John Oliver and Last Week Tonight are on hiatus for the rest of the year, returning to HBO on Feb. 8, 2015. But he’s still throwing us a few morsels via the show’s YouTube channel. What better time to feed an appetite than just before Thanksgiving?
Appropriate to the holiday when we’re all feasting on turkey, Oliver addresses the strange tradition (67 years running) of U.S. presidents pardoning one of these birds each year shortly before we the people devour tens of millions of their brethren.
(Oliver also takes a swipe at watching the Detroit Lions. While that hurts as a Lions fan, I do sympathize with the rest of the country having to endure the Honolulu Blue-clad gridiron gladiators on a day when we’re supposed to cherish family and friends, while taking stock of our lives.)
Perhaps you remember The West Wing incorporating the turkey pardons into a scene during the show’s second season, in the episode titled “Shibboleth.” President Bartlet wasn’t going to be soft on turkeys, man!
By the way, the two turkeys President Obama pardoned this year are named Mac and Cheese. (One turkey is a backup, kind of like Robert Griffin III is now.) This is definitely something you should mention at dinner.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! And thank you for reading The AP Party.
