'The Daily Show' host Trevor Noah says he was not trying to hurt anyone following the outrage after a video clip resurfaced of an offensive joke he made about Aboriginal women.
This comes after the comedian made an unofficial apology on Twitter after he was called out for the joke, he wrote: "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. I'll make sure the clip from 2013 is not promoted in any way."
During a recent interview, Noah explained that he didn't want to hurt anyone but also didn't out-rightly apologise for the joke.
Speaking on Australian radio show, Triple J presenters Veronica & Lewis, on Thursday Noah said: “It’s just interesting when you travel to understand the nuances between cultures that change how a joke is seen as either offensive or funny.”
When questioned on whether comedians should acknowledge and take responsibility for jokes that some people might find hurtful the comedian said: “I think there’s a responsibility a comedian to be as true to what they’re trying to do as possible."
He continued: "One thing I’ve learned in comedy is you cannot — unfortunately if you’re a comedian — you cannot compliment your comedy to what everybody is saying, because the truth is everybody can be offended about everything, so you as a comedian have to choose.”
“But there are some jokes where people go, ‘We don’t like that you say that’ and I’m like ‘Yeah, but that’s what I believe and that’s what I’m gonna say’. And I think that’s what comes with being a comedian.”
Noah then spoke about the responsibility placed on comedians when it comes to social commentary.
“When it comes to responsibility, I think it’s an interesting thing that society has imbued any responsibility on comedians.
“As a comedian, I think it’s crazy that sometimes the words of comedians are considered some of the most powerful words out there, and yet the actions of politicians and the words that they say will be dismissed as jokes. It’s sometimes a bit weird living in a world where that will happen.”