WATCH Trevor Noah’s Last Daily Show and Emotional Tribute to Black Women

South African Comedian Trevor Noah, host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, expressed gratitude and delivered a special thank you to Black women during the taping of his final show last night (Thursday, December 8) – watch below.

“I’ve often been credited with, you know, having these grand ideas… And I’m like, who do you think teaches me?… Who do you think has shaped me, nourished me, informed me, you know, from my mom, my gran, you know, my aunts, all these Black women in my life. But then in America as well, if you, I always tell people, if you truly want to learn about America, talk to Black women,” said Noah, holding back tears during his signoff.

It was an emotional ending, with The Daily Show correspondents paying tribute to the SA expat. Watch here…

WATCH Farewell to Trevor From The Correspondents | The Daily Show

Last month Noah announced he was going to leave the program after hosting it for seven years, indicating he wanted to dedicate more time to stand-up comedy.

The 38-year-old comedian – who moved to the United States in 2011 and was born in Johannesburg, South Africa – had big shoes to fill when he took over in 2015 after the exit of longtime host Jon Stewart. He quickly established himself with his own brand, suited for an era where online influence was often greater than that of content on cable.

His reign on “The Daily Show” required him to delicately cover some crucial moments in American history, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement and the 2021 attacks on the U.S. Capitol.

The key to addressing current affairs through a comedic lens lies in a comedian’s intention, Noah said in a 2016 interview with Reuters, adding that he learns from his mistakes.

Trevor thanked everyone who’s ever watched the show and shared clips, even those who criticised him, and remembered back to how when he began on the show “we couldn’t get enough people to fill an audience”. But soon the show became packed out and remained that way. “I want to say I appreciate those people, even the people who hate watched. We still got the ratings, thank you. I’m eternally grateful to you,” said Trevor, before adding:

“And this is random for some, but special shout out to, to Black women. You know, I’ve been, I’ve often been credited with, you know, having these grand ideas of people like, ‘Oh, Trevor, you so smart. And, you know,’ and then I’m like, ‘Who do you think teaches me? You know? Who do you think has shaped me, nourished me, informed me, you know, from my mom, my gran, you know, my aunt, all these Black women in my life. But then in America as well, if you, I always tell people, if you truly want to learn about America, talk to Black women. Yeah, because unlike everybody else, Black women cannot afford to &*!* around and find out.

“Black people understand how hard it is when things go bad, especially in America. But any place where Black people exist, whether it’s Brazil, whether it’s South Africa, wherever it is, when things go bad, Black people know that it gets worse for them. But Black women in particular, they know what shit is genuinely. People always be shocked, they be like, ‘Why do Black women turn out the way they do in America? Why do they vote the way?’ Yeah, because they know what happens if things do not go the way it should. They cannot afford to &*!* around and find out. And to Black women who have taught me, all of them, I mean, the scholars online, the you know, the authors, everybody, the Roxane Gays, the Tressie McMillan Cottoms, the you know, I’ll remember the names, you know, the Zoe Samudzis, the brilliant, brilliant women who have taken the time to inform me, to educate me, to argue with me. You know, the Tarana Burkes, you know, laughed with me talking about everything from sexual assault to just what life is like.

“Yeah man, I’ll tell you now, do yourself a favour. You truly want to know what to do or how to do it. Or maybe the best way or the most, the most equitable way. Talk to Black women, they are a lot of the reason that I’m here. And so, I’m grateful to them. I’m grateful to every single one of you. This has been an honour, thank you.”

New episodes of the show will begin on January 17 with a variety of guest hosts including Chelsea Handler, John Leguizamo, Hasan Minhaj, Sarah Silverman, along with “The Daily Show” correspondents and contributors.

Source: Reuters