The Best of Trevor’s Accents - Between The Scenes - The Daily Show.mp4

How do I do it with the accents? I'll be honest with you, I never thought I was good at it or anything, but I think it's because I grew up like that. I have a mixed family. Everyone in my family has a different accent. So my dad, my dad's family, my mom, my mom's family, everyone has like a hybrid because everyone moved around a lot. So whenever you go to a different house, it's just easier to speak to them in their accent than to try... No, because it was weird as well because I went to a private school, like myself and my cousins, we were all lucky to go to, at the time they called them Model C schools in South Africa so it was like the first generation of black and white kids at the same schools. So we had different accents to our parents. And then, like your parents were happy to send you there, that was the funny thing, is like your parents would be like, you must go to that school and you must learn to speak good English. And then you'd go to the school and you'd learn the English and then you'd come home and then like your parents, you'd be sitting with them, watching TV or something and then like your dad would be like, put volume, put volume. And you'd be like, do you mean increase the volume? Be like, hey, I'll increase or decrease your life, don't act smart here, put volume. Don't come here with that English and it's like, yeah, but that's what you told us. So then it became easier to just like speak the, you know what I mean? Speaking the accent of the people, it changes. Like you might find you do the same thing. Do you live in New York or do you live in Haiti? Oh, you live in Haiti. Okay, if you lived in New York, I know I've got friends from Haiti who do, like in New York, they sound like half Haiti, half New York. And then when they go to Haiti, I can't understand a word that they're saying. Like if I FaceTime a friend of mine who's in Haiti, when he's in New York, he'd be like, yeah, man, you know, and I hear a little bit of Haiti. And then when he's in Haiti and I'll FaceTime with him, I'll be like, yo, what's up Vince, how you doing? He'd be like, why you, why you, why you, why you? Why you say that, why you say that, you know? I'm like, what, what? Everyone, everyone, so I think that's where I got it from. I just, you know, yeah, just having mixed people, you just speak to them in the accent, it becomes easier. Otherwise, you know, like my grandmother, I'm not gonna repeat the same thing six times. I'm just gonna speak to my gran in her accent. And then she's just like, yeah. And then my gran, I think that's why I'm actually my grandmother's favorite grandchild. Because all the other grandkids speak to her in like the accents they learned at school. And then with me, she's just like, oh Trevor, he's never forgotten his roots. What is my favorite accent to do? It depends on the day, I'm not gonna lie. It depends on the day. Sometimes I'll choose an accent for the day if I'm on vacation. Genuinely, I'll just walk around and I'll just be on vacation. So some days I'll just be like, oh, I'm Australian for the day, and I'll just walk around. And I'll just be Australian. You know the great thing about an Australian accent is that you always sound happy. Because always, it doesn't matter what it is, but it always goes up and it's like really exciting, you know, it's just got that thing. Like even if an Australian gave you bad news, it always sounds good, it's like, hi mate, your mom's dead. It's just, so yeah. One of my favorite things to do though is sometimes, because I don't really impersonate general accents, I impersonate people. So the Australian that I do is a friend of mine from Australia. And then if I do a Nigerian accent, it's a friend of mine from Nigeria. Because people all have different accents. Do you know what I mean? So I don't know what an Indian accent is. I know what my Indian friend sounds like, so I just impersonate his accent. And then Trinidad, I just know my friend from Trinidad. This is his accent, so I just do his accent. And then I remember one day I did the Trini accent, and then people from Trinidad, they were like, that's not how people in Trini talk. And then I was like, yo, you talk to him. That's how he sounds. And then they shout on him, because he's on like Instagram and stuff. And they're like, dude, what happened to your accent? Why are you talking like? And he's like, guys, I haven't lived in America. I've lived in America for a long time. And like, it's not my fault. I didn't try to change my accent. They're like, you're leading Trevor Noah wrong. You're not speaking the way we're supposed to. So I'm just like, I just do people. That's all I'm doing. Who else do we have from, yes? Egypt, oh, very nice. That's cool, cool and exotic, yes. How are things going over there? Just blink if it's good and blink twice if it's bad. I won't say your name, I won't put you on camera. You can go back, your president doesn't have to know you were here. Things are good in Egypt. When you watch Donald Trump, does he remind you a little bit of Egyptian leaders? Yeah, a lot? Yeah, it's just like, just without the Arabic. Just like, say again? They're also what? Oh, they are friends, yeah. Yeah, he is. I can see that. Like, I feel like Trump would be exactly the same even if he spoke Arabic. It would be like the same thing. He'd be like, I tried to start learning German because my dad is Swiss German, right? And so I was like, I want to learn his language because I never learned it growing up. And then someone was like, why don't you learn Swiss? And then I heard Swiss and I was like, no. I'd rather learn German. And so I learned German because I thought it would bring us closer together, right? Because I lost contact with my dad for like 10 years. And so then when I met him again, I was like, I want to learn German and impress him or whatever. And I met him and then like, I started speaking to him in German and he was like, what are you doing? I was like, I'm speaking German. He's like, no, it's better if you speak English. No, no, no, this is, no, this is, he's like, it's better if you don't speak German at all. It's fine. But then now I could speak a bit of German. So I was excited to go to Germany and stuff and practice. I had a lot of fun until I found out that the way I spoke German sounded a little bit like Hitler. Yeah, which no one told me on this side of the world because we don't know how he really spoke or anything, but I would be in Germany and apparently the way I would hit certain inflections would freak people out. And it's like, think of it like Barack Obama's voice. Like if someone learned English in America and they got here and they were like, I just want to have a, you'd be like, hey, you're doing the Barack Obama thing. And they'd be like, oh, what are you talking about? You know what I mean? So I would do that. Like I'd go to places and then I'd like order food and like someone would be there and be like, guten tag, was soll sie haben? And then I'd be like, ich will einen kleinen Brötchen haben, bitte schön. Bitte schenken. And the people would like, people would look at me. And then when we left, my friend was like, I was like, why would they look, did I say it weird, like wrong, wrong words? She's like, no, you sound a little bit like, like Hitler. Yeah. And she was like, and the people are really frightened about that. And, you know, and I was like, so I spoiled their day. And she was like, yeah, you did. You know, and I was like, well, that brings me a lot of schadenfreude. Spain was fun as well. I was trying to learn Spanish. And the weird thing about learning Spanish is I found out in Spain that my Spanish is flawless. The problem is I only speak like seven words of Spanish, but those seven words are flawless, which doesn't help me in like, so I'd start conversations with people, like in the morning, someone would see me and they'd be like, hola. And then I'd be like, hola, como estas? And then they'd be like, oh, muy bien, y tu? And I'd be like, oh, grande, muy bien. And they'd be like, oh, this is cool, you know? And I'd meet people, I'd be like, como te llamas? And they'd be like, oh, mi nombre es Sonia. I'd be like, oh, como dias? You know, and I'd get into a vibe and I'd be with the people, I'd be asking people stuff, I'd be giving directions. And then I just run out because I only learn as much as I can learn. But you don't know when you're going to run out. Do you get what I'm saying? So I would be like, dondo esta la catedral? And then the people are like, oh, la catedral. And then I would be like, okay, I know that, and I'd give directions. Then someone would ask me, where's the cathedral? Then I'd know how to start the directions. So I'd be like, oh, en doscientos metros, seria la de la cha? And then people are like, who? And then the person goes, dondo esta la catedral? And then I'm like, oh, sorry, no. No habla, mi no habla. And then the worst thing is like, even the way I'm saying, because I'd be like, no, no, no, mi no habla Espanol, no habla Espanol. Which is weird, because you should say, mi no habla in the worst way you can, which I didn't realize. Because I should have been like, oh, mi no habla Espanol. But instead I was like, oh, mi no habla, mi no habla Espanol, no habla Espanol. Which is basically like the equivalent of meeting someone and they came up to you and they're like, I'm sorry, I don't speak any English. I apologize. No, I speak no English whatsoever. Oh, I must apologize, not a word of English. I'm so sorry. Did I hear somebody, was