The Daily Show: Ears Edition - What Did Trevor Learn from The Daily Show?

Episode Date: June 15, 2023

Issues are real, context is everything, and the world is a lot friendlier than the internet. Trevor shares his biggest lessons learned from The Daily Show, and gives a special shout-out to the fans and the Black women who have shaped his life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. I mean, I don't know if I mentioned, it is my final show, the final episode of the Daily Show with Trevor Noah. And don't be sad. I know a lot of people are sad, but please don't be sad. You should be happy that an African leader is peacefully leaving power. That's never a guarantee. It's never a guarantee.

It's really hard to believe it's been seven years at the desk, you know? I was thinking, everyone asks me about that. I say, it's seven years, can you believe it doesn't feel like seven years? You know? Well, not all at the desk, obviously, I went home in between. Yeah, but still, it's been a wild ride. You know, and some of the people I work with, some of you have been asking between the scenes, what have you learned at your time in America? What have you learned at your time?

And, you know, I would never pretend to understand America. You know, in the relatively short time I think I've been here. I don't think I know much about anything the more I learned, funny enough. But when I thought about it, I realized there were three main lessons that I've learned in my time, you know, being privileged enough to host the show that you've been wonderful enough to watch. And the first lesson I learned is something that took me a long time to realize. Issues are real, but politics are just an invented way to solve those issues. Don't ever forget that. You know, I, in the very beginning, also got sucked into the whole Republican, Democrat,

and you know, it's like, oh, this is the way it should be, it's a Republican, ye, yet it's not actually the way it should be. It's not even the way it is. It's not a binary. They're not just two ways to be, you know. I'm eternally grateful to a man who I met as a stranger funny enough and he said something really beautiful to me. We're walking through Harlem and he said, you know Trevor, one of the greatest lies they tell you in America, they tell you that America is two political parties, Republicans and Democrats and he said, but I'll tell you now as Republicans, Democrats, and as black people and to to to to to to they... th. th. th. trives, th. th, th, trives, th, th, th, th, th, triv, th, triv, triv, tha, tha, tha, tha, the, tha, tha, tho, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, theei, theiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii thi, thi tell you now, as Republicans, Democrats, and as black people and every other person of color who's trying to make a name or do something for

themselves. And that stuck with me, and it made me think about American politics differently. Made me realize that we get tricked a lot of the time, not just in America, but everywhere in the world, into liking or not liking something based on the tribe that it emanates from, then what the idea actually is. You know, it's whether they put that little R or that D next to somebody's name in a newspaper article that defines how you feel about it, when in fact, somebody that you may not agree with on most things can do something that you like.

They could do something that you agree with and I think as we live in a society where we increasingly introduce ourselves with the things that separates us we forget that real friendships come from the similarities and then the disagreements are how we polish each other as human beings. I'm not saying you'll agree with everyone don't get me wrong. I'm like Kumbaya and everything works. I'm not saying that but you know just remember that. You know like Trump did thrown like you know like thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that that that that that that. that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi just just just thi's thi. thi's thi. thi. thi just just thi. that's just that's just that's just that's that. You know, like Trump did prison reform. You know, I'm not saying now you should like him. But it doesn't mean you have to hate the prison reform that he did. You know, you could be like, I hate this guy, but I'm not going to be there like,

Your Honor, I should get a longer sentence, because Trump did this shit. Issue is not democri or democratic. That's all I'm saying, and that's all I wish I could have said a lot more clearly on the show, but sometimes in the country the way the news is told the way it's delivered to you, it makes it feel that way. But it's not, clean water isn't a Republican or a Democrat issue. Affordable housing isn't a Republican or a Democrat issue. I don't care what party you are. You're probably struggling to pay something. Crime is not a Republican or a Democrat issue. It's oftentimes something that New York Times just reports on

because they listen to everything the police say. But that's another story for another day. You know, politics has transformed into a giant game of football it feels like. And just like football, you know, turns everybody's brains to mush, but don't forget that. Every time you think of an issue the issue th, th, th, thi thi thi thi thi thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, to thi, to to to their their their to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their to 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 thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, the.., thean, thean, thean, thean, thin, thin, thin, the police, their their their their their thin Every time you think of an issue, don't think of it through the lens of Republican and Democrat.

