The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Between the Scenes - Trevor on Race in America

Episode Date: January 16, 2022

Trevor shares his thoughts on issues surrounding race in the U.S., including reparations, indirect expressions of racism from the GOP and a racial double standard of criminal justice. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. You guys have any questions before we move on? Anything you want to chat about? No, we're good. Yes, sir? Do you think that reparations should just go to like one group or like should it target like people that are at the same kind of like socioeconomic, like, group? That's an interesting question. What do you mean by that?

Well, like, there are like white people that have like been disenfranchised like recently like recently is the key recently is the key the country like de-industrialized right so like a lot of people in like manufacturing job and stuff right but so so so so to your question to your question I think you have to understand what the word reparations means first so reparations you are repairing something that you have broken. You are paying for something that you were supposed to pay for. I'm not saying that there aren't people living in America today who are suffering and are going through pain and strife because of what's happening when it comes to you know, machines taking jobs, factories becoming industrialized, etc.

But reparations is a specific conversation about a specific time in America, and that is black people were slaves. thiiiiiii. thii. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi, thi, thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, theateateateate, tho- the, the, the, the, the, th. I th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi. thi. thi. thi. thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, thean, time in America, and that is black people were slaves. You know what I mean? I've even heard people say like, oh, but there were some of the Irish who were indentured. Like, yeah, less slavery. Look at the numbers, look at the time, look at the level of work. You could not work toward your freedom. For most black people in America, was a time when you were, that was it, you lived and died as a slave. And so that's what reparations is about.

And so I hear what you're saying, but I think that's a completely separate conversation that needs to be had about the now, because if you are not careful, what you then do is combine everybody's suffering into the same ball and you make it seem like all injustices have the same waiting, and they don't just like crimes you know theft isn't the same as murder we don't try them the same way and as much as there is a white person who's suffering today I feel for anybody who's suffering because I know what it's like to be poor I know what it's like to suffer I didn't come from a wealthy family we I'm white, where's the privilege? You know, white people are like, I wish I could activate my white privilege.

I wish I could do it right now. White privilege, give me something. I get that. I get that. I get it. I get it. It is hard to accept that you have benefits because of the the the the the the the the the the the the thapapapapapapapapapape. the thi. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I thi. I thi. I thi. I th. I thi. I thi. I thi. I th. I th. I th. I th. I to. I to. I to. I to. I to. I wish. I wish. I th. I th. I th. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I the. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish. I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish I wish. Ithat you have. But the thing I try to explain to a person is think of it more like golf. Don't think of it as privileged and think of it like a handicap. Right? In golf they acknowledge that you are in a position where you need so many advantages to be competitive

in the game, right? So what they say is you have a handicap of 15. So that means like you're going to be hitting. they. to be hitting. to be hitting. they. to be. to be. the the. to be. to be. the the. to be. to be. thihea. thi. thi. thi. thi. I. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thrall. I's a thi. thi. thiolu. thiolu. thiolu. thi. thi. I is, thi. I is, thi. I is, thi. I is, th. I is, th. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I's a th. I's a th. I's a th. I'm a thin. I'm a thr. I'm a thr. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. Ande. And in because we understand the position you're in. And if you're a black person in America, from slavery, from day one, the number of injustices that have held black people back in America amount to an insurmountable, like you look at, you look at black people's land, just land. the amount of wealth you can acquire over time if you own land is exponential because you have the land, you have the fact that you can borrow based on the land, you have the fact that you can use the money that you have borrowed to grow more wealth, you can use it to grow your family's wealth. Just taking that away from black people alone is crippling them and so you have combined that with slavery and then you in the areas that they wanted to live in. They couldn't get loans from the banks that they wanted to get loans from.

And then on top of that, when they started getting the loans from American banks, American banks were found to be giving them higher interest rates when in fact they were the same risk as many of the other races that they were giving loans their loans, they they they they they they they they they they they they they they were g loan, they they they they they were gn't they they they were gn't they were gn't they were givers. And they were givers. And they were givers. And they were givers. And they were gived. And to they were giv- they were giv- they were giv-and. And they were gived to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to.. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the. And the. And then. And then the. And then the. And then the. And then the. And then the. And then the. And then the. And then thean. And then conversation that they need to be having with the United States. Doesn't involve me, doesn't involve white people, doesn't it's like, it's like, yo, American government, meet the black people. That's it. Have that conversation. Whenever I see all the stuff about voter registration and voter ID laws in America, etc. That's one of the few moments when I miss South Africa's racism.

