June 27, 2021
Dear Trevor,
Thank you for taking over The Daily Show from Jon Stewart and shepherding US during the Trump years. I daresay you may have been quoted more than anyone in America who attempted to intelligently comment on the disaster that was Trump. You even managed to draw the ire of Foxville — which is powerful evidence of the following you gained, and, the fear you stoked in the Right.
Many of Jon\’s fans didn\’t think you would make it: that you would be DOA. I wasn\’t sure that you would make it myself — but was rooting for you all-the-way because you come from the beloved country. I almost titled this piece Cry the Beloved Country — but I didn\’t know if that would catch your attention like an open letter might.
If you made it in New York — you can make it anywhere! It is my feeling that your most important work is still ahead of you — and that would be recreating what you accomplished with US — in your homeland of South Africa. Wouldn\’t that be something? An internationally acclaimed TV talk show host (and comedian) helping to heal the country of his birth (which you know needs a great deal of healing).
I know you wouldn\’t make close to the money you are making here — but if you\’ve saved up some dollars — well, you know what the exchange rate of the Rand to the Greenback is!
In April 2018 I asked celebrity South African expatriates to step-up-to-the-plate and help their homeland out. In my research for that essay I learned that a number of these ex-pats (in addition to Oprah) were already assisting with various programs — but quietly.
Not so Patrick Soon-Shiong — who is reportedly purchasing vaccines to get S. Africans immunized from COVID-19 — which has impacted a large segment of the population (as did the AIDs epidemic of the 90s). This unnecessary problem perpetuates itself (like the interminable load shedding) because there don\’t seem to be structures in place to get the vaccines stored and then to distribute them in organized fashion.
I know this would be a huge decision for you — but do you truly think you can be of further assistance to US? Trump was a convenient target that allowed US to focus on him each day at the exclusion of the many other social problems US experiences. As you must have realized by now: US is incorrigible!
I think your work here is done. US is hopeless — while your homeland offers a genuine attempt at a multi-cultural society. You can dig in right away and help with vaccine distribution; protecting farmers; and, pointing out governmental corruption on a nightly basis. Heck! I see you running for the presidency of S.A. some day!
Your voice needs to be back in the Beloved Country.
Sincerely,
Dr. Stephen Scheff