Emmy-winning comedian and “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver is taking aim at Texas favorite Buc-ee’s after a recent episode of HBO’s weekly satirical news program examined the travel center chain’s history of lawsuits over its beaver mascot and logo.
In Sunday’s episode, Oliver opened the segment by discussing how Buc-ee’s has become a travel destination for many visitors attending the World Cup before diving into the company’s trademark lawsuits. The comedian then broke down the more than a dozen lawsuits the company filed over trademark infringements, referencing suits filed against companies in Georgia, Texas and New York.
“It turns out Buc-ee’s loves to sue other companies, particularly those with animal mascots,” Oliver said during this weekend’s episode. He said some lawsuits made sense to him, while others seemed “ridiculous” and “outright bullying.” “You don’t own all cartoon rodents.”
Oliver said Buc-ee’s has won many of its lawsuits and that some companies it sued lacked the resources to fight back in court. He cited an article warning that the company could eventually run into an organization willing to go the distance. Oliver then introduced his own mascot, “Nutter Butter,” a gray-and-white squirrel that bore similarities to the beaver mascot.
“Nutter Butter,” as Oliver described, has wide eyes and a smile to the right, a red tongue, a black circle with a yellow background and a slogan that reads “Buc-off.”
Oliver said the logo would be placed on several products — such as tumblers, hats, T-shirts, mugs, socks and underwear — on a website that bears the same name as the slogan. All proceeds would be going toward the nonprofit Hunger Free America.
Before Oliver ended the episode, he joined the mascot in a production set that mirrored the typical Buc-ee’s aesthetic, encouraging the company to file a lawsuit.
The Chronicle reached out to representatives of “Last Week Tonight” and Buc-ee’s for comment.