The goal should be to find a way to destroy the subreddit without getting removed as mods. Which should focus on killing user engagement through draconian mod rules. Like an automod that bans everyone that comments.
People laugh at the John Oliver thing for a few days, but the joke will get stale, that's when they need to stick to their guns and keep running it into the ground. I'd also suggest limiting posts to once an hour or something like that. Mods need to focus on making Reddit boring.