Less than 24 hours after being named Jon Stewart’s successor on “The Daily Show,” Trevor Noah is already making waves.
Noah, 31, is being criticized for several offensive tweets he posted a few years ago, including jokes about overweight women and Jews.
“@Trevornoah: “Oh yeah the weekend. People are gonna get drunk & think that I’m sexy!” – fat chicks everywhere.”
“@Trevornoah: Almost bumped a Jewish kid crossing the road. He didn’t look b4 crossing but I still would have felt so bad in my German car!”
Reacting to the backlash, Noah tweeted, “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 released this statement: “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.”
Growing up in South Africa, Noah has poked fun at his upbringing in some of his previous stand-up routines.
He has often joked about the effects of being raised during the apartheid with a white father and black mother.
Only time will tell how this controversy plays into Noah’s future as host, and whether people will be receptive to him.
