John Oliver admits his endless woke rants about Trump and transgender issues may finally come to an end as MAGA-friendly billionaire moves to buy HBO parent company
A late night host widely seen as the one of the most left-leaning has joked that his broadcaster's takeover by a MAGA-friendly billionaire may soon see him taken off the air.
Last Week Tonight host John Oliver leaned into uncertainty about his show's future Sunday by admitting his takes may not bode well with Paramount CEO David Ellison.
Ellison, the son of outspoken Donald Trump supporter Larry Ellison, had his $110billion bid for HBO's parent, Warner Bros. Discovery, accepted last week.
'If I may quote anyone who’s ever accidentally sat on their Roku remote, ‘Oh shit, I’m in Paramount now, how the f**k do I get out of this?"' Oliver reacted.
'There’s no point in the police just stacking up thousands of hours of footage that no one’s ever going to see - especially given that we all know that that is Paramount+’s job,' he said later on in the show, during a segment about police body cameras.
'Hey - what’re they gonna do? Take us over and immediately cancel us? I’m genuinely asking,' Oliver continued.
The punch lines acknowledged the possibility of the late night host possibly clashing with Ellison's apolitical vision for the company, which is set to expand with the Warner merger.
The British-born comic is a fierce defender of transgender athletes' rights, and in August mocked Superman actor Dean Cain for his his decision to join ICE.
John Oliver acknowledged news of Paramount's accepted $110billion bid at the top of the Sunday's show with a pointed quip toward Paramount
The company is run by David Ellison, who, like his father, is outspoken Trump ally. He is seen here at the US Capitol last month to attend the president's State of the Union address
That same month, Oliver told former Bill Clinton White House intern Monica Lewinsky Tuesday that Trump's immigration policies have him worried for his own safety despite his status as a US citizen.
Also in September, Oliver took aim at ABC parent company Disney in the saga surrounding fellow late night host Jimmy Kimmel's suspension, after Kimmel was taken off the air for several days following fierce backlash to a joke about Charlie Kirk in the days after the conservative activist's assassination.
Oliver accused Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr of being responsible for Kimmel's suspension, at the time - citing an appearance on Benny Johnson's podcast where Carr urged affiliates to refuse to air the host.
'Carr leaned on broadcasters to take down Kimmel,' Oliver said. 'And it’s not like Trump is even trying to hide it.'
The tirade also took aim at Disney's chief executive Bob Iger, for what was framed as cowardice and pandering.
'History is also going to remember the cowards who definitely knew better but still let things happen, whether it was for money, convenience, or just comfort,' Oliver said.
The host did not address Ellison by name during his Sunday missive, but did address early rumors about the possibility of a Paramount-Warner merger back in September.
'Please stay the f*ck away from us. You are not my real business daddy, and you never will be!' Oliver joked back then.
Oliver, on the other hand, is one of late-night's most left-leaning hosts - an identifier that could clash with Ellison's apolitical vision for the company. Oliver is a fierce defender transgender athletes' rights and other social issues
Carr, meanwhile, said the FCC should be set to approve Paramount's bid just last week. The transaction requires federal approval, as was the case with Skydance's acquisition of Paramount last year.
After the merger, Ellison expressed a desire to repair Americans' trust with changes to Paramount assets like CBS News.
CBS News could be combined with prime Warner asset CNN if the Paramount-Warner merger does go through - an increasingly likely prospect, as of writing.
Ellison, 43, successfully swayed Warner away from rival bidder Netflix last week, after upping an offer to $31-a-share.
