In his continual takedown of institutions that are out of line, out of date, or just plain out, John Oliver now has his talons in the UK Labour Party’s recent efforts to drum up female support.
Why? Because the political party is using a giant hot pink, campaign-emblazoned minibus to entice women to get involved and vote.
This is problematic for many reasons, two most obvious being:
1. This is sexist.
2. The party responsible refuses to acknowledge this.
As Oliver put it on last night’s “Last Week Tonight” episode: “It is a little insulting that you’re attempting to appeal to adult women voters, the same way Mattel attempts to appeal to eight-year-olds…. The only way it could be more patronizing is if the wheels were giant NuvaRings and they refused to let women drive it.”
Despite criticism, the Labour Party continues to defend the efforts of their giant pink bus–they’ve just decided to refuse to call it pink. Deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman told the Independent that the bus is, in fact, “magenta,” while Labour MP Gloria De Piero deemed it “cerise.”
Still pink.