S7 E3: Coronavirus & Phillie Phanatic: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

News Updates

• The US has signed a deal with the Taliban, Joe Biden won in South Carolina, and billionaire Tom Steyer ended his presidential run, with his campaign's closing days getting weird, including a bizarre dance performance to "Back That Ass Up" by Juvenile (52s).
• The main story of the night concerns the coronavirus, which has dominated the news with global hot zones, fears of a pandemic, and a huge spike in cases in Italy and South Korea (1m47s).
• The CDC warned Americans to be prepared for the virus, stating it's not a matter of if, but when it will spread in the US, with several dozen confirmed cases and the first death reported (2m5s).
• The stock market has taken its biggest one-day dive since 2008, and many Americans have questions about how to stay safe, including whether they can get the virus from packages delivered from China or by eating Chinese food (2m41s).

Coronavirus Basics and Concerns

• The basics of the virus, COVID-19, include symptoms such as fever, cough, and shortness of breath, with a preliminary estimated mortality rate of around 2% (3m29s).
• The 2% mortality rate may seem low, but it's still a significant number, especially for the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions, and it's essential to take the virus seriously (3m46s).
• Some people have misconceptions about the virus, including the idea that gargling with bleach or taking steroids can protect them, which is not true (2m56s).
• It's essential to get accurate information and take necessary precautions to stay safe, rather than relying on social media or headlines (4m7s).
• The COVID-19 virus has a 2% mortality rate, which is about 20 times higher than the seasonal flu, and around 80% of those who get the virus have mild symptoms, making them more likely to spread it without realizing it (4m40s).
• An expert has predicted that 40 to 70% of the world's population will be infected within the next year, which is incredibly upsetting (5m8s).

COVID-19 in China

• The first documented cases of COVID-19 cropped up at the end of last year in Wuhan, China, and initially, the Chinese government tried to silence and punish medical professionals who tried to raise the alarm (5m50s).
• The Chinese government eventually put nearly 50 million people on lockdown, and residents were permitted to leave their residential compounds once every 7 days, but this was later changed to a complete lockdown (6m6s).
• People on lockdown in China have been trying to amuse themselves, such as making makeshift hazmat suits out of inflatable Christmas tree and dinosaur costumes, and creating their own entertainment like playing snooka with chopsticks and cherry tomatoes (7m7s).
• Despite the government's efforts at containment, over 2700 people have now died in China, including Dr. Lee Wan, an early whistleblower silenced by officials (7m39s).

Global Spread and Responses

• The COVID-19 virus has since spread to more than 60 other countries, who have handled it with varying degrees of success, such as Vietnam, which moved quickly and produced a public information video about how to limit its spread through proper hygiene (7m54s).
• Vietnam also produced a song about washing your hands to prevent COVID-19 infection, which became a TikTok Dance Challenge and a genuine Club Banger (8m20s).
• Ernie has been criticized for being complacent and not innovating, resulting in him losing his edge and music moving on without him (8m56s).
• Japan's handling of the Diamond Princess cruise ship was botched, with over 3,500 passengers and crew quarantined on the ship, resulting in more than 620 confirmed cases and seven deaths (9m16s).
• The spread of the virus on the cruise ship was rapid due to the close quarters, with the ship being described as a "floating petri dish" (9m43s).
• The World Health Organization's list of coronavirus cases by country had a separate line for the Diamond Princess, highlighting the severity of the outbreak (10m0s).
• In Iran, the government's response to the virus was mishandled, with a spokesperson attempting to reassure people while the deputy Health Minister showed symptoms of the virus, leading to widespread mistrust of the government (10m30s).
• The Iranian people are skeptical of their government's claims, with some believing that the deputy Health Minister was faking his symptoms as a propaganda stunt (10m59s).
• The level of mistrust towards Iranian politicians is so deep that people may not believe them even if they are telling the truth, which is a huge problem in containing a pandemic (11m13s).

