The US presidential election and its unexpected results have become fodder for entertainment, especially for the late-night show hosts and performers. While some of the most renowned names including Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert have made ample fun of Donald Trump after winning the election, John Oliver has now joined the likes of them — but to mock someone else.
Comedian John Oliver is pinpointing one key culprit for Kamala Harris’s loss: pop icon Katy Perry. And the reason? One agonizingly off-key cover of Whitney Houston’s classic ‘Greatest Love of All‘ at Harris’s last rally attempt. Here’s what he has said about the pop icon’s influence on the election.
John Oliver Mocks Katy Perry For Endorsing Kamala Harris
Launching off into his remarks on the latest episode of his show, John Oliver said everyone has their scapegoat for Kamala Harris’ defeat — from bad campaign strategies to divisive progressive policies. But for him, it’s Katy Perry.
“Personally, I kind of would like to imagine that everything that happened on Tuesday is Katy Perry’s fault,” he said, before playing a clip of Perry’s awkward performance. “I mean, you are right, they can’t take away your dignity because you just surrendered it willingly,” he added, poking fun at the song’s lyrics.
He also questioned Perry’s decision to attempt a Whitney Houston cover at such a critical moment. “Why would you try and cover Whitney Houston — the voice?” Oliver asked, before throwing in a jab at Trump rally regular Lee Greenwood.
“At least when he sang Trump rallies, he wasn’t attempting to perform Freddie Mercury’s role in ‘Somebody to Love,'” he added.
John Oliver Gets Serious About Kamala Harris Being Too Liberal
Continuing his jibe further, John Oliver admitted that perhaps Katy Perry’s karaoke-night-worthy performance did not undermine Kamala Harris’ campaign, but he used it as a joke for defense at how it is easier to blame a pop star for everything rather than get into the subtle political niceties. Then Oliver brought up some real lines of attack against Harris’ policies, dishing charges that she was too liberal.
“Campaigning with Liz Cheney is about as far right as you can go unless you literally dig up Henry Kissinger’s corpse,” he said, adding that no singer, Perry included, could fix that kind of image problem.
The segment also contained Oliver’s familiar mashup of political zings and pop culture references. For his closer, he took aim at Elon Musk for his tone-deaf comments that Americans “are now suffering hardship.”
In case you missed it: “Give Me Your Reasons Why????”: Christina Applegate Reacts To Donald Trump’s Presidential Win
And in a last jab at those congressional Democrats who were leaving early, he referenced Kim Kardashian’s viral advice: “Get your f—ing ass up and work.” On a slightly more serious note, Oliver thought the national had not had much to be hopeful about, but some defeats were surely worth celebrating.
The end reminded the viewers that even if frustration is one of the factors, people can continue resisting, organizing, and, most importantly, laughing even at the expense of a pop star ascribing defeat in a presidential election.
