The Daily Show host Trevor Noah has apologised for a joke he made about Indigenous Australian women after footage of a 2013 performance went viral on the weekend.
The joke centered around the beauty of "all women of every race."
"I know some of you are sitting here now going, 'Oh Trevor, I've never seen a beautiful Aborigine'," said the South African comedian. "But you know what you say? You say 'yet'. Because you haven't seen them all, right?"
In the performance Noah then says it "wasn't all about looks", and that maybe "Aborigine women do special things ... like jump on top of you," before mimicking the sound of a didgeridoo while gesturing oral sex.
On Monday morning Noah apologised on Twitter, replying to a tweet from writer Anita Heiss who had said the joke denigrates Aboriginal women and called for other Australians to boycott his August tour of the country.
I am so disgusted and appalled by the comments by @Trevornoah and his attempted humour that denigrates Aboriginal women I hope Australians boycott his shows in #Brisbane #Sydney #Melbourne #Perth #Australia That kind of ‘humour’ is not funny and does damage! #racismitstopswithme https://t.co/yplwK2CtI7
Previously, former NRL star and mental health campaigner Joe Williams had brought attention to the joke, saying Noah's comments were "utterly unacceptable" and that his words encouraged racial abuse.
"You're right," said Noah. "After visiting Australia's Bunjilaka museum and learning about aboriginal [sic] history first hand I vowed never to make a joke like that again. And I haven't. I'll make sure the clip from 2013 is not promoted in any way."
In Australia, Noah has been heavily criticised for his comments.
@Trevornoah @AnitaHeiss @joewilliams_tew Beauty is misogyny and judging women in such ways demonstrates your feelings of entitlement as a man. To then overlay racism as a way to get laughs - punching down to more vulnerable women - is a disgrace. I hope you're beyond both your racism and misogyny now.
@Trevornoah @AnitaHeiss @joewilliams_tew Think you’ve missed the mark there @Trevornoah. Suggest this needs a more considered response- you’ve caused a lot of offence
Racist idiot and part time comedian @Trevornoah is coming to Australia in August..... Don't Go to his shows! If you boycott white people who promote racism you damn sure should be backing it up by boycotting black people who do the same, attacking Aboriginal women is sick!
non-Indigenous/black men making excuses for Trevor Noah's racist and sexist comments about Aboriginal women - go and have a chat with a black aunty before you tweet in his defence. Don't fetishize Indigenous women or use them as a punchline of a 'joke'. Ever.
Trevor Noah's gag is as old as the Australian fronteir. First, we're undesirable. Then, we're hypersexual animals available for conquest. Then, we're loathed, used to establish the value of white women.
Trevor Noah is cancelled. How the fuck are you celebrated for preaching for equality on US TV but going around saying that shit about Aboriginal women. Nah, not having it. #BlackIsBeautiful
Fuck white beauty standards and the black men that hold them up. Fuck misogynoir. Fuck @Trevornoah The country we come from treats us like we are ugly, tells us we are ugly and unworthy.
