The past few weeks haven’t been easy on The Daily Show’s new host, Trevor Noah. Not only have ratings for the show plummeted -- as shown by a whopping 33 percent decrease in viewership from this time last year -- but the South African host has been accused of the most cardinal of sins among comedians: stealing jokes.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Trevor’s joke about being a “racism connoisseur” was a complete rip-off from one Dave Chappelle told back in 1998. The joke in question took place a few days ago during a stand-up show at Politicon, a comic-con type of event for politics and entertainment. See for yourself.
Noah’s Joke:
Before I came to America, I thought I knew all kinds of racism. I've always considered myself something of a racism connoisseur. I appreciate the finer racism. Not to say I appreciate all racism, but a finer racism. Before I came here, blatant racism was my favorite. Blatant racism, where you know exactly where you stand, often perpetrated by old people, which I have always appreciated. They'll just tell it to you like it is. 'This is what I think about you!' Yeah, you're going to die soon. ... Charming racism in America changed my life. I discovered it in a place called Lexington, Kentucky. Probably one of the most wonderful places I've ever been — charming, friendly people. Racism with a smile and a tip of the hat. ... I was walking through the streets, a man walked up to me, didn't know me from a bar of soap, came straight up to me and looked me dead in the eye, and he was like, 'Good afternoon, n—er.' 'Good afternoon.' I've never seen racism with a smile. I didn't know what to do. He just said it like it was a fact. As if I fought him, he would have been like, 'What, didn't you know?'
Chappelle’s Joke:
Traveling has made me a racism connoisseur, if you will. You know, it's different region to region. Anyone ever been down South? So you guys know what I'm talking about. The racism down there is just f—ing (bon appetit gesture) — it's perfect. Stewed to a perfection. It's conformable. It's out in the open. There are no secrets in Mississippi. Everybody knows the deal. 'Morning, n—er!' 'Morning, sir!' Not up here. Here in the big cities, it's a secret. And we should be like them. We should keep our shit out in the open and vent a little — I mean with limits. You don't want to say whatever comes to your mind, that might be a little much. White dude be walking down the street minding his business and a brother walk up to him: 'Hello, you white oppressor, you slave-master rapist of Africa.' 'Why hello, my big-lips, spear-chucking friend.'
This is hardly the first time Noah has been accused of stealing jokes. Back in April, Russell Peters, a former judge on Last Comic Standing accused Noah of lifting material from himself and another comedian:
He's stolen material from David Kau, he's stolen material from myself…You don't borrow in this business. If you're a comedian, that's like stealing somebody's underwear and putting them on. That doesn't make any sense. Why would you do that?
So far, Noah hasn’t responded to the accusations.
