Trevor Noah ended his final 'Daily Show' episode with a tearful tribute to Black women
"Who do you think has shaped me, nourished me, informed me?"
Trevor Noah says goodbye in his last episode of "The Daily Show."
Trevor Noah, who has spent the past seven years hosting "The Daily Show," has officially said goodbye to his late-night fans. While he could have chosen any note to leave on, he made his final words an emotional tribute to the Black women who have influenced him.
Since he took over the spot from Jon Stewart, Noah has made the show his own with a blend of quick-witted comedy and thoughtful commentary. Noah had big shoes to fill, but to his credit, he didn't try to cram his feet into them. He simply brought his own shoes and placed them right next to Stewart's, offering his own style of comedy and unique perspectives on the world night after night. Even in his "Between the Scenes" segments, where he chatted with the audience during commercial breaks, Noah frequently added insightful context to current issues.
In his final monologue, he credits those insights to his Black women mentors, from his own mother and grandmother to thought leaders he has had on his show to Black women in general. And it's quite telling that he managed to keep it together in his final show, right up until the point when he talked about these women.
"I've often been credited with having these grand ideas—people are like, 'Oh Trevor, you're so smart'—who do you think teaches me?" he said. "Who do you think has shaped me, nourished me, informed me?"
He credited the women close to him, but it wasn't until he talked about Black women in America specifically that he really began to get choked up.
"I always say, if you really want to learn about America, talk to Black women," he said. "Because unlike everybody else, Black women cannot afford to f*ck around and find out."
Watch:
\u201cTrevor gives thanks to the fans who supported him over the last seven years and the Black women who shaped his life.\u201d— The Daily Show (@The Daily Show) 1670554860
Some of the women Noah mentioned by name responded with their personal stories of their interactions with Noah, and they offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse at who Noah is.
Roxane Gay shared that her book tour for "Hunger" had been "a shit show," with journalists having no idea how to talk about fatness. She had "prepared for the worst" when she arrived at "The Daily Show," but said Noah turned out to be "a dream."
"He came to the green room and asked what language he should use around fatness and I said we can be real," she wrote on Twitter. "The word fat is fine. It was clear he had actually read Hunger. Not every interviewer could say that.
"We had a wonderful, interesting, nuanced conversation," she continued. "He was smart and kind and funny. He didn’t condescend or treat me like I was repulsive. This shouldn’t be remarkable but it was. I will always be grateful and never forget the consideration."
\u201cBut once I was at the studio, Trevor Noah was a dream. He came to the green room and asked what language he should use around fatness and I said we can be real. The word fat is fine. It was clear he had actually read Hunger. Not every interviewer could say that.\u201d— roxane gay (@roxane gay) 1670558340
Tressie McMillan Cottom, author, professor and sociologist, has been on "The Daily Show" several times, but she shared in a series of tweets that her first appearance came totally out of the blue.
"To this day, only two men have ever slid into my DMs. One was a foreign prince of dubious financial means. The other was Trevor Noah. He politely asked me to be on his show. In my DMs. Like he had to ask. Blew my mind.
I was an assistant professor at a state school with a wonky book about for-profit colleges out on a small press. Trevor had not just read it. When we met, I would learn that he had read almost all of my years-long blog. *HE* asked *me* to be on his show.
\u201cWhen you see how many Black women he elevated? That\u2019s him. \n\nThat\u2019s who he reads. \n\nHe is the opposite of Girl 6. \n\nBlack women are truly the foundation of his intellectual project.\u201d— Tressie McMillan Cottom (@Tressie McMillan Cottom) 1670555201
I had the opposite of a marketing budget. I had the 'prayers and wishes' of publishing. Would I do The Daily Show??? I remember asking him backstage, 'why am I here??' With sincere incredulity he said, 'because you’re brilliant.' News to me.
It’s hard to overstate how much it meant to a writer and scholar without a serious elite pedigree or a major publisher to get a DM to be on The Daily Show. Trevor put together a team that reflected his own intellectual curiosity. If he booked you? He had read you.
When you see how many Black women he elevated? That’s him. That’s who he reads…Black women are truly the foundation of his intellectual project."
Walking the talk is always nice to see, and it's clear why Noah decided to close out his run on "The Daily Show" with the tribute he did.
Thank you, Trevor Noah. You will most definitely be missed.
- Trevor Noah explained the difference between racism in South Africa and racism in the US ›
- Trevor Noah nails the bizarre attitude toward stopping mass shootings in the US ›
- Trevor Noah explains why he's leaving 'The Daily Show' and debunks 'work-life balance' ›
- Roger Federer and Trevor Noah team up for Swiss tourism ad - Upworthy ›
- Roger Federer and Trevor Noah team up for Swiss tourism ad - Upworthy ›
Millennial mom struggles to organize her son's room.Image via Canva/fotostorm
Boomer grandparents have a video call with grandkids.Image via Canva/Tima Miroshnichenko
Information from the NICABM website regarding the "Window of Tolerance."Photo Credit: The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine 
Waves cycle in the ocean. Photo by
Gen Xers and Millennials share 17 of the strangest things their Baby Boomer parents do
"My mom writes her emails in MS Word, then attaches the Word document to the email."
A Baby Boomer couple.
Generational fights have raged since the dawn of time, and a recent spat between Millennials and Baby Boomers is no exception. Baby Boomers, who raised Millennials, accuse the younger generation of being entitled and irresponsible with money. At the same time, Millennials accuse Boomers of having it easier economically while making it harder for those who came after them.
