TDS 3.0: Season One Talk

[shok]

I think it didn't work as well because there wasn't enough Trevor Noah. His contribution to tonight's show was minimized and they went with sketches that just didn't work. The outside bits work when the people they interview provide the idiocy, not Jordan Klepper yelling and slapsticking everything. I think Roy Woods is going to be a real keeper though. Plus Al Madrigal has never done a funny sketch in his life.

 

Christie was more hyped up than Trevor was on his first night and I don't know what's more unappealing - Christie the bully or Christie the ham. He's skeevy whatever he's doing. Trevor got a few good zingers in there though.

[Muffyn]

Last night's show was light on laughs for me,  Tonight's was really off.  The Christie interview was a throwaway.  He was allowed to spew his usual stuff with no challenges.  The only moment that was interesting was the discomfort on Christie's face when Trevor stood up to show where he would get his tramp stamp.  

 

The jokes fell flat more often than not.  Trevor's delivery seemed really off.  The sketch with Jordan and Roy went on way too long.  Roy had a funny line or two but otherwise it was really repetitive.  Just not a good show overall. 

[Qoass]

 

If they don't cover the Planned Parenthood hearings tonight I will be very disappointed.

 

Well, there you go.  While I know it's very early to get judgmental and I do enjoy the addition of Roy Wood Jr., if I don't see a marked increase in estrogen soon, I am going to lose interest.

[DeLurker]

I was highly amused by this flyer (or one similar) being up in the Madison PD

 

[solotrek]

Kristen Schaal is still part of the show, but considering I've been surprised by her appearance in a bunch of things I've seen recently it's probably a scheduling thing. Similar to how Aasif is still part of the show but never there.

[Ottis]

Only the debut show went smoothly. The second and third nights have spiraled. I wonder if Trevor prepared for everything in the debut, and now we are seeing him cope with the daily grind and he is less prepared. He flubs a lot of word choices ... "remember" instead of "forget" was just the most obvious one. And his reactions to his guests are the correspodents are off... either too much delight or too much muttering.

 

It's ironic, since many of the reviews online after the first night praised how comfortable he seemed behind the desk. Maybe he isn't as comfortable as he first appeared.

[LADreamr]

I hope we get some Jessica tonight.  Missing her.

[CletusMusashi]

The softball Chris Christie interview bugged me. Jon would never have agreed to let him on and not talk about Bridgegate.

[attica]

Yeah, Christie's accusation that 'the government is mishandling social security fund' is particularly rich given the looting of pension funds and other fiduciary malfeasance in NJ of his (and his alone) own doing. Why would we want to put him in charge of the whole country when NJ's bond rating has been lowered almost 20 times since he took office?

[peeayebee]

I admit I didn't listen to the Christie interview too closely, but I enjoyed the rest of the show. I thought Jordan and Roy's piece was great, the best part being their interaction. Well, and Roy is absolutely fantastic. I loved the little throwaway bit when he and Jordan are walking thru a police station parking garage, and Roy is looking furtively around. Another great moment was when Roy got on the phone and Jordan said, "Who are you calling?" and Roy said, "Black people." Oh, and I LOVED when he walked up to the woman and said, "Stop crying!"

[The Luvly Junkie]

Yeah, I'm with peeayebee on this one. I actually thought this episode was a wee bit better than the second episode, if it weren't for Jordan and Roy's report. Sure it reestablished other territories of previous correspondents' pieces, but this piece demonstrated how well the correspondents (old and new) work together. I didn't see it as much with Hasan and Desi the previous night, but I think the Jordan/Roy pairing was just enough to give me some hope that the extra spotlight is worth it. The duo also felt reminiscent to Larry Wilmore and John Oliver and their pieces. Overall, the piece saved this episode for its redeeming qualities.

 

I hope we get some Jessica tonight.  Missing her.

        As much as I wish Jessica would be the host (I changed my mind the more she's becoming proactive about the low representation of African American women in Late Night television, when she could've just taken the job in the first place), I hope she'll be on tonight, too. 

[Human]

 

 

        As much as I wish Jessica would be the host (I changed my mind the more she's becoming proactive about the low representation of African American women in Late Night television, when she could've just taken the job in the first place), I hope she'll be on tonight, too. 

