John Oliver burns Syria's Bashar al-Assad in the most humiliating way imaginable

Last Week Tonight

John Oliver burns Syria's Bashar al-Assad in the most humiliating way imaginable
(Image credit: Last Week Tonight)

On Sunday night's Last Week Tonight, John Oliver used his own small platform (big enough, apparently, to crash the FCC website) to utterly humiliate Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Oliver started out by noting that Assad, "half a mass murderer and half your creepy sophomore year roommate," had a trove of his emails leak last year, including insights into his musical taste. One of the songs Assad downloaded was from the 1990s one-hit wonder Right Said Fred.

Oliver didn't say which song Assad downloaded from iTunes, but it's a safe bet it was that one hit, "I'm Too Sexy." "It's so frustrating that we're powerless to do anything to hurt him," Oliver said of Assad. Then he hit on an idea. "I guess we could take something he loves and turn it against him...." If you don't see where this is heading, or if you do, watch below to see how a professional comedian with an expense account burns a brutal dictator. There is, as always, mildly profane language. --Peter Weber

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Peter Weber, The Week US

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.