By 2013, Trevor Noah was already a massive star in South Africa. He had hosted his own successful talk show, Trevor Noah: The Daywalker , and had a loyal following across the country. However, the international stage—specifically the United States—remained an elusive beast. American audiences often struggle with non-domestic comedy due to cultural references and accent barriers.
This friction highlights the special’s greatest strength and its greatest risk: It’s My Culture assumes the audience is paying attention. If you zone out, you might think Noah is callous. If you listen, you realize he is a sociologist.
Conversely, he mocks the new Black elite who have money but no cultural memory of fine dining. The jokes about ordering steak "well-done" and then sending it back because it’s "too raw" are not just food jokes; they are status anxiety jokes. It’s My Culture argues that the end of Apartheid didn’t erase tribalism or class confusion; it simply remixed them. Trevor Noah Its my culture -2013-
A masterclass in translating local absurdity into universal truth. Essential viewing for fans of smart stand-up.
Noah is a polyglot. He speaks English, Xhosa, Zulu, Afrikaans, and German. In It’s My Culture , he doesn’t just list these languages; he weaponizes them for comedy. One of the most famous segments involves him dissecting how different South African languages perceive the same threat. By 2013, Trevor Noah was already a massive
Noah's breakthrough came with his stand-up special "That's Racist," which premiered on M-Net in South Africa and later on Comedy Central internationally. The special tackled topics such as racism, culture, and identity, showcasing Noah's unique perspective as a biracial South African. The special's success led to Noah becoming one of the most talked-about comedians in the industry, with many praising his fearless approach to comedy and social commentary.
A decade on (from 2013), the world has changed. Donald Trump happened. COVID happened. Noah has since ended his run on The Daily Show . Yet It’s My Culture remains a vital document. If you listen, you realize he is a sociologist
: He satirizes the "weird" cultural eccentricities of countries like Zambia and New Zealand. Whether it’s navigating a pharmacy with no stock for his mother or dealing with British weather, Noah finds the humor in the mundane and the systemic. Why It Still Matters
He contrasts the aggressive harshness of Afrikaans (the language of the former oppressors) with the clicking, rhythmic diplomacy of Xhosa. He demonstrates how you can insult a man’s entire lineage in Xhosa, and he will smile, thinking you’re complimenting his cattle. This segment is comedy gold, but it also serves as a linguistic thesis: Your culture isn’t just what you eat or wear; it’s how you structure thought.