S05.E29: Drain the Swamp

[Athena]

Quote

Other segments: Stupid Watergate, 2018 midterm elections, social media influencers and unauthorized brand promotions

 

[Lantern7]

It's a pity John isn't a comic book geek. "Donald Trump said that he'd drain the swamp. Well, it's been two years since he was elected, and it is still swampy. How swampy? If you squint hard enough, you can see the monstrosities once know as Alec Holland and Ted Sallis sixty-nining on the White House lawn."

In other news, John wears jeans that give him an awesome ass, and follows that up with Kardashian-approved yoga pants. He goes into overtime by acknowledging that he's been dropping Scientology references all year, and he wants money for it. "And Now This" segments: the clusterfuck that was Steve Bannon's Election Day coverage, and over-the-top graphics from Monday Night Football. My favorite was an Infinity Gauntlet snapping its fingers, and members of the last Seattle Seahawks team that went to the Super Bowl turning into ash, one by one. Yeah, it's a bit icky when you realize the MCU and ESPN are owned by Disney, but still one helluva graphic.

[Annber03]

That Scientology bit at the end was amazing. I feel dumb for not connecting all of that sooner :p. I like that a castle from "Game of Thrones" is in there, too-Oliver's comment about which building has seen more torture between that and the Scientology headquarters was great.

Everything with the pants had me dying. God, he's such a dork :D. I loved the Sir Mix-a-Lot references during the bit about that bizarre ad, too ("My anaconda don't want none unless it's...rigorously peer-reviewed, hon." Hee). 

As for the main topic, holy cripes, the amount of mental gymnastics Trump supporters go through to avoid having to acknowledge how much they were conned by him. It's stunning. And the swamp just continues to get worse. Should we get a Democratic president in 2020 (yes, 2020, I am clinging to that hope, damnit), I'll feel so sorry for them, because holy shit, are they going to have a lot of cleaning up to do. 

[lucindabelle]

Argh my dvd cut off before the payoff to the Instagram influencers but! Can someone tell me what happened? I gather something about Scientology?

[Lantern7]

21 minutes ago, lucindabelle said:

Argh my dvd cut off before the payoff to the Instagram influencers but! Can someone tell me what happened? I gather something about Scientology?

John was going over how celebrities can make money off promotion stuff on their Instagram accounts, and they sometimes "forget" to put up stuff like "#ad" to indicate they're being paid to shill. And John reveals that he's been dropping Scientology references all year, and he wants to get paid for it. The most obvious-in-retrospect: John in front of a model volcano (like the one on the cover of Dianetics), saying "Xenu next week."

[Victor the Crab]

They must have planned this whole Scientology thing for a year. I can't believe we didn't pick up on all the subtleties sooner. Here's hoping that cult responds in a whinny manner.

4 hours ago, Annber03 said:

As for the main topic, holy cripes, the amount of mental gymnastics Trump supporters go through to avoid having to acknowledge how much they were conned by him.

Or they really don't care, as long as those "others" are hurt.

[Robert Lynch]

I loved John's positivity on the Democratic outcome. So much better than Bill Maher's typical gloom and doom situation.

[attica]

I certainly have noticed all the Scientology stuff over time, but I thought it was meant as satire, not sponcon! You know, like Jon used to do with Arby's. But hey, if COS can help balance HBOs books for the cost of those sweet-peach-butt jeans, all the better.

Also, I want it down for the record that I actually gagged when that kissy-face got put on my screen. My entire alimentary canal spasmed in recoil. 

Edited November 12, 2018 by attica

[Nellise]

3 hours ago, attica said:

I certainly have noticed all the Scientology stuff over time, but I thought it was meant as satire

 

I didn't really get that bit (well I understood it, but I don't think it worked). John was doing his sarcastic voice in most of the Scientology clips so I don't know how anybody would assume he was shilling for them. They mostly just came across as tired Scientology jokes to me.

Edited November 12, 2018 by Nellise

[teddysmom]

4 hours ago, Robert Lynch said:

loved John's positivity on the Democratic outcome. So much better than Bill Maher's typical gloom and doom situation.

I can't take Maher any more.   Was last night the last show for the season?  

WTF with those jeans??!!   I'm killing myself over here trying to get my ass smaller and firmer and all along I didn't realize It's supposed to be big enough to block out the sun?  To each his own I guess.   I about died when he stood up and had them on. 

[peeayebee]

I too noticed the Scientology stuff during the season, but I just took it as joking. It didn't sound like promoting at all to me, but in hindsight, of course. 

I know I'm not alone in being amazed at how Trump can get away with bald-faced lying. In this instance, saying that he doesn't know Matt Whitaker when he literally said before that that he knows him, and of course has met with him. Honestly, and I'm not exaggerating, there's nothing that comes out of his mouth that I don't take as a lie.

It's appalling how he has appointed people to departments to literally do the opposite of what the department stands for.

[Dots And Stripes]

2 hours ago, Nellise said:

I didn't really get that bit (well I understood it, but I don't think it worked). John was doing his sarcastic voice in most of the Scientology clips so I don't know how anybody would assume he was shilling for them. They mostly just came across as tired Scientology jokes to me.

