Skip to content
Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy
Promotional art for Son of Patricia
Cover image credit:

Source

Son of Patricia

Trevor Noah

Netflix · 2018 · 63 min

An observational hour of global travel stories and comparative cultural commentary.

Watch on Netflix(opens in a new tab)

Trevor Noah spends a significant portion of this hour playing the role of the bemused outsider, translating his global experiences for an American audience. Rather than leaning heavily into the political satire that defined his day job at The Daily Show in 2018, he focuses on narrative-driven observational comedy. He opens the set at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles with an extended vocal imitation of trap music, using it to transition into stories about the cultural differences he encounters while traveling, including a chaotic camping trip in Bali and his first bewildering encounter with a taco truck. Coming off the success of his bestselling memoir and his growing stature as a late-night host, the special finds him working in a style that is polished rather than confrontational. He approaches systemic racism with a comparative lens, contrasting the directness of South African apartheid with the subtler anxieties of the United States, including a breakdown of racial slurs and how his native Xhosa tongue recontextualizes them. While some viewers felt the middle section’s camping story drifted too far into standard observational comedy tropes, the performance was praised for its smooth callbacks, eventually earning a Grammy nomination for Best Comedy Album in 2020.

The set list

7 bits

  1. Trap music sounding like crying toddlers

    Noah compares SoundCloud trap music cadence and lyrics to his younger brother crying after getting hurt outside.

  2. Underground Railroad history in Rochester, New York

    Noah marvels at the historical reality of escaped enslaved people being convinced by white abolitionists to board boats to Canada, acting out the first utterance of 'Nigga, please'.

  3. First time eating tacos and American hypocrisy on immigration

    Impersonates his white friend Dave being offended that Noah never ate tacos, highlighting the irony of xenophobic rally attendees rejecting Mexicans while celebrating Taco Tuesday.

  4. The 'No Immigrants, No Spice' rule

    Proposes a compromise that racists who hate immigrants should be barred from immigrant cuisines and forced to eat unseasoned plain potatoes, noting that Europeans sailed the globe out of desperation for spice.

  5. Donald Trump as an emotional paradox

    Compares his reaction to Trump to an impending asteroid collision shaped like a penis, creating a mix of mortal dread and inescapable laughter.

  6. Vacation in Bali and 'poverty porn'

    Recounts being persuaded to take an 'authentic' excursion to a local's home in Bali and sharing a silent mutual look acknowledging the bizarre white bourgeois tourism.

  7. Meeting President Barack Obama

    Noah pokes fun at himself for confusing the words 'aides' and 'AIDS' during a meeting with Barack Obama.

How it plays

Tone
Thoughtful, wry, discombobulated rather than outraged, and sweetly medicinal.
On stage
Relaxed, likable, and charming in jeans and a T-shirt; performs as a coolly logical observer and 'innocent abroad' from South Africa observing American quirks.
Pace
Unrushed and conversational, using well-rehearsed extended narrative arcs and paragraph-style setups rather than quick quips or high-octane delivery.
About
Race and immigrant identity, Donald Trump and American politics, Food and cultural exchange, American history and racism, Lessons learned from his mother Patricia

What the critics said

Praised for Noah's insightful storytelling, sharp accents, and fiercely logical approach to cultural commentary, though some reviewers felt the scripted hour lacked the raw spontaneity and vitality of his unscripted 'Between the Scenes' segments.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: imdb.com, tvguide.com, vulture.com, decider.com, theglobeandmail.com, nytimes.com, en.wikipedia.org, rottentomatoes.com.

Backstory

Drawing its title from a lesson taught by his mother, the special navigates immigrant identity and American sociopolitical tensions during Donald Trump's presidency.

Details

Released
Taped
Orpheum Theater, Los Angeles
Runtime
63 min
Where
Netflix
Director
David Paul Meyer
Topics
Before
Afraid of the Dark (2017)
After
I Wish You Would (2022)

More from Trevor Noah

If you liked this