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Like everyone on this site, I've been following this story too closely to get any new info from this segment, so I couldn't tell if this will convince people. I

by dcw303 11y ago

Like everyone on this site, I've been following this story too closely to get any new info from this segment, so I couldn't tell if this will convince people. It was up to the always high standards of Last Week Tonight though. I really hope the message got through to his audience. We need every single non-technical person in the world to understand this clearly if we have any hope of getting the US Government to back down.

baldfat 11y ago
A) Yes John Oliver is awesome B) Holy Crap! A comedian is the best for reporting on issues that are actually important. What a sad state of journalism we have been for the last decade or so.
- kawsper 11y ago
  Comedy is very effective, and I have been a fan of Juice Rap News for a long time, they are really good at breaking things down, explain things with references and asking the right questions. My favorite is this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o66FUc61MvU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o66FUc61MvU
  - Renaud 11y ago
    Thanks for that. It's very well done and the message is spot on!
- jerf 11y ago
  Unfortunately, the problem is that the media isn't any better than a comedian, not that the comedian is very good. Having been on both sides of some of John's issues, I have to say that he is a master of making you think you understand an issue, when in fact you are carefully sealed off from getting even a whiff of what the other side's points may be, with snark and mockery substituted instead. Many people criticize the mainstream media for the fake controversy approach where every issue has two sides no matter how silly, but John Oliver is even worse than that. It's fun, but that's all it is... it is not informative. Only fun. If you think he's "really good" at covering the issues, I strongly suggest tuning your media consumption; you're not even getting one side of an issue so much as one spoon-fed preparation of one side of an issue. You're dangerously underexposed. (And to be clear, I do think he is fun. I've watched a goodly number of his videos myself. I'm not saying I don't like his schtick... just that it is a schtick.)
  - jclulow 11y ago
    Is there a particularly egregious example of one-sidedness you can point to?
  - baldfat 11y ago
    Example: FCC Chairman Net Neutrality is a good example of his style. Yes he does show the other side and yes it maybe a case of straw-man argument, but for the most part. Encryption - He shows the FBI public address on the issue and why they are concerned in terms of terrorist. Then shows the Congress and Trump. Points out the ability for the government to "penetrate" any bank, door, etc as needed through a court of law. Then the issue is the "Pandora's Box" of setting president. I would like you to show one where there isn't the other side getting their main points presented by John Oliver? Would you be willing to show an example of what shows only one side?
    - jerf 11y ago
      I decline to volunteer a list of the exact ways in which I disagree with the liberal orthodoxy. (Thread derail ho!) I'm sure you'll understand. He carefully makes sure that any exposure to the "opposite side" is sandwiched with snark on both sides, and to make sure that none of the strong arguments are shown to you. You are not actually being exposed to the other side, just a soundbite carefully processed to remove any possibility that you might even be so much as intrigued, let alone convinced. Be honest: When have you been "exposed" to one of these viewpoints and even experience a hint of "Hmmm, maybe I should dig into that position a bit more, I'm not sure John's right here."? All I'm asking for is a twitch. I bet you're too busy laughing for the thought to even cross your mind. (Again... be honest with me. Don't hypothesize about how maybe somebody else might have. Tell me about whether you followed up on a video's points.) I'm taking a bit of risk putting this challenge out there, because a lot of people read these posts and of all those people, there almost has to be one person who actually can tell a story about how they followed up and came to a conclusion that disagreed with John. But I dunno... I've probably still got decent odds, and I'm quite sure there won't be a long stream of them below this concept. And let me reemphasize my core point here, which is not that I really expect that much more from a comedian (you are laughing, because he is pretty funny, after all), but that the media doesn't do any better. John isn't doing anything particularly wrong. He ought to be the dessert part of your balanced news and media diet; it's not the dessert's fault that the rest of the meal is short on nutrients.
- michaelbuddy 11y ago
  Meh I used to think so, then I saw the lengthy rebuttal that a guy did regarding the Trump episode he did. John Oliver unfortunately can't be trusted in some regards - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf3vW0e_Wgc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf3vW0e_Wgc
  - nitrogen 11y ago
    Is there a transcript somewhere or a 5 minute version? I would like to have a counterpoint to the Drumpf piece but don't have 80 minutes to spend.
    - jclulow 11y ago
      It's basically 80 minutes of agonising "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man."
    - ZoeZoeBee 11y ago
      A counterpoint to the Drumpf piece, Bill Clinton is not a Clinton, he changed his name from his biological father's Blythe.
dfc 11y ago
Do you honestly think non-technical people from outside the US are going to make a difference in this debate? I can't imagine a demographic with less influence over the situation.
- Cuuugi 11y ago
  I hope so. It has worldwide implications. There would be negative impacts for their business(es) globally if they nerf encryption.
- Larrikin 11y ago
  The host is British, but Last Week Tonight is an American television show.
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
- Selfcommit 11y ago
  That "non-technical" person from "outside the US" has done a better job of explaining Edward Snowden to the masses than most news networks. His target demographic is Millennials, and he's very popular. Yeah - This carries some weight.
  - dfc 11y ago
    OP said "We need every single non-technical person in the world to understand this clearly." You are talking about one non-technical person, from outside the US, who reads, writes and speaks English fluently, lives in NYC with his American wife and has an above average income because of the wildly popular television show on HBO that he hosts. John Oliver is hardly representative of the other billions of non-technical people from outside of the US. > Yeah - This carries some weight. A February poll by Reuters has 46% of Americans supporting Apple, the number jumped to 64% for people 18-39 years of age and a more recent WSJ/NBC poll of registered voters puts the number at 47%. What percentage of John Oliver's audience do you think changed their opinion after seeing the show and now support Apple? Or do you consider comedic reinforcement of a previously held belief is "carrying some weight"?

