I know I'm not the only one who ENJOYS learning about things in depth! John and his writers do a FABULOUS job. Everything they do only makes me want more (and more and more!) Keep on doing what you do. I'll be there every week!
I also love (and John surmised this during this interview and an interview he did with Russell Howard) that when doing LWT Oliver and the team didn't want to just highlight an issue and spend the whole time exploring it and subsequently bring people down. Instead they wanted to explore it, explain it from a logical standpoint with healthy mix of facts and humour, but also present or discuss potential solutions to these issues too, it's refreshing to see. Yet they aren't a 'news show' really, despite critics of segments treating them as such. Instead they are, at their bare bones, a variety comedy show and as such they don't take themselves too seriously which aids them in shrugging off the criticism whilst also being self aware enough to admit when they do get aspects of stories wrong when they do. A refreshing point of view in today's society. They also don't shy away from holding anybody/any issues accountable regardless of political alignment etc. This was a fantastic interview.
The one thing that I miss from Last Week Tonight is when news demands a response ... your episode on net neutrality and the FCC was probably your best work in this regard: After the show, there were so many petitions to the FCC that the people overloaded and their server and caused a temporary shutdown, followed by which the FCC did the right thing. I've always hoped you'd return to that formula of getting more of those `funny cuz its true` laughs, raising awareness about some fucked up situation, then funneling towards an outlet. That outlet could be anything productive, such as signing a petition, calling your congressmen, donating to a particular organization, participating in a rally/event, volunteering, voting, etc. We need more of that.
My son was in college during the net neutrality kerfluffle. The professor had a hard time getting the class engaged. My son mentioned the Last Week Tonight episode and was able to pull it up on his lap top for the class to see. Prof. then put the episode on the course syllabus. Hats off to him, his researchers and writers. They may not mean to, but they perform a vital public service.
I do wish there was more immediacy and calls to action in some of their stories. Sometimes the issues they cover are so entrenched they are hard to resolve which I know is the point but their platform is big enough now to drive change on issues with more immediacy and urgency.
Sadly, Net Neutrality continues to creep its way into our lives and people blame it on this or that...no one ever goes back to the root of the problem. It's no wonder we can never resolve an issue in this country; we're constantly fighting the wrong fight and we force legislation that's only goal is to change the direction of something horrible so the horribleness is just delayed and/or comes in a different package -- but the horribleness is coming regardless. People will complain the whole time, but they'll never care enough to get past their finger pointing and taking sides to know what is actually wrong and/or come to a sound conclusion and/or resolution. Are you dizzy...I think I made that complicated, unnecessarily so. lol.
Comics that do “the news” like Oliver, Colbert, Stewart are the main source of news/current affairs that I watch. Why would I want to watch regular news and end up feeling depressed. I love Oliver’s deep dives, I understand the topics better and they make me laugh or get angry, which makes me want to do something about the issue. I think a lot of people feel that way which is why this shows are so popular and successful.
I’m not sure what the service is, but John, you do provide a service. I think I will call it a service in sanity. And with lots of on the nose jokes to help the information go down. Which is also a service in sanity.
I agree but I would also like to add that to me, as a non-American, it seems that y'all confuse "being objective" with "showing how both sides could have a point" which is not the same. News can -- and have to! -- be 100% objective without catering to racists' bullshit. If the president lies, the news have to objectively point out what he said was false.
It works, imho is he is most adorable in “insulting” the “well deserved” folks, when he is done what he set out to do, no one is really angry at his successful delivery methods. Now that’s art form. It doesn’t hurt also he is not a dumbass. Love him
People turn to comedy news in the popular culture because the news and the popular culture is devoid of any end up meaningful intangible information I'm not surprised that the Indian elections were not promoted in popular culture who owns the news stations we learn what they want us to know
Oliver's explanation of how his staff preps and produces a story is, yes, journalism. That they do it with such intelligence and thought -- and that they manage to make it unique, fascinating and funny is genius. Bravo to Oliver and his writers. He is the Jester we desperately need.
I am studying journalism and, honestly, I absolutely agree! I get that John doesn't want it marketed as journalism since the stories generally tackle really complicated subject, and often the idea should be that they are shinning light on an obscure topic on which you should do more individual research and at times it might get subjective, but being self aware about the potential bias and the necessity of diving deeper to get the full picture just make it more honest Last week tonight is honestly a big motivation regarding tackling maybe obscure stories of great significance and really made me want to do journalism in the first place
Stacey Robinson Maybe he is constantly worried that the journalist is just trying to get him to admit that he’s a very real threat to how the journalist’s boss maintains power?
Well this one is really uncomfortable because the interviewer isn't conversing, he's talking AT him, asking questions but doesn't respond to any of them. It's weird.
@@andreaandrea6716 That's true. He seems quite relaxed with Stephen Colbert. Obviously, they know each other well already but I also think Stephen is a much more skilled and personable interviewer.
@@Stacey_Robinson Absolutely! SO much more skilled (Colbert is so present!) ... I couldn't watch this to the end because this guy is so artificial ... he prob doesn't mean to be, but it's as if he's playing the role of interviewer, but is not a good actor and isn't comfortable in the role ... and it shows. His discomfort was so loud & distracting I couldn't hear what John Oliver was saying.
John likes to point out how fun it is to waste HBOs money, but it seems like (or I hope that) HBO realise that his show gives them a huge amount of goodwill.
I notice you spell realize the British way. If you're indeed a Brit, do you guys have a way to watch the uncensored version of the show, meaning any parts that "illegally" offend the royalty, which John and Co replaces with nonsense for British consumption? I can't even make sense of how and where that gets applied, but I expect we'll outlaw criticism of Trump as soon as he gets around to it. As for goodwill, HBO is obscenely overpriced, and makes mostly crap I have no interest in, but Oliver and Maher's shows keep me subscribed, and whatever else is worth watching beyond that at least softens how much I hate paying that $14.99/mo. I guess you can call that goodwill? Lol
@@hunglikeahamster3248 No, I'm Swedish. I pay the equivalent of $11, which while it still could be called overpriced is the same as Netflix, so I guess it's different in different regions. I have just been watching Last Week Tonight on TH-cam, but His Dark Materials made me get an HBO subscription. (Beforeigners is also quite good, but I think that one might be only on HBO Nordic because Americans hate subtitles?) I have not cancelled yet... I took a trial for Amazon Prime to watch their Good Omens adaptation (which is wonderful), but I cancelled that as soon as I'd watched the series. That I don't like Amazon played a part in that. (Among other things thanks to Oliver's piece on how they treat their workers.)
