S05.E05: Mike Pence

[Athena]

Quote

Other segments: Dismissal of Rex Tillerson, poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, 2018 Russian presidential election
Guests: Jim Parsons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jeff Garlin (voice-over)

 

[Annber03]

I. Love. You. John. Oliver. <3 That is beautiful. I need to get that book post-haste.

As for Mike Pence, my hope and prayer is that he'll get taken down alongside Trump in Mueller's investigation somehow, or there'll be some other scandal or something that can get him out of office. Because yeah, much as I desperately want Trump gone, the idea of Pence running things is equally as terrifying, if not more so. 

And this is why anyone who kept trying to insist that Trump was somehow pro-LGBT because he held up a rainbow flag once or whatever during the election was clearly full of shit. Aside from Trump's horrible reaction to transgender people in the military, if that were really true, Pence wouldn't have been picked as the VP candidate. 

Honestly, if I were to wake up one day and find out Putin, Kim Jong-Un (wasn't mentioned this episode, but still belongs on the list), and the entire Trump administration were all gone from their respective offices, never to return to power, I truly think I'd be able to properly sleep at night again. 

As for other topics,  I always love it when this show pokes fun at local news anchors doing goofy holiday stuff. The guy slipping and falling was hilarious. 

[dcalley]

I already successfully asked my library to buy Santa's Husband. Now I'm going to ask for A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo!

[scarynikki12]

I do agree on the legit greatness of the name Marlon Bundo.  The hardcopy has been ordered and the audio is downloading as we speak.

I haven't seen any clips of Dobson lately so I'd forgotten how creepy he is.  Pence is too so I'm not surprised they're pals.  Yeeesh.

On the one hand, I wish newscasters would just do their jobs and not dress up in costume on holidays.  On the other, it's hilarious how stupid they look and act.  My feelings are forever mixed on that.  The one guy falling down was perfect though.

[Annber03]

The thing that amuses me the most about the bunny being named Marlon Bundo is the idea that its name is a reference to (or at least, makes one think of) Marlon Brando, who apparently slept with men. Wonder if Pence is aware of that fact? 

Edited March 19, 2018 by Annber03

[Zanne]

My order has been placed. I need that bunny book ASAP. Dang, I should have bought two so I could put one in my classroom library.

[Lantern7]

Man, John really likes poking the bear. Um, bunny. I never heard of Marlon, and now he's got a book coming out? Millie had to have puppies before she had her tell-all. In other news, I know that Pence is not a good person, and I hope there's a plan to deal with him if/when his boss leaves office (voluntarily or otherwise).

And I know I said this last, but I need to repeat: How come nobody says "Bottom of the Morning"? Also, does anybody have a link of the one asshole falling down in the end?

[Kromm]

I always love John's little projects on this show.  

 

This is the best one yet. Better than crashing a government website, for example.

[sheetmoss]

2 hours ago, scarynikki12 said:

 

On the one hand, I wish newscasters would just do their jobs and not dress up in costume on holidays.  On the other, it's hilarious how stupid they look and act.  My feelings are forever mixed on that.  The one guy falling down was perfect though.

They play a little fast and loose with 'newscasters' - one of those shown was from a local afternoon talk show here,Windy City Live, where doing holiday bits is fine and fits the format.

A clip of WCL from Valentine's Day show had been used previously  in a similar way

2 minutes ago, sheetmoss said:

They play a little fast and loose with 'newscasters' - one of those shown in the clip was from a local afternoon talk show here,Windy City Live, where doing a holiday bit is fine and fits the format.

A clip of WCL from the Valentine's Day show had been used previously  in a similar way

Edited March 19, 2018 by sheetmoss

[ElectricBoogaloo]

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo is now sold out on both amazon and Chronicle Books but both sites say it's only temporarily out of stock (amazon says it will be back in stock in 1-3 weeks). In the mean time, you can download the audio book at audible for $1.99 or the kindle version at amazon. You can also get the ebook if you donate $11.99 to The Trevor Project or AIDS United.

