HBO renews Real Time With Bill Maher for 3 more exhausting years
The long-running political talk series is now renewed through 2024
TV News Bill Maher
HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher is now set to extend its run past the two-decade mark, as the network announced today that it’s renewed the program through 2024. Given that longevity, it’s unlikely to imagine the show will change things up from the established, successful formula that’s kept it running all this time: Opening monologue from Maher, one-on-one interview, panel discussion, New Rules,” followed by us all waking up on Saturday morning, briefly parsing whatever the most annoying things Maher said the previous night were, and then just trying to get on with our lives.
To be fair, the show did alter itself, as most late-night TV did, during the disruptions of the COVID-19 era—including implementing proper quarantine procedures when Maher himself tested positive for the disease, and going audience-free for several months. Maher, meanwhile, has only ever been his frequently exhausting, perversely indefatigable self, admitting with a “Probably? I don’t know” that the COVID-19 vaccine probably helped mitigate any symptoms from the disease, but continuing to assert his skepticism about the necessity of widespread vaccination or vaccine booster shots, because Bill Maher is not an expert on anything except whatever happens to be annoying or inconveniencing Bill Maher on any given day.
Maher has been on the HBO airwaves since 2003, where Real Time picked up the “letting Bill Maher just sort of generally say shit” duties abdicated by ABC when it canceled Politically Incorrect in 2002, citing low ratings, and denying that it had done so because of comments Maher had made about 9/11. The stand-up comedian has wandered into a number of controversies in subsequent years, including a decision to platform the now refreshingly irrelevant alt-right gadfly Milo Yianniapoulos, and an incident in which Maher said a racial slur on-air in 2017. But the series has been a consistently solid ratings performer on HBO’s Friday nights despite all, which helps explain why it was renewed a few years back through 2022, and now into 2024.
170 Comments
Ugh.
You know who else is pretty exhausting? John Oliver. Samantha Bee. Amber Ruffin. Stephen Colbert.
Yup. All exhausting. No more political comedy please. Just Sienfeld-esque musings on aeroplane food and Benny Hill-style Yakety Sax chases.
Fortunately there’s plenty of other things to watch.
All boring, socially acceptable bullshit that deals with nothing other than what makes people all warm and fuzzy inside. Nothing that makes you think though, as that would be completely unacceptable!
Move that goalpost!
One of the four, maybe. Two at best. But what’s your point?
I would imagine their renewals will not be covered here in the same way. Because they, and sites like this, rigidly follow the exact same narrative.
If Amber Ruffin didn’t have a cute, squeaky muppet voice everyone would be able to see that she’s basically a hate-filled bitch.Sam Bee doesn’t have that camouflage. I’ve no idea why anyone still watches her.John Oliver I still watch, but only because his show has dropped from good, to bad, to awful, right off the bottom of the scale only to reappear back at the top as ‘So bad it’s actually sort of good again’.They all suck hard.
I too enjoy Seth Meyers sometimes.
not as much since the Sea Captain portrait disappeared though
Are you rubber and I’m glue, too?
I used to watch him, but apart from some of his more questionable guest choices, I got tired of him constantly trying to throw trans-people under the bus.
Don’t forget him peddling Anti-Vaccination bullshit, his chumminess with conservatives like Ann Coultor, his Islamaphobia and whining about “cancel culture” because he fears there being any consequences for him being an asshole…
Does being an atheist mean your inherently an islamaphobe? Or is this just because of the Ben Affleck spat? I’m not a Maher stan, but he always seemed like an equal opportunity critic of “magical thinking” as a means to oppress people (especially Christianity, but I guess that’s acceptable?). I’ve never heard about him taking a stance on the wrong side of history like the Muslim ban or closing mosques.
If you consider the political spectrum to be a circle, he really isn’t that far removed from the Tuckers of this world.
I’d argue he was never even close to progressive to begin with. At best he’s a well off neoliberal who wants to smoke pot but is otherwise content with the status quo and the wealth he’s accumulated from it.
That is a pretty spot on description.
Shit, he can come off as neoconservative at times when he talks about foreign policy.
That’s true of basically every liberal talking head on television, but the unique thing about Maher is that as most of the left-of-center world changed their views on social issues during the 21st century (e.g. LGBTQ rights, racial justice, immigration, sexual harassment, profiling of Muslims, etc.), Bill Maher… didn’t. It’s actually kind of remarkable that somebody could live through the last 20 years and never engage in any serious reflection or change on any of these issues. He’s trapped in the 1990s and perpetually grumbling about trans people in the bathroom, and why does the TSA still make him take off his shoes instead of just young Muslim men, and why do powerful men get canceled just for raping their employees — as though the rest of the Democratic Party has gone crazy and it’s not just him. He still makes Lewinsky jokes from time to time. I get why he might not want his taxes hiked but he’s out of touch for other reasons.
