Late night talk show host John Oliver is known for his blunt humor and political commentary. Over the past few weeks I have been watching and rewatching episodes of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” not only to see if I like the show, but to determine whether or not the show could be a beneficial watch for people my age.

After watching the show for 15 minutes I knew I liked it. It was edgy and funny while also bringing up current issues that I viewed as important. In just a few episodes, Oliver covered a myriad of topics, including the Trump presidency, discrimination black women face because of their hair, and the importance of renewable energy. 

Oliver has opened himself up to a lot of criticism in the past because he often calls people out on national television. In May of 2021 he came under a lot of fire for taking a very public stance on the conflict between Israel and Palestine, tweeting “#IsraelStopPlayingVictim and #FreePalestine.” He also was a somewhat constant critic of President Donald J. Trump during his recent presidency.

“Last Week Tonight” may not be very appealing to people who find themselves leaning more right on the political spectrum, as Oliver is most certainly a democrat. But I think that any American teenager, regardless of views, could benefit from watching the show. 

What makes Oliver’s show great is he educates you on current events without overwhelming you with information that is hard to understand. In fact, there are people who work at “Last Week Tonight” whose entire job is researching and fact checking to make sure that Oliver is not spreading any inaccurate information. I found myself finishing each episode laughing and more knowledgeable about what was going on in the world around me than I was an hour before.

Oliver gives his audience the facts in a funny way that makes them interested in being up to date.His satirical presentation of news and politics makes being up to date on current events more accessible for young people. 

In 2015, Time magazine included Oliver in their Time 100 list, “an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world.” The magazine referred to Oliver as a “comedic agent of change…powerful because he isn’t afraid to tackle important issues thoughtfully, without fear or apology. For example, in May of 2021 on his show, Oliver gave a very in depth explanation of what exactly “stand your ground” laws are and how they are so harmful, “Stand your ground laws can make determining questions of guilt incredibly difficult because it all comes down to perceived fear, whether you legitimately saw someone as a threat, and that is definitely subjective.”

A lot of students may not pay attention to the news, especially when it is about foreign issues that they think don’t affect them, but Oliver’s honest and snappy sense of humor makes him the perfect person to get young people to care about what is going on in the world around them, even if it does not directly have an impact on them.