Real Time with Bill Maher

Followed for years and years but now that bill has entered his 'I can't be wrong' phase I find myself tuning him out as he talks to people who know sht.

This was a standing appointment in our house, but Maher has become a one-trick pony (will, maybe two or three tricks) and his "I said it first" self congratulations go on ad nauseum these days. The list of repetitious blather includes: how long it took to get his solar panels, Americans are fat, I told you so, I hate kids, blah, blah, blah. He's starting to sound like someone's crotchety grandpa, and we're almost the same age.

The show was much more interesting with three panelists and better opening monologues that didn't feel quite so teed-up. While New Rules is always entertaining, the best part of Real Time is the closing monologue, which is always thought-provoking, smart, well-written, and well-delivered, Maher shines here without fail. More of this, less of the rest, please.

Of course, some people are attracted to the unstable. I have to watch this show whenever I notice it is on, even when I find it to be an episode that I have already seen. You are never sure if you should laugh or wince as Bill takes aim at everything ridiculous about America. He even lets himself be ridiculed, which is the mark of a fair commentator. The guests on his shows frequently disagree with him and the show is more fun when they disagree. The first time I really took to Bill's style was watching a show where one of the guests(Andrew Sullivan, I think) slammed a comment of Bill's that they then discussed for a few minutes. The only thing I don't like about the show is that it is too short. Bill frequently has to cut discussions off to make way for other topics, which gives it the feel in pace of PTI. An important show with a perfect home in HBO, where you can actually say what you want to say.

Like another reviewer I never really got into PI or "Politically Incorrect" either. I think mainly because it was to short on top of commercials. Also I really felt like Bill Maher had to hold back because he was on network Television. However he is truly at home on HBO where he and his guests can curse what ever they like with out those nasty censors saying no.

I have to say I in addition to the usually very good round table discussion I really like new rules, the comedy bits. I think this show is very well balanced. The idea that now Bill Maher gets to have what guests he wants is great and to have some of them as semi-regular guests is a great consistency.

Honestly I really can't say enough about this show because during the week leading up to Friday and there is big news I just can't wait to see what Bill Maher and his guests are going to say. You know it will make you mad, sad or just plain apathetic.

In addition to griping about how Maher bullied David Hogg, I have some more gripes. When a female congressperson was on ( I think it was Katie Porter ), she was continually cut off, unable to finish her points. Laura Coates did exceptionally well compared to other women when she was on. More recently, Maher, Mark Cuban and Joe Scarborough had a discussion on how great it is to be American right now. It's true that most people in the world are worse off, BUT, it's pretty easy for millionaires or billinonaires to brag. There was no mention of income/wealth inequality. The middle class has fallen farther and farther toward the poverty level since Reagan's trickle down idiocy. Not just governments can be tyranical, so can big business. We know from history that unchecked, they create artificial scarcity and monopolies. They abuse labor, produce unsafe products for consumers, and pollute the environment. Of course bureaucratic inefficiencies should be fixed. Of course there need to be incentives to motivate people and some people rich enough to have sports teams, pharmaceutical research, and gorgeous homes. Of course we will be happier if grateful for what we have. But a government needs to take care of their middle class, their labor class, their youth, and their intellectuals. Without strength in those groups, we will fail. Without regulations, aggressive, powerful people will return society to something like feudalism, with lords and serfs.

Another consideration about American success is the beginning of this country. Because indiginous people suffered so greatly from war and disease, immigrants (white ones) received free real estate and resources that generations of families could build on. We have natural borders for protection. We have had public education for a long time. We're luckier than most countries. But back to middle class issues - even with inflation going down, it's really tough for the modern middle class to afford rent or mortgage and buy groceries and fuel. Have a heart. Three books that impressed me about America's politics are The Wrecking Crew and Listen, Liberal, both by Thomas Frank, and The Fifth Risk, by Michael Lewis. I've also been shocked by some articles in Mother Jones (1) about how venture capitalists buy small businesses, fire most workers, sell off assets, give themselves huge bonuses, and then declare bankruptcy. (2) was about rich people buying housing in NYC, forcing out people with lower rents, renovating the building, and then charging rents that are unaffordable to the former residents. Three other tidbits - (1) rules about student loans are different and much more restrictive than other loans, (2) before Nixon, I think most medical insurers were non-profit, (3) when the bankruptcy laws were changed by some republican congress, they made it so that personal bankruptcy is now allowed to take the person's home. Before that, individuals were protected from that.

Well, Bill Maher is not responsible for all that, and I'll probably continue to watch Real Time.