Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:53:18 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2019 15:00:11 GMT
www.themarysue.com/suing-john-oliver-is-a-bad-idea/"Two years ago, Last Week Tonight did a deep dive into the realities of the coal industry and the ways in which coal companies make their money at the expense of actual miners. John Oliver focused particularly hard on one executive, Bob Murray, whom he described as a “geriatric Dr. Evil” that was “on the same side as black lung.” Murray sued Oliver, HBO, and Partially Important Productions for defamation and hurt feelings, but the suit was dismissed in February of last year. Oliver isn’t letting the lawsuit go, though, and dedicated Sunday’s show to explaining just how frivilous, destructive, and too often effective this sort of suit is.... What Murray was throwing at Oliver and his parent companies is called a SLAPP suit. That stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, and it’s a favorite tactic of already-weathy elite assholes ... who are not necessarily looking to actually win in court, but just want to tie up their opponent’s time and resources.Fortunately, Oliver had the power of HBO’s legal team behind him but Murray has taken on much smaller fish, from small-town newspapers to individual activists, who most definitely do not have the ability to take on a financially and emotionally draining SLAPP suit. Even though Murray’s suit against Oliver was dismissed, their show’s libel insurance premium tripled afterwards. That would absolutely be enough to sink most shows or other kinds of businesses." Happy to see someone w/ample resources fighting someone w/even more ample resources. The favorite route of the rich against others is to inundate them w/expensive suits which make them not even try to 'speak truth to power'.
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slkmommy
Junior Member

Posts: 97
Jun 28, 2014 3:56:16 GMT
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Post by slkmommy on Nov 12, 2019 15:28:06 GMT
We live in western PA but go to wheeling WV often for hockey games and such. We have been at functions that this Murray guy has been at, in fact we’re behind him in a reception line a month or two ago. He exudes cringe-y. I want this guy to fall. Hard. Preferably on concrete.
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Post by lucyg on Nov 12, 2019 15:36:04 GMT
I totally agree with all of the above, but ATM just really want to know if a legitimate news outlet actually misspelled “frivolous” like that. Proofreaders, people! Copy editors! ETA and if I were editing myself, maybe I’d get rid of some of those adverbs. 
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Anita
Drama Llama

Posts: 5,891
Location: Kansas City -ish
Jun 27, 2014 2:38:58 GMT
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Post by Anita on Nov 12, 2019 15:54:06 GMT
That was an epic retort. I'm glad there are people with resources to try to put an end to that BS.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Nov 12, 2019 16:24:59 GMT
I love John Oliver. That is all. And that Murray guy is super-douchey, slimy-creepy!!
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Post by papersilly on Nov 12, 2019 18:15:12 GMT
his most recent HBO episode dealt with this and at the end, he did the most hysterical broaday show-esque musical number basically telling Bob to f-off again.
ETA: i'm glad California is an anti-SLAPP state. i have a friend who has posted more than a few non so nice (but honest) Yelp reviews and a couple of the owners of the businesses have threatened to sue her for defamation. anti-SLAPP laws have definitely saved her.
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peppermintpatty
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1345
Posts: 4,209
Jun 26, 2014 17:47:08 GMT
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Post by peppermintpatty on Nov 12, 2019 19:12:07 GMT
HBO will continue to back Oliver simply because his show continues to sweep award shows. Their insurance going up is a small price to pay for all the people who watch his show.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Nov 12, 2019 19:41:57 GMT
HBO will continue to back Oliver simply because his show continues to sweep award shows. Their insurance going up is a small price to pay for all the people who watch his show. plus, I do think he does shows focused on topics that most people don't pay attention to, and topics that need to be discussed. The one on compounding pharmacies? eye opening... and not in a good way. Right now I'm watching one of his shows on youtube that's about Medical devices-- I worked in the medical device industry for 10+ years and I didn't even know the stuff he's explaining about how the approval process works (and how lenient it can be).