Edited March 19, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[attica]

I was weirdly delighted that the studio audience immediately knew what The Trevor Project was and so vocally approved.

Watching Pence in those interviews got me thinking about the particular skill set it must be to sideswipe questions like that. Lord knows I don't have it in that degree. I suspect it's the perennial student in me: when asked a question, I expect to either answer it, or admit I don't know the answer. I am not wired to respond to "What's the capital of Vermont?" with "It's nice to wear clean clothes!" (Montpelier. See? I can't even do it in a hypothetical!)  Now, I know that pols are wired different from me, and I understand they get lots of practice building that particular neural network, but it still looks like some dark evil magic to me. Do they do this even among friends, or in other non-hostile situations? "Sir, may I take your order?" "Everyone agrees that coal jobs are coming back!" ::shudder::

[peeayebee]

I don't have the space, so maybe the ebook is the best option for me. The cover illustration is adorable, but I wasn't pleased with the animation. I hope and expect that the rest of the book looks more like the cover. I figure the animation was done just to go with the audible version for that bit.

attica, I completely agree with you about the evil skill it takes to avoid answering questions. I couldn't do it, and I'm proud of it. Watching Stephanopoulos try to get Pence answer the question had me wondering if I'd be able to do it. Probably not, but I couldn't help thinking, "Ask him [whatever]!" as if that was the magic question he couldn't avoid. It's so frustrating and maddening. AND transparent! Yet Pence's (and other sidesteppers') supporters don't see it or don't care. Grrrrrr.

[Popples]

Marlon Bundo's co-author, Jill Twiss, is Janice from accounting.

[sum]

'A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo': #1 Best Seller in Books & #1 Best Seller in Audible Audiobooks
'Marlon Bundo's Day in the Life of the Vice President': #1 Best Seller in Children's Rabbit Books

In Children's Rabbit Books? Can a book category get any more specific than that?

[Athena]

1 hour ago, attica said:

I was weirdly delighted that the studio audience immediately knew what The Trevor Project was and so vocally approved.

Me too. Pure speculation, but I think they likely invited people from the Trevor Project or those who are sympathetic or have been supported by it in some way. The audience's reaction to everything felt cathartic.

Mike Pence gives me the heebie jeebies. His self-righteousness and the fact that he sees himself as somehow ordained is creepy and dangerous AF.

I love the book idea. The animated clip was adorable as well. I loved when Wesley took off his glasses by the fireplace to stare into Marlon's eyes. So very sweetly intimate.

As John mentioned, he'll be Seth Meyers and Ellen to promote the book so we'll have some extra doses of him this week.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I know the titles are deliberately similar so I just wanted to take this opportunity to specify which one is which. I wouldn’t want anyone to accidentally order the wrong book! 
 

This is the John Oliver book:

4 hours ago, sum said:

'A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo': #1 Best Seller in Books & #1 Best Seller in Audible Audiobooks

 

This is the official book by the VP’s daughter and wife:

Quote

Marlon Bundo's Day in the Life of the Vice President': #1 Best Seller in Children's Rabbit Books

Some of the amazon reviews for the VP’s version are pretty good though. My favorite one was by an amazon user named Marlon Bundo:

Quote

A painfully boring book. And most of the stuff in it about me isn’t even correct. Worse yet is that the author didn’t even mention the love of my life, Wesley.

Edited March 19, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo
Edited to make it clearer which book is which!

[TVcritic]

1 hour ago, Popples said:

Marlon Bundo's co-author, Jill Twiss, is Janice from accounting.

Looks like, in this case, she does give a f*ck. Oh, and Pence as a stinkbug gave me a hearty LOL. 

[dcalley]

Amazon incorrectly lists "Jill Twist" as the author of the hardcover and Kindle editions, but the audiobook has the correct "Jill Twiss." I filled out the "Report incorrect product information" box (linked after the description) on the hardcover page, if anyone else wants to do the same. https://www.amazon.com/dp/145217380X

I am so excited for Jill! I went to school with her, not that you can't be excited for her if you didn't go to school with her.

[ganesh]

12 hours ago, Annber03 said:

Because yeah, much as I desperately want Trump gone, the idea of Pence running things is equally as terrifying, if not more so.

This is my response when people say they want Trump to resign. Just get out and vote and flip congress, so in the case that Trump resigns, Pence won't be able to do anything.

 

2 hours ago, attica said:

Watching Pence in those interviews got me thinking about the particular skill set it must be to sideswipe questions like that.

It's like a superpower. Those clips weren't even his best ones. He's got that pinchy, pained, stressed face down pat. What I don't get is why the interviewers don't pin him down. "What I'm hearing from you is that it's ok for a business owner to discriminate in your state under this law." Back them into a corner. 

[meowmommy]

I'm embarrassed to admit that in the early 90s, when I was having trouble with a wild toddler, I ordered a VHS tape called The Strong-Willed Child by James Dobson.  Didn't know who he was.  I found the message of the videotape confusing until I realized that what was being advocated was corporal punishment.

38 minutes ago, ganesh said:

What I don't get is why the interviewers don't pin him down. "What I'm hearing from you is that it's ok for a business owner to discriminate in your state under this law." Back them into a corner. 

I think they do as well as they can, for the most part, but he's quite wily and slippery.  The people who love him don't care, and the people who don't love him won't be swayed by anything he says.

 

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I know the titles are deliberately similar so I just wanted to take this opportunity to specify which one is which. I wouldn’t want anyone to accidentally order the wrong book! 

I thought of that as John was pushing his book.  They're quite similar, including the front cover.  On Amazon at least, John's book is more expensive than Pence's, either bound or audio, and that might be a problem.  I think if they undercut Pence's price, people looking for Pence's book might accidentally buy John's book!

[iMonrey]

Excellent piece on Mike Pence. One of the worst things about the Trump presidency is the specter of Pence taking over. I can't decide who is worse. I often think Pence would be worse because Trump is so damn incompetent he barely gets anything done. Trump is really just about promoting Trump, he doesn't actually believe anything else. Pence, meanwhile, has a far more nefarious agenda. I'm also convinced that the military ban of transgenders was Pence's idea. 

I just really really want to know what Pence's reaction is to John's version of the bunny book.

[Annber03]

2 hours ago, ganesh said:

This is my response when people say they want Trump to resign. Just get out and vote and flip congress, so in the case that Trump resigns, Pence won't be able to do anything.

Agreed. And all these recent special elections are giving me some serious hope in that regard. I just wish November weren't so dang far away....

5 hours ago, attica said:

Watching Pence in those interviews got me thinking about the particular skill set it must be to sideswipe questions like that. .

Seriously. That should be lesson number one to any potential voters-if a candidate cannot answer a simple "yes" or "no" question point blank, they're full of it. 

[atlantaloves]

That was the best show of the season! Loved loved loved it. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Watching Pence in those interviews got me thinking about the particular skill set it must be to sideswipe questions like that. .

I don't think you have to be particularly talented to be disingenuous. It's not so much a skill as a personality flaw. 

[sugarbaker design]

1 hour ago, atlantaloves said:

That was the best show of the season! Loved loved loved it. 

And it came directly after the worst show of the season:  The Horror of Cryptocurrency!

[Kromm]

6 hours ago, Popples said:

Marlon Bundo's co-author, Jill Twiss, is Janice from accounting.

I guess we're done insisting that Janice go fuck herself!

[Kromm]

On the overall Amazon chart, of ALL book sales of all media and all categories, the LWT version of Marlon dominates. The paper book is #1. The audio book is #5. The ebook is #9. And those last two are not #5 and #9 in their own categories or medium. Those are OVERALL apples to oranges numbers, comparing them against categories they'd normally probably never sell more than.