@@RikardPeterson $11 eh? Damn. Same as everything else - we pay more. Maybe the Dems will give us a single-payer HBO For All bill if Bernie's elected. Commies. Lol I looked up Beforeigners. Nope. We don't get it. And yes, I hate subtitles. I can either read the movie or watch the movie but I can't do both. Dubs are OK though you lose the real actor's voices and the dubs can be pretty awful. Yes, His Dark Materials was great, as was The Watchmen. Seriously peeved that Watchmen's creator has effectively killed it cuz he's apparently bored or whatever... The only thing I'm looking forward to other than Oliver's return is the next round of Westworld. They sure do drag releases out on HBO. It's a wonder Khaleesi didn't die of old age. As for Amazon I was so glad you went on to say you immediately dropped it. I would chop off a toe before I'd ever give Bezos another dime. I'd already noticed this, but it's fun to see how few characters you need to type in TH-cam search before the thing you're looking for is at the top of the results. You only have to type "John O" before John Oliver Amazon is the first result. :)
HungLikeAHamster I subscribe to HBO just for John Oliver. My shrink, who honestly doesn’t do as much for me as Oliver does, bills me $275 for 45 minutes. I’m not being sarcastic in the slightest when I say Last Week Tonight is the best money I spend on therapy, far and away.
@@dasaauto2024 $275 for 45 minutes? What are you, nuts? Lol Well, Reader's Digest has always said laughter is the best medicine, and I always agreed. From when I was a little kid on... John is pretty unique, blowing several gaskets per show and making us do the same, yet bringing us all back down for a reasonably gentle landing. Meanwhile he's made us better informed and *properly* angry about things we might not otherwise ever contemplate. I hope you get at least some other value from your HBO fees. A show I've found therapeutic is High Maintenance, in its own more passive way. I live on less than $11,000 a year, plus food stamps. So that $14.99 hits me a lot harder. But I get Hulu and Netflix as well. Watch it all on my phone. I decided long ago that even if I was piss poor I wasn't going to live a bare ramen noodle existence. Gotta have *some* perks or there's no point...
@9:04 "You can't claim to have ALL the answers, *because once you do that you're a messianic figure* *and should be immediately destroyed."* XD (John Oliver, on penultimate day of 2019)
Dear John, every single one of your episodes is at least great! Please let me express how grateful I am for your and your team's dedication to this wonderful project. Please keep up the great work! We appreciate it greatly! Thank you.
At 17:00 Oliver says his work all needs to be built on true facts or "... you have undermined every point you have been trying to make and every beautifully stupid joke you have tried to tell." That is at the heart of why he is a different type of comedian than most and also is the reason he is undeniably an influencer of opinion on an international scale. Oliver, Colbert, and Stewart all resist being called news, but they are part of how we process current events. All of them also function as critics of the news process as well.
It's why I respect his work so much... but in today's trump era I'm not sure it's true. Every day I see trump and his lackies throwing out lie after lie without the least care for accuracy, and it works for nearly half the population. So does it really matter if John is playing by the rules when some of the most destructive forces in society today have thrown out the rulebook and it appears to be working.
@David Kuhn Yes it does matter that John plays by the rules. If for nothing else but to highlight the lies and inaccuracies being spewed by Trumpy and his mafia. It's also to show those that don't support Trumpy and his goons, that there is truth out there. Without that truth then Trumpy will have won the big game, the long con and nothing will matter. It may appear to be working for now and it may continue to work for a lot longer still but it will eventually collapse. He's built a glass house of lies which everyone with a brain can see. The problem for him is that he's also throwing stones and eventually the glass will break.
Hyper Kin I couldn’t agree more, a few of them focus on trump so much they kind of becomes the symbol of anti-trump, which makes them appear much less creditable and bias when they talk about other issues, even when they are actually not, because they have already established that image. The difference of John Oliver is, you know his stance, you know which side he’s on, but he actually focus mostly on issues that affect everyone, disregard your political stance, and shine lights on issues that’s lesser known but nonetheless important and significant.
@@kuhndj67 - They play to different audiences. Trump's base likes the way he says things, even though what he actually says is utterly meaningless, he just _sounds_ "strong" to them or whatever when he does, regardless of accuracy. Oliver's audience cares about truth, and enjoys his way of making fun of reality, which only works if you understand what that reality actually is. You can't just swap the content or styles between the groups. I think this is also evident on platforms like TH-cam - most right wing content caters to Trump's base, so it's loud and light on facts and citations. Shapiro (and like, any show on Fox), for example, talks loud and super fast because I guess that's what they think "confidence" sounds like, regardless of his actual content. Meanwhile, left wing content here (like, for example, Shaun, or Three Arrows) tends to be more long form with a calmer demeanor that work to break down the facts and build up a narrative that actually reflects reality. Any showman, left or right, comedic or news, has to play to their audience and understand how they engage.
@Hyper Kin - "whether you agree with it or not--"Orange Man bad." It's two faced, is all." Eh, there's definitely some of that, but it's usually built on their previous statements from previous shows - running gags, in other words. Most of the time, including on Colbert's show (which has gone down this route a bit) or on Noah's Daily Show (which is probably the worst in this matter) they say, "Orange man bad... because he did/said this". It's rarely just, "haha, Trump r bad". And then there's Meyers, who is reductive in his monologue/jokes, but goes quite deep into the issues on his Closer Look segments. Regarding Obama, I'd recommend going back and watching some of Stewart's shows in the Obama era. Yes, it was mostly mocking Fox (because literally everything Fox does deserves to be mocked...), but he called out Obama and the Democrats plenty of times, and is famously a huge critic of the likes of CNN. The drone strike thing in particular is a favorite red herring of the right, but really falls flat. Obama got a lot of criticism from the left for that policy, it's not like he was revered as a cult leader who could do no wrong. And it's worth noting that these current callbacks to Obama's use of drone strikes tend to come from people who either don't know or aggressively don't care that Trump's administration has only increased them.
