Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Prescription drug marketing to doctors, the thin skin of Rafael Correa
February 10, 2015 1:50 PM - Season 2, Episode 1 - Subscribe

This week: US Congressman Aaron Schock redecorates his office with a Downton Abbey theme. Argentina President Cristina Fernández catches flack for affecting a stereotypical Chinese accent on Twitter. Radio Shack files for bankruptcy and Last Week Tonight prepared a farewell message (YouTube, 3m), on their behalf. The main story: "Prescription drugs. The only ovals that can bring people in the Seattle area joy anymore." Marketing to doctors. (YouTube, 17m) And Equador president Rafael Correa calls out social media users who insult him on national television. John Oliver, in a helpful gesture to help Correa thicken his skin, provides his official Twitter handle, @MashiRafael, so internet users can directly insult him. That's right everybody: Last Week Tonight is back.
posted by JHarris (11 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
That Radio Shack ad made me laugh harder than anything has in a long time.
posted by jbickers at 2:11 PM on February 10, 2015 [2 favorites]


Some time back I would go through episodes and track down references, news stories, congressional transcripts, lots of things, and present my findings in the thread. I am considering starting back with doing that, but it might take me a few days to get around to it. Please watch this space....
posted by JHarris at 2:20 PM on February 10, 2015


Rather than the Seattle reference, this line is the best sound bite in Oliver's Prescription Drugs piece.

Also worth noting: the web address where you can look up your doctor and see how much he's taken from drug companies and from whom. I looked up my GP and it had zilch, nada, nothing. Which either means he's using a secret identity or he has no plans to ever retire.
posted by oneswellfoop at 2:52 PM on February 10, 2015 [6 favorites]


So Colbert quit his show last year, and Jon Stewart has just announced he's leaving his show later this year.

Is this the Jon Oliver effect?

(I'd do an FPP on this but am locked out for 21 hours so no go)
posted by Wordshore at 4:19 PM on February 10, 2015


Anybody recognize the actor of that doctor? He looks like a young Tom Noonan.
posted by Pope Guilty at 5:18 PM on February 10, 2015


Brian Husky. He's one of 'those guys.'
posted by the man of twists and turns at 6:03 PM on February 10, 2015


He is also Google (if google waswere* a guy).

*I have a special hate for the professor who dinged me on a grammar test for not knowing what the subjunctive mood was. I CAN'T UNSEE IT
posted by sparklemotion at 6:08 PM on February 10, 2015


That's where I know him from! Thanks.
posted by Pope Guilty at 6:37 PM on February 10, 2015


My GP got nothing too but he has like ...a hundred regulars and two of them are me and the SO.
posted by The Whelk at 11:58 PM on February 10, 2015


I love John Oliver so much. Now, what with losing Jon Stewart, I think that Last Week Tonight isn't sufficient. We need Yesterday, Tonight. (He's probably going to need a bunch more researchers to keep up with a daily show, but I'm ok with that. It's a job creator!)
posted by Weeping_angel at 12:42 PM on February 11, 2015 [2 favorites]


I'd prefer shorter breaks between seasons to multiple episodes per week. The show being weekly prevents them from trying to keep up with the news cycle, which is a very good thing. Despite the show's name, some of the best segments haven't been very timely (the lottery, payday loans, prescription drugs).
posted by Gary at 4:26 PM on February 11, 2015 [4 favorites]


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