 

Edited March 19, 2018 by Kromm

[DEL901]

3 minutes ago, Kromm said:

On the overall Amazon chart, of ALL book sales of all media and all categories, the LWT version of Marlon dominates. The paper book is #1. The audio book is #5. The ebook is #9. And those last two are not #5 and #9 in their own categories or medium. Those are OVERALL apples to oranges numbers, comparing them against categories they'd normally probably never sell more than.

 

Love it.   And look at the 5* ratings.   So far the Pence book has 28 ratings and an average rating of less than 1:5 *

[mojoween]

I’m catching up on the DVR and the show wasn't even over and I was on Amazon buying that book.  And the audible version sounded even MORE delightful.

[SuburbanHangSuite]

5 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

 

6 hours ago, atlantaloves said:

That was the best show of the season! Loved loved loved it. 

And it came directly after the worst show of the season:  The Horror of Cryptocurrency!

 

Agreed!  Some of my real LOL moments:

1. How in the world is Flava Flav older than Mike Pence?!
2. "Jesus Said This" and "Jesus Ain't Say That"
3. And Finally--The Opposite of Silver Fox = Ashen Weasel

I couldn't get to BetterBundoBook.com fast enough.  Best money I've ever spent.

[Annber03]

2 minutes ago, SuburbanHangSuite said:

How in the world is Flava Flav older than Mike Pence?!

That fact seriously blew my mind. 

[ganesh]

Flava Flav needs to be the go to comparison much more. 

[MrWhyt]

1 hour ago, Annber03 said:

That fact seriously blew my mind. 

ted cruz is younger than gwen stefani.

[Annber03]

6 minutes ago, MrWhyt said:

ted cruz is younger than gwen stefani.

*Brain officially breaks* 

ETA: Just looked to see how much younger-he's a year younger?!

That...just does not sound right. 

Edited March 20, 2018 by Annber03

[trow125]

And speaking of Amazon sales rankings, the LWT Bundo book is now #1 AND #2 in Children's Rabbit Books!

When I Googled Pence bunny book to try to find out which if any charity is getting a share of the proceeds from the official Bundo volume, a Fox News headline popped up: "John Oliver slammed for 'controversial and partisan' mockery of Pence family bunny." Slammed only by the idiots on Fox News, I'm sure. Maybe if it comes up on Fox & Friends, Trump will Tweet about it indignantly. (BTW, the official book benefits A21, an anti-human trafficking charity founded by "Christine Caine, a leader from Hillsong Church.")

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I honestly don't know how amazon decides to split their categories into such narrow fields like children's rabbit books (!) but Marlon Bundo is also #1 in some more mainstream/less obscure categories like audio books, children's books (rabbit and otherwise), and gay & lesbian books.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2018 by ElectricBoogaloo

[purist]

Oh man, what a delightful stunt! LWT is truly a force for good in this world.

In other news, I was FLABBERGASTED to hear that Pence is only 58 years old. I thought he was at least 70.

[starri]

This just really made my week.

"This isn't some adult book telling Mike Pence to go fuck himself, although, in buying it, that's exactly what you would be doing."

[peeayebee]

11 hours ago, SuburbanHangSuite said:

And Finally--The Opposite of Silver Fox = Ashen Weasel

Thanks. I forgot to ask here what John said the opposite of silver fox was. Ashen weasel is perfect for Pence.

 

7 hours ago, trow125 said:

Maybe if it comes up on Fox & Friends, Trump will Tweet about it indignantly.

That would be wonderful. It would bring more attention to the book. 

 

Quote

(BTW, the official book benefits A21, an anti-human trafficking charity founded by "Christine Caine, a leader from Hillsong Church.")

Sounds like a worthwhile charity. I looked it up on Charity Navigator, but it's not rated. ("7 years of full IRS Forms 990 are needed to complete a rating")

Edited March 20, 2018 by peeayebee
typo

[ganesh]

I know the joke is almost too easy, but you've got to wonder what's going with people like Pence and Dobson who are just SO virulent in their antics. I mean, they talk about the 'homosexual agenda' which basically amounts to a bunch of people who want to make sure everyone is treated equally under the law, but certainly their anti-homosexual agenda is much more clear. Aside from the obvious that they're all repressed gays or just like to look at dick once and a while, conversion therapy is psychological torture. And if you're so concerned your marriage is threatened and crumbling because dudes got married, maybe that's kind of your issue. 

