The Opposition with Jordan Klepper Season 1 Episode 1 September 25, 2017
- September 25, 2017
- 1275 min
-
6.8 (18)
On September 25, 2017, viewers were introduced to a new late-night political satire show called The Opposition with Jordan Klepper. Hosted by comedian and former correspondent of The Daily Show, Jordan Klepper, the show promised to offer a new perspective on the often sensationalized world of news and politics.
In the first episode of season 1, Klepper introduced himself as the leader of a fictional group called "The Opposition," a group designed to combat mainstream media narratives and offer an alternate point of view. He sat behind an ominous-looking desk in a dark room, surrounded by flags and other propaganda-inspired decorations.
Klepper began by taking aim at the NFL, which was in the midst of a controversy over players kneeling during the national anthem as a form of protest against police brutality. He mocked the league's hypocrisy, pointing out that while it was willing to fine players for their peaceful protests, it was less willing to punish players for acts of violence. He also poked fun at President Donald Trump's tweets on the subject, highlighting the absurdity of a president using social media to dictate how private businesses should conduct themselves.
The show then moved on to the subject of climate change, with Klepper playing a character named "Chip" who was a climate change skeptic. In this segment, Klepper and his team made fun of those who deny the existence of climate change, using ridiculous arguments such as "if the earth is getting hotter, why isn't the sun sweating?" to illustrate the absurdity of their positions.
In another segment, the show tackled conspiracy theories, with Klepper playing a character who believed in a vast, unproven plot to undermine American democracy. He showed clips of people who had fallen down rabbit holes of conspiracy theories, pointing out the ludicrous reasoning behind their beliefs. Throughout the segment, Klepper demonstrated that his show aimed to expose the flaws in logic and reasoning that underlie some of the more extreme political positions.
The final segment of the show centered on the issue of gerrymandering, the practice of manipulating voting districts in order to achieve political advantages. Here, Klepper and his team aimed to educate their audience on the subject, showing how both Republicans and Democrats had used gerrymandering to their advantage. He also highlighted a grassroots effort to end gerrymandering in Michigan, which became a focal point of the show's activism efforts throughout its run.
Overall, the first episode of The Opposition with Jordan Klepper set the tone for what was to come. It was a show that sought to illuminate the flaws and contradictions in political argumentation, while also offering a comedic take on the news of the day. Whether viewers agreed with Klepper's politics or not, they could still appreciate the show's willingness to take a critical eye to the events of the day, and to question the narratives being presented by the mainstream media.