HBO’s John Oliver rehashed many of the old and familiar arguments in defense of public broadcasting on Sunday’s Last Week Tonight, but because Oliver views himself as a man of action, he announced an auction to help save public media because otherwise “people would die.” Things Oliver put up for sale included, but were not limited to, actor Russell Crowe’s jockstrap, his cabbage wife, and a giant replica of President Lyndon Johnson’s man parts.
During his lament at public media’s defunding, Oliver lamented that it has been hit with accusations of liberal bias. In a clip package, former Speaker Newt Gingrich was shown in 1995 questioning, “Why is there this small elite group at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting that gets to spend money they didn't earn? What right do they have to dole out your money?”
After the montage, Oliver tried to rebut Gingrich by retorting, “First, 'What right do they have to spend money they didn't earn?' Applies to literally any use of taxpayer money, and also, congratulations to Newt and Callista Gingrich on their documentary, Journey to America, released this year, on—guess what? PBS.”
[See NewsBusters for more]
