Fox News talking heads Rachel Campos-Duffy and Jesse Watters were discussing the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio on Fox and Friends when Campos-Duffy asked a pretty absurd question.
In an apparent attempt to discredit activists bringing attention to the potential dangers of the collision and chemical spill, Campos-Duffy commented:
"Think about the environmental activists and corporate America, they weren't there."
"For the activists, this is an Erin Brockovich moment. There was a blockbuster, Oscar-winning movie written about something like this."
Watters—the voice of reason this time—responded Brokovich was, in fact, in East Palestine at that very moment.
"Erin Brockovich is actually in East Palestine tonight, right now."
Campos-Duffy then asked her absolutely ludicrous question:
"She is. But where’s Julia Roberts?"
Last Week Tonight host John Oliver was so flabbergasted by Campos-Duffy's inane question he couldn't help but comment on it during the most recent episode.
You can view the clip from Last Week Tonight below:
\u201cOn Last Week Tonight, John Oliver showed the ridiculous coverage of East Palestine, Ohio from the far-right.\n\nThe way they attacked Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and *checks notes* Julia Roberts is so ridiculous.\u201d— Brad Bo \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Brad Bo \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1677478512
Oliver first played the Fox and Friends clip for his audience, then incredulously asked:
"What? What are you talking about?"
He then had to break what is apparently news to Fox and Friends:
"You realize Julia Roberts is an actor, right? She was pretending. She’s not actually Erin Brockovich."
While Roberts admittedly won an Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of Brokovich, they are actually 2 completely different people with different lives.
Just in case that simple statement of fact wasn't enough for the Fox hosts, though, Oliver listed off a few other things Roberts isn't—despite having expertly played them on the silver screen.
"Also, I can’t believe I’m the one that has to break this to you, she didn’t actually ruin her best friend’s wedding, she’s not a sex worker, and she did not die in a small Louisiana town in 1989."
He then summed up his sheer incredulity and disdain with a simple phrase:
"What the f**k is wrong with you?"
Oliver wasn't the only one mocking the Fox News talking heads.
\u201c@BradBeauregardJ Why isn\u2019t Michael Keaton visiting some of these crime plagued cities and helping to fight crime? He\u2019s the one always bragging, \u201cI\u2019m Batman.\u201d Do something then. Tony Stark too. \ud83d\ude02\u201d— Brad Bo \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Brad Bo \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1677478512
\u201c@PoliticusSarah @progressivepush @politicususa That is freaking hilarious! What numbskulls!\u201d— Sarah Reese Jones (@Sarah Reese Jones) 1677511192
\u201c@RollingStone Wait until they find out that Tom Hanks wasn't really stranded on a deserted island for a few years. \nIt was all a big scam.\u201d— Rolling Stone (@Rolling Stone) 1677516157
\u201cCampos-Duffy replied: \u201cShe is\u2014but where is Julia Roberts?\u201d\n\n@RCamposDuffy "What the fu*k is wrong with you?\u201d - John Oliver and the rest of the world are asking.\n\n@FoxNews seriously?\n\n@iamjohnoliver thank you! \n\n#FoxNews #JohnOliver #JuliaRoberts #ErinBrockovich #Ohio\u201d— Truth... Lies... Shenanigans (@Truth... Lies... Shenanigans) 1677501589
The main topic for this week's episode of Last Week Tonight was actually artificial intelligence and it's potential effects on humanity's future, but the clip of Watters and Campos-Duffy was just too much for Oliver to let go.
If you're interested in seeing Oliver's take on AI as a palate cleanser of sorts, you can find the main segment of the episode here:
Campos-Duffy and Watters have come under fire repeatedly for racist, sexist, strange or just plain idiotic comments.
This time probably won't be the last time either.
