Trevor Noah: The Comedic Hero

Trevor Noahhttps://rosequarter.com/event/trevor-noah/Trevor Noah: Comedic Superhero

Hero: n. a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. We hear about heroes all the time, whether in real life or in comic books. But we usually think that heroes are hard to find, when in reality, heroes are everywhere, you just need to take a closer look around you. For example, one everyday hero is Trevor Noah, the comedian who made it big in the United States and Africa, hosting The Daily Show. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1984, Trevor Noah was already “born a crime,” due to the fact that white and black intermixing was against the law. He stayed with his grandmother and his cousins to be safe from persecution. After his first year, the law was annexed by Nelson Mandela, allowing his mother to be released from jail immediately. Later on, Trevor moved to America, which took a lot of courage in and of itself. But he always looked on the bright side, chasing his comedy career all around the world. He quickly rose to the top by gaining multiple awards, as well as his own show from the retiring John Cozart. Well-known for being smart and analytical but also funny, Trevor Noah shows his audience that he is a deserving hero by courageously stepping out of his comfort zone, and persevering, even in tough times.

One main reason why Trevor Noah is a deserving hero is that he is courageous, even in the darkest points of his life. Trevor Noah's most courageous act is when he left Africa to live in America. “Noah worked as a stand-up comedian before moving to the United States in 2011” (Contemporary Authors Online, Paragraph 5). Not only did Trevor leave all of his family behind, he left his stable job of being a famous comedian to follow his dream. Not only did he step out of his comfort zone entirely, he risked losing contact with all of his family, being without a job, and not being able to go back to Africa. Another example of Trevor portraying courage was when Trevor started his comedy career in Africa. ¨...taking to the comedy stage due to a dare from friends. His skill and talent blossomed, and Noah became one of the leading figures of stand-up comedy in his country¨ (Biography.com, Paragraph 2). He didn't know any hooks or ways to draw in his audience, yet he still stepped up on stage and started his comedy act. Thanks to his courage he realized that comedy was where he belonged. If Trevor never stood up in front a crowd of people, he would have never been in comedy whatsoever. Through leaving his other life behind and following his dream to be an international comedian, Trevor shows his massive amount of courage.

Trevor Noahhttps://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/7528428-trevor-noah-defends-melania-trump-s-stilettos-who-cares-/Trevor Noah’s ability to persevere even in the toughest of situations makes him a worthy role model. ¨...risen to fame in his native South Africa by incisively extracting humor from the country's tense political culture and fearlessly addressing the complexities of race, including his own mixed race--or, in South African parlance, "colored"--background” (Contemporary Black Biography, Paragraph 4). Trevor Noah shows his perseverance throughout his life by not letting his past define his future. Instead of looking behind and regretting what he did, he used it as a punchline for his jokes, allowing him to rise to fame. Another occasion in which he perseveres, is when he is put in a difficult situation, requiring him to push forward and not wallow in despair. ¨Amid his growing success, Noah was served with reminders that life could be dangerous. During a brief stunt as a taxi driver in his early twenties, his minivan was hijacked and stolen. Violence hit closer to home as he was preparing for his first major one-man stand-up shows in Johannesburg.¨ (Newsmakers, Paragraph 3) Even though he was being robbed, he continued on performing, persevering throughout his tough times, even making jokes about it.By continuing on with what he loves, despite the fact that he is suffering a loss, he pushes on, determined to achieve his dream of making other people laugh. By persevering through his past, enduring the present, and always looking forwards, Trevor shows his audience that he is a force to be reckoned with, especially if it comes in the way of achieving things.

Trevor Noah influences his audience to achieve their dreams by persevering and always being courageous. By always stepping out of his comfort zone and persevering throughout the hardships he faces, Trevor has finally achieved his dreams. Trevor Noah shows his perseverance throughout his life by not letting his past define his future, proving to his viewers that never giving up on what you believe in will pay off in varieties of ways. In addition, Trevor had family in South Africa yet, he shows his bravery to persevere and achieve his dream. He inspires others to go for what they want and let no one stop them. No matter the hardships Trevor Noah faces, he always pushes past his breaking point until, he sees what he is looking for, never letting anyone slow him down, making him a powerful role model and leader to all the youth and adults.

Trevor Noahhttps://thewilbur.com/artist/trevor-noah/       

Works Consulted

“Trevor Noah.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 6 July 2016, www.biography.com/people/trevor-noah.Accessed 23 Mar. 2018.

"Trevor Noah." Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2018. Biography in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1000326463/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=7539d9cd. Accessed 23 Mar. 2018.

  "Trevor Noah." Gale Biography in Context, Gale, 2014. Biography in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1650009644/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=d07bb89f. Accessed 23 Mar. 2018.

Trevor Noah." Newsmakers, vol. 4, Gale, 2016. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1618006383/BIC?u=p
owa9245&sid=BIC&xid=1ae832bb. Accessed 26 Mar. 2018

"Trevor Noah." Who's Who Among African Americans, Gale, 2017. Biography in Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1645547640/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=d68ff9b2. Accessed 23 Mar. 2018.