When it comes to late night television, HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is always on the cutting edge, constantly addressing issues which are critical and don’t always make the mainstream news. John Oliver does a fantastic job of educating his viewers on the topics that matter, while still being able to mix in humor and make the show entertaining. Each week, Oliver and his team do in-depth research and then break down a large topic to help the viewers understand the problem, why it matters, and often what can be done as a solution. I truly believe that Last Week Tonight is the one show that everyone should be watching. Of course I recommend watching each and every episode, but to get you started, here are some of the show’s best main story segments.
1. Televangelists
The best episode of Last Week Tonight has got to be this one, in which John Oliver takes down televangelists and the ways in which they exploit people of faith in order to fund their luxurious lifestyles. Oliver also critiques the fact that through IRS laws which allow tax-exemptions for religious organizations and churches, this is all entirely legal. In an amazing way of demonstrating the ridiculousness of the laws surrounding this, Oliver actually creates his own fully legal church, “Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption” and calls viewers to send him money. This episode is probably the best example of the hilarious lengths to which Oliver is willing to go to demonstrate his points to viewers.
2. Miss America Pageant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDPCmmZifE8
This episode is one of the show’s first that got national attention, and rightfully so. Through one of the show’s most deeply-researched pieces, Oliver criticizes not only the problematic existence of the Miss America Pageant itself, but also exposes how the Miss America Organization falsely represents itself as the largest provider of scholarships for women.
3. Donald Trump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnpO_RTSNmQ
This recent episode is the show’s most popular ever, and went viral with over 22 million YouTube views. Oliver belittles GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, deconstructing his attitude, popularity, and policies. At a time when Trump is so omnipresent in the mainstream media cycle, Oliver is able to undermine Trump’s fame through creating the hashtag #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain, calling to mind Trump’s ancestral last name in order to remind people of Trump’s true nature.
In another recent episode, Oliver criticizes America’s abortion laws and shuts down the argument that stricter laws are in place in order to protect women’s health. What is so great about this episode is that it recognizes that this is a touchy subject and that stances the issue are not as black and white as they are often represented, noting that around 78% of Americans believe that abortion should be allowed in, at the very least, some extreme cases. Oliver appeals to viewers’ sense of compassion, detailing harrowing instances of what happens when women are unable to access an abortion, and calling people to realize that even if they believe that abortion should only be legal in extreme cases, this still requires proper facilities and reasonable, practical access for women who seek one.
5. Mandatory Minimums
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDVmldTurqk
As one of John Oliver’s phenomenal Season 2 collection of episodes criticizing the judicial system and prison industrial complex, this one in particular looks at the way in which mandatory minimum sentences have extensively increased the United States’ prison population, and the effects this has had on millions of Americans. By breaking down the laws which were passed to enact such sentences, along with the results of their existence, Oliver questions why these laws are still in place and encourages reform. This episode’s use of clips from interviews with prisoners serving mandatory minimum sentences highlights one of the strengths of Last Week Tonight, which is the show’s ability to personalize the issue they are addressing.
Last Week Tonight started to blossom just as Jon Stewart left The Daily Show and The Colbert Report ended, allowing John Oliver the chance to succeed Stewart and Colbert as a great host of a show which takes a comedic spin on serious issues. But Last Week Tonight has done what both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report never could -- while the others only ever scratched the surface of delving into a topic, Last Week Tonight devotes the majority of each weekly episode (approximately 20 minutes) to an in-depth exploration of a controversial and difficult question facing our society. As demonstrated, this new format Oliver has pioneered is incredibly successful, having already earned the show numerous Emmy nominations and one win along with a Peabody Award. With Last Week Tonight, John Oliver proves that mixing a comedic perspective with a deep passion and caring for the issues that our society faces creates entertainment you don't want to miss.
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