John Oliver bought a used jockstrap to save one of the last remaining Blockbuster video stores. So, Russell Crowe and the Irwin family are honoring him with Koala Chlamydia.
Yes, this story is real and even crazier than it sounds.
It all started when Crowe announced that he would have a divorce auction. Items up for auction included Gladiator, Les Mis, and American Gangster memorabilia, the jockstrap he wore in Cinderella Man, and even a fossilized skull of an extinct, marine reptile. I’d like to pepper in the fact that Crowe purchased the dino bones from Leonardo DiCaprio in 2008.
Russell Crowe is having a divorce auction full of amazingly weird stuff. Real dinosaur bones! A working chariot and prop horse! The jockstrap he wore in CINDERELLA MAN! I love this. https://t.co/ISrhSXZPx4 pic.twitter.com/x69V2QBmoO
— Matt Singer (@mattsinger) March 8, 2018
Sotheby’s Australia estimated the value of the jockstrap to be $500-$600. Who on earth would pay that amount of money for someone’s used jock? Allow me to introduce you to my personal hero and the new owner of Crowe’s old underwear, comedian and host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, John Oliver.
Oliver purchased four of the auction items for a grand total of $10,000. It was part of a publicity stunt on his show where he donated the jockstrap to an incredibly important cause; saving one of the last remaining Blockbuster video stores. I know! I was pretty shocked that they were still around, too.
John Oliver is pretty well-known for these types of antics. In the past, he started his own collection agency and forgave over $15 million in past-due medical bills, started an all-dog version of the Supreme Court, and even bought five wax president statues from a museum auction.
The Blockbuster location is in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska has three of the last four remaining Blockbuster stores. Oliver said that this would be a “fun, movie-themed way to draw people in.” Of course. Who wouldn’t want to see a dirty jockstrap on display next to Nerds Ropes and Baby Bottle Pops from the 90’s?
Hey, @blockbuster! Come and get it! pic.twitter.com/C8Cd85pWD8
— Last Week Tonight (@LastWeekTonight) April 16, 2018
And from here, things really start to spiral out of control.
After hearing about Oliver’s purchase and donation, Russell Crowe decided to use the $10,000 donation for good. But where should the money go?
I think this is such a wonderful random act of kindness that I am planning now on how to best use the @iamjohnoliver money he spent on groin protectors and such .
Given his often shown genuine love for Australians and Australia , it’s got to be something special . https://t.co/NcziHy5A2H— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) April 17, 2018
The Australian actor got to work thinking about how the money could benefit Australia. And when you think about Australia, two things immediately come to mind (no, not Justin’s Austrailian accent); Koalas and the Irwin family.
Crowe got in touch with the Australia Zoo which is run by the late Steve “Crocodile Hunter” Irwin’s wife, Terry Irwin and their two children, Bindi and Robert. The family knew exactly what they could do with the money to honor Oliver and help animals. Open a Koala Chlamydia ward.
Congratulations, John Oliver, on the koala chlamydia ward named after you https://t.co/p0V1yIIv2r pic.twitter.com/BD69bT3Sul
— Mashable Australia (@mashableAU) May 7, 2018
Koalas are facing an epidemic of Chlamydia for which there isn’t an effective cure. Chlamydia can cause blindness, infertility, and even death. Thanks to The John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward, the Australia Zoo Animal Hospital will be able to test Chlamydia treatments on koalas affected by the disease.
And that, my friends, is how Russell Crowe’s divorce is saving one of the last remaining Blockbuster stores and STD-ridden koalas.
Great news for Koala everywhere. @AustraliaZoo @wildwarriors @LastWeekTonight @iamjohnoliver @rickygervais pic.twitter.com/RrwBqfy5N9
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) May 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/wildwarriors/status/992549107477528577
