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Trevor Noah responds after backlash over 2013 Indigenous women joke

Trevor Noah appears during a taping of 'The Daily Show with Trevor Noah' in New York.
Trevor Noah appears during a taping of 'The Daily Show with Trevor Noah' in New York. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File

Comedian Trevor Noah is facing calls for a boycott of his “Tour Down Under” over an offensive joke he told in 2013 calling all Indigenous Australian women ugly, even after he acknowledged on Monday that he had done wrong.

The Daily Show host said that “all women of every race can be beautiful,” adding: “And I know some of you are sitting there now going, ‘Oh Trevor, yeah, but I’ve never seen a beautiful Aborigine.’”

He continued: “Yeah, but you know what you say? You say ‘yet.’ That’s what you say: ‘yet’. Because you haven’t seen all of them, right?”

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He then went on to say, “It’s not always about looks. Maybe Aborigine women do special things, maybe they’ll just like, jump on top of you.”

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He went on, pretending to play a didgeridoo, a traditional long wooden wind instrument, in a suggestive way.

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Noah has since backtracked on his comments but has drawn criticism for not apologizing.

The clip was removed from social media after Indigenous ex-footballer Joe Williams said the comments were “utterly unacceptable,” especially for “a man of colour.”

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“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,” author Anita Heiss said on social media.

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Noah has since responded, saying that Williams was right.

“After visiting Australia’s Bunjilaka museum and learning about aboriginal history first hand I vowed never to make a joke like that again. And I haven’t,” he said on social media.

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Many people were not happy with Noah’s apology and took to social media to continue the boycott of his August tour, including the hashtag #BoycottTrevorNoahInOz.

https://twitter.com/therealembaker/status/1021177644103041024

https://twitter.com/sophiek77/status/1021198173111382016

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https://twitter.com/StephTisdell/status/1021260482471055362

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https://twitter.com/alielmg88/status/1021164409136148481

https://twitter.com/nakkiahlui/status/1021162397564743680

—With files from Reuters

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