Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: The Plight of Chicken Farmers

May 18, 2015 5:10 AM - Season 2, Episode 14

This week: The House passes the "USA Freedom Act," which might ultimately curtail of the NSA's phone record collection. FIFA elects a new president, and is somehow expected to reëlect scandal-prone Sepp Blatter. Johnny Depp illegally brought two dogs to Australia, and its government threatened to kill them unless he took them away. LWT produces a short piece demanding Australia remove Australian things from the US. Main story: chicken farmers (YouTube 18m), and the systems of contract farming, gladiator payouts and vindictive secrecy that keeps them impoverished and the chickens mistreated.
posted by JHarris (9 comments total)

While I strongly agree with the thrust of the piece, I felt the ending was a bit iffy. To call them 'chickenshit' would be one thing, but 'chicken-fuckers' seems a bit too much on the actionable libel side of things. Either way, the idea of persuading lawmakers via threats leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

(Tastes like chicken.)
posted by Sys Rq at 8:33 AM on May 18, 2015

It wouldn't be libel:

https://www.eff.org/issues/bloggers/legal/liability/defamation

At least not actionable.
posted by cjorgensen at 10:08 AM on May 18, 2015

Either way, the idea of persuading lawmakers via threats leaves a bad taste in my mouth

I don't think there are any other options really. It's the same story over and over again; and why should one fight fair when the dice is loaded, so to speak?
posted by dhruva at 2:43 PM on May 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

The Depp-Australia segment was incredible. We completely lost it at the bit with the radio host. The koalas, targeting koalas. Loved the segment. "Yippee g'day, motherfuckers."

Hey, Oliver visited McHale on The Soup and was pretty funny and it turns out that McHale has a really decent Aussie accent.
posted by Ik ben afgesneden at 9:00 PM on May 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

I'm simultaneously embarassed and delighted that the paragon of idiocy that is Barnaby Joyce has reached the world stage. He really is a tool.

Incidentially, that radio host who was yelling at him is one of the most hated people in media in Australia. He's a sexist, racist buffoon, an utter disgrace. So for him to be appalled at Barnaby Joyce, well...
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:04 PM on May 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

BTW, the local papers are calling it the 'War on Terrier'.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 8:10 PM on May 19, 2015 [4 favorites]

The Johnny Depp segment was funny but jeeeez this show is a downer. And I know that makes me sound really, I don't know, willfully ignorant or something. It's just that I really want to watch this show, I just can't handle it.
posted by bleep at 11:08 PM on May 19, 2015

The plane graphic labelled "Terri-Air" was pretty great!
posted by TwoWordReview at 12:46 PM on May 20, 2015

Politico: His segment on his HBO comedy show could help chicken farmers who feel victimized by poultry processors.
posted by Wordshore at 9:13 AM on June 2, 2015