John Oliver – Memphis Flyer

Memphis plays itself.

Last Week Tonight’s latest installment of “And now, this…” was a thigh-slapping compilation of all those times when local weather people have gone all American Vandal and drawn dicks on TV. The segment included a snippet from Nashville’s TV-5
(Video excerpt below).

Dick Pics: News Channel-5 Nashville Appears on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

Everybody should totally take the time to watch this whole important clip because there are so many more dicks where those came from. Still, it’s kind of a shame Oliver didn’t dive a little deeper into Memphis’ sordid “things that look like dicks” history. Like the infamous “welcome to Memphis” sign that looks like a bouquet of dildos.

For reference, here’s a picture of said sign next to an actual bouquet of dildos.

And what about that enormous sperm-shaped ribbon of asphalt terminating at the Bass Pro Pyramid? Hmmmmm?

And while we’re on about it, I know she’s from Columbia, TN not Memphis, but if you’re going to do a segment on things that look like penises, does it get any better than the money-shot campaign materials created by District 65’s Sheila “rape-and-incest-aren’t-verifiable” Butt?

Maury Co. Courthouse my behind!

UPDATE: Your Fly on the Wall often teases and must admit his own mistakes. Because the penis-drawing begins with balls over Memphis I originally identified the news feed as being from WMC in Memphis. But it is News Channel 5, Nashville. I regret the error. It’s even funnier this way. Nashville drawing balls over Memphis. Same as it ever was.

For many, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart was an island of television sanity in the W era. For others, it was just proof of how smug liberals are. But there’s no denying the show’s lasting impact on TV comedy. It’s most famous alumni are The Two Steves: Colbert and Carell. After batting cleanup for Stewart on Comedy Central for years, Colbert is currently killing it in David Letterman’s former slot on CBS. Carell, on the other hand, abandoned topical comedy for The Office and, later, movie stardom, most recently as a high strung financial analyst in The Big Short.

To replace Stewart, The Daily Show brought in outsider Trevor Noah, who so far has been holding the brand together, and little more. But two Daily Show alums are taking the old formula and running with it. John Oliver was the leading candidate for Stewart’s chair until HBO snapped him up in 2013. He’s tweaked the formula, dropping the fake news deadpan, with decent results. But both the Daily and Oliver are going to be hard pressed to keep up with Full Frontal With Samantha Bee.

I’ll admit, I’m pretty burned out on political TV comedy. But Bee’s opening monolog instantly won me over. Where Noah is a little bland, and Oliver channelling everyone’s favorite Addreall addled British exchange student roommate, Bee is relaxed, confident, and looks like she’s actually having fun in front of the audience. It seems the two primary skills of the liberal political comedian are effectively channeling exasperation and articulating a lot of words clearly and quickly, and Bee can do both through a smile that seems genuine.

On this week’s show, which aired last night, she held a focus group for Trump supporters, with a promise to “actually treat them nicely”—which included an after-focus group party complete with live entertainment and “Welcome Trump Supporters” sign. After two decades of increasingly hostile partisan warfare intensified by information bubbles that isolate audiences and feed them only the news they agree with, this little bit of cultural exchange borders on a revolutionary act. Bee defanged the rancor by being respectful of her opponents, while still wringing laughs from the distance between their opinions. In this season of political anxiety, Bee might be the comedy remedy you’ve been looking for, and the true heir to Stewart’s chair.