Any Bill Maher fans here?

Dis · July 20, 2003, 03:56

Anyone see his recent HBO special? I only caught the tail end of it, but it looked pretty good. Hopefully they repeat it tomorrow. I'll watch the whole thing.

I also like Dennis Miller. Between him and Bill Maher I get a good balanced view of the news

. One conservative, one liberal.

As for his HBO weekly show. Well I don't care for that as much as politically incorrect. His guests are annoying. Who was that woman with the accent? Who in the hell was she? She was clueless.

asleepathewheel · July 20, 2003, 04:30

Ariana Huffington?

Yeah, she was such an idiot she didn't realize her husband was gay. Or perhaps she knew, but was with him for the money.

Berzerker · July 20, 2003, 05:32

Arianna Huffington is actually one of the more adept political commentators around, although it appears her conservatism is influenced by a populism (of sorts). She was behind the SUV = Terrorism ad campaign but many of her Republican and conservative critics weren't bright enough (or feigned ignorance) to see the irony and hypocrisy exposed in those ads. She seems rather balanced as pundits go, I don't care for people who criticise the other side while brown nosing their own.

Her accent is annoying though, especially when she gets into a monotone rant.

Berzerker · July 20, 2003, 05:35

Quote:

Or perhaps she knew, but was with him for the money.

Or for their kids.

Dis · July 20, 2003, 13:36

yeah I think that was her. I didn't think she layed out her ideas well enough. She had little to back them up.

Sava · July 20, 2003, 14:29

Bill Maher is good. I read his book, "When You Ride Alone, You Ride With Bin Laden". Dennis Miller is a no-talent hack. He should go away instead of continuing his weak comedic act that consists of making fun of the elderly and other people who can't defend themselves.

Shi Huangdi · July 20, 2003, 14:34

His special was pretentious crap filled with half-truths and oft-repeated blather. If you want left-wing complaining you can get a much higher quality version on it here on the OT.

Agathon · July 20, 2003, 14:38

Huffington has become a reasonably serious person. Quite surprising really.

Sava · July 20, 2003, 14:41

Quote:

His special was pretentious crap filled with half-truths and oft-repeated blather. If you want left-wing complaining you can get a much higher quality version on it here on the OT.

dismissing Maher as left-wing = ignorant... read his book.

Dis · July 20, 2003, 14:49

well he's funnier than the left-wing whiners here

. I don't care if he's right or wrong, I want funny jokes dammit!.

and why can't you make fun of the elderly? why can't they defend themselves? They can talk can't they? bah! Silly liberals want to take away all humour.

Shi Huangdi · July 20, 2003, 15:10

Quote:

Originally posted by Sava
dismissing Maher as left-wing = ignorant... read his book.

I don't know if he has changed his views recently. Back in his days on POlitically Incorrect, he was someone who pretended to be a libertarian but was little more then a leftist pretending to be one, and I think there was generally consensus on that one on this board. Most notoriously he has backed China's one-child policy, something no self respecting libertarian could ever bring themselves to support. His most recent special was basically the same type of anti-Bush we got on Apolyton, only of far lower quality.

Sava · July 20, 2003, 15:48

As for him being a libertarian, I think he bases his opinions more on actual real-world practicality, rather than blind-ideology. I don't want to threadjack into China's one-child policy... but it appears to be a necessary thing. I've never been to China... I suspect you haven't... nor has Bill Maher. So I doubt our opinions on the matter are even worth the data bits these words take up. Conversely, if China allows it's people to **** like rabbits, they would have an enormous humanitarian crisis. So you can't really hold that against his so-called libertarian views. I consider myself to be a social libertarian, but I wouldn't support something in line with that ideology if it were so obviously stupid... i.e. objection to China's population controls.

For someone such as yourself, a person whose political stances are motivated by ideals rather than pragmatic thought, Maher may seem hypocritical. But rather... he allows common sense to dictate his views.

Again calling him a leftist goes back to the whole ignorant notion that there are only two political ideologies in the world.

General Ludd · July 20, 2003, 16:06

Quote:

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi
His special was pretentious crap filled with half-truths and oft-repeated blather.

That's true of all political comedians.

GePap · July 20, 2003, 16:45

I don;t find most of his political commnets funny, if only becuase of his style: too blunt and sermonizing, just like Dennis MIller, who seems to, as large as his vocabulary is, forgetten subtlety.

I prefer John Steward and the Daily Show: best political satire and commentary on TV.

Ted Striker · July 20, 2003, 16:56

Bill's pretty annoying. His Policitally Incorrect show sucked because it was all based on one liners. Whoever could come up with the best one-liner always got the best audience reaction.

The people that had well thought out presentations always got the least respect.

Plus I don't really care what Jillian Barbarie has to say about the Federal Defecit.

Drake Tungsten · July 20, 2003, 21:10

I love Bill Maher almost as much as I love Dennis Miller. I don't know what it says about our society when two of the best political and social commentators are comedians, but that's where we're at.

cinch · July 20, 2003, 21:21

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I prefer John Stewart and the Daily Show: best political satire and commentary on TV.

Truer words have never been spoken.

General Ludd · July 20, 2003, 21:21

Quote:

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
I love Bill Maher almost as much as I love Dennis Miller. I don't know what it says about our society when two of the best political and social commentators are comedians, but that's where we're at.

What it says about our society is that most people don't have the attention span to listen to anything but sound bites and punch lines.

General Ludd · July 20, 2003, 21:23

By the way, wheren't there more posts in this thread before? I seem to remember Sava taking a little hissy fit over ted's post.

Maybe I'm just seeing into the future...

Sava · July 20, 2003, 21:25

Quote:

By the way, wheren't there more posts in this thread before? I seem to remember Sava taking a little hissy fit over ted's post. Maybe I'm just seeing into the future...

different thread genius

and that's not much of a prediction, either... there's almost a 100% chance I'll throw another hissy fit at Ted.

Shi Huangdi · July 20, 2003, 21:35

It's not just that one issue though Sava, although I think ever supporting forced abortions makes calling yourself a liberatarian impossible. But he hasn't really been an economic libertarian as far as I can recall- except for maybe cutting corporate welfare. For that matter I don't really remember anything he has said on PI that would be inconsistent with a leftist ideology- except the one time he criticized the Socialist candidate for Pres but with him he was definitely treating him with kid gloves. I'd probably 95% if not more of what he has said on his show would fit in with a liberal or leftist ideology.

Sava · July 20, 2003, 21:38

Quote:

I'd probably 95% if not more of what he has said on his show would fit in with a liberal or leftist ideology.

I never watched the show much... I maybe saw it once. My knowledge of him comes from his most recent book and appearances on other shows. Some of his plans for the war of terrorism are very uhmmm... not in line with stereotypical left views. Maher is a lot like me... most people hear a lot of his views that are considered "left" and then paint him with that broad brush.

Drake Tungsten · July 20, 2003, 21:41

Maher was very much in favor of blowing the **** out of Afghanistan after 9/11. He's also an outspoken proponent of profiling as a necessary part of airport security. Not the most liberal of views to be taking.

Sava · July 20, 2003, 21:43

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Maher was very much in favor of blowing the **** out of Afghanistan after 9/11. He's also an outspoken proponent of profiling as a necessary part of airport security. Not the most liberal of views to be taking.

Drake Tungsten · July 20, 2003, 21:45

Q Classic · July 20, 2003, 21:57

bill maher's funny. i like him.

Sikander · July 20, 2003, 23:27

Quote:

Originally posted by Q Cubed
bill maher's funny. i like him.

Bill Maher isn't funny. I don't like him. Dennis Miller is funnier, but I don't turn to comedians to help me decide where I stand on the issues regardless of whether they are funny or not. Comedy makes great propoganda and lousy policy, and Maher's show (or the "guerilla theatre" groups seen at demontrations) is an excellent example of this principle in action. And I agree with Shi regarding his complete lack of Libertarian cred.

Imran Siddiqui · July 20, 2003, 23:36

Quote:

I don;t find most of his political commnets funny, if only becuase of his style: too blunt and sermonizing, just like Dennis MIller, who seems to, as large as his vocabulary is, forgetten subtlety.

I prefer John Steward and the Daily Show: best political satire and commentary on TV.

Once again GePap is right on the money. Maher isn't that great. Politically Incorrect was good fun just to see some of the people on it, but not Maher, really. Like others have said, he just tries for one-liners, and tends to sermonize a lot. Miller, as well, tries more for one-liners and tends to try to show off his vocabulary a lot (which is impressive, I must admit).

Jon Stewart is pure gold in the Daily Show... BUT I credit the writers of the show itself. It had great subtle humor when Craig Kilborn was running things as well .

Drake Tungsten · July 20, 2003, 23:41

I like Kilborn a lot more. More humor, less political stuff.

Sava · July 21, 2003, 00:47

I'm actually glad to hear Bill Maher doesn't have "libertarian cred". I don't like it when people involved in politics follow blind ideologies. I like pragmatic people.