Last Week Tonight Episode Review: John Oliver Goes for the Gold, Takes the Bronze

at
Share This Post

review

last week tonight episode review

 

Perhaps the most notable feature of the most recent edition of Last Week Tonight was the absence of Donald Trump…or Hillary Clinton, for that matter. But then, this is one of those weeks where the Olympics preempt everything, so why should John Oliver’s weekly fandango be an exception?

Actually, he only devoted part of his show to the 2016 Olympics, which he covered in some depth during his first segment, and to which he added a largely un-funny footnote in one of those very brief second segments. In keeping with the Olympic spirit, or some such thing, I have provided a link to that first part, below. I will leave it to you to determine the entertainment value of that bit. Personally, I’ve seen better first segments, although I was amused to see a return of the self-deprecating humor he always manages to pull off with such class, notwithstanding.

As is often the case, John Oliver made his third and featured segment about a matter his viewers may not have devoted much thought to, especially in light of the two-ring circus that has been passing for a presidential election. His topic was journalism, and the not-so-easy transition from print to electronic media, as in the garbage you are reading at this very moment.

In theory, it sounds like an idea whose time has come. After all, should we not be saving all those trees for wildfires, as the Lord intended? In fact, there are several flies in the ointment, many of which have to do with the lust for page views (which is to say, ad views) winning out over “boring” stories of local interest, such as corruption and referenda. We can only hope that the situation will become righted at some point, and segments such as Oliver has presented to us can only help the process along.

In terms of comedy, this show was not his best, by any means, but in terms of making us think about a serious subject, he does rate a medal of some sort. You may have noticed, if you have read my past articles on this subject that, like the Olympic officials do for the pole vaulters, I have set the bar very high. That is because there are a lot of classy comedians out there competing for our attention. They, and not Mrs. Fernswallow’s seventh-grade literature class, are his competition, to which he must measure up, week after week. All that is not to say that he (and much of his ilk) do not provide a welcome respite from the miasma of “reality” TV and seasonal political attack ads. Even mediocre John Oliver is better than most of the TV in Newton Minnow and T.S. Eliot’s favorite wasteland. 

Last Week Tonight, HBO, August 7, 2016

Read more comedy news.

The following two tabs change content below.

Thomas Cleveland Lane

Thomas Cleveland Lane is a semi-retired freelance writer for pay and a stage actor for nothing more than the opportunity to make a fool of himself. Well, he does get a small stipend from the Washington Area Decency League, after playing the role of Hinezie in The Pajama Game, to never, ever appear on stage in his underpants again. When he has not managed to buffalo some director into casting him, Thomas can often be found at his favorite piano bar, annoying the patrons with his caterwauling. Thomas is the author of an anthology called Shaggy Dogs, a Collection of Not-So-Short Stories (destined to become a cult classic, shortly after he croaks). He is also the alter-ego to a very unbalanced Czech poet named Glub Dzmc. Mr. Lane generally resides in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and was last seen in the mirror, three days ago.
Thomas Cleveland Lane

Thomas Cleveland Lane

Thomas Cleveland Lane is a semi-retired freelance writer for pay and a stage actor for nothing more than the opportunity to make a fool of himself. Well, he does get a small stipend from the Washington Area Decency League, after playing the role of Hinezie in The Pajama Game, to never, ever appear on stage in his underpants again. When he has not managed to buffalo some director into casting him, Thomas can often be found at his favorite piano bar, annoying the patrons with his caterwauling. Thomas is the author of an anthology called Shaggy Dogs, a Collection of Not-So-Short Stories (destined to become a cult classic, shortly after he croaks). He is also the alter-ego to a very unbalanced Czech poet named Glub Dzmc. Mr. Lane generally resides in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and was last seen in the mirror, three days ago.