Being an advocate something doesn't mean ignoring skills and talent.  It's pretty gross to say that Jessica should have taken the spot just because she brings awareness to the lack of black women on tv.  Black women aren't all the same, and it's not really the case of 'any ole one will do'. 

[SpiritSong]

Rachel Maddow I'm most interested in watching. Seth (Fatass) Rogan and Aaron (Smarmy Delusional Shitwipe) Sorkin can both go fuck themselves up their assholes with a white hot poker.

Don't sugarcoat it, Victor. Tell us how you really feel!

;-)

[solotrek]

The shooting in Oregon is going to be a test for Trevor for sure.

[khyber]

The shooting in Oregon is going to be a test for Trevor for sure.

I think a day like today makes Jon glad he isn't doing this anymore.

[nowandlater]

The shooting in Oregon is going to be a test for Trevor for sure.

 

I bet there's no mention of the shooting on tonight's show. I could be wrong, but I can't see them covering it.

[Human]

I'd be shocked if there is any mention of the shooting tonight, beyond a generic 'our hearts go out to victims' statement.  Trevor Noah would need to have more firmly established himself before he can target a topic like gun violence in America on the very day a mass shooting occurred.  I fear the right wing would fall on him like locusts.  I'm not even sure John Oliver has had a gun specific show, though the Charleston church shooting came close.  

 

Larry might talk about it, though.  

[Victor the Crab]

Sooooo, you're a fan? ;)

 

How'd ya guess? >:D

 

 

Don't sugarcoat it, Victor. Tell us how you really feel!

;-)

 

Fine, swell, peachy keen, hunky dory. And you? :D

 

 

The softball Chris Christie interview bugged me. Jon would never have agreed to let him on and not talk about Bridgegate.

 

Or his vetoing of the pig gestation crate ban. Glad I skipped over the interview. I had my doubts that someone like Trevor, an entertainer in his early 30s, would be able to interview someone like Christie. God help him if he had to go head to head with a bullshit artist like a Donald Rumsfeld or a Carly Fiorina or a whole lot of people on the right.

 

I thought Jordan and Roy look like they have chemistry between themselves. Obviously Roy is new and Jordan is kinda newish, but the potential is there for a great teamup. And Bo Dietl not swearing? Color me shocked.

 

As for today's gun violence incident at an Oregon community college, the only way I can see Trevor approach this topic is as an outsider asking Americans "what the fuck is wrong with you people and your love of guns?" If Sandy Hook wasn't going to change the country's mind about it's gun culture, today's events sure as hell most definitely won't.

[bmoore4026]

Well, the uncanny comparisons between Trump and Third World Dictators was disheartening, so The Daily Show still has that going.

 

Loved the "Pumpkin Hostage Situation" reenactment.  Seriously though, people go overboard on this pumpkin business.  Just give me a pumpkin custard pie and I'm fine.

[peeayebee]

Many years ago, before the whole pumpkin spice craze, I had a pumpkin donut. YUM! I haven't had one since, but I need to find one. That's the extent of my pumpkin spice love. (And pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving)

 

I liked how the graphic of Trump kept adding dictator/military medals and decorations until he looked like Gadaffi. 

 

It was a weird transition from Noah's intro about the Oregon shooting to the rest of the show.

[Human]

I was dying with the "Trump is an African Dictator" sketch.  I'm curious if this will end up a defining/best of for Trevor.  It was really good.

 

I was sort of confused with the pumpkin thing.  It felt like an inside joke.  

[formerlyfreedom]

I've had friends and family shoving pumpkin beer at me for a decade. I am not a fan of pumpkin. I will eat my obligatory piece of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. Otherwise - stop with the pumpkin pushing, world!

 

There is a pumpkin spice Oreo out there, people. Don't do it.

[Bastet]

I don't eat pumpkin, and am so ever-loving sick of pumpkin being shoved into much of what I eat/drink for a month or so each year that I wanted to love tonight's segment, but it was pretty weak.

 

I really enjoyed the premiere and have been reasonably satisfied since, but where is Jessica? 

 

And, more importantly, since TDS with Jon Stewart's weakest arsenal in the war on bullshit was reserved for the battles against sexism, I'm going to need to see some proof, and fast, that Noah's show will at least suit up.

[ktwo]

Jon couldn't have gotten away with the AIDS/aides word play, neither could Larry Wilmore. Amy Schumer couldn't, nor Margaret Cho. Trevor being of 'black stuff' (gods, this term is making me cringe, hopefully you'll notice how offensive it is) from an African country that has been ravaged by the AIDS epidemic can make this joke and it can be funny and have completely different connotations than if it came from an American of any racial or gender background. This is just a reality of comedy.

Very late to the discussion of the premiere, and also surprised that I am the first to point this out. But South Park did an entire episode based on AIDS/aides wordplay like 15 years ago. Starring current tabloid fodder Jared Fogle!

[LJonEarth]

I don't understand the pumpkin hate. I hate mangoes. Mangoes are in a lot of things. I don't eat those things. End of story. It's for two months out of the year. People need fun things to discuss. I suppose this fits the bill on both sides.

 

 

As for today's gun violence incident at an Oregon community college, the only way I can see Trevor approach this topic is as an outsider asking Americans "what the fuck is wrong with you people and your love of guns?" If Sandy Hook wasn't going to change the country's mind about it's gun culture, today's events sure as hell most definitely won't.

 

I'm assuming that Trevor doesn't have a build up of rage about American gun violence or how our government works. I wonder if that could be why he was so soft on Christie. Perhaps it could be a good thing to be able to step back. But there are times like this when I need someone's who's fed up and mad as hell and express it.

[trow125]

I was dying with the "Trump is an African Dictator" sketch.  I'm curious if this will end up a defining/best of for Trevor.  It was really good.

The bit about the shooting in Oregon seemed awkward, but holy cow, that African dictator sketch was hilarious. The week's best segment by far, IMO, and one I'm sure Trevor had a large hand in writing.

 

Somehow I knew that the joke would be that only white people love pumpkin spice -- I've seen variations on that joke all over the internet -- but I have to admit that Roy Wood's sipping on a sweet potato latte surprised me, in a good way.

 

I even thought the Ryan Adams song was pretty decent... I guess the rest of the show had put me in a good mood, since I had assumed I'd FF through it but wound up listening to the whole thing.

[Human]

I still really don't get the pumpkin thing.  I don't think I've ever heard of this.  I have pumpkin year round.  Is there a new shortage?  My partner didn't mention an increased price when they bought a pumpkin for a soup last week.  I'm not finding anything on google, either, aside from all these weird articles about lattes.  Which again, no idea what's unusual about this.  

Edited October 2, 2015 by Human

[shok]

I'm sorry, but I just can't stand Jordan and he's been featured entirely too much for my taste this week. Ick on Al Madrigal too. They're ruining the show for me. :(

[VCRTracking]

I like pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving but that's it.

[nodorothyparker]

The intro about the Oregon shooting was awkward but there was no way it wasn't going to be.  Trevor doesn't have Jon's gravitas yet and while a part of me would have liked to have seen him as an outsider ask just what the hell is wrong with us as a country that we keep doing this, I can see why he didn't.  He's still too new and too much of an unknown to even pull off John Oliver's schtick of the immigrant really loving America while thinking there's a whole lot that's really messed up about it.

 

The Trump/great African dictators comparison was ballsy and one I can't imagine most comedians making.  But Trevor was able to credibly sell it in a way that was just hysterical and made you know he knew what he was talking about.  So there's that more international scope so many were speculating we'd see.

 

Jordan felt like he was channeling the original recipe Stephen Colbert character in his utter obliviousness to the actual news to fixate on pumpkin spice.  The entire piece may have been obvious but it worked for me as a critique on fluff reporting, just as the joke that only white people love pumpkin spice felt obvious but Roy Wood Jr.'s sweet potato latte was a surprising bit of funny.

Edited October 2, 2015 by nodorothyparker

[HelenBaby]

Roy Wood Jr is going to be a great addition to the correspondents. He's been the MVP so far under Trevor's watch. I know it's only been a week, but he can't help but get better. I hope Jessica & Hassan are still there. They're good too. I even like Jordan. I think as long as the correspondents are this strong, Trevor's gonna be okay.

[DeLurker]

The Trump/great African dictators comparison was ballsy and one I can't imagine most comedians making.  But Trevor was able to credibly sell it in a way that was just hysterical and made you know he knew what he was talking about.  So there's that more international scope so many were speculating we'd see.

That was awesome!  And more than a little scary. 

 

I think pumpkin is just code for ultra sugar blasted in marketing.  I like Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Coffee but that is all spices - no pumpkin.  And I have developed an addiction to Noosa Yoghurt, including the pumpkin - but Noosa is a lot less sweet than most other yogurts and that really works for me.

[Ottis]

I was dying with the "Trump is an African Dictator" sketch.  I'm curious if this will end up a defining/best of for Trevor.  It was really good.

 

 

It was brilliant. Kudos to whomever on the staff came up with the connection, because it is spot on.  And BTW, that is how you leverage the fact that Trevor is from Africa in an inclusive way. Use who he is to observe something through a different lens that everyone watching can embrace, vs. emphasizing differences.

[attica]

I make pumpkin bread (using pumpkin ale in the recipe, which gives it a gloriously silky texture). It's delicious, But honestly, it's just a brown-sugar delivery device that you can foist on people by telling them it's full of beta carotine and fiber. 

 

Let's all remember that the police force in tiny Keene NH petitioned and received a armored tank, all because they fronted that their annual Pumpkin Fest was an attractive target for terrorism. 

 

I laughed at the Amin clips touting his Fantastic Brain, remembering that it was widely known he was suffering from late stage syphilis while in power. Jokes about "Idi VD" were rampant, and even SNL used a slice of swiss cheese to illustrate exactly how fantastic his brain was.  Which now gets me wondering about The Donald....

[stillshimpy]

After having kind of a long discussion with a person I know who had lived in South Africa for several years -- and talking about how a cultural climate may have really influenced some of the things that I found objectionable in Trevor Noah's tweet and comedy furor -- I've been giving this show a chance.  

 

I'm kind of neither here nor there on it right now. I think he's doing a solid job, sometimes better than others.  The Chris Christie interview was just a little embarrassing.  The comedy bits have been very dependent on Klepper, who is a bit hit-or-miss for me, but I liked at least one.  

 

I like pumpkin, but I get the whole "Holy buckets, tone it down with the pumpkin everything, would you?"  I was at a restaurant that had Pumpkin Creme Brulee and a Pumpkin cheesecake, but that's not all...they had a pumpkin ravioli too.   Just a little weird because it was a freaking seafood restaurant, so the proliferation of pumpkin does start to  feel a little knee-jerk.   But I like the stuff, and make pumpkin pancakes every Sunday for most of the year. Pumpkin seed protein powder is also a friend if you don't eat meat, so....that whole "Oh yeah. Ha.  Yes, indeed, but....it's kind of like the obligatory 'there are Christmas decorations up in ________, it's not even Halloween yet!" ranting.  Seems pretty low-hanging uninspired stuff, that has a sort of gentle appeal, if it isn't outright killing it. 

 

That's been Trevor Noah's Daily show for me in his first week.  Not much laughing aloud, but quite a few smiles and a couple of chuckles.  Only one or two cringes.  Except for the African Dictator thing, which did actually make me laugh.   

 

But I felt for him on this:  

 

The intro about the Oregon shooting was awkward but there was no way it wasn't going to be.  Trevor doesn't have Jon's gravitas yet and while a part of me would have liked to have seen him as an outsider ask just what the hell is wrong with us as a country that we keep doing this, I can see why he didn't.  He's still too new and too much of an unknown to even pull off John Oliver's schtick of the immigrant really loving America while thinking there's a whole lot that's really messed up about it.

 

Yeah, he's still too new to this and one of the appeals of Trevor Noah is he has a cheerful attitude, but he isn't readily emotionally accessible.  So the whole "We're all upset, but I will do what I do best, make people laugh" felt pretty standard-issue-cue-card in-face-of-yet-another-gun-tragedy.   So the thing that serves him so well, that affable poise and comportment, made that a little hollow, still it had to be done. 

