‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ takes on Russia, Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and more
Last week, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” spent most of its energy focusing on the nature of truth — it was a little bit of an abstract concept, but there was a great deal to discuss there when it comes to everything from “alternative facts” to the spread of inaccurate media. In general, you could make this show “Today Tonight with John Oliver” given that there is enough material out there in order to fill up a week’s worth of shows easy. (If only the writers could do a billion different things at once!)
Who do you thank for that? It’s easy — Donald Trump. Oliver said this himself on Sunday’s show. There is SO much Trump being covered right now that other crazy stories are being missed, including a Target bomb plot and what happened to Kim Jong-un’s half-brother.
Ultimately, what Oliver did with his main story tonight was smart — focusing on something that was tied to Trump, but at the same time distinct and important in its own right. Specifically, he spent a significant amount of time on Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the politics of the country. Here are just some highlights.
Putin – Oliver took a close look at some of the Russian President’s earnings, his denial of said earnings, and also some of his tactics of intimidation. Also, he went back to look at the country’s own history and some of the intelligence work that Putin did many years before getting into power.
Trump – In turn, we also had a look into the U.S. President’s apparent obsession with the country, which included him saying on several occasions “wouldn’t it be great if we got along with them?” — while explaining that it may not be. Despite some of Trump’s claims that the two countries are not all that different, there are some significant claims otherwise.
Ultimately, Oliver chose to end his segment with a techno-girlband performing a song all about Putin. It was a reference to a song that actually exists in Russia, which discussing why many women in the country want to be with a guy like him.
From a comedic standpoint, there was the right mix of entertainment and information in here, especially the focus on Putin’s wealth and even his daughter. As someone with a moderate understanding of news, these were new concepts to us. On the downside, Oliver probably does rely a tad heavily on the stunt ending sometimes — the techno song at the end was fun, but simultaneously nothing all that new or surprising. His commercial buy last week easily surpasses it as something that blew our minds.
What did you think about Oliver’s follow-up show? Share in the comments, and head over here to get some further news when it comes to “Last Week Tonight.”