It's been a tough first month for SA comedian Trevor Noah since taking the hot seat on the US hit Daily Show. In the latest barrage of criticism, Noah is now being accused of stealing another comedian's joke.The Gawker, a US gossip website, claims he performed a stand-up routine similar to one by US comedian Dave Chappelle.In Chappelle's 1998 comedy set, he refers to himself as a "racism connoisseur" and relays a story about his experience in Mississippi. Last weekend at a convention in Los Angeles, Noah referred to himself as a "racism connoisseur" sharing his experience of America's "charming racism" he encountered in Kentucky.This raised questions about whether he knowingly or subconsciously had repeated the joke.However, local fans and comedians have leapt to Noah's defence.Comedian John Vlismas, said this constant analysis of comedy was futile and deprecating."Some people want to go to comedy and others want to be the comedy police. To analyse comedy is to kill the golden goose."Trevor is under so much pressure as it is. He doesn't need this. That said I don't see anyone taking him to the comedy court for crimes against entertainment."Jason Goliath said: "Content comes from a concept and concepts are common knowledge. No comedian can say they own Nkandla and the firepool; it's common knowledge."Ventriloquist Conrad Koch said the writer who raised the issue was making "something out of nothing".Facebook users also rushed to back Noah.Kwezie Kimmy Tungela: "They just hating on our boy cause he made it ..."Bandile Loliwe: "Nonsense, the Americans are just jealous."Zulu: "Until jokes are copyrighted, detractors should just shut up or laugh along with us."Diphafa Sello Sejake: "That's bull man. There is no original joke. A joke is a joke, it can be told a thousand times."Chappelle's 1998 jokeTravelling has made me a racism connoisseur. Anyone ever been down South? You guys know what I'm talking about. It's out in the open. There are no secrets in Mississippi. Everybody knows the deal. "Morning, nigger!" "Morning, sir!" Not up here. White dude be walking down the street minding his business and a brother walk up to him: "Hello, you white oppressor, you slave master rapist of Africa." "Why hello, my big lips spear-chucking friend."..