Comedian John Oliver exploits the license afforded by a British accent

What is it about the British accent?

It's the perfect shorthand for villains and period-drama characters, but it also plays aural straight man to verbal gags in stand-up and sketch comedy.

What's funnier than someone trying to return his dead Norwegian Blue parrot to the pet shop where he bought it? (Think the first season of "Monty Python's Flying Circus.")

Doing it with an officious British accent, naturally.

John Oliver, a "Daily Show" regular, is part of the tradition of British comedians using his cultural outsider status as comedy cachet in America.

We caught up with Oliver via e-mail this week to discuss the accent, his future on "The Daily Show," his impression of Denver during the Democratic National Convention and more.

QUESTION: You covered the Democratic National Convention for "The Daily Show" last summer. What did you think?

ANSWER: You put on quite a show. I don't think I've ever seen so many balloons outside of a 5-year-old's birthday party.

Q: How do you think Denver came off to the international press?

A: I would imagine the international press spent most of their time gasping for breath, unable to believe how far above sea level they were.

Q: Did you pore over classic comedy albums the way many comedians did while growing up?

A: Definitely. I used to go to sleep listening to albums by Richard Pryor, Bill Hicks, Peter Cook, Lenny Bruce, Dennis Miller and the Goons. That probably contributed to some of my weirder teenage dreams. The less said about that the better.

Q: What's in your comedy routine today that's different from a year ago?

A: Well, different material, certainly. The world has changed a bit. On one hand, we have the first African-American president. On the other hand, America doesn't really have an economy any more. So there is plenty to talk about. I use the same British accent that I used last year. I still maintain that it's the way that words are supposed to sound. If nothing else, it's worth coming just to hear me say the word "aluminum." It's a feast for the ears. You'll never look at that lightweight metal in the same way again.

Q: What's the most legitimately dangerous thing you've done for your "Daily Show" reports?