Bill Maher was at his best when his logic and criticisms were consistent. But that's been happening less and less.

this week he played the race/religion card -- blaming the N.Y. mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani for being a practicing Muslim, and he threw in a dig about 9/11. Maher endorsed Andrew Cuomo, who is a practicing Catholic. No mention of any Catholic Priest's bad behavior.

In 2008, Maher's RELIGULOUS film mentioned a lot of bad, fundamentalist behaviors. Yet for the past 2 years he's been an outspoken advocate of Israel's bombings in Gaza, which is, and always has been, an insane religious war by both sides for the control of alleged "holy land."

i'm not sure whether i believe Bill's descent into emotional bias serves a useful purpose. It might be a good thing that many on the Right like his anti-PC, anti-woke rhetoric. It forces them to hear his more balanced and grounded ideas too.

do you still watch his show?

I stopped watching Real Time with Bill Maher years ago only because I cancelled my HBO subscription -- and his show was the only reason that I subscribed to HBO. If he has become more conservative in his politics, that is, I think, a shame. Reportedly, comedian Dennis Miller (who was never on my radar) underwent a similar transformation.

The maxim "If you are young and not liberal, then you have no heart; but if you are old and not conservative, then you have no brain" is one possible explanation. But I have always regarded that adage as specious. It certainly does not apply in my case . . .

. . . nor in the case of this guy:

yes. Dennis Miller regressed and become unfunny. He didn't work out for Fox News and neither did the snide show segment they fashioned after The Daily Show. There's a mean-spirited-ness about right-wing policies, and it doesn't translate to humor.

i know it sounds bias, but Bill Maher's wit still seems to be at its best when he's ridiculing right-wing-nuts. I believe his way-overdone campaign against "wokeness" and "cancel culture" reflects his emotional weaknesses more than his sense of humor. He never got over ABC cancelling his network show, "Politically Incorrect" for being politically incorrect 20 years ago. And, i'm guessing, his over indulgence in the ganja only worsened his insecurities and paranoia.

I miss George Carlin. That speech could have been spoken today. I know it has always been this way but we have reached new heights of greed and power. They don’t even bother to hide it anymore. It’s a huge FU to the American people. I wish George Carlin was alive. His material could basically write itself as he reminds us I told you so.

There are plenty of comedians who are working the truth constantly. Josh Johnson, Michelle Wolf, Lewis Black, Bill Burr, John Fugelsang and Lee Camp leap to mind right away. Certainly Carlin, Bill Hicks and even Johnny Carson knew how to poke the power.

My Favorite Bill Hicks Slam

last night Bill Maher was at his worst, attacking Democratic Socialism with his new brand of disingenuous hypocrisy. He said we've tried it many times before, and it's failed (we haven't). The closest we came was FDR's programs -- still a vital core of America. Bill cited North Korea as a model of it's failure. N. Korea is a dictatorship run by a lunatic. Ditto China's communist model and Russia's fake Presidency.

then there's the Bill Maher model. Intelligent, sharp, still witty. But his emotions kicked in, and now his steady logic depicted by this straight line -------- is hitting more and more bumps in rational -----^-----v-----<. It began during the covid crisis when masks frightened him and his fancy restaurant privileges were curtailed by the concept of people sacrificing some conveniences for the sake of society. As i already mentioned -- his emotional scars of being Cancel Cultured by ABC 20 years ago kicked in and his pot-head fog of paranoia didn't help. And, of course, political views are driven more by emotion that intelligence.

I'm with Lindy and macphysto, in really missing George Carlin. He was my hero and was also my generation's Lenny Bruce, when Carlin got older and his commentary got edgier and angrier.. I love the T-shirt with him and the quote, " Never underestimate the power of stupidity in large groups of people"...

On 11/9/2025 at 4:37 PM, macphysto said:

My Favorite Bill Hicks Slam

Mac, i've never seen Hicks before. His advertising and marketing slam is certainly edgy. I guess it's like being a lawyer. Depends on the client. If the product is good, you do good work by promoting it. If it's not, and it isn't most of the time, you're promoting/defending a lie.

Hicks introduces the term Mac-inations. Is that something like Mac-logic. Can we fit you in there somewhere?

"Edgy" perfectly described Bill Hicks who, alas, is now either playing the main room in The Celestial Comedy Club or roasting a packed house of Republicans in the stygian Eternal Night Club.

I am not smart enough to devise machinations and I am too irrational to be logical. I think the best fit, mac-wise, for me would be macaroni and cheese -- my favorite dish. It's also my "safe word." But, we won't go into that.

Bill Maher quits performing live standup

On 11/19/2025 at 10:04 AM, macphysto said:

Bill Maher quits performing live standup

fits in with his MO now. He's too sensitive. Can't take the heat.