“The Daily Show” Squandered the Opportunity That Was Trevor Noah

Re:“The Daily Show” Squandered the Opportunity That Was Trev... by s1artibartfast on Monday January 09, 2023 @03:57PM (#34315934)

>Only occasionally did the series fully deliver on its initial promise of using Noah’s outsider’s gaze to satirize America.

The whole change with Noah on the daily show was that criticism and satire from an outside comes across completely different than from an insider.

Stewart and Colbert were insiders, so when they satirized the US, there was a level of self-deprecation, and the idea that we are going through through this absurd madness together.

Because Noah didn't have this shared identity with the viewer, the satire generally fell flat and came across as mere ridicule,

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Re:“The Daily Show” Squandered the Opportunity That Was Trev... by legitster on Monday January 09, 2023 @04:09PM (#34316100)

If you wanted an outsider who could effectively satirize America, you are looking for Craig Ferguson.

I think the difference is that Craig Ferguson freaking loved America, showed his enthusiasm for it all of the time, and was enthusiastic about making it better.

Listing to Trevor Noah (or more probably, his writers) was like talking to someone who could live anywhere they want but they chose to live in the place they hated the most.

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Re:“The Daily Show” Squandered the Opportunity That Was Trev... by nickthegreek on Tuesday January 10, 2023 @09:37AM (#34325453)

John Oliver does a decent job at this while also embracing the US/UK shared history of messing up.

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Re:“The Daily Show” Squandered the Opportunity That Was Trev... by legitster on Tuesday January 10, 2023 @10:37AM (#34326392)

I dunno. I've really not enjoyed John Oliver. And to cover up the fact that I do not have sufficient evidence to make my point, here are some pictures of teacup pigs.

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Re:“The Daily Show” Squandered the Opportunity That Was Trev... by mc32 on Monday January 09, 2023 @04:02PM (#34316022)

I dunno. I could take Stewart --I understood him. I could not find appreciation in Colbert --not least of which is the weird way he says his last name (despite how his own family says it). John Oliver comes across as a prigish prick. At least Noah didn't bring that abrasiveness.

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Re:“The Daily Show” Squandered the Opportunity That Was Trev... by s1artibartfast on Monday January 09, 2023 @04:39PM (#34316517)

With Colbert, I at least got the impression that he liked the US and Americans. Did you feel otherwise?

Another impression I got from Stewart and Colbert was that they genuinely enjoyed their work.

Noah seemed disdainful of the US, and like he didn't want to be there.

It like that feeling when someone tells a joke that they don't think is funny, but expect you to laugh.

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