Whats your opinion of Bill Maher?

[Locut0s]

I’m guessing that he’s a bit of a polarizing figure even here. While I don’t agree with him on some of his views (he seems islamophobic at times), and find him hard to stand on others (he is pretentious and arrogant), I greatly respect his willingness to be a bit of a bulldog on the left, which I think we need more of. I don’t have to like every aspect of someone to respect and enjoy watching them. I’m curious what a cross section of DUers think?

[tblue37]

1. His show is the one hour of TV I watch most weeks. I have much the same opinion

of him as you do.

I love John Oliver, but usually catch him on the internet, as I do Colbert's monologues. But I actually sit in front of the TV each week and watch Maher's show.

[GWC58]

39. I watch every Friday!

I feel much the same as does Bill. My two brothers, on the other hand, do not like him, at all. FOX News watchers, especially one of my sister-in-laws.

[arthritisR_US]

2. I echo your thoughts and watch every

episode of his show. There are many I like but differ with at times, he’s no different.

[Initech]

3. I still watch his show every week.

Though I'm getting really tired of his liberal bashing, and I'm getting even more tired of that "snowflake go back to your safe space" bullshit. Seriously that talking point is so old it can vote now.

[leftynyc]

36. Many comedians have stopped

Doing shows on college campuses because many students think there is some right NOT to be offended by something. I see that mind set right here and I don't blame the performers for simply not wanting the headaches.

[BigmanPigman]

4. I like him but his guests piss me off more and more it seems.

If he has Jack Kingsten on one more time I'll scream.

[LisaM]

5. I saw him in person once. He was pretty puerile.

Potty mouthed, sexist, harsh. Most of the audience (it was part of a series; some of the other shows were Al Franken and Molly Ivins, and Michael Moore), were taken aback. He also seemed to despise liberals. The only people laughing in our vicinity were two teenaged boys.

After that, it's been hard for me to see him as anyone more than the person I saw that night.

[Locut0s]

10. He sounds pretty well known for that too to be honest...

I think even on his show it comes across at times but his stand up stuff has long been pretty blue and crass. Some of it I find funny, other times I agree he’s just offensive.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. He can be kind of a dick sometimes but he can also be pretty funny.

[Va Lefty]

41. Succinctly said. I agree. He often says things that need to be said.

[Hoyt]

7. Look forward to every show. Dont like some of his views, but most are DU acceptable.

[GP6971]

8. At times I like him

and then there are times I don't. I really watch for the panel and New Rules. Overall, I like him, but there are times he can be very frustrating.

[Hamlette]

9. Back in the day, wee had to buy a TiVo so my 83 year old Mom could watch.

She loved him but would fall asleep (it was on here at midnight). My parents were both atheists which I think initially drew them to Maher.

I watch him every week. He used to have a hair on fire conservative asshole on every week but not so much any more. I've noticed a GOP screamer on the show in awhile. Sometimes he has milktoast conservatives or he controls them somehow so they don't dominate anymore. And I don't think he's been as sexist since #me too. YMMV.

Which brings up a question. Why no Ann Coulter lately? He says they are friends.

[Locut0s]

12. Ive always wondered if they were more than just friends?

Ann is a pretty hard person to like. She’s such a vile seeming person. Bill too can espouse some pretty harsh views but he seems to hate that type. He seems to talk about Ann as one of those people you like to argue with that you know you will never agree with. I’ve always wondered if they weren’t like friends with benefits or something lol. I mean he is definetly the womanizing sort of type (something else to dislike), if not the worse end of that spectrum.

[pangaia]

11. He's a pompous, self loving, meely mouthed little shit bag.

I'd rather watch short track speed skating or curling or skeleton any day.

[LisaM]

17. Yeah, this.

He seems like that to me, too.

[Awsi Dooger]

19. Bill Maher is phenomenal

But not quite as awesome as curling, which I watched multiple times today. The women's world championships are going on in North Bay, Ontario.

Skeleton is great also.

I do agree on short track, which is garbage compared to traditional speed skating. BTW, it was sickening that Sverre Lunde Pedersen of Norway tripped himself with 9 laps remaining in the final race of the speed skating all around championships two weeks ago. He had a clear lead and merely needed to stay upright to win the title. I'm not sure if Maher mentioned that on his program.

[pangaia]

22. Oddly i like short track more than the long track.

I have a friend in korea who is friends with the mother of one if the korean women short track world champions. So i show a bit of favoritism. 😁

[Old Vet]

61. Really, People are gonna start bashing Bill Maher now...

BTW, Hes a hardcore democrat....DAH.......

