Trevor Noah: The Man Himself

[purist]

I thought Trevor did a great job hosting the Grammys. The Fug Girls have summed it up nicely here (you need to click on the 'i' symbol on the right to see the words):

Quote

He looks super, and I thought he was an excellent host. He was lightly wry, but also kept it moving -- and also was dancing along to some of the performances in a deeply endearing way.

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by purist

[Victor the Crab]

I didn't watch the Grammys. Did Trevor not meet Beyoncé?

[purist]

15 hours ago, Victor the Crab said:

I didn't watch the Grammys. Did Trevor not meet Beyoncé?

I don't know, @Victor the Crab. He was certainly in close proximity to her!

[RealHousewife]

Who else has a crush on Trevor? He's the perfect man as far as I'm concerned-kind, handsome, intelligent, funny, and even has a charming accent. 

[possibilities]

Soledad O'Brien was talking about Trevor on the "Politically Reactive" podcast this week. She said the show is much better now than during the Jon Stewart era, and that Trevor does a great job of explaining things.

[topanga]

On 3/20/2021 at 3:35 AM, possibilities said:

Soledad O'Brien was talking about Trevor on the "Politically Reactive" podcast this week. She said the show is much better now than during the Jon Stewart era, and that Trevor does a great job of explaining things.

I love them both—they each have their strengths. Trevor seems to connect better with a younger audience because of his own youth. 

[DoctorAtomic]

I think Trevor is a better interviewer. 

[Victor the Crab]

I like them both. But until Trevor starts winning Emmys on a consistent basis, then I'm siding with Jon!

[possibilities]

 

[Ailianna]

Trevor appeared last night (October 29) on The Late Show and gave a lovely interview. I love that he and I have the exact same philosophy about airline seats.

[angora]

Thanks for bringing that up - I really liked that interview too. Loved the whole thing about the airline seats. And I appreciated his words about the return from the hiatus. I think many would agree that they’ve been fumbling since the revamp, but clearly they have been trying some different things. I liked what Trevor said about not wanting to act like everything was “normal” again. It reminded me of what he said about his hoodies while he was filming from home, about how it would’ve felt dumb to wear a suit in that setting and not acknowledge how broken everything was. I think the show, like a lot of people, is trying to navigate what it wants to be after the everything that’s happened. I hope Trevor/the show are able to find a good groove with who they are now.

 

[possibilities]

Trevor was on Sixty Minutes this past week. I meant to mention it then, but got distracted. I am not sure why they decided to feature him. It didn't seem like it was because of any particular news.

They talked about his life story a little (nothing new, just stuff that we all already know), his pre-TDS career, and also his career now.

I did not know that he was making MORE money from touring as a stand up before taking the gig as TDS host, that he's apparently one of the most popular and highly paid stand ups in the world, and that taking the job actually amounted to a pay cut for him. They say he decided to take it because he wanted to be more settled down and part of a community. 

They also made a big deal that he talks to his mom everyday, and that he doesn't discuss his girlfriends with the media. They had a bunch of his friends also refusing to say anything about his love life other than "Trevor is a very good boyfriend." Apparently 60 Mins really wants to know who he's dating and stuff about his personal life. They also pressed him on whether he wants children, and he was non-committal... not right now, maybe, etc. "But you're 37! Now is the time!" I have never seen another comedian be pressed so hard on whether they want to reproduce. It was bizarre.

I have to say: I thought Leslie Stahl came across as a complete idiot. Trevor was talking to her in a tone of voice you use for people who you want to smack but you are controlling yourself and trying to get through to them anyway. She seemed to think he was harsh on the topic of racism, which surprised me, since I think he tends to be extremely affable and generous on that topic. He said he tries to find a way to talk to people who hate him, and she acted like she thought he was a paranoid radical. He talked about how, when he and a white friend drive together, if he drives they get pulled over by the cops a lot, and when his friend drives, they never do. Her whole affect with him was like he was provoking her. Honestly I've never seen him look so reserved and uncomfortable in an interview. 

