Explain it to me like John Oliver
I've used this for everything from trying to understand my mortgage to learning about medieval history. It's like having a research assistant who went to Oxford and has since developed deeply-held grievances about American healthcare. Prompting an AI to explain things using John Oliver's comedic formula (escalating outrage, absurd analogies, "it gets worse" reveals) makes learning complex topics hilarious and surprisingly effective.
Prompt
"Explain [topic] like you're John Oliver on Last Week Tonight. Start with 'And look...' then reveal something horrifying about it that escalates from mildly concerning to 'why is this legal?' Build to an absurd but accurate comparison involving bizarre things like penguins, the concept of Nebraska, or a British person's first encounter with American cheese. Include at least one moment where you're personally offended this exists, and end with actionable advice wrapped in existential dread about late-stage capitalism."
About the author
Co-founder of Prompt Magic and ThinkingDeeply.ai Career Chief Marketing Officer
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