Where is Gen X in the battle? Probably off in the corner somewhere, saying, "Whatever." Aside from the generational sniping, there are some things the older generation does that are just plain baffling to younger people. Whether it's outdated worldviews, a refusal to adapt to modern technology, or a lack of self-awareness, Baby Boomers can do some strange things.
To help the younger folks get over their frustrations with parents from the "Me Generation," a Redditor asked: "What is the most Boomer thing your parents still do?" The stories were pretty funny and relatable, showing that almost everyone with parents over 60 is dealing with the same thing.
Here are 17 of the "strangest" things people's Baby Boomer parents do:
1. Phones on full blast
"Play iPhone slot machine games at full volume in the doctor’s office."
"My dad pretty much exclusively has his phone on speaker, and just walks around in public talking with it at max volume (and talking really loud himself). I’m like 'Dad, the entire supermarket doesn’t want to listen to you, and Uncle Jim complains about how often you have to pee.'"
2. Still using checkbooks
"My mom balances her checkbook every week. They still have a landline."
"And she probably has way more money than you will until she dies!"
3. Email issues
"My mom writes her emails in MS Word, then attaches the Word document to the email."
"Like the email is just the virtual envelope for the digital letter."
4. Restaurant jokes
"All those little restaurant comments.
'Wow, they'll let anyone in here!' when seeing a friend at said restaurant.
'Thanks for having us, not everyone will' to the waiter at the end of the meal.
'As you can see, it was terrible' when the staff takes away the clearly entirely eaten plate.
'You're going to have me floating away in a minute' when more water is put into their glass"
5. Always have to mention race
"Constantly mentioning the race or ethnicity of everyone she mentions. Never with any negative connotation or comment, but usually, there is no reason for it to be relevant to the conversation."
"My Jewish mother will always whisper the word 'black' in case anyone hears her: 'So the nice black man at the hardware store helped me find the right garden hose.'"
6. Googling their Google
"Typing Google on Google before they Google the thing they’re looking for."
"In the Google search bar, they type Google? Lol."
7. Getting a job is a cinch
"Believing you can walk into a business and hand in a resume. If you have a college degree in any field, they'll hire you."
"Just physically hand over your resume to HR or the hiring manager. You'll make a mark and get hired!! Call the office and ask to speak to HR/Hiring Manager."
Any Millennial who argued with their Boomer parents about how hard it is to land a good job should feel vindicated by a 2022 study, which found that most older Millennials didn't secure good jobs until their early 30s, while most Boomers did so in their 20s. "To secure a good job, young adults need to acquire more education and high-quality work experience than was necessary for previous generations," the researchers wrote.
8. Why are they together?
"Stay married forever while they behave like neither one of them can stand each other."
"I'm on the other side of that. After my mom passed, my dad now acts like their marriage was picture perfect and they were the love of each other's lives, even though they couldn't stand each other for at the very least 40 of the 54 years they were married."
9. Collectables or hoarding?
"Think their 'collectibles' are truly valuable."
"My mom insists her Hummels are going to put my kids through college!"
"Mine are the Thomas Kincade paintings. She has a Victorian glass piece that might actually be worth something, but those damn paintings are the real investment."
10. Can you grab the mail?
"Ask me to bring in the mail when they go away for more than 24 hours."
"My parents think everybody is standing at the door waiting for the mailman every day, and don’t believe me when I tell them that some people go days without checking their mail. They think everybody is waiting for the mailman every day because 'somebody might send them a check.' Like, really?"
11. Zero responsibility
"'Well, I guess I was just a bad father.' Yeah. That attitude of anti-responsibility is exactly why 3 out of 4 of your children don't talk to you."
"Ha! Have the same dad, do we?"
12. Comment on people's appearance
"Comment on EVERYBODY’s body/appearance/weight. The first thing my dad does after not seeing me for a year is poke me in the gut and tell me how fat I am."
13. Boomer panic is real
"Literally throwing their hands up in a panic when they don't understand something. Where did they learn that?"
"Or just saying 'well, I don't know', especially when that comes right after you explaining it and showing them how to do something, with them nodding along and asking relevant questions all the way through."
In a video by YourTango, editor Brian Sundholm tried to explain Boomer panic in an empathetic way: "Most of us nowadays know the importance of recognizing and feeling our emotions." Sundholm then quoted therapist Mitzi Bachman, who explained that when people struggle to express their emotions, it can result in an "unhinged" reaction.
14. Annoying Facebook posts
"Post nonsensical rants on Facebook for other boomers to like, share, and comment. Often these rants are political, but not always. Basically cringe-fest."
"Most people won't do it, but share this post if you believe in god and freedom."
"I do NOT give Facebook permission to use my photos and personal information!"
15. Dinner pushers
"While we're eating breakfast. What do you want to do for supper?"
"Can't we enjoy this meal without worrying about the next?"
16. They print everything
"My boomer in-laws print EVERYTHING! The number of times I have said, 'quit wasting ink, email it to me, or text me the link. Or just text me the schedule, don't print it out.' GPS on their phones? Nope...print a map."
"Boomers and their paper man. My dad has finally started using the internet, but he still prints everything he likes. Like he'll see a boat listing on Craigslist and print the entire page, including a massive color photo of it, and he's definitely not going to be buying it either. He's got a stack of papers that is the internet that sits by his recliner. He just sits there with Fox News on (though it's usually muted for some reason, that's a plus) and looks at his papers."
17. Flirting with servers
"My dad is 77 still flirts with the young waitresses. It's f**king weird for everyone."
"He thinks he is in cute old man territory, but he is not."