In an episode devoted to unpacking the 2024 presidential election outcomes, John Oliver‘s through-line towards making sense of Kamala Harris‘ loss was a operating joke pinning the blame on Katy Perry‘s “ill-advised” cowl of Whitney Houston’s “Best Love of All” at a last-minute rally.

Whereas the Final Week Tonight host stated that everybody gave the impression to be spinning their “personal private wheel of blame” to “typically make certain it lands on whoever you had been mad at within the first place” — from progressives to dangerous marketing campaign techniques to key demographics — he has another person in thoughts.

“Personally, I form of wish to think about that all the things that occurred on Tuesday is Katy Perry’s fault as a result of at Kamala’s Election Eve rally, she did this ill-advised cowl,” he started, taking part in a clip of the pop singer’s admittedly off-key rendition.

“I imply, you’re proper, they will’t take away your dignity since you simply surrendered it willingly,” he joked, referencing the hit music’s lyrics. “I do know, I do know that she’s making an attempt to do a pleasant factor there however why would you try to cowl Whitney Houston — the voice? Say what you need about Lee Greenwood — which in my case is about 18 minutes of rigorously fact-checked insults — however at the very least when he performed Trump rallies he wasn’t making an attempt to do Freddie Mercury’s half in ‘Someone to Love.’”

He continued, “Now, did that drunk bachelorette karaoke night time efficiency doom the entire Harris marketing campaign? Most likely not. Nevertheless it feels good to suppose so as a result of it’s a simple reply to a troublesome query.”

Oliver additionally took the time to hit again at critics which have stated Harris didn’t transfer proper sufficient on her coverage stances, saying that campaigning alongside Liz Cheney was about as conservative as attainable “until you actually dig up Henry Kissinger’s corpse and prop it up at a rally in Michigan as Katy Perry sings ‘Rolling within the Deep.’ It’s OK to not have the vary for a music, Katy.”

All through this system, the political comedian touched on what the nation can anticipate subsequent and what they will do.

There was an compulsory hit at Donald Trump ally Elon Musk: “Seeing a person price $300 billion {dollars} inform the nation to ‘endure hardship’ and ‘dwell inside their means’ fills me with a sense that, apparently, I can not say out loud for authorized causes.”

Moreover, Oliver admonished congressional Democrats who had been seeking to dip early, leaving the ground battling attendance issues. “I imagine Kimberly Kardashian may need stated it finest,” he quipped, earlier than taking part in a clip of the socialite-cum-actress’ memeified slogan “Get your f—ing ass up and work.”

He added, “I’m mad on the prospect of 4 extra years of individuals saying, ‘So, is your job like a lot simpler with Trump as president?’ No, it’s not. No it f—ing isn’t. F— you a lot! You don’t know what you’re speaking about. F— you quite a bit!”

On a extra earnest word, Oliver suggested viewers to “do what you gotta do” to grieve: “Throw your cellphone into the closest physique of water, scream right into a nicely, punch a tree, curl up right into a ball and watch The Princess Diaries all over after which, on the finish, when ‘Miracles Occur’ begins taking part in, shriek, ‘No they f—ing don’t. Don’t deceive me. Individuals might be sh–s.’ However attempt to not utterly obliterate your self in despair.”

Oliver tempered his bit by including that grassroots-level group and native politics have truly seen wins amid the election, with the passage of progressive laws like abortion protections and the election of pro-LGBTQ+ candidates.

In ending the night time, Oliver stated that folks can resist and protest even whereas exhausted and on “fumes,” hurling one closing zinger directed at Perry: “And don’t simply take that from me. Take it from one of many world’s biggest ever singers being coated by a unique singer.”