Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor John Oliver, public-domain fan and self-appointed gadfly to powerful institutions, was back again poking a finger in the eye of the Mouse House in a new promo for his HBO show.
In a teaser for the Feb. 18 return of “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” for its 11th season, the host posed next to someone dressed in a suit resembling Steamboat Willie, the 1928 version of Mickey Mouse that entered the public domain on Jan.
1 after Disney’s copyright on the character expired. “What are they gonna do, sue?” reads the poster for the show’s upcoming season premiere.
Cheeky monkey! It’s not clear whether Disney will again be a target for Oliver on this season of “Last Week Tonight” or if he’s just opportunistically seizing the Steamboat Willie moment because he’s now on more solid legal ground. (A rep for HBO didn’t immediately respond to a request for more information.) Oliver has mined this vein before.
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