Maybe a month or 2 ago, The Daily Show introduced a new guest chair for the interview segment. I would call the new chair a stool, as it is higher than a normal desk/arm chair. It is noticeable because a number of guests seem to be uncomfortable with it. This reaction is especially apparent if the guest is relatively short, and/or wearing something tight or short. People appear uncomfortable climbing up onto the chair, and then at times appear uncomfortable while seated on it - whether to cross their legs, etc. It is not just a female thing; I have noticed male guests seem momentarily distracted by the need to figure out how to get on the stool - at a time that they are trying to stroll out, wave to the crowd, and appear cool and nonchalant.
Wondering if anyone else noticed this change, and had any ideas as to why a show would make such a change?
Although I watch the show, I never noticed anything like what you are describing.
I thought maybe I could find a sample of some guests having trouble as you described, so I tried to Google “Trevor Noah Stool Sample”… and now I just think you were playing some kind of cruel joke on me.
:mad:
It is most noticeable when a female guest comes out wearing a short skirt. As we wee it, they often have to be somewhat careful about arranging their dress, and then sorta jump up and back - like you would on a barstool. As opposed to sitting down into a chair. And the chair pivots, which can make the maneuver even more complicated. The guest is trying not to flash the audience, appear cool, while climbing up onto a pivoting stool.
I could understand it if the interviewer AND guest were both on stools, maybe at a high counter. But Trevor just plops back into his desk chair.
It definitely is a change from what they had before. I can’t imagine you would care so much ;), but I imagine if you were able to find a Trevor Noah interview of a year ago (or even 4-6 months) you’d see the difference.
Even male guests sit up and back on it, as you would on a stool. And when most guests are sitting on it, their feet are not on the floor.
I didn’t mean to suggest anyone else wasn’t “paying attention” in any negative or judgmental sense. Instead, I was suggesting/requesting that folk pay attention to this particular thing from now on to see how it seems.
Maybe I’ll check on-demand this evening and see if I can pull up an example of before/after, and/or an example of someone finding the chair a challenge.
Or maybe when I look, I’ll find out that my wife and I are imagining this.
Well, I remember it was either this week or last week, a guest came out and made a “production” of sitting in the chair (The guest pulled out the chair and moved it around a bit while saying something). But the chair the guest pulled out looked like a regular office chair to me. And Trevor never made mention it was a new chair.
It still strikes me as odd that no one else viewed guests as having difficulty, because it was pretty apparent to my wife and me. And I’m not usually the overly perceptive type!
Just FFed thru a couple of recent eps. I bet Drew Barrymore is the guest you remember making a deal out of it, which she passed off as her being a klutz. Tyra Banks handled it quite well in a tight skirt - but (to my eyes) definitely had to climb up onto the chair and then reposition herself once seated. And Rosie Perez similarly climbed up and repositioned herself, and then had to rearrange her skirt.
Not a big thing, but I wonder why someone thought having such a chair was a good idea.
Yeah, I just finished watching last night’s episode. Now that I see it, I can’t unsee it. The guest’s knees were flush with the desk. Yet Trevor and that lady seemed to be eye to eye despite the raised chair. (Trevor is only 5’11")
That’s gotta be uncomfortable for the guest, because they can’t lean forward and put their elbows on the desk with out being completely hunched over.
