Trevor’s Family on Between the Scenes | The Daily Show

0:00 So in my family, my two younger brothers are, so from my mother's second marriage. And so I'm still the only person in my family who looks like this. So my mom is African woman, black, Pasa woman. My father's Swiss from Switzerland, so he was a white man. And so I look like this. And then my mom remarried a black man, so my brothers don't look like me either. And I remember what was really beautiful was, my brothers, we always spoke about this stuff. So my parents, they were like, yeah, different dads, we get how this works. So my brother one day, I pick him up from school, right? He's like, he was really young at the time, maybe like, I'm trying to think it was nine, maybe 10 years old, and he gets in the car and he's like, he's just deflated, he gets in the passenger seat and he fastens his seat belts and I'm like, what's going on, Isaac? And he's like, hey, Trevor. He's like, oh, kids, man, I can't do this,

0:46 kids. So I go, kids, tell me more. And then he's like, I just don't know what to do with kids, Trevor. You know, like today, One of my friends said, ooh, are we walking home? Then I said, no, my brother's picking me up. Then he said, ah, who's your brother? Then I said, Trevor. Then now when we're walking, he sees you in the car. Then he says, who's that? Then I said, it's my brother. Then he says, ah, but how can your brother, how can your brother be white? Then I said, he's not white. He's not white, he's mixed. Then he said, but you're not mixed, you don't look the same. How can your brother not look the same? Then, so now I'm like, oh man, I'm gonna have to like go through this. So then I'm like, so, so what did you say to him? And he's like, ah, Trevor, like I'd have to explain it the way kids understand. He said, I just said to him, I said, Zueli, you've got to understand, like people are like chocolates, okay? Like, like you can have like

1:35 a white chocolate and you can have a duck chocolate and you can have a milk chocolate, but it's all Nestle, okay? Any questions? No, you good? Okay. Yeah? How's Foofy? How's? Oh, how's Foofy? Wow, that's a deep cut. Man. You can't just ask me that like just random. You gotta be like, hey Trevor, so I read in your book and you can't just be like, how's Foofy? Because my mind went, who the hell? Foofy? No, because Foofy died. So for those who don't, so I had a dog when I was growing up, like one of the dogs we had, my mom was working at a pharmaceutical company and her colleague came to work one day and was like, hey, my neighbor's dog

2:26 impregnated my dog, so now I have all these puppies I don't want. And they're like this weird mix of like a bull terrier and a Maltese poodle. So do you wanna take them? And the mom was like, all right, I'll take two. And then my mom brought them home and I'd never had a dog before. And I was like, this is the most amazing thing in the world. And so we raised them and it was two beautiful dogs. They look completely different, but they were sisters. They were the best Fufi and Panther. And my mom called the one Panther cause she had a pink nose or the pink Panther. And then, and Fufi was like the dumbest, most beautiful dog ever. And Panther was the smartest, ugliest dog you've ever seen. And so like, like I loved Fufi the most cause she just like looked really vicious. And I used to think that Fufi was really stupid And then one day what happened was, like at our house, somebody was trying to like come into the house, like a family friend, and they were trying to open the gate,

3:16 and then they moved the gate, and then the gate fell. And then Panther ran away, because they like sleep by the gate, and then Panther ran, but then Fofi didn't. And then the gate hit her, and then like it broke her spine. It was devastating. So then we went to the vet and then like the vet was like, I can't help her. You know, we've got to put it down, put out of her misery. And the vet was like, but this was amazing. How were you guys, like, how did you guys raise a deaf dog? And we were like, what? And he was like, we're like, what do you mean a deaf dog? And he was like, oh, like afterwards, like I just, when I was just going through examining her while she was still like living, I realized that she wasn't born with, I guess, a certain part of the cochlea or something. And we were like, wait, this dog was deaf the whole time? And we just genuinely, I literally just be like, Fufi, sit, listen to me, sit Fufi. And I was like, you're so dumb, you're

4:04 so dumb. And I never knew that the dog, and then we realized, what used to happen was when we'd call the dogs, we'd be like, Fufi, Panther, and Fufi would never come. But Panther would come running sometimes, and then she'd like look at you, and then she'd run back, and then they would both come. And I always used to be like, Fufi's just dumb. And then I realized Panther was like, ah, she didn't hear. And then she'd go back and fetch her, And then both of them would come. And then like, now I went back in my head, it was like, Fufi. Fufi. I miss you, Fufi. So that's how Fufi's doing. She's, yeah. In Africa, like, so my mom, she would let me watch like a sex scene in a movie. She would be like, I don't care about that. But if kids were playing with food, she'd make me turn

