The war in Ukraine. The disastrous train wreck in East Palestine. Endless debate over legislation in Congress. The controversy of student loan forgiveness. The list of political events in the world builds on top of one another constantly. With so much going on, it can be hard to tell what exactly is going on in the world around us.
Finding the time to learn about these important issues can also be difficult. Many of us just simply cannot find the time to read the news every day. At the same time, news through various television networks, while informative, can also be time-consuming and unengaging.
But the beginning of March comes with the promise of something we should all feel excited about. Something that solves the fundamental issues involved with more common forms of political media. Season 10 of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
For those unaware, Last Week Tonight is a weekly HBO Sunday live night show where the host, John Oliver, goes through various political events that occurred recently. The show also has a “main story” where the majority of the time in an episode is spent on analyzing an issue. From police accountability to bail reform, Last Week Tonight covers a variety of issues that have a real impact on all of our lives.
What makes the show stand out from any other news source can be boiled down to two unique factors, the host and the humor. John Oliver is best known for his role as a comedian, having done work in stand-up comedy and comedic acting roles, including his portrayal of Professor Duncan in Community.
Having a professional comedian host a late night show covering political topics sounds strange. But having the skills necessary to captivate an audience with style and personality is exactly what makes learning about political topics in the show so engaging. John Oliver delivers and explains issues in an incredibly simplified yet substantial manner that allows any person to feel well-informed after watching the show.
Using his background in comedy, Oliver expertly delivers the second important factor of the show, its usage of humor. By engaging the audience with jokes, wacky explanations and fantastical props, learning about political issues is no longer a daily chore. Instead, viewers are left focused on the issues as Oliver explains them. Using humor as a way to consistently ensure the viewer’s attention has not drifted away, Last Week Tonight solves the mystery of how to make politics fun.
And the best part of Last Week Tonight? Its accessibility. Unlike other major late night shows, Last Week Tonight wants to spread its explanations of important events and issues to as many people as possible. While other shows may only upload small clips onto youtube, Last Week Tonight uploads the main story segment onto YouTube for free, making it so any person can simply log onto YouTube and start watching.
With main story segments averaging around 20 to 30 minutes, the show makes sure to take the time to give viewers a deep understanding of the issue that they are covering. Balancing deep and well-researched content with humor, Last Week Tonight stands above all other politics-based shows. It is no wonder the show has managed to win 26 separate Emmys during its first nine seasons.
So far, Season 10 has discussed issues including psychedelic drugs as a therapeutic treatment and artificial intelligence’s rise in prominence. The increased awareness of artificial intelligence and the effects of mental health on our daily lives are both consequential topics that we should all be better informed about. So if you got a free 30 minutes and want to learn more about some of the most important issues of our time, it has never been a better time to hop onto Last Week Tonight and start falling in love with John Oliver.
