John Oliver is goading a certain gas station chain with a litigious reputation into suing him and HBO.
The "Last Week Tonight" host ended the show's July 26 episode by daring Buc-ee's to pick on a company it's own size and positioned his show and network as a potential target.
Oliver detailed the company's penchant for suing small businesses whose logos feature cartoon animals, even when they bear very little or no resemblance to Buc-ee's famous – and trademarked – grinning beaver logo.
"Buc-ee's loves to sue other companies, particularly those with animal mascots," Oliver said in the episode, noting the chain has filed over a dozen lawsuits over the years and threatened a bunch more. Oliver also points out Buc-ee's has won almost all of the cases
because the other companies usually opt to settle and redesign their logos or just fold completely because, as Oliver points out, "most just don't have the resources to fight a company this big."
Oliver goes on to quote one legal expert who said Buc-ee's should be careful with this strategy because the more you sue these smaller companies, the higher the chance you might run into one who has the means to fight back.
"And that is where we come in," Oliver said in the segment. "Because it turns out, we very much have the will to get into a fight with Buc-ee's."
Oliver issues the Buc-Off challenge
During the segment, Oliver reintroduces Mr. Nutterbutter, a 7-foot-tall squirrel mascot originally created for a 2017 segment taking aim at former coal executive Bob Murray, which resulted in an unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against the show and HBO.
The show created a cartoon logo of Mr. Nutterbutter that looks similar to the Buc-ee's logo and put the logo on a variety of products, including tumblers, hats, shirts, onesies, mugs and pajamas, among other items.
The items are available for purchase for a limited time at Buc-Off.com, Oliver says in the segment, with all profits going to Hunger Free America, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to end domestic hunger.
"So, 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 the f--k on. Although remember, in doing so, you'd be directly taking food out of hungry people's mouths," Oliver says in the segment.
Buc-ee's did not immediately respond to a USA TODAY request for comment.
Buc-ee's long history in court
USA TODAY has previously reported on a few of the lawsuits Buc-ee's has filed in the past.
In March 2025, Buc-ee's filed a federal lawsuit against Barc-ee's, a business in southwest Missouri that offered a dog park, coffee and food shops and a Western-themed miniature city.
Buc-ee's claimed that the unauthorized use of its trademarks, including a smiling animal mascot, were benefitting the Missouri convenience store at Buc-ee's expense, while falsely informing consumers that the two businesses are related.
In January 2025, Buc-ee's filed a lawsuit against North Texas gas station Super Fuels, claiming that the Super Fuels' logo, which features a brown, smiling dog in a red cape set against a blue background, is too similar to Buc-ee's. Buc-ee's alleged that Super Fuel's anthropomorphic, cartoon mascot could be confusing to consumers upon first glance.
In March 2013, Buc-ee's sued Texas-based convenience store Chicks, claiming that Chicks stemmed from similar concepts, including site and store design, product variety, construction and the logo.
Though the Chicks logo depicted two smiling chickens, back-to-back, against a red, yellow and black background, Buc-ee's claimed that the logo copied Buc-ee's "iconic marks," like color, shapes and fonts.
Though Chicks' lawyers moved to dismiss the complaint, Chicks ultimately closed in 2014.
Contributing: Greta Cross & Marta Mieze, USA TODAY
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Oliver dares Buc-ee's to sue him with 'Buc-Off' challenge
