After seven years since he began hosting the program, Trevor Noah departs from the ‘The Daily Show’. Articulate, insightful, and terribly comedic, he is widely known for tackling prevalent social issues, not shying away from sensitive topics concerning race, and his occasional one-liners for Trump. He has been a staple for everyday news, adding his unique flair, wit, and humor, bringing an unlikely twist of positivity to otherwise gloomy information. As he bid farewell during his final appearance on the show, Noah shared the three things he has learned throughout the years, and the people who have helped shape him into the person he is today.
In true Trevor Noah fashion, he leaves us with a couple of things to deeply contemplate on, while for the last time also making us laugh in the process.
“Issues are real, but politics are just an inventive way to solve those.” He shares that nowadays politics has seemingly become a sport, where in matters of great importance, emphasis is placed on who said what and who did what; when in reality, it is the ideas behind these people that should take center stage. He explains, someone that you don’t like can do something you agree with—making use of his favorite subject, he refers to Trump. He invites everyone to look past the rivalry, to look past how issues are framed, and instead see that there are not just two ways to be.
“Context matters.” We have information all around us, instantaneous and on-demand. And we see clips that are designed to make us angry, and we pass judgment, but more often than not, we don’t have enough context for these things. We are quick to judge, but he calls us to slow down. Illustrating the point in a way only he would, he says, “If you joke about your own mom, it’s funny, but if joke about your mom, it’s hilarious.”
“The world is a friendlier place than the internet or the news will make you think.” It’s a fairly common occurrence that many have begun to feel desensitized to the various things happening around them—I know I have. All the news on killings, crime, and corruption, and you become used to it. It’s no longer alarming, it’s a daily occurrence, it’s routine, it’s an inherent part of life—we can’t do anything about it. The news reports things of great importance, and war, crime, and all these other negative experiences are real and significant information that we should know about, it’s their job. But do you know what the news fails to report? The passerby who helped a kid with her missing dog, and the late intern who assisted the old lady on the crosswalk. The world is a friendlier place than it’s made out to be if we step out of our bubble and see how it truly is.
Holding back tears he shares, “I’ve often been credited with having these grand ideas—people are like, ‘Oh Trevor, you’re so smart’—who do you think teaches me? Who do you think has shaped me, nourished me, informed me?”
“I always say, if you really want to learn about America, talk to Black women,” he said. “Because unlike everybody else, Black women cannot afford to f*ck around and find out.” They understand how it is when things go bad, often times it gets worse for them.
