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'What a genius': Fans gush over John Oliver for hilarious take on Rep Lauren Boebert's theatrical antics

With 22 weeks of news to cover, Oliver's signature humor was in full swing as he delved into a wide range of topics

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: After a grueling five-month strike that left fans of Last Week Tonight eagerly awaiting its return, John Oliver made a triumphant comeback to HBO with a jam-packed episode.

With 22 weeks of news to cover, Oliver's signature humor was in full swing as he delved into a wide range of topics.

However, one story seemed to steal the spotlight: the theatrically bizarre antics of Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert at a performance of 'Beetlejuice: The Musical'.

According to the Daily Beast, Oliver's approach to discussing serious issues, like budgetary pressures in Italy, was nothing short of comedic genius.

He used these topics as a misdirection, keeping the audience's attention firmly fixed on Boebert's escapades during the offbeat production of Beetlejuice.

On Lauren Boebert's theatrical antics

Describing the incident with his trademark wit, Oliver stated, "There was some fondling and light over-the-pants hands stuff which was caught on video. It was a torrid production of Beetlejuice: The Musical. I just need you to know that."

He went on to humorously emphasize that Beetlejuice isn't known for being sexually explicit like other musicals such as 'Spring Awakening' or 'Rocky Horror.'

"I’m not saying it would be appropriate to engage in high-school freshman-era hand stuff during a production of any musical. I just want to be clear, this wasn’t one of the more sexually explicit ones like Spring Awakening or Rocky Horror or Cats. This was Beetlejuice. A show that’s quite loudly about death," he quipped.

"I’m just saying, if you’re gonna get your nipples tweaked and your pipes squeaked, save that shit for Fiddler [On The Roof] like a goddamn adult,” he concluded.

The comedy didn't stop there, as Oliver couldn't resist poking fun at Boebert and her date being ejected from the theater just five minutes into act two, during a song called 'That Beautiful Sound,' where characters gleefully torment visitors.

Oliver quipped, "It’s a song about how they like the sound of tortured screams. Is it the least sexy thing a person can sit through? No."

Oliver didn't spare Boebert for her infamous "Do you know who I am?" declaration while being escorted out.

He called it a "catastrophically bad" decision, considering the circumstances.

Oliver dives into events of past weeks

Moving on to other pressing issues, Oliver covered a wide range of topics, from the Supreme Court's rejection of affirmative action to Donald Trump's mugshot and indictments.

He even delved into a bribery scandal involving Rep Robert Menendez, who was caught Googling the weight of one kilo of gold. Oliver humorously summarized it all with, "Yeah, not great, Bob!"

The laundry list of subjects Oliver wanted to joke about included Mike Lindell's tantrum over "lumpy pillows," the coronation of King Charles, elections in Turkey, a brief Russian coup, a questionable bear at a Chinese zoo, the Titan submersible implosion, a police raid at a Kansas newspaper, and the Maui fires, among others.

Oliver couldn't resist taking a playful jab at Fall Out Boy for their song 'We Didn't Start the Fire', which he humorously criticized for its inclusion of 9/11, followed by the question, "What else do I have to say?" His response? "Nothing, Fall Out Boy. Nobody's making you do this!"

Praise for the Writers Guild of America

As he wrapped up the show, Oliver praised the Writers Guild of America (WGA) for their determination during the strike.

“But it took a lot of sacrifices from a lot of people to achieve that,” he said, adding that while he was "immensely proud of what our union accomplished, I’m also furious that it took the studios 148 days to achieve a deal which they could’ve offered on day fucking one."

He then added, "But hopefully, this may encourage others, from auto workers to Starbucks baristas to health-care providers—whether they are in unions or would like to be—to find power in each other.”

Oliver also expressed hope that SAG-AFTRA and IATSE could negotiate fair terms for actors and behind-the-scenes crews.

“The truth is it takes many people working really hard to make film and TV, all of whom deserve a piece of the pie," he concluded.

Social media reactions

Fans of Oliver gushed about his return on social media.

"Knew I missed John Oliver & his insanely talented writer’s room during the last 5 months of the writer’s strike. Didn’t realize how much until they returned tonight," one posted on X.

"John Oliver’s return after 5 months of the Writer’s Strike was the medicine I didn’t know I needed. Okay, I knew I needed it but maybe I didn’t realize how much. Almost had tears in my eyes, most of it due to laughing. This Brit has become America’s treasure," a comment read.

"So so great to have John Oliver back. What a genius. And his comments on the strike. None better," another chimed in.

Others, however, weren't so impressed. One slammed Oliver sayong, "I hate listening to English people criticize America."

"Terrible writing good to see nothing has changed," read a tweet.

"Who cares," another offered.

"What we learned about John Oliver over the last 5 months: (1) without writers, John has no original thoughts for a show (2) word diarrhea- he talks so fast, we wonder if gets paid by the number of words spoken. and (c) peaceful not hearing his politically biased views," someone else added.