[pangaia]

90. I don't care if his hair is blue.....My opinion of him stands..

He's a pompous ass..

DAH

[dweller]

13. he might be funny to some

but I gave up on him maybe 15 Yrs or more ago?
there are reasons I dumped him...

a local teenaged girl killed herself in a bathroom at middle school with a handgun she brought in her backpack to school... she actually sat behind my daughter in one class...
anyway she killed herself in a bathroom stall, a very sad and trying time that day as school was shutdown, parents were racing to collect their children, school under lockdown... not a mass shooting, just one poor suffering child taking her own life ☹️

that night, that very night Maher referred to it in his opening monologue, id'd clearly enough by location and made it into a joke about a stray bullet killing a baby being delivered in an adjoining stall ...

I've never listened to that prick again ...

ymmv
✌🏼️

[pangaia]

24. Hes3a dirtbag of the first water and all the make up,

Scripts, phony snide laughs and strutting dick waving he does just proves it.

[dweller]

26. sounds like he's just gotten worse

through time ... I'm not surprised

🙏🏻

[shanny]

14. Islamophobe. Misogynist.

More libertarian than left. Kinda funny but mean-spirited IMO. I don't enjoy him and quit watching years ago.

[Marie Marie]

20. Definitely a misogynist.

I watch him but he often pisses me off with his sexist comments. Then there is the liberal bashing, as if he is so far above any ideology and he alone is the voice of reason. He also lets the right wingers on his show run the panel by talking over everyone else. That said, his New Rules are usually the best part of his show.

[JCanete]

69. Right on some things, wrong on others, which is a better ratio than most

news and opinion personalities working today. Generates actual discussion on issues which is better than most news and opinion personalities working today. Is either entirely off the mark (and bull headed)regarding the power of words in an old religious text rather than a culture of upheaval and violence that has begotten more violence and made religions in middle eastern regions more extreme, or understands this and is opportunistically appealing to independents and bigots for ratings and an air of "outsiderness."

[wryter2000]

23. Exactly

I gave up watching him when he called tailhook "boys being boys."

[stranger81]

79. THIS.

Everything you just said.

[kmla]

15. A left leaning libertarian.

With a tendency to be an ass.

[phleshdef]

74. He is not a libertarian. He is a liberal.

The libertarian shit came up ages ago when it meant "keep the government out of my bedroom and legalize weed"... in other words civil libertarian-ism, which almost all liberals are.

He wants universal healthcare and higher taxes on the rich like the rest of us.

[kmla]

75. Your opinion. Thanks for sharing.

The original post asked for mine.

I gave it.

[phleshdef]

91. Its not an opinion. Its a statement of fact.

He himself has addressed this several times.

[kmla]

93. Its his opinion of his political leanings. I choose not to believe him when he says it.

Once again, the original post asked for my opinion.

I gave it.

Thanks for your reply.

[phleshdef]

94. Okay, so you are talking out of your ass then.

[Leighbythesea]

16. Similar to what some say here

Mostly, I find him to crass and smug. I thought for sure when comedians were getting their time with the sexual and power abuse accusations, his name might come up. He seems to go past the edge of decorum, so felt like he may have done something in bad taste.

[dawg day]

18. Occasionally funny-- always sexist

He's one of those guys I quote when he says something worthwhile, but otherwise have no use for.

It's worth noticing how often he's denigrating to women. Just sayin'. That's really as lamentable as his islamophobia.

[blake2012]

21. A washed up crank

Used to make me laugh. Doesn’t anymore.

[pangaia]

25. Good way to describe him.

[JNelson6563]

27. He doesn't do it for me.

I think he gets tiresome.

[demosincebirth]

28. I like him - pisses off many lefties as l can see

[LanternWaste]

88. I've often thought it an absurd concept to enjoy a thing predicated only on how others

I've often thought it an absurd concept to enjoy a thing predicated only on how others may or may not enjoy it.

I like cinnamon rolls due to my own taste... I'd feel myself a bit of a dullard if I liked them because members of group X didn't.

But I'm sure you'll rationalize it as something else.

[applegrove]

29. I certainly don't agree with his stance on religion or Islam. Don't agree

with him on everything. But i love his show. It is the one place I can find where republicans get schooled by liberals. Republican spokesthinggies on CNN never agree with reason. Maher gets them to on his show or they are laughed down which Maher also orchestrates. It is very satisfying. Tell me some other show where the right wingers join the human race again, if only for a moment, instead of being endlessly talking dark art robots of the right? It gives me hope seeing them have to give up on real time. I like his liberal guests. His first guest is usually eye opening. He's a good egg and a fighter. His midshow comedy bit is hilarious. He is one of the assets we have on the left. I like to get information served humorously. And he picks up on some stories that didn't blow up big during the week. He has a wide scope. I want to be as informed that i can be. So there is good and bad to the bulldog of the left. Who would have thunk it.

