*The American Jewish Congress is not happy about Trevor Noah replacing Jon Stewart as the host of “The Daily Show.” And they want to something done about it.
On Tuesday (April 7), the AJC started circulating a letter requesting signatures on a petition to block Noah from becoming “The Daily Show” host, according to TheGrio.com. The organization’s effort stems from several old jokes Trevor told that they labeled “sexist” and “anti-Semitic.” Overall, the AJC described the tweeted jokes as “crude humor.”
“How can one of the world’s most admired Jewish comedians leave his legacy to a sexist anti-Semite?” asked AJC President Jack Rosen wrote in the letter.
Like the AJC, the Anti-Defamation League is against Noah, saying, “We hope he will not cross the line from legitimate satire into offensiveness with jokes calling up anti-Semitic stereotypes and misogyny.”
Although Noah’s series of tweets in question ranged from offensive statements about “fat chicks” to stereotypes about Jews being rich bankers, the following jokes struck a nerve with AJC:
“South Africans know how to recycle like Israelis know how to be peaceful.”
And: “Messi gets the ball and the real players try to foul him, but Messi doesn’t go down easy, just like Jewish chicks.”
Despite the criticism from the AJC and Anti-Defamation League, Noah has received support from Stewart and Comedy Central.
In addition, Noah has reached out to potential “Daily Show” viewers while asking them to refrain from judging him for a “handful of jokes that didn’t land.”