Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Tucker Carlson

March 18, 2021 2:19 PM - Season 8, Episode 5

The passing of the Coronavirus stimulus bill was met with a weird celebratory tweet from the DNC, but Republican responses ranging from anger and dismay to people who voted no trying to take credit for it. And Now: Local News Bothers 100-Year-Old Women On Their Birthdays. Main story (25m): Tucker Carlson, his career, and how he gives white supremacist talking points a veneer of respectability. And Now: A Look Back At One Year Of TV News With Pandemic Precautions.
posted by JHarris (5 comments total)

I gotta say, I found this one tremendously boring.

We all know Tucker is a dolt, and yeah he's a dangerous dolt but I dunno what benefit there is to spending a half hour thinking how much of a dolt he is.

Hope John gets out of the void soon!
posted by tjgrathwell at 2:45 PM on March 18, 2021 [3 favorites]

As I've commented before, I agree.

I can't help but think how Jon Stewart's takedown of Carlson on 'Crossfire,' while satisfying, ultimately ended up with Carlson in a greatly more dangerous position. Not unlike Seth Meyers roasting T**** at the 'WH Correspondent's Dinner' ultimately ended up with T**** being in a greatly more dangerous and actively harmful position.

Carlson is doing what his bosses desire, so Oliver's "expose" of Carlson to a non-Fox watching audience at least won't make Carlson more dangerous but I'm not sure what Oliver's goals were. This episode felt click-bait-ey and one of the least successful ones.

I still like Oliver, but Season 8 feels like a severe post-T**** hangover and he and his team hasn't quite found a new rhythm.

Season 8 needs more whimsy and less pointing-and-laughing at the smoke (true, it's still rancid, but there is less active heat) coming from the US republicans and their enablers and cheerleaders.
posted by porpoise at 3:14 PM on March 18, 2021 [1 favorite]

I miss the little bit of non-US coverage we used to get. Back in 2016 before the Real Bad Thing happened we got show after show about Brexit, but where's the check-in now that it's actually being implemented?

I'm tired of Covid coverage too, but what about some stuff about how other countries are doing? Not just New Zealand or the UK, hell, pick anywhere. Bulgaria? It would be something new to think about.

I imagine the writing staff of the show has fully turned over two times since the show premiered, and they're at the mercy of whatever the current staff's expertise and interests are. There's gotta be something more to talk about though. I watch LWT as well as Samantha Bee's show, SNL and Amber Ruffin, and between that I'm going to hear about Cuomo four times a week. I don't live in New York, I don't wanna hear any more about Cuomo. At least not any more than the minimum required amount.
posted by tjgrathwell at 10:17 PM on March 18, 2021 [5 favorites]

TBH this is something I can show my father and it might actually make a difference in how he consumes his news. I've been surprised over the last few years how angry at Trump he's been given his lifelong republican leanings, and in speaking we've agreed on way more than I ever thought possible politically. That said I know he gets some of his news from Fox and I'd love to be able to get him to stop telling me about their latest atrocity on a stick that doesn't actually exist. I've linked him Oliver before and the humor and clear research have connected with him, so I'm very much thinking of sending it his way. IDK yet if it'll make a difference, but this is very much the thing that could be helpful to me!
posted by Carillon at 1:45 AM on March 19, 2021 [3 favorites]

We all know Tucker is a dolt, and yeah he's a dangerous dolt but I dunno what benefit there is to spending a half hour thinking how much of a dolt he is.

We got to see what a ludicrously terrible dancer Tucker is. Seriously, he rivals Elaine Benes.
posted by orange swan at 2:51 PM on March 19, 2021 [3 favorites]