African American
Showtime · 2013 · 69 min
A South African comedian tries to figure out American racial categories.
Trevor Noah spends his 2013 special actively trying to figure out how to be Black in the United States. Arriving from South Africa, where his birth to a Black mother and white Swiss father was literally illegal under apartheid, he treats American racial categories with a mix of fascination and utter confusion. He observes the way Americans hyphenate their identities, contrasts his own history with the swagger of ‘90s club comics, and points out the irony of Americans trying to reconnect with a mythical version of the continent he just left.
Filmed for Showtime two years before he would take over an American late-night desk, African American serves as Noah’s formal introduction to stateside audiences. He relies heavily on his ear for mimicry and accents to act out his culture shock, shifting between his father’s dry Swiss sensibilities and his mother’s bluntness. Much of the material here, especially the stories about his grandfather jokingly calling him “master” because of his lighter skin, would eventually form the backbone of his memoir Born a Crime. It is a polished, suave hour of comedy that frames a heavy personal history through a cheerful, detached lens.
The set list
-
Shakespeare and the slang phrase 'nawmean'
Riffing on American street vernacular and imagining William Shakespeare being frustrated that he never conceived the phrase 'nawmean'.
-
Racial demographics checkboxes on loan forms
Detailing his bewilderment when encountering racial classification boxes on American paperwork, contrasting the U.S. definition of 'Black' with being mixed-race in South Africa.
-
Charity commercials portraying Africa
Mocking sensationalized 'for just 10 cents a day' charitable infomercials and addressing the preconceived notions Americans have of what an African comedian should be.
-
Oprah Winfrey's school in South Africa
Recounting a dark yet humorous story about the leadership academy built by Oprah Winfrey in South Africa.
-
Athletic statistics versus economics
Contrasting the deep American fixation on complex athletic statistics against widespread confusion over basic economics.
-
The Asian bad-driver story
Recalling a friend who laughed at a story about reckless driving until discovering the driver was Asian, prompting the friend to declare the story racist.
How it plays
- Tone
- Affable, observational, playful, and lightly satirical.
- On stage
- An affable, charming 'cultural chameleon' who approaches American peculiarities with good-natured incredulity while maintaining an outwardly polite demeanor.
- Pace
- Begins conservatively before gaining comedic momentum, leaning heavily into vocal modulation, accents, and character impressions.
- About
- differences between South Africa and America, racial classifications and identity, growing up under apartheid, American language and accents, American media depictions of Africa, systems of measurement and cultural quirks
What the critics said
Praised for Noah's vocal impressions, charm, and compelling reflections on growing up under apartheid, though several critics noted the material felt safe, had a weak conclusion, or drew stylistic parallels to Russell Peters.
Backstory
Born a mixed-race child in South Africa under apartheid—where his parents' interracial relationship was illegal—Noah explores arriving in the United States and confronting American concepts of racial identity and labels.
Details
- Released
- Taped
- Tarrytown Music Hall
- Runtime
- 69 min
- Where
- Showtime
- Director
- Ryan Polito
- Topics
- Before
- Crazy Normal (2011)
- After
- Lost in Translation (2015)
More from Trevor Noah
-
Joy in the Trenches
Netflix
-
Where Was I
Netflix
-
I Wish You Would
Netflix
-
Son of Patricia
Netflix
-
Afraid of the Dark
Netflix
If you liked this
-
Giulio Gallarotti On the Map
YouTube
-
John Mulaney The Comeback Kid
Netflix
-
Patton Oswalt I Love Everything
Netflix
-
Sheng Wang Comedy Central Presents
Comedy Central
-
Mae Martin SAP
Netflix
