• Newsfeed

Watch John Oliver Explain How Intimidating the Super Bowl Is to the Rest of the World

1 minute read

Last Week Tonight host John Oliver loves to go on rants about everything from net neutrality to the Miss America pageant. As a guest on The Late Show Thursday, he launched into a much smaller-scale tirade about the upcoming Super Bowl.

It begins when David Letterman asks him if he’s been persuaded — since “brainwashed” isn’t the right word — into the Super Bowl way of life here in the U.S. “Oh, brainwashed is the right word, because I’m on a green card,” says Oliver, who’s from England. “And I think if I don’t watch the Super Bowl then I get ejected.”

Then Oliver goes on to explain how to him, the Super Bowl represents “Peak America” and how even though there are huge sporting events all over the world, this one is truly intimidating.

Read next: How the ‘John Oliver Effect’ Is Having a Real-Life Impact

See All 48 Superbowl Rings

Super Bowl I - Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl I - Green Bay PackersNational Football League
Super Bowl II - Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl II - Green Bay PackersNational Football League
Super Bowl III - New York Jets
Super Bowl III - New York JetsNational Football League
Super Bowl IV - Kansas City Chiefs
Super Bowl IV - Kansas City ChiefsNational Football League
Super Bowl V - Baltimore Colts
Super Bowl V - Baltimore ColtsNational Football League
Super Bowl VI - Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl VI - Dallas CowboysNational Football League
Super Bowl VII - Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl VII - Miami DolphinsNational Football League
Super Bowl VIII - Miami Dolphins
Super Bowl VIII - Miami DolphinsNational Football League
Super Bowl IX - Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl IX - Pittsburgh SteelersNational Football League
Super Bowl X - Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl X - Pittsburgh SteelersNational Football League
Super Bowl XI - Oakland Raiders
Super Bowl XI - Oakland RaidersNational Football League
Super Bowl XII - Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XII - Dallas CowboysNational Football League
Super Bowl XIII - Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XIII - Pittsburgh SteelersNational Football League
Super Bowl XIV - Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XIV - Pittsburgh SteelersNational Football League
Super Bowl XV - Oakland Raiders
Super Bowl XV - Oakland RaidersNational Football League
Super Bowl XVI - San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XVI - San Francisco 49ersNational Football League
Super Bowl XVII - Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XVII - Washington RedskinsNational Football League
Super Bowl XVIII - Los Angeles Raiders
Super Bowl XVIII - Los Angeles RaidersNational Football League
Super Bowl XIX - San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XIX - San Francisco 49ersNational Football League
Super Bowl XX - Chicago Bears
Super Bowl XX - Chicago BearsNational Football League
Super Bowl XXI - New York Giants
Super Bowl XXI - New York GiantsNational Football League
Super Bowl XXII - Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XXII - Washington RedskinsNational Football League
Super Bowl XXIII - San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIII - San Francisco 49ersNational Football League
Super Bowl XXIV - San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIV - San Francisco 49ersNational Football League
Super Bowl XXV - New York Giants
Super Bowl XXV - New York GiantsNational Football League
Super Bowl XXVI - Washington Redskins
Super Bowl XXVI - Washington RedskinsNational Football League
Super Bowl XXVI - Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXVI - Dallas CowboysNational Football League
Super Bowl XXVIII - Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXVIII - Dallas CowboysNational Football League
Super Bowl XXIX - San Francisco 49ers
Super Bowl XXIX - San Francisco 49ersNational Football League
Super Bowl XXX - Dallas Cowboys
Super Bowl XXX - Dallas CowboysNational Football League
Super Bowl XXXI - Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl XXXI - Green Bay PackersNational Football League
Super Bowl XXXII - Denver Broncos
Super Bowl XXXII - Denver BroncosNational Football League
Super Bowl XXXIII - Denver Broncos
Super Bowl XXXIII - Denver BroncosNational Football League
Super Bowl XXXIV - St. Louis Rams
Super Bowl XXXIV - St. Louis RamsNational Football League
Super Bowl XXXV - Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowl XXXV - Baltimore RavensNational Football League
Super Bowl XXXVI - New England Patriots
Super Bowl XXXVI - New England PatriotsNational Football League
Super Bowl XXXVII - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Super Bowl XXXVII - Tampa Bay BuccaneersNational Football League
Super Bowl XXXVIII - New England Patriots
Super Bowl XXXVIII - New England PatriotsNational Football League
Super Bowl XXXIX - New England Patriots
Super Bowl XXXIX - New England PatriotsNational Football League
Super Bowl XL - Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XL - Pittsburgh SteelersNational Football League
Super Bowl XLI - Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl XLI - Indianapolis ColtsNational Football League
Super Bowl XLII - New York Giants
Super Bowl XLII - New York GiantsNational Football League
Super Bowl XLIII - Pittsburgh Steelers
Super Bowl XLIII - Pittsburgh SteelersNational Football League
Super Bowl XLIV - New Orleans Saints
Super Bowl XLIV - New Orleans SaintsNational Football League
Super Bowl XLV - Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl XLV - Green Bay PackersNational Football League
Super Bowl XLVI - New York Giants
Super Bowl XLVI - New York GiantsNational Football League
Super Bowl XLVII - Baltimore Ravens
Super Bowl XLVII - Baltimore RavensNational Football League
Super Bowl XLVIII - Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl XLVIII - Seattle SeahawksNational Football League

Listen to the most important stories of the day.

More Must-Reads From TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com