 

So that's what drew me out to comment, since I've been trying to withhold judgment for a bit.   Trevor's not alienating me, but he isn't hooking me either.  Still, I winced on behalf of the guy and the show: the very thing that made him a questionable pick for an American News Satire show crops up in his first week.  I think he felt like he hadn't yet paved enough audience road to really make any kind of comment on it, with a sense of security, "Yes, this is what we expect of the Daily Show and what we look to it to do!" type of stuff.  Sometimes the bad shit would go down, as it so reliably does in our country and world, and one of the things that gave me a small sense of comfort was when it was a TDS day.   Sometimes Jon said things almost exactly like what Trevor did last night. In fact, part of why it felt a little canned is that....I'm almost positive....Jon Stewart used that exact same phrasing within the last year.  It's not Noah's fault that heinous and heartbreaking tragedies happen with such frequency that it's possible to recall the last several responses by comedians.  Still, it lacked any emotional investment on Trevor Noah's part, or at least, easily perceived emotional investment on Trevor Noah's part.   

I don't think that's because he fails to feel anything, I just think it has to do with that sense of confidence in his role as the "Guy who replaced Jon Stewart".  Just saying, I felt sorry for Trevor Noah, because what a freaking thing to have happen in your first week.  "Hey, among all the other challenges....address this terrible, baffling and grievous national wound....that happens with such frequency that we're all becoming like trauma survivors, desensitized and almost unable to react ...."  

 

It had the strangest impact for me though.  Because that is such "Oh holy shit, you've got to be nervous as hell, whether or not you're showing it....and you get the type of thing that is difficult for seasoned pros to field."  It's clearly and obviously going to be a much worse thing to have had happen to the families, the people of Oregon, basically all feeling beings....I'm just saying because I felt for the guy on having to field this sort of nightmare in his first week....I went ahead and added him to the DVR.  

 

I know that's pretty ironic.  "Wow, that was oddly hollow....but how could it be anything else because it's his fourth freaking day....I now want to give him a full chance rather than remaining emotionally remote myself."  

Edited October 2, 2015 by stillshimpy

[dusang]

That was a solid episode.  I can't really say I expected any major response to the Oregon shooting -- apart from the variety of reasons listed above, I'm not entirely sure what time the shooting occurred but I suspect at the time of taping the details of the incident were still unclear.*

 

The African president bit was pretty amazing -- I'm fairly certain there's never been a Xhosa rant on US television before, so that's fun.

 

*OT: If you want to feel really shitty about the state of gun violence in the US please visit shootingtracker.com to review the list of all 294 shooting incidents involving four or more victims in 2015.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I haven't seen the most recent/Oregon episode but I've already determined the hugest difference between Stewart and Noah that might affect the show in a negative way.  Noah so far takes a light, breezy, sardonic tone towards everything whereas there were times Stewart got really passionate, serious, or upset.  If Noah never does that, well..... it's going to be strange and maybe completely different in a way I'm not sure I'll like...   Just a personal preference.  I'll watch this one because I've been taping all the shows so far.

 

Obviously the mass shootings happen far too often (how can you further comment on something like this with effectiveness or express frustration for the millionth time.... ) and I'm not expecting Noah to be able to comment on it perfectly appropriately.  Just something I've noticed in the first 2-3 episodes.  Maybe he'll approach more serious/emotional issues with a way that I'll find interesting.

Edited October 2, 2015 by Ms Blue Jay

[Skyfall]

Last night's Trump piece was a perfect example of how TN's international spin can be melded with the US news!

[peeayebee]

And I have developed an addiction to Noosa Yoghurt, including the pumpkin - but Noosa is a lot less sweet than most other yogurts and that really works for me.

Oh my. Noosa yogurt is yummy. Like pudding. I haven't tried the pumpkin, but I love the lemon and the sour cherry.

 

I don't understand the pumpkin hate. I hate mangoes. Mangoes are in a lot of things. I don't eat those things. End of story. It's for two months out of the year. People need fun things to discuss. I suppose this fits the bill on both sides.

It's just the annoyance of a current fad. I love this cartoon:

 

[Traveller519]

Good god, the Trump/Dictators piece was great. As has been mentioned upthread, the over-the shoulder graphics slowly including more and more paraphernalia was terrific, not to mention the Amin Casino, and Trevor delivered it perfectly.

 

It seems to me that they really set up the week well in advance. There wasn't really a lot of "day-of" response and I think that was the right way to tackle everything. Obviously they addressed the Oregon shooting, and did so in the right way. There weren't jokes to be made, even on the response. and I don't think Trevor's earned the right to say "WHY?" in this format yet. In his stand up, yes, but not while trying to build a relationship with his audience. He acknowledged the event with tact (though without Jon's gravitas, as mentioned, which he does not have...yet).

 

I think this week worked well because of the planned format, they moved around a lot. Some Trevor riffing, and a lot of use of the correspondents (including the Black Lives Matter one, which was basically the first segment). Larry's show tried to be very in the moment from day one, and that really relied on the Keep it 100 gimmick and the panel, which they hadn't totally figured out.

 

Great first week, Trevor. Here's to many more.

[LADreamr]

Rachel Maddow I'm most interested in watching. Seth (Fatass) Rogan and Aaron (Smarmy Delusional Shitwipe) Sorkin can both go fuck themselves up their assholes with a white hot poker.

I'm not a great fan of Seth, but to be fair, I've seen the movie and it's very good, and he's actually really good In it.

There is a pumpkin spice Oreo out there, people. Don't do it.

Noooo, I will not be a slave to Big Pumpkin! :)

[TwistedandBored]

Great first week by Trevor Noah. I loved the whole Trump/African Dictators piece. I never liked Pumpkin anything, so I understand why The Daily Show would be all over this new craze. 

[Victor the Crab]

Fuck, but that Donald Trump as an African dictator segment was Trevor's most successful and hilarious attempt at doing what Jon did. Taking apart a current event and rebuilding it into something you didn't expect. Especially with Trump photoshop morphing into a Amin/Gaddafi type strongman. His speech at the end where he included the phrase "Mexican rapists" was the cherry on the top. Jon probably never do what Trevor did.

 

The cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger combo segment with most of the correspondents was also funny. But Trevor trying to be the authoritarian figure didn't really work. He's along the same age as the correspondents. He looks like their substitute teacher. Jon, just by his age alone, would have made it

 

Yes I know I keep comparing Trevor with Jon, so sue me whydontcha!

Edited October 2, 2015 by Victor the Crab

[solotrek]

I mean unlike other late night hosts that took over recently, set aside everything for Trevor stayed the same. MoZ, crop of correspondents, writers, etc etc. it's going to be hard to not compare Trevor with Jon.

[annabel]

I think Trevor is doing great. I smile and laugh out loud and sometimes even cheer. He is extremely likeable.

[jaytee1812]

I think one advantage Trevor has over Jon is with politics outside the US. I used to cringe when Jon did anything about politics in Europe, his coverage of the UK general election was awful. I think Trevor will be able to at least cover politics around the world with a bit more knowledge and experience. 

[walnutqueen]

A solid first week, and most definitely on my "must see TV" list.  I am actually looking forward to this show, which is such a treat for me.

[ganesh]

Agreed. The Trump piece was well crafted. 

 

I wouldn't expect a response to the shootings either. So nbd for me. 

[springbarb]

And Jon has taken a decent amount of heat for his softballing of politicians. Trevor has room to grow, but you can't compare him to a guy who was in the job for 16 years.

[redfish]

And Jon has taken a decent amount of heat for his softballing of politicians. Trevor has room to grow, but you can't compare him to a guy who was in the job for 16 years.

 

 

True.  Stephen Colbert in the first couple of weeks of the Colbert Report was a little rough until he found his footing/voice, and be comfortable "being" Colbert. Even Jon Stewart's early years were a little rough too, and I think it was the 2000 election and his speech after 9/11 that cemented once and for all what his POV was and what he wanted to create on TDS. Trevor Noah only needs to find his voice and his POV and be confident with it. Just be himself without feeling self-conscious about it.