March 12, 2018
Last Week Tonight/HBO
John Oliver talks Mike Jerrick on "Last Week Tonight."
John Oliver’s latest episode of “Last Week Tonight” took aim at the media’s lackluster – and often creepy – recognition of International Women’s Day, looking no further than FOX29’s “Good Day Philadelphia” co-anchor Mike Jerrick.
International Women’s Day was last Thursday, March 8, and Oliver’s show opened with discussing several brands’ efforts to recognize the day, including Mattel’s line of new Barbie dolls depicting Amelia Earhart, Frida Kahlo, and Katherine Johnson.
After playing a FOX5 anchor's lustful reaction to the Frida Kahlo doll and an uncomfortable “CBS This Morning” interaction, Oliver focuses on Jerrick, offering a reel of some of the anchor’s most unsavory moments from Thursday.
“Some news anchors were spending the entire day acting inappropriately, like Philadelphia’s Mike Jerrick. Now, we don’t have time to show you everything he did. This is just a sample of what he got up to on Thursday,” Oliver said.
Over the course of about 45 seconds, viewers see clips from Jerrick’s broadcast, including him asking his female co-anchors, “What’s the deal? Why do you need your own day?”
One clip also shows the camera zooming in on the “OO” of “GOOD DAY” as Jerrick asks, “How can we turn that into something good to celebrate women?” The not-so-subtle subtext: boobs.
The clips also show him touching co-anchor Alex Holley’s hand, asking her “How do you keep your girlish figure?” while she’s eating; asking reporter/anchor Karen Hepp, “Have you ever cheated on your husband?”; and quizzing his female colleagues about the last time they've had sex.
In probably the most cringe-worthy moment, Jerrick holds a realistic doll of Holley, while the camera stays steady on the doll’s backside to allegedly show off the doll's mike pack. After he’s asked what he does with that doll, Jerrick said, “I just – I put it by my bedside. So I can wake up in the morning, open my eyes, and see you.”
Though “Last Week Tonight” hasn’t yet posted the full clip on YouTube, one YouTuber captured the segment:
Oliver doesn’t hold back after the clip.
“That is gross,” Oliver said. “And I would say we should all take a shower after that, but I fear Mike Jerrick would hear that and say, ‘Noice.’”
After going on to discuss how different politicians acted on International Women's Day, including Russia President Vladimir Putin, Oliver said, “In the extremely unlikely event that Putin loses his upcoming election, there might be a morning news job in Philly that he would be perfect for.”
FOX29 did not immediately respond to PhillyVoice's request for comment. This article will be updated if and when Jerrick or a representative for the station does.
In the main segment on "Last Week Tonight," Oliver offered an explainer about Bitcoin, blockchain and cryptocurrency. For example, about Bitcoin – the most commonly known among many digital, decentralized currencies – Oliver said its value is determined by the perceived value people give to it. Like someone who tries to sell a Beanie Baby on Etsy for $15,000, Bitcoin is worth as much as someone will pay for it, he said. Blockchain technology, Oliver said is a very secure means of storing and sharing information, and hacking it would be like turning a Chicken McNugget back into a chicken.
Watch the entire cryptocurrency segment for yourself below:
