Dec. 01--"The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah said he doesn't want to go to Chicago "because I don't want to die."
Noah, who took over hosting duties from Jon Stewart in September, was in the middle of an interview with "Chi-Raq" director Spike Lee when he made the comment in Monday's episode.
Lee had finished explaining that John Cusack's role in "Chi-Raq" is based on the Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Catholic Church on the South Side. Noah said he thought the character was inspired by African-American pastors.
"He is one of the leading anti-gun, anti-violent people in the United States," Lee told Noah about Pfleger.
"That's insane. Now I want to go to Chicago. Well, I don't want to go because I don't want to die ... but I want to go because I want to see this guy," Noah said to laughter from the audience.
"Well, let's not joke about that because it's some serious ... No disrespect but blood is running on the streets in South Side Chicago," Lee said.
"Chi-Raq," which is a twist on the Greek comedy "Lysistrata," follows South Side women who go on a sex strike to try to stop the violence between warring gangs. The Amazon Studios movie, which stars Jennifer Hudson, Samuel L. Jackson and Nick Cannon, is set to be released in some theaters Friday.
This is not the first time a host of "The Daily Show" has insulted Chicago. Stewart famously ranted against deep-dish pizza in 2013. "The Daily Show" airs on Comedy Central at 10 p.m.
