John Oliver and Last Week Tonight are still on hiatus from HBO for another six weeks, but our favorite British media critic, social commentator, TV educator and fake newscaster put out a plate of cookies for us to nibble on with a short video on the show’s YouTube channel.
(By the way, what kind of studio audience do you think they have when they do these short clips? Or were they recorded long ago? The production probably doesn’t drag everyone back to tape a three-and-a-half-minute segment, right?)
As is often the case, Oliver comes to us with help. At least help for those of us who don’t really care for New Year’s Eve. For anyone confronted with having to console a friend whose relationship recently ended, attending a party that will surely drag on until that damn ball drops or participating in a girls’ night out (something I presume most guys won’t have to deal with), there are some potentially useful tips.
“New Year’s Eve is like the death of a pet,” as he puts it. “You know it’s going to happen, but somehow you’re never really prepared for how truly awful it is.”
I suspect much of Oliver’s view comes from the gridlockish hell that New York City must become every Dec. 31. Obviously, not everyone has to deal with such matters. But there is often an expectation that comes with New Year’s Eve — perhaps more so if you’re single — that seems to court disappointment.
Last Week Tonight returns to HBO on Sunday, Feb. 8. Happy New Year, everyone.