With respect to some of those issues it’s because he’s been out in front of most people. “ He’s trapped in the 1990s and perpetually grumbling about trans people in the bathroom”Yeah. he does not do that. You should try watching him some time.
Just a few years ago, when Milo claimed he was concerned about cis men pretending to be trans women in order to rape little girls in bathrooms, Bill Maher said “That’s not unreasonable” with a straight face.More often he represents a kind of hollow allyship where he nominally supports a pro-LGBTQ policy, but then frets about the political backlash for Democrats if they support the policy he claims he does. And he also always advocates for more inclusive positions in a smirking way where he reserves the right to acknowledge that it is, in fact, funny as shit that some men have sex with other men and some people realize they were assigned the wrong gender, and why can’t the PC police let him make jokes?In like 2004, he was ahead of the curve in vocally supporting gay marriage, but he constantly booked the opposition (who made hysterical claims about the collapse of society), and took their arguments at face value. Often he contradicts himself and agrees a little bit with guests who are saying nonsense. And that’s kind of all his liberalism in a nutshell — he makes a show of granting power to minorities, but always in a grudging way where he’s worried straight white men might not remain entirely in control, and he’s always there to take those worries seriously.He’s like that on most social issues. Even after Batman called him out on his despicable Islamophobia to his face, he’s still beating the drum about the inherent good of racial profiling. He kept defending his “comedic license” while Ice Cube was telling him why it’s inappropriate for him to say the N-word. He’s booked quacks who have claimed that dietary changes would end the pandemic and that healthy people who eat right are basically immune to COVID. The list goes on.
I’ll have to re-watch that because I watched that episode and do not recall that at all. But it could have slipped by me.
In fairness, this exchange happened in the Overtime segment, it’s just that this segment got the most attention after the Milo appearance — you can watch it here along with a writeup: https://www.thedailybeast.com/larry-wilmore-schools-milo-yiannopoulos-go-fck-yourselfI still watch the show because the occasional moments of confrontation are still very good television, but I find Maher’s performance here inexcusable.
Aah. Thanks. I am a little surprised at that. But I definitely thought I would have remembered if I had seen it. I have only watched a few overtimes.
Really!!!I am still watching and enjoying the show. The range of guests he has is so fascinating…from Ann Coulter to Sam Harris….!!!! Which channel does that?Stop cribbing and change the channel if u don’t like the show. Simple!!
That’s ridiculous. Most of what Maher says makes sense. He’s still a liberal.
It sounds like you can’t handle the truth. Cancel culture is moronic. If you’re offended by something then you can’t manage your own emotions, you’re asking the rest of the world to do it for you. Grow up, change the channel if you don’t like what you hear. If somebody says something tasteless, they’re making themselves look like an asshole in the process. We don’t need some leftist millionaire actor/politician calling for pitchforks and banishment. I don’t agree with Bill Maher on everything, but I agree with his freedom to freely speak his viewpoints. And you should too. The very structure of this great country is what allowed gay and trans people, and whatever other niche group have their freedoms. Try that in an most Islamic countries.
The level of groupthink in this thread is hilarious. The arrogance that any opinion that slips outside of the woke left preeners is astonishing but I love to see it.I am a giant sheepdog in a world of sheep that actually identify as lemmings so they can lead each other over the cliff.
Bill Maher is worth over $100 million, so he’s basically uncancelable. Believe it or not, it’s possible to be concerned about things that don’t directly affect you.Also, Maher isn’t Islamophobic. He’s a strong critic of *all* religions. He also recognises that different beliefs have different consequences, and there are some beliefs which are unique to Islam which produce uniquely bad consequences. Some people say that pointing this out makes him Islamophobic, but those people are arguing in bad faith. You never hear them objecting whenever anyone says any other religion has uniquely bad beliefs. And the fact is, nothing explains the behaviour of Islamic fundamentalists better than the fundamentals of Islam. Pointing this out, as Maher does, isn’t Islamophobic. It’s calling a spade a spade.As for his “chumminess” with Ann Coulter, didn’t they date for a while? I imagine he knows her far better than we do. If he sees something worth liking in her then who are we to argue? And as for the anti-vaccine stuff, well…. yeah. You’ve got a point there.
He tells it like it is and lot of people hate that. Most people want only to hear people who are in complete support of lgbt, BLM, and government control of everything, and believe there is no debate to be had regarding any of those topics. He has a whole range of people in the political spectrum on his show. But once he’s gone, It’s going to be nothing but fake people who pretend they support the groups of people I mentioned earlier. I prefer to know where somebody stands and isn’t full of shit, over the ones who are and there are a lot of those people. The thing with Facts over feelings is, that it is dying, and that to me is sad. It’s as if we, the majority, are letting people with paper thin skin, the minority, control what is acceptable and what isn’t. It’s pathetic!
I’ll never forget the time he casually used a racial slur to make a joke on his show.
And then threw a tantrum and brought a bunch of his Black friends on the panel the next week, tried to get them to give him an N-word pass, then got pissy when they wouldn’t.
Completely skated consequence free from that only to pivot endlessly about the epidemic of “cancel culture”. Funny how that works.
I stopped watching him years ago when he got mad that Obama was acting “thuggish” enough.
Do you mean “wasn’t”? Back when I still watched him sometimes I remember him saying Obama wasn’t aggressive enough in dealing with Republicans.
Yes. That’s what I meant. I ignored some of his prior snide remarks, but he just got bold with it. I stopped watching his full shows live, reduced it to segments, and gave it up around 2011.
Hes a transphobe. Looking back, agreeing with Milo Yenopolous that trans women shouldn’t be in female bathrooms was fucking bigotry.
Questionable Choices?!?..He is the only host who invites guest across the spectrum and is frank about it. No wonder he survived so long.
Therein lies the problem. Where else is anyone even discussing topics like trans people, vaccinations, etc., without obviously leaning to one side or the other? I don’t agree with him much, but at least he’s unafraid to have people on who flat out argue with him. He’s got thicker skin than any other talk show host out there, liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat.
*sighs**shakes head*
Who the fuck is watching Bill Maher in 2021 and what can we do to convince you to use your time in a more productive fashion?
He still makes jokes and has some good guests, especially when they call him out or push back on his ignorance. If you like, just watch those segments on youtube.
“He still makes jokes”That’s part of the problem.
He seems to be doing just fine.
More’s the pity.
The opening monologue is tired as shit, but the mid-show humor piece and New Rules often contain funny stuff.
This is not true
But more and more the tired shit monologue results in awkward silences from his studio audience. Often funnier to watch than he is.
Yeah. I cringe every time he does a “kids today” joke. But just this past episode he makes the same point I always do. Every generation blames the last for all the bad shit and shits on the next because they’re new.
Yeah but Real Time squashes the best part of the show, the panel, between at least 4 other bits and doesn’t give nearly enough run time. On Politically Incorrect, the panel was the entire show, and Maher was happy to be more of a moderator and not having to derail every topic with a shitty joke.
Never saw PI, but man, I want that show. I *only* watch the panel on RT.I actually really like Maher as a moderator, for the sole reason that he is all too happy to tell his guests to f-ck off when they take the party line too far.
I can see how a non-comedic moderator Maher could make for a decent panel show about American politics. But as I’m not American I don’t have much reason to watch such a show without at least some attempt at humour. Sometimes the limited segment runtime is its own source of comedy.
So why hasn’t he sued Joe Rogan for ripping him off?
>> Who the fuck is watching Bill Maher
I am.
>> what can we do to convince you to use your time in a more productive fashion?
How
about speaking up against the hypocritical purity police and the
hysterical mob justice? The ones that over 70% of the everyday people
are afraid of, according to the polls? Tried that? Because if not – you
do not get to complain that the remaining 30% get extra attention.
you just had to say you were the typical bill maher fanyou didn’t have to prove it
Stereotyping much? I mean – seriously, you do not see anything wrong in ascribing someone to be a part of a group based on them sharing a single opinion with it? What’s your beef with Bill anyway? Is it too many questionable stereotypes (which he has, no argument about that), by any chance?
Stereotyping much?
Because this is quite a conclusion based on a single opinion. What’s your beef with Maher, anyway? Some questionable stereotypes he has, by any chance?
Shut up man. Dont get offended cause I said MAN. I know people do now, which is all kinds of wrong, as your either make or female. Mental illness can make you believe something else, but that’s what it is, mental illness!
And you’re a fan of whom? Probably some cunt drunk on DNC kool-aid who hasn’t had an original thought since the 80’s.
Bill Maher actually was the victim of a sort of “cancel culture”. A long time ago, he lost his job for daring to question the god-given right of the United States to do whatever it wants, wherever it wants, to whomever it wants. But then he learned his lesson. He got a new show and he has been a good little boy ever since, manufacturing consent for the U.S. war machine so long as it means more dead Muslims.
The fact that he still has a platform is proof that “cancel culture”, as conceived by the Right (i.e. angry people saying stuff on the internet), has no power to affect anything. If it did, Bill Maher wouldn’t have a show. If 70% of people are really afraid of . . . whatever it is you think it is they are afraid of, then they believe in a threat that just plainly does not exist. When was the last time you, or anyone you know got “cancelled”?
70% of Americans also believe in god. And just look at how much respect Maher gives to that position.Also he’s a fucking a hack. His studio audience doesn’t even laugh at his jokes. At this point his show is just the mirror image of the sort of sanctimonious liberal preachiness that he criticizes. He talks. People clap. Rinse. Repeat.
He lost his job for saying the terrorists aren’t cowards, not for criticizing American foreign policy.
“The ones that over 70% of the everyday people are afraid of”[Entire truckloads of citations needed]
This person created an account just to comment on this article.
What kind of fucking loser makes their kinja account for the first time for Bill Maher defense
I dunno, in a world where the mean US voter is a 59 year old white man with a high school diploma, that number doesn’t seem too high.All Republicans + conservative/old Democrats? Yeah, probably around ~70%
..
You created a Kinja account just to comment on this.
calm down buddy. You just got into university, and while people make jokes about 101 classes, it’s good to knuckle down.
This 100% does not sound like someone who got criticized for being an awful person and is mad about it
Got out of here Bill, you’re not fooling anyone.
How about speaking up against the hypocritical purity police and the hysterical mob justice? The ones that over 70% of the everyday people are afraid of, according to the polls? So 70% of the “everyday people” are cowards with no integrity? Or do you mean people who say blatantly racist shit on the regular and get called out?
Because, if the latter, BOY do I have an easy solution for you/them!If the former, people gotta pay for that kind of therapy.
Probably not the people who say “Drumpf” because another HBO host told them to.
I watch the show, but I watch it despite Bill Maher (ff past the monolog, ends at the words “NEW RULES!”)
I feel like it’s the only place left where you can see a full spectrum of (American) political opinion in a format that generally manages to avoid screaming matches and unchecked spin/bullshit.
How about if you don’t like him, just don’t watch him. Problem solved.
This would be more difficult to understand if Joe Rogan fans didn’t exist.
Who else can you watch that doesn’t have an obvious lean? Name one other late night talk show host who’s doing anything like this?
One time my Dad wrote and tweeted a slightly amusing, very obvious joke about a current event on a Wednesday, then on Friday nights sent me a video of the exact same joke almost word for word on Bill Maher’s monologue. I’m not accusing Real Time of stealing my Dad’s joke, I’m saying the comedy writing on that show is at the level of a retired real estate appraiser.
“If I wanted to hear the same jokes endlessly I’d get married” – Bill Maher, probably
I mean, I don’t think I’ll ever get married myself, but when Bill Maher talks shit about marriage, it is painfully obvious that somewhere deep down he must know that he’s really just too much of an asshole to maintain an intimate relationship with another human being for too long.But instead he’s trying to make his own flaws sound heroic, and that’s just so pathetic.
I’m not so sure about the idea that he’s overcompensating. That seems to me like more of a Trump thing, and I think Maher’s smugness has more of an offhand quality that makes me think he really believes deep down he’s just that awesome.
Maybe deep down. But deep deep down?
How many levels of deep down are there?
Probably three or four with this guy!
Wait, it’s a comedy show?!
Among Bill’s “highlights” that keep my head shaking…. Laughing hysterically at his own jokes. So high during his monologue that he slobbers all over himself. Being so busy drooling over and eye-fucking the likes of Ann Coulter, Megyn Kelly and Kellyanne Conway that he lets them regurgitate any kind of absolute crap without challenging them. Providing a rusty trombone for Ralph Reed while telling him how much he likes them. Using the “N’ word. AntiVax, AntiIslam, Anti”Woke.”I put up with the first 80% of his trash so that I can listen to new rules, which is often funny. That is coming to an end, as I will be catching NR on YouTube.There was a time, Bill… There was a time. It’s long since passed.
Well, I’m sure this is the last time AV Club will give this show free press.
The only redeeming moment in this show’s history was when Ben Affleck tore Maher a new asshole for his Islamaphobia alongside Bernie Sanders.
And when gropey-boy Weinstein buddy Ben Affleck thinks you’re an asshole, that’s really saying something.
By the end of the new contract, Bill will have fully completed his transformation into a 80’s Republican.
Who is this for other than the liberals Phil Ochs was singing about
LOVE ME!
I used to watch this show.Then … all at once … I stopped. It was surprisingly easy.
Same. Wish more people would grow out of puerile things instead of letting it calcify.
Word of the day toilet paper is working for you, I see.
Oh I’m sorry that “calcify” is too big of a word for you. American I take it?
The AV Club screeching derision on Bill Maher is far more exhausting than Bill Maher.
I’ve only watched him sporadically over the years and enjoyed the show. Somehow I avoided all this controversy, except for his Muslim comments in the past, which I wrote off as him being highly critical of religion in general. I seem to miss a lot of this stuff, until recently I thought Joe Rogan’s podcast was just him talking about tripping on DMT. Sucks that they are both anti-vax and give platforms to horrible people.
I’m getting exhausted by the smugness of this site. Perhaps I misunderstood what it was; but every story has such sharp liberal fangs… it’s hard to swallow the news wrapped in so much slant.Bill Maher is a common sense liberal… I know it’s a rare breed these days. Nowadays liberalism = bullying anyone with ideas outside of your own, and treating them as trolls.Maher’s show at least has both sides given a voice and intelligent conversation dissecting the nuance of complicated issues (and yes, many of these issues we deal with in life are complicated- despite how obvious you personally think it is; life exists in the grey area, not black and white… or conservative and liberal).We aren’t smarter than the people that lived 100 years ago- we just exist at a different time, and most would have done the same ignorant shit they did a century ago, despite the fact that we think we somehow are not a product of our generation but just an enlightened humans. If you start from that base, you might not think everyone else is such an idiot.I used to think I was a liberal but I’m not loud enough to compete with the “you suck” crowd every-time someone dare have a thought outside of the prevailing popular opinion. Or dare have expressed a currently unpopular decision- decades ago, when it wasn’t so taboo.Perhaps we all need to find a little more hubris to connect with these people that we hate so much. Lead by example if we expect the Trumpers and those we feel “below us” to wake up. Let’s take our own advice and take the blue pill (*which pill does neo take?), rather than casting stones from our glass houses all day. That’s what I feel like this site does in 2021: Cast stones and act “holier than though” as if it’s meant for a sub-sect of elitists. No wonder we (democrats) can barely win elections; even our media sites are elitists, and the population is mostly blue collar.Even with the title of this article; too much of the writer’s opinion is coming through. Or is that the point of this site? I’ve been on it for years and hadn’t noticed till recently how much it was about propaganda for it’s own beliefs.This isn’t directed at the writer of this article (who I’m sure is a fine human and makes a point to try to “be fair”, but just a general commentary on this site. I used to love it, but it’s become so obnoxious with it’s constant quest to collect woke points (when do we finally get to turn them all in and show how great we are??).And yes; I am Bill Maher.
No, Bill Maher, for all his numerous faults, couldn’t be this cringe and pathetic if he tried.What’s it like to have the same mentality I did as a preteen in the early 90s?
“Common sense liberal” = enjoys telling people who want change and would benefit from it that it just isn’t possible, darn it!
You are the most insufferable cunt on this site. Your name is a byword for appalling holier-than-thou smugness, and even posters who agree with your positions frequently mock you for bring the kind of person they’d climb a tree to get away from. Shut the fuck up.
Hey guys this site has liberal fangs!Shut the fuck up loser.
You are exactly the kind of seething, smug, hate filled person who has come to define the current AV Club, much like Laserface.
Calling out random posters over a personal beef involving but not limited to a disagreement about Bill Maher and branding everyone in your periphery as “smug and hated filled” sure sounds Kinja to me.
Thank you for proving my point.
I agree. It’s wrong to call them ‘fangs’. That implies incisiveness. What this site actually has is an unseemly infestation of sanctimonious, holier-than-thou dickheads, so deeply locked into a never-ending circle jerk that they can’t see that they’re the very reason progressive policies are so unpopular.
Fuck that “times were different back then” and “we would have done the same as terrible people did because it was a long time ago” bullshit. I grew up in the ‘80’s in the deep South surrounded by racists. I knew it was wrong then. I didn’t participate and got the fuck out to NYC as soon as I could. It was wrong then and it’s wrong now and you don’t need to have context or specific surroundings to know right from wrong.
How dare people react to others opinions, and say so when they do, suck. Freedom of speech go both ways. Someone’s opinion it’s necessarily special or sacred. And plenty are outright terrible and hateful. You made some interesting points about connecting with trump supporters and the articles possible slant, but Bill Maher just isn’t the right battle. He’s became a cynical hack so happy to rest on his money he doesn’t care how out of touch he is or how he’s misrepresenting important issues (Israel/Palestine, Trans rights, Healthcare reform, ect). Dude just doesn’t want to grow. And this writer can and should question why HBO continues to waste a show on him.
“Other” much?
There was a late teens/early-20’s version of me who was angered, deeply, by the Bush years and the rise of the irreligious Right, and when people would say things my guts or my angry self agreed with, I viewed them with great respect. I went through a “Bill Maher is funny, and right!” and a “Man those New Atheists!” phase. I thought Religulous was … fine? Flash-forward to now – – Maher hasn’t really changed but I think I have. Frankly anyone whose schtick over the Dimestore Mussolini years is “Well, yeah, but the Woke crowd is REALLY bad…” needs to read the room a bit. There’s room in the media ecosystem for all opinions, sure. It’s HBO’s $$$ … whatever. But I can spend my time watching John Oliver or going to the park or eating gyros.
yep, real time was a great rite of passage for me as a twenty-something, newly atheist, trying to understand politics.
but things change, and he didn’t. which is fine; he can be mad about the young people and their newfangled ways. i’m sure his audience is happy to do the same.
but me, i’m old and i only have so much tolerance for yelling about the young’uns before i need to go lie down.
Maher is afraid to have progressives on his show. They tend to call him on his bullshit and he can’t handle that. This is why Dr. West and Glen Greenwald haven’t been on RT in years and Krystal Ball was never invited back after her first time on the panel. Maher freaks out about the twitter-verse but also has some policy against bringing successful social media pundits on to Real Time.
Does Real Time have any staff writers under 50 years old?
I wouldn’t say Greenwald’s any kind of progressive these days.
OMG Krystal Ball’s face when he was talking about how he’s leaning towards Klobuchar.
Do we know they weren’t invited back or have they chosen not to go on?
GG is progressive?
Bill Maher has been distressingly wrong about many things, notably “cancel culture,” Israel/Palestine, and vaccines. He has also been right (as well as genuinely progressive) about universal health care, gun control, climate change, “socialism” (by which he means social democracy), police violence (he called out the militarization, brutality, and racism of law enforcement before it was popular), the intellectual bankruptcy and covert racism of the Tea Party and other “grassroots” conservative movements, the racist subtext of Republican opposition to Obama, the “slow-motion coup” being engineered by Trump before he was even president, the dangerous radicalism and bad faith of Republicans (when most mainstream liberals insisted they were principled, reasonable conservatives), and the fact that hijacking a commercial jet with boxcutters and crashing it into a building actually takes some balls. And while he may have painted Muslims with a broad brush at times, he is right to insist that any belief system (even that of an oppressed and stigmatized people) must be subject to scrutiny and should be criticized for perpetuating retrograde ideas. Oh yeah, and legalizing weed.For what it’s worth, he was also right to predict that his “platforming” of Milo Yiannopoulos would not perpetuate the influence of what this article calls the “now refreshingly irrelevant” bigot.I don’t care if anyone feels alienated or frustrated by some of Maher’s latest thoughts (I sure do, if not quite to the same degree as other people). But the online left seems to have gone way beyond any reasonable reaction by reaching the untenable consensus that he is and always has been a fake liberal.
Ow, my narrative!
The bar here is literally under the floor and he still struggles to clear it
Cancel culture is absolutely a thing. It accounts for 75% of the AV Club’s content.
Well yeah, if we were to accurately define what most people are calling “Cancel Culture,” then its really just “people make angry or snarky comments/tweets/articles about you on the internet and it has little or no effect on your job, finances, or social standing” which does apply to lots of content here.
That didn’t happen.
And if it did, it wasn’t that bad. <——- You are here.
And if it was, that’s not a big deal.
And if it was, they deserved it.
It’s a weird sort of cognitive dissonance where everyone implicitly admits “cancel culture” is real, it just so happens that 95% of the time it’s not as effective as the people on Twitter would like for it to be.
“Cancel culture” is consequence culture. People with privilege being called out. Let me know when these warriors stan for someone with no power getting cancelled.
The only reason Milo has no influence now is because he was effectively deplatformed from all major social media, which was exactly what people were calling for. There was no need for Maher to give him any additional exposure.
I think you have a big misunderstanding about what a leftist is. You should look into that.
Dnt forget that he also has the exact correct approach to religious nonsense (often mislabeled as islamaphobia) – ridicule.
Maher is not a liberal. Never was. He’s a bigot (anti trans, anti muslim, anti religion, anti science, anti vaccine) who’s only consistent anti conservative stance is that he wants to smoke pot. Hes hated political corectness from the beginning. No one should have been surprised by him using the n-word. And now he rages against cancel culture.I.e. he is a libertarian: Egotistical. Disagreeable. Indifferent to the harm he causes others. He probably votes third party and tells himself he’s right and everyone else is sheep.
Most of his takes are thoughtful and well thought out and i do agree with most of them, and he’s still funny.
Like many of us who came to our senses, I stopped watching years ago. Aside from his shit-for-brains cranky old man neoliberal takes on everything, the thing I don’t miss all the cringy parts where he abuses the audience. Like when the audience doesn’t laugh enough at his bad jokes so he scolds them for being too PC.Or the thing where the audience applauds something he said, which was obviously said for applause, and then he scolds them for applauding because he didn’t say it for their approval.He thinks he’s very punk. I mean except for when he’s kissing Republican ass.
