I am a huge fan of any and all satirical news programmes. In high school I would stay up late for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert (still waiting for Colbert to run for President) and I’m an avid reader of The Onion. I do also check in with The Globe and Mail and The New York Times to inform myself in other, less comical means. Currently my favourite show is Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
Oliver, formerly a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart refuses to reign in his opinions, regardless of the subject. His pieces on U.S. sexual education, the refugee crisis, and the Canadian election were as informative as they were brilliantly witty. All of Oliver’s segments are available to watch on YouTube and usually garner around three to four million views. Recently, John Oliver did a show focused almost entirely on presidential candidate hopeful, Donald Trump. This segment, once uploaded to YouTube, received more than 20 million views.
Why did this segment garner so much attention? Probably due to both the fear and admiration now linked to the man often referred to as “The Donald.” Oliver begins by acknowledging the undeniable appeal of Trump as a presidential candidate; he even goes as far to say a small part of himself likes Trump. After all, Trump is a household name that, despite Trump’s multiple failed business ventures, connotes wealth, success, and power. No matter what bizarre and uncouth antics Trump seems to pull, people seem unable to separate the man from his last name. If I were not so nervous about Trump actually becoming the Republican nominee, his behavior in debates and during speeches would be less terrifying.
To be clear, I am not anti-Republican, and I believe in the freedom of speech and the freedom to vote for the candidate you feel will best represent you. Oliver is of the same belief, however, he is adamantly anti-Trump, or at least against the Trump that is being presented to the American public. The American population deserves honest candidates, and statement-by-statement Oliver exposes Trump lies. Towards the end of the segment, Oliver reveals that Trump’s name was originally “Drumpf,” and had been changed by one of his recent ancestors. In an attempt to stop Trump’s lies and to separate this character from his trademark name, Oliver has begun a new campaign “Make Donald Drumpf Again.” I honestly cannot do justice to Oliver’s comedy; I highly suggest you watch the entire clip, found here.
Though I consider myself as somewhat of an expat (I proudly became a permanent resident of Canada in 2014), the upcoming U.S presidential election and Donald Trump’s participation in said election has me quite concerned for my home country. Though it may not be the most refined way to enjoy news, Oliver and his contemporaries’ satire, 1) makes issues easier to comprehend and 2) offers a catharsis as both you and the host share your mutual frustrations over the state of the world. Moreover, I feel that many people, especially those of my generation, are tired of one-sided reporting that one usually gets when listening to more traditional new outlets e.g. Fox, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, et al. Oliver reaches a broad audience through his use of humour and kickstarts political activism, especially in the younger audience. In a world that is becoming more and more apathetic, perhaps it is entertainers like John Oliver and Trevor Noah, (the new host of The Daily Show) which can incite younger generations’ political interest and ensure that people like Drumpf do not reach the Oval Office.
Image obtained from:
http://andrewjamesspooner.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/John-Oliver-and…