Look, we all have a conspiracy theory or two that manages to live rent-free in our brains. The moon landing? Soundstage. Katy Perry? She’s a grown-up JonBenét Ramsey. And don’t even get us started about the illuminati. John Oliver dedicated his Sunday evening Last Week Tonight return to just that, or rather the vast amount of conspiracies that have emerged during the coronavirus pandemic. “These theories are a lot more popular than you might think,†he explained. “Polls over the years have shown that over half of Americans consistently endorse at least one sort of conspiratorial narrative.â€
Oliver understands the allure of these theories to people, as they can help provide meaning (however looney it may be) in our a “chaotic and uncertain†world. Hell, he’ll even admit to indulging a certain conspiracy about the People’s Princess a little too much. “I’m not immune, here,†Oliver said. “Embarrassingly, there is a part of me that thinks the royal family had Princess Diana killed. I know that they didn’t, because there’s absolutely no evidence that they did, but the idea still lingers because it felt too big an event to be accidental. There had to be some intent there.†If you do know somebody who believes that the coronavirus is a hoax, though, Oliver implores you to help convince them otherwise — with the help of custom video messages he commissioned from Alex Trebek, John Cena, and Catherine O’Hara. “While you can’t reach everyone, you can reach some,†he added. “And now more than ever, it might be important for you to try.â€