Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Video: Daily Show's John Oliver Visits Occupy Wall Street, Lets Jokes Write Themselves
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 19, 2011
Modified Oct 19, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 19, 2011
Modified Oct 19, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Don't let the clean suits fool you; the Daily Show's John Oliver isn't some millionaire "job creator"—he's part of the 99%, and he went down to Zuccotti Park to join in the historic Occupy Wall Street movement. Well, that was the premise of last night's segment. What Oliver really wanted was to turn on the cameras and let a sampling of protesters make fools of themselves. Like shooting rubber chickens in a barrel:
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook
The funniest part is probably when Oliver uses the "people's mic" to tell the crowd, "The human microphone... while well-intentioned... is incredibly annoying... and embodies everything... people find frustrating... about movements like this!" He later repairs to a local bar where he shares a beer with "normal people" (i.e. olds) who also object to the inequities in the economic system but agree the Occupy Wall Street movement needs normal folk. "You know what my favorite part of your point is?" Oliver asks one of them. "You don't have crazy tattoos all over your face."
But in the end, the normals have to put the kids to bed and watch the new episode of American Pickers. Which brings us back to Occupy Wall Street—a movement comprised of a wide range of people of different ages and backgrounds, not just the cliched inarticulate hippie the media likes to pull aside for embarrassing TV segments like these. A balanced look at Occupy Wall Street would take the full spectrum of demonstrators into account! The problem is, that wouldn't be funny.
Meanwhile, host Jon Stewart calls out Republicans for fanning the populist Tea Party flames and then criticizing the populist Occupy Wall Street movement. Watch Eric Cantor from "a minute ago" tell the Tea Party protesters to take their country back, then turn around and say, "I for one am increasingly concerned about the growing mobs occupying Wall Street." Won't someone think of the job creators? These protesters are dividing our country!
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook
Tagged
john oliver
Jon Stewart
occupy wall street
temperature check
Zuccotti Park
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
Construction crews will jack up sagging floors where two key structural columns bent in July.
By
David Brand
Published Oct 16, 2026 at 1:54 p.m. ET
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
A city investigation discovered that when the bus arrived at its destination in Crown Heights, one student was lying in a pool of urine.
By
Jessica Gould
News
School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year
A city investigation discovered that when the bus arrived at its destination in Crown Heights, one student was lying in a pool of urine.
By
Jessica Gould
NYC’s bridges can last 'forever,' if we take care of them
By
Clayton Guse
Queens mother charged with murder in death of 5-year-old daughter, NYPD says
By
Ryan Kost
NYC’s whiplash weather continues into weekend with heavy winds, chilly temps, NWS says
By
Monica Melton
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .