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Trevor Noah has tone deaf response to backlash over his India-Pakistan comments [update: apologized]

Deleted member 249

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With the India-Pakistan tensions escalating, Trevor Noah decided to comment on things. And you know what, he's a comedian, so it's his job to look at things through the lens of humor. The trouble was his "joke" being a poor one making light of a very real military tension that was on the verge of escalating into full fledged war between two nuclear powers, and resorting to regressive stereotypes to do so. There was, predictably, backlash to his comment. The response to that backlash though...



Okay Trevor: a) no, you were not trending more than the war was trending. You weren't even trending more than the war was trending in North America. That is an arrogant, America-centric view (this war isn't as important as me), and it's false; b) your joke was bad and relied on tired stereotypes; c) "people are looking to get offended", give me a fucking break; d) is it that hard to apologize?

Given how aware of race issues Noah usually can be this is shocking and disappointing to me.

[mod edit: Trevor's apology in the tweet below]
 
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John Dunbar

John Dunbar

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Oct 25, 2017
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his stand-up on the striking miners in south africa was enough to place him firmly in the garbage bin.
 
Ravelle

Ravelle

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Oct 31, 2017
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apologizing is very hard for some reason as we've learned from a lot of people making mistakes in the past.
 

JustinP

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Oct 25, 2017
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His joke was offensive and lame.

His has a point about people not caring enough about the conflict.

His point doesn't make his joke any less offensive and lame.
 
Sabretooth

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Oct 27, 2017
5,050
India
I remember my friend showed me a Trevor Noah clip about the colonisation of India which was really weird. He seemed to be under the impression that the British managed to colonise India because they had guns and Indians had never heard of them. Always considered him an ignorant asshat ever since.

Edit:

For anyone interested, I found the clip on Dailymotion. Starts at 4:16.
 
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Deleted member 24907

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Oct 29, 2017
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This is why he'll never be on the level of Stewart. Not because Stewart was a perfect person but he didn't do shit like this repeatedly.
 
Slayven

Slayven

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Oct 25, 2017
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No sympathy for folks taking self inflicted Ls, especially when you can see them coming a mile away
 
808s & Villainy

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Phantom Thief said:
Okay Trevor: a) no, you were not trending more than the war was trending. You weren't even trending more than the war was trending in North America. That is an arrogant, America-centric view (this war isn't as important as me), and it's false; b) your joke was bad and relied on tired stereotypes; c) "people are looking to get offended", give me a fucking break; d) is it that hard to apologize?
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You realize Trevor Noah isn't American, right? He was born and grew up in South Africa
 
Vonocourt

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Oct 25, 2017
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That's a pretty weak joke to try to cry foul at the people critical of it.

Edit: and the faux sanctimonious way he responded... woof dawg.
 

Deleted member 38573

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yeah, that's an offensive joke

should've just left it alone. let the joke sit. no point digging yourself a larger hole by replying to the "backlash"
 
GameAddict411

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Oct 26, 2017
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You guys should watch the video The Darkness by contrapoints. She highlights what makes an offensive comedian offensive. When a joke is made about a serious topic but the joke is based on stereotypes and distorted view on the subject, it usually not funny and it offends people. It takes someone to truly understand the situation to discuss a touchy subject and make fun of it where it becomes funny and not offensive. Terrible comedians usually blame their audience for taking things too seriously instead of addressing the fact that they made a tasteless joke without truly understanding what the joke is based on. It's a cycle that keeps repeating and many many comedians do it.
 
RustyNails

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Yeah comedy Central, I don't think Trevor is working out so well.
 

firstromario

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Trevor never hid his bias against India. Ghandi's racism is what pisses him off the most... I think people keep forgetting that he is from South Africa.
 
shintoki

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GameAddict411 said:
You guys should watch the video The Darkness by contrapoints. She highlights what makes an offensive comedian offensive. When a joke is made about a serious topic but the joke is based on stereotypes and distorted view on the subject, it usually not funny and it offends people. It takes someone to truly understand the situation to discuss a touchy subject and make fun of it where it becomes funny and not offensive. Terrible comedians usually blame their audience for taking things too seriously instead of addressing the fact that they made a tasteless joke without truly understanding what the joke is based on. It's a cycle that keeps repeating and many many comedians do it.
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Thanks for telling me, didn't know a new one was out
 
Sec0nd

Sec0nd

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Oct 27, 2017
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His work is something I can really enjoy, especially his stand up acts. But it's really weird how tone deaf he can be and make such ignorant and racist jokes. Especially since he grew up in South Africa as a mix race child you'd think he would've be somewhat sensitive about such topics. His jokes about the France WC team being an African team and not actually France were particularly bad.
 
Sayre

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I like Trevor. He grew up poor in South Africa, was literally illegal to be alive since he is mixed, and despite all that, made it in America.

Having said that, the joke was poor and his response is disappointing. No one is perfect and will say bad things time to time, but ya gotta take the L sometimes and just apologize.
 
OP
OP

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BlackGoku03 said:
Joke wasn't funny on its own and combining it with that subject matter wasn't in good taste for those affected. I see why they're mad.


Which is why I think he's referring to American media when talking about it going viral. Maybe?
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But the backlash comes purely from people in India (or mostly from there).
 
Soriku

Soriku

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Nov 12, 2017
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The Bollywood impression made me laugh I'm not gonna lie, but yeah not the best context to make it.

Is there a longer clip to see what he said before the joke though?
 
Xiaomi

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Oct 25, 2017
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Never thought his perspective was interesting enough to watch or cathartic in its humor the same way Stewart's was. Not sure what purpose this show serves in a world with so many better alternatives.
 

firstromario

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Sec0nd said:
His work is something I can really enjoy, especially his stand up acts. But it's really weird how tone deaf he can be and make such ignorant and racist jokes. Especially since he grew up in South Africa as a mix race child you'd think he would've be somewhat sensitive about such topics. His jokes about the France WC team being an African team and not actually France were particularly bad.
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I think you are completely missing what his bias is.

It's BECAUSE of the fact that the world was OK with Ghandi's racism why he dislikes India. Also it's BECAUSE France can take African players and win WC why he dislikes France. African nations don't have that option. Great soccer players are not immigrating to Africa.

This is not to dismiss concerns that people have towards Trevor. But for me his biases are very clear. Everyone has some sort of bias.
 
Jombie

Jombie

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Oct 27, 2017
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'JUST A COMEDIAN MAKING JOKES'

Some comedians will never evolve to understand how their words reach people in the digital /viral era.
 
Heshinsi

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RustyNails said:
Yeah comedy Central, I don't think Trevor is working out so well.
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I gave him a chance for awhile when he took over. But when it became clear that he doesn't understand many issues when it doesn't involve South Africa or the United States, that when I dropped his show and stopped following him on social media.
 
OP
OP

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808s & Villainy said:
I'd say he's viewing it through his own personal lens. Like I said, the vast majority of his life, his influences and his politics are centered around his South African upbringing. He's been in the US for only a small fraction of it
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Oh I'm sure that was what was influencing his original take on the situation. I was referencing the whole "no one cared about the war" take.
 

firstromario

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Phantom Thief said:
Oh I'm sure that was what was influencing his original take on the situation. I was referencing the whole "no one cared about the war" take.
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To me it still seems like South African view on world. You know how many wars in Africa people have ignored? I mean if not for Era I wouldn't even know about India - Pakistan conflict. And honestly I'm not even sure I understand it well... If anything I think Trevor has a good point about people (US news media) not giving a shit.
 
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