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Everest is a well covered topic. The mountain, and those who attempt it, capture the public's attention like little else. Shrouded in a haze of money, egos and trash, the answer to the question of “why” becomes ever more uncertain. To consider Everest is to consider the fundamental, unanswerable questions that plague us all. Why risk your life to partake in an act that has no tangible benefits? Consequently, do any of our acts truly have tangible benefits? As a comedian who is able to cut through the BS and arrive at what really matters, John Oliver’s breakdown of the problems plaguing Everest is funny, to the point, and pinpoints the precise issues beneath the problem and how they can be addressed.
The sheer number of climbers that attempt the mountain yearly create an inherent problem in which excrement, trash, and bodies build up. As Oliver expertly navigates this treacherous terrain, he moves past a lazy critique of all those who attempt the mountain, and instead focuses on the more nuanced understanding of what causes some of the most infuriatingly preventable deaths on Everest.
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Finally, Oliver presents his own small contribution to the solution. For those who really only wish to climb the mountain for bragging rights, John Oliver’s new guiding service will digitally take you up the highest mountain in the world: for free!