I thought it was interesting that they did a feature on him, when everything in it was stuff that's been out there for years. I don't think it was a repeat of an old show, but now that I am reviewing it, I'm wondering more and more what the hell was going on.

 

[angora]

I just watched it, @possibilities--I agree that it was a really weird interview. Like, why is Leslie Stahl talking with Trevor's friends/co-workers just to ask about his dating life? Her reaction to his pieces on race was weird, too. First, she acted like the video he posted talking about George Floyd "opened up a new side" of Trevor, but he'd already been talking about race issues, especially police shootings, on the show for years. And yeah, she seemed "Shocked I Tell You, Shocked!!!" that Trevor had encountered hate and racism in the U.S.

Also, what was up with her talking about the shaky reactions when Trevor first took over the show until he found his "savior" Donald Trump (a.k.a. being able to make Trump jokes saved the show)? One, I'm pretty sure Trevor's "Trump is an African dictator" story was somewhere in his first week of episodes, and that didn't stop critics from publishing "Here's How Trevor Noah Set Fire to Comedy and Pissed on the Ashes!!" thinkpieces for months on end. And two, even if it WERE true that Trevor's version of the show would've tanked without Trump, I'm sure Trevor would've rather had no show and no Trump. I remember his sober entreaty for people to turn out and vote the night before the 2016 election. Calling Trump Trevor's "savior" was so gross.

[DoctorAtomic]

 

 😭

31 minutes ago, angora said:

One, I'm pretty sure Trevor's "Trump is an African dictator" story was somewhere in his first week of episodes,

Yes, it was at least within the first ten if not that first week. 

10 hours ago, possibilities said:

I did not know that he was making MORE money from touring as a stand up before taking the gig as TDS host, that he's apparently one of the most popular and highly paid stand ups in the world, and that taking the job actually amounted to a pay cut for him. They say he decided to take it because he wanted to be more settled down and part of a community. 

Trevor was/is a really big star. There's an episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee where Trevor was on after he took the job, but Seinfeld had booked him way before because he was so big. It was a total coincidence that the episode aired when the story broke about TDS. 

 

[possibilities]

Thanks for the validation that I wasn't just cranky or tripping. I was really shocked by the interivew.

I generally love Trevor's interviews because he doesn't just say the same thing to everyone, so it's not boring. And honestly I thought 60 Mins was known for in depth stuff, not fluff. I don't watch it regularly, but that's the idea I had in my head about the show.

So I thought they were going to ask serious questions, or that maybe there was some news to be made (I was been wondering whether he's going to quit TDS, or if he has a new book out or some other big announcement they were going to break).

But it seemed way more surface than other profiles and interviews I've seen of him, had no news at all, and actually seemed like they didn't really know what they were talking about, and weren't really familiar with him or interested in doing the profile at all. So weird.

[possibilities]

https://www.insider.com/trevor-noah-sues-new-york-city-hospital-doctor-malpractice-2021-12

[Hanahope]

"was prevented from engaging in his usual occupation for a long period of time; "

was Noah not doing TDS for a period of time?  I don't recall him being absent more so than otherwise, considering covid.  

[DanaMB]

48 minutes ago, Hanahope said:

"was prevented from engaging in his usual occupation for a long period of time; "

was Noah not doing TDS for a period of time?  I don't recall him being absent more so than otherwise, considering covid.  

Wasn’t he out for a bit due to surgery on his vocal chords? Pre-Covid?

[Hanahope]

the article said he had surgery in Nov. 2020 and the doctor sued is apparently an orthopedist.  so doesn't appear to involve his vocal chords.  

I did see TDS had no shows Dec. 17-Jan 17, so an extra 2 weeks beyond Christmas.  that's not a "long period of time" imo.

[possibilities]

Maybe it prevented him from doing his stand up shows? Though I don't know whether travel was a thing when this happened.

[lostsock]

That 60 Minutes "interview" was just ridiculous. 

Trevor: There's hate in America and yes, I've experienced it.

LeslieStahl: OOH! That's harsh!

ooooh kaaaay.....

And the continued and persisting harping and questioning or whether or not he had a girlfriend or wanted children was just mindboggling. 

Has there been an announcement on when Trevor will return to TDS? Is he doing a tour right now? Can't seem to find any concrete information on this. 

[Ailianna]

Colbert mentioned Trevor in a list of late night hosts not having new shows right now. He said Trevor is off for a couple weeks right before saying Seth Meyers tested positive. I think its covid related.

Edited January 5, 2022 by Ailianna

[Ms Lark]

And the beat goes on: 

"The 64th Annual Grammy Awards have been postponed indefinitely amid coronavirus-related concerns and the current surge caused by the Omicron variant, our sister site Variety reports.

"The ceremony, once again hosted by The Daily Show‘s Trevor Noah, was scheduled to air live Monday, Jan. 31 on CBS from the Crypto.com Arena (formerly known as the Staples Center) in Los Angeles. A new date has not been announced yet."

https://tvline.com/2022/01/05/grammy-awards-postponed-2022-cbs/

[RealHousewife]

On 1/5/2022 at 6:26 AM, Ailianna said:

Colbert mentioned Trevor in a list of late night hosts not having new shows right now. He said Trevor is off for a couple weeks right before saying Seth Meyers tested positive. I think its covid related.

Thank you. I wondered what was up. Miss Trevor but wish him well. 

[possibilities]

Trevor was referenced in a Jeopardy clue this week.

Apparently he appeared on a South African soap opera when he was 18. The show is called "Isidingo".

I looked it up:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isidingo

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373543/

I couldn't get the direct link to the show's own website to load, but apparently YouTube has quite a few clips and episodes available. 

[angora]

Did anyone watch Trevor and the White House Correspondents' Dinner? I thought he did great. Tons of good jokes--one of my favorites was, "Laura Ingraham is here. What can you say about her that hasn't already been said by the Anti-Defamation League?"--and I loved his more serious message toward the end.

 

[SusieQ]

I watched it on youtube today. I thought he was excellent. But then again I really enjoy him on TDS. And I too appreciated his closing remarks.

[possibilities]

I loved it. CSPAN.org has the whole thing, plus the remarks by the others who spoke. I liked how he managed to be very serious in his commentary, while still being funny. He went after the media even more than he went after the politicians, which I thought was greatly needed.

[possibilities]

I think Trevor is at his best when he's talking in interviews. Some of what he talks about here is in his book, but there are other things I didn't know. 

For instance, I had no idea he has a Foundation. He promotes the work of others on TDS, featuring them and asking people to donate. I love that he does that. Meanwhile, he's never spoken about his won work, at least not as far as I remember! 

https://trevornoahfoundation.org/

[angora]

Some of you might recall that Trevor Noah had a very small role in the first Black Panther film, voicing the A.I. in Shuri's lab. Unless there's something I'm forgetting, he only "appeared" in one scene in the movie, working with Martin Freeman's Everett Ross.

Well, it's still a voice-only role, but his part is much bigger in Wakanda Forever, probably as prominent as J.A.R.V.I.S. was in the Iron Man movies. I was happy when I realized how much we were going to hear from him--I bet Trevor was thrilled to be a part of it!

Edited November 12, 2022 by angora

[Bastet]

Trevor's new comedy special, I Wish You Would, is available on Netflix.  I think the bit about pulling a Trudeau while ordering Indian food in Scotland goes on too long, but overall I enjoyed it. 

I love his examples of schadenfreude, especially "what everybody from Ireland and Kenya and Trinidad and Jamaica and South Africa and India all felt when the news came out and said, 'The Royal Family has bad news'." 

And his musing on the pandemic as some asshole genie giving us everything we wished for at the same time: to not have to go into the office, to spend more time with the kids, and to have alone time with our partners.  I also really like his fantasy of an African news network reporting on the West's response to COVID the way Western news networks covered Africa's Ebola crisis.  That whole pandemic sequence is great. 

[SoMuchTV]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Trevor's new comedy special, I Wish You Would, is available on Netflix.  I think the bit about pulling a Trudeau while ordering Indian food in Scotland goes on too long, but overall I enjoyed it. 

I love his examples of schadenfreude, especially "what everybody from Ireland and Kenya and Trinidad and Jamaica and South Africa and India all felt when the news came out and said, 'The Royal Family has bad news'." 

And his musing on the pandemic as some asshole genie giving us everything we wished for at the same time: to not have to go into the office, to spend more time with the kids, and to have alone time with our partners.  I also really like his fantasy of an African news network reporting on the West's response to COVID the way Western news networks covered Africa's Ebola crisis.  That whole pandemic sequence is great. 

I couldn’t find a different thread for it so I guess this is the best place to discuss it. I just watched and I agree with everything you said except for the first paragraph. I thought the Indian food in Scotland bit totally paid off!

On a related note I continue to be impressed with Trevor’s talent for accents. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Trevor's new comedy special, I Wish You Would, is available on Netflix.  I think the bit about pulling a Trudeau while ordering Indian food in Scotland goes on too long, but overall I enjoyed it. 

I love his examples of schadenfreude, especially "what everybody from Ireland and Kenya and Trinidad and Jamaica and South Africa and India all felt when the news came out and said, 'The Royal Family has bad news'." 

And his musing on the pandemic as some asshole genie giving us everything we wished for at the same time: to not have to go into the office, to spend more time with the kids, and to have alone time with our partners.  I also really like his fantasy of an African news network reporting on the West's response to COVID the way Western news networks covered Africa's Ebola crisis.  That whole pandemic sequence is great. 

I'm watching this now and it's hilarious! I've been 😄🤣off!

[Bastet]

1 minute ago, SoMuchTV said:

On a related note I continue to be impressed with Trevor’s talent for accents. 

I found it much more naturally incorporated into this one, than in his first special for Netflix that - while quite funny - seemed written around fitting in as many of them as possible.  The only time it felt like that in this latest one was the bit about the voices of U.S. presidents, and maybe only because he'd already done the extended bit with Nelson Mandela teaching Barack Obama how to talk like a first Black president in his previous special.

5 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

I thought the Indian food in Scotland bit totally paid off!

In the end, but I think it could have used some trimming in the middle.

[DoctorAtomic]

I watched in on Saturday. I watch a lot of stand up, and every comedian has to have a covid bit. Trevor's took it in a new direction and was really funny. I did like the part where he was doing the whole 'Girl, I want to be locked in a room with you' and the punch line for that. The whole bit was good commentary on our social fabric. 

I did think the Indian food bit when on a little too long for the payoff. However, he seemed like he was telling a mostly true story, so you're going to tend to drag it out. Steve sounds like how I would have been. It was a great sticking the landing to end the show though. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

As someone who is Indian, I laughed my ass off during the whole last bit, and especially when Trevor went from the Scots burr to the Indian accent! Trevor is a master at accents, and he didn't disappoint me here. So Pitch Perfect. Especially with him playing the waiter saying how he knew he was Trevor and how did he like him doing the accent, "ah?" That "ah" was just, again, perfect!😂

[possibilities]

I just watched and I loved it. 

[ShadowKnight2]

Seems Trevor Noah has a new hosting gig:

Trevor Noah's Next Job Revealed After The Daily Show Exit

Trevor Noah is returning to late night just over four months after he said goodbye to The Daily Show. Get the details on his new Amazon Freevee show.

https://www.eonline.com/ca/news/1373152/trevor-noahs-next-job-revealed-after-the-daily-show-exit

[marina to]

He does seem to like to produce. Isn't this like the 4th show he's executive producer of?

Anyway, Mock the Week is fun so I hope it translates.

[possibilities]

I really enjoyed this this interview with Trevor. It's funny at times, but it's not really a comedy production. He talks about real life stuff. 

And he has a podcast!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-now-with-trevor-noah/id1710609544

Edited November 5, 2023 by possibilities