# John Oliver interviews Edward Snowden **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996 "2015-04-06T22:19:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/1 "2015-04-06T22:19:15Z")
Fascinating - a dick pic as the best way to illustrate what Snowden is discussing to Americans. And it wasn’t a softball interview. And Oliver was fuckin’ hilarious. Bravo. And Snowden’s pause when Oliver asks whether he likes Florida was priceless. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/2 "2015-04-07T00:22:44Z")
That was amazing. Somehow John Oliver managed to give a hard-ass interview, make Snowden look smart and noble while at the same time calling him out, and create a meaningful conversation around surveillance and dick pictures. A+. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/3 "2015-04-07T12:47:47Z")
I guess I am surprised this isn’t getting more buzz. I know folks have HBO because of Game of Thrones! Have folks seen this? Here’s a link to a WSJ’s analysis of it and I think a link to the actual interview. I am just Googling for a link, but went with WSJ because they are typically thought of as conservative so I thought it would be good to show how impressed they were with the piece: [http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/04/06/watch-john-olivers-surprise-interview-with-edward-snowden-on-last-week-tonight/](http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/04/06/watch-john-olivers-surprise-interview-with-edward-snowden-on-last-week-tonight/) > [@](#): > > There’s plenty of humor throughout the interview, but it’s also very informative. Oliver does grill Snowden – whom he couldn’t get to admit that he didn’t read all of the documents he released to journalists two years ago. “I have evaluated all of the documents that are in the archive,” said Snowden. “I do understand what I turned over.” > [@](#): > > Probably the funniest moment came when, as Oliver wrapped up the interview, Snowden stated for the record that, on principle, he doesn’t think people should stop sending d—k pics to each other: “You shouldn’t change your behavior because a government agency somewhere is doing the wrong thing. If we sacrifice our values because we’re afraid, we don’t care about those values very much.” > > But Oliver had the best reaction of all to that statement: “That is a pretty inspiring answer to the question, ‘Hey, why don’t you just send me a picture of your d—k?’ Because I love America, that’s why.” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/4 "2015-04-07T13:41:11Z")
It was an amazing interview. It was hilarious when Oliver was waiting for Snowden to show up. And absolutely brilliant to use dick pics to help explain what the various rules mean that the government can do. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/5 "2015-04-07T14:13:08Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > I guess I am surprised this isn’t getting more buzz. I know folks have HBO because of Game of Thrones! Have folks seen this? Well it is out there, but as Oliver makes clear during the interview, Americans just don’t give a shit about this anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/6 "2015-04-07T15:03:25Z")
I’m starting to feel sorry for Snowden, truth be told. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/7 "2015-04-07T15:21:07Z")
[Maybe this](http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/illegal-edward-snowden-bust-erected-atop-brooklyn-war-monume-article-1.2175004) will cheer him up. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/8 "2015-04-07T15:29:09Z")
As much as I love John Oliver, I’m disappointed in him for giving more attention and airtime to this pathetic traitor. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/9 "2015-04-07T15:34:29Z")
Well, I’m pretty sure Oliver disagrees with that view of Snowden ;). ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/10 "2015-04-07T15:41:57Z")
I don’t know if Oliver himself connected up the Jennifer Lawrence (and others) hacking with indiscriminate data gathering, but it’s so brilliantly zeitgeist and attuned it makes for one of the best interviews I have ever experienced. What he achieves in about 18 minutes is just mouth-opened remarkable. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/11 "2015-04-07T16:54:30Z")
I was extremely impressed by everything, including Jon talking to the security services through his microphone while waiting for Snowden to show up. And it was genuinely informative. And funny as can be. ---
**Author:** ![SaharaTea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SaharaTea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaharaTea)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/12 "2015-04-07T16:54:32Z")
At first I was annoyed with Oliver because he kept interrupting Snowden, but by the end my jaw was on the floor. Oliver just keeps getting better and better. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/13 "2015-04-07T17:19:14Z")
This is up somewhere, I caught it on a Facebook link last night. Fantastic interview. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/14 "2015-04-07T17:44:36Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > As much as I love John Oliver, I’m disappointed in him for giving more attention and airtime to this pathetic traitor. [Totally kidding; only going for the humor and NOT looking to start a debate in a Café Society thread] ``` Oh, sure you say that *now* - but what if that's *your* dick pic being analyzed by the NSA for evidence of terrorist activities?! You could end up being accused of having a terrorist dick!! ``` [/Totally kidding; only going for the humor and NOT looking to start a debate in a Café Society thread] Regardless of one’s political views, Oliver’s use of Dick Pics to illustrate what is going on is a grown-up version of **Schoolhouse Rock’s I’m Just a Bill**! And as far as Daily-Show-based mixes of comedic journalism go, this pretty much sets a new bar. Jon Stewart must be _kvelling_ like a proud bubbe right now!!\* \*Kvell = burst with pride; Bubbe = grandma ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/15 "2015-04-07T17:51:46Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Have folks seen this? No, but no way I’m going to miss it now. Sounds awesome. ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/16 "2015-04-07T18:57:41Z")
I watched the whole thing hoping to get a glimpse of John Oliver’s dick, the real star of the interview. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/17 "2015-04-07T20:27:28Z")
> [@ethelbert](#): > > I watched the whole thing hoping to get a glimpse of John Oliver’s dick, the real star of the interview. Taking bets: is it directly proportional, or \*inversely \*proportional to his nose? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/18 "2015-04-07T20:33:55Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > As much as I love John Oliver, I’m disappointed in him for giving more attention and airtime to this pathetic traitor. He might have betrayed the government, but he didn’t betray the people. I wish there were more people like him ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/19 "2015-04-07T20:39:14Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’m starting to feel sorry for Snowden, truth be told. Not me. But the interview was interestingly done. It was nice HBO gave Oliver extra air time for the week. I hope they let him do 48 weeks a year or the like. ---
**Author:** ![up\_the\_junction](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f1d935/32.png) [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996/20 "2015-04-07T21:08:56Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > He might have betrayed the government, but he didn’t betray the people. I wish there were more people like him Nailed it. A patriot of the people. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-oliver-interviews-edward-snowden/716996.md?page=2)