Reddit's "blackout" just got a hilarious twist. Two of the platform's biggest subreddits, r/gifs and r/pics, have reopened with a John Oliver twist. That's right, only posts featuring images of the comedian John Oliver can be found in these subreddits. Why? No one knows, but who cares? It's John freaking Oliver!
The "blackout" happened because Reddit wants to charge developers for API access starting June 19th. In protest, some volunteer moderators blocked user access to certain subreddits for an initial 48 hours. While most subreddits are now open, the r/gifs and r/pics subreddits are still filled with Oliver's amusing antics. It seems the Oliver-themed subreddits arose from a poll taken among the members of r/gifs and r/pics. The options were to either carry on as before or only allow "sexy" Oliver pictures. And let's be honest, is there such a thing as an unsexy picture of John Oliver? We think not!
The overwhelming majority of posts featured Oliver in a variety of funny poses or featured gifs from parts in shows, including Community and The Daily Show. Oliver himself appeared delighted to be part of the ongoing protest and shared a response in a Twitter post on Saturday. He said: "Dear Reddit, excellent work. Attn r/pics—have at it." That's one celebrity who knows how to work a crowd. The comedian then started to share a number of photos of himself wearing several different costumes and clothes. His tweet has since been viewed more than 1.4 million times and liked more than 16,000 times.
Dear Reddit, excellent work. Attn: r/pics — have at it...
— John Oliver (@iamjohnoliver) June 17, 2023
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Reddit is one of the most popular websites in the world with 57 million daily users. That's a lot of people who like to talk about cats and Game of Thrones! According to Statista, the majority of Reddit's online traffic comes from the United States, accounting for almost half. The U.K. lags behind with just over seven percent. CEO Steve Huffman's recently stated that he respects the actions of the communities on Reddit and acknowledges that ensuring the website provides an open and accessible place for people to find community and belonging is everyone's responsibility. So, there you have it, folks. If you're looking for some giggles, head on over to r/gifs and r/pics to see what John Oliver shenanigans are happening. It's not quite "Sexy John Oliver," but we'll take it!
