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Jarrett C. Eilerman

Professor Kurz

English 1001

12 September 2017

The Art of Argument: A Comedic Application

Throughout the course of history, the highest-ranking scholars of the age, as well as the

lowest members of society, have all attempted to perfect the art of the argument. For a topic as

broad as argument, one may feel overwhelmed with the many angles they are presented with as a

means to accomplish the task of winning an argument. Many fall victim to pointless bickering,

where no side concedes any ground as both parties are too enveloped in their own personal

agenda. To many, the word argument itself carries so much baggage that they overlook the

comedic aspect that argument entails. Using comedy as a means in argument is effective because

generally people are more receptive to an argument if humor is included with them. The use of

comedy as a means to get a point across is a staple in modern, late-night comedy. John Oliver,

host of HBOs Last Week Tonight often uses comedy as a disguise to push his agenda on real-

world issues. Oliver uses the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos complimented with

humor to push his defense of net-neutrality, a topic fairly misunderstood by the American

populace and one that is under attack from various organizations. On a broader spectrum, Oliver

constructs his argument by juxtaposing seriousness with comedy, victimizing the common

American, and encouraging action in support of his cause.

One of the most important considerations regarding John Oliver is his audience. Olivers

audience consists mainly of two bodies: HBO subscribers and internet viewers. The clip was
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watched by one million people on HBO (Solsman) and currently has over thirteen million views

on YouTube. Therefore, it can be deducted that most of Olivers audience is internet-based, a

group that Oliver most certainly tailored his rhetoric to. Olivers internet audience can be

inferred as frequent internet users who do not want to see their lifestyle, in regard to internet use,

tampered with or inconvenienced. Though Olivers primary audience, in terms of subscription,

are those with an HBO subscription, John Oliver formulated his message to reach and appeal to

those who would see it second-hand on the internet.

Olivers specialty is introducing serious topics while keeping the audience engaged by

supplying doses of comedy immediately after. For instance, after opening with humor, Oliver

states the meaning of net neutrality in a serious tone. Olivers stark detour from his usual,

comedic self causes the audience to pay closer attention to his message. His simplified

explanation of net-neutrality, a complex term, gives the audience a face to rally against. Oliver

then proceeds to share news clips, which intensify his claim that net-neutrality is a serious issue.

Oliver then utilizes his most common trick, and provides the audience with comic relief: this

cannot happen, how else is my startup video streaming service Nutflix going to compete (Last

Week Tonight). Olivers juxtaposition of seriousness with humor is the main factor that keeps

his audience engaged, as most people tune into Last Week Tonight to laugh. This method

essentially plants a serious idea in the audiences head while keeping them receptive to more of

his method.

Another method Oliver uses to push his message is to victimize the average American by

portraying them as vulnerable against big corporations. Oliver begins his quest of demonizing

large corporation by pointing out hypocritical statements by corporate executives, saying: They

also say that they will be at your house between 2 and 6 in the afternoon (Last Week Tonight).
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The joke about unreliable telecommunication service times is something the entire audience can

relate to and get behind. Oliver reinforces his argument against telecommunications corporations

by presenting the close relationship between corporations and the government. Like always,

Oliver begins in a serious tone, explaining the matter, and then following with a joke: that is the

equivalent of needing a babysitter and hiring a dingo (Last Week Tonight). Revealing the close

relationship between these corporations and the government furthers the notion that the average

American is vulnerable compared to large telecommunication corporations. Oliver continues by

sharing how internet speed in the United States compare to the entire world, and makes a joke

about Estonia, who the United States ranks behind, following the statistic.

Finally, Olivers desired consequence of his comedic routine about net-neutrality is

action, in the form of internet comments, towards the Federal Communications Commission.

Oliver finishes his routine by pointing out that the FCC is holding open testimony from the

general public, and Oliver encourages his audience to voice their opinions on net-neutrality to

the Internets governing body. Once again, Oliver delivers his final point through the use of

comedy, pointing out how ridiculous and cruel Internet commenters can be. Olivers final use of

his trademark brand of rhetoric delivers the message to the audience without seeming too serious

about his desired outcome, which could help propel even the most indifferent viewers into

action.

One of the most controversial tasks to undertake is to decide who is the victor of an

argument or if the person conducting the argument got their point across effectively. In this case,

however, the outcry following Olivers routine show that his message on defending net-

neutrality resonated exceptionally with his target audience. Shortly after Oliver called on his

audience to voice their opinions to the FCC, their website became overrun with traffic and
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crashed, Weve been experiencing technical difficulties with our comment system due to heavy

traffic (FCC). This shows that Olivers ultimate message was successful and he, along with his

audience, certainly showed the FCC their stance on the case of net-neutrality. All-in-all, Olivers

effective juxtaposition of seriousness and humor delivered his message in an efficient way which

accomplished his desired outcome.


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Works Cited

FCC, The. Weve been experiencing technical difficulties with our comment system due to

heavy traffic. Were working to resolve these issues quickly. 02 June 2014, 1:44 PM.

Tweet.

LastWeekTonight. "Net Neutrality: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)." YouTube.

YouTube, 01 June 2014. Web.

Solsman, Joan E. "John Oliver's Net Neutrality Response Swamps FCC." CNET. N.p., 03 June

2014. Web.

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