re: If the Wage Gap Exists, Why Do Companies Hire Men?

It's human nature. If you watch the video from the link I posted, it's self evident that men are more likely to negotiate for higher pay. Men, as the traditional breadwinners for their kids and for their retirement, are going to have more pressure to maximize their wages. This phenomenon has been diminished over the past few generations as more women enter the workforce, but it's still there.

Women also have a disadvantage in that they can get pregnant multiple times, are entitled to maternity leave when they do, and are a risk to retire early, as many of them do, when they have kids and their priorities understandably change.

John Oliver, like Jon Stewart, is kind of a piece of shite in that he makes a living off strawmen. He can hide behind his comedy medium to try to influence the beliefs of a pretty stupid audience.