John Oliver Wins The Online Derby
Talk about paying your dues…
John Oliver was a second, maybe a third banana on the “Daily Show” until he replaced Jon Stewart when the host was on a hiatus and ended up with his own half hour program on HBO on Sunday night.
This is contrary to the music business, where youth rules and the experienced are thrown over the transom. In music it’s the behind the curtain people who are the stars, the producers, the executives…
But on HBO they let the talent run free.
Remind you of anything?
Nothing so much as the Warner Brothers Records of the seventies, history’s most legendary label, wherein the biggest stars of the era were allowed to do what they wanted and sales soared, oftentimes not on their first LPs, but their third, fourth or fifth.
All the press is about Fallon.
But it’s Oliver who’s winning.
But we know the press is a step behind.
But we also know the world is changing, truth is key, honesty and credibility are calling cards. The cardboard stars flog their popcorn projects on Fallon because he’s nice all the time. Know anybody like that in real life? I certainly don’t. Whereas there are no guests on Oliver’s show, no promotional elements, only skewering of the truth via research and presentation.
Research, what a concept.
Oliver’s team puts in a better effort than the 24 hour news channel known as Fox, never mind its competitors, who believe what’s on screen is the only thing that counts. Roger Ailes is a genius! Hail Caesar!
Hail the man who Trump has tied in knots, the Donald refusing to even debate, and ultimately defeating the handpicked candidates of the Fox, er, Republican, establishment.
Oliver’s 22 minute take-down of Trump drew 22 million views on YouTube.
While we make it ever shorter, more bite-sized, with more hooks, Oliver is taking the viewers on a journey, thrilling them along the way. “Whipping Post,” indeed.
Oliver has 82.2 million online views of his political clips online. Yup, that includes not only YouTube, but Facebook, Instagram, Twitter…
Fallon only has 62.7 million. Colbert 30.7. Kimmel 23.6.
So if you achieve excellence, and have distribution, you can make it.
How many excellent records are being released? Even the superstar product is blah.
But watching Oliver every week stimulates me, I’m riveted as he speaks truth, which I can get nowhere else.
How come every damn act is whoring itself out to corporations but Oliver does not. HBO is the no endorsement platform. People expect truth from HBO, not from records.
Who would know that Greta Van Susteren lauded American men on International Women’s Day.
Start at 2:30 – John Oliver Calls Out The International Women’s Day Shout-Out That Fox News Really
Where else can you find a reasoned analysis of the Apple encryption case, which is not so much about the Cupertino company and the government, but hackers.
Where else can you get a techie criticizing failed legislator logic by saying they think “If we can put a man on the moon, well surely we can put a man on the sun.”
Our society is changing, BECAUSE of the tools.
That’s the story of the year, that tech has taken a back seat, and what it has been utilized for is key.
Trump employed Nationbuilder to organize, get the word out.
And Oliver is employing online video to disseminate the truth.
And if you read the papers, look at the media, you’d believe Oliver is a distant also-ran.
But the truth is he’s winning, despite lacking the endless puff pieces and hosannas.
Everything you know is wrong. The Firesign Theatre was right. And if the nitwits in Washington, D.C. believe the rank and file care about getting an anti-abortion, pro-Citizens United Supreme Court justice… Then they still think that people want fewer taxes on the rich so gays can’t get married and immigrants can’t steal their jobs.
There’s the classic Republican position right there.
But homey don’t play that no more. Trump doesn’t want to cut entitlements, people know the truth…
That they’re broke without opportunity.
And you can contradict this all you want, from up on high, but the numbers don’t lie, people are gravitating to truth, honesty and the American Way!
Numbers from Tubular Labs via the WSJ:
