Trevor Noah, the new guy with a different perspective

On August 6, 2015, the legend known by the name of Jon Stewart signed off after sixteen years of hosting “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” With a big hurrah ending featuring over forty cameos from past correspondents, guests and friends, tearful goodbyes, hopeful prospects and a hilarious appearance of Senior Evil Correspondent Darth Vader, an era ended. However, the end of an era marks the beginning of another.

This new era is the reign of Trevor Noah over the satirical, political show. Noah is one of the most successful comedians in Africa with several stand-up acts and television appearances on “The Tonight Show” and the “Late Show with David Letterman.”

Through an interview in Entertainment Weekly, Noah revealed his plans to take on more perspectives and news sources rather than just taunting Fox News, a pastime Stewart excelled at on the show. With some set changes, he also plans on to include more impressions and accents in the show as seen on his own stand-up comedy sets.

Despite his rough experiences and challenges as a mixed race child in an apartheid South Africa, Noah reveals a humorous take on life. Having to hide his racial identity for a majority of his childhood, Noah has some very interesting experiences and perspectives on culture and society revealed in his shows. Furthermore, the shooting of his mother in a domestic abuse issue reveals the influences on his comedy as he tries to see the comedic side of even the worst situations.

“I’ve lived a life where I’ve never really fit in anywhere in any particular way. Even now people still debate on what I am… And then when you get older it’s cool because you’ve lived everywhere and nowhere, you’ve been everyone but no one so you can say everything and nothing and that’s what really affects my comedy,” Noah said in his documentary “You Laugh But It’s True.”

As individuals, we seem to inherit one perspective and ultimately, fail to see things in any other way. Therefore, it is important to understand the world in different ways in order to learn empathy and that is what Trevor Noah is doing this with his different perspective of the world. He offers a different mindset when it comes to international and political issues because of his upbringing and life in general. He is the man who will definitely affect America’s point of view.

Change is important and although Stewart will be missed dearly, there comes a time when even the best things must end. I strongly believe that Trevor Noah will be a positive change in the entertainment industry. I find myself laughing at every joke in his stand up specials, admiring his boyish charm and comedic tone on even the harshest of situations. There’s something bigger than life that comes with Noah’s comedy that makes you ponder on what society was and has become. But more importantly, Noah has taught me it’s vital to laugh at the tough things in life and ultimately that is a part of what comedy is… laughing at the world and ourselves.