HBO’s John Oliver Takes Aim at Alabama High School for Rebel Mascot

On his Sunday HBO show “Last Week Tonight,” host John Oliver took aim the Confederate flag, which he noted was just brought down at the South Carolina capitol.

That gesture by the South Carolina state legislature was not enough for Oliver, however. He proposed more “racist symbols on display in government run institutions” get taken down as well, using the Mississippi state flag and the Rebel mascot at Vestavia Hills High School in Vestavia, AL as examples.

“Your logo is a plantation owner,” Oliver said. “And saying that the image of a plantation owner is not used in a racist way is a bit like arguing the Hitachi magic wand is only used as a back massager. Sure, maybe you only use it that way, but a lot of other people use it very differently.”

Oliver pushed the Alabama high school to change its mascot and they could select any of his discarded show costumes.