Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrevor Noah’s triumph: His dazzling Donald Trump take-down was no rookie move
Trevor Noahs triumph: His dazzling Donald Trump take-down was no rookie moveby Sonia Saraiya at Salon
http://www.salon.com/2015/10/02/trevor_noahs_triumph_his_dazzling_donald_trump_take_down_was_no_rookie_move/
"SNIP...............
Noah spent the first few episodes essentially following in Stewarts model, with the commentary on the news coverage of the UN General Assembly coming mostly from him, while the correspondents went for absurd poses of racial disparity, hotel-room debauchery, or as was the case last night, pumpkin-spice mania. The opening segment, though, on Donald Trumps rather terrifying similarities to African dictator-presidents, was a kind of mini-lecturea funny thinkpiece with visual components, perhaps. Its not just observation; its not even just a string of observations. Its a string of observations with the intention of revealing something new to the audience; its analysis, proof, and an argument.
And with Trump, it was marvelous. Light xenophobia, with just a dash of diplomacy is what Noah termed Trumps approachbefore joking that the phrase was also the title of Paula Deens upcoming cookbook. And then he took the audience on a brief tour of African dictators, while the chyron read, all in caps: TRUMP AND AFRICAN LEADERS: ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. There was something brilliantly and subversively eye-opening about the similarities between Trumps grandstanding rhetoric and that of Robert Mugabe, or Muammar Gaddafi, or Jacob Zumathe politics of the robber baron, after all, is not just an American phenomenon. Maybe this is a segment that a Daily Show writer has been working on for weeks, and it would have existed for anyone who sat in the hosts chair. But given that the segment kicked off with Zumathe president of Noahs home country of South Africaits safe to say that Noahs perspective on African politics at least influenced the opener.
The rest, I dont know. Correspondents Jordan Klepper and Roy Wood, Jr. have become indispensible just in the last few days, playing off of each other and Noah with a lot of skill. (Woods sweet potato latte line delivery was to die for.) Ryan Adams playing Taylor Swifts Bad Blood was fine, but not terribly interestingthough it meant I did finally listen to a bit of the cover album that everyone seemed to be talking about. And Noah is still adjusting, as is obvious whenever he has to go off-script.
Over the past week, as Ive written about Noah, two things have become clear: Hes green, and hes not trying to be just another Jon Stewart. Both of those characteristics require some getting used to for the regular Daily Show viewerand as weve seen, it requires some adjustment for Noah, as well. But he certainly brings a zest to the proceedings that werent there beforea tension in whether or not hell succeed or fail; an uncertainty about just how well his jokes will appeal to his specific and entrenched audience. In a world of slick Jimmy Fallons and Jimmy Kimmels, its its own kind of fascinating to watch someone grow into a roleand hopefully, eventually, make it their own.
............SNIP"
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
8 replies, 1766 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (10)
ReplyReply to this post
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Trevor Noah’s triumph: His dazzling Donald Trump take-down was no rookie move (Original Post)
applegrove
Oct 2015
OP
I thought the Trump thing was great - hilarious, with a sobering sense of how Trump could very well
djean111
Oct 2015
#1
djean111
(14,255 posts)1. I thought the Trump thing was great - hilarious, with a sobering sense of how Trump could very well
prevail. I think that having seen Noah's stand-up routines a while back has helped me appreciate him and not see him as Not Jon.
Noah gets pretty biting on his stand-up stuff, slips the political jab in nicely.
What I hatesssss is that Larry Wilmore starts at the same time as Stephen Colbert. Wilmore is pretty good. But CC does rerun the show a few times.
applegrove
(118,642 posts)4. I like Wilmore too. Hard to decide what to watch. I like local news too. Thankfully the Daily Show
is on twice a night in Canada.
malaise
(268,993 posts)7. Wilmore tore that ReTHUG Jason_Chaffetz
a new one with his treatment of Cecile Richards and the bogus chart - it was hilarious
applegrove
(118,642 posts)8. I missed that.
JanetLovesObama
(548 posts)2. Trevor Noah will be just fine.
In fact, better than Stewart !!!!!
ms liberty
(8,574 posts)3. Watching the replay of it right now, lol...
And the Trump piece was brilliant!
FlatBaroque
(3,160 posts)5. nyone remember Craig Kilborne?
He preceded Stewart and I thought he would be irreplaceable.
librechik
(30,674 posts)6. Thank goodness the Daily Show writers didn't retire yet.
They have streamlined Trevor's move into the anchor seat with the same smart material they always do.