The racism connoisseur
Trevor Noah , compared with Dave Chappelle
A traveling Black comic calls himself a "racism connoisseur" who compares regional styles of racism, ending on a stranger cheerfully greeting him with a slur.
“Before I came to America, I thought I knew all kinds of racism. I've always considered myself something of a racism connoisseur. I appreciate the finer racism. Not to say I appreciate all racism, but a finer racism.”
Stand-up set at Politicon, Los Angeles, 2015quote source ↗find on YouTube ↗
“Traveling has made me a racism connoisseur, if you will. You know, it's different region to region. Anyone ever been down South? So you guys know what I'm talking about. The racism down there is just f—ing — it's perfect.”
HBO stand-up special, 1998quote source ↗▶ watch ↗
Same connoisseur label, same regional comparison and same polite-slur ending, seventeen years apart; Noah argues nobody owns a premise.
- Premise 38/40
- Structure 26/30
- Punchline 20/30
- Premise38/40Both call themselves a racism connoisseur and compare regional styles of racism.
- Structure26/30Same path: connoisseur claim, regional comparison, then a closing friendly greeting with a slur.
- Punchline20/30Both end on a cheerful greeting using a slur; Chappelle's is a morning greeting, Noah's set in Kentucky.
Setup
Before America he thought he knew all racism; calls himself a connoisseur.
Setup
Travel made him a racism connoisseur; it differs by region.
Turn
Contrasts different American styles of racism.
Turn
Southern racism is open; Northern racism is hidden.
Punchline
A polite stranger in Kentucky greets him with a slur.
Punchline
A friendly morning greeting that uses a slur.
In the words themselves
7% of the meaningful words are shared · longest identical run: “a racism connoisseur”. Shared words are highlighted in the quotes above.
Scores and beats are our editorial reading of the public record, not a ruling.
Context
When and where
Chappelle performed the bit in his 1998 HBO special. Noah performed his version in a 20-minute set at Politicon in Los Angeles in October 2015.
What followed
The comparison went viral in October 2015, weeks into Noah's run as Daily Show host and after earlier theft claims from Russell Peters (later called a "prank") and David Kau. There was no formal dispute, and Noah has long argued that nobody owns a premise.
Receipts
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Trevor Noah by Web Summit Qatar, CC BY 2.0; Dave Chappelle by Kolby Ari, CC BY-SA 4.0