Late-night host John Oliver is picking a fight with a prominent Texas figure: Buc-ee the beaver.
Oliver, comedian and host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight, dedicated a segment of his show Sunday to Buc-ee’s and its numerous lawsuits alleging trademark infringement.
Buc-ee’s emerged as a fan favorite at the World Cup, Oliver explained, with tourists raving about the convenience store’s massive size and dizzying variety of snacks.
“It’s quintessentially American,” he said. “It’s gloriously weird, massive and full of salty snacks and red meat.”
There is something else deeply American about Buc’ee’s, he continued. It loves to sue other companies.
In recent years, it sued Super Fuels in Dallas, whose logo was a brown dog sporting a red cape, a drive-through liquor store in Missouri named Duckees featuring a cartoon duck wearing sunglasses, Choke Canyon Travel Center in Texas over its cartoon alligator wearing a cowboy hat, and Nut Huggers, an Oklahoma-based underwear company with a mascot of a squirrel.
Oliver accused the chain of “outright bullying,” noting that most of the stores have changed their logos because they do not have the resources to fight the Texas giant, which operates more than 50 stores.
“That is where we come in,” he said to applause.
The comedian announced the launch of a line of T-shirts, underwear, tumblers and umbrellas with the logo “Buc-Off,” featuring the mascot Mr. Nutterbutter, a 7-foot squirrel.
“If any prominent gas station chain out there has an issue with our new logo and products and wants to get lawyers involved, then you know what? Bring it on,” he said, adding an expletive.
Reached by phone Monday, Buc-ee’s General Counsel Jeff Nadalo told The Dallas Morning News the company does not plan to sue but declined further comment.
Regarding the company’s past lawsuits, he told Texas Lawbook last year that “Buc-ee’s has not remained idle spectators while others infringe the intellectual property rights that Buc’ee’s has worked so hard to develop.”
Buc-Off merchandise will be available until Sept. 8, and proceeds will go to Hunger Free America.