John Oliver gives dead Space Geckos musical send off A Great Big World

While most comedians were honoring the late Joan Rivers, John Oliver paid his respects to a different leathery faced bigmouth. Russia’s space geckos did not survive the mission to study their mating habits despite the Oliver’s campaign to save them (#GoGetThoseGeckos). The host asked the audience to join him and give 5 mournful flicks of the tongue.

Oliver cleverly reworked JFK’s inspirational speech to honor their noble sacrifice.

“Up in that shuttle there were four females and one male,” he explained. “And we sent those geckos to have sex in space not because they were easy but because he was hard.”

A Great Big World performed their bitter breakup ballad “Say Something” while Oliver poured Olde English malt liquor and chimed in with heartfelt insights.

“Let’s remember, they died doing what they love: fucking in space,” he affirmed.