans a rare moment of shared pride. But they also wonder if Americans can handle his international brand of comedy.
South Africa has a new national hero: Trevor Noah.听
Since Comedy Central's Monday announcement that Mr. Noah would be the new host of 鈥�The Daily Show,"听it has been a week of collective fist pumps and 鈥淧roudlySA鈥� hashtags on social media.
Noah, a mixed-race stand-up comedian, will be replacing broadcast veteran Jon Stewart on one of America鈥檚 most revered political and comedy institutions. And the fact that a massive听media franchise wants Noah鈥檚 talent, voice, and听perspective has created a united sense of national pride in South Africa not seen since Oscar Pistorius won gold at the London Paralympics in 2012.
But in just three days, Noah has gone from being a local South African celebrity and a comedic social commentator听to a controversial household name in the United States. After only three appearances on 鈥淭he Daily Show鈥� as an international correspondent, the promotion of the relatively unknown Noah came as a surprise.听
Newly discovered tweets from his past caused an uproar within 24 hours of the announcement and he was quickly labeled 鈥渁nti-Semitic,鈥� 鈥渟exist,鈥� and 鈥渓owbrow.鈥� Mr. Stewart and Comedy Central, the network that hosts 鈥淭he Daily Show,鈥� defended their choice.
South Africans have been quick to defend him and question whether the US can stomach the kinds of topics, like race, many international comedians take on.
鈥淭here is a lot of shying away from too much confrontation in terms of race talk [in the US],鈥� says media expert Joey Kok, who studied media in the US for several years before moving back to Johannesburg.
Noah鈥檚 new gig was a welcome "win"听in South Africa, where a number of negative events have topped the news in recent years. The murder trial and subsequent incarceration of Mr. Pistorius, recurring xenophobic riots, and the reappearance of apartheid-era villains have exposed the country's scars on a global stage.听South Africa's undergoing a period of political and economic uncertainty, with ongoing social unrest and lingering class and race divisions.
鈥淭revor鈥檚 news brings a sense of relief,鈥� says Michael Sharman, brand specialist and owner of Retroviral Digital Communications in Johannesburg.听
鈥淲e finally have someone who we can be proud of again, someone who is genuinely talented and humble and who deserves it,鈥� Mr. Sharman says. 鈥淭hank God it鈥檚 Trevor.鈥�
A new audience
After the initial announcement, US journalists and media commentators scrambled to find out more about Noah. Chewed through the 24-hour media cycle, Noah鈥檚 credibility took a hit after several tweets written earlier in his career caused an uproar.
鈥淎lmost bumped a Jewish kid crossing the road. He didn鈥檛 look b4 crossing but I still would hav felt so bad in my german car! [sic]鈥�, Noah tweeted in September 2009.
鈥淪outh Africans know how to recycle like Israel knows how to be peaceful,鈥� he wrote in June 2010.
Noah responded听on Tuesday听with a tweet saying, 鈥渢o reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn鈥檛 land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian.鈥�
South Africans are perplexed by the response and question the US's ability to face its own issues from an outsider鈥檚 perspective.
鈥淲e talk about things a lot more openly in South Africa. [Race] is more talked about,鈥� Ms. Kok says. "There, people are so politically correct.鈥�
But the very fact that South Africans have defended Noah and questioned US sensitivities also signals a subtle shift in South African attitudes toward US culture, long viewed as dominant, Kok says.
鈥淪tarting in the 鈥�50s in the townships of South Africa, American culture was very highly prized,鈥� she says. 鈥淒espite the dire circumstances that poor South Africans lived in, American culture was a big escape."
Kok adds, 鈥淚t will be interesting to see whether [Noah] resonates with American audiences.鈥�
But Comedy Central's decision to select Noah for the position 鈥� in an industry long dominated by white, western men 鈥� isn't just a victory for South Africa, says Lorenzo Davids, a prominent civil society leader in the Western Cape. It's also an opportunity for the entire African continent to shape a new global narrative. 听
鈥淚 would like to see this as affirmation that the world is moving and shifting towards recognition of the ideal that people living in the South 鈥� in Africa 鈥� can be seen as equals,鈥� he says.