The ridiculous thing isn't that they didn't pass it, but that they made a point of drawing it out, coming to silly conclusions about it, and twisting it to their own ends right in front of the children. It was a simple yes or no question that would've taken a minute to do and wouldn't have mattered one way or another. Why make it so unnecessary and cruel?
Maybe they wanted to teach the children a real life lesson... This is how the US Government _really_ works. And the people in power? This is how they regularly behave.
i really do wonder how they talked about it "so there are these 4th graders who want to pass a bill... lets make them sad... like really really sad..."
Ari Liu I could understand them making counter points, because teaching politics is about overcoming opposition, but at the end of the day they should have had a steam roll pass, with just a few volunteer "no".Then come and tell the kids "Congratulations, your case was so strong you overcame the opposition."
remind me to punch the senator that said that in the face, his whole face. I actually want every single inch of his face to feel pain from my fist, I know that might take quite a few punches and some over lap, but I am okay with that. Any one want to help?
Bordelll That, and at least they now know that the representatives who shot them down are complete dicks. Of course, that can be said about politics in general. So at least they have an understanding of that too.
Funnily enough, you know that bald eagle's scream you hear in all the movies and shows? It's actually the red-tailed hawk's, because bald eagles don't sound very majestic.
+Acetylen i did not know that. you are the first human being ive encountered on the comment section with something interesting to say. i salute you my friend
+Acetylen I just found this out today when I was searching for badass eagle screams and only found a weak chirping. However upon searching hawk screams I found the strong and memorable screech of the red tailed hawk. Not only in movies and shows, but also in music it's used for eagles.
True, it's the red tailed hawk screeching scream that is used in most shows. Or it could be the blue jay - which does an incredible imitation of the red tailed hawk and the red shouldered hawk.
In all fairness, they did do an excellent job of showing the kids how real politics work. They basically do nothing except obsess over stupid, pointless shit while ignoring real issues and watching children cry.
exactly. They could have easily let this be a feel good pr story. But instead, they chose to actually educate the kids. Are they a-holes? Yes. Have these kids learned the sad reality about legislation? Also yes.
Yes this kind of bill is a waste of time but if you're already in session, passing it doesn't really cost anything. And if it doesn't cost you anything but it makes children happy, you should do it. Minnesota has a state muffin for gods sake.
Even if they are not going to pass it, they don't have to be jerks about it. Like the comment about planned parenthood. How is that at all appropriate as a reason to give children for denying them?
I like that the hawk brought onto the show was clearly a rescued bird (missing the lower portion of the left wing). The hawk not only gets to live well, but is able to also serve as an ambassador for the species. Kudos Last Week Tonight!
Fun fact, not every is trained in sounding exactly like the Wilheim Scream. So when you hear the Willheim Scream in movies, it's often dubbed over the actor.
TheLOL Cast Yeah, Bald Eagles don't do anything close to a stereotypical raptor scream (like Jeff said, Red-Tails are used to dub over them in movies). Usual sounds include a 'KIKIKIKIKI' sound.
BunnyCentauri The red herring fallacy is only shown once. I was referring to the "If we make a new state raptor, what next? State wild birds, pet birds, hot dogs?" et cetera
Tetrachromia You're right and also I'm sure this is (or is planed to be) a yearly field trip for students in the fourth grade. If the state legislators are expected to do a little song and dance debate over the children's bill then pass it to make the children smile how long before someone at least tries to use that yearly bill to attach things things that they can't get passed any other way? Things like gun laws or outlawing abortion these things could easily be attached because the politicians rarely read real bills in there entirety or at all how many are going to read the yearly "fourth graders bill"?
DOG_REDRUM Think thats been tried, even in congress. Think it was like a 420 page bus bill with one line on demolishing like 20 high schools. Politicians try crazy things. That one barely got stopped by a presidential veto when he was drinking his coffee.
Were they neglectful of the fact that the official animal of the United States, the bald eagle, is also an animal that crushes its victims to death with sharp claws?
That's different, because we all know the bald eagle just crushes enemies of the United States of 'Murica, like those damn turban heads, and poor people.
The Lidzmiester Fuck that. It represents American history. This country is founded upon the principle of killing people and taking their stuff. That's literally how it was founded.
Even if you want to make a point that no one should make frivolous bills, then you DO IT POLITELY: "We do not have any plans to appoint s state raptor at this time, due to more pressing concerns." HOW HARD WAS THAT, JACKWAGONS???
Well, they did teach the kids how the legislature actually works: your benign bill will be mercilessly ridiculed and cartoonishly distorted by special-interest lawmakers before being shot down in front of your face just for the lolz.
I can't believe the people who showed up to fight the bill. Then again, I've always wondered how many fourth graders I could fight at one time before being overrun, so maybe they were just living out some weird hypothetical battle fantasy.
Aidan Burke G'day, Apparently it's because John Oliver is being Censored by the Government of Abbottania. Either that, or he and HBO don't have any Advertisers who sell anything in Australia. Either way, it gives me the Shits with Oliver, and HBO (Highly Bloody Obnoxious.., or maybe that Horrible Bastard Oliver...?!). ;-p Ciao !
Aidan Burke WarblesOnALot It's because the Comedy Channel on Foxtel has the rights to it in Australia. They are sometimes unlocked after they are shown on there. You can find the videos elsewhere online if you search for them.
Jd Cunningham G'day, Thanks, I'm an uncomputered Neo-Luddite, my daughter bookmarked the Channel onto my Mobile Phone, and YT is the only fragment of the Internet I know how to access. ;-p Ciao !
This happened at my old middle school, I went back and talked to Mr. Cutting (the teacher of the fourth grade class) after this had happened and he told me how devastated the kids were, they were told that there might be a chance that the bill wouldn't pass, however a class from a few years earlier actually had a bill pass for a state gourd (it was the pumpkin) so they thought they had a really good chance. I babysit some of these kids and they are some of the sweetest nicest and smartest children I have ever met, and to see this happen to them broke my heart.
I thought it was special how that one guy described it as a mascot for Planned Parenthood….edgy. Let’s screw around with kids in the room, right? What a douche.
That was a cool grab, but saying it's a 360 grab is just wrong. It was a half back flip 90 degrees spin into a half front flip with 90 degrees spin back, or however you say it in English.
It’s amazing. But to be honest a pheasant is like child’s play for a hawk. Big fat flying chicken. They fly fast for sure but any bird of prey would be able to catch up. Especially when a pheasant starts to plane out and just glide. There best defense is when they flush and cackle. Which is still pretty ineffective.
My favourite part about this is that John is clearly scared of this bird and the guy holding it keeps teasing him about it I can't blame John, birds of prey can be dangerous and shouldn't be underestimated. I mean, have you seen his freaking claws and what he can do with it. But the fact that he let an actual animal he is scared of in his studio and is willing to stand next to it is awesome. My respect for you increased Mr. Oliver Still, it's hilarious XD
He's mentioned multiple times in the history of the show how much he hates birds, that just makes it so much more respectable that he stood his ground and made his point
I mean he probably was afriad, after John himself is part bird and his bird insticts must of said something like this "ohshitohshitohshitoHSHITOHSHITOHSHIT
New Hampshire says no to having the Red-Tailed Hawk as the official raptor of their state but Indiana says yes to discrimination against homosexuals! Take that 4th graders!!!
Sephiroth365 There's that snail (Conus or something like that), which I-shit-you-not can fire poisonous tooth-harpoons at predators or prey. Nature is scary...
Now the kids know how state government works. The only ones allowed to pass pointless bills into law are rich guys! And even those are gonna come with wasteful moralizing. Thanks for the dose of reality, legislators.
Victor Tesla Realistically speaking, it will have the same effect it has on all non-sociopaths. They'll spend the rest of their lives going, "why bother to get involved? The system is broken."
red-tailed hawks probably should be the official raptor though. i mean, they're the ones whose cry have been used to represent eagles, they deserve some credit
I mean. My parents were nice about it. "I was told that Santa isn't real." "He is real, but not in the way you have come to understand. He is actually the two of us trying to gift you without you feeling the need to gift back the same amount."
Can these lawmakers not differentiation when they should be fighting something and when they should embrace it, good leadership would be allowing the children to feel like they have a voice, they can make a difference. I guess they taught them a valuable lesson, when they're adults they will be just as ignored and taken just as seriously.
Nikolai Azerbaijan hopefully when they're older they will have enough faith that the systems works that they actually try to work with it, rather than being so sure they'll fail that they refuse to try. democratic government only works when the people are willing to participate, and all these old men did was to discourage future voters from exercising their right to be heard.
Calling it now, every one of those politicians is a controller and they're all salty they've had their dodgy plans ruined consistently by a red-tailed hawk
This segment is a valuable extension of the lesson the kids learned in the legislature. Sometimes when government fails to act, a private organization will see what you're trying to do and lend their support in a really badass way.
Comments: "You can't just indulge kids on everything, they won't be ready for the world" True, but why so cruel? They could have let the kids down without JOKES and TAUNTING.
i think the main character in this episode was the guy holding the red tailed hawk, who moved the hawk closer to John with a grin when he saw how freaked out John was by it. Classic
I agree with the choice to say NO and send the message that bills like that are a waste of their time. Now the kids should know they wasted precious tax dollars
ThePharphis no, the waste of tax dollars was the idiots who spent hours talking about it and tearing these children down like the viscous assholes these scum are
Sublimation Your point is moronic. Yes, the government is inefficient at times and they pass and discuss a lot of stupid or harmful bills. This is ONE of those stupid bills, and I'm glad they mocked it because it deserved mocking as a waste of time Do you not consider taxes worth anything? May as well throw away all your money, then.
