My Hat's off to Maher
By matersfish
@matersfish (6306)
United States
April 11, 2011 11:34pm CST
Nah, I'm not jumping back on the Maher bandwagon or anything. I used to be a fan of the guy. He used to go after people and situations with some strong cynicism, a harsh temperment and a broad brush.
Then after his audience shrunk down and only laughed at "Bush is a retard" jokes, he kinda ran with that and just became nasty and bitter.
I did like his movie Religulous, all but the fact that he devoted about 5% to Muslims.
But now he seems to be coming out and going against what his audience and usual panel most likely believe. He is laying it on.
Agreeing or disagreeing with his stance isn't the point. But I must admit that I didn't think Maher would ever cross his people with regularity. A slip-up? Sure. A one-liner in the monologue? Why not!? But presenting it to guests face to face is something that takes courage, in my opinion, because it simply is not something Maher's folks embrace.
If he weren't lined up on 90% of other issues, they'd blast him universally. But my hat's off to the guy for not caring.
I'm hoping the old Maher will return.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y2EtmD1drU
Even still, I love the way they turned the conversation anti-Republican. So it's still obviously a "liberal" stance. And I also love how, even after Bill framed it quite well in a statement previously, Andrew Sullivan still interrupted Maher to make him qualify his language. 
(But Sullivan's okay; he's a hybrid type. A bit whiny, but that's happenstance of birth. 
)
But I'm giving the guy credit for being probably the only hard left guy in media (at least that I know of) willing to be fair across the board with religion. He disapproves of them all. And that's fine with me. I appreciate to know where someone stands without the excuse-making, the hypocrisy and the deflecting that goes on to ignore one mountain while trying to turn every other mole hill into a larger one to mask it.
So, over/under - how long before someone on his side of the aisle calls him on it?
Perhaps odds would be better here. What say you - 40:1?
I ask because, as we ALL know, the other Bill, Mr. O'Reilly, can't even say "Muslim" in a sentence without the entire armpit of the left-wing trying to sweat him out - a lot of whom, by the way, are undoubtedly avid Maher followers.
(But Sullivan's okay; he's a hybrid type. A bit whiny, but that's happenstance of birth. )
But I'm giving the guy credit for being probably the only hard left guy in media (at least that I know of) willing to be fair across the board with religion. He disapproves of them all. And that's fine with me. I appreciate to know where someone stands without the excuse-making, the hypocrisy and the deflecting that goes on to ignore one mountain while trying to turn every other mole hill into a larger one to mask it.
So, over/under - how long before someone on his side of the aisle calls him on it?
Perhaps odds would be better here. What say you - 40:1?
I ask because, as we ALL know, the other Bill, Mr. O'Reilly, can't even say "Muslim" in a sentence without the entire armpit of the left-wing trying to sweat him out - a lot of whom, by the way, are undoubtedly avid Maher followers.2 people like this
3 responses
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
16 Apr 11
I still couldn't bring myself to watch him on HBO last night. It's hard to tell what he rambled on about, but I'm sure the rich were eaten, the Republicans were blamed for all the world's ills, and Palin was insulted.
Thanks for the response!
It's hard to tell what he rambled on about, but I'm sure the rich were eaten, the Republicans were blamed for all the world's ills, and Palin was insulted.
Thanks for the response!
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
12 Apr 11
Interesting comments from Maher. I don't normally find much in a Maher commentary to agree with but this time he surprised me.
I almost wrote a discussion here about Lindsey Graham's ridiculous comments on free speech. It got very little notice anywhere else, but at least Maher noticed it. You can't be for free speech unless someone else doesn't like that speech. Once you add limits, it's not free speech anymore.
Maher is definitely anti-religion. But although he disbelieves in all religion equally, at least he didn't try to say "Christianity is just as bad" as most liberals do when discussing the violence inherent in Islam. He's right in what he said and didn't try to qualify it. He's not trying to be careful about his words and although I disagree with him most of the time, it's still refreshing and the right thing for him to just speak out and not try to fit a politically correct mold. Of course, he'd never get away with that if he were a conservative. That's the real problem.
I am not sure if Maher even noticed that he quoted George Bush and agreed with him. I found that to be the most amazing thing of all.
Well, maybe the most amazing thing is that the audience didn't riot at that point - or maybe they did, the clip ended just about there...
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
12 Apr 11
Graham going the coward's route was laughable. But he is not the only politician or personality in America wanting to censor things like Quran burnings. And most who want to tamper with free speech in America are usually from Maher's side of the aisle. So I did get a good laugh out of it turning into an anti-Republican bit. (Although, I'm not sure how much use Republicans have for Graham. He seems like a schmuck to me.)
And I do also find it refreshing that Maher puts religious situations where they belong. Like you say, a lot try to point out that other religions' loons are equally as bad. Ahhh... maybe way, way back when. But in this day in age, that just isn't the case. Of course he'd never get away with it on the other side. And that definitely leaves me wondering why. They've cast out their fellow liberals before, like Juan Williams, so I'm not sure why Maher gets a pass. (But I think it's pretty much guaranteed that Juan was cast out because of Fox and not because of Muslim comments, so that's probably out.)
Perhaps because the typical left views Maher as a leader and not one to run in the pack. He spits that type of bile and hatred that they love to rally around. So they'll forgive him his sins.
I loved that he pulled some Bush out.
My mom said to me the other day after reading Bush's book: "Nobody realizes they agree with Bush until you take the 'Bush' out of it."
Thanks for the response!
My mom said to me the other day after reading Bush's book: "Nobody realizes they agree with Bush until you take the 'Bush' out of it."
Thanks for the response!
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
12 Apr 11
Maher has said a few things over the past few months that are actually funny as well as sensible. I don't think it's funny to constantly bash one party or person or idea as many leftist and right wing comedians do. For Maher to say this about Muslims took some gumption but I guess he doesn't have much to lose so he decided to be honest. I hope he's on his way back up--he's a very funny guy, or used to be before he sank into the hate bog.
