Top 10 Epic John Oliver Takedowns

One of John Oliver’s earliest takedowns involved one of America’s most famous wizards. Dr. Oz is well-known for promoting various dietary and nutritional supplements with eye-catching phrases like “miracle in a bottle” and “magic weight loss cure”. The episode highlights both Oz’s success and hypocrisy, given his 2014 admission to Congress that the pills are not likely to be fully effective without diet and exercise. Oliver also addresses the lack of dietary supplement industry regulation that allowed Oz to legally promote these products. One attempt at regulation in the early 90s failed due to intense lobbying, public outcry, and a Mel Gibson PSA.

It’s one of America's classic institutions, where young women in bikinis and evening gowns are asked questions normally reserved for presidential debates. As shown in this episode, its legacy has been tarnished by offensive judging criteria, and close-minded entry requirements. It’s okay though because Miss America provides $45 million in scholarships every year. Except we know they use some twisted math and semantics to camouflage the fact they give only a fraction of that. Kathy Griffin closes out the show by hosting the Miss “Last Week Tonight” pageant, simultaneously satirizing Miss America and making John really work it.

Supreme court confirmation hearings can often be lengthy, intense and, in the case of Brett Kavanaugh, a complete circus. Oliver gives a detailed breakdown of some of the hearing’s most outlandish moments. We see Kavanaugh getting overly emotional remembering calendars and old workouts, being aggressive when questioned by senators, and spouting conspiracy theories. At one point, Oliver even compares the judge’s testimony to a cover of Mambo No. 5 moments before mocking him over Rhode Island boat fights. This is presented in contrast to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford[a], who testified with composure, even when being unnecessarily questioned on marginally relevant issues. Republican senators were not spared either with Oliver calling out Orrin Hatch’s disingenuous or insulting remarks and Lindsey Graham’s failed “Yellowstone” audition.

The 2016 Brexit referendum sent shockwaves throughout the world.Therefore, it’s not surprising that John Oliver dedicated multiple episodes to the topic. The videos covered a motley of topics, starting with discussing the initial referendum, the motivations behind it, and its potential consequences. Clever analogies helped explain the challenges of Brexit’s negotiations and a hard or soft Brexit. The final video lamented the perils of a no-deal Brexit and a possible referendum to undo it. Throughout his coverage, Oliver lampooned several of the figures involved in Brexit including Prime Ministers Nigel Farage[b], Theresa May, and Boris Johnson. The latter got his own segment where Oliver dissected his unruly appearances, behaviors, and political strategies (xref).

Oliver has dedicated multiple episodes to untangling the web of corruption that is FIFA, soccer’s governing body and World Cup organizer. He describes how FIFA often runs roughshod over world cup host nations. From reversing public safety laws, to creating their own courts, and demanding universal tax exemption. FIFA also retains non-profit status while having a billion-dollar reserve, a factor that allowed it to fund one of the worst movies of the 2010s. The second episode delved into the aftermath of the investigation and 2015 sting operation targeting multiple FIFA executives. Oliver also heavily lambasted FIFA’s decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, citing its scorching summer heat, lack of initial infrastructure, and abuse of migrant workers and minorities.

For years, Tucker Carlson has built a reputation as a pundit asking the “tough questions". This segment breaks down his background, his career, and the dangers of his methods. The show highlights Carlson’s unique skill at delivering white nationalist talking points to a large audience without using racial slurs or outwardly racist statements. Several specific examples are shown, and viewers even see white nationalists praising Carlson and his influence. Fans of “Last Week Tonight" know full well that Tucker Carlson is one of John Oliver’s favorite punching bags and this episode was no different. Oliver calls Carlson a “performatively outraged wedge salad”, a “walking yacht club”, and a “relentlessly indignant picket fence”.

In this takedown, Oliver discusses the US Supreme Court’s long standing PR crisis. Emboldened by the lack of an enforceable ethics code, multiple justices have accepted lavish gifts or trips without properly disclosing them. The segment especially focuses on Clarence Thomas, highlighting his disdain for ethical refusal, his friendship with several billionaires, and his beloved RV. Oh no, sorry, excuse us: his motorcoach. Oliver ended the episode with an unbelievable offer for Thomas: leave the Supreme Court in 30 days in exchange for $1 million a year and a brand-new motorcoach. Thomas didn’t accept the offer, leaving us to imagine what could have been.

When John Oliver took on Alex Jones, America’s loudest and angriest radio host, viewers got the full context of the man known for peddling some of the nation’s most unhinged conspiracies. They see a savvy businessman using fear and xenophobia to sell products nearly as ridiculous as his theories. Jones often claimed these product sales keep his show afloat while leading a highly successful business. At one point you see the “Walter Cronkite of shrieking gorilla clowns” claim to wear suits and Rolexes as a bizarre dig on satanism. A medical expert with overly exaggerated credentials also makes an appearance. Oliver ends the segment parodying Jones’ products and sales tactics, though we would be hard pressed distinguishing the parody from reality.

In one of his more famous episodes, John Oliver highlights the predatory practices televangelists use to elicit donations that amplify their lavish lifestyle. You’ll see Creflo Dollar[d] dreaming about private jets, Mike Murdock bragging about private jets, Gloria Copeland disparaging cancer treatment and Robert Tilton healing people with gibberish. Oliver also starts a months-long letter exchange with Tilton that essentially amounts to the world’s most lopsided game of Monopoly: here’s a dollar and some oils, now you owe me fifty bucks. The donations these ministers receive are also usually tax exempt, a concept Oliver demonstrated by founding his own church: Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption. The purely satirical and completely legal church lasted about a month and collected thousands of dollars in donations. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

The Life and Deeds of Florida’s Notorious Governor

A Spotlight on the Tobacco Industry’s Shameless International Practice

Oliver Puts the Consulting Firm, Its Practices, and Its Client List on Blast.

A Deep Dive Into the Damage Caused by Opioids, Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers

The first “Last Week Tonight” episode discussing Trump aired in early 2016 when he was first running for president. Oliver roasted Trump’s chronic dishonesty, business endeavors, and political flip flopping. Viewers see Trump proclaiming he “knows words, has the best words”, jokes mocking the size of his fingers, and Ivanka discussing their past debt. The segment revealed that Trump’s ancestral name was actually Drumpf[e], launching a hashtag to “Make Donald Drumpf again” and a matching website: DonaldJDrumpf.com. The term went viral and the clip garnered millions of views, becoming one of Oliver’s most popular segments. Though the name ‘Drumpf’ was dropped from future episodes. A year later, Ivanka returned in her own video discussing her and Jared Kushner’s roles in the Trump White House (xref).

[a]BLAW-zee ford https://youtu.be/aJORwf3izUU?si=Y2OVtuBcRGCtPXx_&t=79 [b]NYE-jull fuh-RAWZSH https://forvo.com/search/nigel%20farage/ [c]FIFA = feefa [d]CREFF-loh Dollar https://youtu.be/tpeDuO2CLIk [e]https://youtu.be/DnpO_RTSNmQ?si=1ABny-dq4liNaWtt&t=1142