Danbury Mayor Promises 'Payback' After HBO Skewering

DANBURY, CT — HBO comedian John Oliver's show took a bizarre turn into local territory on Sunday night when he dropped a 30-second, expletive-laced rant about Danbury.

In a segment on the racial and other inequities of the jury duty selection process, Oliver ticked off a list of historical foibles. Among them, the "Last Week Tonight" host claimed Connecticut's jury selection computer program "accidentally read the 'd' in Hartford to mean 'deceased,'" and so never summoned anyone from that city to serve on a jury for nearly three years. Referencing an article in "The Iowa Law Review," Oliver also said that officials in New Britain misplaced the list of eligible jurors in that city, and never entered anyone into the program.

That's when the comedian's rant turned hyperlocal.

"If you are going to forget a town in Connecticut, why not forget Danbury because — and this is true — (expletive) Danbury. From its charming railway museum, to its historic hearthstone castle, Danbury Connecticut can eat my whole (expletive)," Oliver said.

After referencing the Danbury Railway Museum, the host's monologue went a bit off the rails.

"I know exactly three things about Danbury," Oliver said. "USA Today ranked it the second-best city to live in, in 2015, it was once the center of the American hat industry and if you're from there you have a standing invite to come get a thrashing from John Oliver — children included — (expletive) you."

It's not the first time the satirist took Hat City into his crosshairs. In 2017, Oliver skewered the similarity of the video bids of Danbury, Frisco, Texas; and Omaha, Nebraska, to become Amazon's second headquarters city as being "almost too hilarious."

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton didn't take it lying down, taking to Twitter to pick up the gauntlet:

"Hey @iamjohnoliver don't worry, we are working on some Danbury payback for you. Oh, and I will not hesitate to throw the hands. #bringit @HBO" he posted to Twitter on Monday.