Watch John Oliver Urge Anti-‘Brexit’ Vote With Snarky Vocal Group
On June 23rd, the United Kingdom– “birthplace of the Beatles and yet very much the world’s Ringo” –will vote in a referendum on whether to leave the European Union. As a Brit, John Oliver understands that urge to leave, citing an “innate British desire to tell Europe to go fuck itself.” But on Sunday’s Last Week Tonight, the comedian explained why the “Brexit,” or “British exit,” could be a “huge, destabilizing decision.”
“[The EU] a complicated, bureaucratic, ambitious, overbearing, inspirational and consistently irritating institution; and Britain would be absolutely crazy to leave it,” he said. “Because if it stays, it can reap all the benefits while still being a total dick about everything, and that is the British way.”
Oliver explained why the pro-Brexit campaign is misleading.”Immigration policy may not change; hysteria over regulation is a red herring; the costs of membership are reasonable; and the economic benefits of staying appear to outweigh the costs,” the host said in summary. “And yet polls suggest my homeland is on the edge of doing something absolutely insane.”
Oliver begged Brits not to vote for the exit, introducing a snarky vocal group to vent Britain’s anger toward the EU. “Poland is depressing/ And there’s vampires in Romania,” the quintet sang to the tune of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” “Spain is far too hot/ And where the fuck is Lithuania?”
Find out five things we learned from John Oliver.