there a French person who had a fiancee, is that? Very cool, man, congratulations. It was nice. It was weird, because I was listening to you when you were speaking and I was like, it's weird, because fiancee is French, isn't it? Because I know this sounds weird, but in my head you said, oh, yeah, no, and this is my fiancee, and then I was like, what's the French for fiancee? Is that a little bit weird to you, that in English you have to say some French words every now and again, right? Because that's the thing, we do that. We'll be like, fiancee, entrepreneur, you know? Like, think about it, we do that, like touché. We just say that to each other in conversation as people. Someone will say something, you say something back, and you're like, ha ha, touché. But like, I don't think French people, do you guys do that with English, or like French people just hanging out with each other and it's like, le patron d'ici, le patron d'en-dessus, and I'll sort of go, ha ha, you touch me, ha ha. You don't, right? It's just weird. It's totally weird to me. We just use other languages in our language. That's really strange. That's exciting, man. So, say again? French fries are not French? I like how you said that with passion. And French fries, they are not French. Trevor, I have to tell you all of these secrets. The French fries are not French. But do you eat them in France? So why are you complaining? That's funny, you guys are also like, where are these French fries from? They say they are from France. Jean-Pierre, are these yours? No, they are not. Michel, are these your friends? No, they are not your friends. Who are the French from? They said they are French fries, but no French person knows where they are from. Oh, man. What made you move from France? You said 17 years you've lived in Detroit. What made you move? Say again? Atlanta, sorry, yeah, Atlanta. You just walked? Oh, ----, did you say work? Oh, sorry, your accent, because you said, no, I did walk. And then I was like, god damn. I was like, wow, that's one hell of a journey, my friend. Just like one day, I was walking. I was walking by the Eiffel Tower, and I said, I've seen this before. I've seen all of this before. I'm going to walk a little further. And then I walked, and I walked, and I walked some more. And then a few years later, I was like, Atlanta! Then I was tired, so I stayed. There's no reason to go back. Oh, wow. That's why, and then you fell in love with Atlanta, and you stayed. No? What happened? Oh, wow. Oh, man, so you go to Atlanta. The recession happens, so now you're stuck in Atlanta. That is so dope. I feel like I should make a TV show about you, man. That's like a fun story. Just like, I ended up in Atlanta, and now this is my life. How did you make money? I became a rapper. In the 80s, I became the only French trap rapper. Sort of measure the beginning of the word. Wow. Three, two, one. Tell them I said, I thought, I thought. Tell them it's three, two, one. Tell them I said. C'est tranquille, c'est tranquille. Tell them I did it with three. Where are you guys from over there? From where? Trinidad and Tobago. Oh, Trinidad and Tobago. I love how you guys say that. Oh, Trinidad and Tobago. You know what I love about people in Trini, like the sing-song vibe when you guys speak. You got that thing, I told you the other day. Like, I can't picture anyone from Trinidad being a mean person. Just like, you can't go to war. People from Trinidad, you can't. No one would be afraid of you, you know? We're going to invade your country. All of you are about to feel the pain. Like, it just doesn't work as an accent. It's like, you can only be an island country because of that. Like, if Liam Neeson was from Trinidad, you wouldn't have gotten, like a kid, like Liam Neeson, we were on the phone, and he'd be like, I have a particular set of skills I don't think you understand right now. If you don't, bring back my daughter. Why are you laughing? Stop laughing while I'm talking to you. Stop laughing. I was thinking, like, I think part of the problem in America is that 911, people think of 911 as being instant response, and, because, like, when I was growing up in South Africa, one of my favorite TV shows I used to watch with my mom was a show called Rescue 911, right, with William Shatner, and it was, like, a show where they'd go, like, 911, do you have an emergency? And it'd be like, hi, I'm in my house, and so they would, and then, like, 911 would get there, and I remember, even when we were watching inside, we'd be like, wow, 911, 911, and this is in Africa, and we're like, 911, and we never thought of our numbers, because they started, they tried a thing in South Africa called 10-triple-one, because they'd try to be like, yeah, we've also got a thing, and people were like, 10-triple-one, and we were like, no, and, because they'd try to go with that feeling, but we never thought of it as instant response, because if you would call our, like, call centers, it wouldn't be as efficient, and so, like, in America, I think people are used to the fact that something will get done now, so I was thinking what you should do is, just to, like, dull it for a bit, you should bring the South African operators here, just so that people stop thinking 911 is, like, an instant solution, because, like, South African, like, they'll ask you questions, like, in America, they just go, someone's getting robbed, they're like, we're on our way. Like, I heard with 911, even if you call them and then hang up, they'll come to check what happened, which, I mean, I get it, but I'm also like, that's crazy, whereas, in South Africa, like, if you, like, if they called, if you had South African operators doing 911, like, you'd call, and you'd be like, hello, there's a man at the park, and they'd be like, hello, can I help you? They'd be like, yeah, there's a man at the park, and it'd be like, and? It'd be like, yeah, he looks really suspicious. Be like, okay, go talk to him. Ask him what he's doing. Ask him his name, what he's doing there. Be like, I'm scared of talking to him. Be like, okay, walk away then, go away. Like, they would just be like, you go, like, it's just, people here are just like, the cops are going, no, the cops are not coming. For everything, like, hey, you can call 911 because your cat is in a tree. That is some crazy-ass ----. In Africa, you'd just be like, yeah, you'd be like, hello, my cat's in a tree. They'd be like, oh, okay. Yeah, you'd be like, I need, what, my cat's stuck in a tree. They'd be like, yeah, so what must we do? I need you to help it. They'd be like, then how will your cat land? Let the cat suffer, it will never do it again. Thank you for calling. Please stay on so you can rate this call. Thank you very much. I wanted to share this little story with you. I got into a little bit of trouble with the French government. I know, the French government. So what happened was, let's start at the beginning. France won the World Cup, and so on the show, we celebrated that, and I had this joke where I said, I said, Africa won the World Cup, right? Yeah, and I was shocked at how angry a lot of French people got. Like, genuinely, a lot of French people were angry, and they were like, oh, Trevor, how can you say this? Why would you say these things, you know? This is horrible. And I was like, okay, I get it. Not everyone likes every joke that you tell, and I get that, but this was interesting. I got a letter from the ambassador, the ambassador of France, and I'll read it to you. It was about that joke, and he says, I'll try to read it how I hope he wrote it, which was, he says, sir, I watched with great attention your July 17th show when you spoke of the victory of the French team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia final, which took place last Sunday. I heard your words about an African victory. Nothing could be less true. Now, first of all, I think it could have been less, I could have said they were Scandinavian. That would have been less true. He says, as many of the players have already stated themselves, their parents may have come from another country, but the great majority of them, all but two out of 23, were born in France. They were educated in France. They learned to play soccer in France. They are French citizens. They are proud of their country, France. The rich and various backgrounds of these players is a reflection of France's diversity. France is indeed, now that line there was interesting, the rich and various backgrounds of these players is a reflection of France's diversity. Now, I'm not trying to be an asshole, but I think it's more a reflection of France's colonialism. Because it's not like, it's just like random play, like they all have something in common. Like all of those players, if you trace their lineage, you're like, how did you guys become French? Like, how did your family start speaking French? Oh, okay, all right. Let me say here, he says, France is indeed a cosmopolitan country, but every citizen is part of the French identity, and together they belong to the nation of France. Unlike in the United States of America, France does not refer to its citizens based on their race, religion, or origin. To us, there is no hyphenated identity. Roots are an identity, roots are an individual reality. By calling them an African team, it seems you are denying their Frenchness. This, even in jest, legitimizes the ideology which claims whiteness as the only definition of being French. So now, here's the thing, all right. First things first. I understand what he's saying, because I read up on this afterwards, right? I