This between-seasons hiatus is starting to leave a mark on you too, eh? 2 and a half month since the final "full" episode of 2019. When I saw it pop up on my feed two weeks ago, the short push notifications piece... It was almost like big fat ray of sunshine slapped across the nose in the middle of this soggy arctic winter. The product of his (and his team's) work, is like if the McDonalds drivethrough, Whole Foods and Hooters hooked up on Grindr. And 5 years later they're all married, teach (renewable) energy studies at MIT, and have a wholesome, intelligent and only _mildly_ retarded lovechild named Chiijohn.
@@pr0xZen I don't know why he is so special to me but his voice/delivery and mind/wit are equally exquisite. John sounds like a guy who stays up reading and writing and laughing! Not sleeping.
I don’t think John, Stephen, Seth, Trevor, and Samantha realize that it helps to be able to just laugh at what’s going on. Or in John’s case, we get to see a story outside of the Trump shit
"The worst thing to do is to...take people by the hand and say 'Let's walk into this complicated forest together,' and then....later say 'and that's it - bye!!'" Well, that's a perfect description of the nightly news...
News, and sensitive topics, covered by Oliver and team are appreciated. Once in a while I disagree, but that only increases the amount of research I tend to.
Oliver show is based of facts. When you swing that hard at everyone you'd be sued off the air if what he did wasn't based on real facts. HBO would say no. You have to stop. Rating are good lawsuits are not when you are losing.
What a fantastic interview. Been a fan of Oliver for years and the show is always fantastic. Very refreshing to see the host/face of the show always refer to the 'we' when discussing the show. Really demonstrates how humble he is in regards to his role within the show as a whole, never taking credit for anything and instead constantly referring to the team effort involved throughout to make it what it is. There is a reason why the show is as successful as it is. Here's hoping for many more years.
"Show people things they haven't seen before." That is why the show is actually important. I've learned about a lot of things from the show that no other news outlet would have the balls to cover.
That's so true. I also love the simmering frustration about certain subjects that eventually boils into justifiable anger. Also the pure silliness of some of the bits.🤣 I didn't notice it till a year ago as it's not really broadcasted in the UK but I pretty much binge watched it all over a month. I wish he would do something similar over here tbh.
I have such a big crush on John Oliver. I wish I could see him more. I often cheat on him with Stephen Colbert. Occasionally I go even younger with Trevor Noah. I feel like I could love Stephen, and keep Trevor too. John, just let me know if your ready for commitment. I'm not ready to leave you, but I need more....more of you.
Eh, i am just having poliamorous relationship with entire bunch of Stewart's comedy kids/disciples 😏 my recommendation for your cheat list is Hasan Minhaj
Also I’m sad that Stephen Colbert has diluted himself so much over the years that the gravity he used to carry in his Colbert Report days is all but gone. His late night show is just the same fluff as the others, but with more political one-liners.
kijiji93 Yes, I agree with you 100%. Colbert is the rare type of comedic genius that can do satire at the highest level. His wit is legendary. What he does now is just a small fraction of what he is capable of-and he has to be painfully aware of this, unfortunately. :/
I love John Oliver. He and Stewart have just been so educational. Even though they are comedy shows, they still convey more actual factual news than the actual news does.
I agree. What’s more is that they tell us why these stories matter and why we should pay attention. It is remarkable how Stewart was able to convey the importance of a topic in the news day after dah
Either Jon doesn’t realize how big or what a positive influence he has had on “telling the truth” and talking about things that really needs to be talked about. But I’m really thankful for his (and his co-workers) input into this god- forsaken earth.
Funny AND factual, although I'd settle for the factual part because SO much of the news is just pointless diversion away from the real things going wrong with the world!
I've always felt that Last Week Tonight is unique in that the long segments are like an in-depth 60 Minutes segment, but with humor inserted to hold the audience's attention. Kudos to John Oliver and his staff!
Stewart and Oliver have great researchers who do great research. They don't get crowded by the "news cycle" and deliver serious ,if irreverent, stories. Do you trust Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh more than John Stewart or John Oliver? Thank you Philadelphia
My name is Devon im from austin texas and Last week tonight has got to be my fav show of all. It is truly amazing,and everyone should at least give it a chance and watch one episode start to finish. That's my opinion the only thing id change is the fact that they take breaks and don't put out new ones in the offseason. Or that it is hbo and not free. But that is unrealistic to ask for so i say: keep it going and don't change a thing. I hope john oliver reads this, and if you do, want to say that you and the people you work with are doing an outstanding job, dont change a thing!
Waiting for LWT to return and for a John Oliver action figure to hit the market. I really need a John Oliver action figure to grace the shelf above my monitor.
I don‘t know this interviewer but John Oliver donating his time to an obscure talk show is laudable. Having a man wearing a cheap suit insult his subjects apparel is unprofessional. Kind of like, nice trousers Ali, expecting a flood? Or looks like JC Penny‘s had a husky boys sale. You know that kind of immature banter.
WHY doesn’t Canada have a John Oliver? 🇨🇦We couldn’t even keep a Samantha Bee 🇨🇦 We desperately need Oliver & Velshi to produce some Canada material. Hell, make it as a CBC-BBC vehicle, like Dr.Who?
Jack Black I notice a lot of the cable news pundits do that with any cast. They want to hear themselves talk and get through their list of questions. They’re not interested in a real conversation and that makes them not very good at their jobs imo
Jack Black Seth Meyers is the best for that. He has actual conversations with his guests rather than a series of talking points. The only time I can remember him being even slightly reverential was when he had Glenda Jackson on. Of course, she’s a mighty force to reckon with...
