Jon Stewart replacement faces immediate backlash
When Jon Stewart announced in February he’d be leaving “The Daily Show” after sixteen years at the helm, viewers immediately started speculating as to who would succeed the revered late-night host. Of all the names thrown around, the one chosen was certainly not who most people expected: Trevor Noah, the South African comedian who joined the show in December. Noah has only appeared on the show three times, significantly fewer than other Daily Show correspondents like Samantha Bee, Jason Jones, and Jessica Williams, all of whom were rumored to be Stewart’s successor.
Though relatively unknown in the United States, Noah is a well-known comedian in his home country of South Africa. He has hosted a variety of radio and television programs, including his own late-night show, “Tonight with Trevor Noah.” Since coming to America, he was appeared on “Late Show with David Letterman” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”— the first South African to do so— before becoming a contributor for “The Daily Show.” He has also had a stand-up special on Showtime, “Trevor Noah: African American.”
Though only appearing on “The Daily Show” a handful of times, his commentary has made headlines every time. He criticized America’s reaction to the ebola crisis, Boko Haram, and competitive chess players, from the perspective of a South African national.
Since the announcement was made on March 30, Noah has made headlines for less positive reasons. Several of the comedian’s tweets, dating back to 2009, have been making the rounds online for their anti-Semitic and misogynistic content.
Noah responded to the controversy by tweeting, “To reduce my views to a handful of jokes that didn’t land is not a true reflection of my character, nor my evolution as a comedian.” Comedy Central also released a statement standing by its choice: “Like many comedians, Trevor Noah pushes boundaries; he is provocative and spares no one, himself included. To judge him or his comedy based on a handful of jokes is unfair. Trevor is a talented comedian with a bright future at Comedy Central.”
Noah’s appointment is the latest in a major shakeup to the late-night lineup, making him the sixth new host in just over a year. Stephen Colbert left his Comedy Central show “The Colbert Report” in December to take over for Letterman on “Late Show.” Colbert’s time slot was filled by “The Daily Show” alum Larry Wilmore and “The Nightly Show.” Wilmore’s appointment was significant as it made him the first person of color to host a major late-night program since Arsenio Hall. Noah’s continuation of this progress is significant in its own right.
“He is a great comedian and it's well-deserved,” says Steve Hines Williams, “But it’s also a note of the change in our culture. We have two African-Americans doing nightly shows back-to-back.”
The rising diversity on television is undeniable and the trend has certainly become apparent in Comedy Central’s lineup. “The Nightly Show” regularly discusses race and other controversial issues and has a diverse panel of guests in each show. While “The Daily Show” appears to be bringing a change in perspective as it enters its landmark 20th season, the same level of diversity does not seem to be extending to network talk shows. Despite the number of hosting changes, all five light-night shows on ABC, CBS, and NBC are still hosted by white men. Though many viewers clamored for a female replacement for Leno, Letterman, Colbert, or Stewart, none of the openings were filled by women.
Nevertheless, Noah’s appointment as the third host of “The Daily Show” has drawn mixed reactions from fans.
“I'd never heard of him before it was announced that he was a replacement,” says freshman Nina Tandilashvili. “I was sort of confused and unsure what made him qualified, especially as someone rather unknown. I read more about him and found him to be a really interesting guy who can probably bring a more worldly perspective on things... I'm looking forward to him taking over.
Not all fans are so optimistic, though. “No one can replace Jon Stewart and do what he did,” Koula Von Hoppe said.
A date has not yet been set for Noah’s debut, but it is likely he will take over in late 2015 or early 2016.
