A Few Words about the John Oliver Show
I can watch pretty much anything and not flinch. I understand the purpose of TV in politics, the subtle propaganda, the insidious theatrics. The John Oliver show on the other hand has reached levels of manipulation that I have not seen yet with another show.
Comedy is probably the best way to do political propaganda and not get accused. It's all about the laughs after all. It is supposed to be easy, digestible material that everyone can laugh whether they are for or against a specific stance.
What makes the John Oliver Show different is that it uses all the techniques great propagandists used throughout time. The structure of the show is hypnotic and has a specific pacing. Every show is the same and uses the same tactic, same intervals, same methodology. The topics are chosen in a way that accrue into a well founded political position that is undeniably on the liberal left.
The show begins always with some random facts that do not have anything to do with one another. They aim to warm up the viewer to what is ahead by suggesting what position they should take in order to appear intellectually and morally superior. This segment takes about 10-30 seconds, then a snarky quip follows. The statements are utterly and blatantly logical fallacies in the form of non-sequitor or simply absurd metaphors.
After this, the mind of the viewer is all prepped up to receive the propaganda. The pacing starts having longer intervals giving the chance to the viewer to laugh and therefore accept the information as true. The approval comes first from the clapping of the audience that acts the same as with fake sitcom laughing. You hear laughing, so you have to laugh yourself.
This basic formula is repeated without variation 20-40 times in a row, producing small clips that form the core of the show. The end result is aimed not to deliver information, but rather to "mindbend" the viewers subconsciously to mentally associate derisive laughter with any person that seems to be on the other side of the table.
The timing is impeccable and better structured than similar shows that are designed for the same purpose (Daily Show, Colbert Report..etc). What we are witnessing is social conditioning mastery on a global level. These shows are watched routinely from people all around the world and trickle down the content to their own media. It is rather a disturbing thought to see how people can be bend on will with them not even realizing it.
These shows along with the increasingly propaganda on sitcoms and other series (from Big Bang Theory to Walking Dead, Shameless and so on) show that we are headed into a mental prison that will make Black Mirror episodes look like utopia. Most people gather their information about the world through one darn screen. News, entertainment, education, socialization all come from the same place and everything is telling them the same story. In the past the church ruled the world and almost fucked the entire planet with one book. The armory is far bigger and more efficient than ever today...
You seem to conflate delivery with content. Yes, delivery follows more or less the pattern you underline. And indeed following such a delivery pattern one gets the message across very effectively, about as effectively as possible.
This is American TV. Just like American anything, when they set out to do something, they focus on doing it the best they can. So the wrapping is almost perfect - if the content is any good then the combination is perfect and it makes money for HBO. That's all HBO cares about. Heck, that's all corporate America cares about, making as much money as possible ("The business of business is business", as Milton Friedman used to say)
So probably if John Oliver were to do shows about how the Earth is flat, he could at least count on HBO to provide him with as good a tribune as it gets.
But you haven't looked at the content at all. You were so impressed by the wrapping and what horrible things could sneak through in such a perfect and seemingly trustworthy wrapping that you forgot to inspect whether the content was indeed horrible
So what now, the content is necessarily bad because the wrapping is too perfect to hold something that is actually good? That is ridiculous
Of course people can be bent on will without them even realizing it, it's always been like that. And of course the armory is much more potent today than it was. But you have to realize that both sides have to use the same armory or else the fight is unequal.
So you, probably leaning reactionary right, are very alarmed discovering that the liberal left dares use the same level of armory as your side ! How dare they fight with the same weapons !
But at no point you analyse what is actually being said in John Oliver's shows. At no point you bring any argument about the content, about what is being said. You are just very alarmed that, whatever is being said, it's delivered in a quasi-hypnotic package.
Now tell us what is the part that is not substantiated in his shows, according to you, if you think there's a point in engaging with your readers. Argue about the content, not the packaging
I don't think the content was the point of this post.
The bottomline is that people are easily deceived and manipulated through seemingly harmless sources such as comedy.
Yes, that is true and it always has. So in a sense, had it been just that, what's the point of writing an article ? I think his point is that specifically John Oliver is deceiving and manipulating people. Which might or might not be the case, we can't tell because he doesn't provide any proof of the substance
yes, he doesn't. I guess this is more clickbait.
