A Day In the Life of Marlon Bundo

Marlon Bundo is the BOTUS, the Bunny of the United States. He lives a lonely life in a big, boring house until one day he meets Wesley, the most bunny-beautiful rabbit in the garden. It’s love at first sight. They decide they want to get married and hop together forever. But the Stink Bug tells them that boy bunnies can only marry girl bunnies. What can they do?

This is cute but it might work slightly better as a political satire for adults than as a straightforward picture book. Children will enjoy the lovely illustrations and the basic story as a kind of fairy tale but older readers will recognize Mike Pence, Marlon’s owner, and his political rhetoric as the Stink Bug.

Either way, the happily-ever-after, the importance of voting, show more and the celebration of differences both big and small are sure to please readers of all ages who believe, like Marlon, that “Stink bugs are temporary. Love is forever.” show less

Not since the 1958 publication of Garth Williams' The Rabbit Wedding, which depicted a white and black bunny falling in love and getting married, something which prompted outcry from anti-integration activists in the American South, has bunny love been so political! In this sweet story, Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Vice President grandpa in the Naval Observatory, meets another male bunny named Wesley, and the two fall instantly and irrevocably in love. After an afternoon of hopping along together, the two leporine sweethearts announce their intention to wed, something greeted with joy by their friends, and condemnation by the obnoxious Stink Bug. Unfortunately, the Stink Bug is in charge. Or is he...?

As a children's show more book, judged in its own right, A Day In the Life of Marlon Bundo is a success. It pairs a lovely, heartwarming tale about the nature of love and romance, and the importance of both tolerance and civic engagement, with appealing artwork. It functions very well, both as a story and as a springboard for discussion of same-sex marriage and of becoming politically involved, when government forces advance policies and ideas in opposition to one's own ideals. Illustrator EG Keller captures the charm of Marlon and Wesley's courtship quite well, creating adorable bunny visuals. Overall, my response to the book, as a book, was positive. As a political act, which it also very much is, the book evoked a less enthusiastic response in me.

A Day In the Life of Marlon Bundo is the brain-child of British comedian John Oliver, and is meant (by his own admission) to take aim at American Vice President Mike Pence, who is decried (rightly, in my opinion) for his stance on LGBT issues. Unfortunately, the vehicle chosen for this act of political satire/critique is not any work or action of Pence's own, but rather, the bunny picture-book authored by Pence's daughter Charlotte and illustrated by his wife Karen, Marlon Bundo's Day in the Life of the Vice President. Essentially, it is an attack on one person, a public political figure, by means of his family, who are (unlike some of the Trump children) not directly involved in his political career. Surely I can't be the only progressive who finds this tasteless at best, and cowardly and unethical at worst?

Proceeds for this title go to two worthy charities, and its target is (again, rightly) criticized for his politics, so I imagine many will dismiss these concerns as irrelevant. For me, however, ethics aren't a sliding scale, depending upon the identity of the participants in any given drama. I gave this one star as a political act, and four as a picture-book, compromising on three overall. show less

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Presents-- a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo is a sweet book for those of us who see no problem with loving one's own gender. The illustrations are engaging and, except for the Stink Bug, the characters are nice. (There is an angry chef in the background on one page, but Marlon Bundo and Wesley did inadvertently leave his kitchen a mess. To be honest, I'm surprised the cake wasn't crushed when they hopped on it.) I'm glad I own and have read it.

When is a rabbit a troll?

There’s probably a very hot cross bunny at Number One Observatory Circle (the VPOTUS’s official residence, illustrated in this book), which is seasonally appropriate for the book’s release, even though hot cross buns are apparently not as widely eaten during Lent (the 40 days before Easter) in the US as the UK.

Hot cross buns also seem apt, given the bizarre and recurring importance of baking (or rather, refusing to do so) in the battle for LGBTQ+ rights, especially marriage equality.


The Pence Version

First (kind of), there was a picture book about the Pence family’s pet rabbit, Marlon, written by his daughter and illustrated by his wife: Marlon Bundo's Day in the Life of the Vice President. It’s meant show more to be a child-friendly introduction to the role of the Vice President. From the sample viewable on Amazon, the text is heavy-handed, dull doggerel (with rhyme and metre that don't really work), but the illustrations are pleasant enough.

The opening stanzas are:

Allow me to introduce myself -
I am Marlon Bundo Pence.
I live with my family here
At the vice president's residence.

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!

If that doesn't get your preschooler begging you to read it again and again, I don't know what will!

The Gay Bunny Version

Hot on its heels (so hot, it was released a day before the Pence one) came this picture book, in which Bundo falls in love with another bunny. But here’s the point and the problem: both rabbits are male. It’s a genuine, inclusive children’s story almost as much as it is digging at Pence. There's a proper narrative arc: loneliness, love, an obstacle, and... a happy ending. The pictures are a delicate, colourful delight, and the text is short and sweet, largely eschewing overt politics, and without attempting rhyming couplets.

