John Oliver mocks the "profoundly strange" tradition of turkey pardoning

And suggests alternatives

Published November 24, 2014 2:29PM (EST)

  (HBO)
(HBO)

"Last Week Tonight" may be on hiatus, but John Oliver is still giving his starved public some sporadic "Web exclusives" on YouTube -- just in time for the holidays.

In a video released yesterday, Oliver took aim at a Thanksgiving White House tradition: pardoning a turkey. Besides being a "profoundly strange" ritual, the practice of turkey pardoning is ripe for comedy. Watch below:


By Sarah Gray

Sarah Gray is an assistant editor at Salon, focusing on innovation. Follow @sarahhhgray or email sgray@salon.com.

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John Oliver Last Week Tonight Pardoning Thanksgiving Turkey Video