I myself stopped watching John Oliver about 2 years ago. He jumped on the Trump-ridiculing bandwagon and that was it for me.
If you just watch this episode:
I have watched that episode and from over the pond, un-biased and dispassionate (I don't give a dry flower on either the Democrats or the Republicans) I can tell you he is spot-on.
For people outside America, things do not split along the "Democrat vs. Republican" dimension because that is irrelevant for us. They split along the "right vs. wrong" dimension. In the past, sometimes the "Democrat" position was "right" and sometimes it was "wrong". I've seen Hillary for instance and her hypocrisy as appalling and very "wrong".
But here, in the Kavanaugh debate, if you strip aside the "Democrat vs. Republican" facet which might cloud your view, I can tell you that John Oliver is simply "right".
And what do the comments under his videos have to do with anything??? I mean come on, you seem to be confused if you bring that into the discussion ... is Oliver in any way responsible for the comments under his videos???
Comments are a reflection of what the audience of his show thinks and surprise surprise, most seem in favor and based on what, feelings?
For me John Oliver is clearly wrong.
of course most people take a position or another based on feelings not on rigurous analysis. That is precisely why, in a democracy where both the rational people (10% of the population) and the "gut feeling driven ones" (90% of the population) hold equal votes, you need to put perfect packaging around any message, right or wrong.
So yes, in the comments you'll have all those who got there based on feelings, on the "wrapping". That does not reflect in any way the quality of the content itself, which could be right or wrong.
And then there's the real debate - is it right or wrong - this is done based on what's in it, the substance
One take:
These guys are too worked out there I believe.
Let me tell you that I am a 48 year old Romanian who was born and spent the first part of his life (19 years) in the "Communist paradise" of Nicolae Ceausescu. What is happening in Venezuela now, I lived through, firsthand in Romania. I know only too well what's happening in Venezuela. At no point watching John Oliver's show I was under the impression that he's trying to justify either Chavez or Maduro's policies in any way.
Methinks that what these guys are doing is an unwarranted application of "transitivity": "Venezuela = Socialism" therefore "All Socialism necessarily leads to Venezuela" That is too simplistic - "socialism" is just a sometimes convenient political tag to get elected (or, in America, prevent someone you dislike from getting elected). There are many shades of "socialism", it's not a "AOC" like "feta cheese" or "Bordeaux wine".
For me John Oliver at no point defends the Venezuelan regime nor socialism in general, quite the contrary. It is rather this movie that is peddling fallacies - the most important one being that if one can, by any means, attach the "socialist" tag to someone else's policies then inevitably those policies are going to lead to Venezuelan-like collapse. Or that because he's not "horrified" about something ("being horrified" about something tends to ruin a comedy show) then he is necessarily admiring that thing - that is a fallacy
Let me be very clear, I believe the socialist ideas are really misguided and unsound economically - I lived and watched France for many years go from bad to worse under socialist leadership and socialist economic policies.
But I can debate a socialist, I don't need to demonize him nor do a hysteric show about it.
Another take:
This guy here seems to be taking the exact opposite angle - he dislikes Oliver's show because he feels Oliver tarnishes Socialism's name !? Am I dreaming here ? When someone is attacked both from the left and from the right it's a pretty good sign that he is spot on ...
A third take:
That, there, looks and sounds like a lady I would not want to take seriously ...
I haven't watched much of John Oliver show, as often I find his brand of humour too laboured and over the top. However, every time I have watched there are a few laugh out loud lines that are set up very well. The crypto one and recent one on Brett Kavanagh were worth watching, and he actually makes plenty of valid points in these
As for it being 'propaganda', anyone with an agenda can fall into that charge. Fox News or more extreme Info Wars are far worse for this (and pretty humourless unless you're laughing at them!) Sure JO's left leaning, but the creators of the show simply understand their target market. Poking fun at that which you don't agree is a very old tradition, so I wouldn't get too upset about it.
They call it a TV programme for this reason.
I have only watched one episode of John Oliver, the cryptocurrency skit. So, not the whole show. I see your point though.
It goes back to the hearts and minds propaganda of old.
Thanks for posting!
Well said.
Alright... strong stance. What sort of shows, programming etc do you feel are good examples for humanity?