TV

All the Mascot Costumes from Last Week Tonight, Ranked

Ranker TV
Updated May 7, 2020 17 items

Last Week Tonight's John Oliver knows that one of the best ways to make a point is to use a mascot. He learned this trick from Japan. Japan uses mascots to make issues and entities more relatable and, some might argue, terrifying. In America on a comedy news program hosted by a British guy who used to be a fake correspondent on The Daily Show, mascots are comedy gold. But which are the best and funniest John Oliver mascots and character costumes?

Sex geckos lost in space? Meet Last Week Tonight’s Horny Space Gecko. Want to show love for Scotland so the country won’t break off its union with England? Bring out the Scottish Independence Unicorn to show just how much you care.  

Many of Last Week Tonight’s mascot characters are now part of pop culture. Just like Japan’s beloved antler/boy Sentokun, there’s no reason why Creepy Baby with Hulk Hands Wearing a Tutu won’t be in the next Olympics or Senate panel hearing for the HHS. Or at the very least a party at Charlie Sheen's house. 

Other Last Week Tonight mascot characters have a life of their own as well. Jeff the Diseased Lung in a Cowboy Hat has become a symbol of anti-tobacco and has spread around the world. Hoots the NSA Owl keeps an eye on you from Twitter, space, and a van outside your house. Taryn the Tinder chicken has been swiped right more times than Britney Spears. LWT puppets explain what’s wrong with America’s prison system through song.

Which of the Last Week Tonight characters are the most compelling, hilarious, and on point? Upvote the best and don’t forget to pick up your Justice Department Scales the Blind Iguana plush toy in the gift shop after you're done. You can also head on over to our list of more shows like Last Week Tonight.

  • 1

    Real Animals Fake Paws Supreme Court

    Real Animals Fake Paws Supreme Court
    Because cameras aren’t allowed in the Supreme Court, Oliver makes the argument that using real animals with fake paws to recreate arguments heard in the Court would be both adorable and educational and actually make the American public care about real Supreme Court cases (jump to 2:50).
    26 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 2

    NASA’s Horny Space Gecko

    NASA’s Horny Space Gecko
    When Russia lost contact with a space pod containing geckos. One of the things scientists were observing was the gecko’s sexual activity. Oliver insisted that humanity #gogetthosegeckos and then introduced NASA’s Horny Space Gecko to go get his buddies.
    16 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 3

    Jeff the Diseased Lung in a Cowboy Hat

    Jeff the Diseased Lung in a Cowboy Hat

    When John Oliver suggested this mascot for Philip Morris International as part of a story on plain package advertising in the tobacco industry and promoting the hashtag #jeffwecan along with its mascot, he had no idea just how far Jeff would go, despite his limited lung capacity.  

    LWT created billboards in Uruguary (a nation fighting off the tobacco industry), sent Jeff T-shirts to Togo (another targeted country), and someone even made a full scale Jeff costume, appearing at the White House and showing up to anti-tobacco protests.
    15 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 4

    Red-Tailed Hawk, Official Raptor of Last Week Tonight

    Red-Tailed Hawk, Official Raptor of Last Week Tonight
    When the red-tailed hawk was rejected by the New Hampshire state legislature as the State Bird, Last Week Tonight gladly made the predator the official raptor of the show. Oliver seems terrified of the bird, which can grab its prey in mid air and rip it apart, but the animal seems quite appropriate for a show that isn’t having anyone’s bulls*t.
    14 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 5

    Marshmallow the Polar Bear with a Broken Penis

    Marshmallow the Polar Bear with a Broken Penis
    • Photo:

    Because pollution could potentially cause polar bears to break their penis bones, threatening the species with extinction, Last Week Tonight created a special mascot to raise awareness about this real threat.  

    Meet Marshmallow the Polar Bear with a Broken Penis at 2:50.
    12 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 6

    Prison Muppets

    Prison Muppets

    On one episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver tried to wrap his head around the exploding prison population and the broken prison system. Incarceration rates are so high, it became the topic of an episode of Sesame Street.  

    Oliver got help from some LWT puppets in order to figure out just how warped things are, through song of course. The puppet bit starts at 14:23 and Oliver demonstrates that he has a decent singing voice.
    15 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 7

    Creepy Baby with Hulk Hands Wearing a Tutu

    Creepy Baby with Hulk Hands Wearing a Tutu
    • Photo:
    Health and Human Services definitely became more interesting and a lot more terrifying with Creepy Baby. It’s got its eye on you. And just might get its huge Hulk hands on you too if you aren't careful.
    20 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 8

    Hoots the NSA Owl

    Hoots the NSA Owl
    • Photo:
    He’s watching you!
    9 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 9

    Cornelius the Illuminati Pyramid

    Cornelius the Illuminati Pyramid
    The Department of Treasury mascot has some mad street dance skills. Watch Cornelius dance on point at 7:18.
    9 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 10

    The Scottish Independence Unicorn

    The Scottish Independence Unicorn
    During an episode about the Scottish independent vote, many people learned from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver that the official animal of Scotland is the unicorn. The Scots definitely do what they want.
    7 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 11

    Taryn the Tinder Chicken

    Taryn the Tinder Chicken
    • Photo:

    When Russia decided to ban food imports from the U.S., chicken wasted no time getting back out there and playing the field. John Oliver introduced the world to Taryn the Tinder chicken. She’s 29 and not letting her break up with the Russian market hold her back.  

    Taryn showed off her pole dancing skills alongside Dancing Soybean, also rejected by Russia. Oliver also created a Tinder account for Taryn and let everyone know she was DTC. ("down to cluck").
    7 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 12

    Ramjam the Dancing Ram

    Ramjam the Dancing Ram
    The Department of Energy’s mascot can’t stop, won’t stop. But probably just can’t stop. Watch his entrance at 6:18.
    5 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 13

    Funky Monkey, School Test Mascot Recreation

    Funky Monkey, School Test Mascot Recreation
    Taking on the subject of the barrage of school testing in American schools, Oliver re-created one school’s pep rally for testing monkey mascot. See the monkey do its thing at 18:01.
    4 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 14

    Scales the Blind Iguana

    Scales the Blind Iguana
    Scales, the mascot for the Justice Department and a possible replacement for Lady Justice, is introduced at 5:22. Scales has a Twitter account and he’s pretty serious about his role. Check out his account and see for yourself.
    4 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 15

    Plan Bee Planned Parenthood Mascot

    Plan Bee Planned Parenthood Mascot

    In a story about the New Hampshire state legislature talking smack about Planned Parenthood and refusing to make the red-tailed hawk their state raptor, Last Week Tonight casually mentioned this made up mascot, which Planned Parenthood should actually put to use. 

    Plan Bee gets a shout out around 2:20.
    4 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 16

    Hamilton the Pig in a Sailor Hat

    Hamilton the Pig in a Sailor Hat
    Making U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement more cuddly and reminiscent of bacon, there’s Hamilton the Pig in a Sailor Hat at 5:34. “Look out, he’s coming to de-pork you,” Oliver warns.
    3 votes
    Agree or disagree?
  • 17

    Sexy Dancing Soybean

    Sexy Dancing Soybean
    • Photo:
    Nothing says Department of Agriculture like a sexy dancing soybean. Well, maybe hot tap dancing corn. Sexy dancing soybean also likes hanging out with Taryn the Tinder Chicken.
    4 votes
    Agree or disagree?