John Oliver
Occupation
Comedian
China Blocks John Oliver's Name On Social Media After Xi Jinping Sketch
By Ed Biggs in Lifestyle / Showbiz on 21 June 2018
John Oliver's 'Last Week Tonight' segment on Xi Jinping didn't go down too well with Chinese authorities.
Any new mentions of Oliver or the name of his show, ‘Last Week Tonight’, have been blocked on China’s version of Twitter following the broadcast of the 20-minute sketch on Sunday (June 17th).
Oliver’s segment laid into Xi Jinping, who has been the country’s leader since 2012, and covered human rights abuses, what he called “dystopian levels of surveillance and persecution” of Uighurs, a Muslim minority in China’s western Xinjiang province, and the detention of Liu Xia, the wife of Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo who died last year while imprisoned.
He also attacked online censorship in China, including the suppression of memes comparing Xi’s figure with that of children’s character Winnie the Pooh.
Continue reading: China Blocks John Oliver's Name On Social Media After Xi Jinping Sketch
Marlon Bundo Is Number One: John Oliver's Book About Mike Pence's Gay Rabbit Outsells The Original
By Holly Mosley in Books / Authors on 22 March 2018
This is the best thing John Oliver has ever done. Ever.
John Oliver has reached peak White House trolling with his latest venture, a children's book about Vice President Mike Pence's gay rabbit Marlon Bundo. It's an LGBTQ take on the politician's own book release, which was released by him and his family on the same day, and it has already outstripped the original in sales.
His family pet is definitely the only thing the 'Last Week Tonight' host likes about the Vice President, but he did find it funny that Pence has taken the name from the Academy Award winning star of 'The Godfather', Marlon Brando; a man who was such a Lothario in his day that he even had multiple homosexual relationships.
Continue reading: Marlon Bundo Is Number One: John Oliver's Book About Mike Pence's Gay Rabbit Outsells The Original
Dustin Hoffman And John Oliver Lock Horns Over Questions Of Sexual Misconduct
By Holly Mosley in Lifestyle / Showbiz on 06 December 2017
John Oliver was not about to let this issue go.
With the uncovering of various incidents of sexual misconduct in Hollywood over the years still ongoing, Dustin Hoffman gets quizzed on his past behaviour by political commentator John Oliver on a Tribeca Film panel this week. The exchange is understandably extremely awkward, yet rather enlightening, to watch.
The 'Last Week Tonight' host has never been one to mince his words or indeed shy away from painful topics, and it was no different on Monday (December 4th 2017) when he brought up accusations against Dustin Hoffman at the 20th anniversary screening of his film 'Wag the Dog'.
Continue reading: Dustin Hoffman And John Oliver Lock Horns Over Questions Of Sexual Misconduct
John Oliver: "Congratulations On Your White Penis"
By Michael West in Movies / TV / Theatre on 23 June 2015
John Oliver was on top form.
John Oliver used Monday's Last Week Tonight to give his two cents on the subject of online harassment and revenge porn.
"Jail can do for your actual life what being in a marching band can do for your social life," Oliver joked. "Even if you're just in for a little while, it can destroy you."
Continue reading: John Oliver On Why The U.S Bail System Is Just Plain Wrong
John Oliver Defends IRS As "The Anus Of The Country"
By Michael West in Movies / TV / Theatre on 13 April 2015
John Oliver defending the IRS. Really?
Wait, what? John Oliver defended the IRS on Last Week Tonight. Kind of looks wrong doesn't it? But, yep, the British comedian used his monologue on Sunday's show to explain why we shouldn't be so hard on the company, which he dubbed "the anus of our country."
"I know that sounds unappealing," he warned, "But I promise if you stay to the end of this there'll be a very sexy reward."
Continue reading: John Oliver Defends IRS As "The Anus Of The Country"
John Oliver Rips Apart For-Profit Policing, Twitter Explodes
By Michael West in Movies / TV / Theatre on 23 March 2015
John Oliver is proving to be hugely popular on U.S television.
John Oliver turned his attention to for-profit policing on Sunday's Last Week Tonight, specifically the municipalities that target low-income black residents with fines and court fees to balance the books.
"The problem with an elected judiciary is sometimes the right decision is neither easy or popular," Oliver said. "And yet, campaigns force judges to look over their shoulder on every ruling."
Continue reading: John Oliver Goes After Elected State Judges On 'Last Week Tonight'
John Oliver Returns With Savage Takedown Of Pharmaceutical Companies
By Michael West in Movies / TV / Theatre on 09 February 2015
John Oliver is back!
John Oliver returned on Last Week Tonight on Sunday night (February 8) and let loose with an epic 17-minute takedown of the powerful pharmaceutical companies. As Uproxx put it, Oliver tackled "the underinformed-but-attractive drug reps who peddle questionable, overpriced treatments to doctors who love a free lunch."
Oliver began pointing out the sad, depressing statistic that 9 out of the top 10 drug companies spend more on marketing than they do on research. He also noted that $24 billion of marketing was aimed directly at doctors last year.
Continue reading: John Oliver Returns With Savage Takedown Of Pharmaceutical Companies
John Oliver Rallies The Internet Trolls To Give The FCC Hell
By Jack de Aguilar in Movies / TV / Theatre on 02 June 2014
Like to comment? Then get to it. Get right to it.
John Oliver is using his position as satirical-sideways-swiper for good, it would seem. His latest target is the FCC and ‘net neutrality’, and he addressed them in a rousing, 13-minute-long segment from his new-ish HBO show, ‘Last Week Tonight’.
With his burgeoning brand of sarcasm, cheap punch lines and scathing one-liners, Oliver took what seemed like a lifetime of pent up aggression out on the decision makers and beneficiaries of the proposed changes to net neutrality, which would grant the big money companies access to a high speed service, while the internet minnows would be left scrambling in the slow lane. Except it wasn't a lifetime of aggresion: Oliver is rallying the troops for an important battle, using comedy as his conduit for compliance.
Continue reading: John Oliver Rallies The Internet Trolls To Give The FCC Hell