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Tag: last week tonight

  • ‘Last Week Tonight’: John Oliver Slams Trump’s ‘Great Gatsby’ Party Amid SNAP Freeze

    As many celebrated Halloween, the end of the month also marked the suspension of SNAP benefits for many Americans amid the government shutdown.

    On Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver called out Donald Trump for continuing to blame the shutdown on Democrats as he went to a Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago before his administration froze the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on Nov. 1.

    “Yeah, not only is that pretty insulting,” he said. “I’m guessing it’s also pretty infuriating to whatever exhausted high school freshman just wrote a 4,000-word essay about Great Gatsby as a grim meditation on the disillusionment of the American Dream, only for CNN to tell them, ‘You know what? It’s really just a book about rich people partying.’”

    Oliver continued, “And for what it’s worth, the actual theme of that event was, and I quote, ‘A Little Party Never Killed Nobody.’ And I guess that is true. Although, it is also true, that as we are all finding out right now, a ‘grand old party’ is capable of killing a whole lot of people, and unfortunately, they don’t seem to give a single marble and gold-encased shit about that.”

    The suspension of SNAP benefits to over 42 million Americans by the Trump administration on Nov. 1 has proved to be a political lightning rod during a pretty low-key shutdown. In some of the ugliest examples of the MAGA mindset, the Department of Agriculture has determined in October it can’t use the billions in contingency funds long set aside for SNAP, due to legal considerations.

    That decision has led to a series of court challenges by states, cities and others amidst an expected surge at food banks.

    Two federal judges this week ruled the administration has to tap into the $6 billion available. However, despite Trump posting late Friday it would be his “honor to provide the funding, just like I did with military and law enforcement pay,” the administration is demanding the courts provide guidance on how to pay out — a process that will still delay SNAP recipients from receiving benefits for weeks in the very best case scenario.

    Glenn Garner

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  • John Oliver Dings Tom Sandoval & Says Pigs Are Smarter Than ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star

    John Oliver Dings Tom Sandoval & Says Pigs Are Smarter Than ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Star

    Tom Sandoval of Vanderpump Rules continues to be the punchline of jokes for late-night shows and John Oliver took a swipe at the Bravo star on the latest episode of Last Week Tonight.

    Oliver took on the scam known as “pig butchering,” which is when scammers fatten up their victims with the promise of money and end up scamming them out of money.

    “Imagine being the victim of this scam, turning on the news and suddenly learning the shorthand for people in your situation is — the pigs,” Oliver said.

    He continued, “Although, I will say, it could’ve been worse. Pigs are awesome. They are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet. They are smarter than dogs, most three-year-olds and Tom Sandoval.”

    Watch the moment in the clip below.

    Oliver, who is a fan of Bravo’s programming, is the latest comedian to joke about Sandoval. On Saturday night, SNL also called out the reality TV star, labeling him a “pure narcissist.”

    Sandoval lives in infamy after cheating on Ariana Madix with their Vanderpump Rules co-star Rachel Leviss. The affair became known as “Scandoval” and a pop culture moment that was a turning point for the show’s stars and the series itself with a noticeable rise in ratings.

    The Bravo star recently came under fire after, in a New York Times profile, he compared the scandal’s impact to George Floyd and the O.J. Simpson case.

    After the interview was published, backlash ensued and Sandoval released a statement apologizing for making those remarks.

    “My intentions behind the comments I made in New York Times Magazine were to explain the level of national media attention my affair received. The comparison was inappropriate and ignorant. I’m incredibly sorry and embarrassed,” Sandoval said.

    Armando Tinoco

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  • John Oliver Offers Clarence Thomas $1 Million A Year To Resign

    John Oliver Offers Clarence Thomas $1 Million A Year To Resign

    Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver detailed the corruption of Clarence Thomas and offered him $1 million a year for the rest of his life to resign from the Supreme Court.

    John Oliver Offers Clarence Thomas $1 Million Per Year To Resign

    Oliver said:

     Clarence Thomas is arguably the most consequential Justice on the court right now and he’s never really seemed to like the job he said it’s not worth doing for the grief so what if he could keep the luxury perks that he clearly enjoys without having to endure all of that grief well I think there might actually be a way to do that because Justice Thomas we have a special offer for you tonight we are prepared to offer you $1 million a year for the rest of your life if you simply agree to leave the Supreme Court immediately and never come back. It is that simple: just sign this contract, resign, and the money is all yours. This is not a joke. If you watch our show, you know jokes aren’t really our thing. This is real: a million dollars a year until you or I die.

    We have spoken to experts who’ve all told us the best they can tell this is somehow legal which seems crazy to me cuz it really feels like it shouldn’t be but as they keep pointing out there are no rules in place to stop me from doing this and let me be clear HBO is not putting up the money for this I am personally on the hook for years but this  offer is not forever you have exactly 30 days from Midnight tonight to make your resignation effective and if you are still on the fence I actually have a little deal sweetener that I’m excited to show you so please come with me just
    come this way because we know you’ve got a lot on your plate right now from stripping away women’s rights to hearing January 6th cases you definitely shouldn’t be hearing to potentially help roll back decades of federal regulations deserve a break you know away from the meanness of Washington so you can be surrounded by the regular folks whose lives you made demonstrably worse for decades now and the good news is I think we can help you there because since your favorite mode of travel might be in need of an upgrade.

    To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.

    We are excited to offer you this brand new top-of-the-line Marathon motor coach look at this beauty Clarence it’s worth $2.4 million and it’s got a full bedroom yes that is a king size bed one and a half baths a fireplace four TVs a washer dryer and and I quote a residential size fridge and if you’re thinking what will my friends say if I take this offer will they judge me as they sit in their boardrooms and mega yachts and Hitler shrines will they still treat me to luxury vac occasions and sing songs about me off their phones that’s the beauty of friendship Clarence if they’re real friends, they’ll love you no matter what your job is so I guess this might be the perfect way to find out who your real friends actually are so that’s the offer a million dollar a year Clarence and a brand new condo on wheels and all you have to do return is sign the contract and get the off the Supreme Court talk it over with your totally best friend in the whole world because the clock starts now 30 daysClarence let’s do this.

    Video:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-U6du_vMW8

    John Oliver Is Making A Point About The Lack Of Rules And Oversight On SCOTUS

    John Oliver was making a point that it is legal to try to pay off a Supreme Court Justice to quit, which is exactly why there needs to be more regulation and oversight of the Supreme Court. Oliver could literally buy a Supreme Court seat vacancy if Justice Thomas would take his offer.

    The odds are that Justice Thomas is getting more than a million dollars in cash and perks.

    However, the fact that Oliver was able to legally make the offer is a big part of the problem with the Supreme Court.

    The Supreme Court is a threat to democracy in its current lawless condition, and John Oliver is shining a bright light on how easy it is to buy a Supreme Court Justice.

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    We have been honored to be able to put your interests first for 14 years as we only answer to our readers and we will not compromise on that fundamental, core PoliticusUSA value.

    Jason Easley

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  • John Oliver Says This Issue Causes Him ‘Tension’ With HBO’s Lawyers

    John Oliver Says This Issue Causes Him ‘Tension’ With HBO’s Lawyers

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  • John Oliver Uses Kelsey Grammer Movie ‘Money Plane’ To Highlight Abortion Law Absurdity, Dings Warner Bros. Discovery For Timothée Chalamet’s ‘Wonka’ Reboot

    John Oliver Uses Kelsey Grammer Movie ‘Money Plane’ To Highlight Abortion Law Absurdity, Dings Warner Bros. Discovery For Timothée Chalamet’s ‘Wonka’ Reboot

    As Kelsey Grammer says in his 2020 low-budget action movie Money Plane, “Whatever you want to wager on, the money plane has you covered. You want to bet on a dude f*cking an alligator? Money Plane.”

    Somehow, John Oliver, on his latest episode of HBO‘s Last Week Tonight, managed to use the film to highlight the absurdity of abortion laws in the U.S.

    The British comedian spent the majority of Sunday night’s episode discussing the current situation involving abortion following the Dobbs decision, particularly as it pertains to a number of local elections coming up this week.

    How did he connect the dots? The money plane is much like floating abortion clinics, an idea proposed to get round some states’ making abortions illegal.

    “Lawless territory, no rules, anything goes. It’s not only a foolproof plan, but it’s also the literal premise for the movie Money Plane. You didn’t hallucinate that during peak COVID. There really was a film about a casino in the sky full of thieves, cartels and arms dealers who can never be arrested because the money plane is always moving in international airspace,” said Oliver.

    He continued, “If you haven’t seen it, you should, frankly, stop watching this show right now and go watch that instead. If you pop an edible immediately, it should start to kick in right around when you meet the film’s villain – Darius Emanuel Grouch III, aka “The Rumble”, played by Kelsey Grammer.

    “It is the Frasier reboot that we deserved,” he joked.

    Money Plane, which was distributed in the U.S. by Quiver Distribution, also starred WWE Superstar Adam “Edge” Copeland, Denise Richards and Thomas Jane. It was directed by Andrew Lawrence, who wrote it with Tim Schaaf and was produced by Taylor & Dodge Entertainment and Dawn’s Light Productions.

    Elsewhere on the show, Oliver dinged Business Daddy aka Warner Bros. Discovery for its decision to reboot Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as Wonka starring Timothée Chalamet.

    He highlighted comments from Idaho Republican Mark Sauter, who didn’t realize how much impact such abortion laws would have on his constituents. “That’s not a cute little oopsie, it’s not joking that Timothée Chalamet may could play a young Willy Wonka and the studio immediately greenlit and now you have to figure out what the fact that means.”

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  • John Oliver Exposes a “Hard-Core MAGA Candidate” Running in Tennessee

    John Oliver Exposes a “Hard-Core MAGA Candidate” Running in Tennessee

    Although Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver missed the first round of Kevin McCarthy jabs following the representative’s ouster as House Speaker, he did manage to criticize the current state of the GOP on Sunday night. The Republican Party, Oliver said, “is being controlled by the absolute extremes—but not just nationally, at the local level too.”

    Before delving into Sunday’s main topic, homeschooling, Oliver introduced viewers to Gabrielle Hanson, a real estate agent and town alderman running against the incumbent Republican mayor in Franklin, Tennessee. “She’s branded herself as a hard-core MAGA candidate,” Oliver said, while showing photos of Hanson at Donald Trump’s Florida compound, Mar-a-Lago. “Look how happy she is there. That’s the face of someone who’s just dined out on a well-done steak and read some classified documents on the toilet.”

    And as a NewsChannel 5 investigative reporter Phil Williams—whom Oliver dubbed “Nashville’s nosiest bitch”—has found, Hanson also has a laundry list of controversies. They include allegedly lying about dining with a diverse group of supporters and criticizing a Juneteenth celebration at a Nashville airport, as well as being supported by members of a white nationalist group. (Hanson denied being affiliated with the group.) 

    Hanson also attempted to block a Pride event earlier this year, and voiced her concerns about the event by holding up a photo of a participant dressed in drag as Elmo and classifying it as a confusing threat to children. “But by that logic, we should ban children from walking around Times Square too,” Oliver argued. “Because seeing Olaf from Frozen with his head popped off, smoking a Black & Mild, is way more confusing than someone wearing eye shadow in an Elmo-themed bodysuit.” Oliver also properly identified the drag queen as Jaidynn Diore Fierce—a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race season seven who is “constantly serving cartoon looks.” 

    “Have you ever seen a Minion serve body?” Oliver added. “Because you have now.”

    Oliver then pointed out the hypocrisy of Hanson’s statement by showing a photo of her husband wearing nothing but an American flag Speedo, reportedly on a dare from his wife, while attending 2008’s Chicago Pride Parade. “So to recap,” Oliver said. “Snatched Elmo: irreparably harmful to children. Star-spangled ball bag: That’s apparently completely fine with her.”

    Oliver concluded that Hanson was emblematic of the “vise-like grip” that far-right Republicans have on the party amid McCarthy’s axing. “In a world that made sense, this woman would obviously have withdrawn from this mayoral race in shame—but she still has supporters,” Oliver noted. “And there’s a real chance she could still win this election, because while her numerous scandals are clearly almost cartoonish in their extremity, her behavior is entirely emblematic of Republican politics, from the local level all the way up to the top.”

    Savannah Walsh

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  • John Oliver Slams Budweiser For “Huge Misfire” After Dylan Mulvaney Backlash

    John Oliver Slams Budweiser For “Huge Misfire” After Dylan Mulvaney Backlash

    John Oliver has long had a bone to pick with Budweiser. The late-night host, who previously compared the product’s taste to “The Jolly Green Giant’s ejaculate,” tore into the company on Sunday’s episode of Last Week Tonight, criticizing its response to backlash over a social media partnership with TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney. 

    In the weeks after Mulvaney posted an innocuous ad for Bud Light—a beverage Oliver described as “the beer you’d give a child to drink to teach it a lesson” and “a beer that asks the question: Are we allowed to call cat urine beer?’”—many customers “on the right absolutely lost their shit over this, because Bud Light partnered with a trans woman,” Oliver explained. “There have been calls for boycotts, and this incredibly stupid video from Kid Rock.”

    Oliver then mocked the footage, in which Rock can be seen shooting packs of purchased Bud Light with a rifle. “I don’t think there’s a more dangerous way to dispose of Bug Light other than, of course, drinking it,” Oliver quipped. “And second, not to gun shame Child Rock here, but you are 20 yards away from a target that’s bright, identifiable, and crucially stationary, and you are spraying bullets all over the place. Perhaps that is why it sure seems like you may have help there, because if you watch it slowed down, you’ll notice that three blasts that actually destroy the cases appear to be coming from the right.”

    The host then targeted the “real nastiness” behind the backlash with “moral panic around trans rights” arriving amidst anti-LBTQ laws in various states, including bans on gender-affirming care for kids. “And maddeningly, Anheuser-Busch’s response to that ugliness has been to equivocate in the face of it,” Oliver continued. “Its CEO put out a statement that said, ‘We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.’ Which, sure. Though, again, not technically beer so much as it’s fizzy water swished around a dog’s mouth.”

    He concluded the segment by playing a recent ad for Budweiser that emphasizes the unity its product brings, which Oliver called a “huge misfire.” He added,  “When bigots are loudly announcing they don’t like your beer because they are bigots, that is an opportunity to say ‘Then our beer is not for you.’ But if you’re going to cozy up to them with platitudes, stock footage, and frankly, distractingly fuckable horses, why not at least really go for it?”

    Basically, Oliver explained: “It’s pretty annoying to be both-sidesing something that when the two sides are: ‘I am trans’ and ‘That makes me so mad, I’m going to shoot $65 worth of nonrefundable beer.’”

    Savannah Walsh

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  • John Oliver Exposes Some Of The Most ‘Horrific’ Working Conditions In America

    John Oliver Exposes Some Of The Most ‘Horrific’ Working Conditions In America

    John Oliver on Sunday night pointed out that much of America’s food is still picked by hand ― and most of those hands belong to some of the most poorly treated people in the nation: immigrant farm workers.

    They’re so critical that they were named “essential workers” during the coronavirus pandemic.

    “And yet while we claim they’re essential, we sure don’t treat them like it,” he said, noting that they’re among the lowest-paid workers in the nation while facing dangerous conditions on the job ranging from natural disasters to pesticide exposure to horrible bosses.

    That extends to when they’re not even working, as many are placed in living conditions so bad that one location Oliver found actually functioned as a haunted house on Halloween.

    “That is horrific,” Oliver said after showing footage of some of those living conditions. “No one would see that and say, ‘That is a good place for people to live.’ They maybe say ‘That’s a nice spot for ghosts to throw up’ and that’s it.”

    Oliver called for better conditions and a path toward citizenship for the farm workers who provide much of the nation’s food.

    “Farm workers provide this country with our most basic necessity, and in return we act like they either don’t matter or don’t exist,” he said. “The message that we have sent to them has consistently been: ‘You don’t count.’”

    See more from Sunday’s “Last Week Tonight”:

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  • ‘WOW!’ John Oliver Exposes The ‘Most Bizarre’ Ron DeSantis Story Of All

    ‘WOW!’ John Oliver Exposes The ‘Most Bizarre’ Ron DeSantis Story Of All

    Or, as Donald Trump has reportedly toyed with calling him, “Meatball Ron.”

    “I hate to say it, but Trump’s still got it,” Oliver said on hearing of the nickname. “It’s perfectly stupid, childish and hurtful in a way that’s genuinely difficult to articulate.”

    Oliver looked at DeSantis’ relentless attacks on the LGBTQ community, the media, voters and more. But the strangest item he uncovered involves what Oliver called “the most bizarre dating tactic I have ever heard.”

    If she did, the article claimed, he’d make an excuse and leave because “he didn’t want a girlfriend who corrected him.”

    “If that is true: WOW!” said Oliver. “Just imagine being on that date.”

    Oliver launched into a detailed description of just how that date might unfold, right up to the point of DeSantis taking off “leaving you both with the check and the single greatest first-date disaster story of all time.”

    Oliver ultimately summed up DeSantis as “a petty autocrat and a bully ― a man with no interest in hearing dissent, questions or indeed the correct pronunciation of Thai food.”

    And also: “just a fucking meatball.”

    See the full segment below:

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  • John Oliver Has Easy 2-Word Clue For Knowing When Police Are Full Of ‘Horses**t’

    John Oliver Has Easy 2-Word Clue For Knowing When Police Are Full Of ‘Horses**t’

    John Oliver called out the media for placing too much trust in police when reporting on crime stories ― leading to a two-word phrase heard frequently on TV news segments: “police say.”

    “Yeah, ‘police say,‘” Oliver said. “It’s a phrase that you constantly hear from the mouths of news reporters. It’s right up there with ‘this just in,’ or ‘back to you,’ or ‘I apologize for the actions I did on Cinco de Mayo.’”

    He said while it’s important to speak to the police to cover a story, many news reports simply repeat what’s in a police press release.

    And that can turn out to be a huge mistake for one simple reason.

    “Police lie,” he said bluntly. “And they lie a lot.”

    He recapped some of the stories that have appeared just on “Last Week Tonight” over the years.

    “They lie to get search warrants to conduct raids and to get confessions during interrogations,” he said. “And they even lie under oath, so often in fact here in New York it came to be known as ‘testilying.’”

    That means the word of the police should be treated with “immense skepticism” by the media… and Oliver had the receipts with some real-world examples of cops offering “complete horseshit” to the media:

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