When it comes to news these days there isn’t really much to rely on for good old fashioned unbiased information. You look at almost any of the major news outlets and they are either too far right or too far left. It makes it really hard to separate the facts from the fiction. I have given up on traditional news outlets mainly for that reason. Instead, over the years, I have found myself turning to shows like "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" or The Colbert Report for my news. My new news obsession is killing the game in my opinion, and that is "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver."
John Oliver has been at the forefront of some of the most controversial issues since his show started airing on HBO last year. He has a style that seamlessly integrates humor with some of the most intricately researched information I’ve ever heard from any news outlet. Oliver and his team must constantly be doing research because I feel legitimately more informed when I’m done watching his segments. Also he releases most of his segments for free on YouTube which is great because then even people who don’t have HBO can get the majority of the information he puts out. Not only is he incredibly informative, but he is also really, really funny. He is a comedian first and foremost. He has done stand-up in the past and he was a character on the show Community for a while. He had experience with political satire as a writer for The Daily Show and he hosted while Jon Stewart was on his sabbatical.
The best thing about John Oliver and his show is that he isn’t afraid to tackle subjects that otherwise would be tough to tackle. He had the option to replace Jon Stewart as host of The Daily Show, but I’m glad he didn’t because he wouldn’t be able to do some of the stuff he does if he was on Comedy Central still. He interviewed Edward Snowden for God’s sake…in Moscow. He is most definitely on some kind of list now because of that. Even though he will swear on his own life that his show is primarily a comedy show, I disagree. It is so much more than that. It is a place where people can go to get actual facts about some of the most important issues in our world right now.
I suggest watching that entire 33-minute video because it's very informative, but at least watch the Snowden interview because it is fascinating and rather funny. It starts at about the 14 minute mark.
John Oliver will never admit to it, but he is exactly what we need right now. He gives us facts in an entertaining way so that people of all ages can enjoy them and understand them. It also doesn’t hurt that he is British. That allows him to look at our system from an outsider’s perspective which I think is crucial right now. I, for one, love John Oliver and his show and I hope it continues for a long time. When it comes to the war on bullsh*t people like Trevor Noah and Larry Wilmore are doing commendable jobs over on Comedy Central, but the real hero is John Oliver because he is willing and able to do what they aren’t always able to do—give us real news.I am going to leave you with a speech by Jon Stewart. I know this article is about John Oliver, but this speech, which is about always being on the lookout for bullsh*t, is what he is all about on his show.
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