The feud between HBO funnyman John Oliver and Mayor Mark Boughton of Danbury continued with the mayor announcing the renaming of a municipal sewage plant with Oliver”™s name.
On Aug. 16, the British-born comic used his show “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” to launch into an expletive-heavy rant against Danbury as part of a segment on problems with Connecticut”™s jury selection process. Boughton responded via Twitter that “we are working on some Danbury payback for you,” but was mostly mum during the week on what he planned as a response.
Boughton unveiled his “payback” in a Facebook video by announcing Oliver”™s name is being attached to a sewage treatment facility.
“We are going to rename it the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant,” the mayor said. “Why? Because it”™s full of crap just like you, John.”
Boughton also sarcastically commended Oliver for raising the issue of Danbury”™s efforts to lure Amazon to the city as the site of its second headquarters complex.
“And, oh by the way, thanks for showing that Amazon video ”“ we did get Amazon here in Danbury,” he said, referring to the last-mile distribution facility that the e-commerce giant is bringing to the city.
Boughton wasn”™t the only Danbury figure to take umbrage against Oliver. The Danbury Hat Tricks hockey team also created their own video response, with team announcer and communications director Casey Bryant using a YouTube video to highlight the more embarrassing aspects of Oliver”™s acting career, including performances in such duds as
“The Smurfs,” “Wonder Park” and “The Love Guru” ”“ Oliver played a character named Dick Pants in the latter film, a point that Bryant emphasized.
For his part, Oliver offered no public acknowledgment of Danbury”™s latest volley.
