S05.E05: Mike Pence

[Brandi Maxxxx]

4 hours ago, peeayebee said:

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

He's basically playing Lord Farquaad again.

[Domestic Assassin]

18 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.

The daughter's response to all of this has actually been pretty positive.  

Quote

“I mean, I think you know, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery in a way,” Charlotte said. “But also, in all seriousness, his book is contributing to charities that I think we can all get behind. We have two books giving to charities that are about bunnies so I’m all for it really.”

All this publicity has probably greatly increased the amount that will be going to Tracy's Kids.

[mojoween]

Hmm.  That’s funny that Charlotte would say John is donating to charities “we can all get behind” because that is diametrically opposed to everything Mike Pence has ever said.  If Charlotte really feels like that, well good on her.

[Rlb8031]

1 hour ago, Domestic Assassin said:

The daughter's response to all of this has actually been pretty positive.  

All this publicity has probably greatly increased the amount that will be going to Tracy's Kids.

Quote

"For the most part, Charlotte Pence has tried to stay mostly apolitical as she has promoted the new book. But there was a telling moment on The View Tuesday when co-host Sunny Hostin asked her about Marlon Bundo’s political leanings.

“I don’t know, I guess you’d have to ask him that,” she said. “I think he kind of hops down the middle of the aisle. He brings people together.”"

So I already think she is light-years better than her dad...

[ganesh]

3 hours ago, mojoween said:

That’s funny that Charlotte would say John is donating to charities “we can all get behind” because that is diametrically opposed to everything Mike Pence has ever said.

Pence is smart enough to shut up about it, but I highly doubt he's pleased about a charity that's trying to undo the psychological damage he's inflicted on kids by promoting conversion therapy. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

The daughter's response to all of this has actually been pretty positive. 

I did have some apprehension over this book thing because I knew there was a chance Pence and his ilk would spin it in a way to show they are supportive of the LGBT community. They can pat themselves on the back and say "See? We're not homophobes, we support this and it's great it's making money for charity!" That seems to be exactly what the daughter is doing. 

[Domestic Assassin]

Or maybe the daughter isn't the same POS as her father.  Maybe she is, maybe she isn't.  Nobody is going to be fooled about Mike Pence's views.

[Zanne]

Allright, who's ready for all the (better) Marlon Bundo accessories? I could use a beanie cap in his bow tie pattern or a limited edition framed print signed by John Oliver (et al). As long as the money keeps going to charity, I'm willing to partake of more (better) Marlon Bundo!

[DEL901]

18 hours ago, Domestic Assassin said:

Or maybe the daughter isn't the same POS as her father.  Maybe she is, maybe she isn't.  Nobody is going to be fooled about Mike Pence's views.

She said she bought a copy, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

And just watched John on Seth Meyer's show.  Seth told him his bunny book was beating James Comey's and John started laughing hysterically.  He also said the first printing, that is now sold out, was of 180,000 copies.

[OneWhoLurks]

Quote

 

The less said about the Pence book, the better, alas. It attempts a loose anapestic trimeter that is mostly embarrassing:
 

Quote

 

Some people call me BOTUS—

A name any bunny would love.

It means “Bunny of the United States”—

A job I am very proud of!

 

This Marlon Bundy finds Grampa extremely impressive. He notices that people are frequently “lining the streets” and “waving their flags” at Grampa’s motorcade, and Grampa “always gives them a thumbs-up.” The Vice-President works hard presiding over the Senate, advising the President, and talking to “people from across America” who “come to share stories and questions and problems.” (Grampa “helps answer each one,” Marlon Bundo marvels.) The word “important” appears three times in four pages. As night falls, Grampa and Marlon pray together, and the bunny thinks over the events of the day: “I remember how blessed I am / To call this great nation my home.”

I feel sheepish knocking a kids’ story about the least complicit member of the Second Family, but the self-satisfaction and mediocrity on display here are galling. Meanwhile, the Oliver parody is sincerely delightful—full of the attentive details and poetic grace notes that distinguish good children’s books. (The Vice-Presidential residence is an “old, stuffy house”; two insect friends bend over a miniature checkerboard; the stinkbug’s podium is emblazoned, wonderfully, with a stinkbug logo.) That the joke version of the product feels realer and truer than the product itself somehow suits our post-fact world, salted with “fake news” and cable-news chyrons that prove stranger than fiction. “Marlon Bundo” pays homage to classic children’s titles (a spray of purple lupines across the cover conjures “Miss Rumphius”) and replaces Pence’s stilted rhymes with a freer set of rhythms and repetitions—some of which also gesture poignantly at our leading man’s pre-Wesley sadness. “I woke up all alone. Then I ate a fine bunny breakfast all alone, while I watched the news . . . all alone,” Bundo says.