[The Wielding Truth]

30. His views are important because he gets closer to the truth than most others.

And he's hilarious too.

[agincourt]

31. Liked his slow moving coup narratives

on the other hand he is wrong on a lot of things too. When he's on point he's good but sometimes he just sucks as well. I'm a regular viewer so sometimes the show energizes me but sometimes I wonder why did I watch that?

[TlalocW]

32. For the most part

I like his humor, and he's okay on most issues, but he's almost the the poster boy for what conservatives would describe as a limousine liberal - obviously smart and proud of it and doesn't have a problem showing he's smarter than you. Got a ton of smug going on.

TlalocW

[Jakes Progress]

33. Blowhard, chauvinist, libertarian, broken clock.

[samplegirl]

34. Ive watched him for years and

I think for the most part he sometimes addresses things that need to be said and he just says it like it is! Some things even though it’s satire come across rather sharp I think he is a good person just some of it does not pertain to my liking as well. I always liked the debating side of his show.

[Laffy Kat]

35. Really run hot and cold on him.

At least once every couple of years I swear him off and then eventually come back. I do think he has a problem with women and he doesn't like children which I always find suspect. I can absolutely understand not wanting to have children, but not not liking them. There is something creepy about that to me. OTOH, he's an animal rights advocate and I do admire that. I dunno.

[DFW]

37. I don't get American TV here, so I just see clips from links sent to me

Bearing that in mind. I think he's just fine. I take him for what he is.

He does not come across as an Islamophobe to me, just a generic Deophobe. He has no use for religion at all, and those who are loudest about promoting/"defending" their religion get the most derision from him. That obviously means Christians and Muslims. Atheism is fair play, and except for him, no one seems to dare to be as open about proclaiming theirs. I only think he does it after decades of getting organized religion shoved in his face. Maybe a nun rapped his fingers with a ruler once, who knows?

He's single, and does dope, which is the opposite of me, but again, if that's what floats his boat, to each his own.

The only things I care about are how good his humor is at slashing the right to pieces, and he does that savagely, which I enjoy immensely. If I watch some clip of his, it's for the entertainment value. If I want it straight with no added spice, I'll look for clips from MSNBC.

[meadowlander]

38. A mixed bag.

When he's on, he's on and some of his monologues and new rules bits are hilarious. And Religulous was quite good.

But...

He needs to take some responsibility for the anti-PC crusade he spearheaded in the 90s landing us in part where we are today. "Political correctness" has always just been a snide way to reference "basic manners and empathy" as if they are somehow character flaws. And the right picked up that flag and marched it straight into the White House.

And he still picks up rightwing buzzwords without seeming to realise their origin. The last show I watched he was complaining about Tim Kain being a "beta male". And I'm sure if you went through the footage you'd find hundreds of examples of him hammering on about "liberal snowflakes" until suddenly Trump was elected, shit got real and he started to pretend that the steep decline of standards of discourse in American political life has nothing to do with him.

He engages in false equivalence where he shouldn't. Basically he just likes to argue with whoever you put in front of him but some of the guests he has on are appalling and he's not quick and clever enough to stay ahead of them. If you're going to invite a provocating little fascist like Milo Yiannopolous on your show and give him a platform you better make damn sure it's primarily for the purpose of exposing his idiotic arguments. But Bill just sits there and nods and can't come up with his own point which at a certain stage starts to look like agreement and complicity.

And he's good at pin-pointing problems (i.e. slow moving coup) but not at constructively discussing a way forward.

So he can be good, but I don't think the live format or the panel discussions suit him. He should go back to standup or do primarily desk based commentary like John Oliver.

[Clarity2]

86. Agree with everything

My biggest problem with him before the election is that he spent way more time pointing out liberal flaws rather than republican. I almost felt like he contributed to our loss.

And guests that he shouldnt be giving the time of day to. No, it’s absolutely not helpful. Bring on democratic guests that spark inspiration, not giving a voice to the likes of people like Milo and Roger Stone and normalizing them.

Oh, and hes a pompous, arrogant asshole, but I do like his humor. Maybe he should just be doing comedy.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

40. Stopped watching

Tries to be to funny.

