Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

The show has covered sensitive topics such as drone strikes, noting their severe impact outside the U.S. where they 'kill' people, contrasting this with a more benign American understanding of drones for 'wedding videos.' While not visually explicit, this discussion directly addresses lethal violence and its real-world consequences. Additionally, in the 'Homeschooling' segment, the show discussed severe consequences of unregulated homeschooling, describing instances of 'child abuse and neglect' that led to deaths, presenting these as disturbing facts within a serious journalistic context.

In the 'Psychics' segment (Season 6, Episode 2), John Oliver dedicated significant time to critiquing 'the psychic industry, particularly one of the most insidious parts of it: mediums, people who claim to be able to communicate with the dead.' He showcased clips of various psychics and mediums, including 'Hollywood Medium' Tyler Henry and John Edward, to illustrate cold reading techniques and criticize their exploitation of vulnerable individuals. Oliver explicitly stated his intention to 'humiliate' psychics, noting how 'this surprisingly large often predatory industry relies on popular culture to lend it credence, and validity.'

In a segment focused on the tobacco industry (February 2015), Oliver extensively discussed 'tobacco industry trends and practices.' He introduced a satirical mascot named 'Jeff the Diseased Lung,' an anthropomorphic figure who smokes and coughs, serving as a critical commentary on the industry's practices. This segment directly addresses smoking and its health implications. Discussions on topics like healthcare, addiction, or crime often involve explicit references to drug and alcohol use as contributing factors or subjects of policy, further indicating the presence of substance use as a topic within the show's news commentary.

The 'Homeschooling' segment delves into the severe consequences of unregulated homeschooling, explicitly mentioning 'homeschooled children who've died as a result of abuse and neglect' and featuring images of victims. The discussion includes details of neglect and 'disciplinary techniques' that were 'anything but gentle,' making the content psychologically intense and disturbing. Similarly, segments covering topics like human rights abuses, governmental failures, or crime, such as those discussing ICE detention facilities or child incarceration, present upsetting realities and can be emotionally impactful due to their focus on systemic harms and injustices.

In the 'Televangelists' segment (August 2015), Oliver established a parody church, 'Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption,' to demonstrate the ease of setting up a tax-exempt religious organization and expose televangelists who 'exploit people's faith for monetary gain.' He mocked claims of divine healing, using phrases like, 'We've seen midgets grow, we've seen arms and legs that stop growing because of growth cells that stop mandas. I don't make this stuff up. Please, you can't say I don't make this stuff up just 5 seconds after you said the words Manda Casabasandanda.' Oliver's critique of televangelists like Kenneth Copeland and Robert Tilton directly challenged the integrity of specific Christian ministries, accusing them of using donations for private luxuries and exploiting IRS tax exemptions for churches, stating sarcastically, 'the odds of a church getting audited are basically the same as Gloria Copeland curing your f***ing cancer.'