February 28, 2025 – March 6, 2025
For this week, we’re doing something a little different than last time. After having given things a little more thought, we’ll be combining things into days of the week (when possible), rather than breaking things up by shows, that way we can actually see them side by side. I think The Late Show and Late Night will be the easiest to pair together, as they serve the same days, while the Daily Show with Jon Stewart is only on Mondays. It’s also likely that Last Week Tonight will be often separated as its own category, as Oliver generally covers one specific topic in greater detail than the other hosts, and that topic does often differ from the news of the week.
This week we’ve seen a lot about the war in Ukraine, the Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy, U.S. Tariffs, DOGE, and Trump’s speech to Congress.
I did find it a little more interesting this week to have both Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert express further frustration towards the Democrats than usual. Given that both feel that Democrat Senators simply aren’t doing enough to fight against DOGE and Trump’s agenda, or at least they don’t look like they’re doing enough. I also had a solid laugh on Wednesday when after Trump’s Congressional Address Meyer’s said:
“You know, I’m sometimes asked what I think about the fact that some people might get their news from me, and I always say, don’t get your news from me. Use this show as a second, or even better, a third source for the news. But then, I watched Donald Trump’s hour and 40-minute address to Congress last night, and all I can say is from now on, you can get your news from me. Don’t – Don’t put yourself through this shit anymore.”
I will say, it was funny on my end to have just started this process last week and to already have one of the hosts make a joke about how you shouldn’t use them for news. While Meyers is making the joke that you can just use him for news going forward, it is genuinely better to use multiple news sources. This generally helps reduce bias, and let’s you see things from other perspectives. From my experience, it’s generally recommended to have a few sources that are genuine traditional media, as well as some that are on the left side of the political spectrum, and on the right. You can also use independent media and social media as well, just with a little more caution to ensure they provide factual information. Foreign news outlets are also good to use for a further outside perspective, and of course you can read, listen, or watch your news in whatever method suits you best.
As an example, I use a variety of news sources, including:
When I’m looking at news for the United States I’ll often use:
- CNN
- Fox News
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
- Late Night with Seth Myers
- Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Foreign News:
I’ll be delving deeper into media literacy later on, but I think this is a good spot to leave it for now. So let’s take a look at what folks covered this week.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Episode 3 – Monday, March 3, 2025
Minor Story Mentions:
- Silicon Valley Autoshow – Flying Car.
- Trump’s AI video version of Gaza.
- The meeting with Zelenskyy and Trump in the Oval Office.
- DOGE cuts to government workers.
- New loyalists entering high government positions:
- Kash Patel – Director of the FBI.
- Dan Bonino – a podcaster – Now deputy director of the FBI.
Main Story – Restaurants and Tipping:
- Tip culture and the belief it is getting out of hand.
- Trump’s promise to remove taxes on tips, Kamala Harris following suit.
- Main questions tonight on tipping:
- Why we do it.
- What the problems with it are.
- And how we might be able to address at least some of them.
“And if that seems less like a business and more like an insane money carousel, where everyone is paying everyone else, and somehow everyone is still poor. Welcome to the restaurant industry.”
Monday, March 3, 2025
Jon Stewart on Trump’s Heel Turn on Zelenskyy In Favor of Putin’s New World Order | The Daily Show
Stewart covered:
- Provided an update on last week’s accident, where he cut himself after smashing a World’s Most Dad mug.
- DOGE and Elon Musk:
- You may remember last time that I mentioned how Musk challenged the Daily Show that he would go on “if the show airs unedited.” To which during this episode Stewart said “that’s how the in-studio interviews normally air, is unedited. So, sure. We’d be delighted.”
- Musk also then went on to say that “Stewart is much more a propagandist than it would seem… Jon is too set in his ways. He used to be more bipartisan.”
- Stewart then did point out the irony in this statement, as Musk supports trump, the German AFD, spent millions to help Trump get elected, and even sports a custom MAGA hat.
“I do have some criticisms about DOGE. I support, in general, the idea of efficiency and delivering better services to the American public in cheaper and more efficient ways, and if you want to come on and talk about it on the show, great. If you don’t want to, sure. But can we just drop the pretense that you won’t do it because I don’t measure up to the standards of neutral discourse that you demand and display at all times? Because quite frankly – that’s bullshit.”
- Oval Office Meeting with Zelenskyy:
- Included a lengthy metaphor about WWE.
- We then looked at the events surrounding the Oval Office meeting.
- Stewart also provided a quick demonstration on the difference between left media coverage and right media coverage of the event. For CNBC and CNN, you had media being shocked and disappointed, on the right you had Fox News expressing that Zelenskyy was ungrateful and rude.
