Jane Goodall teaches John Oliver how to fight, eat bananas like a chimpanzee

Jane Goodall teaches John Oliver how to fight, eat bananas like a chimpanzee
(Image credit: Last Week Tonight)

John Oliver sometimes interviews notably smart or accomplished people on Last Week Tonight. On Sunday's show, he featured Dr. Jane Goodall on his "Great Minds: People Who Think Good" series. Oliver never quite brings his interviews to a Zach Galifianakis/Between Two Ferns level of awkwardness, but he does like to gently press buttons. "You never put a hat on a chimpanzee? I refuse to believe that," Oliver told Goodall at one point, earning a gentle "Then we shall disagree for the rest of our lives" from the famous primate researcher.

Goodall taught Oliver some simple chimpanzee communication sounds and gestures — enough to get into a brief chimp fight — and how a chimp eats a banana. Oliver threw out some ridiculous chimp names, and it turns out they both think "Poothrow Hitler" is a fine one. Who knew? --Peter Weber

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Peter Weber

Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.