As John Oliver makes clear in the Last Week Tonight web exclusive above, “Chuck E. Cheese was a brand founded on darkness.”
This episode was originally viewable on a custom site last year, but has now made the jump to YouTube — a welcome addition to the John Oliver mascot cannon.
In the video, the host spends 25 minutes breaking down exactly what that means, from the history of the restaurant’s original cigar-smoking rat mascot that would casually insult its peers to the way the franchise has tried to change and adapt in subsequent decades.
Oliver’s conclusion? The restaurant needs some of its original darkness back.
“Chuck E. Cheese, you have lost your way,” he says. “And we want to help you help yourself.” Cue a brutal cameo from a giant Steamboat Willie mascot who delights in telling children that they’re not special.
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John Oliver took a deep dive into the origins of Chuck E. Cheese, and the way the franchise has changed over the years.
