For the record, the #1 worst late-night “comedy” host is Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld. But comedian, news commentator, and perpetually aggrieved complainer Bill Maher is a close second.
Maher has announced that his HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher will be returning without WGA writers. Maher will become the first late-night host to return since the AMPTP’s refusal to treat workers with basic respect caused the ongoing writers’ and actors’ strikes that shut down Hollywood.
I haven’t been a fan of Maher’s for a while. Despite somehow managing to hold onto his liberal branding in the eyes of many, in reality, he’s become more right-wing as he gets older and at this point, he’s just another “wokeism”-obsessed boomer conservative mouthpiece.
I actually used to watch him regularly, back in the days of Politically Incorrect. He was always pretty ignorant regarding things like nuances involving race, but I thought he was mostly on our side. But even though he isn’t a fan of Trump, he has continued to slide into needing to air white male grievances full-time. He seems to take particular issue with minorities having more of a voice. He was OK spouting liberal rhetoric when he was pushing Bernie Sanders, supporting environmental advocacy, or other things that allow white men to still be the center of attention. But as marginalized communities have demanded more, he’s responded with mockery and derision. He’s never been an ally, he’s never been a man of the people, so his recent comments about striking writers are totally unsurprising.
On his podcast, Club Random, he called many of the writers’ demands “kooky.” He went on to say: “What I find objectionable about the philosophy of the strike [is] it seems to be, they have really morphed a long way from 2007’s strike, where they kind of believe that you’re owed a living as a writer, and you’re not. This is show business. This is the make-or-miss league.”
Uhhh, this should go without saying but everyone deserves to make a living at their job. The writers are just as important to shows like his as the hosts or celebrity guests are. This comes off as a typical wealthy, entitled white man who got his and now looks down on others who complain. Even though he has made a living complaining about things. This is so ridiculous. While his show is coming back on September 22, it will be different. It will apparently just have a panel discussion; there will be no monologue or new rules segment.
Five prominent late-night hosts, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver, Seth Myers, and Jimmy Kimmel, have a podcast called Strike Force Five. It seems like they will not be coming back any time soon while the strike continues. Maher may stand alone (among late-night hosts, at least) for the foreseeable future.
(via Deadline, featured image: Rich Fury/VF22/Getty Images for Vanity Fair)
