In a surprising turn of events, comedian and TV host John Oliver's campaign for the pūteketeke bird in New Zealand's Bird of the Century competition has sparked excitement and controversy alike. Last week, during an episode of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, the comedian threw his full support behind the pūteketeke, leading to an overwhelming response from viewers and an unexpected crash of the voting website.

Oliver's endorsement of the pūteketeke bird was backed by a strategic campaign that included billboards, movie parody posters, moving-car advertisements, and even airplane banners in various countries worldwide, including India, Japan, France, Brazil, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. To further promote his cause, Oliver donned a bird costume resembling the pūteketeke during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

The previous year's winning bird received less than 3,000 votes, a number Oliver was confident they could quickly surpass. Forest & Bird, the organization responsible for the competition, announced that Oliver's campaign had already garnered more than 10,000 votes overnight, causing their voting verification system to crash temporarily. Voters also reported experiencing difficulties due to the overwhelming response.

As a result of the system crash, Forest & Bird had to postpone the announcement of the contest's results until Wednesday of this week. However, not everyone in New Zealand welcomed Oliver's involvement with open arms. The comedian faced criticism from several media outlets and social media personalities who expressed favoritism toward their own chosen bird.

While some bird campaigns accepted Oliver's presence with humor, such as the supporters of the kakariki karaka who put up billboards reminding Oliver not to disrupt the pecking order, others took a more confrontational approach. The kakariki karaka campaign included billboards featuring a Photoshopped image of Oliver with a Zazu beak and feathers, referencing his role as the voice of Zazu in The Lion King.

Addressing the backlash, Oliver clarified that his jokes about New Zealand were not fueled by dislike but rather an expression of his love for the country. He proceeded to list the many things he adores about New Zealand, while also playfully taunting his fellow bird competitors. Oliver asserted that all the birds in the competition were great, but confidently predicted a victory for the pūteketeke, stating, "We're gonna win, and we're gonna win by a lot."

The results of New Zealand's Bird of the Century competition will be revealed on Wednesday, bringing an end to this whirlwind campaign. Fans of Last Week Tonight With John Oliver can catch the show every Sunday at 11 p.m. on HBO.

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