The Daily Show's next host Trevor Noah has responded to outrage over jokes made about the Jewish community and women on Twitter.
Comedy Central's confirmation of Noah as Jon Stewart's replacement on Monday (March 30) was followed swiftly by criticism on social media for jokes he has made in the past.
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Among the jokes made by the South African comedian that have caused controversy is a 2010 tweet: "South Africans know how to recycle like Israelis know how to be peaceful."
Earlier in 2009, he wrote on the micro-blogging website: "Almost bumped a Jewish kid crossing the road. He didn't look b4 crossing but I still would hav felt so bad in my german car!"
A 2012 message was: "Messi gets the ball and the real players try foul him, but Messi doesn't go down easy, just like jewish chicks."
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Noah has also been singled out for tweeting a series of jokes over the years that have been deemed sexist by some Twitter users.
"Originally when men proposed they went down on one knee so if the woman said no they were in the perfect uppercut position," he wrote in 2012.
Another message read: "A hot white woman with ass is like a unicorn. Even if you do see one, you'll probably never get to ride it."
Noah, whose mother is half-Jewish, appeared to respond to the controversy earlier today (March 31), writing in a now-deleted post: "Twitter does not have enough characters to respond to all the characters on Twitter."
He added later in the day: "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."
Among the more prominent critics of Noah's controversial jokes was legendary comic Roseanne Barr.
"U should cease sexist & anti semitic 'humor' about jewish women & Israel. #comedyCentral," Barr tweeted to Noah.
Comedy Central has issued a statement in defence of Noah: "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."
Noah has been a member of the Daily Show staff for just four months, debuting shortly before Christmas.
Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