"This could be an excellent time to engage children in our political process and earn some good will. Instead, I'm going to take a shot at Planned Parenthood and abortion." - Some asshole. Even if they didn't want to pass it they could've done something else for the kids. Like paid for a field trip so they could see the damned things.
I love how the bird keeper help the bird closer to John as he was freaking out XD his shit eating face was amazing. I swear I rewound like 5 times just to rewatch it
I can't believe how many people are defending the legislators in the comments. It's incredible. "This bill is a waste of time" Yes, which is exactly why it didn't need a debate. You might be right if this was actually proposed by someone in government, but these were fucking little kids. So what they SHOULD have been seeing this bill as was "Proposal to get good press and make kids happy without it costing them a goddamn dime". They had absolutely no reason not to vote no.
BlazeHeatnix - Definitive Dubs It's better for them not to stay like retarded sheep. Better to end any delusion that politicians act to benefit the people of this country. That is not at all what government is.
BlazeHeatnix - Definitive Dubs Really? And why not? Groups of political dissent are the only way anything will ever be achieved in this country. Better on that side than the tea party side. Come all ye anarchists, commies, and true libertarians
Abram Carroll I have a distinct feeling the teacher id actually a completely jaded cynic, who knew that the bill wouldn't pass, thereby teaching the kids a lesson that American politics is an inherent partisan, lobbyist filled cesspool. If anything, it will teach the kids to be as cynical as possible about anyone who says they want to help the people.
I had a red-tailed hawk once. He was awesome. My dad was a wildlife conservation officer and always brought home injured/abandoned animals to nurse back to health before releasing. The hawk's stay at our place was one of the shortest out of my animals (he, uh, "wasn't very sociable" with neighborhood cats and dogs), but it was definitely one of the most memorable. Looking into his eyes was like looking into the eyes of a crocodile or a shark - it was just an endless sea of deeply-refined killer instinct. Just thought I'd share that. :)
I'm pretty sure they just ensured Independent voters in 9 years, and about 40 awkward conversations with parents that night when they got home about Planned Parenthood.
See, this was an important lesson for the children. What they should have done instead was form a special interest group, then have each of the children chip in their allowances which they would funnel into the politicians re-election funds in return for votes to get their bill pass. Sheesh, the teacher really should have taught them how politics really work.
It wasn't uploaded on youtube. It was on the previous Last Week Tonight episode (~1 week ago). Since they're not doing a show this week they might have decided to upload another clip from the episode on youtube.
I, Personally, am against the Red Tailed Hawk for the official raptor of Last Week Tonight. Oh, its not because I am against kids, but because I have a better raptor in mind. Something bigger. More ferocious. I present to you, John Oliver, in consideration for Official Raptor, The Toronto Raptor. What other raptor do you know that represents an entire country, let alone the team that is currently 2nd in the eastern conference? What other Raptor can devour whole cheerleaders in less than ten seconds? What other Raptor do you know that can open fucking doors? Can the red-tailed hawk do that? I don't think so! So, Ladies and gentlemen. I say to you: You only have one choice. Choose the one straight outta Ronto! #WeTheNorth #VoteKyleLowry
I like it how at first he's kind of keeping his distance from the hawk, but after the video he's right next to the hawk, because red tailed hawks are fucking awesome!
I live near a river and have seen a few red-tailed hawks, they are very cool birds to watch fly. We also have eagles and sometimes we see both flying around the river. Esp in spring and summer, on a nice day, just seeing them is a great experience. Good choice, LWT!!!
red-tails also eat less roadkill than bald eagles (something that vultures are hated for apparently) and are less frequently seen eating out of garbage too.
I thought you would mention that the Red-Tailed Hawk was so awesome that Steven Colbert dubbed the sound of his Bald Eagle with scream of a Red-Tailed Hawk.
Loved the segment. Great satirical takedown of stupidity in state governments. But what we should all take away from this is how hot that bird handler looked with a hawk perched on his arm.
When I heard about this story beforehand it upset me more than it should of... made me wonder if we're only a few generations away from smacking food out of the mouths of children and telling them to feed themselves. Thank you John for reminding us that good will does still exist.
Lots of footage of Harris's hawks in that video. My complaint is softened by the fact that they're awesome, too. They HUNT IN PACKS, but only in the part of their range near the Sonora Desert Museum outside Tucson, which is where the shot at 4:41 was filmed. mic drop
