S2 E33: Prisoner Re-entry, Bilal Chatman & UK Surveillance: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Season 2, Episode 33, November 8th, 2015. John Oliver sits down with Bilal Chatman to discuss the challenges of reentering society, and details a controversial new bill in the UK.
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[@Pickle_Candy]

It's still wild to me that it's just totally legal to discriminate against ex-convicts. Like, they already served their time and we're just going to continue to punish them anyways? That's fucked up!

[@arrow_awsome]

my grandma was a cook at a jail; and she always says you could tell who was actually innocent. one time a guy she could tell was innocent got parol; but was back within a few weeks. the reason? he couldnt pay for a bike helmet but had been biking to his new job. he got a traffic ticket and was sent right back

[@katesweeney9101]

This is the kind of absurdity that's truly frustrating!

[@OpalMonkey.]

Where's my ice cream, John? I don't see an ice cream cone, and I just binged _all_ the episodes.

[@TEM7007]

Itll be shipped to you within 5-7 business with russia days

[@OpalMonkey.]

@@TEM7007 Thank you, comrade. I forget, what is the conversion rate between Russia and Canada days?

[@TEM7007]

@@OpalMonkey. Unfortunately, due to sanctions, Russian to Canadian business days is currently 0:1

[@OpalMonkey.]

@@TEM7007 Noooo… my ice cream 😭 Another casualty of the regrettable geopolitical climate.

[@jim443]

I want my ice cream

[@fredt1983]

Growing tomatoes is a nightmare. They grow slow, insects *destroy* them easily, even the most jittery/skittish animals will brazingly come to eat them with no regard to their safety, and even the enviroment seems to hate them and try to ruin them. Salute to Bilal .

[@steviewonderisnotblind5833]

I got stinkbugs and aphids on my cherry tomatoes the first week lol

[@barthollevoetkbr961]

You need a hothouse at least

[@photojch1]

Sprinkle some Dietamatius earth on the leaves to keep some pests away. I've found that using liquid hot sauce(any kind) drizzled around the plants/garden keeps squirrels, rabbits, and groundhogs from eating my veggies.

[@ErutaniaRose]

My grandpa always grew tomatoes, no idea how he did it.

[@MorganTiller]

Try out 'hello kitty' tomatoes. Theyre either an incredibly robust specimen or thrive on neglect

[@madelineo4128]

Love the clip at the end of Bilal and his tomatoes

[@robertmarsh8334]

Hilarious thing is I just bought 2 new tomato plants less than an hour ago lol

[@aliquantumaliquo]

Good luck with growing tomatoes, pretty difficult feat 🌱

[@stephaniehendricks3537]

I am almost done watching season 2, so i should get/deserve ice cream yay?!

[@annikabunnel743]

I hope that man’s tomatoes are growing strong

[@aba_dab_o]

A great story by a great guest in Bilal Chatman. Despite turbulent worldly circumstances since this aired, here's hoping for many more similar stories in the future.

[@bodenking]

If I’ve been binging all the episodes instead of just the ones about our broken prison system, am I still entitled to an ice cream?

[@enikata7349]

I hope Bilal is doing well :)

[@DirtyInc.]

10:44 Thank you for posting the earlier seasons in full, but whoever was in charge of creating the playlists didn't realize that THE THREE OF THEM are backwards! ◀▶

[@cloudbrooks]

im so happy they included the clip of bilal chatman with the tomatoes. i agree with john that is way more interesting than bilal made it out to be when he said it fdnsajlgndksgnfkdlnsdf those fuckers are fickle

[@marc21256]

The history of the anthem is 100+ years old. The DOD paid baseball to play the anthem. The reason was to push nationalism to counter the anti-draft sentiment of WW1. Other sports picked it up to not look bad. And it stuck. But the anthem before sporting events was a paid promotion for the US military. Most other countries only play anthems at international games.

[@michaelf8221]

Wow it's teresa may before she was PM

[@muraalia]

I hope his coworkers asked him about his tomatoes 🍅🍅🍅 Or maybe for hints about how they could start growing tomatoes too.

[@browncloudchronicles]

#bringbackJanice

[@robr177]

A British guy pronouncing it "tom-ay-to" is weird.

[@arp711]

At other times, he's definitely said "to-mah-to" so I wonder if he was trying to put his guest more at ease :)

[@wendymiles3454]

As alleged father puppy guarding permission is reasonable

[@RichardMiller-tq6ut]

I have never met an Indian who was offended by the redskins. I have met several that wore redskin apparel

[@orangemoon9634]

Just because you haven't met them personally, doesnt mean they don't exist. There's an entire world w 8 billion people, outside of just your experience.

[@RichardMiller-tq6ut]

@orangemoon9634 I'm an Indian and I was proud of the redskins. Who are these 8 billion people you say are offended? Do you know even one? What offends me is removing it. Very sad for all of us

[@therealjasonbueno]

My timeline tho.

