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2 • February 16 - 22, 2020 • Brainerd Dispatch By Sarah Passingham TV Media S ometimes life's darkest realities require searing, comedic criti- cism, and no one challenges the world's issues quite like John Oliver. Back for a seventh season, a new episode of "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" premieres Sun- day, Feb. 16, on HBO. The British comedian has been tackling fraught issues weekly since 2014 on "Last Week Tonight," providing some much-needed media literacy and a bit of comedy to a news landscape rife with misinformation. Oliver packs thorough break- downs of the world's most complex issues into each episode of "Last Week Tonight," from Flint's water crisis and Brexit to opioids and ger- rymandering. "Last Week Tonight" has been a mainstay of HBO's Sun- day night programming since 2014, so the show has been there to cover every step of President Trump's road to and through the White House, and will presumably address impeachment hearings when it re- turns this week. In February 2016, "Last Week Tonight" aired a segment that mocked Donald Trump for his fami- ly's abandonment of their ancestral name, Drumpf. The clip of that seg- ment spread like wildfire online, racking up tens of millions of views, clearly hitting a chord with audi- ences. Other viral moments include the show buying up and then for- giving almost $15 million worth of medical debt in Texas, and the cre- ation of a legally recognized church called Our Lady of Perpetual Ex- emption. Finding a unique angle from which to examine the issue of the day is what "Last Week Tonight" does best. That work is done around the clock by writers who research even during the show's off-season. When asked by Vulture in February 2019 about how the show operates behind the scenes while it's not airing, Oliver said, "We've been in the office the whole time, since the day after our last show, just researching. And that's kind of vital time for us to set ourselves up for the year." Knowing that, I think we can ex- pect a fresh per- spective on the impeachment that the night- ly news can- not provide upon the return of "Last Week To- night." Looking back at the show's early episodes, Oliver referenced his sec- ond-ever episode in an interview with Vulture, noting that spending 12 minutes solely on the death penalty in 2014 felt "genuinely reckless. Who wants to watch 12 minutes of comedy about the death penalty?" Oliver went on to say, "Then, when you realize peo- ple might want more than that, all of sudden we could start to do 20-, 25-, 30-minute, sometimes more than 30-minute stories, just be- cause it feels like either you've gained people's trust enough or that you feel like it's possible that people will be willing to watch it." In the third season's finale, Oliver dedicated a full 30-min- ute episode, "President-Elect Trump," to consider- ing the impact of vot- ing in Donald Trump as pres- ident of the United States. The episode aired just five days af- ter the polls closed. Oliver's appeal is at least partly due to his incredibly thorough and fact-supported arguments. He nee- dles every angle of the subjects he tackles in episodes of "Last Week Tonight," no matter how much time is dedicated to it. He's similarly thorough about other endeavors, too. In 2017, he was asked to mod- erate a Tribeca Film Festival screen- ing of 1997's "Wag the Dog," a film about a man tasked with spinning false news stories to distract from the president's sex scandal, starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro. During the panel, Oliver questioned Hoffman about the multiple allega- tions of sexual harassment levied against him and, not satisfied with the actor's initial denial and deflec- tion, corrected Hoffman on his own statement. Hoffman was unsettled, and had clearly been expecting a lighter, ce- lebrity-friendly chat about the film. Speaking with the Guardian follow- ing the incident, Oliver said, "It's a 'Wag The Dog' screening, a film in which sexual harassment is buried in a gigantic power imbalance. The fact that he would turn up and think I wouldn't bring it up made me see how little he'd thought about it." Though he has made his career as someone who is not flustered by celebrity or the cult of personality, Oliver is not immune to becoming star-struck by the one mega star that would stop anyone in their tracks. He lent his voice to 2019's "The Lion King" as Zazu, the bird who serves to provide updates on the pride lands to King Mufasa. While the voice cast recorded sepa- rately, they all came together to shoot a promotional cast photo ahead of the film's release — that is, nearly all of the cast. Oliver con- firmed speculation that Beyoncé, who voices Nala in the film, was not present for the shot, but he told Ste- phen Colbert that "the future pres- ence of Beyoncé was so intimidat- ing" that he jumped like he'd expe- rienced "an electrical reaction" when he was told she'd be added to the photo next to him. Do not miss what will certainly be some well-researched, informa- tive and funny takes on world issues when "Last Week Tonight" returns with its seventh season premiere on Sunday, Feb. 16, on HBO. Hot takes 'Last Week Tonight With John Oliver' returns for a seventh searing season Cover Story this week John Oliver in "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" Conan Sixty one percent of American women disapprove of President Trump, and the 39% who do approve of President Trump had terrible fathers. Republicans said they're looking forward to hearing President Trump's side of the story, which I guess means they're not on Twitter. A Little Late With Lilly Singh Targeted advertising knows way too much about you. You'll tell a friend how much you want a pair of boots, then you'll see an ad for those boots. Which means, No. 1, our phones are listening to us. And, No. 2, they're better boyfriends than most guys. Researchers are already saying we lived through the hottest decade on record, and it's only going to get worse because of climate change, aka (for all you Boomers and Gen X-ers out there) "global warming," aka (for all you millennials), "Yo, the polar ice caps are totally ghosting us." The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon During the trial, Trump said that he's probably still going to go to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum — cause nothing says "I'm innocent" like flying to Switzerland the moment your trial starts. I want to congratulate the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers for advancing to Super Bowl LIV. Fans of both teams are going crazy, while most of the country is celebrating that it's not the Patriots. A man in New Hampshire had a $21 bar tab and left a $2,000 tip. So it's official: Mike Bloomberg will spend whatever it takes to get a vote. A woman in the U.K. just found a message in a bottle from Canada, which means Harry and Meghan must have been cut off from their Verizon royal family plan. Late Laughs Downloadthe"VistBrainerd"App intheAppleorGooglePlayStores. Events,lodgingandthingstodo inthepalmofyourhand. VISITBRAINERD PlanningYour VisittoBrainerd JustGotEasier. TheOfficialDMOforBaxterandBrainerd,MN EntertainmentGuide_July_2x4.indd 1 6/26/2019 12:42:53PM 218-829-5278 321 South 7th Street Suite 105 • Brainerd, MN 56401 Sunday, June 28, 2020 10 am to 4 pm Located in Gregory Park Brainerd MN 56401 JOIN US! Come See Some Amazing Art Talents At Work! (Artists, Food Vendors, Family Activities, Guitarists & Singer/Song Writers) Truth Lutheran Church 501 Kingwood Street, Brainerd, MN (Corner of 5th & Kingwood) truthlutheranchurch.com An LCMC Congregation …Lutheran Congregation in Mission for Christ Sunday worship 9 AM Fellowship and Sunday school following worship. Ash Wednesday Service February 26 7pm.

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