Forget that for a moment. Think about it as a human being, and then figure out which person in power is actually trying to do what you think needs to be done about that issue. You know, the second lesson I learned is never forget that context matters. You know, never forget how much context matters. You know, never forget how much context matters. I feel like we live in an age of limitless information right now, but we never seem to acknowledge that there's a shortage of context. In many ways, it's why I started doing between the scenes. I realized in the short

time I have on the show, there's only so much I can convey as a message. And, you know, that message is, I understand, distilled and synthesized for people, but we process everything in bytes. And we don't realize that we have a lot of information, but we don't have the context that is so necessary for us to protect, you know, to process that information, which is so important. Context is everything. It's truly everything. We have information, though. We know about a flood in Pakistan in a way that we never would have known before. We know about protests in Iran. We know about what the troop movements are in Ukraine.

We know about a drought in parts of Sudan. We know all of these things. We know who Pete Davidson is dating now, you know. Sometimes I feel like we know it before he does. You know, yeah, he's just like, what? I am sweet. But, yeah, but we don't have the context, oftentimes when we make a decision is what I started, you know, we see a clip, a video, it's designed to make us angry, we respond to it accordingly. We don't know how it the the the the the the actual the actual the actual the actual the actual the actual the actual the actual the actual the actual the actual the actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual actual the actual actual actual actual the actual actual the actual the actual the actual the actual the actual. the actual. the actual the actual. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. thi. thi. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. te us angry. We respond to it accordingly. We don't know how it started. We don't know how it ended. We don't know what the actual story is. And context is so important for everything, for every conversation, if you think

about it in life, you know. See it makes you angry. You don't even know if it was designed to make you angry. I realize it's so important to protect yourself from that. Try and find the context wherever you can. the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th th. th th. th th. th th th th. th. tho, thi. thi, tho, thi thi thi thi, thi, the the the thi, 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 thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the is theauu. teauauauauauauauauauauauauauauauauauauau. thoea. the the the the to protect yourself from that. Try and find the context, wherever you can, ask as many questions, and it may slow you down in being able to make a decision, it may slow you down in being able to form a take, but maybe that's a good thing. Maybe we shouldn't have an opinion immediately. Maybe we should wait and see what the context is. You don't know what the video is. We all see these videos. th you th you th you 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 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 thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi th. thi thi thi thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thee the tooooooooooooooooo te te te te the the the the the the the the the context is. You don't know what the video is.

You all see these videos. I saw that video of that raccoon attacking that little girl. It was terrible. But we don't know what she did to the raccoon. You know? Maybe she sold the raccoon some cocaine and was cocaine. The raccoon was like, shit, this is flower, ah! I think context is everything. And I've experienced it in many ways firsthand. I remember when I started the show, you know, there was so many people they hated me,

genuinely hated me. They hated the idea. They hated how I looked., they hated my hair, they hated my accent, they hated everything about me, my point of everything. And then I look seven years later and now those people still hate me but but for the right reasons now because now they know me, they understand. And obviously there's people who love me and I appreciate all of you who come out and enjoy the show with me. But just remember, without context, nothing makes sense. Whether it's international traditions, norms, customs. We all think it's normal because we are in the place that we're in. But as the world becomes smaller, we also are going to compress everything that we think is right and is normal.

And it's going to create a little bit of tension. one way and we don't know what the one way is. You know, context people, please just don't forget that. It's like how if you joke about your own mom, then it's funny, right? But if I joke about your mom, then it's hilarious. There's a difference, you know? And I guess the final, the final lesson I learned at the show, and I learned it not at the show, but because of the show and the news I was covering, is, please don't forget that the world is a friendlier place than the internet and the news will make you think. Just don't forget that.

You know, I've been really lucky to go out and, you know, my comedy has taken me to places and to people. I've been lucky enough to do to to to to to to to to the the to the to the their lucky enough to do comedy from Florida all the way through to, you know, Washington states. I've been lucky enough to travel around the world and meet people and people are not fied. People are not friendier than social media would have you. You know, I've had people who are Republican, told you. You know, I've had people who are Republican voters, their kids brought them and they go, I didn't know I would laugh and I had a good time and I may not agree with you, but maybe this, but they see me as a human, maybe I talk to them, I see them as a human

in a way that we didn't before. People are a lot friendier than they'll have you believe. The news is designed to tell you what is happening. Old ladies aren't just being punched everywhere in New York City at every corner, you know. Sometimes they're punching people. People are a lot better than they'll have you think. You know, we're all human beings, we're all trying to get somewhere, and at the end of the day we're all just taught me is gratitude. You know, I think the most important lesson my time at the show has taught me is gratitude.

You know, it's taught me to be grateful, you know, grateful for everything that I have that I don't even realize I have, you know, grateful to the wonderful people who helped me make every single episode of the show. I always tell the people I work with, I go, you know, I wish you could be with me all the time when I meet people who enjoy the show and they go, great show and I'm like, yeah, I wish they could see that as well. You know, they could experience that and the the the the the th also also also also also also also also also also also also also also also also also also also also also also also also the the the the their their their their their the the the the the the the the the the theathue the the. theath. thoeath. thoea. I'm the. the. the. the. their.a. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. thea. teauuu. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. tea. te. the show and they go, great show and I'm like, yeah, I wish they could see that as well, you know, they could experience that. And then they could also get the death threats too. We should share these things, is what I'm saying. You know?

Yeah, but thank you to all of them. It's crazy when people asked me, they were like, how did this, how did this, it this, it this, it this, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, th, th, th, th. th, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, the, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, th. th. th. th. the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, that, that, that, and, and, that, and, and, and, and, and, and, threa, and, and, to, to, and, to, to, threat, that, that, that, that, that, that, that was the craziest journey that I didn't predict, I didn't expect. You know, I got a call from a man by the name of John Stewart, and I'll never forget this call. I was in London doing my first tour of the UK. It was such an exciting moment for me. I was thrilled. I wanted to travel and do comedy for so long. And my phone rang and didn't know what the number was and I answered, and the voice another then said, hey, Trevor, how are you?

My name is John Stewart. I host a comedy show in America called The Daily Show. And I was like, oh wow, yeah, I know what the Daily Show is. And he was like, as you should, as you should. He was very funny. It was like, you know, to go, tho, tho, you tho, you tho, you tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, thi, I was like, I was like, thi, I was like, I was like, tho, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, thi, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, th. I was like, th. I was like, th. I was like, th. I was like, th. I was like, th. I was like, th. I was like, th. I was like, th. I was like, th. I was like, th. I was like, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to th. th. th. to th. to th. th. th. th. th. and out of, you know, it's like being taking himself seriously and then not at all. And where this great conversation where he invited me, said, I've seen your comedy online, you know, and I think it was the executive producers basically brought me to John's attention,

you know, Jen Flans, Adam Lowett, Steve to, you know, you've got to do something with him. And John liked me and he said, yeah, let's do something. You know, I see you in me. I was like, huh, that's an interesting one. He's like, yeah. I've always felt like I'm Jersey. I get it. I get it. But it's been wild.

I called my two best creative, my two best creative friends who I've been working with for a long time, David Maya and David Kibuka. And I said, one of them from North Carolina, you know, cowboy and guru at the same time. Fantastic filmmaker. I called him and said, Dave, we've got to do this. And then my friend, David Kibuka from I I th. I th. 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'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, 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, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I'm, I'm, and, and, and David, and David, and David, and David, th.. th. th. th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th thi. th thi. Africa, I was like, you want to go to America? And he's like, for how long? I was like, for as long as they'll allow us, man.

