Trevor Noah: The Soweto boy that I will never rate

 

Trevor Noah has done well for himself but I'm not his number one fan. (Photo credit: Google)

I’m not one of the biggest fans of Trevor Noah, and it’s not a big deal. His story is inspiring, and I respect his drive, but that’s where it stops.

Trevor Noah rose above stereotypes, racial biases, and societal discrimination to become one of the most famous comedians, and I must say I’m proud of his journey; I understand a lot of ladies like him, including one of my exes, and that will always be down to his looks, not for me.

He looks a lot like Jermain Jenas, a former Tottenham Hotspur player, and that will never win for me as an Arsenal fan; I enjoy some of his jokes, especially the one about a random guy bringing out snakes in an aircraft, he has done well for himself, and he deserves the credits he gets.

I read his famous book – Born a crime; as much as the narrative was quite entertaining, I didn’t like the part where he undermined the Zulu people with his petty descriptions. Trevor Noah posited in that particular book that the Zulu people are daft, and he was quick to arrogate intelligence to the Xhosa people, where his mother is from.

It must be hard for him in those days, I’m physically challenged, and I know how people stare at me sometimes. Some out of pity and some out of curiosity; while many wonder how I cope, others are silently thanking their stars that they’re not like me and would even prejudice me.

Trevor Noah is a fighter, and I celebrate that part. His mother must have suffered more anger than he could put out there in his book; I like how he made lemonade out of the bitter lemons he was dished, and that, to his credit, would go down as a success story.

Trust me, I respect his survival instinct, and again, I admit that his story would inspire many people, but I won’t dare the rain to attend a Trevor Noah show. I must be the only one that thinks he plays pity cards too much and, in a way, maybe subtly, derides the black race.

Many of his fans have not been able to answer a simple question: if Trevor Noah were to be 100% black, would he command the same respect? I sound like I’m trying to water down his greatness, but that’s not the intention.

What do I consider his greatest strength? I think it is his storytelling skills. Trevor Noah knows just how to tell a man to go to hell, and he will look forward to the trip; Trevor Noah knows how to drive his audience crazy like he owns a switch, which will always work for him.

Trevor Noah’s ability to speak in different tongues and mimic people is a winner, not many people have this special skill, and no hater can take that away from him. Having a special skill is one thing; putting it to good use as Trevor Noah does is another.

I like the way he claims the Soweto bloodline; not like he can trace his way back to Europe anyway, but it is laudable that Trevor identifies with his mother’s tribe, and he’s milking every juice there off. I am not his biggest fan, but I cannot take away the magic of determination and resilience.