4:51 the movie off. So whenever, so then whenever it was like, I used to watch those high school movies, those American movies, and then you know, there'd always be a food fight in the cafeteria, then my mom would be like, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off. And then I'd be like, what do you mean? She's like, why are they wasting food? Then I was like, it's a movie. She's like, but it's real food. It's real food. It's real food. How can you, how can you waste food like that? And then I was like, like, look, it's like my mom was going, you know, like parents would go, there are children starving. My mom was like, we are starving in Africa. We're starving. Why are they wasting food? When is my mom gonna be on the show? Now, bye. Here's the thing with my mom, two things. One, she has no interest in television or any of these things that I do. She just loves the fact that I can pay the rent and she loves me for who I am. She genuinely does not care for all of these things. And I'll give

5:39 you an example. This is how not interested in it my mom is, right? My mom, two and a half years ago, I met Lionel Richie for the first time. And growing up, Lionel Richie was the soundtrack to me and my mom's lives, right? So like Sunday morning, she'd be playing Sunday morning. The two of us, we'd be there. We'd be dancing together. Play all of Lionel Richie's songs. We'd be singing them in the house together. And then I meet Lionel Richie. So I'm like, this is amazing. Lionel Richie, my mom and I, we used to dance to your music when I was a kid. Can I take a picture? I'm going to send it to my mom. My mom doesn't care about any celebrity. So I'm like, this is the one time mom's going to be like, wow. Wow, you met Lionel Richie. So I took the picture and I sent it to my mom and then emailed it to her. I was like, mom, look, huh? What do you think? And then she replied, she's like, wow, you're getting fat. And I was like, okay, but, okay, let's move over that. First of all, the camera adds 20 pounds.

6:29 But let's talk about the other person in the picture, Lionel Richie. And then she was like, oh yes, oh, that's nice. And I was like, oh, okay. Oh wow, okay, that was the thing. She just genuinely, and then like four or five days ago, I guess she was on the internet, which she doesn't regularly do. She goes emails and then she's done. And she was on the internet, and then my brother was going through pictures of me or something, and then she was like, hey, I saw a picture of you and Lionel Richie. When did that happen? I was like, it happened when I sent you the picture two and a half years ago. And then she was like, which picture? Then she's like, oh, the picture where you were fat. Then I'm like, ah! How's my grandmother doing? Oh, she's fantastic, man. 91 years old and 10 months. Yeah, she makes me count the years and months as

7:14 well now, it's a new thing. Did she cook for me? No, she's too old. Oh no, no, no. She even says to me, I was like, what do you do? She's like, oh me? She's like, I just enjoy being alive. And then all she does is she, we're ready? Yeah, all she does is she chills at home. Like she's got like her squad of grannies and they all just come and hang out. And she, it's like a weird team of like superheroes where they've all got their specialties and then hers is that her memory is bulletproof. So all her friends ask her about things they've forgotten about in life. But I'm like, she's got a better memory than me, my mom, everybody. She can tell you what year thing happened, what month, everything. And so her friends come over and they'll ask

8:04 like random questions. No, Malizo, like, where did I meet my husband? And then she'd be like, oh, you met her, and then she'd like tell stories and what. It's amazing to watch, yeah. And so all she does all day, she just, she loves writing, that's what she does. And I asked her why, and she said, she says, to be 91 and know how to still read and write, oh, I'm so blessed. So that's all she does, yeah. Did I do anything fun while I was on vacation? Actually I did. So I went back home to South Africa, went to check up on, yeah, it was just fun. I went to check on my, like the foundation, went to catch up with my people. And it's funny, cause every time I go home, people always shout at me about going home,

8:49 which is a weird thing. So like, I'll get home and then at the board of like literally at customs, the woman was like, she's like, Trevor, when are you coming home? And I was like, I'm home. She's like, no, but when are you coming home? And I was like, but I'm here right now. You're holding my passport. She's like, no, that doesn't count, Trevor. That doesn't count, Trevor. We miss you. Then I'm like, but it's not like you saw me. Like, it's not like I was just running around in the streets every day. She's like, no, Trevor, come home. I'm like, I'm home. But then what was crazy and amazing was I, so I was in Cape Town and then my, a friend of mine called me and said, yo, Trevor, What are you doing? And I said, I'm waiting. I'm gonna go to an event later today. And he's like, oh, cause the president wants to

9:34 meet you. So I was like, the president of what? No, because I just didn't assume that the president, like I was like, could be like the president of this company, the president of like the students association, I don't know. So I'm like, which president? And he's like, the president of the country. Then I was like, what did I do? He's like, no, he just wants you to come and say hi. So he wants you to come to the presidential homestead in Cape Town and just come and say hi. I was like, okay. And so then I was with my friends and I was like, guys, come, we gotta go do this thing. And my friends were like, all right, let's roll. And then they rolled with me, but I didn't tell them what it was. And I didn't realize in the moment that I didn't tell them what it was. So like my friend's like wearing a hoodie, my other friend's wearing like a free t-shirt. And I'm wearing a suit, cause I'm going to

10:21 another event. And then we get there and then they're like, what are we here to pick up? And then I say to the person on the counter, I'm like, oh, we're here to see the president. And then my friend's like, dude, I'm wearing a hoodie. And I was like, oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't, I forgot to tell you where we were going. And so then we went in and then we met the president and he was just very cool. It was just like, you know, and then my friend, like he apologized. He's like, I'm so sorry, Mr. President, I did not know. I was meeting a president today. That's why I'm dressed like this. And then the president was cool. He's like, no, he's like, I didn't know I was meeting you guys. That's why I dressed like this. And it was cool. He was nice about it. And then just out of nowhere, the president was like, Trevor, he's like, what are you doing now? He's like, come with me to parliament. I want to introduce you. So he like takes

11:07 me, you know, to our Congress and just like to parliament. And he's just like, just come with me. And so he's like, walk with me. And now you're like on the presidential power walk. And I'm like, just what do you do on this walk? And he's like, you just act like you're thinking of serious things. And so I'm walking next to him the whole time and I'm just like, yes, nuclear war, immigration, unemployment. And so we walk together and then we get to parliament. And then when we got there, he introduced me. And it was one of the most surreal moments of, cause it's one of those things that you take for granted because it happens gradually in life. But I genuinely just had to breathe like a few days afterwards and be like, yo, You were in parliament and the president of your country was like, okay, give a round of applause to Trevor Noah is giving back to the country and we love him. And literally in that moment, I

11:52 was sitting there and I was like, God damn, where is my history teacher now? What? What? What? If there was one aspect of South African culture that I could... Transplant to America. Transplant to America, what would it be? Huh? What would it be? I think it would be maybe our general ease of talking about race and our racial past, you know? Because South African-America have very similar histories, you know, in that there was like, there were many things that were done to people of color that were extremely heinous, but we, we, just maybe because of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in our country, we were forced to talk about it and we just talk about it. It's painful, but we laugh about it and it's out there. Whereas in America, I find there's like a lot of tension in and around that. A lot of people are just like, yeah, well, come on, we

12:38 don't, how do we have to bring that up? And it's like, dude, I'm not saying you did slavery, calm down. You know what I mean? Because that's how a lot of people treat it. They're just like, I wasn't there. I didn't say you were there. I'm just like, slavery happened. Yeah, but I swear I wasn't there. Dude, you're 37, calm down. You know what I mean? And I feel like there could be, it helps to be able to have conversations about those things because then it helps you understand how you got to where you got to. But if you can't have those conversations, then you just have to operate in a blind space of like, how did this happen? You know, why do so many black people live in this part of Harlem? I don't know. Why do you think? I don't know. Do you get what I'm saying? And it actually opens it up, I think. That would be like the one part. And it doesn't fix everything, don't get me wrong. But I do think it makes it easier to address issues, to have conversations when you can just be like, yeah, man, this shit happened. You know what I mean? You can

13:24 just be like, yeah, that was crazy. That was wild that that happened, that this happened, that you, and then, and that's the thing, a lot of the time people think it's about assigning blame, but it's not. It's about addressing what happened so that everyone can move forward and understand why things need to be fixed or how they got there in the first place. Does that make sense? Like imagine, imagine if like your doc, like you wanna talk to your doctor about something that happened inside your body And then, you know, your doctor scans, and then you're like, doc, I think I might have like a cancer. Your doctor's like, I wasn't there. I wasn't eating with you. You're like, no, I just need your help fixing it. Yeah, I wasn't there though. I wasn't eating. It's like, no man, just chill out. You know what I mean? Just talk, that's the one thing. I'll transplant that. And chickens that don't like do weights and stuff. That's the other part.

14:11 Like chickens that just like are normal. Cause American chickens is just like, what was it? Like once I saw them, I was like, I'm sorry, what? Is that the thing I'm eating? Oh, like I remember when I first saw a chicken wing in America, this is the dumbest thing you've ever heard. And you're gonna judge me, but I judge you back. I remember the first time I had a chicken wing in America is like, I ordered like buffalo wings. Okay. And I, I know this sounds crazy, but the reason I was intrigued, cause I saw it on someone else's plate and then I was like, what are those? And someone said, those are buffalo wings. And I was like, oh, is this like a part of the buffalo that I don't know? And I was like, I wanna taste buffalo wings. And then I remember eating it, then I was like, it's sort of like chicken. And someone was like, it is chicken. And I was like, but it's buffalo. And then they're like, no, it's chicken. Then I was like, but what chicken is this? I was like, how

14:59 big is the wing of this chicken? What dinosaur chickens do you guys have here? Cause that's not the size of any normal chicken anywhere. in the world. So yeah, I would, that's the one other thing I would bring is just like normal animals. Normal, that's all. Yeah, I'd bring normal animals and conversations about race.