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

(Image credit: Last Week Tonight)

last updated 8 January 2015

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 has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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