Like we say here pretty often, in just about any case we’d rather have more speech than less — let Louis Farrakhan keep his Twitter account, for example, so we can all hear his anti-Semitism loud and clear. And we also get that comedians sometimes push things a little too far; it’s easy to forgive if they’re, you know, funny.

So while “Simpsons” voice actor Hank Azaria was being contrite and offering to step away from a role he’d been playing since 1989 because suddenly Apu wasn’t politically correct, Trevor Noah seems to have (almost) gotten away with his attempt at an Indian accent. His comic timing wasn’t the best, though.

I’ve really always liked ur humour @Trevornoah. Really have. And we In India have a good sense of humour. This still crosses a line. We’ve lost our forces to terror attacks. Somehow it doesn’t sound as funny. #JustSaying #TheDailyShow pic.twitter.com/qknBmi6qfd — Sonal Kalra (@sonalkalra) February 28, 2019

Noah seems to have a very overinflated idea of just how much of a ripple his joke had, or how people can be pretty on edge when two nuclear powers exchange gunfire.

It's amazing to me that my joke about the conflict in India and Pakistan trended more than the story of the actual conflict itself. Sometimes it seems like people are more offended by the jokes comedians make about an issue than the issue itself. — Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) March 2, 2019

This is a seriously shitty take. Also factually incorrect. In the nations that were involved in potential conflict, the soldiers trended far more than your “joke”. It’s surprising to see that racist stereotypes aren’t a problem for you when it comes to other cultures. — Sandhya Ramesh (@sandygrains) March 3, 2019

So you’re going to continue being a dick about it. Cool. — Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) March 2, 2019

Did it though? Trend more than the actual conflict? How self absorbed does one have to be to think and say that! — Your HighNS (@NamitaThe) March 2, 2019

Trended more than the conflict where? Not in India or Pakistan, who were the people who got ""offended" and who you bet knew about the conflict in their country way before your joke. Not sure what you mean then. ??‍♀️ — Shireen (@shireenazam) March 3, 2019

Umm.. Trended where? In the US? I'm not surprised. Here in South Asia? Sorry, no. We were busy dealing with the situation you mocked. Besides, you went for the easy, tone-deaf laughs in a situation that lent itself to serious analysis and political satire. Thought you were better — Bluewhite (@bluewhite1310) March 2, 2019

Mmm yes people who lived under threat of (nuclear) war for three days straight were more concerned about jokes rather than rightfully telling you we don't appreciate such a volatile situation being turned into decontextualised humour. — Saira Mahmood (@SairaMahmood16) March 2, 2019

I mean that’s not accurate at all and is bordering on disingenuous. Trust me, we here in South Asia care more about the conflict than your joke. You just inserted yourself into an emotional, real space with a tone deaf, lazy bit. And got burned. Deservedly tbh. — Sarsabz Umeed (@BaaluSarsabz) March 3, 2019

Even in an apology you’re trying to blame those who are offended and going through a crisis whose severity you STILL DONT SEEM TO REALIZE. — CP (@the_mr_patel) March 2, 2019

You're just making it worse now, just apologize. Also, just because western media doesn't report it doesn't mean it's not a "big" story. Get out of your bubble, there's a whole world out there. — Zeeshan (@thezedone) March 3, 2019

Hey @Trevornoah, let me break it down: 1. What you said barely constitutes a joke. It was just a reductionist stereotype about India. 2. You did not trend more than the issue of the actual conflict. You are not that popular. — Parinitha (@Pari_nthesis) March 3, 2019

Well, that certainly would be the egomaniacal response. — /ˈæ.lɪks/ /kiːz/ (@indeterminator) March 2, 2019

You are still being a dick about a sensitive issue which involves 2 countries which are in a tense situation. You made fun of Indian armed forces without knowing how after a terror attack 44 Indian security force personnels lost their life. No it was not funny & very racist joke. — Abhishek Jain (@iabhishek_j) March 2, 2019

Have been a huge fan of you. But this was a joke done at a very very wrong time man. I hope you tried to find out the series of events that led to the situation between the nations. 44 Indian soldiers were recently martyred from bombing by terrorists. — Abhijeet Vaikar (@AbhijeetVaikar) March 3, 2019

Probably not a big deal for you as it does not affect you in any way but yeah the situation was super super serious at both nations especially India who has been suffering from terrorism time and again. — Abhijeet Vaikar (@AbhijeetVaikar) March 3, 2019

No matter how you try to justify it, your “joke”wasn’t funny, for many reasons. To start with, we lost more than 40 soldiers and it’s a war situation. Stop this nonsensical explanation. — Vishal (@VishalJawahar) March 2, 2019

Make your jokes about Indians and their accents and their love for Bollywood. We'll be right their laughing with you. But when there are soldiers dying at the border fighting terrorism, maybe it's best not to mock their valiant acts and disguise it under education through humour — Kunal (@lbluerucksack) March 2, 2019

MoRe DaN dA aCtUaL cOnFLiCt. Shut up, you sound like a petulant child who will tell everyone how no one loves them just because they got schooled for being rude to someone. Calling war entertaining is a shitty thing to say. Get over yourself. — Tanzila Anis. (@aaliznat) March 3, 2019

I don’t think people were offended by the fact that you made a joke about it. I think they’re irritated with the reductive caricature of trivialising an actual threat of serious conflict to a cultural stereotype. — Vivek Santayana (@viveksantayana) March 2, 2019

It was a horrible “joke” — Saadia Khan (@drsaadia8) March 2, 2019

If you're easily offended, sure. — Joe Staunton (@JAStaunton) March 2, 2019

If you have people you love living there that could die from it absolutely — Saadia Khan (@drsaadia8) March 2, 2019

Eff you from India — ASI (@ASI__tweets) March 2, 2019

Bad choice Trevor. Admit it. It’s just a bad choice. — MFA (@marenjann) March 2, 2019

Come on, you know better than this. — jen (@bookavid) March 2, 2019

Ah the classic non apology. People died. There was a real possibility of 2 nuclear states going to war. And all you could do was pull out Bollywood trope coupled with shitty accents? Come on. — V (@Lady_Squish) March 3, 2019

People can care about two things. Perhaps if you were able to do the same you'd be able to care about comedy and the lives of people your racism renders devoid of personal value. — shameboy advance (@failnaut) March 2, 2019

Yo, the Apu accent and joking about Bollywood when it comes to India became old last century. I'm surprised you didn't throw in a butter chicken joke alongside to make it the holy trinity of the stereotype Indian gag. — Nishtha (@RootKanal) March 2, 2019

You're constantly on the back foot when someone mocks or makes fun of black culture especially if some white person does it and calls them racist. This is EXACTLY the same. — Vivek (@I_V_I_V_I) March 2, 2019

Trevor, sorry, we know a joke when we hear one. Indians and Pakistanis made hundreds of jokes on each other, and no one minded. The problem with your joke was this: A guy who professes to fight stereotypes about Blacks and Mexicans, had no issues stereotyping South Asians. https://t.co/THByRlERc1 — Sachin Kalbag (@SachinKalbag) March 3, 2019

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