John Oliver Just Unearthed A Bizarre Food Moment From Law & Order
Late-night talk show hosts have a unique and difficult role. Oftentimes, they need to break unnerving truths to a diverse group of viewers, injecting the news with lighthearted humor and pushing the proverbial envelope just far enough for the general public.
John Oliver, for example, has a reputation for relaying hard-hitting news with brash satirical undertones in his HBO show, "Last Week Tonight." The popular British comedian is no stranger to delivering colorful food content. Whether he's calling out KitKat or pointing a finger at Subway, Oliver is well versed in holding major food brands accountable for their questionable business decisions (cue audience members shifting in their seats).
In the show's September 11, 2022, episode — which made headlines for censoring Oliver's controversial remarks about Queen Elizabeth II's recent passing, per Deadline — the late-night host reminded viewers of a bizarre food moment on "Law & Order."
Oliver used this bizarre banana scene to make an important point
When you consider the connection between "Law & Order" and food, you may be thinking along the lines of what Ice-T eats on the "SVU" set. During the recent "Last Week Tonight" episode, however, the food link was a tad more serious. The segment highlighted "Law & Order's" influence on the public's perception of law enforcement, and it cited studies showing that some police officers "get a lot of their information from 'SVU'" rather than formal training (via YouTube). To introduce the discussion, Oliver played a "Law & Order" clip he found particularly amusing.
In the scene, the series' star detective Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, asks a murder victim's wife, "Do you think that there was a reason that the killer sodomized your husband with a banana?" The remainder of the clip confirms the motive (that the victim was allergic to bananas, of course), but Oliver used the scene to frame a larger commentary about the failings of current law enforcement systems.
While some Reddit users agree that Oliver's jokes at times go too far, the general consensus seems to be that the comedian knows how to question societal norms in a funny, thought-provoking manner. Not only did Twitter users speak out in support of the late-night host after learning that his comments on the Queen were cut from the air, but Oliver also just won his seventh Emmy for Outstanding Variety Talk Series. Following his recent "Law & Order" remarks, viewers applauded Oliver for "for telling the truth so well."