You’ve probably seen a clip from John Oliver’s HBO series “Last Week Tonight” shared on your Facebook feed over the past few months.

Just about every Monday one of his segments obliterating the likes of the Miss America Pageant or for-profit universities goes viral. (I couldn’t find one clean enough to show on the blog. But you know where to find one if you want to watch.)

“Last Week Tonight” is, for better or worse, my primary source of news these days. I’m glad John Oliver is enjoying his success. He was hilarious on “The Daily Show” for many years.

Funny thing though – John Oliver did not score his HBO show on talent alone. He got the show because something terrible happened.  Continue reading →