+
upworthy

john oliver

John Oliver is known for his biting political commentary and smart comedy, but some of his best takes have emerged in casual conversation.

In February of 2018, Oliver joined Stephen Colbert on The Late Show and discussed the pending nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who were married a few months later. When asked if he was excited about the wedding, Oliver gave a candid response that turned out to be remarkably prescient.

First, he said that he was not, in fact, excited about the wedding. Surprised, Colbert pointed out that Harry was marrying an American and Oliver had married an American, and asked if he had any advice for Harry. Instead, Oliver spoke of his sympathy for Meghan Markle.

"I would not blame her if she pulled out of this at the last minute," he said. "I don't think you need to have just seen the pilot episode of 'The Crown' to get a basic sense she might be marrying into a family that could cause her some emotional complications."

Colbert said, "But this generation seems like nice people, right? They're all nice now, right?"

"Yyyyyeah," Oliver responded. "I mean, they're an emotionally stunted group of fundamentally flawed people doing a silly pseudo-job. That's what she's marrying into. So I hope she likes it. It's going to be weird for her."

"I would not marry into the Royal Family," he added. "I'm a commoner, I would not be welcome—especially after what I've just said," he laughed.

Colbert and Oliver chatted joked about how Oliver's potential knighthood was now off the table, then Oliver shared his thoughts on the displays of reverence people show to the crown.

"It's just weird to kneel in front of another adult. It's odd. I know that historically you read and you see people kneeling down and kissing the ring, but it's a bit strange. It's an odd thing to still have."

Oliver's statements echo what many people feel about the monarchy—that it's an archaic institution that has outlived whatever relevance and usefulness it may have once had. Then again, the royal tradition is a powerful force in the U.K. and Queen Elizabeth is genuinely beloved—even by Harry and Meghan who are making headlines for sharing the issues they've had with the Royal Family as an institution (in addition to specific members they refused to name). Some love the pomp and the pagaentry and are willing to turn a blind eye to the problematic history that goes along with it.

It will be interesting to see what changes if and when Charles—who does not carry the "beloved" mantle of his mother—ascends to the throne. Will people lose some of the love and respect they have for the crown now? Will generations who have only known Queen Elizabeth as monarch view the entire institution differently in her absence? Naturally, the changing of a monarch has always been a transition, but society has changed a lot since 1953, when Elizabeth became queen. People may not be as forgiving of the faults of the Royal Family without its sweet, stalwart matriarch at the helm.

Since John Oliver nailed the Meghan Markle situation so accurately, perhaps his view of the monarchy will also be seen as a self-evident truth someday. Guess we'll see.

You probably know somebody who's had an abortion.

According to 2008 data, 1 in 3 women will have one, meaning that odds are that even if you don't think you know anybody who's had an abortion, you probably do. And for the sake of those 1 in 3 women, it's worth paying attention to what John Oliver had to say on last night's episode of "Last Week Tonight" about the recent attacks on abortion rights.


GIFs from "Last Week Tonight"/YouTube.

These attacks are called TRAP laws, and they're forcing abortion clinics around the country to close at a rapid rate.

Since 2010, individual states have enacted more than 280 new restrictions on abortion. That startling number is what's led to the closing of somewhere around 70 abortion clinics across the country, and in many cases, leaving just one or two clinics open statewide.

These laws, often referred to as Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP), are usually presented as though they're being passed for the sake of women's health. They're not.

Let's make something really clear: Abortion is a very safe procedure. In fact, there's more risk in carrying a pregnancy to term than in having an abortion.

And even though this (often nonsurgical) procedure is considered safe by medical standards, TRAP laws target clinics with strict regulations that go beyond what's medically necessary to carry out an abortion procedure.


There are two types of regulations: restrictions that directly affect the clinic and restrictions that directly affect the person seeking the procedure.

In the end, they all affect the person seeking the abortion, but it's a two-pronged attack. In some states, laws specify things like the size of procedure rooms, the width of corridors, or the distance a clinic must be to a hospital.

Some states require that doctors who provide abortions have admitting privileges at hospitals, which are both unnecessary and hard to come by.

The other type of regulations, the ones that affect patients directly, include things like mandatory waiting periods between consultation and the abortion procedure, being forced to undergo unnecessary procedures like ultrasounds, being forced to watch that ultrasound, and being read a script by the doctor with medically dubious information.

These are all meant to deter and shame the person seeking the abortion from getting one.

But luckily, there's something you can do about this.

You can vote.

With one Supreme Court vacancy (and more likely coming in the next few years), whoever winds up sitting in the Oval Office come January 2017 will have a huge impact on whether TRAP laws become a way to effectively outlaw abortion or if they'll be thrown out for placing an undue burden on the person seeking an abortion (which they do).

One case is set to be heard next month — Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole. With more challenges to Roe v. Wade certainly to come in the following years, it's important to know where the presidential candidates stand on abortion, even if not for yourself, but for the 1 in 3 women who will need those services.

Watch John Oliver's fantastic segment from last night's show below: