Noah, a comic book and former “Each day Present” correspondent, was a stunning option to succeed the longtime host Jon Stewart after Stewart left the present in 2015.
Noah acknowledged this on Thursday, thanking Comedy Central for trusting “this random comic nobody knew on this aspect of the world.” However his voice, as one in all late night time’s few Black hosts, and as an immigrant and millennial, supplied a unique perspective from that of his broadcast community counterparts.
Right here, in chronological order, are a couple of of one of the best moments from Noah’s “Each day Present” reign.
‘Dad has left.’
In his first episode, Noah known as his turning into host of “The Each day Present” “surreal” as he paid tribute to Stewart: “He was greater than only a late night time host. He was our voice, our refuge, and in some ways, our political dad. And it’s bizarre as a result of dad has left. And now it feels just like the household has a brand new step dad, and he’s Black.”
Noah additionally thanked his predecessor for believing in him and mentioned he would be certain Stewart wouldn’t remorse his help, including, “I’ll make you not seem like the loopy outdated dude who left his inheritance to some random child from Africa.”
“The Each day Present” made its fame on its election protection, and the primary presidential contest of Noah’s tenure was a doozy. After Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in November 2016, Noah lamented that the consequence reminded him of Trump’s hair: “I do know it’s actual, however I can’t settle for it.”
With a nod to to Trump’s scandal-plagued for-profit faculty Trump College, Noah went on to clarify how Clinton misplaced regardless of having extra votes: “As soon as once more, Donald Trump advantages from a [expletive] school.”
Defending protest
In 2017, Noah took on the racism aimed toward skilled athletes like Colin Kaepernick, artists like Stevie Surprise and the ESPN commentator Jemele Hill after they have been criticized by Republicans for protesting the nationwide anthem and President Trump.
Noah summed it up in a Seussical rhyme: “I imply, we all know it’s flawed to do it within the streets; it’s flawed to do it within the tweets. You can’t do it on the sector, you can’t do it when you’ve kneeled. And don’t do it when you’re wealthy, you ungrateful son of a bitch, as a result of there’s one factor that’s a truth, you can’t protest when you’re Black.”
Going house to South Africa
In 2018, Noah took “The Each day Present” to his hometown, Johannesburg, providing a “Cribs: Oppression Version”-style tour of his grandmother’s house, a spoof of the MTV franchise, earlier than speaking together with her about Nelson Mandela and apartheid in South Africa.
When speaking concerning the police groups, generally known as “flying squads,” who violently dragged folks from their houses, Noah took a second to insert some levity. He pointed to one in all his crew members and requested his grandmother, “Once you see white guys like this, does it remind you of police?” After his grandmother mentioned sure, Noah advised the crew member, “I hope you’re joyful, bringing reminiscences of flying squad into my home.”
‘Breaks my coronary heart’
The next yr, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, of Canada, turned the newest politician to have blackface images floor. Noah wryly responded to the revelation that Trudeau had worn blackface on a number of totally different events and to the prime minister’s subsequent apology simply earlier than his bid for re-election in 2019.
“To be sincere, I’m simply unhappy to see one other Black man being introduced down,” Noah joked. “Breaks my coronary heart.”
From his sofa to yours
“From Trevor’s sofa in New York Metropolis to your sofa someplace on the earth,” Noah joined his fellow late night time hosts in taking pictures his present solely from house in the course of the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Noah’s at-home reveals have been notable for his hoodie assortment, a noticeable wardrobe shift from his common “Each day Present” fits.
“The Each day Social Distancing Present” began in mid-March 2020 and continued for 2 years, with Noah returning to taping in entrance of a reside viewers in April 2022.
Mr. Noah goes to Washington.
Additionally in April 2022, Noah hosted the White Home Correspondents Dinner — often known as “the nation’s most distinguished superspreader occasion,” he mentioned. Noah skewered everybody within the room for not sporting masks, thanking them for inviting him — “the South African variant” — earlier than making jokes about Kellyanne Conway, Kyrsten Sinema (“overtly bisexual however closeted Republican”) and President Joe Biden, after all, amongst many others.
“As you all know, President Biden’s lack of a filter does get him into sizzling water generally,” Noah mentioned. “Final month he precipitated an enormous worldwide incident saying that Vladimir Putin ought to be faraway from energy. It was very, very upsetting to Russia. Yeah, till somebody defined to them that not one of the stuff Biden needs really will get carried out.”
‘I can say that.’
Extra lately, Noah dove into the racist sentiments aimed toward Halle Bailey for being solid as a Black Little Mermaid: “You guys notice that Nemo was Black too, proper? Yeah, yeah — that complete film was a couple of fish who can’t discover his dad.”
After a combined viewers response, Noah advised them to relax: “I can say that as a result of my dad left, and he’s white, so who’s racist now?”
They have been the sorts of jokes that solely he may ship on this format, an instance of the distinctive comedian perspective that “The Each day Present,” and late night time as a complete, will lose when he leaves the stage.