made me uncomfortable, because it is true. Reminded me of a young black comedian whose show was also on cable - his entire act was soft-spoken and uncomfortable truth, and the laughter was a bit nervous, from the audience. Can't remember his name.

Last edited Sun Apr 5, 2015, 04:00 PM - Edit history (1)

maybe. Yeah americans definitely get nervous when having to laugh about the sins and shortcomings of the culture we live in. I like his american bully routine. So metaphorically true.

He has a special on HBO (Trevor Noah is on Showtime) and NBC has just ordered a six-episode series from him.

Hopefully, people will understand that he is sort of like Stephen Colbert. He has a bit about eating at Chik-Fil-A where he says he hdto choose between friends and gay people and a delicious chicken sandwich, and he has the sandwich. His humor is like that, and hits home.

aren't uncomfortable laughing about their "sins and shortcomings" when hearing of them from a fellow citizen, like John Stewart, for instance. Hearing it from a young forieigner they've barely heard of, is another matter.

hearing it as a truth from someone outside our culture always puts the purist on edge. Americans really don't understand how they are REALLY perceived by other parts of the world. His comedy skit on the american bully, hard hitting, funny and true.

and if you're unconvinced, I'd ask you to consider how well

an American's "edgy" commentary on another country's affairs

would be received by citizens of that country?

Hint: Not well. No country likes an "outsider" acting the authoritative

critic of their country.

the commentary on our country matters little in comedy. Every thing, notion, idea, pride in ones flawed culture, everything is fair game in comedy. The audience is fickle. Mr. Noah, while an outsider, is telling the truth as he see it about our american cultural foibles. I say to the offended ones, if it hits a little too close to home, tough... I don't care if some may take umbrage at the nerve of an "outsider" criticizing the hypocrisy that is de rigueur these days in ALL political, social and economic arenas of our nation. We need criticizing, more from the inside would help. But that apathy and lack of general and specific self criticism, when wron, creates room for the outsider. I'm sure some in your face laughter provoking 'commentary' is a good thing in sometimes helping to correct flaws, when thought about.

As far as us metaphorically through comedy criticizing other countries. So what. That country would have to deal with it. Whether the comedian is S.A. latino(a) asian, arabic, jewish, if they are telling the inescapable truth, then, so be it.

Sometimes an "outsider" is refreshing. If american's turn away from the 'daily show', it will be their loss.

and while you and a few others may like him, he'll need more than that to succeed here.

As far as "inescapable truth" goes, I can only imagine that you're very young

not to realize how naive you sound...Much "truth" lies in the eye of the beholder,

and has been "escaping" for centuries.

I really think it depends on the intelligence of the comedian AND the intelligence of the audience.
And consider how Jon Stewart's humor would be received by, say, Free Republic.
Like all humor, some will think it funny, some will not. Humor that is approved by everyone would be boring indeed.

Besides, all of the US does not watch The Daily Show. I would think that anyone who makes the effort to watch it is pretty cognizant of the fact that awful things happen in the US, and deserve censure and commentary.

so I'm thinking your notion of his success is a bit inflated.

That being said, I think the reason for his success lies in his dopey looks

and speech style...They're funny in and of themselves and have the effect

of undercutting the seriousness of his comments. Even I find him comical at times.

P. S. Awful things happen and have happened under every
super power -- Not just the US.
Some who are our biggest critics now were doing the same
and worse when they had the power.

You know the USA was the last supporter of the Apartheid system that caused him to spend his childhood living with parents who were not even allowed in public together? We funded that system and now call him the bigot. America.

and what makes you think that Noah is "unbiased" just because he's not American?

Do you imagine it's only Americans who are biased?

As to being unbiased, he does NOT have the BIAS of being an American, for instance like the Americans who think America can do no wrong.

America deserves the greatest amount of ridicule and maybe respect, at the same time, if she deserves it.

If I recall your point was it might be OK to criticize America as long as the person doing it is American?

Is that what this is all about?

So did you respect and appreciate Carlin's criticism, like the american dream is BULLSHIT and religion is BULLSHIT and america is garbage in, garbage out?

funny and true.....I'm going to watch more to see what areas he makes me laugh and think about.....thanks

I don't think people took the time to find out enough about him before getting up in arms. Once you see his stand up, learn more about his life living in a mixed family under apartheid, his jokes make more sense. I find it sad that his parents were not even allowed in public together as a family as a child living under apartheid, and now Americans are calling him out as a bigot, even though we were stalwart supporters of apartheid and helped SA keep the system of oppression going during his childhood even after the rest of the world had given up on apartheid. Amazing.

But if you think he's OK, then he's OK in my book.

Last edited Tue Apr 7, 2015, 06:09 PM - Edit history (1)

the last two days or so about some person in LBN, April 1, 0525 am getting all huffed in an OP about his humor. And how it was misogynistic, anti-semitic, racist, sexist, ect, ect and how could this person be good enough to take john stewart's place ect ect. To me the whole puffed up faux outrage is more toward his culture and life, south african, of which they, the 'outraged', know nothing about. His humor, which I appreciate, makes americans uncomfortable, because it's a look at the sins and shortcomings of our so called democracy and our culture and human beings in general, but that's just me. But then there's a lot of faux outrage in DU covering a myriad of subjects so I am not surprised

and even if they know little to nothing, they are not, like Noah, moving there to

make big salaries satirizing South Africa -- Get the distinction?

he shouldn't make money criticizing the great american world changing culture? Right. I get the distinction and I say to this individual, get all you can. An american critcizing the new or old SA, with comedy and making dollars or rands is doing what's fair game. The S.A's might not like it, if it's the undeniable truth, tough.

