John Oliver demolishes America's absurd use of public money for pro sports stadiums
John Oliver is baffled by Americans' obsession with throwing public money at sports stadiums. Between 2000 and 2010, $12 billion was spent building 51 new facilities for pro sports teams, causing Oliver to splutter, "Why? Sports teams are successful businesses with wealthy owners, yet they still get our help."
In fact, "we replace stadiums even faster than we replace Spider-Men," Oliver said, going on to review the absurd items installed in these stadiums — including fish tanks, pools, and yet-to-be-invented hologram machines. "Most new stadiums these days look like they were designed by a coked-up Willy Wonka," Oliver quipped, before heading to the locker room for a Hollywood-style motivational speech (sappy music included).
Watch the skewering below. Jeva Lange
The Week
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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