by dcw303 11y ago

baldfat 11y ago

A) Yes John Oliver is awesome B) Holy Crap! A comedian is the best for reporting on issues that are actually important. What a sad state of journalism we have been for the last decade or so.

kawsper 11y ago
Comedy is very effective, and I have been a fan of Juice Rap News for a long time, they are really good at breaking things down, explain things with references and asking the right questions. My favorite is this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o66FUc61MvU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o66FUc61MvU
- Renaud 11y ago
  Thanks for that. It's very well done and the message is spot on!
jerf 11y ago
Unfortunately, the problem is that the media isn't any better than a comedian, not that the comedian is very good. Having been on both sides of some of John's issues, I have to say that he is a master of making you think you understand an issue, when in fact you are carefully sealed off from getting even a whiff of what the other side's points may be, with snark and mockery substituted instead. Many people criticize the mainstream media for the fake controversy approach where every issue has two sides no matter how silly, but John Oliver is even worse than that. It's fun, but that's all it is... it is not informative. Only fun. If you think he's "really good" at covering the issues, I strongly suggest tuning your media consumption; you're not even getting one side of an issue so much as one spoon-fed preparation of one side of an issue. You're dangerously underexposed. (And to be clear, I do think he is fun. I've watched a goodly number of his videos myself. I'm not saying I don't like his schtick... just that it is a schtick.)
- jclulow 11y ago
  Is there a particularly egregious example of one-sidedness you can point to?
- baldfat 11y ago
  Example: FCC Chairman Net Neutrality is a good example of his style. Yes he does show the other side and yes it maybe a case of straw-man argument, but for the most part. Encryption - He shows the FBI public address on the issue and why they are concerned in terms of terrorist. Then shows the Congress and Trump. Points out the ability for the government to "penetrate" any bank, door, etc as needed through a court of law. Then the issue is the "Pandora's Box" of setting president. I would like you to show one where there isn't the other side getting their main points presented by John Oliver? Would you be willing to show an example of what shows only one side?
  - jerf 11y ago
    I decline to volunteer a list of the exact ways in which I disagree with the liberal orthodoxy. (Thread derail ho!) I'm sure you'll understand. He carefully makes sure that any exposure to the "opposite side" is sandwiched with snark on both sides, and to make sure that none of the strong arguments are shown to you. You are not actually being exposed to the other side, just a soundbite carefully processed to remove any possibility that you might even be so much as intrigued, let alone convinced. Be honest: When have you been "exposed" to one of these viewpoints and even experience a hint of "Hmmm, maybe I should dig into that position a bit more, I'm not sure John's right here."? All I'm asking for is a twitch. I bet you're too busy laughing for the thought to even cross your mind. (Again... be honest with me. Don't hypothesize about how maybe somebody else might have. Tell me about whether you followed up on a video's points.) I'm taking a bit of risk putting this challenge out there, because a lot of people read these posts and of all those people, there almost has to be one person who actually can tell a story about how they followed up and came to a conclusion that disagreed with John. But I dunno... I've probably still got decent odds, and I'm quite sure there won't be a long stream of them below this concept. And let me reemphasize my core point here, which is not that I really expect that much more from a comedian (you are laughing, because he is pretty funny, after all), but that the media doesn't do any better. John isn't doing anything particularly wrong. He ought to be the dessert part of your balanced news and media diet; it's not the dessert's fault that the rest of the meal is short on nutrients.
michaelbuddy 11y ago
Meh I used to think so, then I saw the lengthy rebuttal that a guy did regarding the Trump episode he did. John Oliver unfortunately can't be trusted in some regards - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf3vW0e_Wgc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf3vW0e_Wgc
- nitrogen 11y ago
  Is there a transcript somewhere or a 5 minute version? I would like to have a counterpoint to the Drumpf piece but don't have 80 minutes to spend.
  - jclulow 11y ago
    It's basically 80 minutes of agonising "Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man."
  - ZoeZoeBee 11y ago
    A counterpoint to the Drumpf piece, Bill Clinton is not a Clinton, he changed his name from his biological father's Blythe.

dfc 11y ago

Do you honestly think non-technical people from outside the US are going to make a difference in this debate? I can't imagine a demographic with less influence over the situation.

Cuuugi 11y ago
I hope so. It has worldwide implications. There would be negative impacts for their business(es) globally if they nerf encryption.
Larrikin 11y ago
The host is British, but Last Week Tonight is an American television show.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
Selfcommit 11y ago
That "non-technical" person from "outside the US" has done a better job of explaining Edward Snowden to the masses than most news networks. His target demographic is Millennials, and he's very popular. Yeah - This carries some weight.
- dfc 11y ago
  OP said "We need every single non-technical person in the world to understand this clearly." You are talking about one non-technical person, from outside the US, who reads, writes and speaks English fluently, lives in NYC with his American wife and has an above average income because of the wildly popular television show on HBO that he hosts. John Oliver is hardly representative of the other billions of non-technical people from outside of the US. > Yeah - This carries some weight. A February poll by Reuters has 46% of Americans supporting Apple, the number jumped to 64% for people 18-39 years of age and a more recent WSJ/NBC poll of registered voters puts the number at 47%. What percentage of John Oliver's audience do you think changed their opinion after seeing the show and now support Apple? Or do you consider comedic reinforcement of a previously held belief is "carrying some weight"?