This is how I saw it too. I like the show, but I think Oliver is over rated and segments like the Scientology one are why. He acted like he was being so clever, but to me it's more of an example of him not planting the seeds right all along. He uses sarcasm and hyperbole all the time.He didn't outsmart the audience because no one, except maybe a Scientologist, would have taken what he was saying seriously. Or should we now think Oliver really and truly believes the Olsen twins are one person since he repeats that as well?

[Robert Lynch]

That scene from Ghosts Can't Do It between Trump and Bo Derek was possibly the most disturbing moment in bad movie history. Well, that whole movie was bad, anyway. And you can't say that was fake news. 

[Annber03]

7 hours ago, attica said:

Also, I want it down for the record that I actually gagged when that kissy-face got put on my screen. My entire alimentary canal spasmed in recoil. 

Same. My stomach did a weird sort of lurching thing. There's an image I hope to never see again. 

[peeayebee]

5 hours ago, Robert Lynch said:

That scene from Ghosts Can't Do It between Trump and Bo Derek was possibly the most disturbing moment in bad movie history. Well, that whole movie was bad, anyway. 

Have you seen it?

[3 is enough]

I was very amused to see Amy Tarkanian's meltdown over her husband's loss featured.

I live in that district, and watched the meltdown live on our late local news.  The anchors were stunned, and said something to the effect of "Well, that's not something you see everyday."  It was very odd, to say the least.

For those not familiar with Nevada politics, Danny Tarkanian is the son of the late Jerry Tarkanian, who coached UNLV to the NCAA basketball championship in 1990.  Jerry was a much loved legend in Las Vegas, and his son has been trying to ride his father's coattails into political office for years, without success.  Danny has been involved in some sketchy business deals and runs a charitable foundation which has raised some questions over the years.  Whenever he runs for office, his opponent inevitably brings this up in campaign ads, and he sues them (hence the liar comments).

[teddysmom]

21 hours ago, Robert Lynch said:

That scene from Ghosts Can't Do It between Trump and Bo Derek was possibly the most disturbing moment in bad movie history. Well, that whole movie was bad, anyway. And you can't say that was fake news. 

I'm going to suggest it to How Did This Get Made podcast. 

13 hours ago, 3 is enough said:

For those not familiar with Nevada politics, Danny Tarkanian is the son of the late Jerry Tarkanian, who coached UNLV 

Yep. My Hoosiers beat them in the 1987 NCAA on the way to the Championship. (sorry)  

[iMonrey]

Quote

That scene from Ghosts Can't Do It between Trump and Bo Derek was possibly the most disturbing moment in bad movie history. Well, that whole movie was bad, anyway. And you can't say that was fake news.

Sure, the kissy-face freeze frame was disturbing A.F. But there's something to be gleaned from looking at some of Trump's appearances on TV and in film 20-30 years ago. You can see a marked difference in his mental capacities from then to now.

[TexasGal]

On 11/12/2018 at 8:34 AM, attica said:

 

Also, I want it down for the record that I actually gagged when that kissy-face got put on my screen. My entire alimentary canal spasmed in recoil. 

Followed by the Cinnamon Toast Crunch/champagne/vodka/berries concoction, this show needed a gross out warning.

[Annber03]

Just now, TexasGal said:

Followed by the Cinnamon Toast Crunch/champagne/vodka/berries concoction, this show needed a gross out warning.

Seriously, WTF was that all about? 

[ahisma]

7 hours ago, teddysmom said:

 

On 11/12/2018 at 2:46 PM, Robert Lynch said:

That scene from Ghosts Can't Do It between Trump and Bo Derek was possibly the most disturbing moment in bad movie history. Well, that whole movie was bad, anyway. And you can't say that was fake news. 

I'm going to suggest it to How Did This Get Made podcast. 

 

My only exposure to the movie was the We Hate Movies podcast episode about it. It sounds unbelievable!

[attica]

13 hours ago, TexasGal said:

the Cinnamon Toast Crunch/champagne/vodka/berries concoction,

Well, I wouldn't eat it for breakfast, but I'm betting those flavors marry well...

[ganesh]

On 11/11/2018 at 10:33 PM, Annber03 said:

As for the main topic, holy cripes, the amount of mental gymnastics Trump supporters go through to avoid having to acknowledge how much they were conned by him.

There's such cognitive dissonance. No one can admit they were taken for a ride by an obvious con man who told them as much. 

[TudorQueen]

And... the Emperor continues to Have No Clothes.

[OneWhoLurks]

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After President Trump’s top offshore drilling regulator was outed on cable television for giving out his mobile work number to industry connections, he faced a slew of angry texts.

Among the messages: "Drain your swamp!" "You suck." "You're fucking up the oceans, moron.”

Thousands of pages of texts E&E News obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show Scott Angelle, head of the Interior Department's Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, flooded with a deluge of profanity and criticism after he was highlighted on "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" encouraging industry to call him as part of a "business opportunity."

Comedian triggered rain of profane texts on senior official