Who would have thought that Alex Jones would have walked away as the victor (if one was forced to declare one) in his confrontation with Megyn Kelly? Neither party presented a good look, but Kelly’s ratings never recovered, and Jones has merrily gone on to discuss the New World Order with Spencer freaking Pratt like nothing was amiss. And as John Oliver reveals in a 20-minute segment of Last Week Tonight, the Infowars host is making an insane amount of money while engaging in his madman antics.
Jones does so while pushing conspiracies and selling neutraceutical-based supplements like Super Male Vitality, Lung Cleanse, and DNA Force (amazingly, $120 per bottle). This is an entertaining spectacle to witness, especially when Jones acts as his own guinea pig by guzzling the Caveman protein shake with a grimace on his face. Or via shilling the Anthro Plex segment with before-and-after photos that are nearly identical and only prove that he “walked shirtless in the sun for two hours to a belt store.”
Yet people buy the snake oil, possibly because Jones tells his viewers that Infowars is on the brink of financial disaster. Oliver reveals how “he can sell 500 supplements in an hour … it’s like QVC for conspiracy.” Jones does so all while wearing a variety of Rolexes that cost up to $8000 apiece and providing his own bonkers justifications: “I dress as a Satanist, so I can enter their world and show you that none of it means anything.” Oliver then cleanly transitions by telling Jones where to go for tormenting the Sandy Hook families.
Ultimately, Oliver urges people to consider recontextualizing Jones’ infamous “gay frogs” clip (rather than his isolated declarations that make him simply look crazy) to realize how they’re directly tied to selling water filtration systems (for up to $500) and the like. That Jones’ audience is not only willing to believe that the government is trying to reduce population by feminizing society through chemicals in the water is one thing. But that they’re also game to spend money after hearing these theories is quite another.
Oliver then offers up something “to wipe that gross feeling away,” which ends up being perineal wipes that cost $1 million apiece. And yes, he’s really selling them. Behold the marvelous product that does nothing at Infowipes.com.
(Via HBO)