But it does skewer Pence. The character who tries to stop the wedding has a tidy mop of white hair, a collared shirt, and red tie. He is described thus:
"The Stink Bug was In Charge. He was Important. None of the other animals could quite work out why he was In Charge or how he was Important, but he was."

Ethics of Imitation

This book was heavily promoted by John Oliver on HBO’s Last Week Tonight and it raced up the bestseller charts, quickly eclipsing the Pence book.

One’s attitude to that is likely to be framed by one’s attitude to Pence, and especially his views about the evils of homosexuality. But it’s not quite that simple.

Money from the Pence book is going to one charity that provides art therapy to children with cancer and another that tackles human trafficking.

On the other hand, all the proceeds from this are going to an AIDS charity and the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization that offers support to young LGBT community members.

(I'll leave aside the difference between proceeds and profits, and the malleability of both.)

Personally, I find Pence’s active hatred of LGBTQ+ and other minorities hateful, and if his family produce a children’s book with a political message, even for charitable causes, I think it becomes a valid target for parody, satire, or whatever.

Anyway, Charlotte Pence says she doesn't mind, because both books are raising money. She has bought this book, and also thinks imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, which wasn't quite the intention, but never mind. (Citation here and here.)

Love is love (as long as it's consensual).

Pastiches and Parodies on GR

Jill Twiss, should be an active reviewer on GR. Or maybe she is a pseudonym of Manny Rayner’s. Or maybe Manny wrote this! Or maybe it's just a Dickensian pseudonym of John Oliver's. (Disappointingly, it seems she's a real individual in her own right, who writes for The Daily Show.)

This book is a more than a parody, but it is like many of Manny’s most creative “reviews” (see my reviews of his collections, What Pooh Might Have Said to Dante..., HERE, and If Research Were Romance..., HERE).

Related Reviews

First, I read and reviewed Fire and Fury as one of the early headline-grabbing books of Trump’s regime (my review HERE).

Then this, as it was refreshingly fun, and with a good, positive message (my review HERE).

Next up was The Faith of Donald J. Trump: A Spiritual Biography as it’s at the rotten heart of what I most despise (my review HERE).

And finally, Fear: Trump in the White House as it’s by Bob Woodward: a multi award winning journalist and biographer of nine presidents, red and blue (my review HERE).

And then, Ladybird did a satire, using illustrations from children's books, A Ladybird Book About Donald Trump (my review HERE).

Most recently, Mary L Trump's psychological analysis of her dysfunctional family, Too Much and Never Enough (my review HERE). show less

For full disclosure, I read this book only because of a disagreement with a friend who called John Oliver a douche for writing a parody book. In any case, I agreed to read both and to give a fair assessment.

When John Oliver learned that the Pence family’s bunny book tour will include a stop at the “Focus on the Family” organization which is infamous for its anti-homosexual approaches, he initiated and produced this parody book. I tell ya – it’s hilarious! The story surrounds Marlon Bundo, who one day meets the love of his life, Wesley, another boy bunny. They fall in love and plan to get married. The stink bug in charge with a face that curiously resembles the current administration, violently declares they can’t get show more married, that they can’t be ‘different’. The other critters disagree. “Everyone is different. And different is not bad… Different is Special.” Mr. Paws, the good and wise dog, declares “We get to decide who is In Charge. We get to decide who is Important. We can vote!” Needless to say, the stink bug is out, and the two bunnies live happily ever after.

The artwork is delightful and humorous. The two bunnies are adorably dopily in love. In a story that is readily understandable by children, this book reinforced the importance of love, the concept of choice, to encourage voting, and to speak up for what you believe in. As a closing statement, “Stink bugs are temporary. Love is Forever.” This last statement is a reminder to kids and adults to stay strong through the current challenges, and that love will prevail. This is a very creative book that is enjoyable for kids and adults. I highly encourage this book for anyone who desires a tool to explain love with a LGBTQ viewpoint. show less

This is a funny and very earnest book about human rights and love and government and friendship. It has lovely pictures, amusingly-named animals, and a deep kindness. I hope it raises tremendous amounts of money for the two worthy causes it supports, and I hope it makes certain people very uncomfortable, but only uncomfortable because even deliberately horrible people shouldn't be tortured.

Like the billions of other people in the world who are lucky enough to marry the person they love, I am Marlon Bundo.

Thank you Jill Twiss, E.G. Keller, and John Oliver: you are very good people.

Library copy

** spoiler alert ** This is a genuinely funny and sincere look at accepting differences, that all people have them, and that there's absolutely nothing wrong with them. I also really liked the illustrations. The facial expression of all of the little critters are truly endearing, and the poor little checkers-playing bugs, to have their game interrupted by happy hopping. I liked that everyone except for the stink bug were so matter-of-fact about the marriage announcement--"because they were their friends, and that's what friends do." It was a very clear contrast between the stink bug, who's reaction is explosive for no other reason than it's just not done that way. Love and open-mindedness win out over the knee-jerk reactions of the show more stink bug. Yay! show less