🙄
You never came to your senses? You just bought into the cancel culture justice system, which tells you what they believe is good and bad. I don’t know of any jokes you can say today without some kind of, ‘’poor me’’ victim type of nonsense that comes with it.
Sucks to be you not to know any good jokes. Here’s one:A farmer buys a new rooster after his old one dies and the store he bought it from swears he’ll see instant results. Sure enough, the moment he places the rooster in the coop it goes right to work. Satisfied, the farmer goes about his daily chores.By lunch time, he has a problem. The rooster has fucked the entire coop three times over and has moved onto the ducks and geese. Not even the pigs or cows are safe. His trusty hound hasn’t come out from under the porch all day. He goes looking for this sex-crazed rooster so he can return it to the store.He finally finds it lying on its back, eyes closed, tongue lolling from its beak, wings spread on the ground while a pack of vultures circle over head. The farmer snorts and says to himself “Serves you right, you horny fuckin bastard.”The rooster cracks an eye open and says “Shh! They’re about to land!”
Hilarious. Now could you try one that isn’t at least 50 years old?
Oh, now you want new jokes no one’s ever heard before? I’m going to need some Netflix money to make that happen. In the meantime, you get what you pay for.It’s the 1950’s, and Betty Lou’s father is meeting her date while she’s getting ready upstairs. His father asks “So, what are you koo-koo kids going to get up to tonight?” Her date says “Well, sir, I was thinking maybe going to see a movie and going to the malt shop afterwards. We’ll definitely be home before ten.”Her father seems to mull this over before suggesting: “Have you tried screwing yet?” Her date seems taken aback. “S-sir?”He nods eagerly. “Oh yes, Betty Lou told me herself she loves to screw. She’d be out all night screwing if we’d let her. I don’t know where all the kids are screwing these days but I’m sure you’ll find a hot spot to do it in!”His date, red faced, nods. Betty Lou finally comes down and they leave. 20 minutes she storms in slamming the door. Her father says “Back so soon, dear?”Betty Lou screams DAD, IT’S CALLED THE TWIST
You know who’s exhausting? Woke whiners like the author of this article.
Talk about whining
I’m sure Bill will be very appreciative of your support.
Here is something that may seem surprising…..just from looking at this forum.
I watch Bill Maher for the DISCOURSE and discussion KNOWING I won’t hear my views all the time. Hearing opposing views and more often then not see Dem’s, Repub’s and Libertarian’s (Like BILL) talk is valuable in and of itself. It’s what our nation needs. We need MORE shows like it…not less. Also Bill has about 10 mins of “comedy” bits per show (which I usually skip) and 40 mins talking to important or politically relevant people. Listening doesn’t mean agreeing or supporting…..sometimes it’s exploring and strengthening your own beliefs by hearing others make arguments for or against it.
Why would you ever want to hear what anyone who doesn’t think just like you has to say? That doesn’t reinforce the “I’m right and only me, ever” heroin we all need these days. Sheesh.
100% this.
Why do I need to hear yet more racist sexist bullshit that we’ve all been drowning in for years now?
You DON’T need to you dumb motherfucker! Change the channel!
Great show. I’m happy.
Awesome. Love the show.
Free speech is dead when every comment you put up says ‘’pending approval’’. This world is so sad. What can you say anymore that doesn’t offend somebody? People are boring and whiners and it’s exhausting. Bill Maher is the man. Except it!
I saw Maher in LaGuardia ‘s breakfast bar just past the B terminal security a few years ago. He was being a horrendous douche to the extremely busy bartender and it felt like he was doing it to get other customers to chime in (none of us did). As a career bartender myself, he is near the bottom of my long list of celebs I’ve seen in the wild. Absolute prick. Fuck you Bill Maher.
How many times did he say “and I’ll tell you why”?
He says what people were thinking, twenty years ago.
I’m so disappointed that the limitless potential he showed in Cannibal Women In The Avocado Jungle Of Death all turned to shite. Such a waste.
He was easily the worst thing about DC Cab and hasn’t improved since 1983.
Imagine being a cranky anti-PC gen x contrarian in 2021.
Here’s what’s great about being a sentient individual with the capacity to use a remote control: you don’t have to watch things you don’t like. Bill aggravates me sometimes. Mostly he does not. Mostly, he’s very, very correct. But liberals (not MY kind of liberal, but YOUR kind of liberal, who gets offended at the color of wall paint) can’t handle any difference of opinion. Yes, yes, here come the protests – I mean lies. Absolutely, Bill whines about that which inconveniences him. It’s his show. You guys have Twitter. You get to whine there. The Saturday Bill Maher hate tweets go like this: “I stopped watching him when he said this thing that I didn’t like but I’m back here now to shriek about a show I’m pretending I didn’t watch because I must, must, must be outraged about something or the weekend isn’t complete.”Bill MUST comply with what you progressives want. NO conservative guests. NO mention of the very, very serious danger cancel culture poses, which, in fact, is why we got Trump, in case you morons haven’t grasped that yet. NO statements pointing out that there are, in fact, idiots within what you have determined to be “protected groups”. NO comments about how Democrats fuck up, which they do often, because Democrats must now be worshipped as idols of goodness and purity. NO suggestions about how we can do better because, by golly, anyone not a full blown Trumper is a paragon of American patriotism. Here’s the thing: Bill Maher doesn’t give a flying fuck what you think. And that is why I will keep watching him. Sure, I disagree with him on a few topics. This is called life, in which we often disagree with other people. He’s on YOUR side, you know, dummies. So, refer to paragraph 1 and change the channel rather than suffer the “pain” you feel watching a dude who has his own show while you do not. Twitter is there for ya. And here’s a true fact for those who need more to get upset about this weekend: the paint color for my bedroom walls is called “sweet Georgia brown”. Please find a way to make this racially offensive. You’ll have fun!
Good post!
Well said. Thank you so much for putting into words what is actually going here but his days are probably numbered. Bill Maher make the mistake of speaking about that in which we are NOT ALLOWED TO SPEAK (the vaccine). This is a topic that gets shut down IMMEDIATELY, eliminating any possibility of a rational, fact-based conversation. The enormous amount of effort being used to shut down vaccine pushback or ANY topic should make people suspicious.
Well said!!
Coulda just taken your own advice and skipped the article.
He’s become bad enough as it is, but my bigger beef is he gives all the wrong people a platform.
Bill doest supply you an echo chamber. Sorry folks
On no topic is Maher more hypocritical than Israel. He skewers religious fascism all over the world yet blindly defends a nation whose existence and geography are based specifically on religious destiny.
I just was getting politically aware as a kid a year or two before Real Time premiered, and I watched it religiously for years. Then not religiously. Then a couple clips online. Then nothing. Exhausting is the right word for it. I’m not even super critical of Maher, though he certainly has some questionable opinions, to say the least. I think he’s generally a talented old-school standup, though his monologue is facile – feels like just his way of warming up the crowd. But he and the format and the guests and the smarm just became too much. Hard to believe it’s still the same thing all these years later!
If you don’t like it, don’t watch it. This article was a total waste of your time
The old Bill Maher warned us not to overreact to a handful of loud Twitter comments.The current Bill Maher loses his collective shit over each and every Twitter comment.The old Bill Maher would invite certified health experts to discuss Covid safety precautions, vaccinations, etc.The current Bill Maher spreads his own theories about masking and vaccinations.The old Bill Maher would call out conservative ideologues like Bannon and Coulter for their bullshit.The current Bill Maher gives them a platform to speak uninterrupted, while rudely cutting off Pete Buttigieg.The old Bill Maher was a champion for California-style politics and government.The current Bill Maher hates California because he had to wait too long for solar panels to be installed at his mansion.The old Bill Maher made fun of Tucker Carlson.The new Bill Maher IS Tucker Carlson.
Maher’s mum loved children. She always wished Bill was one
I stopped watching because of Trump Derangement Syndrome (honestly, too many shows leaned on old Donny. I can’t stand him either, but if your entire viewpoint is “Trump sucks” it’s pretty shallow and uninspired). I just started watching again, and was pleasantly surprised at the diversity of opinions. Yes, Bill is a centrist Democrat and a bit of a codger, but the show is pretty balanced, imo. I don’t see any other platforms even trying to hide their affiliations. Where else are you going to get someone like Ralph Reed on with, well, anyone not from the GOP? It truly is the last place you’ll see at least bi-partisan conversations happening.And yeah, I get tired of some of his hackey bits and obvious “kids today” humor, but he also isn’t afraid of calling bullshit on both the left and the right. Rare these days. Three more years! Three more years!
I guess he’s just not woke enough?
Excuse that word from your vocabulary. No matter which side you consider yourself to be on it makes you look like a tool.
Sure, you can criticize Bill Maher. His views on Israel, vaccines and some other things are controversial and I don’t always agree with him. But at least you can see some genuine debates on his show and hear ALL sorts of opinions instead of just what the network wants you to hear. If you don’t want your views to be challenged then watch Fox News or MSNBC. At least with Real Time people can make up their own minds afterwards.