The Popcorn Stand: Can accordians save us from armageddon?

I absolutely love Weird Al Yankovic. And while I wouldn’t say I love accordions, I do think they’re pretty cool. So when I caught this clip from http://time.com/4898890/john-oliver-kim-jong-un-north-korea/ from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, I found it to be a refreshing and enlightening take on what’s going on with North Korea and the United States right now.

During his show, Oliver showed how North Koreans absolutely love the accordorion. They can’t get enough of it. There was even a clip of a group of North Korean accordion players performing A-Ha’s “Take on Me” and it was awesome, especially for somebody like me who was coming of age during the 80s. There was even one clip showing a fighter pilot with an accordion.

Oliver’s piece wasn’t all tongue-in-cheek as it also took a look at how North Koreans are indoctrinated into thinking we’re a bunch of savage dogs intent on their annihilation. Full disclosure, Oliver is no fan of President Trump and neither am I.

I don’t think it was all that appropriate for Trump to come out with his “fire and fury” statement because given North Korea’s history of believing we’re out to get them, all it did was further that myth we’re out to do so.

Actually I think accordion diplomacy would work better and so did Oliver. At the end of his show he had Weird Al perform “Please Don’t Nuke Us, North Korea.” In the song Yankovic makes the point to North Koreans contrary to their belief we’re out to get you, we’re really good people who quite honestly don’t think that much about you, no offense.

Warning if you choose to watch the clip, it’s an HBO show as Oliver unnecessarily drops several F-bombs.

But in the end Oliver showed me maybe the U.S. and North Korea can squeeze out some diplomacy with an accordion exchange program.

— Charles Whisnand