Do you ever find yourself feeling a kind of ownership over something or someone you found first? Like a quirky foreign film you happened to stumble upon at an art house theater, only to have it go on to be a runaway Oscar winner? Or a song you hear from an unknown band that eventually becomes ubiquitous?
I am feeling that way about Trevor Noah.
Trevor Noah is a hilarious comic from South Africa (kind of adorable too). I stumbled upon him looking for new stand-up on On Demand late one night after I’d seen all the Chris Rock bits eighteen times. I gave him a chance and it was well worth it. He was smart and hilarious. I liked him so much I even played it for my son, who shares my love for good stand-up. I tried telling people about him. No one had heard of him.
Then, yesterday, the announcement came out: he is going to be the next host of The Daily Show. I’m happy for him, of course. He’s insightful enough to do an awesome job at it and young enough to hold the job for a long time if he wants it. He’s about to shoot into the stratosphere, as his talent makes him worthy to do. But there’s a little part of me that feels slightly proprietary about him, like I found him first and I want credit for my discovery! But, of course, now he is the world’s. Or, I guess he’s always been.
I am really sorry to see Jon Stewart go. Where will I get my news now? Oh, wait, from Trevor Noah. That actually makes it feel a little better.