The sheer information density of his fact-based comedy is a Sunday treat. John Oliver helps break down a week-long passive intake of calories. Yet, we all seem to be putting on weight. We probably need to get healthier inbetween shows!
John tells the BEST stories, he's SO clever, Great comedic timing and sense of humor, AND 'es Bri ish! I tune in just to listen and watch him talk. He and his staff do innovative and stellar story writing and reporting.
He’s a smart one, isn’t he? And as Jerry said on his Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee episode, he has an oddly American voice despite being British. It’s quite interesting to see. I strive to be intelligent like him.
This may not be the most relevant thing, but it is a bit sad to see John seeming to get older the more he reports on things. I will still be with him as he greys and will stick by his show until it ends, but I hope he is okay continuing forward.
Omg! It’s fucking logical! John Oliver covers situations that are socially important with a sarcastic but sober way by pointing out human hypocrisy. Most news media covers foolish and dramatic shit in a brainless way. This is why the media can’t differentiate journalism with satirical comedy. Maybe journalism needs to take themselves less seriously and talk about real issues for all the right reasons... It’s sad to say. He just described doing a journalist’s job and I’d rather get my news from a JO than Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, and all the rest of the useless media frenzy of stupid shit!! he’s interviewing and asking JO silly media based questions to find out how journalists should actually do it right!! Hahaha
TV game show," find the funny" a panel of comics are presented with story of question. Team a says we got 3, team b says 4 jokes, bid till one or the other challenges. The audience then judges the funny.
I think we (viewers) feel like comedians are viable (if not great) sources of news and information because we can TRUST that they put in the work, took the TIME, to get it correct. Rather than, rushing to say anything, everything, FIRST! - truth be damned. John doesn't need to give the same level of care about what he says affecting sponsors and corporate concerns. And anyone that cares enough to learn something about anything, doesn't care about bias, everything has bias. We digest and filter the bias and then apply our own bias anyway. If you just want confirmation of your bias, well, you already know where to get it, and we not looking to learn anything to begin with.
42 streets ahead of iin think Harmon? I felt bad for this idiomatic disagreement. Leave im alone bcuz fascist ain't never gonna be this eyepatch Morty's default. In closing, leave Dan alone. #SCOTCH-IRISH #Acton Stronger rules apply. Was ruff growing Dere. But princess Yasmina was aok.
Sitting here watching John Oliver I suddenly realized that I'm wearing the same thing as Oliver and I'm not sure what that says about me.... or John Oliver
I love you John Oliver and you are an absolute treasure added to this F***** u* country. Thank you for caring and exposing all the garbage/poison in our society
Ali is a substitute for Rachel Maddow and others on MSNBC. When I see that he does, I change the channel. I don't care for him, and I didn't like this interview at all.
I am not sure if John is aware of this, but we live in a world so tremendously fucked up, that i cant watch the news. But his show, and other shows like his, are digestible, i can be informed without my anxiety taking over me, because comedy does that, it takes you by the hand and tells you, yeah, everything is horrible, but i understand and we will go through this together. Im sure im not the only one that have this experience. Also he being european in origin, kinda makes it easier for non americans to understand what happens over there.
I know I'm not the only one who ENJOYS learning about things in depth! John and his writers do a FABULOUS job. Everything they do only makes me want more (and more and more!) Keep on doing what you do. I'll be there every week!
I also love (and John surmised this during this interview and an interview he did with Russell Howard) that when doing LWT Oliver and the team didn't want to just highlight an issue and spend the whole time exploring it and subsequently bring people down. Instead they wanted to explore it, explain it from a logical standpoint with healthy mix of facts and humour, but also present or discuss potential solutions to these issues too, it's refreshing to see. Yet they aren't a 'news show' really, despite critics of segments treating them as such. Instead they are, at their bare bones, a variety comedy show and as such they don't take themselves too seriously which aids them in shrugging off the criticism whilst also being self aware enough to admit when they do get aspects of stories wrong when they do. A refreshing point of view in today's society. They also don't shy away from holding anybody/any issues accountable regardless of political alignment etc.
This was a fantastic interview.
The one thing that I miss from Last Week Tonight is when news demands a response ... your episode on net neutrality and the FCC was probably your best work in this regard:
After the show, there were so many petitions to the FCC that the people overloaded and their server and caused a temporary shutdown, followed by which the FCC did the right thing.
I've always hoped you'd return to that formula of getting more of those `funny cuz its true` laughs, raising awareness about some fucked up situation, then funneling towards an outlet.
That outlet could be anything productive, such as signing a petition, calling your congressmen, donating to a particular organization, participating in a rally/event, volunteering, voting, etc.
We need more of that.
My son was in college during the net neutrality kerfluffle. The professor had a hard time getting the class engaged. My son mentioned the Last Week Tonight episode and was able to pull it up on his lap top for the class to see. Prof. then put the episode on the course syllabus. Hats off to him, his researchers and writers. They may not mean to, but they perform a vital public service.
I do wish there was more immediacy and calls to action in some of their stories. Sometimes the issues they cover are so entrenched they are hard to resolve which I know is the point but their platform is big enough now to drive change on issues with more immediacy and urgency.
Sadly, Net Neutrality continues to creep its way into our lives and people blame it on this or that...no one ever goes back to the root of the problem. It's no wonder we can never resolve an issue in this country; we're constantly fighting the wrong fight and we force legislation that's only goal is to change the direction of something horrible so the horribleness is just delayed and/or comes in a different package -- but the horribleness is coming regardless. People will complain the whole time, but they'll never care enough to get past their finger pointing and taking sides to know what is actually wrong and/or come to a sound conclusion and/or resolution. Are you dizzy...I think I made that complicated, unnecessarily so. lol.
I much rather get the news from J.Oliver! The perfect way to stay informed and wayyy less stress!
right point
Comics that do “the news” like Oliver, Colbert, Stewart are the main source of news/current affairs that I watch.
Why would I want to watch regular news and end up feeling depressed. I love Oliver’s deep dives, I understand the topics better and they make me laugh or get angry, which makes me want to do something about the issue.
I think a lot of people feel that way which is why this shows are so popular and successful.
oh john looked so nervous, constantly shifting in his seat like that. Him and his team does a great job and they should all know it :)
DarkRonnie
[He and his team]
John's episodes about criminal justice have enlightened millions of people, the positive effects of that can't be overstated!
I’m not sure what the service is, but John, you do provide a service. I think I will call it a service in sanity. And with lots of on the nose jokes to help the information go down. Which is also a service in sanity.
His show is one of the best things TH-cam has going for them. I dont have HBO. I dont want HBO.
Kids love the Velsh
he is doing basically what most of the media have stop doing
That’s why I adore John Oliver. The last comment he made . Trying to make comedy in Trump era is just lazy comedy !!
We need comedians to pull apart the bullshit we hear on network news. They have to be "objective" while comedians can tell the truth.
I agree but I would also like to add that to me, as a non-American, it seems that y'all confuse "being objective" with "showing how both sides could have a point" which is not the same. News can -- and have to! -- be 100% objective without catering to racists' bullshit. If the president lies, the news have to objectively point out what he said was false.
Last Week Tonight should never be allowed to take more than a month off at a time
That was awesome 👍👏👏👏
he got up and started to leave quickly hahaha
Just found the Phila Citizen, great show! Duck Duck made it show up! LOVE JOHN OLIVER!!!!
John looks very uncomfortable, love his sincerity
It works, imho is he is most adorable in “insulting” the “well deserved” folks, when he is done what he set out to do, no one is really angry at his successful delivery methods. Now that’s art form. It doesn’t hurt also he is not a dumbass. Love him
Overlay is that John Oliver cares about the content he shares.
lol "Id love not to have human contact with someone i dont know"
I'm only writing this becaue my fav part is min 33:01 and foward
good way to kick off the year!
#idigit
People turn to comedy news in the popular culture because the news and the popular culture is devoid of any end up meaningful intangible information I'm not surprised that the Indian elections were not promoted in popular culture who owns the news stations we learn what they want us to know
did they mess up johns makeup?
Mr. Potato Head
Oliver is great. But I do worry that they only cover safe for his own demographic issues.
Sorry John, you’re American now!
That last bit about Trump leading to bad / lazy comedy ... he's talking about Colbert.
Could I just say that you now have an outsider view of UK? Perhaps you could try knocking us a bit less?
Why are they crossing their legs like girls in skirts lol
Because it's comfortable and they're not afraid of bullet-heads' limp attempts to emasculate them.
who was the truth-teller in the medieval times? the court jester..
That's reductive, to put it mildly.
Trying to keep it simple, Nx Doyle
@@andeladeur2747 ...because u expect mainly burgerican readers? xP
@@Dichtsau no expectations
An deladeur
Touchstone the Fool
Oliver's explanation of how his staff preps and produces a story is, yes, journalism. That they do it with such intelligence and thought -- and that they manage to make it unique, fascinating and funny is genius. Bravo to Oliver and his writers. He is the Jester we desperately need.
I am studying journalism and, honestly, I absolutely agree!
I get that John doesn't want it marketed as journalism since the stories generally tackle really complicated subject, and often the idea should be that they are shinning light on an obscure topic on which you should do more individual research and at times it might get subjective, but being self aware about the potential bias and the necessity of diving deeper to get the full picture just make it more honest
Last week tonight is honestly a big motivation regarding tackling maybe obscure stories of great significance and really made me want to do journalism in the first place
I find it fascinating how John always looks so pained during interviews and yet he seems totally at ease on stage for the show.
Stacey Robinson Maybe he is constantly worried that the journalist is just trying to get him to admit that he’s a very real threat to how the journalist’s boss maintains power?
Stacey Robinson
Because he’s in control of his own show
Well this one is really uncomfortable because the interviewer isn't conversing, he's talking AT him, asking questions but doesn't respond to any of them. It's weird.
@@andreaandrea6716 That's true. He seems quite relaxed with Stephen Colbert. Obviously, they know each other well already but I also think Stephen is a much more skilled and personable interviewer.
@@Stacey_Robinson Absolutely! SO much more skilled (Colbert is so present!) ... I couldn't watch this to the end because this guy is so artificial ... he prob doesn't mean to be, but it's as if he's playing the role of interviewer, but is not a good actor and isn't comfortable in the role ... and it shows. His discomfort was so loud & distracting I couldn't hear what John Oliver was saying.
John hasn't conflated himself with being a journalist.... journalists have conflated themselves with being John Oliver.
John likes to point out how fun it is to waste HBOs money, but it seems like (or I hope that) HBO realise that his show gives them a huge amount of goodwill.
I notice you spell realize the British way. If you're indeed a Brit, do you guys have a way to watch the uncensored version of the show, meaning any parts that "illegally" offend the royalty, which John and Co replaces with nonsense for British consumption? I can't even make sense of how and where that gets applied, but I expect we'll outlaw criticism of Trump as soon as he gets around to it.
As for goodwill, HBO is obscenely overpriced, and makes mostly crap I have no interest in, but Oliver and Maher's shows keep me subscribed, and whatever else is worth watching beyond that at least softens how much I hate paying that $14.99/mo. I guess you can call that goodwill? Lol
@@hunglikeahamster3248 No, I'm Swedish. I pay the equivalent of $11, which while it still could be called overpriced is the same as Netflix, so I guess it's different in different regions. I have just been watching Last Week Tonight on TH-cam, but His Dark Materials made me get an HBO subscription. (Beforeigners is also quite good, but I think that one might be only on HBO Nordic because Americans hate subtitles?) I have not cancelled yet...
I took a trial for Amazon Prime to watch their Good Omens adaptation (which is wonderful), but I cancelled that as soon as I'd watched the series. That I don't like Amazon played a part in that. (Among other things thanks to Oliver's piece on how they treat their workers.)
