Please buy the John Oliver version instead!

Katana · Mar 18, 2018

Notorious homophobe Mike Pence (the installed-by-Russians vice president) has a pet bunny his family named Marlon Bundo. They've just released a children's book about him. Granted, he's an awfully cute bunny, I'll give him that. He can't help who his owner is.

However, John Oliver, formerly of The Daily Show, and now of HBO's Last Week Tonight, has just released his own children's book version of the second family's bunny...who just happens to fall in love with another male bunny.

John Oliver will donate 100% of the proceeds to The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.

John Oliver rips homophobe Mike Pence — and does something amazing with his pet rabbit Marlon Bundo

Amazon link: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo

Tonight, the book sold out on Amazon in just a few minutes :hooray:

, but when it's back in stock, please support a good cause, make it a much bigger seller than the Pences' book, and give Mike Pence a big, figurative middle finger!

Maryn · Mar 19, 2018

Yet another reason to love John Oliver. Thanks for the heads-up!

StoryofWoe · Mar 19, 2018

Just ordered my copy! :Jump:

John Oliver and his show are a national treasure.

Marissa D · Mar 19, 2018

Ordered.

Tazlima · Mar 19, 2018

I checked out the "look inside" for both versions (so I'm working with an admittedly small sample). Based on those, political leanings aside, the John Oliver book is legitimately the superior PB, both in the writing and the illustrations.

The John Oliver illustrations are, in one word, charming, an adorably fluffy and slightly cartoonish bunny with a sweet smile.

The Pence book starts out with a bunny introducing himself... and doesn't even have a picture of the bunny. The very first illustration is a picture of the VP's residence, an exterior picture of large, but otherwise normal-looking house. It's a REALLY boring picture.

I don't know what the rest of the illustrations look like, but the rabbit on the cover has a thousand-yard stare (I'm not exaggerating).

The Oliver book is legitimately solid prose. Some of the lines are a bit... Oliveresque. I can definitely sense the snark behind the scenes, but overall, it's cute and well-paced. I'd happily read this aloud to a child.

The Pence book is in verse that, were it posted in SYW, would prompt a long, gentle explanation that in order to write good verse, you have to actually consider rhythm, not just rhyme.

My favorite part, though, is the first line of the Pence book.

Allow me to introduce myself,
I am Marlon Bundo Pence.

Between the word choice of the first line, and the rhythm of the second, all I could think of was:

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste.

- The Rolling Stone's "Sympathy for the Devil

Marissa D · Mar 19, 2018

Also this from the John Oliver show--relevant bit starts at around 15:45: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs2RlZQVXBU&feature=youtu.be

Marlys · Mar 19, 2018

Bought it before the show was over last night. And was especially happy that I ordered it through Amazon's Smile program, so the purchase kicked a few cents toward Planned Parenthood, too.

darkprincealain · Mar 19, 2018

Tazlima said:
I don't know what the rest of the illustrations look like, but the rabbit on the cover has a thousand-yard stare (I'm not exaggerating).

Marlon Bundo has seen some things.

bellsmuir · Mar 21, 2018

I think it's now #1 on the NYT list?! So that's awesome.

Alessandra Kelley · Mar 22, 2018

By the time we watched the recorded show the next day the entire print run was sold out.

I believe a second printing is on its way.

Marlys · Mar 22, 2018

Our copy arrived last night. Very cute; good message. Hope it continues to sell well.

Cobalt Jade · Mar 22, 2018

Did Pence, or the ghostwriter, realize that Marlon Brando was bisexual?

Roxxsmom · Mar 30, 2018

Excellent. Sounds like the John Oliver version is doing very well, and the proceeds will help a good cause.

As for the opening line of Pence's book, I can only laugh.

Cobalt Jade said:
Did Pence, or the ghostwriter, realize that Marlon Brando was bisexual?

The list of things that Pence himself doesn't know about pop culture is vast, I suspect.

Maryn · Mar 31, 2018

I read this morning that the creator of "Will & Grace" has donated a copy of the John Oliver version to every elementary school in Indiana, Pence's home state. https://www.usatoday.com/story/life...-oliver-bunny-book-indiana-schools/475049002/

Maryn, pleased it's thriving

mrsmig · Mar 31, 2018

Tazlima said:
Between the word choice of the first line, and the rhythm of the second, all I could think of was:

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste.

- The Rolling Stone's "Sympathy for the Devil

I had a look at the book on Amazon, and kept mentally inserting those choral "hooo-hooo" sounds into each line. Made for interesting reading.

Tazlima · Apr 4, 2018

mrsmig said:
I had a look at the book on Amazon, and kept mentally inserting those choral "hooo-hooo" sounds into each line. Made for interesting reading.

Please buy the John Oliver version instead!

Katana

On the edge...

Maryn

Baaa!

StoryofWoe

Sick and pale with grief.

Marissa D

Scribe of the girls in the basement

Tazlima

Marissa D

Scribe of the girls in the basement

Marlys

Resist. Love. Go outside.

darkprincealain

bellsmuir

Alessandra Kelley

Sophipygian

Marlys

Resist. Love. Go outside.

Cobalt Jade

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido

Maryn

Baaa!

mrsmig

Write. Write. Writey Write Write.

Tazlima