Warner Bros. shareholders approved the $110 billion merger with Paramount last week, and on Sunday night, John Oliver had just a two-word response.
The HBO host addressed the latest update in the merger almost immediately, as he sped through some of the biggest headlines of the week at the top of the show. Oliver first noted that Trump’s Secretary of Labor resigned, before calling out the Thursday meeting of Warner Bros. shareholders.
“Warner Bros. shareholders approved Paramount’s takeover, and, hoo boy!” Oliver said.
The late night host didn’t expound on his thoughts about the decision at all, but he has been vocal about it already in previous shows. When Paramount first emerged as a potential buyer, Oliver absolutely lost it.
“F–k s–t!” he bellowed at the time. “F–k f–king s–t! F–king s–t, f–k- it! OK, it was fun while it lasted, guys! Whatever happens next, let me say now it has been the honor of my life to age like a haunted painting before your very eyes.”
In his first “Last Week Tonight” monologue after it was announced that Paramount was indeed the winning bid, Oliver was calmer, but no less displeased.
“It turns out we might be getting a new business daddy,” he said. “Yeah, not great news. In fact, if I may quote anyone who’s ever accidentally sat on their Roku remote. Oh s–t, I’m in Paramount now. How the f–k do I get out of this?”
The future of “Last Week Tonight” under the ownership of the Ellisons remains unclear for the time being, though Oliver has also joked that he would willingly accept cancellation — provided he gets a very specific replacement.
“Last Week Tonight” is now streaming on HBO Max.
