Trevor Noah trolls Oscar audiences with sneaky Black Panther joke

When introducing Black Panther as a Best Picture nominee at last night’s Oscar ceremony, Daily Show host Trevor Noah had some fun trolling a good portion of the audience.

At the ceremony, Noah, who was born and raised in South Africa, took to the stage and said that “Black Panther may be an African hero, but his story and appeal is universal.” 

The comic added: “Growing up as a young boy in Wakanda, I would see King T’Challa flying over our village, and he would remind me of a great Xhosa phrase: 'Abelungu abazi ubu ndiyaxoka,' which means: ‘In times like these, we are stronger when we fight together than when we try to fight apart.’ ”

However, as several media outlets — and many Twitter users — pointed out, that’s not what that phrase means. In truth, when translated into English, that “great Xhosa phrase” actually means: “White people don't know that I'm lying.” 

Since the bit didn’t garner any audible laughs in the theater, it’s probably safe to assume there weren’t too many Xhosa speakers in the house. In any case, well played, sir. Well played.

Although Black Panther did not win the coveted golden statue for Best Picture, the film won three Academy Awards: Best Original Score, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design.

And oh, yeah: Wakanda forever!