Art Thoughts: The Late Show with John Oliver
I have discovered this show recently and simply had to speak to the level of complexity and intelligence this show carries with it without creating too much of a high-thought profile entry point.
Of course, this show does not color my political opinions or affiliations. In my humble opinion, if you are not doing the deep research and rely on parties present sales pitches and comedians, you probably shouldn’t be voting. That’s my soapbox on that, real quick.
This Art Thought specifically adheres to the brilliance of the writing on this show. It carries with it the ability to bring the important stories of the week to a viewer through a singular point of focus and bring viewers in on the jokes. It creates the effect of making us all feel prepared for the punchline and then caught off guard by another seed that had been sown.
Oliver surpasses expectations as a comedian with a team of star writers and subverts our expectations in terms of what comedy has been and can be. I find myself frequently wrapped up in the storytelling while having part of my mind doing the mental acrobatics that never push too hard to keep up with the references and callbacks being used in quick succession.
One of my favorite things that Oliver succeeds in is his acknowledgment of his own privilege in a way that is self-deprecating but doesn’t seek to villainize the hand he was dealt no matter how much of an advantage it is for him and people like him. His ability to let a joke land, sit, and be absorbed is something that I am picking up on and trying to incorporate into my own comedic skillset and it is always a pleasure tuning in, learning something, and coming face to face with the reality that we all share this terrifying, beautiful world and have a right and responsibility to be tuned in to what happens all around us with this show being a great origin point for further research and understanding of some of the more challenging topics of the day.
Yours faithfully,
Qavah.
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