Because, no, what I liked about South Africa's racism is that it was just straight up. You know, they're just like, no blacks. No blacks, okay? Simple as that. No blacks. And you knew where you stood. I'm like in America, they're like, they make you work for your racism, you know? You gotta figure out, they'll be like, we don't need certain people who are prone to hip-hop and swag. You know, you people, you like, which people? You're like, which people? Tall people? No, you people. I'm like, no, man, I just want to be offended and enjoy it, you know, I don't want to figure out my race, like his

racism Sudoku or something. I don't want to figure out my race, like racism Sudoku or something. I don't want to figure it out. It's still where they beat around the, it's so slick, but I promise you, I genuinely think that would switch things up. If black people just came out and said, hey, we are all going to vote Republican Republican. You would be surprised how quick. This is how how much black people's decisions affect the general, like, the black Look at the NRA is a great example. You look at guns in America. People always like, oh no, there needs to be, you know, guns are free, guns are free, guns are free, guns are free, second amendment, second amendment, second amendment,

then the black panthers came along. And they were like, this country is dangerous for black people. So they say, all our brothers and sisters, you, they're, the, the, they, they, they, they, their, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, th. thi, thi, thi, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, th, th, th, th, th. th. th. th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, and, th, and, and, and, and, and, and, th. And, th. And, thi, thi, thi, thin, thin, thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. And, and, and, th. th. th said, we say, all our brothers and sisters, you go out there and you get guns, you get as many guns as you can. And you prepare for a war. And then the white people were like, we need to restrict the guns. They were like, we need to, no, no, no, no, no, too many guns, too many guns, bring it in, bring it in, bring it in, bring it. Like, you see immediately, there's like, it, bring it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, we the white. And, we the white. And, we the white. And, we the white. And, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and then, and then, and then, and then, and the white. And, and the white. And, and the white. And, and the white, and the white, and the the the the white. And, and then, and then, and then, and then, and the the white, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then, and then thought the vote was going to go the other way, they would take a chance. Just be like, yeah, man, I'm voting for you. I'm like, really? You're voting a Republican? Yeah, man, I'm voting Republican. It's like, oh yeah, what's, who are you voting for?

The dude, man. You know, dude, dude. So in my family, my two younger brothers are So from my mother's second marriage and so I'm still the only person in my family who looks like this So my mom is African woman black possa woman my father's Swiss from Switzerland, so he was a white man and so I look like this and then my mom Remarried a black man and so my brothers don't look like me either? And I remember what was really beautiful was, my brothers, we always spoke about this stuff, so my parent, they were like, yeah, different dads, we get how this works. So my brother one day, I pick him up from school, right? He's like, he's really young at the time, I was like, maybe like, I try to think think it was nine, maybe 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 they... this this thian. Maybe, thin. Maybe, this thi. this thi. thi. this thi's thi's this stuff thi's thi's thi's thi's thi's thi. thi. thi's thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. We thi. We thi. We thi. We thi. We's thi. We's thi. We's thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. We's thi. We's thi. We's thi. We's thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the passenger seat and he fastens these seat belts. And I'm like, what's going on, Isaac? And he's like, hey, Trevor, he's like, oh, kids, man.

I can't do this, kids. Kids. So I go, kids? Tell me more. And then he's like, I just don't know what to do with kids, Trevor. Like, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, they, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the kids, the, the, the, the, the kids, the, the kids, the, the kids, the kids, they. they. they. they. they. today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today, today is picking me up. Then he said, ah, who's your brother? Then I said, Trevor. Then now when we're walking, he sees you in the car. Then he says, who's that? Then I say, it's my brother.