I need you and we can do this thing together. And he's like, well, all right, let's see what happens. And yeah, and we've been seeing what happens ever since. And so I say thank you to here, the people who gave me the job, sitting right here. You know, Michelle Gainley, Stugg Hertz, some who aren't here, Sarah and Kent. The ride we went through together, that was ridiculous. People asked them if they were crazy. They were like, are you crazy?

Who the hell is, what are you doing? Why would you give him this job? And I even asked him, was like, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, th... to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, th. to, to, to, to, they, they, to, to, to, they, their, their, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, told told, told, told, told, told, told, told, told, told, told, told, told....... I, told, told, told, told, they. So, they. So, they. they. they. they. they. to me, they. to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, the hell is? What are you doing? Why would you give him this job? You know? And I even asked him, I was like, why would you give me this job? Yeah, and they're like, we see something in you and we'll ride with you. And you did. I want to thank you over and over again. You wrote with me when nobody else would. You could have fired me when people were pressuring you. You could have not seen it when I didn't even see it, but we've kept up ever since, you know, all the people have been truly grateful, all the way through to my new team of bosses, you know, led by Chris McCarthy and the team, Kais and Nina and everyone else, you know,

where they were like, you know, they were the first ones to say, hey, the Daily Show is your world, but doesn't have to be your only world. Let's make projects together. Let's produce other content. Let's create for the correspondence. Let's get Jordan doing specials. Let's get Desi doing specials. And now the people are Emmy nominated.

I'm so proud of that and I'm so grateful Every, every single one of you. I am, I am so grateful. I am so grateful. I remember when we started the show, we couldn't get enough people to fill an audience. And, I always think it's good. That's how comedy is funny enough. I remember all my shows, people didn't, there weren't tickets, you know, everyone, the empty seats.

And then I look at this now, I don't take it for granted ever. Every seat that has ever been filled to watch something that I'm doing, I always appreciate because I know the empty seat that sits behind it. So thank you. Thank you to the people who watch, the people who share the clips, you know. Everyone who's had an opinion, everyone who's been kind enough and gracious enough to, you know, whether even if it's a critique, doesn't even have to be praised, but but some people who watch, I don't like it when you do this, but I watch. 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. And this

is random for some, but special shout out to black women. I've often been credited with having these grand ideas of people like, oh Trevor, you're so smart and you so on. 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 grand, oh 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, if you, 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, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've th, I've, I've thin, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've th, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've thi, I've thi, I've thi, I've t.. t. t. ta, I've ta, I've today, I've today, I've today, I've today, I've today, I've thi, I've thi, I've, informed me, you know, from my mom, my grand, 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 f-hawn 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, or that South Africa, where if 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 that...yeah, because they know what happens if things do not go the way it should. They cannot afford to faq. to black women who have tot tot the black tot tot thured thured thured thured thured thoe, thoe, tho, tho, tho, tho, 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, 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. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi, thi. 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 Roxanne Gaze,

the Tressey Macmillan cottons, the, you know, I'll remember the names, you know, the Zoe Samuzzes, the brilliant, brilliant women. I've taken the time to inform me, to educate me, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you. their, you're, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know, you're, you're, their, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. the, you. their. their. their. their. their. their. their, you. their. their, you know, you know, their. their. their, you know, their, you know, their, you know, their, you know, their, you know, you know, their, you know, their, you're, you're, you're, you know, the Toronto Berks, you know, laughed with me, talking about everything from sexual assaults to just what life is like. Yeah, man. I'll tell you now, do yourself a favor. You truly want to know what to do or how to do it, or maybe the best way or 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 to to to every to to to to to to the to the to tha tha tha thiiiiiiiia. thiia. thiiiiiiolfiolfiolfiolfiolfiolfiolfiolfiolfiolfiolf. thoe. thiolf. thoe. thoe. tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho thoen. thoen. thoe. thoe. thoe. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooe 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 honor. Thank you. Explore more shows from the Daily Show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show wherever you get your podcast. Watch the Daily Show weeknights at 11 10 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Fairmount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.