US-based South African comedian Trevor Noah spats with French ambassador over World Cup winners' identity
Thu Jul 19, 2018 09:25:am Entertainment
4.3K By Obiaks Blog
US-based South African comedian Trevor Noah has become involved in a spat with the US ambassador to France, Gerard Araud, over the identity of the French football team which won the World Cup.
Noah said he received a letter from Mr Araud after joking on his The Daily Show that "Africa won the World Cup".
Mr Araud wrote that "nothing could be less true". The "great majority" of the payers were born and educated in France, and were "proud of their country - France".
"The rich and various background of the players is a reflection of France's diversity," Noah quoted Mr Araud as saying, before quipping that it was in fact a reflection of France's "colonialism".
He also quoted Mr Araud as saying that France, unlike the US, did not believe in "hyphenated" identities.
"By calling them an African team, it seems you are denying their Frenchness," Noah quoted the letter as saying.
In his response, Noah said that "black players all over the world were celebrating the Africanness of the French team - not in a negative way but in a rather positive way".
He vehemently disagreed with the view that people could not be French and African at the same time.
"Why is that duality afforded only to a select group?" he asked, adding he did not believe that "to be French you have to erase everything that is African".
BBC
Noah said he received a letter from Mr Araud after joking on his The Daily Show that "Africa won the World Cup".
Mr Araud wrote that "nothing could be less true". The "great majority" of the payers were born and educated in France, and were "proud of their country - France".
"The rich and various background of the players is a reflection of France's diversity," Noah quoted Mr Araud as saying, before quipping that it was in fact a reflection of France's "colonialism".
He also quoted Mr Araud as saying that France, unlike the US, did not believe in "hyphenated" identities.
"By calling them an African team, it seems you are denying their Frenchness," Noah quoted the letter as saying.
In his response, Noah said that "black players all over the world were celebrating the Africanness of the French team - not in a negative way but in a rather positive way".
He vehemently disagreed with the view that people could not be French and African at the same time.
"Why is that duality afforded only to a select group?" he asked, adding he did not believe that "to be French you have to erase everything that is African".
BBC
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