Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Mandatory minmum sentencing in the US

July 27, 2015 11:05 PM - Season 2, Episode 22

This week.... The Obama administration reaches a historic deal with Iran, but has difficulty selling it to Congress. FIFA president Sepp Blatter is in Russia to kick off preparations for the 2018 World Cup. Ashley Madison, a website that encourages and helps set up affairs between married people, was hacked and the responsible parties threaten to release records on their userbase. LWT produced a short message exhorting married citizens of Ottawa not to have affairs. Main story: The absurdity of mandatory minimum sentencing laws in the US. YouTube (15m) And Now: Unnecessary Full Disclosure. Ukraine threatens to blacklist Gérard Depardieu as a threat to their national security (Guardian) for a statement made last year at a film festival. Over the closing credits, LWT provides a brief slideshow of photos of Depardieu set to "cartoonishly French music."

FIFA: "An international crime syndicate that occasionally organizes soccer matches."
Canada: "A thriving country whose economy is based upon making jean jackets for geese and a sexy Ryan manufacturing industry."
Canada's capital, Ottawa, is "known by locals as 'the city that fun forgot,' and which once genuinely adopted the slogan 'Technically Beautiful.'"
Ukraine: "Or as Vladimir Putin might call it: 'PHASE ONE.'"

Newscaster disclosures: being an 'oil nerd," being a huge Ghostbusters fan, being "one of those born-in-Massachusetts-guys," loving Hercules, having to wrestle pants off of progeny, living in Brooklyn and feeling youthful most days, being a Harvard college graduate, having a guest that once won on Jeopardy!, and having gained six pounds in England.

posted by JHarris (6 comments total)

I was very ready to believe the John Wilkes Booth fun fact.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 9:22 AM on July 28, 2015 [2 favorites]

Slight correction. Kevin Sorbo may love Hercules but he also played Hercules.
posted by Uncle at 9:34 AM on July 28, 2015

I would be first in line for 101 Favorite History Lies, although John Hodgman has already written about three of those.

The mandatory minimums segment ended rather abruptly. I'm not sure why they spent their budget on the fairly stupid Ottawa video instead of their usual MO of using it to drive the point home with flair on the main story.
posted by theodolite at 10:02 AM on July 28, 2015 [1 favorite]

I really hope that Climax Blues Band was paid for Ashley Madison using their song for that jingle.
posted by Servo5678 at 7:05 AM on July 29, 2015

Did I actually spell minimum as "minmum" in the title? SIGH
posted by JHarris at 2:01 PM on July 29, 2015

I'm not sure why they spent their budget on the fairly stupid Ottawa video

Aw, I giggled enormously at the Ottawa video.
posted by asperity at 8:56 PM on August 2, 2015