[SuburbanHangSuite]

2 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Ashen weasel is perfect for Pence.

Only to be outdone by the raging stinkbug version of Pence in the Bundo story.  A stinkbug is perfection.

[mojoween]

I deeply appreciate John skewering Pence for the complete ashen weasel stinkbug he is, but a small part of me feels badly for Karen Pence and their daughter getting pulled into this.  A small part.  Because it’s not right to stereotype, but I have this sniggling feeling Mother’s worldviews don’t stray too far from Father’s.

An article in my local paper said that proceeds from their book will go to Tracy’s Kids, which benefits kids with cancer, so I'm wondering if they are also sharing with multiple charities like John is.

[iMonrey]

Quote

In other news, I was FLABBERGASTED to hear that Pence is only 58 years old. I thought he was at least 70.

I was surprised too. I think it's the white hair, plus the fact that his values date back to the 1600s

[attica]

It’s the white hair, and the pained, pinched expression, worn in from decades of yelling at the kids on his lawn.

[dcalley]

15 hours ago, trow125 said:

(BTW, the official book benefits A21, an anti-human trafficking charity founded by "Christine Caine, a leader from Hillsong Church.")

 

3 hours ago, mojoween said:

An article in my local paper said that proceeds from their book will go to Tracy’s Kids, which benefits kids with cancer, so I'm wondering if they are also sharing with multiple charities like John is.

NPR says A21 and "an art therapy program called Tracy's Kids" (for kids with cancer). Karen Pence is on the board. It's not rated on Charity Navigator, either.

[peeayebee]

8 hours ago, SuburbanHangSuite said:

Only to be outdone by the raging stinkbug version of Pence in the Bundo story.  A stinkbug is perfection.

On Twitter John Lithgow said, "The Stinkbug may just be my finest work. Thanks @LastWeekTonight !"

[Corgi-ears]

17 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I honestly don't know how amazon decides to split their categories into such narrow fields like children's rabbit books (!) but Marlon Bundo is also #1 in some more mainstream/less obscure categories like audio books, children's books (rabbit and otherwise), and gay & lesbian books.

Someone please tell me that Amazon also has a category for "Interracial Love Stories" and that Bundo is #1 on that chart, because I do believe that Wesley is a bunny of color? ("Well, I never! Mother, have you heard of such a thing?!" - Mike Pence, probably)

[peeayebee]

A bunny of color. :D

[ganesh]

4 hours ago, attica said:

It’s the white hair, and the pained, pinched expression, worn in from decades of yelling at the kids on his lawn.

The pinched expression drives me up the wall. "Did you support conversion therapy?" Oh, come oooonnnn meeee? And you know he learned it somewhere and made a conscious choice to adopt the affect because the clip they showed for the radio show, he was a completely different person. 

I wish someone would do a complete softball interview just to watch him whine and complain to show what a fraud he is. 

[angelamh66]

8 hours ago, mojoween said:

I deeply appreciate John skewering Pence for the complete ashen weasel stinkbug he is, but a small part of me feels badly for Karen Pence and their daughter getting pulled into this.  A small part.  Because it’s not right to stereotype, but I have this sniggling feeling Mother’s worldviews don’t stray too far from Father’s.

An article in my local paper said that proceeds from their book will go to Tracy’s Kids, which benefits kids with cancer, so I'm wondering if they are also sharing with multiple charities like John is.

I had that moment too of feeling a little bad too, mostly about the daughter. But if you are willingly doing a Focus on the Family event to promote your book.... well you are then part of the problem. If Focus on the Family really just could focus on their own families and leave other people out of it... that'd be great.

 

I really did love this episode. It is tempting to forget about Pence, but this piece reminded me not to take my eye off the ball on that one.