"he shouldn't make money criticizing the great American world changing culture, Right".

Wrong, First of all your notion of my defending some "great american world culture"

must be coming out of your ass -- I never said anything of the kind. I said that people

of ALL countries tend to prefer one of their own when it comes to criticizing.

Shit..I've seen it right on this board from a long time Brit DUer.

I never said it was "right" or "wrong", just that the tendency exists.

So, no.. I think he should make all the money he can, as soon an American can go to the UK or

elsewhere and make money doing the same, and I wish him luck with that.

was that really necessary? Are you always like this or is it just something I said?

move to South Africa and make any salary at all by satirizing South Africa. Noah is spot on with his satire. Most Americans do not bother to learn that much about other countries.

In any event, we shall see how The Daily Show does in the ratings. I will certainly be watching.

is YOU, mainly because your ego can't handle your idol

not getting the adoration to which YOU think he's entitled

especially from Americans, a people you clearly despise,

even as you stereotype them in the most tired and predictable fashion.


P.S. You might be disappointed to learn that most of the reaction heard about Noah

here wasn't "outrage". It was minor annoyance and boredom. The comment heard

most often was "He's just not funny"

all Americans as one homogeneous group.
Second, if your inference is that I am not American, I am quite American. Traveled quite a bit, but born in Philly.
Third, I have no idols at all.
Fourth, you are the one stereotyping people.
Fifth - really - WTF?

a sure sign of of a loser, I'm afraid you'll have to point out

precisely WHERE, in my comments, my supposed lack of logic lies. Yes, it's a bit harder than

throwing out blanket insults, but I'm afraid it's necessary -- Good luck, bro,

you'll definitely need it.

Your logic or assumption that all Americans would be upset at satire from a non-American is illogical. I am watching a John Oliver (NOT American) clip, quite effectively satirizing America, right now. He has quite an appreciative audience. In America.
And I am not your "bro", I am an older white woman.
And all the odd condescension in the world from you is pretty meaningless. Bro.

Yes, you're brilliant sweetie, but don't take the "bro" seriously,

I'm an older white woman as well, and your absurd accusations

of it being me, rather than you, who is "stereotyping Americans" is pretty

rich coming from someone who goes into a rage of negative broad brushing about

her fellow citizens because of some negative feedback about one comedian.

Sorry, honey, but someone should have told you that the best defense is NOT

always an offense, especially when it's patently obvious.

By the way, I never spoke of ALL Americans or ALL of any nationality, I merely

pointed out the tendency of people from all nations, to prefer one of their own as

a satirist of their country. The existence of a John Oliver, who actually draws a

very small audience, does not negate that tendency -- Get it now?

Oh, and I assume that Trevor Noah will likely get about the same size audience as John Oliver.
That "get it now" stuff is sort of rude, but I will just discontinue my end of this bizarre conversation. Honey.

There is help for that, you know.

You can "assume" all you like, dear...No one knows squat until

he gets the show and that's IF he gets it -- It doesn't look

great for him at the moment.

I'll be glad to cooperate with you in discontinuing this "bizarre" conversation. Sweetie.

Buh bye.

impressing anyone. And your admission(s)........I think you're overgeneralizing about what any nationality prefers. You just prefer a John Oliver to satirize this country and so do a lot of other people, understandable. And pretty obvious. I hope Noah is successful in his stint on the Daily Show. Period.

Getting a little out of sorts are we?


Your free to think anything you want, sweetie -- I've no interest in "impressing" you or anyone else.

you don't.

rah, rah rah. And you do have a nerve talking of someone else's ego....

I took them, one reason why I can be civil with an individual such as you. Keep it up here, I want you to keep showing your true colors. It really is very entertaining. I'm done with you.

Last edited Mon Apr 6, 2015, 08:23 PM - Edit history (1)

It seems your reach fell a little short of your grasp.

unblocks you. Enough.

Just got worse.
That man has a bunch of folks upset already. I bet the show will be on hit.

I almost alerted on the djean being called a "loser" post but kept reading and saw the two hides and understood the block.


*For anyone reading who thinks we are attacking a member - Number23, bravenak, and justanothergen are Group Hosts in this group. We engage in transparency and there is no "work space" for group hosts. This way everyone can understand why a member is blocked.*

brave - I had to post that because the last time we had a situation like this some busy body alerted.

It feels bad having to do it, we only have two people blocked now.

I would have liked to have kept TBH there for the purpose of memorializing him!

In the meantime - someone just accused LS71 of saying 'racist' things in the AA Group. She told the truth - yet she's being 'racist'. Hence your EPIC thread a few weeks ago.

I'm telling ya - you can't make this shit up!

Smh. I had no idea that I was so shocking and controversial.
LS71 always gets flack for soothsaying. And she's usually 100% right. You gotta love this place!

And Joe. Lol! I had to do it. It's like when you dump a guy and delete his number from yr phone. I was sad too girl, I had been with Joe for so long on DU. TBH, there will be nobody like Joe. Thank gawd.

I like Noah and I understand that every writer and every comedian has jokes that do not work.