In mid-March of 2018, HBO's popular show "Last Week Tonight" released an episode in which the main segment criticized Vice President Mike Pence's attitude towards gay rights. In it, comedian John Oliver discussed Pence's history of publically and actively voicing his opinion against homosexuality and pointed out Pence's support of an anti-gay rights organization euphemistically named “Focus on the Family."
But the true highlight of the segment came towards the end, when John Oliver paid Pence a compliment, telling his audience, “I kind of like his [Pence's] rabbit… I really, genuinely do." Here, Oliver was referring to the Pence family pet, a chubby, black and white bunny named Marlin Bundo who has been seen many times on camera in the arms of a Pence family member.
John Oliver is not alone in his admiration of the bunny. The pet is so popular that Charlotte Pence, Mike Pence's middle daughter, authored a children's book about the rabbit titled "Marlin Bundo's A Day in the Life of the Vice-President." The book, which was released on March 19, 2018, shows Marlin Bundo explaining the job of the vice president through simplified and entertaining descriptions and eye-catching illustrations.
In the same episode, John Oliver revealed that when "Last Week Tonight" caught word of Pence's book, they decided to write their own children's book about Marlin Bundo and titled it "A Day In the Life of Marlin Bundo." In a clear attempt to challenge Mike Pence's anti-homosexual advocacy, "A Day in the Life of Marlin Bundo" shows Marlin Bundo as a gay bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny. The challenge this representation presents to the Pence family is no secret; John Oliver himself urged viewers to buy "Last Week Tonight's" book by openly exclaiming that "selling more books than Pence will probably really piss him off."
Merely days after the release of "Last Week Tonight's" book, it sold out. I myself put in an order for the book on March 23rd, merely five days after its initial release, yet I still have not been updated on an expected delivery date. In fact, the book is so popular, it is currently listed as the number one selling book on Amazon, topping even, yes, Charlotte Pence's own "Marlin Bundo's A Day in the Life of the Vice-President."
To me, the book's popularity is a reflection of both the changing times and the true sentiment of many Americans towards the current administration. Clearly, while much work remains to be done, there has been some progress towards an America in which homosexuality is normalized and a story about it is something American families can cherish with their children. Furthermore, the fact that Pence's own book is comparatively much less popular might suggest that a large percentage of the country shuns the current administration's regressive social views and is willing to take a stance against them.
I encourage my readers to purchase a copy of "A Day in the Life of Marlin Bundo," which can be bought via Amazon for around $19. Proceeds from sales are going to the Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention services for LGBTQ youth, and AIDS United, which works towards eliminating the AIDS epidemic within the United States. And if a charitable cause is not incentive enough, just think about the gravity of the moment: the number one book selling on Amazon right now is about a gay bunny rabbit, a fact which, just a few years ago, would have been unimaginable.
Please note that prices are accurate and items in stock as of the time of publication. As an Amazon Associate, Odyssey may earn a portion of qualifying sales.
