The older you get, the more you start to realize that you can't win an argument in a relationship. You can't win a fight with your woman. Because if you lose, you lose. And if you win, you lose.
Trevor NoahRead
If I'm doing something on stage, and it evokes an emotion, then I might show that emotion, but I also don't believe in being a preacher. If you have a point, that's a bonus. But the funny has to come first; otherwise, you shouldn't call yourself a comedian.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Trevor Noah emphasizes the importance of humor in comedy over preaching a message.
In this quote, Trevor Noah shares his perspective on comedy, stating that while evoking emotions is important, the primary focus should always be humor. He believes that if a comedian aims to deliver a message, it should be secondary to making the audience laugh. This reflects the essence of comedy as an art form where entertainment takes precedence over moralizing.
Themes
ComedyHumorEmotionEntertainmentPerformance
In practice
Example use cases
During a comedy show, when discussing the challenges of life, I could use this quote to highlight the importance of laughter.
More from Trevor Noah
All quotes →I was born in South Africa during apartheid, a system of laws that made it illegal for people to mix in South Africa. And this was obviously awkward because I grew up in a mixed family. My mother's a black woman, South African Xhosa woman... and my father's Swiss, from Switzerland.
Trevor NoahRead
My ideal setting is I walk from the streets, backstage, and straight onto the stage. Two minutes, and I am on the stage. That way, in my head I have gone from my world and then into a social setting with my friends.
Trevor NoahRead
I'm literally driving in the middle of the night, and my phone rings, and my manager says, 'How would you like to be the host of the Daily Show?' I get out the car, and I didn't have legs. You know in those movies where there's an explosion? But instead of the sound of the explosion, you hear the silence. That's literally what happened.
Trevor NoahRead
I live in South Africa. I'm proud to live there. I've always said I want to be a comedian from South Africa in the world. I will stay in places for a bit here and there and pop into New York for a while, maybe stay in London for a year, but my home will always be South Africa. I enjoy it too much.
Trevor NoahRead
You have two choices, two paths to take as a comedian. You can tackle the difficult subjects and be harsh about it, be brash, be abrasive. But adding hatred to racism is not going to help everybody. So I like to have fun around it.
Trevor NoahRead
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