Entertainment

John Oliver Made Pence’s Kids’ Book Gay and Now It’s Outselling the Original

Regardless of what you think about resident White House homophobe Mike Pence, you have to admit the vice president has at least one quality asset: his bunny, Marlon Bundo. The gentle creature has an impressive job title (BOTUS), a fire Instagram, and as of Tuesday, his very own children’s book, written by Pence’s daughter Charlotte and illustrated by his wife, Karen.

Alas, Pence somehow managed to make even a goddamn bunny controversial by sending him on a book tour that stops off at Focus on the Family, an anti-LGBTQ organization that pushes conversion therapy and campaigns against gay rights. So in a last-ditch effort to save old Bundo from the throes of intolerance, the folks over at Last Week Tonight published their own children’s book about the rabbit—and in their saga, he’s gay.

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Now, their tale about Bundo falling in love with another boy bunny is outselling the Pences’ original book, the Huffington Post reports. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo nabbed the top spot on Amazon’s bestseller list, while its straight competitor—Marlon Bundo’s Day in the Life of the Vice President—is sitting at number four.

In Last Week Tonight writer Jill Twiss’s LGBTQ-friendly tome, Marlon Bundo vows to marry Wesley, only to have a crusty stink bug who runs things in the animal kingdom—and shares an uncanny resemblance to Mike Pence—tell him that “boy bunnies have to marry girl bunnies.” Thus begins the two lovebirds’ (er, lovebunnies’?) quest to stay together in the face of discrimination—namely, some smelly, power-hungry dickhead telling them how they should live their lives.

Screenshot via Amazon

In the Pences’ version, poor Bundo is subjected to hopping after his “Grampa” (Pence) while the Vice President does whatever he does all day: presumably getting shit-talked by Trump, sitting in on bizarre meetings, eating with only men, and trying to ignore the queer dance parties happening outside his front door.

Screenshot via Amazon

Proceeds from both books are going to charity, though while the Pences are only giving away a portion of the cash, Last Week Tonight is donating 100 percent of what it makes, the Associated Press reports.

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Related: Mike Pence: SMH Personified