John Oliver used most of his “Last Week Tonight” episode on Sept. 21 breaking down Jimmy Kimmel‘s indefinite suspension at ABC. At the end of his segment analyzing the developments of the last week and corporate players involved, Oliver used the opportunity to speak directly to Disney CEO Bob Iger.
“Hi there, Bob. We haven’t met, but you probably know me as America’s third favorite Zazu,” Oliver said, recalling his “Lion King” voice role. “Congratulations on recasting that role, by the way. It was a fun thing to learn about after the fact. Anyway, one day, the history of the time we’re living through is going to be written, and when it is, I’m not sure it’s those in this administration who are even gonna come off the worst. Now don’t get me wrong, they’re going to come off terribly. But history is also going to remember the cowards who definitely knew better but still let things happen, whether it was for money, convenience or just comfort. I know this is something of a tough sell, and it can be a bit of anathema to risk-averse business leaders.
“But I will say this,” he continued. “If we’ve learned nothing else from this administration’s second term so far, and I don’t think we have, is that giving the bully your lunch money doesn’t make him go away. It just makes him come back hungrier each time. They are never going to stop. They’ve literally said that openly. After Kimmel’s suspension, Trump posted, ‘That leaves Jimmy and Seth, two total losers on fake news NBC. Their ratings are also horrible. Do it, NBC.’ And [FCC chairman Brendan] Carr hinted that ‘The View’ might be next. The fucking ‘View!’ Look, at some point you’re going to have to draw a line. So I’d argue, why not draw it right here? And when they come to you with stupid ridiculous demands, picking fights that you know you could win in court instead of rolling over, why not stand up and use four key words they don’t tend to teach you in business school. Not ‘OK, you’re the boss.’ Not ‘Whatever you say goes.’ But instead, the only phrase that can genuinely make a weak bully go away. And that is, ‘Fuck you, make me.’”