- John Oliver provides advice on regifting during the holiday season
- He suggests not regifting to someone who knows the original gifter
- Office secret Santa is an ideal place to regift
- Personalize the gift with a note to throw off the recipient
- Disguise the gift to maximize plausible deniability
- If not rewrapping, use a gift bag
- Limit regifting to one per person, avoiding a festive ponzi scheme.

You will receive at least one horrible gift this month. John Oliver has some tips for getting rid of it.

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I'm John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight.

We are off until February, but with the holiday season now underway, we thought we'd share some important advice regarding exchanging gifts with friends and family.

Because during the holidays, you are going to receive at least 1 profoundly underwhelming gift.

At some point this month, you will unwrap a present that induces the sort of jaw-dropping disappointment that 1 normally associates with the term, -"lettuce wrap." -$30.

For instance, for instance, you might receive a scented candle, which is just a candle that's extra desperate for attention.

Or maybe you'll get an edible arrangement, which says, I don't know you very well, but if you're anything like me, you have to eat or else you'll die.

Or maybe you'll get a stuffed animal, which is essentially just a creepy ornament you have to reposition before you can comfortably have sex.

That is why I am here with a handy holiday guide to the art of regifting.

Just the easiest way to pawn off something that you can't stand aside from sending your child to summer camp.

First of all, first of all, never regift.

Never regift to someone who knows the original gifter.

It's incredibly uncomfortable to get busted ditching something that was clearly meant for you.

Whether it's an ugly sweater or, worst case scenario, an engagement ring.

You are going to want to create some distance.

So the ideal place for a regift is clearly an office secret Santa, because regifting there is like peeing in the ocean.

Sure, sure, it's not right, but it's an ultimately harmless solution to an urgent problem.

--LAUGHTER --SECONDLY, you're gonna want to personalize it.

Write a note to throw the recipient off the scent that this gift was not originally meant for them.

Something intimate yet vague, like, saw this and couldn't resist.

Although I will say, do be warned, that could backfire if the original gift could be potentially insulting, like, a self-help book, or maybe a box of wine.

You saw this box of wine and you thought of me?

I'm 3 months sober and you're an asshole, Nana!

Next, you're gonna want to disguise the gift to maximize your plausible deniability.

A horrible gift, much like your pet, always looks better when dressed up.

And if you're going to re-gift, have the decency to re-wrap.

It looks more festive, and it spares you from walking into a party and announcing, hey, I brought you an appliance I didn't want.

If you're not going to rewrap, at the very least, though, use a gift bag.

Gift bags are the sweatpants of gift wrapping.

Sure, it's lazy, but it's undeniably better than not putting on anything at all.

--Finally, finally, finally, and this 1 is very important.

Keep yourself to a single regift per person.

Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to redistribute all of your gifts amongst your friends and family like a festive ponzi scheme.

And when your wings melt, they'll probably smell like a cranberry bog because you made them from the scented candles you got from your sister-in-law.


Speaker 0: -♪ ♪ -♪ ♪ Hello there. I'm John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight. We are off until February, but with the holiday season now underway, we thought we'd share some important advice regarding exchanging gifts with friends and family. Because during the holidays, you are going to receive at least 1 profoundly underwhelming gift. That's just a fact.

At some point this month, you will unwrap a present that induces the sort of jaw-dropping disappointment that 1 normally associates with the term, -"lettuce wrap." -$30. For instance, for instance, you might receive a scented candle, which is just a candle that's extra desperate for attention. Or maybe you'll get an edible arrangement, which says, I don't know you very well, but if you're anything like me, you have to eat or else you'll die. Or maybe you'll get a stuffed animal, which is essentially just a creepy ornament you have to reposition before you can comfortably have sex. And that is why...

That is why I am here with a handy holiday guide to the art of regifting. Just the easiest way to pawn off something that you can't stand aside from sending your child to summer camp. First of all, first of all, never regift. Never regift to someone who knows the original gifter. It's incredibly uncomfortable to get busted ditching something that was clearly meant for you.

Whether it's an ugly sweater or, worst case scenario, an engagement ring. Worst, worst case scenario. You are going to want to create some distance. So the ideal place for a regift is clearly an office secret Santa, because regifting there is like peeing in the ocean. Sure, sure, it's not right, but it's an ultimately harmless solution to an urgent problem.

--LAUGHTER --SECONDLY, you're gonna want to personalize it. Write a note to throw the recipient off the scent that this gift was not originally meant for them. Something intimate yet vague, like, saw this and couldn't resist. Or, this is so you. Although I will say, do be warned, that could backfire if the original gift could be potentially insulting, like, a self-help book, or maybe a box of wine.

Really? Really? You saw this box of wine and you thought of me? I'm 3 months sober and you're an asshole, Nana! You're an asshole!

Next, you're gonna want to disguise the gift to maximize your plausible deniability. A horrible gift, much like your pet, always looks better when dressed up. -... And if you're going to re-gift, have the decency to re-wrap. It looks more festive, and it spares you from walking into a party and announcing, hey, I brought you an appliance I didn't want.

Where's the eggnog? If you're not going to rewrap, at the very least, though, use a gift bag. And I'll tell you why. Gift bags are the sweatpants of gift wrapping. Sure, it's lazy, but it's undeniably better than not putting on anything at all.

--Finally, finally, finally, and this 1 is very important. Keep yourself to a single regift per person. Do not, I repeat, do not attempt to redistribute all of your gifts amongst your friends and family like a festive ponzi scheme. You're flying too close to the sun! And when your wings melt, they'll probably smell like a cranberry bog because you made them from the scented candles you got from your sister-in-law.

I do hope this has been useful. Thank you

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