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Post by hennybutton on Nov 12, 2019 20:29:36 GMT
HBO will continue to back Oliver simply because his show continues to sweep award shows. Their insurance going up is a small price to pay for all the people who watch his show. plus, I do think he does shows focused on topics that most people don't pay attention to, and topics that need to be discussed. The one on compounding pharmacies? eye opening... and not in a good way. Right now I'm watching one of his shows on youtube that's about Medical devices-- I worked in the medical device industry for 10+ years and I didn't even know the stuff he's explaining about how the approval process works (and how lenient it can be). The in-depth reports he does reminds me of the kind of reports 60 Minutes used to do in the Seventies. What does it say about our country when our best investigative journalist is a comedian?
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Post by AussieMeg on Nov 12, 2019 22:05:33 GMT
We watched that episode of John Oliver last night - it was hilarious. That song at the end - we were laughing out loud. What's not funny is that the defendants have to pay out one way or another (legal fees, or in HBO's case, higher insurance premiums) EVEN THOUGH THEY WON!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:53:18 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2019 1:08:37 GMT
plus, I do think he does shows focused on topics that most people don't pay attention to, and topics that need to be discussed. The one on compounding pharmacies? eye opening... and not in a good way. Right now I'm watching one of his shows on youtube that's about Medical devices-- I worked in the medical device industry for 10+ years and I didn't even know the stuff he's explaining about how the approval process works (and how lenient it can be). The in-depth reports he does reminds me of the kind of reports 60 Minutes used to do in the Seventies. What does it say about our country when our best investigative journalist is a comedian?He's more than just a comedian though. It's true he's made his living out of comedy and acting but he's also got a first class honours degree from Cambridge University. One can't get a much higher academic qualification than a first from Cambridge.
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MaryMary
Pearl Clutcher
Lazy
Posts: 2,976
Jun 25, 2014 21:56:13 GMT
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Post by MaryMary on Nov 13, 2019 3:38:37 GMT
I love him. He’s so funny and clever and irreverent. I love that he doesn’t let people scare him off from telling the truth about something. He’s one of my fake boyfriends.
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Post by freecharlie on Nov 13, 2019 3:41:35 GMT
I loved his Eat Shit Bob song at the end
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Post by gryroagain on Nov 13, 2019 8:12:05 GMT
I love him. He’s so funny and clever and irreverent. I love that he doesn’t let people scare him off from telling the truth about something. He’s one of my fake boyfriends. He is my fake boyfriend too! the wit and brains paired with the glasses and cheeky smile...ooh boy😂
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:53:18 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2019 10:15:03 GMT
I love him. He’s so funny and clever and irreverent. I love that he doesn’t let people scare him off from telling the truth about something. He’s one of my fake boyfriends. He is my fake boyfriend too! the wit and brains paired with the glasses and cheeky smile...ooh boy😂 I'm surprised that Trump hasn't revoked his green card by now
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Nov 13, 2019 15:27:14 GMT
He's more than just a comedian though. It's true he's made his living out of comedy and acting but he's also got a first class honours degree from Cambridge University. One can't get a much higher academic qualification than a first from Cambridge. thanks for saying this- I didn't know about his degree; I think the comedy aspect only goes to package the information in a more entertaining way, which makes it easier to understand. (plus, there's nothing more attractive to me than a smart, wickedly witty man, in my opinion... John Oliver and Stephen Colbert--  )
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:53:18 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2019 14:40:34 GMT
He's more than just a comedian though. It's true he's made his living out of comedy and acting but he's also got a first class honours degree from Cambridge University. One can't get a much higher academic qualification than a first from Cambridge. thanks for saying this- I didn't know about his degree; I think the comedy aspect only goes to package the information in a more entertaining way, which makes it easier to understand. (plus, there's nothing more attractive to me than a smart, wickedly witty man, in my opinion... John Oliver and Stephen Colbert--  ) OMG!! So that! The video has been viewed 4.7 million times! Eat shit, Bob!!! ""Murray's lawsuit against us asked for damages because he claimed that nothing has ever stressed him more than our 'vicious and awful attack,'" Oliver continued. " Which is an odd thing to say, given that, as I just mentioned, he oversaw a company whose mine collapse in Utah resulted in the deaths of nine people."" www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/john-oliver-takes-aim-at-coal-tycoon-bob-murray-1253803
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