[@jayb8154]

You should have asked him if he "would he hire a former convict?"

[@kevinmcqueenie7420]

If you are a felon, maybe you can't VOTE for President, but you can STAND for President. So that's something.

[@GuitarSlayer136]

like

[@nikandthepartz]

Remember when Instagram “filters” just meant photo coloration 🥹

[@elphieofkiamoko]

The recurring *"Gwyneth"* jokes always get me XD

[@victoriaeads6126]

"I grow tomatoes." ❤❤❤❤❤ That is so fantastic, I love that this was his first thought. Also-growing your own tomatoes is incredibly rewarding. They are SO much tastier.

[@ashcraft555]

I truly hope his co-workers had some very friendly questions about tomatoes for him the following day.

[@wikidleigh]

We've all done things and changed and grown as people. Good on Mr. Chapman for growing and doing that interview. Thank you, Sir!

[@asamlos]

The bit about outsiders reminds me of the conversation I had with my mother where she denied being a politician and I was like "You have run in two government races."

[@bradandmawm3630]

To be fair, I'm not sure it counts if she didn't win

[@asamlos]

@@bradandmawm3630 She was also the local Democratic Committee chair

[@Easy_n_Fun]

I love the fact that he grows tomatoes. I mean, it's so much more interesting than he thought.

[@Beth-ie]

My man was a punk arse kid in the city. Was in jail one week after his 18th birthday. Did the revolving jail door for 14 years! I met him right after he got out for the last time. He got a job, rented a room, and changed completely - became a volunteer, won awards, is an amazing mentor for others coming from where he came from. I'm so awed by him, and his decision to stick with me and have a nice life, as I promised him we would. No one thought that we would work - me, with degrees and a career, and him just struggling to survive. Been together for 15 years! We have a really nice life, little house in the woods. #StopTheStigma

[@bradandmawm3630]

Congrats to both of you!

[@samuelrosander1048]

22:55 Severely misunderstood: "both sides" doesn't refer to left/right, but "both sides of the divide." There is no "left" in Congress, there is only "left of Republican," which by global standards is still pretty far right.

[@Mrgoofyoops]

Very true. The clip with Bill Clinton is a perfect demonstration of that.

[@adam45z]

100%

[@Uruz2012]

"Both sides of the divide" is literally what "left vs right" means anyway. The whole left and right model is subjective. Europe has no monopoly on defining the term. Unless you want to narrow it down to French political positions from a few hundred years ago.

[@samuelrosander1048]

@@Uruz2012 No, "both sides" is a relative reference to "two sides." It isn't "left vs right" if there is only "right" and "far right." In a situation where both sides represent slightly different degrees of the same or similar ideology (which is the case of Democrats vs Republicans) the left/right reference loses any significance. We don't need to narrow it down to French political positions of the past, we only need to consider what "left" and "right" really mean based on the objectives, behaviors, beliefs etc etc etc of people who lean left versus people who lean right. It doesn't take complex equations, it just takes some time to think about trends without relying on talking points to tell you what you're supposed to come up with, but that's exactly how people approach it. Once the trends have been identified you can start to build a picture of what differentiates them, and it becomes the most clear when you use those trends to identify the two extremes of the left/right divide where similarities should be few and far between, not just in outcomes but in methodology and thinking, because otherwise there's only an aesthetic difference. The point I was making by bringing in the global standard of left/right (I said nothing about Europe) is that our "left" is GLOBALLY considered the "right" because, over all, it leans more rightward than it does leftward. Like comparing Bush Jr (or Sr for that matter) to Trump, Bush would be considered a leftist, but because he is ultimately a right winger making the comparison is nonsensical. Even Reagan would be considered a leftist relative to Trump, Cruz, McConnell, etc. So the term is meaningless if you don't have standards. Really, the only reason to defend the relativistic model of left/right is to deny that the people you support are right wingers, which is something that would appeal pretty much only to liberals and centrists/moderates (and Maists and other aesthetic leftists). It's nothing more than the "hide your head in the sand so you can claim deniability" behavior that is their default. If you disagree, fine. You're allowed to not accept reality. I also don't have to respond to people who don't want to accept reality after having it explained to them.

[@TheMagicalTaco]

That became unexpectedly wholesome

[@familyfriendlymoniker8623]

And here I thought that British people liking spam was just a joke

[@zumazuma568]

Spam, bacon, eggs, spam, spam, sausage and spam

[@ozymandiaskingofkings621]

The UK surveillance bit reminded me of this passage from V for Vendetta: In no longer pretty cities there are fingers in the kitties There are warrants, forms, and chitties and a jackboot on the stair There's sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime And at least the trains all run on time but they don't go anywhere...

[@CatPartyTRex]

damn...

[@barthollevoetkbr961]

Reads like a Lieven Adkins rhyme from a Freak Brothers comic.

[@calumproctor981]

Small note: fascism didn't make the trains run on time.

