Terrifying Times
Comedy Central · 2008 · 60 min
A British comedian reminds Americans that all empires eventually collapse.
John Oliver steps away from The Daily Show’s green screens to reassure Americans that their empire will inevitably collapse, just like his did. Terrifying Times hinges on the perspective of a weary former colonizer who is frankly exhausted by global politics, delivering warnings about complacency with the inherent authority of a British accent.
Filmed in 2008 at Manhattan’s Symphony Space, the hour served as Oliver’s first American stand-up special. Two years into his breakout tenure as a fake news correspondent, he used the stage to drop the naive outsider persona and present a more direct, frustrated take on the world. The material is heavily anchored in the George W. Bush era, breaking down US foreign policy through a standardized math problem where all the multiple-choice answers for how many apples Kenya gets to keep end in zero.
He compares the grueling length of American elections to British parliamentary campaigns, casually insults his own homeland’s dental care, and pivots into personal territory with a childhood story about a 400-meter track race. The physical DVD release of the special also gained a small reputation for its menu screen, which features Oliver spending several minutes berating viewers for not pressing play before deciding they must have died on their couches.
The set list
-
The authority of the British accent and the Boston Tea Party
Oliver warns that his accent gives him unearned authority and points out Americans could have shared it if they had not dumped tea in Boston Harbor.
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Polite British imperialism versus modern American foreign policy
Argues that people miss British imperialism because the British were polite, notes Britons lost gun rights because they conquered two-thirds of the world, and mocks British Museum artifacts as stolen loot.
-
Fair trade labelling and basic human dignity
Questions why companies receive praise for basic human decency, proposing a graphic non-fair trade sticker depicting exploitation.
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The inflatable grill as a symbol of American consumerism
Examines an inflatable barbecue found in a shopping mall to illustrate the extremes of American consumer habits compared to the rest of the world.
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Andy Zaltzman as 'Professor of Fact'
Brings out collaborator Andy Zaltzman to deliver dubious data regarding religion, burning heretics for fuel, and teen pregnancy statistics in nations fighting the War on Terror.
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Childhood sports wardrobe malfunction
Recounts a humiliating school running race where his penis fell out of his shorts, marking the decisive end of his athletic dreams and leading him to comedy.
How it plays
- Tone
- Acerbic, intellectual, politically satirical, and self-deprecating.
- On stage
- An intellectual, nerdy, and mildly cynical British observer who delivers political commentary with authoritative composure, sly smiles, and polite indignation.
- Pace
- More energetic and less deadpan than his Daily Show persona, featuring sudden explosive cadences and steady momentum through complex political points.
- About
- British Empire vs. American empire, American consumerism, War on Terror and foreign policy, Fair trade and global ethics, Religion and alternative energy, Childhood athletic failures
What the critics said
Critics found the special intellectually stimulating, sharp, and well-written, though some felt its pedantic, professor-like tone and familiar political talking points yielded fewer continuous laughs than traditional stand-up.
In the room: Appreciative and attentive theater crowd at Symphony Space, occasionally puzzled by more arcane jokes but kept engaged.
Backstory
Filmed during the late presidency of George W. Bush amid the War on Terror and ongoing debates over American and British foreign policy.
Details
- Released
- Taped
- Symphony Space, Manhattan
- Runtime
- 60 min
- Where
- Comedy Central
- Director
- Troy Miller
- Topics
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