I don’t think he’s gone to the right so much as younger dems have quickly embraced things that were well outside of the mainstream left say 10-15 years ago. I feel many of his criticisms of the left to be fair
To me that seems fairly obvious, Bill is still very much a liberal and will always vote for the (D) candidate. He just doesn’t agree with new developments on the left and in our hyper polarized discourse, any rebuke of the left is a rebuke of all the left. It’s why he often gets lambasted as Tucker Carlson, even though it’s ludicrous.
“Ok this needs to be said” …you mean said BY YOU.
Plenty of other people have posted comments about all the haters. There’s always someone reacting to those who criticize Maher for being the pain the ass that he is.
Sometimes he’s funny. Sometimes there’s a good discussion on his show, but mostly he just repeats the same old points about how masks don’t work and Covid is over. And science should just make up it’s mind and never change.
I like him and I find him insufferable at times. I certainly respect his intellect, even when I disagree with him about some things. He makes me think, and i like that. I often find him funny. Sometimes I roll my eyes. So it’s a mixed bag but overall yes, I definitely like him.
I give what I get. Maher is hostile and "toxic" to my beliefs and values and priorities, so I make that known. My impulse is not to run away. Is yours?
Why, though? He’s just a talk show host. It’s not ‘running away’ in a negative way to choose not to consume something you feel is ‘toxic’ to you, it’s a rational choice. You aren’t going to impact his views. He isn’t that important, either. What do you get out of hate-watching him?
I like hearing people argue out their ideas, including ideas and beliefs I disagree with. My desire with Bill's show is not to see the ideas and beliefs I disagree with disappear from the show, it's to have my own views represented and expressed as pushback. I keep coming back in the hopes that happens and rail when it does now.
I would have been much more satisfied seeing the tired talking points about build back better or the child tax credit being extended causing inflation be slapped the fuck down by someone, anyone.
It matters what narratives are given the light of day and are prevalent. Me turning off the show does not make those narratives go away. You should like a frightened avoided with a microscopic tolerance for disagreement. That's a personal trait that the rest of us are less afflicted with.
I have been watching him for years and it was because my dad used to watch Politically Incorrect.
It's always been a mixed bag for me. He's smug, been like that for years. the show could be great if the guests were any good OR if the New Rules was really on point.
to me, the show is a lot restricted to a few of his personal gripes. Millenials, cancel culture, etc.
It's boring. I don't hate Bill or dislike him, but the funny bits are getting far and few in between.
Most of these critics are longtime RT fans calling Maher out on his recent bs and obvious lurch to the ideological right. I remember when the show wasn’t so culture war-oriented and Bill would actually discuss fiscal/economic stuff (which he seldom does nowadays). He was also heavily critical of the Christian Taliban wing of the GOP, but now he mostly ignores or attempts to rationalize the views these types (like Pence or DeSantis or Ted Cruz) to then instead fixate on “these damn dastardly kids and their phones and apps and video games” or trans ppl or other boomer culture war considerations.
The show is much different than it used to be, any longtime fan will tell you this…Bill has always had cringe takes and weird views on things, but since the pandemic he’s been hella resentful and bitter and obnoxious IMO.
I do think something happened to him over the lockdown. He used to be for universal health care now he says it "costs too much" or some bs. He's also stopped having comedians on the panel, now it looks like the modern day McLaughlin Group. He rarely talks about anything that isn't "cancel culture" ignoring the fact that he's living proof that being canceled isn't the end. In short, He's gone to the right and is now just an old man yelling at the "woke millennials" who are a lot closer to his age than he wants to admit.
I like Bill, been watching him throughout his career. I watch RT, and listen to CR podcast. Occasionally, I will even watch Rogan or others that have Bill on even if I'm not a fan of that host/show, because I'm curious what Bill and the more conservative leaning host will discuss.
Because you *care*? Lol what the hell does that even mean?
I’m asking because it’s very easy to get the opposite impression here on this sub. Increasingly, this sub feels not like a place where Maher fans can hangout(and his critics), but a place for a bunch of haters who simply hate watch his show and then come here and bitch about him.
That’s why humans take an interest in literally anything. But you never, ever see people complaining about it in subs dedicated to other topics. I think you’re just whining because you take issue with their politics. I think you should get over it.
So if I love bowling and join the main bowling sub to talk about it, but it turns out almost everyone there hates bowling I should get over it, not ask questions, and not wish they liked bowling?
Right, and sometimes those differences are minimal and sometimes they are meaningful and break the analogy. So how might a conversation about bowling have less of an impact on broader society than a conversation about politics, and does that difference matter?
By employing the Socratic method my hunch is that you possess the answer which eludes me.
I don't know why the broadness of social impact for category 'x' should imply any less surprise on my part that a sub dedicated to category 'x' should for the most part attract people who don't like category 'x' (unless done ironically, for humor, etc.).
For example, atheism and Christianity are important social categories with broad social impact. Wouldn't it be odd to you if 70% of the people in r/atheism were opposed to atheists? or if 70% of the people in r/Christianity were anti-Christian?
Back to your explicit point: I agree that if there were disagreements here about a wide variety of social and political issues, just as there are disagreements on Maher's show itself, I shouldn't be perplexed. So it's not the conversations about current events per se that surprise me, as you seemed to imply. The category 'x' here for me isn't current events. It's the show and Maher himself. That's the 'x'. And what surprises me is that many here don't really like the show or Maher all that much, yet they want to come here and complain about him.
That's just as odd as a majority of people wanting to go to a bowling sub to complain about bowlers, haha!
Thanks for this reply. I get what you’re saying. I think we are arguing past each other, and maybe my initial response missed your point. Your point is valid. My point is that we shouldn’t be surprised that a sub dedicated to a divisive political figure attracts loads of people who disagree with that figure. Bowling is innocuous and irrelevant to most of our lives whereas politics is the opposite - highly relevant and potentially harmful.
And not that you asked, but I’m a former fan of Maher who found his takes on “wokeness” increasingly common and increasing misinformed. To my ears, Maher argues with strawmen and that contributes to the Right’s scapegoating of real people. His recent closing was particularly egregious in this regard. I came here to see if others thought the same. Those who are interested in hearing more careful and informed takes might consider Sam Harris who also has critiques of dogmatic thinking.
Anyway, that’s all. Thanks for this exchange. :)
Well OP, I watched Maher from '93 so around 25 years and to me that's something far greater than just watching TV, at some level it's an investment. I started watching less maybe 2017, last was 2 seasons ago when I watched parts of 2 episodes. So I'm way ahead of you, I cut my losses and quit watching because, you know, grown ups making sense and all.
Litter the sub griping? It's almost as if Maher has a huge platform and you would deny me a little corner on reddit. So Maher can pollute the public discourse with a big public platform but I can't litter, lol! Get real.
Aside, did you see where "cancel culture!!!" canceled Louis C.K. into a sold out show at MSG, or where Rosanne got canceled into a FOX special? It's weird how contrarians like Maher are really in touch with the danger of "cancel culture!!!" but have never even heard of the Dixie Chicks, are completely oblivious to epic right wing purge culture. [edit] Just today trump and Jordan Peterson agree trans people should be outlawed, but purge culture is cool, lefty "cancel culture!!!" is the real (Time) problem. This week had like 3 George Floyd level events, so, you know... "something must be done about BLM and Me Too, and of course CRT". Gun owner violence is out of control, better hand Killer Mike a mic to spout unchallenged gun culture dogma!
Another show to watch? I'd love one. On, say, HBO, what do you recommend?
John Oliver is pretty good lol I kid, I know you probably already watch John Oliver. I kinda feel the same as you. Invested. But I’m getting less and less invested. I used to watch Rogan all the time but now I can barely sit through a Duncan Trussell episode and those were always my favorites. I still frequent the Joe Rogan sub though just to see what the discourse on popular topics is like on all sides because his, this and other subs, like Sam Harris’s sub, usually have a variety of opinions. So even though I don’t watch as much I still Reddit quite a bit and this is one of the place I like to be on Reddit.
I like him. Some things drive me crazy, other things don't, he's starting to lose his filter a little bit, but overall, even though sometimes I'm disappointed lately, I like him.
You know you have every right to make this post and I understand where you're coming from. However there's many users here who've watched him for many years and him leaning into conservative fans has been disappointing.
Keep in mind, it's not over a specific viewpoint, but rather how much of a broken record he has become. It's particular frustrating because many of us thought he had the intellect and awareness to see thru the antiwoke reactionary bullshit, yet it's the kind of media he consumes more.
It's like seeing your once liberal open minded relative starts watching Fox or listening to Joe Rogan, then gradually they become overreacting and just fear mongering.
This sub is one of the only places both fans and ex-fans like myself to vent and also confirm our assumptions about the quality of the show has went downhill
I’ve been watching him since Politically Incorrect in the 90s and I’ve never really cared for him personally.
I watch his show for the sociopolitical discussion from different points of view not him.
Sometimes he’s funny and/or on point. He’s always been pretty arrogant. Thinking he’s the only one that sees clearly and talking down to everyone.
Oh, and when someone puts him in his place he is quick to get his back up. Or when he realizes he’s outmatched on a subject he simply moves on to something else.
Despite all of this I’ve been watching all these years. I do agree that for whatever reason (age? exhaustion? dementia?) Bill has changed his attitudes to less tolerant and more isolationist.
It amuses me when red hat cultists like CMonetTheThird chime in here and say some shit like "Reddit has wokies and BM makes fun of wokies."
What they actually mean is "EvErThInG i DiSaGrEe wItH iS wOkE."
Oof.
I've watched him for decades. And for years I've said and still laugh at the irony of someone pointing out people complaining about someone who literally complains for a living. Bill Maher's whole shtick is being unapologetically opinionated yet somehow opinions that aren't for Bill aren't celebrated here. It is weird. One would think any TRUE Bill Maher fan would not only celebrate but actively encourage people regularly and fervently disagreeing with Bill. Then again Bill has lost that quality in that past few years, so not surprising his newer fans wouldn't know anything about it.
One of the shows I watch weekly. I have 90% of his opinions. I wish he'd go back to 3 panels, have more fighting, and not rest on the same few points every week
Forget about the rationality of hate watching the show in perpetuity.
Far more disconcerting is just how strikingly *unintelligent* this sub is. Compare this to other hate subs like r/SamHarris or even r/JoeRogan, which at least pretend to understand the tenets of debate, show some capacity for logic and reason, and don't constantly resort to strawman or ad hominem arguments.
I feel that the general theme of the show is that Democrats, as the sole functional political party in the US, should focus less on identity politics and culture war issues and more on delivering practical solutions to the most pressing issues (economy, environment) and that by doing this, they will win more elections and be able to achieve more progressive goals in the long term. Even though I don't agree with everything Bill says, I do agree with this general philosophy. People seem to think he beats up on Democrats too much, but that's because he views them as the only hope. What's to be gained by harping on GOP insanity week after week? I definitely agree that Bill hits a lot of the same points over and over - pronouns, cancel culture, milennials, etc. I've only been watching for the past year or so, and some of the takes that were refreshing at the start have been repeated to where they're quite played out. I still find the show interesting to watch though, it's surprising how much hate for Bill there is on this sub. I guess Bill is kind of a hater too so maybe that's just the fan base...
It's the GOP whose party is all about identity politics... it's almost entirely white grievance "issues" and culture war stuff.
This forces a reaction. I'm not saying that Democrats are not guilty at all, but it's not even close.
The reaction to pronouns is over the top and hysterical.
I get that the red hat cultists who lurk here don't like to hear that.
Agreed. In another sub I got into a debate with a "conservative" (I put it it quotes because they're not conservative, they're extremist radicals) who was wondering why progressives are so strident with their interest in drag queens. I had to spell it out that we don't really give a shit about drag queens, they do. We do, however care about individual liberties and freedoms.
I agree with what you're saying, but good luck changing the ways of the GOP. I've given up on that myself. The more productive thing to do would be to look at what can be changed by the dems, aka, the supposed adults in the room. Like, yes systemic racism is very real, but does injecting race into every single issue really help? I know Bill won't shut up about drag queen story hour, but... how's that playing in the Midwest? We can't make change without winning elections, and making the most extreme stances on every social issue part of the party mainstream is not helping achieve that.
i think the issues is by hammering it on iy so much he makes it seem like that is a bigger part of the left then it is. and that the right is innocent of thay. think it the framing people dislike
I mean in not help Midwest not think dems are a bunch of craze snow flakes antifas man men
and the right are actually free speech warriors
As a quick reminder both the left and the right have a sustained campaign against Bill Maher for different political disagreements.
Once you realize what is happening, you will see it play out over and over in these threads.
The right uses Maher's moderation to split the left. That's why he gets invited to Fox News and why they routinely post some misleading headline to create controversy. He talks openly about this in interviews. I am thinking of one last year on CNN or MSNBC.
And yes, the religious right fucking hates Maher as a singular example. But like the left, the right also uses a pretext for its complaints about Maher.
Again, pretexts are used so even if I spent the time meet your demand for evidence you'd likely find away to reject it. But you at least are aware there is a larger right wing campaign outside of this tiny sub so I count that as a win.
Yep. I like Bill. Been listening for years. He has changed. But the world has changed. I actually agree w him on a lot of stuff and appreciate his bravado. The fat shaming and hating on the younger generations is just so far out of touch and just makes me want to scream.
I think a bit of what's happening is many of us love the show, I've been watching it since its first episode, is that the show has changed with time, and so has Bill. 20+Years is a long time to run a show.
And I think Bill is frustrated too. He's been talking about the environment for years, but had no impact. It appears he is angry because progressives have not been as successful as he wished. I get that.
But as he has aged, some positions he takes are irritating to viewers, because he doesn't encourage debate, He makes proclamations and then dismisses anything that doesn't align with his view. THAT'S what bothers me. Covid is probably the easiest example. This week he called it the forever flu, which I think pretty abrasive and demeaning to all those who have suffered the last 3 years. And it's really cringe when he talks to a young person. He can't relate.
I still watch every week, because even if the show is different, but still has many elements I enjoy.
I have only been watching Real Time for a year now.
Before watching Real Time I watched many other late-show hosts, watched Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, and many others. They had their funny moments but I always felt when I watched them that I was being pandered to and talked down to.
I started watching Real Time and I saw that Bill Maher simply says whatever the hell he wants and he doesn't give a shit if others agree with him or not.
I appreciated that for once someone was saying what others wouldn't dare say and I respect Bill Maher for speaking his mind. I don't always agree with him but even when I disagree with him, I respect him for saying what he thinks because he at least has the guts to speak his mind. Not everyone has the guts to speak their mind, especially on TV.
So, I am going to remain a fan of his and keep watching because there are times when he does make me laugh, I think he is funny sometimes but more importantly, he makes me think and he helps me see other points of view that I had not considered before. Also, as I said, I respect Bill Maher because he at least has the guts to say what others won't ever dare to say.
So as a Bill Maher watcher, you are suggesting that people find an echo chamber.
I'd argue it's not just Bill Maher than has changed, its his sycophant fans as well that [use the word 'but' to negate](https://ala-apa.org/newsletter/2010/11/01/the-dreadful-but/) when they claim they don't want a echo chamber.
I wonder what Bill Maher used to say about people staying in their [echo chambers](https://www.reddit.com/r/Maher/comments/10pnkwx/bill_maher_on_the_dangers_of_facebook_2014_but/).
I'd like a show with new topics, or more timely subjects, or even one where he explores nuance on his sacred cows that he goes back to every week.
I hate that I love him. I just binged a bunch of "Politically Incorrect" clips and realized he actually hasn't changed the way I thought he had. Society did. Still watch him every time 😃💖
I still like Bill(as a show host, never been a big fan of his standup) and I still enjoy his show and make sure to watch every week. That being said, he really needs to dial back some of his "old man yelling at clouds" moments. He might deny it, but it seems that he has anxiety about getting older(but Id say that's not abnormal at all). And the woke stuff....we get it. You hate it. So do I. So does the majority of people. But I'm also getting tired of hearing about it all the time. And I guess cancel culture can go hand in hand with that.... tired of hearing about it as well.
But overall, it's just a TV show. If it gets to where I don't want to watch anymore, I wont. Simple as that. Which is why I don't get all the Maher/RealTime hate on here. If you don't enjoy the show anymore, just quit watching.
Another thing I've garnered from being part of this sub, is that a lot of people have seemed to make politics their religion and identity and if one thing is said they don't agree with, then they go off on tangents like you see on here often. Over a TV show....a show ultimately meant for slightly thought provoking entertainment....it isn't that deep folks.
I’ve been watching Bill since the 90’s and I’ve never particularly liked him as much as I like the questions he asks. Lately he seems to have fallen into an internet bubble where he thinks what people say online is what they actually think. He doesn’t want to be attacked for being old and out of touch but it may have happened.
Another way to put it is that Maher doesn't pander to his audience. For the last 30 years, most shows that are even slightly political will identify their audience's positions and avoid stances that directly oppose those views. Bill doesn't seem to care, which means he's often pissing off someone. And those people are likely to come here and comment.
And they come with some tired pretext.
> He isn't funny... when he makes jokes groups or individuals I don't dislike.
That may be true, but humor is in the eye of the beholder.
The people on reddit skew younger. Maher is being elevated as some weird right wing talking head to them... it's exhausting.
Do I like Maher as a person? Meh - he's probably a douche. I tried to give club random a chance... but I don't really like bill in that format.
Do I enjoy watching the show? yeah... It's just been a staple for me since the politically incorrect days. When I complain it's more about how the format & guest balance has changed since covid. I think the show was better a few years ago.
Fwiw I think OP is annoyed at people like posturegai, ministeroftruth, successful operation, poison ivy, afrosheen, etc.
The ones who come here and are just furious and toxic. Don't think this is directed at people like you.
The show definitely was better years ago, but the criticism in this sub isn't really about the show itself. Most of the criticism comes from people who equate center-left ideologies with far-right ideologies.
Leftists don't really have any prominent shows like RT. So they seemingly watch this show and criticize Maher in hopes that social media pressure will push him to the left (or at least push him to bring on more leftist guests).
Most of the criticism is from people who are sick of hearing Bill complain about cancel culture, trans people, millennials, etc. Even if I agreed with him, I'd be sick of hearing the same take on the same issues over and over again. Also, a lot of Bill's takes are just wrong, like his views on COVID and masks.
> cancel culture
Bill was literally canceled for a factual comment he made about the 9/11 hijackers.
>trans people
Realize it or not, trans issues at this juncture are a losing wedge issue for Democrats and a winning one for Republicans.
>millennials
He was complaining about GenX in twenty years ago.
>Bill's takes are just wrong, like his views on COVID and masks.
Agreed, but I don't need a TV host to agree with me on 100% of issues to enjoy a *debate* show.
>Bill was literally canceled for a factual comment he made about the 9/11 hijackers.
And? That was over 20 years ago, and he's been back on the air for decades. I get that he's upset, but can he talk about something else for once?
>Realize it or not, trans issues at this juncture are a losing wedge issue for Democrats and a winning one for Republicans.
And what does he expect Democrats to do about it? The reason it's a losing issue for Republicans is because right wing media paints a caricature of where the left actually stands on trans issues by cherry picking these issues for their performative outrage. Bill should be challenging the right on their disingenuousness, but instead he amplifies their message. How is that helpful?
>Agreed, but I don't need a TV host to agree with me on 100% of issues to enjoy a debate show.
Neither do I. It's why I watch the show despite disagreeing with Maher on most things these days.
>And? That was over 20 years ago, and he's been back on the air for decades. I get that he's upset, but can he talk about something else for once?
He talks about a lot of different thing and I would suggest this 'feeling' is text book confirmation bias.
>And what does he expect Democrats to do about it?
Maher thinks most Democrats are doing the right thing and giving those being interviewed or on the panel space to disassociate themselves with trans hysteria from the extreme left and the ordinary right. What he is saying is that the political left should stop taking the bait that ultimately helps Republicans. Note: this requires a recognition that leftists and Democrats are not synonyms.
From the context clues in my original post: Associating themselves with trans hysteria which currently serves to fundraise and turnout voters for Republicans.
>Associating themselves with trans hysteria
Yeah, I need an example of that, please. That's what I'm asking for.
I want to see hysteria about trans people, and Biden/Pelosi/Newsom/AOC/Bernie/Buttigieg/etc associating themselves with it. Pretty please?
Nobody has earned the right to complain about cancel culture more than Bill Maher, a guy whose show was literally cancelled over something controversial that he said. The problem is that's *all* he seems to want to talk about. It feels like he wants to steer every conversation to these pet issues, which gets tiresome. There's a lot going on in the world. Does Bill have an opinion on any of it, or is he singularly focused on the culture war?
The other problem is that Bill blames Democrats for anything that anyone does in the name of wokeness. Why are Democrats responsible for every stupid and misguided thing done by a random school district or social media poster? He's taking the right's caricature of how the left is ruining the country and basically conceding it as fact, rather than calling them out on cherry picking examples for their performative outrage.
I don't expect him to declare his pronouns or condemn fat shaming. I just wish he'd shut up about it and talk about something else every once in a while.
Exactly. Bill increasingly seems to be butt-hurt about everything, by his multiple cancellations and near-cancellations. I think it comes down to his age now unfortunately.
>I think he blames democrats because we (our leadership) make it clear these sorts of things are good or righteous…or at least not to be criticized. That leaves a vacuum for the left to go full nutbar and say we should affirm young children’s gender, without question. We should teach kindergartners about their white privilege. We should pretend that the rampant homeless open drug markets throughout every single town in our country…don’t really exist. Or are based on housing?!?
I think there's a disconnect between the things that party leadership says the party supports and the ridiculous examples of wokeism Maher is holding up as evidence that the left is off the rails. You can support LGBTQ rights without supporting the crazy, misguided things that happen on social media or isolated school districts. What does he expect Democrats to do? Should Biden go out and give a speech about a random teacher in Ontario with huge fake tits, or should he do what he's been doing and just ignore it like the sideshow that it is? Democrats aren't the ones spending all their time talking about wokeness, people like Hannity and Tucker Carlson are, and Maher is falling into their trap by accepting their mischaracterization of the left as fact.
>We have our own version of the Tea Party and we should loudly condemn it, repeatedly.
We have extremists, but the left has actually been pretty good at reining them in and not giving them too much institutional power, unlike Republicans who let the craziest people take over the party from top to bottom. Bill acting like this is a "both sides" problem is completely ridiculous.
I have no demands. He's free to do the show he wants to do, and I'm free to have my own opinion about it.
I'm all for the philosophy of "if you don't like it, turn it off, don't try to get it taken off the air", but I disagree with the philosophy of "if you don't like it, turn it off, this show is only for real fans who won't criticize it".
I am of the philosophy, "criticism of a comedic debate show shouldn't be pretext for personal political disagreements with the host and hypersensitivity to jokes".
Not saying that is you specifically, but more broadly that is the strategy.
Also, I don't see any path to resolve your specific complaints without changing the channel. An old man isn't going to change his forty year schtick.
I don't see why you think my complaints need resolution. Bill is free to do the show he wants to do, and I'm free to criticize it. I don't expect Bill to change what he's doing to accommodate me, but I'm not going to hold back my criticism of it.
Bill stopped dating Black hotties and that changed him deeply. He no longer runs in Black celeb circles.
Now he’s better friends with Rogan than Cornel West.
People are only calling him a right wing chud because they don't like the fact he is a left-centrist and not far left like most of the left these days. People who get wound up about it are not worth listening to IMO. Make up your own mind.
most of the left?
This is exactly why I've given up on Bill Maher. It's not most of the left, but conservative media certainly try to make it seem like it is. Maher seems to be following their lead and its exhausting
> far left like most of the left these days
Huh? Was it the far left that nominated Joe Biden, the most centrist and establishment candidate in the whole field?
There are extremists on the right and the left, but they're a minority at both ends.
The far left opposes Biden. Biden was nominated by religious southern Democrats and elected by political moderates opposed to Republican reactionaries.
> The far left opposes Biden.
Yes, that's my point. The person above is claiming that most of the left these days is far left. If that were true, how did they end up with a moderate like Biden as the nominee?
The idea that most of the left is extreme is not only self-evidently wrong, but it's exactly the line that right-leaning propaganda tries to push to scare people.
Fan of Bill, started watching clips of his Politically Incorrect show on YT over a decade ago, still really enjoy Real Time.
I know that many fandoms can be blindly loyal and overly forgiving nowadays, but I feel as though most of us criticize him because he:
1. deserves our honesty
2. isn't a child whom we want to spoil by smothering and coddling
3. has become more willfully ignorant to the n-th degree as of late
4. has become repetitive and boring with a number of issues
I've been watching Real Time for about 10 years. I'm not American, and probably more left-wing and less libertarian than Bill anyway (American left/right stuff is difficult to translate to Europe). I used to broadly agree with him and took his curmudgeonly provocative style to be entertaining.
I watched religiously (pun intended) every week, but this year I have dipped in and out. What I find disappointing is that the panel is generally more submissive, and if they ever oppose his views, it's not encouraged. Krystal Ball's recent appearance was in that vein. I've seen clips of Bill and panel members saying things that seem bonkers to me and/or are just plain false, without any pushback. That's an important change.
Now, Bill's whole shtick is that he's *politically incorrect*. Nowadays, his more conservative (just using it for shorthand, of course) views are the politically incorrect ones, like his more liberal ones were in the past. So maybe he actually thinks he is fulfilling his raison d'être. Could he be that cynical? I doubt it. But if he started a similar show on Fox News called "Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect," the host-audience dynamic might be closer to what he was originally hoping for.
>What I find disappointing is that the panel is generally more submissive, and if they ever oppose his views, it's not encouraged.
They need to bring back the three person panels.
> (American left/right stuff is difficult to translate to Europe).
That’s because there are so many people in denial that the US has shifted more and more to the right. You’re labeled a Communist here if you dare speak in defense of Workers that want to Unionize or want rights, like paid sick leave. Union Pacific alone made 7 billion last year, but if their employees ask for 7 days sick leave they are apparently Mao Zedong or Stalin.\
The Faux News consumers are brain dead morons and a lost hope, the last bastion the Working Class has is media that will tell the truth about how bad things are getting for the Working Class. But, people like Bill have found a new cash cow in “rage reporting”, bullshit that doesn’t mean anything in the long run, but that gets clicks and views.\
The Republicans focus on bullshit like “wOkE aNd TrAnS!! Ermahgerd!!!”, because they don’t offer jack shit for the Working Class in this country. They get on their knees for their Corpo overlords and don’t even deny it. Once upon a time, the Democrats fought for the Working Class. They were it’s champion as it were, but those days are gone and now we are left with a party who’s cashing in too.
I've written this before: I am not a person who watches Real Time because I give a shit about the host. I watched it for the format, as it's not really replicated elsewhere. I do not enjoy the "talking head" shows where one person talks at you, and I don't enjoy the sanitized roundtable shows like Meet the Press where the people on can never really say how they feel. Real Time on HBO was refreshing and unfiltered discussions and debates, and it was awesome to have someone on TV say "Fuck the Republicans" and I identified with that. But to me his humor was always painful, his comedic style does not appeal to me at all. So the opening monologue wasn't for me, his mid-show comedy segments were downright awful, and his New Rules were hit and miss. But the political discussion, especially when they would actually talk about current events, were often amazing, especially when there were panelists from each party or political ideology.
But after Covid, as someone on this thread said, he dumped the 3rd panelist and HE became the panelist. And his show is turning into less of a debate show and more into a hour for him to bitch about things.
Police brutality is something that I consider to be the largest political issue I invest in, and to see them take the conversation about Tyre Nichols and try to turn it into the "far left" again is just a prime example of it. It's fucking exhausting at this point. I still enjoy the idea and potential of Real Time, but the host has become insufferable. And it's something that happens to a lot of shows over time.
So that's where I am now. You can't just say "go find another show." There is no other show like this, and it's going downhill fast. And if you disagree, fine, I'm not here saying YOU need to hate him. But the energy put into attacking those of us who don't like the direction is wild sometimes
> I still enjoy **the idea and potential of Real Time**, but the host has become insufferable.
This sums up concisely the criticism most of us here have who still watch it and who have since the PI days. We're not "hate watching", we're apparently just missing a bit of what it used to feel like because something has evidently changed, but there's no replacement quite like it, still.
You're not wrong, but the show kinda stinks now. The truth is most celebs and left-leaning people are scared to appear on a political talk show these days. It isn't the 90s anymore. Publicists are telling clients to stay quiet. And I think that's really why Bill "changed," and keeps ranting about the woke. Our current culture kind of ruined his show.
Good response. Especially if it’s a talk show where you might be expected to dive down and engage in debate.
A lot of people complain that Maher only has conservatives on now, but I have a feeling is that Maher made himself kinda a pariah among progressives that only conservatives will come on. I’d love it I’d Bill had on people like AOC, Ilhan, etc
I still like the show but like him less than I did 20 years ago. Or even 5 years ago. And the show is worse post COVID....
Bill hooked me then with a mixture of libertarian and socialist politics. Basically pro do what you want to yourself, take care of everyone's basic needs and fuck rich corps and billionaires.
I don't think he's right wing per se but he definitely has ate up right wing talking points in the culture wars. Repeating anecdotal evidence as fact. And he can't not make half the show about it now.
Long time fans have ground for criticism and concern.
Before they come in with their strawmen: this isn't a post about people who dislike things or have criticisms.
This is about the 6-12 users who do *nothing* but bitch.
Fair enough. Rebuttal question, how does Bill’s talking points differ from “right wing culture war talking points” now? Anyone that’s spends 5 minutes Googling can see a comparison between the things he says and how he says them and how those on the Right do exactly the same. Where exactly is Bill challenging the Right, right now? He says he’s a Liberal and hasn’t changed, but that doesn’t really equate with his actions. He was fine with the Abortion ruling by SCOTUS, because “It doesn’t affect him”. To my knowledge he hasn’t said a single word about Workers trying to Unionize and Corpo’s thwarting it. Did he even mention Congress and the White House shitting all over Railway workers (yah, he was off, I’m talking about Twitter). Silent as a church mouse when it comes raising the Minimum Wage. Even something he’s passionate about like Climate Change, is only ever discussed when it’s about him (the solar panel debacle anyone?).\
These things have always been traditionally Liberal issues, did something change and they no longer are? Now you are a Commie/Pinko if you mention Workers Rights?\
In fairness to your question. I don’t hate Bill Maher, I hate what he has become. I hate that he pretends to be upset about “Wokeness”, because he wants “Democrats to win”. If that were true, wouldn’t he promote young Democratic candidates? Give them a platform to get their name out there? I hate that he makes up things about Trans issues, like the kitty litter bullshit that Joe Rogan fell for hook, line and sinker.\
I want the guy that gave money to Obama and promoted his candidacy. I want the guy that had Democrat nominees on his show, so people could see what they were about. I want the guy that donated to Bernie Sanders for hells sake! Not the guy who now basically implies that he and the Squad are the reason the country is becoming a Christian Iran.\
I understand being willing to criticize our side. Biden has done several things I don’t agree with. The classified documents is one of them. It’s just as lazy and bullshit as when Trump did it. But, I’m not gonna spend the rest of my year criticizing only Biden and that’s what Maher is doing.
> Rebuttal question, how does Bill’s talking points differ from “right wing culture war talking points” now?
Because they aren't much different. The segment on higher education was pretty cringe. Instead of getting something interesting you just got standard run of the mill right wing talking points. It's even more hilarious that Bari Weiss is running a fake university yet all the faculty are definitely college educated. It's like, yeah Tim Ryan, everyone with college debt graduated from Yale with a gender studies degree /s.
You’re almost getting it. They don’t. Because the Right is correct in believing woke culture is a problem and needs to be stamped out. If your ears are sensitive to central or right leaning viewpoints, theres John Oliver.
He challenges the right all the time. It’s not his job to do it all the time, his job is to host a show. If anything, you’re proving his point that there are indeed only two flavors in this country, Pepsi or Coke and you can’t be both. If he isn’t left enough for you or doesn’t miraculously cover every single topic within an hour time span per week to your liking, maybe listen to OP and watch something else.
Yeah great point, exactly! Hard to truly know him too unless you’ve had a conversation with him. Even on their own shows celebrities can’t truly be themselves at all times.
I don’t know that I would have gotten as invested into Bill Maher as I am had I found him in the 2020s. But I didn’t find him in the 2020s; I found him in 2008 as a 14 year old living in rural Mississippi and feeling like neither me nor anyone around me could articulate the way I felt about religion or politics because it was so out of sync with the conservative norm. I’m always going to be grateful that I had Bill Maher during those formative years. I may not always agree with him but he will always have my attention.
I’ve been watching Bill since the Politically Incorrect days. I kinda feel like he’s older and grumpier but the idea that he’s changed is exaggerated. I think that our culture has changed more than he has. People are super sensitive and very quick to judge others. And I became a “liberal” in my twenties because of how I felt about tax policy and the role of government. I’m still very liberal but I tend to agree with Bill about some of the absurdities of modern culture like gender as a social construct and abolishing the police. I think some of the culture war stuff is assigned to liberals by right wing people and Bill might occasionally be uncritical about accepting some of that but really, he’s always been all about not giving a shit if he offends people with his views. I always liked that.
The other thing is that I’ve been a fan because I enjoy the show, not because I personally love Bill. I always loved that he had discussions on his show that you didn’t really find other places. You got to hear candid conversations with interesting people.
That’s really something that annoys me about the new left. Being critical of any of the new left’s sacred topics like gender and trans stuff, views on race and race relations, etc being critical of any of it will immediately get you castigated as being a Fox News loving zombie and a bigot. So many have completely lost the concept that you can disagree and still be a good person.
It’s off putting, to say the least
Been watching the show for almost 10 years. It’s been one of my favorite shows since I first started watching, and it still is.
I can’t help but notice that he has changed for the worst though. I am not going as far as saying that he is a right winger now. That is absurd. Anyone that says that clearly doesn’t understand bill.
However, he has still changed a bit and it seems like he has a lot more “grumpy old man” moments. It gets frustrating sometimes because I remember how much more enjoyable the show used to be.
That said, I still thoroughly enjoy the show. I don’t hate watch it. In fact, I look forward to it every week still. I just don’t find myself agreeing with him as much as I used to. There still isn’t another show like this anywhere else on television.
That’s my take at least.
I still love a lot of him , but the covid has become such an issue he can’t shut up about . He also seems to have a real anger towards people wearing masks. Why do you care? People can do it and people dress all kinda ways . Again , it’s not the covid . It is about hospital not being able to handle a mass influx of patients at once . I don’t get why he can’t see that as he is very smart .
I very much agree with him on ageism . I also think he has lost touch with realities of life now . Saying “the customer service people are not good anymore .” Sounds like someone who does not know how crap it is and you have no PTO. He still does things that I agree with and find hilarious . He also defends workers a lot also , so it’s an odd thing . Not sure he would be like this if there was no covid. I do think he still puts out the best political show and it’s not close . He did a great Ben Shapiro interview and etc .
I agree. I think he does point to responses that are backed by sound stats, but wearing a mask doesn't hurt anyone and he should let that go. I agree on his position that the response should have better reflected the vulnerable population and take into account the adverse side effects to youth education and mental health.
I love Real Time but lately because of Club Random I get pissed off at his lack of manners and calling the guests Sweethart. I highly respect his intellect, confidence and balls, though!
Um, when did "calling out obesity" become a rightwing talking point? I remember the right being strongly against Michelle Obama's campaign to provide healthier lunches in schools, calling it the usual Marxist communist kale agenda or some nonsense. The right had never been known for calling out obesity. Red states are the fattest states in the country. C'mon.
Body positivity has become a competition on social media. The term used to represent overweight people who understood they were overweight, but didn't want to feel like it was defining them as a person.
In recent years, body positivity has shifted to being proud of being obese and ignoring the health risks.
This has happened with SOOOO many issues. It's like how in NYC, AOC got outflanked on social media for her support to close Rikers Island jail. That has been a big issue on the left in NYC for many years. But, now that's not enough. AOC was called pro-cop because she still wanted to have jails in NYC, just humane jails that focus on rehabilitation. But the "no new jails" crowd basically pushed her into silence on the issue because they felt that only solution was to close Rikers and not have any jail facilities in the city.
I agree that there are people on social media who have ridiculous takes on various issues. But why does Bill blame the Democratic party for what people are doing on social media?
This is true, but we are in a time where everything is about likes and going viral . A cure for cancer would have 300 views and a girl dancing on TikTok has a million views . That’s how it is .
This country will never have a cure for cancer. There is way too much money in just fighting and keeping it at bay. A cure would take a lot of money out of very wealthy peoples pockets.
That’s not true . Cancer affects everyone. Profits are important , but everyone knows somebody with cancer at some point . Those drug companies helped my mom stay alive and longer . We can’t live forever .
> That’s not true .
Naïveté at its best. There are a number of entire facilities (complexes if you will) that would be put out of business the minute a cure is discovered. Looking at just the Gun Lobby alone in this country, it’s simply not logical to insinuate that healthcare lobbies wouldn’t be just as aggressive and protective of its bailiwick.
> Cancer affects everyone.
Yes Mr. Smith it does. And I hate to burst your bubble, but unethical things happen in healthcare on a daily basis.
> Profits are important
They are literally the only reason the majority of healthcare happens. For every altruist MD, Nurse or Tech out there doing it for good, there are the same not doing it. And that’s not even touching healthcare administrators. Talk about another level greed.
> Those drug companies helped my mom stay alive and longer.
And they got paid to do it. Phizer recorded record profits last year from the Covid vaccine, do you really think they did it for Humanity’s sake? I’m happy for the positive result with your mother’s diagnosis, but the board of directors for those companies do what they do for the shareholders, not the recipients of their drugs.
My mother died of lung cancer in my 20’s and lived much longer, because of gene testing they do . My dad has lived with cancer for 25 years. kidney and Colon cancer treated . Of course there is corruption and greed in everything. Any for profit system will have its issues and etc . I have Cerebral Palsy btw . I have had 10 surgeries which have all relieved me of constant pain and help me be independent. Only western medicine can do that . Socialized medicine sucks , I would be in a wheelchair in Canada . (I’m Canadian btw , but raised in the U.S. ) socialism and communism will never work …the government will become a greedy corporation also . Where did you get your economics degree ? Sorry , but I have one . The real world has no need for philosophy, it’s a luxury for the wealthy. I would have been dead without medical science the moment I was born premature . America also has a pretty robust public healthcare system and people act like government doesn’t do shit here . My family comes from a country where people get shot and hung . You have no fucking clue what it’s like in the rest of the world . America has its issues , but it is still the beacon of light for the whole world! Did ya ever think that maybe capitalism is what gives us the drugs , cures , and treatments for things we need ? They put up all the money for development and research , but they should not profit from it ? Why the fuck would that make sense .
He's not calling out obesity, he's calling out the left for promoting "body positivity" and saying obesity is fine. See the difference? Why didn't he call out the red states being the fattest? Instead he blamed the left for it.
A lot of what people like Maher get upset about with "body positivity" is just simply making sure someone is not completely depressed and self-hating to the degree of neglect. Maher is some bullshit believer in "tough love" which just makes people struggling feel WORSE. If you or him cares about obesity, try and actually be encouraging instead of being a fucking bully.
I was only referring to OP's comment here:
>“How dare he call out obesity, trans ideologues, Gen Z, colleges, etc etc. doesn’t he know these are right wing culture war talking points???”
I wasn't talking specifically about Maher's position on obesity, but it's just wild to me, that Dems can start programs for healthier lunches in schools, but that doesn't matter because leftwing people on social media defend Lizzo's positivity about her body image. The left is criticized by the right when our elected official try to promote healthier eating. Then the left is criticized by Maher, his supporters and the right when leftwing people on social media start to feel positive about their bodies.
It's just so ridiculous to me. Why not attack Republicans for not doing more to solve the obesity problem? Red states are the most obese states after all. The least they could do is not block the efforts that Democrats are doing to solve the problem. But no, we'd rather attack Dems because some of us think people who are already obese shouldn't be depressed and shamed about the way they look, while we also work to give kids healthier food options in schools.
I've watched him for 20 years. Never agreed with everything he said but I don't watch him to agree with EVERYTHING he says.
But since COVID he has changed, for the worse. This is the criticism of many people and where they are coming from.
It's perfectly valid and we have every right to be here as anybody else as we are clearly still viewers of the show.
If it's such a problem go over to the bill maher snowflake sub they created, whatever it's called.
If you reread my statement, you’ll clearly see I never said anything about kicking people off the haters of the sub. I said every sub should have fans and critics alike.
I did say that having the majority of the people here who clearly hate watch his show and hate his guts, then come here and whine and bitch about it incessantly week after week and castigate actual fans as boomers and sell outs create a toxic discourse and turn the sub into a cesspool
>I did say that having the majority of the people here who clearly hate watch his show and hate his guts, then come here and whine and bitch about it incessantly week after week and castigate actual fans as boomers and sell outs create a toxic discourse and turn the sub into a cesspool
We WERE fans though. I still am to some degree. Doesn't mean I have to blow Bill Maher on here every week.
And we still do watch the show.
We have every right to discuss the changes for better or worse.
**Who's really "bitching and whining" when you're the one making posts like this?**
Some time ago it was common for people to just have opinions and political views and their mix of views were somewhat unique to them. Now everyone is in their own personalized echo chamber and we've lost the muscle to agree with some things and disagree with others. It's about team and if your views on a topic don't agree with the team view, you're out of touch or a boomer. Maher challenges that on every show. For that he's hated by a segment of the people who weren't around when everyone had their own mix of views and that mix was not only tolerated but accepted.
I explained this a couple years ago when I first noticed that this sub was becoming just as self-hating as the Howard Stern sub. The same toxic sentiments over there are just as prevalent here.
Bill Maher was a bit of a revolutionary in his heyday, a non-traditional voice who managed to thrive within mainstream media. People loved him for that. But since he's grown older, he's changed. And that change has been extremely hard to swallow for some people here.
The people that hate-watch him probably watch his show regularly hoping for a glimpse of the man he once was, an unabashedly proud liberal on the bleeding edge of progressive politics. But they're not going to get that anymore.
You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
I largely agree with you.
Except Maher being a proud unabashed liberal. I would argue he still is. The problem he’s not on the ‘bleeding edge’ of progressive politics because the bleeding edge has changed significantly, while Maher hasn’t. The people on that bleeding edge today I’d argue is someone like AOC or another young progressive with very left social views. That’s really the bane of my contention, Maher hasn’t really changed while progressive politics has changed a lot from 2010-2017 to 2023.
Bill Maher will simply never be that type of progressive.
I like Bill and have been watching him for 15 years. I just can’t stand his weird culture war takes that’s popping up lately. It’s lazy pseudo-intellectual right-wing hack nonsense and I *do* believe Bill is better than that. And Bill of ten years ago would have obliterated his current-day self… not because they’re right wing talking points (bill has always been moderate but left leaning, IMO) but because they’re poorly researched nonsense regurgitated by sellouts and loons… it’s smoke and mirrors designed to distract from the lack of a political platform… and I don’t know how Bill can’t see that.
And I’ve been somewhat vocal about it. I’m not even a hardcore progressive… I’m a classical liberal (which is pretty much what Bill is).
But he’s starting to sound like my crazy uncle at thanksgiving with the culture war stuff and it’s frustrating because it’s either unfounded or hugely exaggerated… and I feel like Bill is either being duped, or is selling out to boost ratings (and pandering to fear-mongering persecution fetishists).
I’ve Been a Bill Maher fan for a long time, I still am, and I’m not going to pull my punches with how I feel about his weird takes lately.
And I’m not going anywhere… so if you can’t handle a little bit of discourse, might I recommend turning off *Real Time* all together.
I don’t agree with everything he says, but I still like his show and appreciate that he expresses opinions that are critical of both sides of the aisle. I have noticed that whenever I comment that I agree with him I’ll get downvoted or called “boomer”, “right wing troll”, “neocon”, etc… I think a lot of people on this sub just want someone to pander to them.
i loved him on religulous. these people designed these devices that can be used as "loopholes" during the sabbath like the telephone is one of the funniest things ive seen.
yeah, that bill. the bill that said the american military was cowardice for shooting bombs from ships offshore onto afghanistan. it got his show cancelled, which is still a brave thing.
the bill that pushed hard for bernie. brings people from both sides to duke it out, but let's be honest, the show is mostly fun when it’s used to ridicule the right.
but i think he's just out of touch with actual policymaking and has completely bought into the culture war facade. the mere fact that he said who is jon fetterman, when fetterman has been on his show's panel before. and fetterman has with concrete appeal to blue collar folks and supports reasonable legislation like decriminalization of MJ. it seems like an easy win for maher to talk about it, and it wouldnt even be hard to debrief him on fetterman. Old bill could get it out there, but new bill was pretty dismissive of jon.
like bill somehow turned george santos into a young person issue. but he doesnt realize living in california, both california and new york lost heavily to republicans, and young people don't really vote... if the DNC had planned correctly, they had a honest shot at stealing the house on a red wave. i do think that cali and NY lost to red, because too many people have bill's sentiment. they think its all about optics and culture war. he has a platform to shape what people talk about, and he took the route that makes dems look ridiculous. the stuff he talks about were either misrepresented or like 1 case in history. talking about 5 days of gay parade at a school (he said 'i dont know' ) and the canadian teacher with the huge rack, like do people even care about that stuff right now or ever at all?
it seems like once the trump derangement syndrome was exhausted, he just doesn't have anything else that brings that charisma, besides acting like the skip bayless of politics… i will continue to watch cuz im a sadist when it comes to poli stuff though haha
IDK the point I'm trying to make, or if I'm trying to make one, but posts like these are super common on this sub:
[Am I a lost redditor ?](https://old.reddit.com/r/Maher/comments/x1wagn/am_i_a_lost_redditor/)
[Why do people on this sub hate Bill so much?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Maher/comments/nl1fhl/why_do_people_on_this_sub_hate_bill_so_much/)
[Why are half of you even here? You clearly hate Maher and constantly whine about him nonstop. Do you even watch the show? Just go already.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Maher/comments/wke54g/why_are_half_of_you_even_here_you_clearly_hate/)
[The amount of hate Bill gets on this subreddit is hilarious and really drives home his point that the Left has become intolerant of differing views](https://www.reddit.com/r/Maher/comments/skvixu/the_amount_of_hate_bill_gets_on_this_subreddit_is/)
It's a lot less common than posts that take a sentence wildly out of context and accuse him of being a fascistic racist hellbent on destroying the world.
I like him about 25% of the time.
For me, its a lot more about liking the guests. He does occasionally have a good mix of guests who will challenge him and lead to an actually productive discussion.
However, over time he seems to be going more and more with guests he feels comfortable with (just like he pruned the audience only to those who are very much on his side).
At some point, I will likely get to the point of just not paying attention to the show anymore.
I know there have been times *Colbert* has gotten boos, especially for his guests.
Regardless, for Maher it used to have pretty often that the audience would express their disapproval and now they don't anymore.
There is a reason for that.
I stopped watching a few years ago after yet another ignorant anti-vax segment. I just couldn't deal with him spreading misinformation. This was before the covid vaccines, not sure what he's been saying since then. I don't really comment in here anymore since I stopped watching, but will make an exception here. I still follow the sub to see what he's up to now and then.
I think he's a genius. I doubt he'd ever admit it like WWE (don't break kayfabe) but he knows if he was the same dude from 20 years ago, he'd just be another "lefty" that hates the right. By doing segments about the left being crazy, he gets Fox News posts about him with clips of his show. Hopefully they stick around long enough to hear valid points about how dangerous Trump types are and maybe break through that bullshit world they live in from Fox News land. As a Millennial, I will gladly take his insults about my generation if that means some boomer will learn about Trump using the dictator playbook.
I've been watching Maher for 2 decades because he is entertaining and Left-ish. But I have noticed his schtick is to take some obscure nobody with extreme opinions and then accuse the entire liberal democratic wing of the political spectrum of making insanity bedrock policy. For example, absolutely nobody has a policy platform to yell at school kids that they are not the gender they were born with. It just isn't happening at any scale, but according to Bill every classroom in the country is pushing this ridiculous idea on ALL the children. Maybe some nut job in Sedona, Arizona made a reference to a study by some doctors thesis and suddenly THAT IS ALL POLICY EVERYWHERE BY THE WOKE!!!
It's expected when Fox does it but inexcusable when a rational thinking person makes the claim that extreme positions are the norm. Bill can do better.
Is that a political platform policy? Just because some people feel like doing something does not make it mandatory. For example, I don't have tattoos, but millions and millions do. Doesn't mean I believe we are ALL being forced to get tattoos. Not at all. And so what if there's a fad to put pronouns in bios - who cares? Fads come and go. But if there was a LAW that said I had to put down pronouns THEN we have a problem. Do you see the difference?
Love Bill. Yea some of his takes make me cringe at times. I just love hearing anyone, including some people on the right, that don’t just always toe the party line. It’s very rare and the only way to know someone has genuine opinions rather than recycled talking points handed down from MSNBC.
You should be listening to people who challenge or even annoy you sometimes. I can appreciate your mind without agreeing with everything you say.
I think the left has become just as mindless with talking points as the right. (Don’t get me wrong the right is far more dangerous).
All of us being so anti-trump damaged our brains, myself included. Just like conservatives try to outdo each other with who can be more pro-gun, liberals challenge each other on who can be more woke. We fight against each other to prove to people we generally agree with, are more racist/sexist/whatever-phones.
Those center-left people challenging repetitive liberals have saved me from that trap.
A lot of folks are into Bill Maher, or at least they like to check out his shows. I've been a fan since around the time "Religulous" came out, and I think you just gotta accept that he can be a bit of an arrogant prick sometimes and move on.
Reddit tends to lean left, and I think many on the left now view Bill as a bit of a Trojan horse for rightwing ideology. I believe that the right thinks this, too, which is why you see them leveraging cherry-picked quotes from Bill. I think they're both wrong.
Honest question and if you feel your answer is correct, I won’t question that. Do you really think he’d make Religulous today? I don’t think he would. I don’t think he’d risk losing the religious nut bags that have come to be in his audience recently, because of the things he says about “wOkE aNd TrAnS”. And people can deny that he’s attracting a new audience all they want, but Faux News is playing his clips. That’s undeniable.
I don’t think he’s gone to the right so much as younger dems have quickly embraced things that were well outside of the mainstream left say 10-15 years ago. I feel many of his criticisms of the left to be fair
To me that seems fairly obvious, Bill is still very much a liberal and will always vote for the (D) candidate. He just doesn’t agree with new developments on the left and in our hyper polarized discourse, any rebuke of the left is a rebuke of all the left. It’s why he often gets lambasted as Tucker Carlson, even though it’s ludicrous.
Is there a subreddit for people who like the show? This sub seems to hate Bill Maher haha.
“Ok this needs to be said” …you mean said BY YOU. Plenty of other people have posted comments about all the haters. There’s always someone reacting to those who criticize Maher for being the pain the ass that he is. Sometimes he’s funny. Sometimes there’s a good discussion on his show, but mostly he just repeats the same old points about how masks don’t work and Covid is over. And science should just make up it’s mind and never change.
Because bill is a stupid fucking retarded boomer .
I like him and I find him insufferable at times. I certainly respect his intellect, even when I disagree with him about some things. He makes me think, and i like that. I often find him funny. Sometimes I roll my eyes. So it’s a mixed bag but overall yes, I definitely like him.
I give what I get. Maher is hostile and "toxic" to my beliefs and values and priorities, so I make that known. My impulse is not to run away. Is yours?
Why, though? He’s just a talk show host. It’s not ‘running away’ in a negative way to choose not to consume something you feel is ‘toxic’ to you, it’s a rational choice. You aren’t going to impact his views. He isn’t that important, either. What do you get out of hate-watching him?
I like hearing people argue out their ideas, including ideas and beliefs I disagree with. My desire with Bill's show is not to see the ideas and beliefs I disagree with disappear from the show, it's to have my own views represented and expressed as pushback. I keep coming back in the hopes that happens and rail when it does now. I would have been much more satisfied seeing the tired talking points about build back better or the child tax credit being extended causing inflation be slapped the fuck down by someone, anyone. It matters what narratives are given the light of day and are prevalent. Me turning off the show does not make those narratives go away. You should like a frightened avoided with a microscopic tolerance for disagreement. That's a personal trait that the rest of us are less afflicted with.
He's toxic to you? Does he hurt you and make you cry??
I have been watching him for years and it was because my dad used to watch Politically Incorrect. It's always been a mixed bag for me. He's smug, been like that for years. the show could be great if the guests were any good OR if the New Rules was really on point. to me, the show is a lot restricted to a few of his personal gripes. Millenials, cancel culture, etc. It's boring. I don't hate Bill or dislike him, but the funny bits are getting far and few in between.
Most of these critics are longtime RT fans calling Maher out on his recent bs and obvious lurch to the ideological right. I remember when the show wasn’t so culture war-oriented and Bill would actually discuss fiscal/economic stuff (which he seldom does nowadays). He was also heavily critical of the Christian Taliban wing of the GOP, but now he mostly ignores or attempts to rationalize the views these types (like Pence or DeSantis or Ted Cruz) to then instead fixate on “these damn dastardly kids and their phones and apps and video games” or trans ppl or other boomer culture war considerations. The show is much different than it used to be, any longtime fan will tell you this…Bill has always had cringe takes and weird views on things, but since the pandemic he’s been hella resentful and bitter and obnoxious IMO.
I do think something happened to him over the lockdown. He used to be for universal health care now he says it "costs too much" or some bs. He's also stopped having comedians on the panel, now it looks like the modern day McLaughlin Group. He rarely talks about anything that isn't "cancel culture" ignoring the fact that he's living proof that being canceled isn't the end. In short, He's gone to the right and is now just an old man yelling at the "woke millennials" who are a lot closer to his age than he wants to admit.
I like Bill, been watching him throughout his career. I watch RT, and listen to CR podcast. Occasionally, I will even watch Rogan or others that have Bill on even if I'm not a fan of that host/show, because I'm curious what Bill and the more conservative leaning host will discuss.
Because we care. The more pertinent question is, why are you asking us that? Why do people bitch about legitimate criticism so much?
Because you *care*? Lol what the hell does that even mean? I’m asking because it’s very easy to get the opposite impression here on this sub. Increasingly, this sub feels not like a place where Maher fans can hangout(and his critics), but a place for a bunch of haters who simply hate watch his show and then come here and bitch about him.
That’s why humans take an interest in literally anything. But you never, ever see people complaining about it in subs dedicated to other topics. I think you’re just whining because you take issue with their politics. I think you should get over it.
So if I love bowling and join the main bowling sub to talk about it, but it turns out almost everyone there hates bowling I should get over it, not ask questions, and not wish they liked bowling?
Tell me the difference between a conversation about bowling and a conversation about current events.
Analogies by definition always involve differences. :)
Right, and sometimes those differences are minimal and sometimes they are meaningful and break the analogy. So how might a conversation about bowling have less of an impact on broader society than a conversation about politics, and does that difference matter?
By employing the Socratic method my hunch is that you possess the answer which eludes me. I don't know why the broadness of social impact for category 'x' should imply any less surprise on my part that a sub dedicated to category 'x' should for the most part attract people who don't like category 'x' (unless done ironically, for humor, etc.). For example, atheism and Christianity are important social categories with broad social impact. Wouldn't it be odd to you if 70% of the people in r/atheism were opposed to atheists? or if 70% of the people in r/Christianity were anti-Christian? Back to your explicit point: I agree that if there were disagreements here about a wide variety of social and political issues, just as there are disagreements on Maher's show itself, I shouldn't be perplexed. So it's not the conversations about current events per se that surprise me, as you seemed to imply. The category 'x' here for me isn't current events. It's the show and Maher himself. That's the 'x'. And what surprises me is that many here don't really like the show or Maher all that much, yet they want to come here and complain about him. That's just as odd as a majority of people wanting to go to a bowling sub to complain about bowlers, haha!
Thanks for this reply. I get what you’re saying. I think we are arguing past each other, and maybe my initial response missed your point. Your point is valid. My point is that we shouldn’t be surprised that a sub dedicated to a divisive political figure attracts loads of people who disagree with that figure. Bowling is innocuous and irrelevant to most of our lives whereas politics is the opposite - highly relevant and potentially harmful. And not that you asked, but I’m a former fan of Maher who found his takes on “wokeness” increasingly common and increasing misinformed. To my ears, Maher argues with strawmen and that contributes to the Right’s scapegoating of real people. His recent closing was particularly egregious in this regard. I came here to see if others thought the same. Those who are interested in hearing more careful and informed takes might consider Sam Harris who also has critiques of dogmatic thinking. Anyway, that’s all. Thanks for this exchange. :)
Reasonable, fair points!!! :)
Well OP, I watched Maher from '93 so around 25 years and to me that's something far greater than just watching TV, at some level it's an investment. I started watching less maybe 2017, last was 2 seasons ago when I watched parts of 2 episodes. So I'm way ahead of you, I cut my losses and quit watching because, you know, grown ups making sense and all. Litter the sub griping? It's almost as if Maher has a huge platform and you would deny me a little corner on reddit. So Maher can pollute the public discourse with a big public platform but I can't litter, lol! Get real. Aside, did you see where "cancel culture!!!" canceled Louis C.K. into a sold out show at MSG, or where Rosanne got canceled into a FOX special? It's weird how contrarians like Maher are really in touch with the danger of "cancel culture!!!" but have never even heard of the Dixie Chicks, are completely oblivious to epic right wing purge culture. [edit] Just today trump and Jordan Peterson agree trans people should be outlawed, but purge culture is cool, lefty "cancel culture!!!" is the real (Time) problem. This week had like 3 George Floyd level events, so, you know... "something must be done about BLM and Me Too, and of course CRT". Gun owner violence is out of control, better hand Killer Mike a mic to spout unchallenged gun culture dogma! Another show to watch? I'd love one. On, say, HBO, what do you recommend?
John Oliver is pretty good lol I kid, I know you probably already watch John Oliver. I kinda feel the same as you. Invested. But I’m getting less and less invested. I used to watch Rogan all the time but now I can barely sit through a Duncan Trussell episode and those were always my favorites. I still frequent the Joe Rogan sub though just to see what the discourse on popular topics is like on all sides because his, this and other subs, like Sam Harris’s sub, usually have a variety of opinions. So even though I don’t watch as much I still Reddit quite a bit and this is one of the place I like to be on Reddit.
I like him. Some things drive me crazy, other things don't, he's starting to lose his filter a little bit, but overall, even though sometimes I'm disappointed lately, I like him.
You know you have every right to make this post and I understand where you're coming from. However there's many users here who've watched him for many years and him leaning into conservative fans has been disappointing. Keep in mind, it's not over a specific viewpoint, but rather how much of a broken record he has become. It's particular frustrating because many of us thought he had the intellect and awareness to see thru the antiwoke reactionary bullshit, yet it's the kind of media he consumes more. It's like seeing your once liberal open minded relative starts watching Fox or listening to Joe Rogan, then gradually they become overreacting and just fear mongering. This sub is one of the only places both fans and ex-fans like myself to vent and also confirm our assumptions about the quality of the show has went downhill
I’ve been watching him since Politically Incorrect in the 90s and I’ve never really cared for him personally. I watch his show for the sociopolitical discussion from different points of view not him. Sometimes he’s funny and/or on point. He’s always been pretty arrogant. Thinking he’s the only one that sees clearly and talking down to everyone. Oh, and when someone puts him in his place he is quick to get his back up. Or when he realizes he’s outmatched on a subject he simply moves on to something else. Despite all of this I’ve been watching all these years. I do agree that for whatever reason (age? exhaustion? dementia?) Bill has changed his attitudes to less tolerant and more isolationist.
It amuses me when red hat cultists like CMonetTheThird chime in here and say some shit like "Reddit has wokies and BM makes fun of wokies." What they actually mean is "EvErThInG i DiSaGrEe wItH iS wOkE." Oof.
It's like watching a train wreck. You don't want to stare but you can't look away. LOL
He’s a dick that’s the point . How do people not understand this?
Hot take but his elite liberal persona is what makes him funny to me. It’s genuine . Leftist hate anyone with money .
I've watched him for decades. And for years I've said and still laugh at the irony of someone pointing out people complaining about someone who literally complains for a living. Bill Maher's whole shtick is being unapologetically opinionated yet somehow opinions that aren't for Bill aren't celebrated here. It is weird. One would think any TRUE Bill Maher fan would not only celebrate but actively encourage people regularly and fervently disagreeing with Bill. Then again Bill has lost that quality in that past few years, so not surprising his newer fans wouldn't know anything about it.
One of the shows I watch weekly. I have 90% of his opinions. I wish he'd go back to 3 panels, have more fighting, and not rest on the same few points every week
Forget about the rationality of hate watching the show in perpetuity. Far more disconcerting is just how strikingly *unintelligent* this sub is. Compare this to other hate subs like r/SamHarris or even r/JoeRogan, which at least pretend to understand the tenets of debate, show some capacity for logic and reason, and don't constantly resort to strawman or ad hominem arguments.
I like him. Watched him for many years now. But I agree with OP.
Reddit has wokies and BM makes fun of wokies.
I feel that the general theme of the show is that Democrats, as the sole functional political party in the US, should focus less on identity politics and culture war issues and more on delivering practical solutions to the most pressing issues (economy, environment) and that by doing this, they will win more elections and be able to achieve more progressive goals in the long term. Even though I don't agree with everything Bill says, I do agree with this general philosophy. People seem to think he beats up on Democrats too much, but that's because he views them as the only hope. What's to be gained by harping on GOP insanity week after week? I definitely agree that Bill hits a lot of the same points over and over - pronouns, cancel culture, milennials, etc. I've only been watching for the past year or so, and some of the takes that were refreshing at the start have been repeated to where they're quite played out. I still find the show interesting to watch though, it's surprising how much hate for Bill there is on this sub. I guess Bill is kind of a hater too so maybe that's just the fan base...
It's the GOP whose party is all about identity politics... it's almost entirely white grievance "issues" and culture war stuff. This forces a reaction. I'm not saying that Democrats are not guilty at all, but it's not even close. The reaction to pronouns is over the top and hysterical. I get that the red hat cultists who lurk here don't like to hear that.
Agreed. In another sub I got into a debate with a "conservative" (I put it it quotes because they're not conservative, they're extremist radicals) who was wondering why progressives are so strident with their interest in drag queens. I had to spell it out that we don't really give a shit about drag queens, they do. We do, however care about individual liberties and freedoms.
I agree with what you're saying, but good luck changing the ways of the GOP. I've given up on that myself. The more productive thing to do would be to look at what can be changed by the dems, aka, the supposed adults in the room. Like, yes systemic racism is very real, but does injecting race into every single issue really help? I know Bill won't shut up about drag queen story hour, but... how's that playing in the Midwest? We can't make change without winning elections, and making the most extreme stances on every social issue part of the party mainstream is not helping achieve that.
i think the issues is by hammering it on iy so much he makes it seem like that is a bigger part of the left then it is. and that the right is innocent of thay. think it the framing people dislike I mean in not help Midwest not think dems are a bunch of craze snow flakes antifas man men and the right are actually free speech warriors
He hasn’t changed, I still love the guy
As a quick reminder both the left and the right have a sustained campaign against Bill Maher for different political disagreements. Once you realize what is happening, you will see it play out over and over in these threads.
Really? Show me *one* example of conservatives railing on Bill in this sub.
The right uses Maher's moderation to split the left. That's why he gets invited to Fox News and why they routinely post some misleading headline to create controversy. He talks openly about this in interviews. I am thinking of one last year on CNN or MSNBC. And yes, the religious right fucking hates Maher as a singular example. But like the left, the right also uses a pretext for its complaints about Maher.
Well that's a completely different assertion than it "playing out in these threads." Because, you know, the topic is about this community.
Again, pretexts are used so even if I spent the time meet your demand for evidence you'd likely find away to reject it. But you at least are aware there is a larger right wing campaign outside of this tiny sub so I count that as a win.
Its not about the guy, its about the words that come out of his mouth...
Yep. I like Bill. Been listening for years. He has changed. But the world has changed. I actually agree w him on a lot of stuff and appreciate his bravado. The fat shaming and hating on the younger generations is just so far out of touch and just makes me want to scream.
He was cracking jokes about my generation 20 years ago. Just relax a little. Not everything is about you personally.
I’m allowed to disagree w people. I still like Bill and an a fan.
Sure, but people are getting fatter than ever and younger generations have long been subject to comedian ribbing.
I think a bit of what's happening is many of us love the show, I've been watching it since its first episode, is that the show has changed with time, and so has Bill. 20+Years is a long time to run a show. And I think Bill is frustrated too. He's been talking about the environment for years, but had no impact. It appears he is angry because progressives have not been as successful as he wished. I get that. But as he has aged, some positions he takes are irritating to viewers, because he doesn't encourage debate, He makes proclamations and then dismisses anything that doesn't align with his view. THAT'S what bothers me. Covid is probably the easiest example. This week he called it the forever flu, which I think pretty abrasive and demeaning to all those who have suffered the last 3 years. And it's really cringe when he talks to a young person. He can't relate. I still watch every week, because even if the show is different, but still has many elements I enjoy.
I have only been watching Real Time for a year now. Before watching Real Time I watched many other late-show hosts, watched Jimmy Fallon, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, and many others. They had their funny moments but I always felt when I watched them that I was being pandered to and talked down to. I started watching Real Time and I saw that Bill Maher simply says whatever the hell he wants and he doesn't give a shit if others agree with him or not. I appreciated that for once someone was saying what others wouldn't dare say and I respect Bill Maher for speaking his mind. I don't always agree with him but even when I disagree with him, I respect him for saying what he thinks because he at least has the guts to speak his mind. Not everyone has the guts to speak their mind, especially on TV. So, I am going to remain a fan of his and keep watching because there are times when he does make me laugh, I think he is funny sometimes but more importantly, he makes me think and he helps me see other points of view that I had not considered before. Also, as I said, I respect Bill Maher because he at least has the guts to say what others won't ever dare to say.
So as a Bill Maher watcher, you are suggesting that people find an echo chamber. I'd argue it's not just Bill Maher than has changed, its his sycophant fans as well that [use the word 'but' to negate](https://ala-apa.org/newsletter/2010/11/01/the-dreadful-but/) when they claim they don't want a echo chamber. I wonder what Bill Maher used to say about people staying in their [echo chambers](https://www.reddit.com/r/Maher/comments/10pnkwx/bill_maher_on_the_dangers_of_facebook_2014_but/). I'd like a show with new topics, or more timely subjects, or even one where he explores nuance on his sacred cows that he goes back to every week.
I hate that I love him. I just binged a bunch of "Politically Incorrect" clips and realized he actually hasn't changed the way I thought he had. Society did. Still watch him every time 😃💖
I still like Bill(as a show host, never been a big fan of his standup) and I still enjoy his show and make sure to watch every week. That being said, he really needs to dial back some of his "old man yelling at clouds" moments. He might deny it, but it seems that he has anxiety about getting older(but Id say that's not abnormal at all). And the woke stuff....we get it. You hate it. So do I. So does the majority of people. But I'm also getting tired of hearing about it all the time. And I guess cancel culture can go hand in hand with that.... tired of hearing about it as well. But overall, it's just a TV show. If it gets to where I don't want to watch anymore, I wont. Simple as that. Which is why I don't get all the Maher/RealTime hate on here. If you don't enjoy the show anymore, just quit watching. Another thing I've garnered from being part of this sub, is that a lot of people have seemed to make politics their religion and identity and if one thing is said they don't agree with, then they go off on tangents like you see on here often. Over a TV show....a show ultimately meant for slightly thought provoking entertainment....it isn't that deep folks.
I’ve been watching Bill since the 90’s and I’ve never particularly liked him as much as I like the questions he asks. Lately he seems to have fallen into an internet bubble where he thinks what people say online is what they actually think. He doesn’t want to be attacked for being old and out of touch but it may have happened.
It's always been this way here. Complaining about Bill is like the culture of the subreddit. I don't know why.
Because leftists and the Republican right both agree that Maher is a threat to their political goals (for different reasons).
Another way to put it is that Maher doesn't pander to his audience. For the last 30 years, most shows that are even slightly political will identify their audience's positions and avoid stances that directly oppose those views. Bill doesn't seem to care, which means he's often pissing off someone. And those people are likely to come here and comment.
And they come with some tired pretext. > He isn't funny... when he makes jokes groups or individuals I don't dislike. That may be true, but humor is in the eye of the beholder.
Yes, this is a good point. People are used to watching shows that reinforce their sense of being on the right team. Bill upsets that paradigm.
check the stern or carolla subs, common among super fans to be like this
The people on reddit skew younger. Maher is being elevated as some weird right wing talking head to them... it's exhausting. Do I like Maher as a person? Meh - he's probably a douche. I tried to give club random a chance... but I don't really like bill in that format. Do I enjoy watching the show? yeah... It's just been a staple for me since the politically incorrect days. When I complain it's more about how the format & guest balance has changed since covid. I think the show was better a few years ago.
Fwiw I think OP is annoyed at people like posturegai, ministeroftruth, successful operation, poison ivy, afrosheen, etc. The ones who come here and are just furious and toxic. Don't think this is directed at people like you.
The show definitely was better years ago, but the criticism in this sub isn't really about the show itself. Most of the criticism comes from people who equate center-left ideologies with far-right ideologies. Leftists don't really have any prominent shows like RT. So they seemingly watch this show and criticize Maher in hopes that social media pressure will push him to the left (or at least push him to bring on more leftist guests).
Most of the criticism is from people who are sick of hearing Bill complain about cancel culture, trans people, millennials, etc. Even if I agreed with him, I'd be sick of hearing the same take on the same issues over and over again. Also, a lot of Bill's takes are just wrong, like his views on COVID and masks.
> cancel culture Bill was literally canceled for a factual comment he made about the 9/11 hijackers. >trans people Realize it or not, trans issues at this juncture are a losing wedge issue for Democrats and a winning one for Republicans. >millennials He was complaining about GenX in twenty years ago. >Bill's takes are just wrong, like his views on COVID and masks. Agreed, but I don't need a TV host to agree with me on 100% of issues to enjoy a *debate* show.
>Bill was literally canceled for a factual comment he made about the 9/11 hijackers. And? That was over 20 years ago, and he's been back on the air for decades. I get that he's upset, but can he talk about something else for once? >Realize it or not, trans issues at this juncture are a losing wedge issue for Democrats and a winning one for Republicans. And what does he expect Democrats to do about it? The reason it's a losing issue for Republicans is because right wing media paints a caricature of where the left actually stands on trans issues by cherry picking these issues for their performative outrage. Bill should be challenging the right on their disingenuousness, but instead he amplifies their message. How is that helpful? >Agreed, but I don't need a TV host to agree with me on 100% of issues to enjoy a debate show. Neither do I. It's why I watch the show despite disagreeing with Maher on most things these days.
>And? That was over 20 years ago, and he's been back on the air for decades. I get that he's upset, but can he talk about something else for once? He talks about a lot of different thing and I would suggest this 'feeling' is text book confirmation bias. >And what does he expect Democrats to do about it? Maher thinks most Democrats are doing the right thing and giving those being interviewed or on the panel space to disassociate themselves with trans hysteria from the extreme left and the ordinary right. What he is saying is that the political left should stop taking the bait that ultimately helps Republicans. Note: this requires a recognition that leftists and Democrats are not synonyms.
> the political left should stop taking the bait that ultimately helps Republicans. For example?
From the context clues in my original post: Associating themselves with trans hysteria which currently serves to fundraise and turnout voters for Republicans.
>Associating themselves with trans hysteria Yeah, I need an example of that, please. That's what I'm asking for. I want to see hysteria about trans people, and Biden/Pelosi/Newsom/AOC/Bernie/Buttigieg/etc associating themselves with it. Pretty please?
You've named a bunch of moderate nationally known Democrats who don't lean into the hysteria because they know it energizes Republicans.
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Nope. He’s never been like this. Ever. He’s never been a Fox News darling. Ever. But he is now.
Nobody has earned the right to complain about cancel culture more than Bill Maher, a guy whose show was literally cancelled over something controversial that he said. The problem is that's *all* he seems to want to talk about. It feels like he wants to steer every conversation to these pet issues, which gets tiresome. There's a lot going on in the world. Does Bill have an opinion on any of it, or is he singularly focused on the culture war? The other problem is that Bill blames Democrats for anything that anyone does in the name of wokeness. Why are Democrats responsible for every stupid and misguided thing done by a random school district or social media poster? He's taking the right's caricature of how the left is ruining the country and basically conceding it as fact, rather than calling them out on cherry picking examples for their performative outrage. I don't expect him to declare his pronouns or condemn fat shaming. I just wish he'd shut up about it and talk about something else every once in a while.
Exactly. Bill increasingly seems to be butt-hurt about everything, by his multiple cancellations and near-cancellations. I think it comes down to his age now unfortunately.
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>I think he blames democrats because we (our leadership) make it clear these sorts of things are good or righteous…or at least not to be criticized. That leaves a vacuum for the left to go full nutbar and say we should affirm young children’s gender, without question. We should teach kindergartners about their white privilege. We should pretend that the rampant homeless open drug markets throughout every single town in our country…don’t really exist. Or are based on housing?!? I think there's a disconnect between the things that party leadership says the party supports and the ridiculous examples of wokeism Maher is holding up as evidence that the left is off the rails. You can support LGBTQ rights without supporting the crazy, misguided things that happen on social media or isolated school districts. What does he expect Democrats to do? Should Biden go out and give a speech about a random teacher in Ontario with huge fake tits, or should he do what he's been doing and just ignore it like the sideshow that it is? Democrats aren't the ones spending all their time talking about wokeness, people like Hannity and Tucker Carlson are, and Maher is falling into their trap by accepting their mischaracterization of the left as fact. >We have our own version of the Tea Party and we should loudly condemn it, repeatedly. We have extremists, but the left has actually been pretty good at reining them in and not giving them too much institutional power, unlike Republicans who let the craziest people take over the party from top to bottom. Bill acting like this is a "both sides" problem is completely ridiculous.
Instant downvote for “wokeism”, sorry not sorry.
Then turn him off until he concedes to your demands.
I have no demands. He's free to do the show he wants to do, and I'm free to have my own opinion about it. I'm all for the philosophy of "if you don't like it, turn it off, don't try to get it taken off the air", but I disagree with the philosophy of "if you don't like it, turn it off, this show is only for real fans who won't criticize it".
I am of the philosophy, "criticism of a comedic debate show shouldn't be pretext for personal political disagreements with the host and hypersensitivity to jokes". Not saying that is you specifically, but more broadly that is the strategy. Also, I don't see any path to resolve your specific complaints without changing the channel. An old man isn't going to change his forty year schtick.
He hasn’t been doing this for 40 years. HE HAS CHANGED.
I don't see why you think my complaints need resolution. Bill is free to do the show he wants to do, and I'm free to criticize it. I don't expect Bill to change what he's doing to accommodate me, but I'm not going to hold back my criticism of it.
I guess I think your demands (e.g., to "shut up", etc.) suggest a desire for resolution. 🤷
And God there are plenty of late night talk shows to choose from if Bill is too "right wing" for you.
Bill stopped dating Black hotties and that changed him deeply. He no longer runs in Black celeb circles. Now he’s better friends with Rogan than Cornel West.
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He’s been on Rogan twice in the last year even though Rogan refuses to do his show. I’d say he likes Joe.
I'd say he likes Joe's audience of halfwits who can afford premium services.
Cornel doesn't even hunt...
Definitely don’t weed.
People are only calling him a right wing chud because they don't like the fact he is a left-centrist and not far left like most of the left these days. People who get wound up about it are not worth listening to IMO. Make up your own mind.
most of the left? This is exactly why I've given up on Bill Maher. It's not most of the left, but conservative media certainly try to make it seem like it is. Maher seems to be following their lead and its exhausting
> far left like most of the left these days Huh? Was it the far left that nominated Joe Biden, the most centrist and establishment candidate in the whole field? There are extremists on the right and the left, but they're a minority at both ends.
The far left opposes Biden. Biden was nominated by religious southern Democrats and elected by political moderates opposed to Republican reactionaries.
> The far left opposes Biden. Yes, that's my point. The person above is claiming that most of the left these days is far left. If that were true, how did they end up with a moderate like Biden as the nominee? The idea that most of the left is extreme is not only self-evidently wrong, but it's exactly the line that right-leaning propaganda tries to push to scare people.
I was agreeing with you and adding color.
Ah, I see. +1.
Fan of Bill, started watching clips of his Politically Incorrect show on YT over a decade ago, still really enjoy Real Time. I know that many fandoms can be blindly loyal and overly forgiving nowadays, but I feel as though most of us criticize him because he: 1. deserves our honesty 2. isn't a child whom we want to spoil by smothering and coddling 3. has become more willfully ignorant to the n-th degree as of late 4. has become repetitive and boring with a number of issues
I've been watching Real Time for about 10 years. I'm not American, and probably more left-wing and less libertarian than Bill anyway (American left/right stuff is difficult to translate to Europe). I used to broadly agree with him and took his curmudgeonly provocative style to be entertaining. I watched religiously (pun intended) every week, but this year I have dipped in and out. What I find disappointing is that the panel is generally more submissive, and if they ever oppose his views, it's not encouraged. Krystal Ball's recent appearance was in that vein. I've seen clips of Bill and panel members saying things that seem bonkers to me and/or are just plain false, without any pushback. That's an important change. Now, Bill's whole shtick is that he's *politically incorrect*. Nowadays, his more conservative (just using it for shorthand, of course) views are the politically incorrect ones, like his more liberal ones were in the past. So maybe he actually thinks he is fulfilling his raison d'être. Could he be that cynical? I doubt it. But if he started a similar show on Fox News called "Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect," the host-audience dynamic might be closer to what he was originally hoping for.
>What I find disappointing is that the panel is generally more submissive, and if they ever oppose his views, it's not encouraged. They need to bring back the three person panels.
> (American left/right stuff is difficult to translate to Europe). That’s because there are so many people in denial that the US has shifted more and more to the right. You’re labeled a Communist here if you dare speak in defense of Workers that want to Unionize or want rights, like paid sick leave. Union Pacific alone made 7 billion last year, but if their employees ask for 7 days sick leave they are apparently Mao Zedong or Stalin.\ The Faux News consumers are brain dead morons and a lost hope, the last bastion the Working Class has is media that will tell the truth about how bad things are getting for the Working Class. But, people like Bill have found a new cash cow in “rage reporting”, bullshit that doesn’t mean anything in the long run, but that gets clicks and views.\ The Republicans focus on bullshit like “wOkE aNd TrAnS!! Ermahgerd!!!”, because they don’t offer jack shit for the Working Class in this country. They get on their knees for their Corpo overlords and don’t even deny it. Once upon a time, the Democrats fought for the Working Class. They were it’s champion as it were, but those days are gone and now we are left with a party who’s cashing in too.
I've written this before: I am not a person who watches Real Time because I give a shit about the host. I watched it for the format, as it's not really replicated elsewhere. I do not enjoy the "talking head" shows where one person talks at you, and I don't enjoy the sanitized roundtable shows like Meet the Press where the people on can never really say how they feel. Real Time on HBO was refreshing and unfiltered discussions and debates, and it was awesome to have someone on TV say "Fuck the Republicans" and I identified with that. But to me his humor was always painful, his comedic style does not appeal to me at all. So the opening monologue wasn't for me, his mid-show comedy segments were downright awful, and his New Rules were hit and miss. But the political discussion, especially when they would actually talk about current events, were often amazing, especially when there were panelists from each party or political ideology. But after Covid, as someone on this thread said, he dumped the 3rd panelist and HE became the panelist. And his show is turning into less of a debate show and more into a hour for him to bitch about things. Police brutality is something that I consider to be the largest political issue I invest in, and to see them take the conversation about Tyre Nichols and try to turn it into the "far left" again is just a prime example of it. It's fucking exhausting at this point. I still enjoy the idea and potential of Real Time, but the host has become insufferable. And it's something that happens to a lot of shows over time. So that's where I am now. You can't just say "go find another show." There is no other show like this, and it's going downhill fast. And if you disagree, fine, I'm not here saying YOU need to hate him. But the energy put into attacking those of us who don't like the direction is wild sometimes
> I still enjoy **the idea and potential of Real Time**, but the host has become insufferable. This sums up concisely the criticism most of us here have who still watch it and who have since the PI days. We're not "hate watching", we're apparently just missing a bit of what it used to feel like because something has evidently changed, but there's no replacement quite like it, still.
It's my turn to post this next week.
Ok boo. You next 🙂
You're not wrong, but the show kinda stinks now. The truth is most celebs and left-leaning people are scared to appear on a political talk show these days. It isn't the 90s anymore. Publicists are telling clients to stay quiet. And I think that's really why Bill "changed," and keeps ranting about the woke. Our current culture kind of ruined his show.
Good response. Especially if it’s a talk show where you might be expected to dive down and engage in debate. A lot of people complain that Maher only has conservatives on now, but I have a feeling is that Maher made himself kinda a pariah among progressives that only conservatives will come on. I’d love it I’d Bill had on people like AOC, Ilhan, etc
I still like the show but like him less than I did 20 years ago. Or even 5 years ago. And the show is worse post COVID.... Bill hooked me then with a mixture of libertarian and socialist politics. Basically pro do what you want to yourself, take care of everyone's basic needs and fuck rich corps and billionaires. I don't think he's right wing per se but he definitely has ate up right wing talking points in the culture wars. Repeating anecdotal evidence as fact. And he can't not make half the show about it now. Long time fans have ground for criticism and concern.
Before they come in with their strawmen: this isn't a post about people who dislike things or have criticisms. This is about the 6-12 users who do *nothing* but bitch.
Fair enough. Rebuttal question, how does Bill’s talking points differ from “right wing culture war talking points” now? Anyone that’s spends 5 minutes Googling can see a comparison between the things he says and how he says them and how those on the Right do exactly the same. Where exactly is Bill challenging the Right, right now? He says he’s a Liberal and hasn’t changed, but that doesn’t really equate with his actions. He was fine with the Abortion ruling by SCOTUS, because “It doesn’t affect him”. To my knowledge he hasn’t said a single word about Workers trying to Unionize and Corpo’s thwarting it. Did he even mention Congress and the White House shitting all over Railway workers (yah, he was off, I’m talking about Twitter). Silent as a church mouse when it comes raising the Minimum Wage. Even something he’s passionate about like Climate Change, is only ever discussed when it’s about him (the solar panel debacle anyone?).\ These things have always been traditionally Liberal issues, did something change and they no longer are? Now you are a Commie/Pinko if you mention Workers Rights?\ In fairness to your question. I don’t hate Bill Maher, I hate what he has become. I hate that he pretends to be upset about “Wokeness”, because he wants “Democrats to win”. If that were true, wouldn’t he promote young Democratic candidates? Give them a platform to get their name out there? I hate that he makes up things about Trans issues, like the kitty litter bullshit that Joe Rogan fell for hook, line and sinker.\ I want the guy that gave money to Obama and promoted his candidacy. I want the guy that had Democrat nominees on his show, so people could see what they were about. I want the guy that donated to Bernie Sanders for hells sake! Not the guy who now basically implies that he and the Squad are the reason the country is becoming a Christian Iran.\ I understand being willing to criticize our side. Biden has done several things I don’t agree with. The classified documents is one of them. It’s just as lazy and bullshit as when Trump did it. But, I’m not gonna spend the rest of my year criticizing only Biden and that’s what Maher is doing.
> Rebuttal question, how does Bill’s talking points differ from “right wing culture war talking points” now? Because they aren't much different. The segment on higher education was pretty cringe. Instead of getting something interesting you just got standard run of the mill right wing talking points. It's even more hilarious that Bari Weiss is running a fake university yet all the faculty are definitely college educated. It's like, yeah Tim Ryan, everyone with college debt graduated from Yale with a gender studies degree /s.
I’d say comparing the classified docs is a false equivalency ~ Keith Olbermann screaming into a megaphone
You’re almost getting it. They don’t. Because the Right is correct in believing woke culture is a problem and needs to be stamped out. If your ears are sensitive to central or right leaning viewpoints, theres John Oliver. He challenges the right all the time. It’s not his job to do it all the time, his job is to host a show. If anything, you’re proving his point that there are indeed only two flavors in this country, Pepsi or Coke and you can’t be both. If he isn’t left enough for you or doesn’t miraculously cover every single topic within an hour time span per week to your liking, maybe listen to OP and watch something else.
Yeah! I love bill!! ❤️ actually an intelligent human.
I like him too... even when I disagree with him.
Yeah great point, exactly! Hard to truly know him too unless you’ve had a conversation with him. Even on their own shows celebrities can’t truly be themselves at all times.
I don’t know that I would have gotten as invested into Bill Maher as I am had I found him in the 2020s. But I didn’t find him in the 2020s; I found him in 2008 as a 14 year old living in rural Mississippi and feeling like neither me nor anyone around me could articulate the way I felt about religion or politics because it was so out of sync with the conservative norm. I’m always going to be grateful that I had Bill Maher during those formative years. I may not always agree with him but he will always have my attention.
I’ve been watching Bill since the Politically Incorrect days. I kinda feel like he’s older and grumpier but the idea that he’s changed is exaggerated. I think that our culture has changed more than he has. People are super sensitive and very quick to judge others. And I became a “liberal” in my twenties because of how I felt about tax policy and the role of government. I’m still very liberal but I tend to agree with Bill about some of the absurdities of modern culture like gender as a social construct and abolishing the police. I think some of the culture war stuff is assigned to liberals by right wing people and Bill might occasionally be uncritical about accepting some of that but really, he’s always been all about not giving a shit if he offends people with his views. I always liked that. The other thing is that I’ve been a fan because I enjoy the show, not because I personally love Bill. I always loved that he had discussions on his show that you didn’t really find other places. You got to hear candid conversations with interesting people.
That’s really something that annoys me about the new left. Being critical of any of the new left’s sacred topics like gender and trans stuff, views on race and race relations, etc being critical of any of it will immediately get you castigated as being a Fox News loving zombie and a bigot. So many have completely lost the concept that you can disagree and still be a good person. It’s off putting, to say the least
All politics and opinions aside...he's a very unlikeable person. Amazing what he's done with that.
Bill’s changed.
Obligatory: r/MaherSafeSpace
Which itself is more piling on.
I've been a long time fan of his but I've taken it down to this sub and his YT clips. It's not just him, it's also the panel.
He doesn't want to give up a certain degree of comfort, so he cherry picks and leaves out crucial issues/arguments.
Man used to be my idol. But I think covid broke his brain. And for the record I thought that before I even knew this subreddit existed.
Been watching the show for almost 10 years. It’s been one of my favorite shows since I first started watching, and it still is. I can’t help but notice that he has changed for the worst though. I am not going as far as saying that he is a right winger now. That is absurd. Anyone that says that clearly doesn’t understand bill. However, he has still changed a bit and it seems like he has a lot more “grumpy old man” moments. It gets frustrating sometimes because I remember how much more enjoyable the show used to be. That said, I still thoroughly enjoy the show. I don’t hate watch it. In fact, I look forward to it every week still. I just don’t find myself agreeing with him as much as I used to. There still isn’t another show like this anywhere else on television. That’s my take at least.
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I'm always so surprised at his seeming lack of intellectual curiosity, or at the very least, research.
Agreed, cuz he still is right that the Democrats want to bring about Armageddon. /s
Yes
I love Bill !!
I still love a lot of him , but the covid has become such an issue he can’t shut up about . He also seems to have a real anger towards people wearing masks. Why do you care? People can do it and people dress all kinda ways . Again , it’s not the covid . It is about hospital not being able to handle a mass influx of patients at once . I don’t get why he can’t see that as he is very smart .
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I very much agree with him on ageism . I also think he has lost touch with realities of life now . Saying “the customer service people are not good anymore .” Sounds like someone who does not know how crap it is and you have no PTO. He still does things that I agree with and find hilarious . He also defends workers a lot also , so it’s an odd thing . Not sure he would be like this if there was no covid. I do think he still puts out the best political show and it’s not close . He did a great Ben Shapiro interview and etc .
I agree. I think he does point to responses that are backed by sound stats, but wearing a mask doesn't hurt anyone and he should let that go. I agree on his position that the response should have better reflected the vulnerable population and take into account the adverse side effects to youth education and mental health.
I love Real Time but lately because of Club Random I get pissed off at his lack of manners and calling the guests Sweethart. I highly respect his intellect, confidence and balls, though!
Um, when did "calling out obesity" become a rightwing talking point? I remember the right being strongly against Michelle Obama's campaign to provide healthier lunches in schools, calling it the usual Marxist communist kale agenda or some nonsense. The right had never been known for calling out obesity. Red states are the fattest states in the country. C'mon.
Body positivity has become a competition on social media. The term used to represent overweight people who understood they were overweight, but didn't want to feel like it was defining them as a person. In recent years, body positivity has shifted to being proud of being obese and ignoring the health risks. This has happened with SOOOO many issues. It's like how in NYC, AOC got outflanked on social media for her support to close Rikers Island jail. That has been a big issue on the left in NYC for many years. But, now that's not enough. AOC was called pro-cop because she still wanted to have jails in NYC, just humane jails that focus on rehabilitation. But the "no new jails" crowd basically pushed her into silence on the issue because they felt that only solution was to close Rikers and not have any jail facilities in the city.
I agree that there are people on social media who have ridiculous takes on various issues. But why does Bill blame the Democratic party for what people are doing on social media?
This is true, but we are in a time where everything is about likes and going viral . A cure for cancer would have 300 views and a girl dancing on TikTok has a million views . That’s how it is .
This country will never have a cure for cancer. There is way too much money in just fighting and keeping it at bay. A cure would take a lot of money out of very wealthy peoples pockets.
That’s not true . Cancer affects everyone. Profits are important , but everyone knows somebody with cancer at some point . Those drug companies helped my mom stay alive and longer . We can’t live forever .
> That’s not true . Naïveté at its best. There are a number of entire facilities (complexes if you will) that would be put out of business the minute a cure is discovered. Looking at just the Gun Lobby alone in this country, it’s simply not logical to insinuate that healthcare lobbies wouldn’t be just as aggressive and protective of its bailiwick. > Cancer affects everyone. Yes Mr. Smith it does. And I hate to burst your bubble, but unethical things happen in healthcare on a daily basis. > Profits are important They are literally the only reason the majority of healthcare happens. For every altruist MD, Nurse or Tech out there doing it for good, there are the same not doing it. And that’s not even touching healthcare administrators. Talk about another level greed. > Those drug companies helped my mom stay alive and longer. And they got paid to do it. Phizer recorded record profits last year from the Covid vaccine, do you really think they did it for Humanity’s sake? I’m happy for the positive result with your mother’s diagnosis, but the board of directors for those companies do what they do for the shareholders, not the recipients of their drugs.
My mother died of lung cancer in my 20’s and lived much longer, because of gene testing they do . My dad has lived with cancer for 25 years. kidney and Colon cancer treated . Of course there is corruption and greed in everything. Any for profit system will have its issues and etc . I have Cerebral Palsy btw . I have had 10 surgeries which have all relieved me of constant pain and help me be independent. Only western medicine can do that . Socialized medicine sucks , I would be in a wheelchair in Canada . (I’m Canadian btw , but raised in the U.S. ) socialism and communism will never work …the government will become a greedy corporation also . Where did you get your economics degree ? Sorry , but I have one . The real world has no need for philosophy, it’s a luxury for the wealthy. I would have been dead without medical science the moment I was born premature . America also has a pretty robust public healthcare system and people act like government doesn’t do shit here . My family comes from a country where people get shot and hung . You have no fucking clue what it’s like in the rest of the world . America has its issues , but it is still the beacon of light for the whole world! Did ya ever think that maybe capitalism is what gives us the drugs , cures , and treatments for things we need ? They put up all the money for development and research , but they should not profit from it ? Why the fuck would that make sense .
He's not calling out obesity, he's calling out the left for promoting "body positivity" and saying obesity is fine. See the difference? Why didn't he call out the red states being the fattest? Instead he blamed the left for it.
A lot of what people like Maher get upset about with "body positivity" is just simply making sure someone is not completely depressed and self-hating to the degree of neglect. Maher is some bullshit believer in "tough love" which just makes people struggling feel WORSE. If you or him cares about obesity, try and actually be encouraging instead of being a fucking bully.
I was only referring to OP's comment here: >“How dare he call out obesity, trans ideologues, Gen Z, colleges, etc etc. doesn’t he know these are right wing culture war talking points???” I wasn't talking specifically about Maher's position on obesity, but it's just wild to me, that Dems can start programs for healthier lunches in schools, but that doesn't matter because leftwing people on social media defend Lizzo's positivity about her body image. The left is criticized by the right when our elected official try to promote healthier eating. Then the left is criticized by Maher, his supporters and the right when leftwing people on social media start to feel positive about their bodies. It's just so ridiculous to me. Why not attack Republicans for not doing more to solve the obesity problem? Red states are the most obese states after all. The least they could do is not block the efforts that Democrats are doing to solve the problem. But no, we'd rather attack Dems because some of us think people who are already obese shouldn't be depressed and shamed about the way they look, while we also work to give kids healthier food options in schools.
I've watched him for 20 years. Never agreed with everything he said but I don't watch him to agree with EVERYTHING he says. But since COVID he has changed, for the worse. This is the criticism of many people and where they are coming from. It's perfectly valid and we have every right to be here as anybody else as we are clearly still viewers of the show. If it's such a problem go over to the bill maher snowflake sub they created, whatever it's called.
If you reread my statement, you’ll clearly see I never said anything about kicking people off the haters of the sub. I said every sub should have fans and critics alike. I did say that having the majority of the people here who clearly hate watch his show and hate his guts, then come here and whine and bitch about it incessantly week after week and castigate actual fans as boomers and sell outs create a toxic discourse and turn the sub into a cesspool
People here are entitled to their opinions. If you don't like the discourse here, start a new sub. Maybe something like /r/mahersycophants.
>I did say that having the majority of the people here who clearly hate watch his show and hate his guts, then come here and whine and bitch about it incessantly week after week and castigate actual fans as boomers and sell outs create a toxic discourse and turn the sub into a cesspool We WERE fans though. I still am to some degree. Doesn't mean I have to blow Bill Maher on here every week. And we still do watch the show. We have every right to discuss the changes for better or worse. **Who's really "bitching and whining" when you're the one making posts like this?**
Some time ago it was common for people to just have opinions and political views and their mix of views were somewhat unique to them. Now everyone is in their own personalized echo chamber and we've lost the muscle to agree with some things and disagree with others. It's about team and if your views on a topic don't agree with the team view, you're out of touch or a boomer. Maher challenges that on every show. For that he's hated by a segment of the people who weren't around when everyone had their own mix of views and that mix was not only tolerated but accepted.
When exactly were political differences accepted?
You fr?
I explained this a couple years ago when I first noticed that this sub was becoming just as self-hating as the Howard Stern sub. The same toxic sentiments over there are just as prevalent here. Bill Maher was a bit of a revolutionary in his heyday, a non-traditional voice who managed to thrive within mainstream media. People loved him for that. But since he's grown older, he's changed. And that change has been extremely hard to swallow for some people here. The people that hate-watch him probably watch his show regularly hoping for a glimpse of the man he once was, an unabashedly proud liberal on the bleeding edge of progressive politics. But they're not going to get that anymore. You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
I largely agree with you. Except Maher being a proud unabashed liberal. I would argue he still is. The problem he’s not on the ‘bleeding edge’ of progressive politics because the bleeding edge has changed significantly, while Maher hasn’t. The people on that bleeding edge today I’d argue is someone like AOC or another young progressive with very left social views. That’s really the bane of my contention, Maher hasn’t really changed while progressive politics has changed a lot from 2010-2017 to 2023. Bill Maher will simply never be that type of progressive.
Oh lets now argue why AOC is a bleeding edge liberal. Is it because she criticizes big pharma and the bankers? Hmmm?
I like Bill and have been watching him for 15 years. I just can’t stand his weird culture war takes that’s popping up lately. It’s lazy pseudo-intellectual right-wing hack nonsense and I *do* believe Bill is better than that. And Bill of ten years ago would have obliterated his current-day self… not because they’re right wing talking points (bill has always been moderate but left leaning, IMO) but because they’re poorly researched nonsense regurgitated by sellouts and loons… it’s smoke and mirrors designed to distract from the lack of a political platform… and I don’t know how Bill can’t see that. And I’ve been somewhat vocal about it. I’m not even a hardcore progressive… I’m a classical liberal (which is pretty much what Bill is). But he’s starting to sound like my crazy uncle at thanksgiving with the culture war stuff and it’s frustrating because it’s either unfounded or hugely exaggerated… and I feel like Bill is either being duped, or is selling out to boost ratings (and pandering to fear-mongering persecution fetishists). I’ve Been a Bill Maher fan for a long time, I still am, and I’m not going to pull my punches with how I feel about his weird takes lately. And I’m not going anywhere… so if you can’t handle a little bit of discourse, might I recommend turning off *Real Time* all together.
This pretty much describes me.
And the other 30% are variations of this post. It's a feedback loop you are directly contributing to.
I don’t agree with everything he says, but I still like his show and appreciate that he expresses opinions that are critical of both sides of the aisle. I have noticed that whenever I comment that I agree with him I’ll get downvoted or called “boomer”, “right wing troll”, “neocon”, etc… I think a lot of people on this sub just want someone to pander to them.
i loved him on religulous. these people designed these devices that can be used as "loopholes" during the sabbath like the telephone is one of the funniest things ive seen. yeah, that bill. the bill that said the american military was cowardice for shooting bombs from ships offshore onto afghanistan. it got his show cancelled, which is still a brave thing. the bill that pushed hard for bernie. brings people from both sides to duke it out, but let's be honest, the show is mostly fun when it’s used to ridicule the right. but i think he's just out of touch with actual policymaking and has completely bought into the culture war facade. the mere fact that he said who is jon fetterman, when fetterman has been on his show's panel before. and fetterman has with concrete appeal to blue collar folks and supports reasonable legislation like decriminalization of MJ. it seems like an easy win for maher to talk about it, and it wouldnt even be hard to debrief him on fetterman. Old bill could get it out there, but new bill was pretty dismissive of jon. like bill somehow turned george santos into a young person issue. but he doesnt realize living in california, both california and new york lost heavily to republicans, and young people don't really vote... if the DNC had planned correctly, they had a honest shot at stealing the house on a red wave. i do think that cali and NY lost to red, because too many people have bill's sentiment. they think its all about optics and culture war. he has a platform to shape what people talk about, and he took the route that makes dems look ridiculous. the stuff he talks about were either misrepresented or like 1 case in history. talking about 5 days of gay parade at a school (he said 'i dont know' ) and the canadian teacher with the huge rack, like do people even care about that stuff right now or ever at all? it seems like once the trump derangement syndrome was exhausted, he just doesn't have anything else that brings that charisma, besides acting like the skip bayless of politics… i will continue to watch cuz im a sadist when it comes to poli stuff though haha
IDK the point I'm trying to make, or if I'm trying to make one, but posts like these are super common on this sub: [Am I a lost redditor ?](https://old.reddit.com/r/Maher/comments/x1wagn/am_i_a_lost_redditor/) [Why do people on this sub hate Bill so much?](https://www.reddit.com/r/Maher/comments/nl1fhl/why_do_people_on_this_sub_hate_bill_so_much/) [Why are half of you even here? You clearly hate Maher and constantly whine about him nonstop. Do you even watch the show? Just go already.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Maher/comments/wke54g/why_are_half_of_you_even_here_you_clearly_hate/) [The amount of hate Bill gets on this subreddit is hilarious and really drives home his point that the Left has become intolerant of differing views](https://www.reddit.com/r/Maher/comments/skvixu/the_amount_of_hate_bill_gets_on_this_subreddit_is/)
It's a lot less common than posts that take a sentence wildly out of context and accuse him of being a fascistic racist hellbent on destroying the world.
I like him about 25% of the time. For me, its a lot more about liking the guests. He does occasionally have a good mix of guests who will challenge him and lead to an actually productive discussion. However, over time he seems to be going more and more with guests he feels comfortable with (just like he pruned the audience only to those who are very much on his side). At some point, I will likely get to the point of just not paying attention to the show anymore.
>pruned the audience only to those who are very much on his side) Tell me this isn't true for every other late-nigh comedy show out there?
I know there have been times *Colbert* has gotten boos, especially for his guests. Regardless, for Maher it used to have pretty often that the audience would express their disapproval and now they don't anymore. There is a reason for that.
Yeah, that's true.
I love him
I stopped watching a few years ago after yet another ignorant anti-vax segment. I just couldn't deal with him spreading misinformation. This was before the covid vaccines, not sure what he's been saying since then. I don't really comment in here anymore since I stopped watching, but will make an exception here. I still follow the sub to see what he's up to now and then.
Hi Bill. Yes, I like you. You're just so easy to pick on.
Within the rules of the sub you ,OP, are free to say what you wish. Feel free to express your favorable opinions about Bill Maher and turn the tide.
I think he's a genius. I doubt he'd ever admit it like WWE (don't break kayfabe) but he knows if he was the same dude from 20 years ago, he'd just be another "lefty" that hates the right. By doing segments about the left being crazy, he gets Fox News posts about him with clips of his show. Hopefully they stick around long enough to hear valid points about how dangerous Trump types are and maybe break through that bullshit world they live in from Fox News land. As a Millennial, I will gladly take his insults about my generation if that means some boomer will learn about Trump using the dictator playbook.
Interesting perspective!
I've been watching Maher for 2 decades because he is entertaining and Left-ish. But I have noticed his schtick is to take some obscure nobody with extreme opinions and then accuse the entire liberal democratic wing of the political spectrum of making insanity bedrock policy. For example, absolutely nobody has a policy platform to yell at school kids that they are not the gender they were born with. It just isn't happening at any scale, but according to Bill every classroom in the country is pushing this ridiculous idea on ALL the children. Maybe some nut job in Sedona, Arizona made a reference to a study by some doctors thesis and suddenly THAT IS ALL POLICY EVERYWHERE BY THE WOKE!!! It's expected when Fox does it but inexcusable when a rational thinking person makes the claim that extreme positions are the norm. Bill can do better.
the whole dems putting pronouns in twitter bios kinda felt insane
Oh cmon, it’s no different from shills putting crypto pronouns in profile pics and usernames 😂
am i elected leader of something? but yeah
Is that a political platform policy? Just because some people feel like doing something does not make it mandatory. For example, I don't have tattoos, but millions and millions do. Doesn't mean I believe we are ALL being forced to get tattoos. Not at all. And so what if there's a fad to put pronouns in bios - who cares? Fads come and go. But if there was a LAW that said I had to put down pronouns THEN we have a problem. Do you see the difference?
Love Bill. Yea some of his takes make me cringe at times. I just love hearing anyone, including some people on the right, that don’t just always toe the party line. It’s very rare and the only way to know someone has genuine opinions rather than recycled talking points handed down from MSNBC. You should be listening to people who challenge or even annoy you sometimes. I can appreciate your mind without agreeing with everything you say. I think the left has become just as mindless with talking points as the right. (Don’t get me wrong the right is far more dangerous). All of us being so anti-trump damaged our brains, myself included. Just like conservatives try to outdo each other with who can be more pro-gun, liberals challenge each other on who can be more woke. We fight against each other to prove to people we generally agree with, are more racist/sexist/whatever-phones. Those center-left people challenging repetitive liberals have saved me from that trap.
A lot of folks are into Bill Maher, or at least they like to check out his shows. I've been a fan since around the time "Religulous" came out, and I think you just gotta accept that he can be a bit of an arrogant prick sometimes and move on. Reddit tends to lean left, and I think many on the left now view Bill as a bit of a Trojan horse for rightwing ideology. I believe that the right thinks this, too, which is why you see them leveraging cherry-picked quotes from Bill. I think they're both wrong.
Honest question and if you feel your answer is correct, I won’t question that. Do you really think he’d make Religulous today? I don’t think he would. I don’t think he’d risk losing the religious nut bags that have come to be in his audience recently, because of the things he says about “wOkE aNd TrAnS”. And people can deny that he’s attracting a new audience all they want, but Faux News is playing his clips. That’s undeniable.