John Oliver Takes Shots at Own Company’s DC Superhero Movies on ‘Last Week Tonight’
On a recent episode of 'Last Week Tonight,' John Oliver examined the Trump administration's Department of Justice and its record under Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as Trump's personal lawyer. Oliver presented an NBC News interview in which correspondent Laura Jarrett directly questioned Blanche about multiple failed prosecutions, including dismissed cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, a dropped indictment against Congressman Adam Schiff, and a rejected subpoena for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Oliver then pivoted to a satirical joke, comparing the DOJ's repeated legal failures to the commercial underperformance of DC superhero films produced by Warner Bros., suggesting that a track record of unsuccessful attempts would benefit the film studio if applied to its recent slate. He highlighted underperforming releases including 'Supergirl,' which reportedly lost up to $100 million. The observation carried added irony given that HBO, the network airing his show, is owned by Warner Bros., the parent company struggling with its DC film division.
- John Oliver criticized Trump's Department of Justice on 'Last Week Tonight,' highlighting a series of dismissed prosecutions and failed cases through an NBC interview with Attorney General Todd Blanche.
- Oliver made a comedic comparison between the DOJ's pattern of failures and Warner Bros.' struggling DC superhero film division, which is owned by the same parent company as HBO.
New here? Start with this
John Oliver's HBO show 'Last Week Tonight' regularly opens with a deep dive into a serious news topic, often US politics, before moving into other segments. Todd Blanche is the current US Attorney General, having previously worked as Donald Trump's personal defence lawyer; his department, the Department of Justice, has recently pursued several high-profile legal cases against Trump's political opponents, including James Comey, Letitia James and Adam Schiff, many of which have failed in court.
Warner Bros. is the media company that owns HBO, and it also produces DC superhero films such as 'Supergirl'. Several of these recent DC releases have performed poorly at the box office, making them a target for jokes even from shows made by the same parent company.
The story centres on a moment of self-aware comedy, where Oliver draws a comparison between the DOJ's unsuccessful legal actions and his own employer's struggling film division, highlighting the unusual position of a comedian criticising the very company that owns his platform.
Art Business Celebrity Companies Culture Entertainment Film Government Markets Politics