Discussion for article #233354
Oh well. Too bad there’s no “Fairness Doctrine.”
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Wow, this response from “Big Tobacco” makes me think that John Oliver has more influence than the governments of several small countries. Philip Morris International is behaving like a crazy Ecuadorian megalomaniac president.
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Unfortunately, the tobacco industry can take a few hard hits without any damage. It is the most profitable in the U.S. for over a century. $10 invested in 1915 would be worth $60M today, with an annual growth of 15%. They have no R & D., no new territory, etc., they just keep appeasing all those of us that have to be “COOL”. (Until we’re really cold)
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This country needs John Oliver. It would be awesome if network and cable news shows would start committing journalism in the same way Oliver does. I never realized exactly how scummy tobacco companies REALLY are. Fucking bastards.
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I’ve watched the episode several times. Yes, Big Tobacco IS that evil. Actually, they make Satan look like a choirboy at the Vatican…
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Don’t be a maybe!
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Hey John, If they’re shooting at you, you’re on the right track.
We need more people like the Johns (Oliver and Stewart), not intimidated by power and not beholden to any master.
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“While we recognize the tobacco industry is an easy target for comedians,"
Yes, comedians mocking evil is a long and proud comic tradition.
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Shady Multi-National Corporations HATE IT when you pull back the curtain on their illegal and immoral activities.
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The tobacco industry is the poster child for capitalism run amok, of opportunism trashing the community by smiling and taking your money on the one hand while lying to and killing you on the other one. Big Oil vs. climate change and health vs. health care industry profits are all quickly compared to tobacco like greedy politicians are compared to hitler. Did you think that, after admitting tobacco is dangerous, Philip Morris has knuckled under and given up? Think again.
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It is sad that the best journalism on TV has to wrap itself in comedy shows to pay the bills.
Imagine ProPublica with a $10 billion annual budget. I’d like that.
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A terrific piece by Oliver that you would not see in so-called serious news.
The worst thing Philip Morris International (a tobacco company with 80 bil revenue) did was warn Togo via letter, a nation of 4.3 bil domestic product that they’d engage Togo in protracted law suits if Togo went ahead with strict regulation like Australia’s. Then they cited an Australia case that they claimed meant Togo would lose in court. Togo backed down. Turns out the Australian case Philip Morris cited actually ruled the opposite AGAINST Philip Morris, and the language PM attorneys cited from that decision was from the one dissenting judge (out of seven). This was a clear ethical violation by PM attorneys who had to have known they were lying about the Australian case law to gain an advantage for their client, which they did.
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One thing striking about that segment was the tobacco packaging in Australia. It’s like if fast food providers had to show in graphic detail what their food could do. Someone should set up a series here of truth in labeling examples.
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Now that Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart are moving on, John Oliver should make room on his mantle for a boatload of Emmys. His work is amazing!
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I saw Jon Stewart being interviewed somewhere. He does not like the term “fake news” applied to his show. I think it must be because his news is more accurate that much “serious” news, certainly what you see on Fox.
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Phillip Morris takes the moral responsibility that comes with selling a product that kills more people in a year than Stalin or Hitler ever managed very seriously.
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John Oliver is the new Jon Stewart. Except he adds investigative journalism. With facts, research, hell, he gets documents translated from official sources. Good stuff.
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Or metastasized lung cancer.
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Yeah, 2 good reasons not to like the “fake news” term. First, he doesn’t make up the news he presents and responds to with his comedy. Second, it is comedy. He expects the audience to do the work of distinguishing between the actual news at question and the comic treatment of the news or newsmaker. You might call it a faux news broadcast, but somebody is already firmly parked on that description, and it isn’t Saturday Night Live.
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