HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver fired a 20-minute broadside against the warehousing and shipping industry dominated by Amazon, "exposing the grim, exhausting work conditions behind our every overnight delivery," Deadline reported. Oliver called Amazon the "Michael Jackson of shipping" because they're "the best at what they do, everybody tries to imitate them, and nobody who learns a third thing about them is happy they did."
He added: "The injury and illness rate in the warehouse industry is higher than coal mining, construction and logging. I didn't know there were jobs more dangerous than those other than maybe rodeo clown, Oompa Loompa or shark dentist."
Oliver conceded that Amazon "is not the worst actor in this industry. But being not the worst is a low, low bar."
Dave Clark, Amazon's senior v-p, worldwide operations, responded with a statement posted on Twitter in which he cited the company's $15-per-hour minimum wage, called Oliver's accusations "insulting" to Amazon workers, and defended conditions at the fulfillment centers. "As a fan of the show, I enjoy watching John make an entertaining case for the failings of companies, governments and most recently--Mount Everest. But he is wrong on Amazon," Clark wrote.
Oliver's segment ends with a new slogan suggestion: "Amazon. Try not to think about it."