[Cosmocat]

42. Most hit the nail on the head - but he is very important

he is a dick, has a lot of ego, he has a few big blind spots and is wrong on a few things.

BUT, he is right far more than not on the issues, has a sharp tongue and MOST IMPORTANTLY does not give a shit if people get offended by him or hate him.

This is important because here in the USA, we have seemingly millions of crass, loud mouthed jackass conservatives who are that way and you literally can count on two hands the number of liberals who are like that, we we need SOME who will be like that because as mind bending as it is, that is what this country responds to.

This was why what happens to Al Franken was so intolerable for a lot of us. He wasn't as potty mouthed about it, but he was tough as nails and went after republicans. The list of liberals who are like that tapers very quickly after Bernie and Warren.

[milestogo]

47. He's the only one who had the balls to publicly support Kathy Griffin.

[Cosmocat]

48. This kind of stuff

nm

[MrsCoffee]

43. Sexist. Not funny. No friend of Coulter is a friend of mine.

[lunatica]

44. I watch for his New Rules

They’re brilliant!

If his show didn’t have New Rules I don’t I think I would bother. He just isn’t consistently funny and he wrongfully and pigheadedly insults Islam as a terrorist religion. That’s pretty stupid.

[PJMcK]

45. That's a pretty polarizing question

Based on the responses above, people on DU seem to either hate him or love him.

The cool thing is that if you don't like him, change the channel. Simple.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

58. +1 . n/t

[milestogo]

46. A misogynist asshole who is also very funny and highly intelligent.

I watch his show because he makes me laugh out loud and he has very interesting guests.

[BannonsLiver]

49. I'm a fan

Have seen him live at least three times, including back in the 90s. I don't agree with everything he says, though I do enjoy watching people get their hair on fire over him here on DU.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

50. He's the bravest person ever in the history of TV. Don't believe me? Just ask him. He'll

tell you. But any way. he's aight. He's a bit frat boy douche at times. His show is OK except when he says really dumb shit like comparing that British assclown troll token gay from Shitbart to Christopher Hitchens. And he meant it as a compliment.

Also wanted to slap him when he ganged up with, of all people Tweety, on Jorge Ramos because he told the truth about the corporate media being complicit in the Iraq invasion cluster fuck. He basically contradicted everything he claimed for years on his show. He might've been really baked when that happened. But I've never lost my principles not matter how blazed I get.

[HAB911]

51. +++++++++++

[MaryMagdaline]

52. Love him. Funny, sharp, loyal to the left and

he helps push the liberal echo chamber, which, he has pointed out, is an area badly needing work. He has said time and again that the right has an echo chamber, causing them to walk in lockstep.

I believe he has a problem with misogyny. I think he works on that. I saw a MAJOR change when he had Jimmy Carter as a guest and Jimmy Carter pointed out the problems of women throughout the world.

[JenniferJuniper]

53. He does amazing work and is usually pretty funny;

I don't have to like someone personally to acknowledge that.

As for "Islamophobia", he has no use for any religion.

[Generic Brad]

54. Nobody's perfect

If I only watched people who I agree with 100% of the time, I'd be staring at my mirror for entertainment.

[Joediss]

59. Agree

I like him overall , but his Moslem bashing and always running the democratic party down for not being this or that, you know, they are not tough enough, he will say ,I guess he wants them to act like republican. That pisses me off, and he always got a guest on that pisses me off, but I need to hear from people that don't agree with me.

[Egnever]

70. agree with this

I often find him insufferable but he does not hold his tongue and that willingness to speak truth to power is enough to keep me watching when I get the urge.

Often his truth is nonsense but often it is not.

[Downtown Hound]

55. Sometimes he's awesome

Sometimes not so much.

[Paladin]

56. I got tired of him around the time of his 100th "Why Liberals Suck" lecture.

And I got weary of is constant Muslim-bashing a while back, as well. What good parts there are of his shows turn up here on DU if I care to spend time watching them. I don't tune in on Friday nights, just to see which right-wing horse's ass he's got on his panel.

[dameatball]

57. Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cringe. But hasn't that been the history of political comedy?

Lenny Bruce anyone?

[MineralMan]

60. I stopped paying attention to him. Too misogynistic for me.

Haven't seen him for years now.