@@RikardPeterson $11 eh? Damn. Same as everything else - we pay more. Maybe the Dems will give us a single-payer HBO For All bill if Bernie's elected. Commies. Lol
I looked up Beforeigners. Nope. We don't get it. And yes, I hate subtitles. I can either read the movie or watch the movie but I can't do both. Dubs are OK though you lose the real actor's voices and the dubs can be pretty awful.
Yes, His Dark Materials was great, as was The Watchmen. Seriously peeved that Watchmen's creator has effectively killed it cuz he's apparently bored or whatever...
The only thing I'm looking forward to other than Oliver's return is the next round of Westworld. They sure do drag releases out on HBO. It's a wonder Khaleesi didn't die of old age.
As for Amazon I was so glad you went on to say you immediately dropped it. I would chop off a toe before I'd ever give Bezos another dime. I'd already noticed this, but it's fun to see how few characters you need to type in TH-cam search before the thing you're looking for is at the top of the results. You only have to type "John O" before John Oliver Amazon is the first result. :)
HungLikeAHamster I subscribe to HBO just for John Oliver. My shrink, who honestly doesn’t do as much for me as Oliver does, bills me $275 for 45 minutes. I’m not being sarcastic in the slightest when I say Last Week Tonight is the best money I spend on therapy, far and away.
@@dasaauto2024 $275 for 45 minutes? What are you, nuts? Lol
Well, Reader's Digest has always said laughter is the best medicine, and I always agreed. From when I was a little kid on...
John is pretty unique, blowing several gaskets per show and making us do the same, yet bringing us all back down for a reasonably gentle landing. Meanwhile he's made us better informed and *properly* angry about things we might not otherwise ever contemplate.
I hope you get at least some other value from your HBO fees. A show I've found therapeutic is High Maintenance, in its own more passive way.
I live on less than $11,000 a year, plus food stamps. So that $14.99 hits me a lot harder. But I get Hulu and Netflix as well. Watch it all on my phone. I decided long ago that even if I was piss poor I wasn't going to live a bare ramen noodle existence. Gotta have *some* perks or there's no point...
@9:04 "You can't claim to have ALL the answers,
*because once you do that you're a messianic figure*
*and should be immediately destroyed."* XD
(John Oliver, on penultimate day of 2019)
Dear John, every single one of your episodes is at least great!
Please let me express how grateful I am for your and your team's dedication to this wonderful project.
Please keep up the great work!
We appreciate it greatly!
Thank you.
At 17:00 Oliver says his work all needs to be built on true facts or "... you have undermined every point you have been trying to make and every beautifully stupid joke you have tried to tell." That is at the heart of why he is a different type of comedian than most and also is the reason he is undeniably an influencer of opinion on an international scale. Oliver, Colbert, and Stewart all resist being called news, but they are part of how we process current events. All of them also function as critics of the news process as well.
It's why I respect his work so much... but in today's trump era I'm not sure it's true. Every day I see trump and his lackies throwing out lie after lie without the least care for accuracy, and it works for nearly half the population. So does it really matter if John is playing by the rules when some of the most destructive forces in society today have thrown out the rulebook and it appears to be working.
@David Kuhn Yes it does matter that John plays by the rules. If for nothing else but to highlight the lies and inaccuracies being spewed by Trumpy and his mafia. It's also to show those that don't support Trumpy and his goons, that there is truth out there. Without that truth then Trumpy will have won the big game, the long con and nothing will matter. It may appear to be working for now and it may continue to work for a lot longer still but it will eventually collapse. He's built a glass house of lies which everyone with a brain can see. The problem for him is that he's also throwing stones and eventually the glass will break.
Hyper Kin I couldn’t agree more, a few of them focus on trump so much they kind of becomes the symbol of anti-trump, which makes them appear much less creditable and bias when they talk about other issues, even when they are actually not, because they have already established that image. The difference of John Oliver is, you know his stance, you know which side he’s on, but he actually focus mostly on issues that affect everyone, disregard your political stance, and shine lights on issues that’s lesser known but nonetheless important and significant.
@@kuhndj67 - They play to different audiences. Trump's base likes the way he says things, even though what he actually says is utterly meaningless, he just _sounds_ "strong" to them or whatever when he does, regardless of accuracy. Oliver's audience cares about truth, and enjoys his way of making fun of reality, which only works if you understand what that reality actually is.
You can't just swap the content or styles between the groups. I think this is also evident on platforms like TH-cam - most right wing content caters to Trump's base, so it's loud and light on facts and citations. Shapiro (and like, any show on Fox), for example, talks loud and super fast because I guess that's what they think "confidence" sounds like, regardless of his actual content. Meanwhile, left wing content here (like, for example, Shaun, or Three Arrows) tends to be more long form with a calmer demeanor that work to break down the facts and build up a narrative that actually reflects reality.
Any showman, left or right, comedic or news, has to play to their audience and understand how they engage.
@Hyper Kin - "whether you agree with it or not--"Orange Man bad." It's two faced, is all."
Eh, there's definitely some of that, but it's usually built on their previous statements from previous shows - running gags, in other words. Most of the time, including on Colbert's show (which has gone down this route a bit) or on Noah's Daily Show (which is probably the worst in this matter) they say, "Orange man bad... because he did/said this". It's rarely just, "haha, Trump r bad".
And then there's Meyers, who is reductive in his monologue/jokes, but goes quite deep into the issues on his Closer Look segments.
Regarding Obama, I'd recommend going back and watching some of Stewart's shows in the Obama era. Yes, it was mostly mocking Fox (because literally everything Fox does deserves to be mocked...), but he called out Obama and the Democrats plenty of times, and is famously a huge critic of the likes of CNN. The drone strike thing in particular is a favorite red herring of the right, but really falls flat. Obama got a lot of criticism from the left for that policy, it's not like he was revered as a cult leader who could do no wrong. And it's worth noting that these current callbacks to Obama's use of drone strikes tend to come from people who either don't know or aggressively don't care that Trump's administration has only increased them.
Damn, I missed his voice ... that's a weird realization.
This between-seasons hiatus is starting to leave a mark on you too, eh? 2 and a half month since the final "full" episode of 2019. When I saw it pop up on my feed two weeks ago, the short push notifications piece... It was almost like big fat ray of sunshine slapped across the nose in the middle of this soggy arctic winter.
The product of his (and his team's) work, is like if the McDonalds drivethrough, Whole Foods and Hooters hooked up on Grindr. And 5 years later they're all married, teach (renewable) energy studies at MIT, and have a wholesome, intelligent and only _mildly_ retarded lovechild named Chiijohn.
DemonDarakna I also get to a point where I start searching out interviews, watching old shows...
@@pr0xZen I don't know why he is so special to me but his voice/delivery and mind/wit are equally exquisite. John sounds like a guy who stays up reading and writing and laughing! Not sleeping.
I don’t think John, Stephen, Seth, Trevor, and Samantha realize that it helps to be able to just laugh at what’s going on. Or in John’s case, we get to see a story outside of the Trump shit
"The worst thing to do is to...take people by the hand and say 'Let's walk into this complicated forest together,' and then....later say 'and that's it - bye!!'" Well, that's a perfect description of the nightly news...
A Canadian interviewing a Brit about all things American.
Multiculturalism does work.
Topics that John Oliver can not explain: Quantum physics. That's all. And it's because nobody really can.
News, and sensitive topics, covered by Oliver and team are appreciated. Once in a while I disagree, but that only increases the amount of research I tend to.
That is a very healthy attitude, and one seen far to rarely on the internet, people tend to prefer their echo chambers
Oliver show is based of facts. When you swing that hard at everyone you'd be sued off the air if what he did wasn't based on real facts. HBO would say no. You have to stop. Rating are good lawsuits are not when you are losing.
What a fantastic interview. Been a fan of Oliver for years and the show is always fantastic. Very refreshing to see the host/face of the show always refer to the 'we' when discussing the show. Really demonstrates how humble he is in regards to his role within the show as a whole, never taking credit for anything and instead constantly referring to the team effort involved throughout to make it what it is. There is a reason why the show is as successful as it is. Here's hoping for many more years.
"Show people things they haven't seen before." That is why the show is actually important. I've learned about a lot of things from the show that no other news outlet would have the balls to cover.
That's so true. I also love the simmering frustration about certain subjects that eventually boils into justifiable anger.
Also the pure silliness of some of the bits.🤣
I didn't notice it till a year ago as it's not really broadcasted in the UK but I pretty much binge watched it all over a month.
I wish he would do something similar over here tbh.
I have such a big crush on John Oliver. I wish I could see him more. I often cheat on him with Stephen Colbert. Occasionally I go even younger with Trevor Noah. I feel like I could love Stephen, and keep Trevor too. John, just let me know if your ready for commitment. I'm not ready to leave you, but I need more....more of you.
What a wonderfully witty comment! Thanks, made my day!
Eh, i am just having poliamorous relationship with entire bunch of Stewart's comedy kids/disciples 😏 my recommendation for your cheat list is Hasan Minhaj
Jo Laderach we think the same
I knew J Oliver was funny but I didn't expect him to be so sincere . . .
Also I’m sad that Stephen Colbert has diluted himself so much over the years that the gravity he used to carry in his Colbert Report days is all but gone. His late night show is just the same fluff as the others, but with more political one-liners.
kijiji93 Yes, I agree with you 100%. Colbert is the rare type of comedic genius that can do satire at the highest level. His wit is legendary. What he does now is just a small fraction of what he is capable of-and he has to be painfully aware of this, unfortunately. :/
His take is just genius, the weaving of a narrative that can relate serious stuff and making you laugh.
I like the way he talks about the staff... especially the answer to the question at 34:00, about mistakes that shortchange their hard work.
I love John Oliver. He and Stewart have just been so educational. Even though they are comedy shows, they still convey more actual factual news than the actual news does.
I agree. What’s more is that they tell us why these stories matter and why we should pay attention. It is remarkable how Stewart was able to convey the importance of a topic in the news day after dah
And Minhaj
If you are speaking truth to power right now you are helping to keep a sector of the population sane.
Either Jon doesn’t realize how big or what a positive influence he has had on “telling the truth” and talking about things that really needs to be talked about. But I’m really thankful for his (and his co-workers) input into this god- forsaken earth.
Thank you John Oliver and Ali Velshi, great conversation.
I would looove to see like a "behind the scenes-vlog" of his and his staff's work, especially the research department.
I miss LWT.
It returns on February 16 :)
You better be watching on HBO not free on TH-cam
SpiralEntree
For those of us without an income, TH-cam is the only feasible way.
I would watch John Oliver every night if I could. I think all news networks should make the news funny. That would make the world a better place!
Funny AND factual, although I'd settle for the factual part because SO much of the news is just pointless diversion away from the real things going wrong with the world!
John Oliver is at a completely different level.
He and his team truly deserve every single award they’ve received!!
That was very enjoyable.
Very relaxed . Interview .
I will be watching that again very soon .
thanks for posting this... I look forward to seeing Last Week Tonight every week.
I've always felt that Last Week Tonight is unique in that the long segments are like an in-depth 60 Minutes segment, but with humor inserted to hold the audience's attention. Kudos to John Oliver and his staff!
Thank you for bringing this !! So insightful on so many levels. Thank you Thank you Thank you.
Genius comes in odd wrappers ... but it always shines through ... Grateful for John Oliver's insights 👏
Stewart and Oliver have great researchers who do great research. They don't get crowded by the "news cycle" and deliver serious ,if irreverent, stories. Do you trust Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh more than John Stewart or John Oliver? Thank you Philadelphia
Does Jon Stewart have a show now? I thought he was producing Late Show with Stephen Colbert?
My name is Devon im from austin texas and Last week tonight has got to be my fav show of all. It is truly amazing,and everyone should at least give it a chance and watch one episode start to finish. That's my opinion the only thing id change is the fact that they take breaks and don't put out new ones in the offseason. Or that it is hbo and not free. But that is unrealistic to ask for so i say: keep it going and don't change a thing. I hope john oliver reads this, and if you do, want to say that you and the people you work with are doing an outstanding job, dont change a thing!
