John Oliver Interviews Edward Snowden, and Real Journalism Breaks Out
The comedian asked the NSA leaker some tough questions.
John Oliver attends the 'Girls' season four series premiere at American Museum of Natural History on January 5, 2015 in New York City.
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John Oliver has said any apparent acts of journalism he commits are solely in pursuit of a joke, but humor seemed to take a backseat in his interview with National Security Administration leaker Edward Snowden, which aired Sunday on HBO's Last Week Tonight.
The interview, conducted in Russia, was something like a Frost/Nixon moment, proving the comedian can ask a hard-edged question. Oliver pushed hard against Snowden, whom he described as "the most famous hero and/or traitor in recent American history," with a particular focus on Snowden's to leak unredacted documents.