Watch out, Alexis de Tocqueville. John Oliver's Last Week Tonight took the week off for the Fourth of July holiday — or as they call it in England, "the day of colonial aggression," Oliver joked. But on Sunday night, he thoughtfully posted a pre-review of last week, not quite weighing in on the various newsy things that happened during the seven days he was off. Mostly, though, he used his pulpit to give a Briton's impression of America's obsession with watching fireworks on the Fourth.
The whole bit is classic Oliver, but he ends with a very short sermon on what the elaborate spectacle of the American fireworks show says about the country that created it, from the anticipation to the problems you had parking to the classical music playing underneath to the oddly unsatisfying grand finale — and the certainty that the exact same scenario will play out next year. "That, ladies and gentlemen, is what makes America great," Oliver said. "The ability to wholeheartedly embrace excitement while letting disappointment and failure slip away as quickly as you can." Thanks? --Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Unprepared for a pandemicOpinion What happens if bird flu evolves to spread among humans?
-
6 impressive homes in TorontoFeature Featuring floating stairs in Lytton Park and a two-tiered infinity pool in Banbury-Don Mills
-
Samantha Harvey's 6 favorite books that redefine how we see the worldFeature The Booker Prize-winning author recommends works by Marilynne Robinson, George Eliot, and more
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
