Awesome Last Week Tonight

(PG-13: Language) You wouldn’t think that weather forecasting would be a very controversial subject. But as John Oliver explains, there’s a tenuous balance between the government agency that provides much US weather data, and private companies, and the battle brewing between useful information and hype.

(PG-13: Language) John Oliver takes on those irritating automated calls that fill our phones on a daily basis. From political campaigns to tax scams, technology has made it cheap and easy for just about anyone to flood phones with junk calls, and to spoof caller ID info.

(PG-13: Language) After a brief Trump roast, John Oliver takes on the impact of automation on jobs, and how robots and AI technology could eventually leave many of us without work or income. On the flip side, robots can take on dangerous jobs and save lives.

(PG-13: Language) While Last Week Tonight tries to be accurate and truthful with their stories, John Oliver and his research crew are only human, and from time to time, they make mistakes. So with that in mind, John is here to apologize for some of his erroneous reporting.

(PG-13: Language) John Oliver tackles the very real and very dangerous idea of corporations and their intermediaries that set up supposed “grassroots” movements to defend flawed products and ram their agendas down the throats of an often unknowing public.

(PG-13) In January 2017, Gettysburg’s Hall of Presidents and First Ladies closed and auctioned off its wax figures of US Presidents. Several TV shows bought some of those figures. Guess who bought five of ’em. Last Week Tonight flexes that HBO money.

(PG-13: Language) Here we go again. The FCC wants less regulation of US internet service providers, even though it’s long been proven that given the chance, ISPs will create unfair situations for their competitors and customers. Speak your mind, America.

“Sometimes we don’t want a British man yelling at us about how the world is ending for a whole hour…” Last Week Tonight is coming back to HBO on 2/12/17, but as John Oliver learned from this trailer, it’s definitely not HBO’s most eagerly-anticipated series.

(PG-13: Language) Last Week Tonight takes on the formidable fortresses of douchebaggery that are multilevel marketing companies. With lobbyists and money on their side, it’s up to us to raise awareness about their employees-as-customers pyramid (shaped) schemes.

(PG-13: Language) While on hiatus, John Oliver stopped by the Last Week Tonight set to record a brief public service announcement about our fine feathered friends. We’re guessing a pigeon pooped on his freshly pressed suit on his way to the studio.

(PG-13: Language) With the 2016 Olympics underway, Last Week Tonight looks at NBC’s godawful coverage of the opening ceremony, Brazil’s sleazy acting President, the first ever Refugee Olympic Team and more.

(PG-13: Language) Last Week Tonight talks about the use of performance enhancing drugs in athletics, including for the Olympics. As long as fame and fortune come only to “winners”, the least we can do is acknowledge that what we’re watching is far from fair.

(PG-13: Language) “If you stick around doing nothing while everyone around you f***s up, you’re going to win big.” Last Week Tonight exposes the hidden fees and other deceptions of many retirement plans. You won’t believe what Janice from accounting gave.

John Oliver looks at what happens when a creditor writes off its bad debt and decides to make a few extra bucks by selling the obligations. Unscrupulous buyers purchase these debts cheap, with little documentation, and pursue the money like a dog with a bone.

(PG-13: Language) Last Week Tonight reminds us to be wary of morning show science, i.e. the kinds of “findings” that mass media often present as facts even though the actual studies were unverified, inconclusive or cherry picked.

Last Week Tonight takes a break from depressing humans to give a brief lesson on modern history to the upcoming batch of North American cicadas, which have been literally living underground as nymphs since 1999.