 

John Oliver’s Parody of Mike Pence’s Bunny Book Happens to Be a Delightful Work of Children’s Lit
 

Quote

 

Over the years, late-night television has devolved into a breeding ground for cynical, skeptical, bitter and so-called “humor” that cuts people, attempting to both marginalize and tear down individuals and institutions with whom both hosts and often guests disagree.

This past Sunday night, John Oliver was incensed over Focus on the Family’s 40 year history of supporting a traditional and biblical sexual ethic. In particular, the host took issue with our belief that those with unwanted same-sex attraction should be free to pursue counseling, if that is their desire. Of course, millions of Christians and even non-Christians hold to this standard, but Mr. Oliver disagrees and his seething reaction to our ministry’s position was palpable.

 

Quote

 

Focus on the Family is proud to host Mrs. Pence and Charlotte for a book signing next Monday, March 26th.  Though lampooned and shamed for selecting our location for one of their events, the Pences will be warmly welcomed guests to our campus in Colorado Springs.

John Oliver is welcome to join us.

 

HBO’s John Oliver Attacks Focus on the Family

Edited March 24, 2018 by OneWhoLurks

[mojoween]

Oh FFS.

I ordered the wrong book!  I am so furious because 1. I do not want to give that family any money and b. the book I ACTUALLY want won’t be available until April 27.

Argh!  I will take some small solace that a kids cancer charity benefited.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

14 hours ago, mojoween said:

Oh FFS.

I ordered the wrong book!  I am so furious because 1. I do not want to give that family any money and b. the book I ACTUALLY want won’t be available until April 27.

Argh!  I will take some small solace that a kids cancer charity benefited.

If you ordered it from amazon, you can cancel your order or return it!

[dusang]

All of the media I've seen says all of the proceeds of LWT's book are going to their charities, while a portion of the proceeds from Pence's book are going to their charities.

And industry reports say the publisher has ordered reprints totaling 400,000 copies.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Amazon has removed all reviews of the Pence book that were not verified (meaning the person who posted the review had bought a copy of the book through amazon). Meanwhile, they are not applying the same standard to the LWT book as there are a bunch of negative reviews saying things like how "mean" it is that John Oliver wrote a book to punish "a little girl" like Charlotte. Said "little girl" is in her mid-20s but why bother with facts when you're leaving a one star review of a book you haven't actually read?

[peeayebee]

I think it's fair (though it spoils the fun) of allowing only verified reviews, but, yes, do it for every book.

[Irlandesa]

Although by doing that to only those with verified purchases, you eliminate a subsection of people who may have read it through other means (like a library because they object to paying money towards it or can't afford to) and have potentially legit critiques.  That would be the issue of doing it to all books.  Amazon can do what they want to since they're serving their customers but it'd be a shame.

Edited March 28, 2018 by Irlandesa

[OneWhoLurks]

Quote

 

The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Mutchnick about the gesture, which he said was inspired by watching Oliver announce the parody tale on his show last week.

"Here’s why: Mike Pence has had an enormous platform in Indiana, and as it relates to gay people, he’s used it to spread a message of intolerance," Mutchnick says. "By donating these books, I hope to counter those efforts and provide positive role models and a story of inclusion for children in Pence’s home state. If this book can help one boy or girl in Indiana love and accept who they are, I know both Marlon Bundos would be proud — even though one of them is on the down-low."

(While Mutchnick declined to comment on how much the donation set him back, THR did some math, and with an Amazon list price of $12.25, 1,121 hard copies would cost $13,732.25 before tax.)

 

'Will & Grace' Boss Donates John Oliver's 'Marlon Bundo' to Every Elementary School in Indiana
 

Quote

 

Last Friday, Chronicle president Tyrrell Mahoney sent an e-mail apology to regional indie bookseller association board members about the rollout. “We had to ensure that the book was a complete surprise for the Last Week Tonight with John Oliver audience,” wrote Mahoney.

“[A]fter much deliberation and exploration of other options, we ultimately agreed to make the book available for purchase at the time of the on-air surprise by allocating a percentage of the print run to Amazon and making the rest of the first print run available to all our other retailers as soon as possible.”

 

Quote

 

The entire affair is evidence of deeper problems, said Harvard Book Store head buyer Rachel Cass. “There's no excuse for how poor the initial communication was, nor for how slow the distribution has been in our channel,” said Cass. “I worry that this type of thing does long term damage to our industry as a whole. If there were customers who called their local indies to get the book this week, and found we couldn't supply it, they may be less likely to try us first next time.”

ABA CEO Oren Teicher noted that the association "has spoken at length with Chronicle over the past few days" about its failure to ensure that all channels had the book at the same time. "We hope it's a teachable moment for all in our business," Teicher said. "Indie bookstores are used to taking all necessary steps to protect the confidentiality of title information, including signing of afadavits, and would certainly have done that in this instance given the chance. ABA firmly believes that our industry is stronger when we can all compete on a level playing field, and, conversely, that providing one channel a competitive advantage is, in the end, bad for everyone."

 

Booksellers Outraged by Chronicle’s Rollout of John Oliver Book

Edited March 31, 2018 by OneWhoLurks

[charmed1]

Socks Clinton should’ve gotten a tell-all book deal after being booted for that sloppy drunk, Buddy. I would’ve read that cover to cover.

[OneWhoLurks]

Quote

 

It was expected to fetch between $500 – $600, but last night it sold for a staggering $7000, suggesting that it went to someone who unfortunately does not deserve their money and needs to have it seized by the state immediately.

Who bought it? Not anyone present at the event, that’s for sure. It sold by telephone bid, meaning it was purchased by someone who feels comfortable buying used underwear over the phone – narrowing it down to approximately 80% of Reddit users.

But here’s a wildcard for you: was it bought by John Oliver, of Last Week Tonight fame? On the episode which aired on March 18th, Oliver made a brief aside during a segment about Mike Pence to mention Rusty’s divorce auction – and the jockstrap in particular.

 

Did John Oliver Buy Russell Crowe’s Used Jockstrap At His Divorce Auction?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

FYI - if you are still waiting for a backordered copy of Marlon Bundo from amazon, you can cancel your order and get it from Barnes & Noble (online and in stores) or at local bookstores. One of my friends ordered her book the day after this episode aired and she JUST got a notification on Monday that the estimated delivery date is now May 14. The price has been lowered on both Amazon and B&N so you can get it for about $12 now.

[ebk57]

On 5/2/2018 at 5:36 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

FYI - if you are still waiting for a backordered copy of Marlon Bundo from amazon, you can cancel your order and get it from Barnes & Noble (online and in stores) or at local bookstores. One of my friends ordered her book the day after this episode aired and she JUST got a notification on Monday that the estimated delivery date is now May 14. The price has been lowered on both Amazon and B&N so you can get it for about $12 now.

My Amazon delivery notice said May 15th too, but it was delivered this morning.  It's adorable!! I can't wait to give it to my friend's twins!

[peeayebee]

I'm supposed to get mine tomorrow!

[scarynikki12]

The New York public library (with the lions) sells it as well if anyone is in the area. 

[cpcathy]

I got mine from Amazon last week.

[peeayebee]

I got mine and read it last night. Very cute. Love the illustrations.

[Hanahope]

Doing a lot of catch up with my free HBO month.

One thing that strikes me about people like Pence, like during his interview with Stephanopolous (who I loved him interrupting Pence to tell him how wrong he was about certain facts).  If they think their opinions are so right, why are they so reluctant to admit that to journalists? Just answer Yes or No to questions. You'd think that if they really believed in the correctness of their opinions that gays should be persecuted and such, they'd be shouting it from the rooftops.  Maybe its because they know the majority don't agree with them, and/or they know in their hearts that their beliefs are not correct, and that's why they have to hide them, except when they are with "their own people."

Edited June 22, 2018 by Hanahope

[link417]

12 hours ago, Hanahope said:

Doing a lot of catch up with my free HBO month.

One thing that strikes me about people like Pence, like during his interview with Stephanopolous (who I loved him interrupting Pence to tell him how wrong he was about certain facts).  If they think their opinions are so right, why are they so reluctant to admit that to journalists? Just answer Yes or Now to questions. You'd think that if they really believed in the correctness of their opinions that gays should be persecuted and such, they'd be shouting it from the rooftops.  Maybe its because they know the majority don't agree with them, and/or they know in their hearts that their beliefs are not correct, and that's why they have to hide them, except when they are with "their own people."

I agree, the doublespeak and equivocating by public figures like Mike Pence when they get the chance to talk about their views to a nationwide audience instead of an echo chamber — it just smacks of cowardice to me.

Though I’ve heard some Democrats do the same and it frustrates me to no end. I want to shake them and yell, “Stand up, don’t let bigots and zealots run roughshod all over you with your mealy-mouthed nonsense!”