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Where Was I

Trevor Noah

Netflix · 2023 · 68 min

A relaxed, travel-focused hour mocking national anthems and cultural differences.

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Trevor Noah excels at pointing out the strange, unspoken agreements that hold global societies together, and this set relies heavily on that globetrotting outsider perspective. Captured at the Fox Theatre in Detroit shortly after his exit from hosting late-night television, the hour serves as a comedy travelogue. His central thesis centers on the absurdities of national pride, particularly how countries demand reassurance from their citizens, culminating in a clever breakdown of national anthems and why America insists on making its patriotic songs sound like a slow R&B track.

The show moves from large-scale geopolitical observations to highly specific travel anecdotes. Noah recounts a tense, awkward guided tour of a Berlin airport where he asks the one question tourists are not supposed to ask, and a humbling arrival at a French airport where Parisian baggage handlers immediately pop his balloon. He also pivots back to American cultural dynamics, tackling the Florida textbook bans by pointing out that children do not read textbooks anyway, instead getting their history lessons from dramatic TikTok dances. While some critics noted that the special felt more relaxed and conversational compared to his high-octane early work, his crowd-pleasing analysis of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” as the ultimate anthem of white people became one of the hour’s most shared bits.

The set list

5 bits

  1. National anthems and the German anthem

    Compares national anthems, highlighting the oddity of Germans changing the lyrics after WWII to symbolize a new era while keeping the melody, contrasted with Americans singing their anthem frequently and allowing performers extreme latitude to interpret it

  2. Christopher Columbus and Columbus Day

    Riffs on celebrating a white man who never reached the mainland or acknowledged failing to do so, juxtaposing how a Black man or woman attempting the same feat would be treated

  3. Derailing a German sightseeing tour and how Germany teaches history

    Explores how Germans address their history and the Nazi era openly in schools without hiding it or making kids feel guilty, contrasting it with American attitudes toward history education

  4. Visiting Paris and French cultural norms

    Observes how the French define their lives by mood rather than professions, and jokes about their nonchalant and brusque attitudes toward tourists and fashion choices

  5. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Five whitest things white people and Americans love closer

    Enumerates preferences loved by white Americans, leading to a finale callback

How it plays

Tone
Witty, didactic, social commentary, intellectual, lecture-like or TED Talk-style
On stage
An outsider-insider comedic voice, simple and easy to watch, acting as a global observer comparing cultural traditions, characterized by extensive mimicry and accents
Pace
Gentler, more narrative-driven, walking across the stage with confident stillness, though critics noted pacing issues and dwelling on single topics
About
World travels and cultural differences, National anthems, Germany and post-WWII history education, French attitudes, culture, and tourism in Paris, American exceptionalism, politics, and historical attitudes, Christopher Columbus and holiday debates

What the critics said

Received mixed to lukewarm critical reactions; praised for Noah's mimicry, accents, and thoughtful global perspective, but critiqued for feeling like a lecture or TED Talk with tired tropes, safe jokes, and more clapter than genuine laughs

In the room: A packed house at the Fox Theatre generating audible waves of polite applause and applause breaks rather than sustained laughter

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: rottentomatoes.com, readysteadycut.com, themoviedb.org, decider.com, news24.com, fugitives.com, deadant.co, en.wikipedia.org, essence.com.

Backstory

Filmed following Noah's world travels and tours across European cities (such as Berlin and Paris) after leaving The Daily Show

Details

Released
Taped
The Fox Theatre, Detroit
Runtime
68 min
Where
Netflix
Director
David Paul Meyer
Honors
Golden Globe Nominee
Topics
Before
I Wish You Would (2022)
After
The LOST South African Show (2023) (2026)

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