“Everything sounds better if the only other option you’re presenting us is World War Three.”
- Russian State media expressing their pleasure over what happened.
- Stewart then commented on how Zelenskyy needed to go in like Keir Starmer did, wooing the president, he also then proceeded to make certain…hand gestures.
- MAGA thinks Europe is gay.
- Steve Bannon’s hatred for the European Union, as being the architect of this betrayal.
Oval Office Shouting Match | Not Playing Cards | Great Television? | Moscow Celebrates
Colbert covered:
- The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy. This deal surrounded the intent that Ukraine would be signing over 50% of revenue from rare earth mineral extraction to the U.S. Which fell into a chaotic yelling match.
“This is going to be great television; I’ll tell you that.” – Trump
“You never want to make great television; you want to make good television. Great television means something has gone horribly wrong.” – Colbert
- European leaders rallied around Zelenskyy post meeting. European leaders hosted a summit Monday, pledging military support for Ukraine.
Trump’s Disastrous Meeting with Zelenskyy; Graham’s Brazen Ukraine Flip Flop: A Closer Look
Meyers (who was away for two weeks) covered:
- One we didn’t see yet: A threat to investigate a congressman for calling Musk a dick.
- Some topics we covered last week:
- DOGE’s hiring and rehiring (re bird flu and nuclear safety)
- Making sure the gold is in Fort Knox (I will admit with this one, that I hadn’t realized just how many times he said they were going to do it, turns out a lot).
- Meyers highlighted a key thing that happened in the last two weeks, being the cut U.S. task forces on foreign influence, as well as the task force dedicated to sanctions on Russia.
- I did like the highlighting of the amount of times Trump said “Raw Earth” in the meeting.
- Trump defending Vladimir Putin (aggressively).
- Showing the difference between Lindsey Graham and two weeks ago, and then the disappointing response from Democrats.
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
LIVE Monologue: Rep. Al Green Tossed Out For Interrupting Trump | Useful Lies & Useless Idiots
Colbert covered (live show):
- Trump’s speech to Congress.
- Democrats wearing pink, and their other methods of protest (whiteboards and signs).
- The removal of Democrat Al Green.
- “Free speech is back” – Trump.
- Trump’s mispronunciation of multiple countries.
- Social Security claims.
- Tariffs on Canada and Mexico.
- Online deepfake harassment bill.
- Making DJ a honuorary Agent of the Secret Service.
- Transgender youth.
- Office of shipbuilding.
Meyers did not have a closer look on Tuesday.
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Dumbest Trade War In History | Effects Of Trump’s Tariffs Already Being Felt | Chicken Rental Deals
Colbert covered:
- Trump’s speech to Congress.
- Trump’s focus on tariffs.
- The pause of auto tariffs on Canada and Mexico – After Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated there would be no exceptions.
- China stated that they were ready for any time of war with the United States.
- Egg prices and new chicken rental services.
Trump’s Lie-Filled Speech to Congress Interrupted by Rep. Al Green Over Medicaid Cuts: A Closer Look
Meyers covered:
- Trump’s address to Congress.
- Al Green’s removal from the floor.
- The other ways that Democrats opted to protest (Wearing pink and signs)
- Trump’s listing of all the amount of people falling under ages categories for Social Security.
Thursday, March 6, 2025
Trump’s Tariff Whiplash Psychodrama | DOGE’s Lame Apology | Musk Faces GOP’s “Gentle” Fury
Colbert covered:
- Trump stating the necessity of tariffs, then pausing all of them the following day.
- Musk and DOGE:
- More accidental firings, that are now prompting rehirings.
- Plans to fire 15% of the workforce at Veterans Administration.
- The intent to sell numerous “non-core” government buildings. Some included “the headquarters of the FBI; the departments of Justice, Veterans Affairs, Labour, and Housing and Urban Development.” Including the headquarters of the U.S. General Services Administration, which is in charge of selling the properties.
- 58% of polled Americans oppose laying off large numbers of government workers, another poll shows that from 18–34-year-olds, 71% say they disapprove of DOGE.
- GOP Congressional Committee advised house Republicans to stop holding in person town halls due to DOGE complaints.
- GOP questioning Musk to Capitol Hill.
Trump Caves on Tariffs as Markets Drop, Faces Backlash for Firing Veterans: A Closer Look
Meyers covered:
- Trump’s speech to congress complaining the Democrats won’t show support for anything he does. He listed hypotheticals, and Meyers went through them and showed how Trump had failed on all these items.
- Fox News: no need to buy eggs, get chickens instead.
- How badly the administration hurts farmers; despite saying they’re supporting them.
- The price of trucks going up.
And there you have it…
Another busy and chaotic week covered comedically.
Comedy Communications 