John Oliver Supports Public Broadcasting with Auction of Show Props... 65 Items Including Bob Ross Painting in 'John Oliver's Junk' Campaign

Comedian John Oliver is making headlines by launching a large-scale auction to support public broadcasting through the final episode of his HBO talk show 'Last Week Tonight' in 2025. The 'John Oliver's Junk' auction, announced during the broadcast on November 17, is a fundraising campaign in response to the Trump administration's $1.1 billion cut to public broadcasting budgets, with a total of 65 items being auctioned off until November 24.

Bob Ross Masterpiece, Starting Bid Soars 16 Times... Unprecedented Buzz

The most notable item is the original 1987 work 'Cottage at Sunset' by legendary PBS painter Bob Ross. This piece, which recorded a starting bid of $51,000, has surpassed $840,000 as of November 18, proving its unprecedented buzz. This auction is said to be inspired by the Bob Ross Foundation's recent auction of three works that raised $662,000.

Oliver explained on the broadcast, "We have accumulated a lot of strange items on this show over the years, and we can raise desperately needed money by auctioning them off."

The auction items include unique items reflecting the history of the show. Quirky items such as the jockstrap worn by Russell Crowe, the painting 'Cabbage Lady Oliver' that appeared at Steve Buscemi's officiated wedding, a gold-plated sculpture of President Lyndon B. Johnson's body parts, and gold Adidas sneakers worn by Jeff Blatter are fetching high prices. Additionally, a special experience package to meet Oliver in New York and VIP tickets for live recordings are also up for auction.

"The Value of Public Broadcasting Cannot Be Interpreted as Anything Other Than Prejudice"

Oliver strongly emphasized the importance of public broadcasting through the broadcast. He explained that public broadcasting has played an underappreciated important role in pioneering closed captioning in the 1970s, providing multilingual programming, delivering emergency alerts, and maintaining local investigative reporting.

In particular, targeting political criticism of public broadcasting, he stated, "Many things that conservatives claim are 'progressive bias' actually show America's history of racism or the existence of LGBTQ individuals," and criticized that "it is difficult to interpret such criticism as anything other than prejudice."

All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Public Media Bridge Fund, which helps public broadcasters find new sources of funding. Oliver stated, "This is real. I am proud to host the first official auction to support public media." The broadcasting industry expects this campaign to be a meaningful help, especially for local and tribal community broadcasters that are hit hard by the cessation of federal support.