John Oliver trolls Mike Pence with new children’s book for a good cause

On Last Week Tonight, John Oliver dives into the political past of Mike Pence, his links with gay conversion therapy and a rabbit named Marlon Bundo

Buckle in, friends, because John Oliver wants to talk about Mike Pence. Yes, the Vice President of the United States. Yes, the one who looks like many unpleasant things. This includes a haunted Cabbage Patch Kid to (in the words of John Oliver) an “ashen weasel.”

But, for all that we are creeped out by his demeanor, Pence is important. He is one of the few officials who cannot be fired by the president, which should be enough to make you take notice. When you take an even deeper look at his past politics, as Oliver did on Last Week Tonight, you’ll probably get even more concerned.

And to Pence’s supporters? “I can promise that I will say something nice about him before this piece of over,” said Oliver, though he did not promise that it will be easy.

First, however, let’s take a look at Pence. For the uninformed, he may seem like the boring, steady counterpart to an impetuous president. Take a closer look, though. Pence’s views can get pretty extreme, especially with regards to LGBTQ rights. He’s also willing to tell blatant lies about the president with a folksy smile on his face.

Sometimes, you wonder if Pence has dreams of becoming the leader of the Republic of Gilead from The Handmaid’s Tale when this unpleasantness is all over. If so, he might have more supporters than you think. Eight out of 10 evangelical voters went for the Trump/Pence ticket, after all. That’s probably due to Pence’s evangelical credentials.

Want some proof? For one, he had a radio show in the ’90s that featured a less-filtered Pence than the one currently living at Number One Observatory Circle. Back then, he reserved special ire for gay people and women who wanted to serve in the military. In 1999, he even wrote an op-ed railing against the Disney film Mulan for its portrayal of a female soldier.

Pence also wanted to consign Roe v. Wade to “the ash heap of history”. Furthermore, as Indiana governor, he preferred to pray over an HIV outbreak instead of actually doing something.

Pence and LGBTQ rights

However, Oliver said that Pence is particularly well-known for “his hostility to LGBT rights.” Indeed, he said, “Pence is not and has never been a friend of the gay community.” Evidence includes Pence’s stances against anti-discrimination laws and gay people openly serving in the military.

He defended the “sanctity of marriage” in a passionate speech against gay marriage. He signed the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” into law in 2015 while governor of Indiana.

When asked what this all says about his stance on gay rights, Pence claimed that “Hoosiers don’t believe in discrimination,” a non-answer that failed to convince Oliver.

Pence’s involvement with Focus on the Family is especially interesting. Focus on the Family is a Christian organization with a decidedly conservative agenda. It promotes creationism, abstinence-only sex ed and “traditional” gender roles. It’s also strongly opposed to LGBTQ rights and supports gay conversion therapy.

Now, Pence himself has often said that he does not support this controversial therapy. However, the evidence is less supportive of Pence’s claims. For example, a website related to his 2000 run for congress obliquely supported people wanting to “change their sexual behavior.”

His continued support of Focus on the Family also raised suspicion. The organization ran the ex-gay “Love Won Out” ministry until 2009. Focus on the Family founder James Dobson wrote Marriage Under Fire, which claimed that “homosexuality is preventable and treatable.”

It’s not as if Pence has been quietly lending his support to Focus on the Family, either. In 2017, Vice President Pence traveled to Colorado. He was there to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Focus on the Family. He even introduced someone he called “a friend and a mentor to me: Dr. James Dobson.”

Marlon Bundo

Okay, so Oliver did promise that he would say something nice about Mike Pence. And, in the face of Pence’s ultra-conservative resistance to LGBTQ rights, that’s pretty tough. But, he does have a cute rabbit.

Seriously, Mike Pence has a rabbit named “Marlon Bundo.” Oliver had to admit that this “is an objectively good name for a bunny.” In fact, “Marlon Bundo is the most likable thing about an unlikeable man.”

Marlon Bundo is so likable that he not only has his own Instagram account but a book deal. Marlon Bundo’s A Day in the Life of the Vice President released after Sunday’s show, in fact.

But that’s not all. “We also wrote a book about Mike Pence’s rabbit that has also been published,” said Oliver.

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo also follows the Vice Presidential rabbit but makes Bundo gay. In the audiobook version, he’s narrated by Jim Parson. Pence is turned into a bewigged stink bug, voiced by John Lithgow.

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By early Monday, the book was already the number one best seller on Amazon.  If you’re interested in buying the book, all proceeds will go to the Trevor Project and AIDS United. You can also reach the same site through focusonthefurmily.com.

Also, there’s always the hope that Last Week Tonight will sell more books than the Pence’s. As Oliver put it, “You’d be doing a nice thing in a really dickish way.”