Trevor Noah may not know what, exactly, to make of the Jussie Smollett story, but he is sure of one thing: that people are often too quick to believe stories that confirm their own pre-existing biases, especially in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. In a new “Between the Scenes” clip from The Daily Show, the comedian meditated on the increasingly messy case and all its confusing details. But while Noah agreed that several aspects of Smollett’s assault don’t add up, he also said that he’s not rushing to accuse the Empire actor of lying about being the victim of a hate crime.
“I don’t know what the details of the Jussie Smollett story are going to end up being,” Noah said. “What I do know is right now, the story just doesn’t make sense in the pieces that it’s laid out as. I’m not saying that he is lying; I’m just saying that his story doesn’t seem to line up with what’s happening.”
In late January, Smollett, a star of Empire, was hospitalized following an attack by two men. Initially, police said they were investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. Now, anonymous sources have told various news outlets that authorities believe Smollett hired the two Nigerian brothers who were arrested as potential suspects, working with them to stage the attack. Smollett has denied doing any such thing.
“Why are two Nigerian guys walking around in Chicago’s freezing weather and then shouting, ‘This is MAGA country!’?” Noah wondered aloud in the clip. “It’s a weird thing to shout as a Nigerian person.”
Still, the comedian admitted he has no idea what will happen next in this case. One thing he does feel sure of? “If I was Trump, this is a home run in my world. Because so many people jumped on board before they even waited to see what it was about. We live in a world where people are too enthusiastic [to jump] at stories that confirm their biases instead of just pausing and going, ‘What do I make of the story?’”
Indeed, right-wing media has already pounced on the way the story was initially covered. But as Noah pointed out, the phenomenon he described also extends to both sides of the aisle, as the political right comes rife with its own biases and conspiracy theories. When news stories appear to confirm our personal biases, Noah said, “That’s when I always think you have to be even more vigilant.”
“I think increasingly since Trump has come into power, people have become increasingly willing to accept any story that confirms anything about a Trump supporter, or Trump, or a white person,” Noah said. “And I always go like, ‘Do not become the thing that you disdain. Do not become the thing that you hate.’ Because then, what are you fighting for?”
On a lighter note, the comedian also had to admit something else: that this whole ordeal “does sound like an Empire plotline.”
More Great Stories from Vanity Fair
— The worst-kept secret of Trump’s presidency
— Is Silicon Valley suffocating the media? Jill Abramson weighs in
— Bernie Sanders’s plan to eat the rich
— The 25 most influential movie scenes of the past 25 years
— Broad City and the pivot to millennial rage
Looking for more? Sign up for our daily Hollywood newsletter and never miss a story.
This story was originally published by Vanity Fair
via USAHint.com
No comments:
Post a Comment