John Oliver is most recognized for his work as a comedian and television host, but he’s also a fine art aficionado and philanthropist, as fans of Last Week Tonight are well aware. He gladly volunteered to loan out the collection of creative works he has acquired as part of the show’s quirky collection over the past year in an effort to help museums battling to stay afloat during the COVID pandemic, as The Wrap writes. “For some reason, a lot of people agreed,” Oliver said in a YouTube video (which you can watch above). “Over the next few months, our collection will visit exactly five museums,” says the curator.
What can art lovers look forward to? Oliver is grateful that you inquired. A “magnificent image of Wendy Williams enjoying a lamb chop” is among the masterworks on loan, according to the show. You’ll also find this sorrowful tie, painted by Judith Kudlow as part of a series about her husband Larry [Kudlow]” (a.k.a. Donald Trump’s former economic advisor and a frequent Fox News pundit who is routinely recorded making racist slurs).
The collection’s pièce de résistance—”and where our collection began,” according to Oliver—is a painting by Pennsylvania artist Brian Swords titled “Stay Up Late.” While a less refined person would interpret the image as two rats f*cking, Oliver sees it as a “study of rodent camaraderie” that must be experienced in person to be properly appreciated. Take a look at the brushstrokes. It’s as if Monet went through a furry phase.”
The art tour will kick off in September at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, “As I’m just going to assume Judy would have wanted,” Oliver says. Who needs the hassle of flying to Paris to see the Mona Lisa when you could gaze upon Wendy Williams eating a hunk of meat in Minnesota?