take criticism, I listen to what somebody says to me, you know, I genuinely believe you should, and what it turns out is, in France, a lot of Nazis in that country use the fact that these players of African descent to ---- on their Frenchness, you know? So they go, you're not French, you're from Africa, go back to where you came from, you're not French. They use that as a line of attack. Now, my thing is, my opinion is, coming from South Africa, coming from Africa, and even watching the World Cup in the United States of America, black people all over the world were celebrating the Africanness of the French players, all right? Not in a negative way, but rather in a positive way, going, look at these Africans who can become French. You know what I mean? It's a celebration of that achievement. And so, this is what I find weird in these arguments, is that people go, they're not African, they're French. Then I'm like, why can't they be both, all right? Why is that duality only afforded to a select group of people? Why can they not be African? So what they're arguing here is, in order to be French, you have to erase everything that is African. Because what do they mean when they say that? Our culture, our this, our this. So you cannot be French and African at the same time, which I vehemently disagree with. I go, you've seen those players, I love them. Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante, I've watched all of them. I love those players and I love how African they are and how French they are. I don't take their Frenchness away, but I also don't think you need to take their Africanness away. And that is what I love about America. America's not a perfect country, but what I love about this place is that people can still celebrate their identity in their Americanness. You can go to a St. Patrick's Day parade in America, celebrating that you are Irish. You can go to a Puerto Rican Day parade in America, still celebrating the fact that you're Puerto Rican and American at the same time. You can celebrate Juneteenth as a black person and be like, yo, I'm African American, which is the duality of the two worlds. But here they're going, no, you are only French. And here's why it vexes me, to be honest. This is what I find interesting is like, when I read stories from Africa and when I watch what politicians say, especially in France, about African migrants, when they are unemployed, when they may commit a crime, or when they're considered unsavory, it's the African immigrants. When their children go on to provide a World Cup victory for France, we should only refer to them as France. And we even saw it with that African man who climbed the building to rescue the baby. Do you remember that? We watched him climb that building. He rescued the child. And then they gave him French citizenship. They said, you are now French. So now, I'm going, so is he now no longer African? Is that what you're saying? So when he was on the ground, he was African. And then he climbed up, and as soon as he rescued the baby, now he's French. So if he dropped the baby, the African dropped the baby. Like, I don't believe that you need, and here's why, like I say, again, with respect, I understand what the ambassador's saying. I'm not joining the attack. And I know, don't get me wrong, I know. There's like, you know, we live in a world where nuance is something that is in short supply. And so you will find, you know, in America, for instance, the alt-right saying, that's what we've been saying. They're not French, and we're saying it's like, but if Trevor says it, it's not racist. But if we say it's racist, like, yeah, yeah, I'll say yeah. You know why? Because I believe context is everything. There are certain things you can say to somebody that like, when I say to my friends, what's going on, my nigga? And if a white person came and said the same thing, yeah, there's a big difference. When I'm saying they're African, I'm not saying it as a way to exclude them from their Frenchness, but I'm rather using it to include them in my Africanness. I'm saying, I see you, my French brother of African descent. Do you know what I'm saying? That's what I'm trying to say. When somebody else says it the other way, you can use the same line in different ways. People are like, so it's different? Yeah, yeah, it's different. It can be different. It's like somebody saying, oh, so if you play with your naked child, that's a problem, but if I do it, I'm a pedophile? Yeah, yeah, there's a big difference. There's a huge difference. So I will continue to praise them for being African because I believe that they are of Africa, their parents are from Africa, and they can be French at the same time. And if French people are saying they cannot be both, then I think they have a problem and not me.