Mylgphone Elgee He does put his main stories on TH-cam for free, which is a great service and not common, either.
True, good point.
Shovels full of sugar to help the medicine go down.
Mary Poppins is shaking her head
Some medicine just need a shovelful of sugar! lol
Love John Oliver! Humble, direct, intelligent, honest & funny.
Waiting for LWT to return and for a John Oliver action figure to hit the market. I really need a John Oliver action figure to grace the shelf above my monitor.
Where is Janice in accounting?
I don‘t know this interviewer but John Oliver donating his time to an obscure talk show is laudable. Having a man wearing a cheap suit insult his subjects apparel is unprofessional. Kind of like, nice trousers Ali, expecting a flood? Or looks like JC Penny‘s had a husky boys sale. You know that kind of immature banter.
You don’t know Ali Velshi? He is an awesome journalist. You can catch him regularly on MSNBC !
Come back and save us John!
WHY doesn’t Canada have a John Oliver?
🇨🇦We couldn’t even keep a Samantha Bee 🇨🇦
We desperately need Oliver & Velshi to produce some Canada material.
Hell, make it as a CBC-BBC vehicle, like Dr.Who?
yes please
Rick Mercer - sad that he is gone and awaiting for who will replace him.
Ali Velshi is good at remembering questions but it's like he's not listening to John Oliver and his answers to bounce back from what he says.
Jack Black I notice a lot of the cable news pundits do that with any cast. They want to hear themselves talk and get through their list of questions. They’re not interested in a real conversation and that makes them not very good at their jobs imo
Jack Black
Seth Meyers is the best for that. He has actual conversations with his guests rather than a series of talking points. The only time I can remember him being even slightly reverential was when he had Glenda Jackson on. Of course, she’s a mighty force to reckon with...
The sheer information density of his fact-based comedy is a Sunday treat.
John Oliver helps break down a week-long passive intake of calories.
Yet, we all seem to be putting on weight.
We probably need to get healthier inbetween shows!
Great interview. Needs more hits! He inspires me.
John tells the BEST stories, he's SO clever, Great comedic timing and sense of humor, AND 'es Bri ish! I tune in just to listen and watch him talk. He and his staff do innovative and stellar story writing and reporting.
He’s a smart one, isn’t he? And as Jerry said on his Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee episode, he has an oddly American voice despite being British. It’s quite interesting to see. I strive to be intelligent like him.
Is it just me or were the questions asked pretty weird... "do you realize that people are thanking you for that service?" what?
This may not be the most relevant thing, but it is a bit sad to see John seeming to get older the more he reports on things. I will still be with him as he greys and will stick by his show until it ends, but I hope he is okay continuing forward.
Me too! Love John Oliver!
I love John Oliver's attitude x3
28:32 I think thats the biggest most genuine belly laugh I've ever heard from John Oliver.
I adore John Oliver!!!thanks for having him. on!❤️
praise be praise be
mega-reverand & ceo of our lady of perpetual exemption
Sam Allardyce praise be praise be
it takes a canadian and a brit to make sense of america. americans sure can't.
Omg! It’s fucking logical! John Oliver covers situations that are socially important with a sarcastic but sober way by pointing out human hypocrisy. Most news media covers foolish and dramatic shit in a brainless way. This is why the media can’t differentiate journalism with satirical comedy. Maybe journalism needs to take themselves less seriously and talk about real issues for all the right reasons...
It’s sad to say. He just described doing a journalist’s job and I’d rather get my news from a JO than Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, and all the rest of the useless media frenzy of stupid shit!!
he’s interviewing and asking JO silly media based questions to find out how journalists should actually do it right!! Hahaha
TV game show," find the funny" a panel of comics are presented with story of question. Team a says we got 3, team b says 4 jokes, bid till one or the other challenges. The audience then judges the funny.
I am fricking respect these two men. Especially John
I know this is vapid, but is John getting buff or pudgy? I can't tell, and my guess is he would have a good joke about this question.
I think we (viewers) feel like comedians are viable (if not great) sources of news and information because we can TRUST that they put in the work, took the TIME, to get it correct. Rather than, rushing to say anything, everything, FIRST! - truth be damned.
John doesn't need to give the same level of care about what he says affecting sponsors and corporate concerns. And anyone that cares enough to learn something about anything, doesn't care about bias, everything has bias. We digest and filter the bias and then apply our own bias anyway. If you just want confirmation of your bias, well, you already know where to get it, and we not looking to learn anything to begin with.
How has this not gone viral yet?
because he is a corporate sellout.,
I love this guy, but this video is not particularly interesting
42 streets ahead of iin think Harmon? I felt bad for this idiomatic disagreement. Leave im alone bcuz fascist ain't never gonna be this eyepatch Morty's default.
In closing, leave Dan alone. #SCOTCH-IRISH #Acton Stronger rules apply.
Was ruff growing Dere. But princess Yasmina was aok.
God damnit I may be a new John Oliver fan...
Sitting here watching John Oliver I suddenly realized that I'm wearing the same thing as Oliver and I'm not sure what that says about me.... or John Oliver
asked production questions then ended with zero resolve... genius
I love you John Oliver and you are an absolute treasure added to this F***** u* country. Thank you for caring and exposing all the garbage/poison in our society
Ali is a substitute for Rachel Maddow and others on MSNBC. When I see that he does, I change the channel. I don't care for him, and I didn't like this interview at all.
John Oliver looks like a Brittish Millhouse..
Brett S.
[British]
I am not sure if John is aware of this, but we live in a world so tremendously fucked up, that i cant watch the news. But his show, and other shows like his, are digestible, i can be informed without my anxiety taking over me, because comedy does that, it takes you by the hand and tells you, yeah, everything is horrible, but i understand and we will go through this together. Im sure im not the only one that have this experience. Also he being european in origin, kinda makes it easier for non americans to understand what happens over there.
Dear John Oliver, Your eyebrows are truly sentient caterpillars!
Lorrie
What kind of butterflies do they turn into?