[@jonathanmatthews8862]

The worst part about that question of whether or not you’ve committed a felony is that it is a trick question. Every potential employer already knows the answer to that question (unless your conviction isn’t in any system for some reason). They can’t discriminate against you for some jobs based solely on a conviction but they can outright reject you for lying on that question. In house counsels for large employers spend a decent amount of time advising those employers about responses to that question.

[@fangtasmic7641]

What happened to Janice from accounting anyway? Never see her anymore.

[@jasonbean2764]

Sometimes, you just want a tomato.:)

[@naluzoniro]

The dehumanising of criminals, convicts and prisoners in the media, political discourse and public consciousness is absolutely insane

[@LauraPL256]

I’m going to be claiming my ice cream cone 10:52

[@WJCTechyman]

Watching Mr. Oliver interviewing Mr. Chatman again makes me think that we need to look at those who committed crimes and were incarcerated are not all bad people, we all make mistakes or are sometimes coerced to do something just to make ends meet that is illegal. Pencils have erasers, ink has white out and there are backspace and delete keys on our keyboards because we are human and to err is human but, to forgive is divine.

[@Izandaia]

i haven't done it myself, but I've heard that tomatoes are arguably the best fruit or veggie to grow yourself because store tomatoes have to be bred for durability so they'll survive the packaging and shipping process, which as a side effect makes them much less tasty than the heirloom varieties that people grow themselves.

[@ZSpektre]

John Oliver kinda hot tbh

[@steviewonderisnotblind5833]

imagine molesting his mouth with your tongue and his nose keeps trying to blind you

[@jameseckhardt9575]

Starting to wonder if there's a real janice in accounting in his office 😂

[@meganjohnson9540]

Tomatoes are delicious. Yay!

[@JacobTrenk]

I dont know who this guy is but tomatoes ;D:D:D:D:D

[@Jivolt]

Hey, felons, you can always run for president!

[@AmericanAppleProd]

Second chances are a must for a civilized good society. I hate drugs for example and might be more hard on them than your rightest republican. But if a person said they're done with that life and genuinely tried to move past it, then we as a society should support them appropriately. Otherwise they might just reoffend and cause more harm for themselves and even more people around them

[@wendymiles3454]

Sometimes stress makes it impossible or extremely difficult to work with someone for a duration

[@calumproctor981]

Oh, gawddd! The clip at the end! 😭

[@AraxesZephyr]

Gosh, John is such a good man

[@RalphXofficial]

Welcome to the club, UK…this has been business as usual in the US for some time…

[@WilliamJohnson-le7zd]

Why don't those convicted felons just buy a house?

[@BittaSweetJP]

Thanks

[@mortenhelt]

Theresa May? What year is it????

[@wikidleigh]

Im ok with hottie Johnny dimples hating on hottie Johnny Depp. I love you John Oliver! You educate us!!

[@violet7773]

Hottie Johnny Depp? More like abuser Johnny Depp. #justiceforamberheard

[@stie5108]

Not sure why politicians feel like “outsider” rhetorics gave them automatic campaign advantage… exhibit a: Trump

[@pluvia33]

As an avid board gamer, I got to say RIP to the "SHANK THE B!T@H" trademark, cancelled 20 Aug 2021.

[@DrLeaders]

This one didn’t age well... #felonpresident

[@wendymiles3454]

Units are supposed to provide a minimum standard of care even when at odds

[@robdavlin]

TIL pigs eat acorns?!

[@abemauricio7076]

Man this ressonates with me so much

[@TouchOfMaddness]

Should i move

[@ShawnsterVideos]

thank you.

[@TheOneLatvia]

What was the movie where "Kenny was finally free"

[@DuchessDelphine]

Half baked

[@scottsnelgrove3934]

first

[@GiarkReleos]

Oliver, are these arbitrary rules/laws being used on "doctors" and their employers the Pharmaceutical industry ???

[@antigonaromeu]

the ad at the end is the funniest this show has ever made

[@BobBX542]

John, you’re going to mock hockey as full contact figure skating when soccer is a bunch of whiny people running around a field kicking a ball around not scoring goals for 2 hours and pretending to be hurt?? Come on man.

[@micahstork]

These intros would be better with the jab PRECEDING the topic: We begin with The World’s Least Magic Kingdom-the UK. This sequence forces you to anticipate the reference BEFORE hearing it.

[@JohnCrichton]

Holy spam unsubbed

[@bloodyneptune]

They have HBO money, they do not rely on KZbin subs.

[@JohnCrichton]

@@bloodyneptune Do you think I'm trying to take money out of their pockets? I just don't like being spammed and I wanted to let them know that's not acceptable.

[@chrislive1586]

Oh, do you mean the 500 videos they just uploaded? Most of Season 2. Anyone know what Date these were released? Edit: or did they spam your email or txt phone notifications?

[@violet7773]

​​@@chrislive1586 it was all of season 2 and the original release date is in the video description.