Despite being a huge fan of both The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, I find myself on the verge of subscribing to HBO simply so I can watch John Oliver’s superior Last Week Tonight. The topical segments posted to YouTube often stun me with their clarity and–dare I say it?–educational value. While amusing, Oliver’s topical monologues explicate America’s problems with a simple, powerful eloquence rarely seen.
When I talk about Oliver, my remarks iterate this theme: He ought to be cloned and installed in every classroom in the USA. That said, I’d never thought about exactly how and what he was doing until I read this article in Salon:
“John Oliver Won’t Be Your Therapist: How He Torpedoed the Reassuring Tropes of Fake News”
I am in debt to Steve Almond for his first rate analysis of Oliver’s work. Thanks to Almond, I understand a bit more why I find John Oliver as fascinating as a rainbow–and a lot more informative.
Cassandra
Uncommon Scolds 