Then he says, ah, but how can your brother, it's my brother? Then he says, but how can your brother not look the same? Then so now I'm like, oh man, I'm gonna have to like go through this. So then I'm like, so what did you say to him? And he's like, ah, Trevor, like, I'd have to explain it the way kids understand. He said, I just say to him, I said, Zuley, you've got to understand. Like, people are Nestle, okay? If there was one aspect of South African culture that I could transplant to America, what would it be? What would it be? I think it would be maybe our general ease are talking about race and our racial

past, you know? Because South African America have very similar histories, you know, in that there was like, there were many things that were done to people of color that were extremely heinous, but we, we just maybe because the Truth in Reconciliation Commission in our country, we were forced to talk about it and we just talk about it. It's painful but we laugh about it and it's out there. Whereas in America I find there, I find out, where th. there, I there, I there, there, th. th. th. th. th. th is th. th is th is thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, just, just, just maybe, just, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, just maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, thi, thi, maybe, maybe, thi, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, thi, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, thi, maybe, thi, maybe, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, just, just, thi, just, just, just, just, just, thi, just, just, thi. thi. thi. thi, just, just, thi, thi, maybe, maybe, well, come on, we don't, we don't have, do we have to bring that up? And it's like, dude, I'm not saying you did slavery, calm down, you know what I mean? Because that's how a lot of people treated, they're just like, I wasn't there, I didn't say you were there. I'm just like slavery happened. Yeah, got to where you got to. But if you can't have those conversations, then you just have to operate in a blind space of like, how did this happen? You know, why do so many black people live in this part of Harlem?

I don't know? I don't know. Do you get what I'm saying? And it actually opens, I thrown. And it actually opens, I thii. thi. to to to to to o. to o. to o. to o' to operate, to operate, to operate, to operate, to operate, to operate, to operate, to operate, to operate, to operate, to operate, to operate, to operate to operate to operate to operate to operate to operate to operate to operate to operate to operate in a to operate in a to operate in a to operate in a to operate to operate to to to to operate to operate to to to operate to operate to operate to operate to to operate to operate to operate to operate to operate to operate to operate to operate, to operate to operate, to operate, to have conversations when you can just be like, yeah, man, this should happen. You know what I mean? You can just be like, yeah, that was crazy. That was wild, that that happened, that this happened, and that was wild. And that's the thing. A lot of the place. Does that make sense? Like imagine, Imagine, imagine if like your doctor, like you want to talk to your doctor about something that happened inside your body and then you know, you know, your doctor scans and then you're like, I think I might have like a cancer. Your doctor was like, I wasn't eating with you. You like, you know, I just, thi' you're like, like, I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. th. th. th. th. th. think, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, I you. I you. Like, you, you're, you, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, I you. you. Like, like, I th. Likethough. I wasn't eating. It's like, no, man, just chill out. You know what I mean? That's the one thing. I'll transplant that.

And chickens that don't like do weights and stuff. That's the other part. Like chickens are just like, thiiiiiiiiii thiiiiiii, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thii I'm sorry, what? Is that the thing I'm eating? Oh. Like, I remember when I first saw a chicken wing in America, this is the dumbest thing you've ever heard. And you're going to judge me, but I judge you back. I remember the first time I had a chicken wing in America, is like, I ordered like, I saw it on someone else's plate and then I was like what are those and someone said those are buffalo

wings and I was like oh is this like a part of the buffalo that I don't know and I was like I want to taste buffalo wings and then I remember eating it I was like it's sort of like chicken this chicken then I was like but what dinosaur chicken's the thi thi's like it's bufl I the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thi's the the the bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu buf. the the buf. It's buf. It's buf. It's buf. It's bufolo is buffalo is buffalo is buffalo is buf. It's tho. It's is bu. It's is like but I was like but I was like but I was like but I'm they's bu bu bu bu bu bu bu but I was like but I was like. they's is is is is bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu bu. thi. they's is is is b. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thi. I's b. I was like. I was like. I'm like. It's b. It's b. It's like. It's like. It's b. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's like. It's. It's. It's. I's. I's. I'm. I was like how big is the wing of this chicken? What what dinosaur chickens do you guys have here? Because that's not the size of any normal chicken anywhere in the world. So yeah, I would, that's the one other thing I would bring. It's just like normal animals. Normal, that's all. Yeah, I bring normal animals and conversations about race. I really find it funny how Trump has stumbled across many of the things he has ridiculed black people for in America and he doesn't even see the irony in all of this. You know?

For years, like when it came to the FBI, law enforcement, all of that, like people be like, oh, they have too much power, it's crazy how they FBI, law enforcement, all of that. Like people be like, oh, they have too much power. It's crazy how they can just say things about you. And then you know, Trump would be like, you should go to jail. And then now he's like, have you seen how much power they have folks? They can do whatever they want. Take your life away. I mean, listen to the the the the the the the the the the the the the thin thin thin thin thin thin the thin thin thin thin thin the thin thin thrown thrown thrown they they thrown they they they they thr, thrown, they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they're, they're, they're, they're, they're, to their. their. thr. thr. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. try. trye. trye. try with Maniford. They always bring up the same thing. They go, he's a 60-year-old man. Is he going to spend the rest of his life in jail?

And that's literally, literally what communities of color have been saying in America for decades. They're like, you're going to let someone spend the rest of their life in jail. They're like, let's someone let's the rest the rest the rest someone spend the rest someone spend the rest someone spend the rest someone spend the rest the rest someone spend the rest the rest the rest the rest the rest the rest the rest the rest the rest the rest their their their their their their their their their their their their the rest of their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their the broke the law, but they're going to spend the rest of their lives in jail and the people are like, well you break the law, you pay the price. That's what it's all about. And now all of Trump's people, this is the sixth person now, all of them going to jail, all of them. And now Trump is like, Trump is like, and did, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, did, thi, did, did, did, did, did, did, did, did, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thu, thu, thi, thi, thr-i, tho, tho, tho, tho, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the the their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thr, thr. thr. And, throoo. And, throoooooooooooooooo. And, thr. And, thru. And, the night?" You like, and? They came into his house.

Because that's where he was. This is like, yeah, that's what it is. These guys are genuinely shocked when the police use the same force on them that they've been using on so many other people in the country unchecked. Because that's one's saying, I didn't think it's extreme. I'm like American police, especially if you do travel the world, weird flecks, you'll see, you'll see how like, it's just, police are militarized in America in a way they aren't in most developed nations. You know? Like it's so weird for me. Every time

I go back to South Africa, I'm reminded, I'm like, oh yeah. Being a policeman just means that you are a citizen who has the job of enforcing the law, but it doesn't put you at a different level. It doesn't mean you can treat people like shit. It doesn't, you, I'll talk to a police officer. I can disagree with him, I can argue. Still respectful, of course. The guy can arrest you if you go too far, but it's not like I have to be afraid. You know, I don't have to be afraid of the person. I remember once I was driving in South Africa with my American friend and the cop car in front of me, he wasn't paying attention. And so then I hootted him, I honed. I was like, I was like, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I th, I thued, I tho, I don't tho, I don't tho, I don't tho, I don't tho, I don't to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to told told th. I don't th. I don't thr-I don't thr-a, I don't thr-a, I thr-a. thr-a. thr-a. thr-a. thr-a. I thr-a, I don't. I was like, beep! And then he went back in. And my friend was like, what are you doing? I was like, well, he came into my lane. I was like, the guy was, that's why you honk, you tell him.

He's like, you can't honk at the cops. I was like, but I did. But I thing for me. When I first moved here, I lived in California, and I was on the freeway, and I didn't know like the rules of America. And so I was just like follow the speed limits. And I'm driving, and all the cars are going slow. And I'm like, you guys are idiots.

I'm going. And I'm going like 40. I was going at the speed limit and then the cop car like came up here. This is the funny thing because the cop car came up behind me and like woo and then I was like in my head because I'd done nothing wrong look at the speed. I'm like oh he wants to go past so I moved one lane and then the cop car came to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the cop car and then. And then the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the cop car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car car and.c and. And the cop car car car car car car car car car the the the the cop car car car car and. and. And the cop car and. And the the, then I was like, go around, man. And then I came back, and then I came back into the lane. Then he came back, and I was like, this guy, like, I thought we were doing that thing on the sidewalk, you know, and someone like, like, you do that. I didn't think he was try to stop me.

I was just like, go around you know, you drove past me. And I was like, uh-huh. And he's like, well, you know, I don't know where you're from, but out here, cops, we don't like to be passed. I was like, wow, okay. I was like, some serious toxic masculinity right there, my friend. Like, I did you. I was like, you just don't like to be past the, and the, I, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, the, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to be passed and then he explained he's like no we do it for traffic so if you see a cop car just stay behind it don't you know and then then I learned from then on that you don't pass them quickly you got a gradually so if the cop's going 40 you go like 41

he's slowly go past the cop car then you wait for a truck to come between you then you wait for a truck to come between you, then you fly, ah! The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and stream full episodes any time on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.