Real Time with Bill Maher: Self Censorship vs. Free Speech (HBO)

[Stephen Retired]

Painful to watch Maher trolling for applause. "Do I dare to eat a peach?" is the phrase I'm reminded of.

[tularetom]

1. You didn't have to include the "trolling for applause" part

It's painful to watch him.

[mimi85]

13. Bill Maher has been

getting on my last nerve lately. His shows aren't funny (for the most part) and he never really listens to his guest's remarks. He's just waiting to get his next "scripted" point in. I wish he'd stick to his day job. I can't imagine anyone paying a dime to see him in person. So there!

[Fred Sanders]

2. Duke University cancelled a Muslim event due to religious hate, Bill's Berkley cancellation and his

continued ire over it, and no mention of the Duke cave in, exposes the hypocrisy fairly clearly.

Bill hates all religions, but he hates Islam most of all, we all get it Bill. And it is still not funny.

[navarth]

3. I think Bill needs to realize

that he is more than just a comedian. And I think his comedy roots yearn for laughter and applause; but the fact is that much of his material is extremely thought-provoking and people don't always laugh or applaud when they're being handed something to think about.

I am a big fan of Maher, even though I don't always agree with him. I don't see why people would dislike him, but hey: to each his own.

For me, he's a weekly promise of some good laughs, as well as saying things that badly need to be said that won't be said anyplace else in the cultural desert known as television.

[Fred Sanders]

4. No one in the audience applauded his smearing of all Muslims because of his recitation of a litany

of terrorist events half way through his desperste plea for vindication from the shellacking he took from Ben Alleck two months ago...that was refreshing...Bill almost fell out of his chair in astonishment before recovering to troll-applause from one guy, as he admitted.

His shows lately have been disappointing as a whole, some great bits, but still not the same.

[navarth]

5. Fred I don't usually disagree with your posts

but here I do. Affleck didn't shellac him at all. I thought Affleck came across as an asshole in that exchange, interrupting people and not allowing a conversation to take place.

Bill has his faults, but he says much that needs to be said. I largely agree with him about religion but I recognize that it's not the religion that does the evil; it's like scissors, prescription medicine, it should be kept out of the hands of ignorant people. Anybody that's wanting to kill because of a cartoon badly needs to be called out; Bill is doing that. If he goes farther than I would, it's ok. At least we're having the conversation.

The only disappointing thing about Bill's shows IMO is that they don't go all year long.

[Fred Sanders]

6. I do not think the terrorists killed because of a cartoon, I think they killed because they are

Last edited Sat Jan 17, 2015, 05:20 PM - Edit history (1)

insane, driven not be religion, but by a demonic distortion of their avowed religion.

Bill does not, because he thinks they killed because Islam encourages it.

You see the same mindset and thinking in the Baptists.

I see the man with the gun as the terrorist and the policeman killed by them on the ground as the Muslim.

[navarth]

8. I understand.

I have a slight disagreement with you, just like I do with Maher. My disagreement won't amount to much in the grand scheme of things.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

11. No, they killed because there is this weird idea that it would be impressive.

[mountain grammy]

7. I am too, but also don't always agree with him, like this time.

I'm active in groups to boycott Rush and Fox and others and contact sponsors regularly to express my distaste for their shows. I believe I'm exercising my right to free speech as well. Sometimes Bill doesn't see the forest for the trees, but I'm still a fan and agree with him more than I don't.

[navarth]

9. yup. nt

[bvar22]

10. Isn't "Boycott Rush" also Free Speech?

?

[libodem]

12. In a way it is

It is also taking some tangible action to change the things we can.