United States' Response

• Trust in institutions is critical in containing a pandemic, and the United States' response to the virus has been inconsistent, with the White House's messaging being "all over the place" (11m42s).
• On the same day that the CDC said the spread of the coronavirus in the US was inevitable, one of Trump's top advisers claimed that the virus had been "contained" (11m51s).
• The discrepancy between the CDC's warning and the adviser's claim highlights the problem of politicians speaking on health issues instead of trained experts (12m25s).
• The administration appointed Vice President Mike Pence to lead the response to the coronavirus, despite his mixed record as governor of Indiana in managing public health issues (12m50s).
• The announcement was confusing, as Alex Azar, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, was already supposed to be chairing the task force, and Trump didn't clarify their roles (13m28s).
• At a press conference, Trump downplayed the severity of the virus, stating it was "very much under control," despite the fact that many of the initial test kits developed by the CDC didn't work as expected (14m38s).
• Trump seemed reluctant to admit that more cases of the virus would be found, contradicting his own officials who stated that more cases were expected (15m20s).
• Trump's tendency to downplay the severity of the virus and provide false hope is concerning, as it can have serious consequences in the spread of a deadly disease (16m13s).
• Trump has repeatedly stated that the end of the outbreak may be just around the corner, citing a theory that the virus may be killed by warmer weather in April, despite no evidence to support this claim (16m29s).
• Some viruses do recede in warmer months, but the 1918 flu pandemic returned in the fall and became more severe, killing nearly 200,000 Americans in October alone (17m3s).

Misinformation and False Claims

• Fox anchors and guests have spread false claims about the coronavirus, including that it was created in a Chinese bioweapons lab or originated from Chinese people eating bat soup (17m30s).
• Bats are a significant reservoir for viruses, and the sale of live virus-infected bats in open-air marketplaces in China has raised concerns (17m54s).
• Televangelist Jim Baker is selling a silver solution that he claims can cure the coronavirus, despite it not being tested on this strain of the virus (18m46s).
• Silver does not kill the coronavirus, and there is currently no treatment for the virus, with a vaccine potentially taking between a year and 18 months to develop (19m21s).

Practical Advice and Precautions

• It's essential to strike a sensible balance between being prepared and not being alarmist, avoiding extreme behaviors such as drinking bleach or not taking any precautions (20m12s).
• To address the coronavirus threat, follow basic advice: do not be racist, do not hoard masks, check the CDC website for updates, and wash hands regularly for at least 20 seconds (20m42s).

Chris Matthews and the Phillie Phanatic

• Chris Matthews struggled to nail his sign-off, repeating the phrase "that's hard ball for now" multiple times (21m40s).
• The Phillie Phanatic, a recognizable mascot in sports, could become a free agent unless the team pays out millions of dollars to keep him (22m56s).

The Phillie Phanatic Lawsuit and Potential Free Agency

• The Phillie Phanatic embodies everything that is Philadelphia, but he is not actually real – he is a person in a costume, with Jessica Lang being the person inside (23m7s).
• The Phillies are in a lawsuit over their own mascot, and there is a concern that they could lose the rights to it (23m32s).
• The Phillie Phanatic is known for his entertaining antics, including teaching his cousin Gritty how to do his signature belly dance, dumping popcorn on TV broadcasters, and firing hot dogs from a cannon (23m44s).
• The Phillie Phanatic even released a 4-hour long vlog video for Christmas, featuring him sitting in a rocking chair, reading a book, and getting tangled in Christmas lights (24m11s).
• The Phillie Phanatic is a beloved mascot who has been the face of Philadelphia sports for over 40 years, and a lawsuit is underway regarding the copyright of the character's design (24m30s).
• The lawsuit revolves around whether the company that helped design the Phanatic has the right to reclaim the copyright after 35 years, with the two parties disagreeing on whether the Phanatic is a costume or an artistic sculpture (24m43s).
• The Phillies argue that without someone in the costume, the Phanatic would appear formless, and provided a photo of an empty costume to illustrate this point (25m2s).
• In a move prompted by the lawsuit, the Phillies introduced a new Phanatic design, which features a shorter snout, lighter blue color around the eyes, and scales under the arms, among other changes (25m27s).
• The new design has been met with criticism, particularly the change from a conical to a cylindrical Honker, with fans in Philadelphia starting the hashtag #NotMyPhanatic (25m57s).
• If the Phillies lose the lawsuit, there is a possibility that the Phanatic could become a free agent, allowing him to move to a different team or brand (26m38s).
• The possibility of the Phanatic becoming a free agent has led to an offer from a show to become their official mascot, with a promise to respect the character's original design, including the conical Honker (27m8s).
• The show is willing to go to great lengths to secure the Phanatic's services, including a bidding war, and has offered the character a place in their "stacked mascot lineup" (28m40s).
• The Phillie Phanatic is being offered a new opportunity to join a team and become the official mascot of Last Week Tonight in New York (28m47s).
• The Phillie Phanatic's new team is ready and waiting for them in New York (28m59s).
• The show has spent money on things considered stupider than this offer, implying that the offer is reasonable (29m4s).

Show Conclusion

• The show ends with a thank you to the viewers and a farewell until the next week (29m6s).