[drbtg1]

62. Misogynist and Islamophobic? Absolutely!

Also, his hatred of children and parents has worn thin a long time ago. ("Yeah, I know you'll be forever single, hate kids, and like it when Ann Coulter stops by. Don't worry, I won't be asking you to babysit since you're just above Roy Moore on that list!" )

Also, I'm not sure if he's part of the group of comedians who don't play colleges because he thinks they're too "P.C", but if he is, maybe the problem isn't that the audience is too "P.C.", maybe the real problem is that those comedians' material isn't really all that good any more! Maybe they need to go have a seat, I think Henny Youngman and Shecky Greene are saving a chair for them in the corner.

The biggest problem with his show, IMO, is that the show has gone from a must-see show due solely to how good Maher USED to be, down to a show, like most late night shows, where I'll watch it based on who the guests are. That's a huge drop in quality! It's the direct opposite of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert where the monologue and even the B block are must-see now.

That reminds me of when Maher went on Colbert's show and Maher couldn't hold a candle to Colbert. I doubt we'll see his return to the show anytime soon.

Finally, he really needs to stop laughing so much at his own jokes. If the jokes are really that good, the audience won't need a cue to laugh.

[kwassa]

63. Maher is just a different kind of narcissist.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

64. Can't stand him!

[Shell_Seas]

65. He's an entertainer.

Some times I watch him when I can't find anything else on TV. Although, some of his previous comments have upset me. I'm glad he apologized and I found his apology to be sincere. I used to like him more years ago.

[left-of-center2012]

66. Too vulgar. It's just not my style.

I like Stephen Colbert.

[Oneironaut]

67. Good presenter of a good show. Also, overly smarmy and douchey.

He’s overly pompous and somewhat bigoted. Overall, someone where you don’t mind watching his show, but would not want to meet him in-person.

[hunter]

68. Just another reason I don't watch any television.

From what little I've seen of him posted here on DU I'm certain I'd find him cringeworthy.

I'd much rather watch John Oliver, but not enough to pay for cable television.

[LeftInTX]

71. Don't have HBO. He was extremely critical and cynical about Obama during the BP disaster.

I get the impression he's a libertarian who likes to complain.

He was on CNN a lot during the oil spill. His views were a bit like jello. Just critical and and cynical, but not constructive.

[phleshdef]

72. Bill can be a real dick at times but he is usually right and his show is better than the news.

I'd be the first one to tell him to fuck off to his face with his Islam shit though.

[ProfessorGAC]

73. I'm A Fan

Different strokes for different folks.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

76. He's a bigoted dick.

[HopeAgain]

77. I looked up arrogant in the dictionary

and his picture was the illustration.

[Demsrule86]

78. I like him...his show is interesting.

[MicaelS]

80. Love him.

Sometimes he pisses me off, but he's one of the few on the Left willing to speak out against Islam.

[Kirk Lover]

81. I like him! I may not like everything he says...but on the whole he is one of

"the good ones".

[underpants]

82. Good intelligent TV show and saw him in concert. Very good

Do I agree with everything? No

[LanternWaste]

83. Never been my cup of tea. Though he's a board member of PETA

Never been my cup of tea. A little too vulgar, and little too lacking in self-reflection. He may or may not have good points to make, but as an entertainer, he comes across as too forced and simply not very funny.

Though he's a board member of PETA, he has implicitly attempted to tie his own demeaning attacks on women and minorities (source: Women's media Center) to the unrelated issue of partisan-motivated fake outrage and remains unrepentant for his attacks on women in public life. In other words, he cleverly rationalizes his words rather than honestly examines them.

[tazkcmo]

84. As a comedian

I find him second rate. Mainly because of his annoying habit of laughing at his own jokes and revealing the setup way too soon. Many times you can see the punchline coming before you turn the TV on.

As the host of his TV show, I think he does a better job than he did as a stand-up comedian. Whether you agree or not with him, he provides a forum for debate and lively discussion among individuals that are often well-respected figures and so, in spite of Bill Maher, the show's enjoyable.

[jalan48]

85. He's not afraid to be politically incorrect which is refreshing these days.

[pbmus]

87. Most of us have the same problem...we are human and have good days and bad ones....

[bettyellen]

89. Hes a sexist jerk, not as smart as he thinks but probably useful for some fringe Dems to watch.

If I hear he’s got a great panel or guest I’ll try to catch it.
I think he only skims the surface on most issues, but I get that’s a lot of people’s preference, so whatever.

[madinmaryland]

92. He hates both Repubs and Dems. Republican because they want to regulate who he masturbates

with and Democrats for wanting to regulate (for his safety) the products he uses to masturbate with.

Libertarian.

[TNLib]

95. Not a fan

I don't think he's that funny or entertaining and his politics lean too Libertarian. He's anti Muslim and he sometimes comes across as racist and misogynist.