The Last Week Tonight host resorted to music to make it clear what a threat Putin is. YouTube / LastWeekTonight
Warning: Explicit language
President Donald Trump has said repeatedly that he wants the US to get along with Russia.
Now Last Week Tonight host John Oliver is trying to get through to the President with a "sh***y techno song" about Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Oliver took aim at Trump's question: "Wouldn't it be great if we actually got along with Russia?"
"Someone needs, quickly, to get into Trump's ear and educate him in how realistic getting along better with Putin actually is," Oliver said on Last Week Tonight.
"It would also be nice if you could walk right up to a bear and hug it."
Oliver then introduced A Man Like Putin, a song performed by a five women wearing white, Abba-style bodysuits, "it's all about how women want someone like him," Oliver said.
"That means they want a man in his 60s who has thinning hair and who's probably about 5-foot-5.
"So the man they're saying they want is essentially Richard Dreyfuss, but mean."
The lyrics included: "A man like Putin only wants power ... he'll fake a tape of your golden shower".
Oliver dedicated the whole episode of Last Week Tonight to exploring what it would mean for America and Russia to "get along".
"It's a bit weird that you've been objectively nicer to Vladimir Putin than you have to Meryl Streep," Oliver said.
"I know that over here, we think of Putin like a cartoon character that stages photo ops where he's shirtless on a horse or swimming like a dolphin or emerging from the sea like a Bond villain," Oliver said.
The dancers at the start of their song. Photo/HBO
"But in Russia, he's not some comic book villain; to many, he's a comic book hero.
"He's genuinely popular there."
Meantime, Trump's presidency has translated into a ratings spike for American tonight shows.
Oliver returned from a three-month break this month to his best ratings for a season premiere on US TV network, HBO.
And Stephen Colbert, who has concentrated on pointed political comedy in recent months, beat NBC's usually dominant Tonight show in viewership, Nielsen said.
The show screens Monday nights at 10.30pm on SoHo. Encores Tuesdays at 7pm.
