By WILLIAM WRIGHT HEATLEY
Staff Writer
The news cycle runs faster than ever these days. We find ourselves not caring about a particular story if there is a juicier, fresher one just released. In the age of social media, this is normal, and we become desensitized as a result. The last time HBO’s John Oliver graced us with his presence, the government hadn’t shut down, romaine lettuce was a national epidemic, and different people worked in the white house. It was, yet still is, chaos. Enter Oliver, who has repeatedly said on record he isn’t a journalist and doesn’t like to be viewed as such. Yet his team of writers and researchers, provide a lens to see the world differently.
This past Sunday, the sixth season of the Emmy Award-winning original series debuted, bringing with it a certain humanity and escapism that embraced me with the same warmth as mug of freshly brewed herbal tea. There was no chance that Oliver was going to comment on all of the major events of the world since the season five finale last November. However, he quickly brushed on a few key topics before diving into the episode’s main story concerning the issue of Brexit, (the plan for the UK to leave the European Union).
Oliver’s in-depth analysis on the current state of affairs in Great Britain might not be completely familiar to the people who live on this side of the Atlantic, which he stated several times throughout the piece. It is almost impossible to simplify the Brexit deal so that we can understand it, as the deal itself as Oliver states is “even more complicated than that.”
Essentially, trying to educate and inform an American audience on the nuances of silly and messy British politics has about the same appeal as having a friend ask you to walk their pet tarantula; it seems confusing, unnecessary, and almost surreal. It does help, however, that the man talking about actions within British parliament is English himself. Oliver has a unique ability to take any foreign story and translate it so it becomes a domestic issue. Brexit is a serious issue that we as Americans look at with a queer interest, not thinking we are directly affected. Yet when we think about how negative public policy has affected our lives in the past few years under our current administration, it is easy to see why so many people are angry and frustrated.
Oliver’s Brexit piece contained clips of various interviews with British citizens and their reactions to Brexit as a whole, from when the referendum was first unexpectedly put to a vote while David Cameron was Prime Minister. It also featured clips of current reactions to the deal under Theresa May. In a span of over a year, it’s interesting to see that the majority of the British people who are against it had no idea of the benefits in the first place, as Oliver explains. In comparing the past footage to the current footage, the overall opinion of Brexit is essentially the same; rubbish. The economic results of the deal would be disastrous (even more so than they are already), social discourse would ensue as Oliver explains, and the implications of negative feelings regarding international relations could have a domino effect to other nations in Europe. Call it what it is, which isn’t pretty.
It can be hard to feel optimistic in polemical times like these, but programs like Last Week Tonight help show us that the world is much bigger than ourselves. Global issues aside, a show that combines satire with topical analyses of stories not found on the front page, can bring about change (Google “The John Oliver Effect”) and can bring us into a collective, deservedly struck gold in the season premiere. I’m looking forward to seeing what the new season has in store for us, whether it brings us laughter or tears.
