‘Real Time’ host Bill Maher dismisses the idea that he’s ‘uncancellable’ in the current climate of cancel culture.
“Any comic from that era, anyone from that era could absolutely fall off the ledge at any time,” Maher said during an interview with CNN that aired on Tuesday. “It just makes me laugh when people say to me, ‘You know, you’re not cancelable. You’re kidding ? In two seconds, I could be undone. Anyone could.
Maher, an outspoken critic of cancel culture, was literally canceled by ABC for comments he made after 9/11 as the host of the late-night show “Politically Incorrect.” Just days after the terror attack, Maher insisted it was ‘cowardly’ for the United States to use cruise missiles overseas as the terrorists who flew the planes to the World Trade Center were “not cowards”.
THE liberal comedian was met with intense backlash at the time, and ABC ended its show the following year. In 2003, he launched “Real Time”, which has since been on HBO.
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Bill Maher mocks claims that he is “uncancellable”. (Screenshot/CNN)
Maher told CNN’s Jake Tapper that his studio audience “always” booed him whenever he heard something he deemed objectionable because he was “more awake than me.” However, he said that has stopped in recent years.
“And then about five years ago, I don’t know what they did with the audience, but they got rid of the moans. And that made my life so much better,” Maher said. “And there are people who actually say to me now, ‘I miss the days when you were fighting with the public. Well, maybe you do, but I don’t.”
Maher acknowledged that he has “lost fans over the years” because he doesn’t always say what they want to hear, but stressed that “that’s my ultimate connection to the public”.
“When I lose people it’s like OK, well, you were never really meant to be with me in the first place,” Maher laughed.
Bill Maher says “groaners” are no longer in his “Real Time” studio audience like they once were. (HBO)
Maher said that when he launched “Politically Incorrect” he was discouraged by others who felt he shouldn’t share his opinions because he would “alienate half the crowd”.
“That’s not what Johnny Carson did, that’s not what David Letterman did, that’s not what Jay Leno did, and I said, ‘Well, let’s try,'” Maher laughed. “Maybe people are a little more sophisticated than you think and they can actually understand that a guy who’s on TV, they don’t always agree with him, but they still love. Just like in You don’t always agree with your friends on everything. So, it turned out to be OK because here I am 30 years later, still alive.”
Bill Maher says it’s “amazing” how Hollywood writers have had “uniform” views in recent years. (HBO)
He kept complaining that every time he looked new writers in hollywoodhe reads “packages” of documents that are sent to his office and how monotonous they have become over the years.
“It’s amazing how uniform their views are,” Maher said, suggesting they all espouse liberal conventional wisdom. While Maher leans left and is a staunch critic of Trump and the Republican Party, he frequently pushes his own side of the aisle on issues such as awakening and off-putting political correctness.
“And it wasn’t always like that,” Tapper replied.
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“Exactly,” Maher replied. “I don’t remember, but I don’t think it’s ever been this bad. It’s the exact same point of view on every issue. And it’s very predictable. I have a relationship with people who want hear what I think is the truth, and I’m going to present both sides. And they may not be fair and balanced. It may be that the weight of each side is not equal because that’s not what is the truth. The truth isn’t always 50/50. So I live with that, but it gets harder because we’re more tribal now.”