I’m fascinated with the idea of Bill Burr being Trump’s attorney general.
It would have been a disaster but a very entertaining one.
I’m fascinated with the idea of Bill Barr showing up as a disgruntled Imperial soldier in a Star Wars TV show.
Because it isn’t really about him smoking weed. He doesn’t smoke weed on his other show and on this show, he has abstained willingly on behalf of other guests. So if he’s decided that this is the hill he’s going to die on because it’s Steve-O then I think he’s just being an asshole. I’m not a fan of Steve-O by any means but I have seen some interviews with him and he seems like he’s an entertaining guest who has lots of great stories to tell. You don’t have to get blazed to have a good time talking to him.
Are people still watching his garbage in here?
‘Last Week Tonight’ is right there! Why are we giving this asshole views?
If you see someone claiming they’re a truth-teller or critical thinker, it’s a solid bet that they’re anything but.
That goes double for including one or both of those terms in your social media profile.
My rule of thumb is to take with a grain of salt any personal claim to (as opposed to a claim to aspire to) a laudable or desirable quality.
Don’t tell me you’re a patriot/critical thinker/ philanthropist; show me.
Indeed. The more someone proclaims themselves to be a “patriot” and drapes themselves with flags, the more likely they are to willingly violate every principle America stands for (and most of the Constitution).
The more they tout their Christianity, the more likely they are to act in a way that is the exact opposite of what Jesus taught.
The more they tell you they’re smart, the dumber they are. The more they claim they’re telling the truth, the bigger their lies. The more they tell you that they’ve got a hot supermodel girlfriend but she lives in Canada and you wouldn’t know her…sorry, derailed myself there.
Anyway, yes - if you have to tell people that you’re funny/smart/honest/patriotic/etc - you ain’t.
I completely agree with this, and with the rest of your post, and with similar comments previously made. There’s no better illustration of this than the traitor and lifelong criminal Donald J. Trump in the famous picture of him humping the American flag, or the self-described “patriots” who tried to stage a coup on January 6. It’s simplistic symbolism that appeals to minds so simple that they’re indistinguishable from imbecility.
But I think to apply this to Bill Maher is to fundamentally misunderstand him. His style is certainly different from the self-effacing John Oliver, but he’s never claimed – except in fun – to be all-wise and all-knowing. There’s a necessary component of the “New Rules” schtick that has to be assertive in order for it to work comedically. The salient question that the haters always ask themselves seems to be “do I find the presentation style annoying?” rather than the more pertinent “is there an element of truth to this?”.
It will not surprise my opponents here to learn that I bought his new book, “What This Comedian Said Will Shock You”. Which is a whole different take, at least in terms of title, from one of his earliest books from 2005, “New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer”. I haven’t yet made it much beyond the rather long introduction, but IMHO in that intro Maher makes a good case for how he’s come to his positions on the issues of the day, most of which – again, excepting his crackpot views on medical science – should not even be controversial.
Well said! And don’t forget tough guys. Real, true “kick your ass” tough guys don’t announce their toughness. No need.
The wannabes open carry when going to the 7-eleven and wear “funny” tee shirts letting you know what peril you’re in if you dare mess with them.
He’s just a guy whose intentions are good.
It wouldn’t be surprising to hear that you own lots of Bill Maher gear.
I have one of Maher’s books too. I still think he’s an asshole.
Yeah, I still own his book New Rules from back when I was a fan of his. I have no idea why it is still on my bookshelf. I think it’s well past time to throw it away at this point.
Only a coffee mug and a “Real Time WIth Bill Maher” baseball cap which I wear all the time, occasionally alternating with Maple Leafs and Blue Jays hats. It’s a shame it doesn’t seem to be offered any more.
That Real Time With Bill Maher hat earned me a compliment and a pleasant conversation with an extremely pretty and well-spoken young woman who was also a fan, while we were both shopping at Pusateri’s, an elegant boutique grocery which has been described as one of the ten best places in the world to shop for food. Quality begets quality. 
I’m reminded of the antivaxer with a moderate Substack following, who posted that when he wore his “No Vaccines Needed - I Have An Immune System” t-shirt to Costco, admiring women came up and complimented him.
Who needs dating apps, when your gear proclaiming your anti-wokeness brings the wimmin a-running. 
Not to mention the big strong men with tears in their eyes.
You wear a Blue Jays hat! I want nothing to do with you now!
(I own a few Mariners hats.)
There may be an element of truth in it, but is it a particularly insightful element or is it an element that I could get from some other source that was less annoying, and also had a smaller proportion of absolute bullshit, (e.g. anti-vaccine). I would say yes.
I haven’t seen anything that Maher has said that is uniquely insightful enough to put up with the rest.
There may also be a gold kruggerand at the bottom of this full septic tank, but that doesn’t mean I’m diving in to find it.
I have a USPS hat…
From a review of Maher’s latest book: