John Oliver’s Eyebrow-Raising Jokes About The Queen Are Sparking Controversy

The conversation about comedy and censorship has been in the spotlight in recent years, with some arguing that people should not joke about sensitive topics. Others would disagree, believing that comedians should not be censored due to the nature of their profession — telling jokes. Per ThoughtCo, in recent years, networks have taken it upon themselves to censor artists and comedians, which John Oliver fell victim to when joking about the queen.

It is clear that British networks have very low tolerance for criticism of the royal family and British officials, and the blatant censorship is rubbing some viewers the wrong way. One Twitter user expressed their disappointment with Sky, tweeting, “We condemn other countries for this sort of behavior. The audience is used to his irreverent style and light hearted comments. The ‘target’ of his remarks was corporate social media!” Another Twitter user called the streaming platform “cowards” for cutting Oliver’s opening monologue. Another tweet said the “coverage and forced mourning here is getting real out of hand,” clearly frustrated that they didn’t get to hear Oliver’s jokes.

When the episode aired, Britain was in an official state of mourning, which will continue until the queen’s funeral on September 19.