Bill Maher is a f-----g racist

"I thought when we elected a black president, we were going to get a black president. You know, this is where I want a real black president. I want him in a meeting with the BP CEOs, you know, where he lifts up his shirt where you can see the gun in his pants. That's — (in black man voice) 'we've got a motherfu**ing problem here?' Shoot somebody in the foot".


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs1kMDzec4Y&feature=player_embedded


This man is a disgrace to anyone who consider themselves Liberals.

Maher is an idiot and has always been one.

........

it wouldn't be pretty

pretty much the same thing as O'Reilly saying that Columbia professor looked like a coke dealer, except Bill said it to his face.

and he's given plenty of cause to conclude him to be a misogynist and this statement might well make one conclude a racist, as well. However, I have not heard a pattern of statements along this line (as I have towards women), so I'm not yet ready to conclude he is more than an idiot on that score. comedians often stick their foot right in their big mouths and frankly this, if it had come from a black comedian would not be construed the same. I believe that I have heard similar from Chris Rock recently.

Not defending the comment at all, but I do think it is not quite as clear cut.

I have refused to watch any of his clips anymore because of his slamming of Islam, all in *humor* of course. I did watch the one in the OP, and am disgusted that he thinks that's funny.

Can you relay any examples of his statements about women? I have friends who think the sun rises and sets on him, and I'm more curious now.


On Edit: just found PLENTY by googling maher and misogyny.. Thanks for the heads-up, though.

he slams all mythologies, I mean religions.

he always compares it negatively to Judaism. He sounds like a RWer when it comes to Islam, except for the atheist part. :)

Going out of your way to demean and trash them as if they're inferior to your "high and mighty" thinking is what Bill Maher does. I think he has his audience for that, but I bet he rubs more people the wrong way than he has followers. Even people who aren't religious have to admit this guy goes overboard in attacking religion the way he does. I think it says something that his documentary was only released in 568 theaters and didn't even make $14 million. But because of connections, he was still able to go on his media tour on CNN, etc to talk about how stupid he thinks all other Humans are. I mean...really?

but I do agree he sometimes takes it a bit far.

Every week he makes offensive jokes about Obama being black. They aren't funny. They are cringe inducing and offensive, in my opinion. I don't watch him anymore.

I stand corrected.

he is one smarmy fuck

Maher has supported this president from early on.

a poor one sometimes a good one.

racist. Plus, he loves black women.

I gave up on him eight years ago, and never regretted it once.

He is one of the most self-absorbed idiots I have ever seen.

I'm not equating him to a slavemaster, but having a thing about black women is not proof that one is not a racist.

of black women says absolutely nothing about whether he's a racist or not, just based on my experience with people and surprising contradictions.

Just another pathetic piece of racist shit.

Not.

Its about taking a stereotype and exaggerating it to idiotic proportions.

And the joke was funny and even funnier is people getting ticked off about it.

GO BILL!!

I've never laughed at Maher.

Popularity with fools doesn't sway me much.

Seen him many times.. VERY liberal audience.

Or if you were black. You should check yourself.

The fact that you continue to scream "it's comedy! It's FUNNY!!one!" says more about you than you realize.

What does that say about her?

Saying that his finding the joke funny says more about Milo than he realizes. Wouldn't that same logic apply to others who found it funny? Or maybe it's ok for black people to laugh at it, but when a white person laughs it becomes racist?

Just trying to follow your logic here.

What does that make your 534 posts in this thread, including the two you threw at me when I was responding to someone else??

And I don't even think Bill Maher is racist for what he said, so your assertion that I'm saying that Milo is racist is as dumb as your other comments. People can make racist statements without being racist.

Just because certain black people are extra sensitive, so what? As a white person everyone in the world hates me and makes jokes about me. Certain black people need to get a sense of humour and stop playing the race card. And if Bill Maher is a racist then everyone in the world is a racist.

Welcome to DU! Enjoy yourself here, ya hear?? :hi:

But an expected one. :hi:

But that's expected. :hi:

that fell flat.

...is that it takes very smart comedians to take it to a level where the joke is worth the stereotype. Carlin and Pryor were both masters of this. With many others it all too often comes across as lazy, which is how this joke hit me. Fell flat is a good way to put it.

And just as well received, until they take on the wrong target.

Humor is awfully subjective, so I'm sure opinions vary on them both.

Not really that interested in people's opinions becuase this is simple... his jokes don't fit the basic definitions of what is "RACISM" because every definition is based on specific belief and intent.

The jokes aren't racist because they don't convey an idea or belief that one race is superior to another.

Main Entry: rac·ism
Pronunciation: \ˈrā-ˌsi-zəm also -ˌshi-\
Function: noun
Date: 1933
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2 : racial prejudice or discrimination


Instead the joke revolves around a comic interpretation of a stereotype, a stereotype also conveyed by many black authors/comedians in films and TV shows. I am sure you don't need me to provide a list of movies and tv shows written and directed by African Americans that contain a "black gangster" character.

The humor depends on a recognition of the existence of stereotypes.

If the jokes don't seem funny to somebody, if it's just like an anecdote describing an experience, then I could see how race or ethnicity wouldn't be connected to it.

This thread is much ado about nothing. Meanwhile, BP is still being allowed to call the shots on the Gulf. The fact that the workers are threatened with the loss of their jobs if they wear respirators is a fucking disgrace and I think Obama really should start shooting some of these bastards in the foot; he can start with Tony Hayward!

I guess he did.

OMG!

He's a comedian. They dance on the line, and sometimes stomp on it.

I can't see inside his heart, so I don't know whether he's a racist.

I do agree that a black comedian could have easily gotten away with this joke.

He's a God-damned comedian! Not only that, his comedy is the kind of "hip wit" that often gets himself in trouble, equal opportunity style. Racist? No, I think it's pretty clear that he's not racist, although he surely can offend. I was offended when he brushed off members in the audience who had something to say about 9/11. I got over that, because I see that his show (through the courtesy of a DUer) tells me that there is real conversation surrounding his comedy. Boy, we really have some absolutists here, don't we?

All the pile-on comments here are interesting. You folks here just make sure that Bill Maher would be in the same boat as Lenny Bruce, Richard Prior, and Bill Hicks, okay? Maybe they were racists in your book, too, eh?

Perhaps you should listen to the kind of comedy that doesn't evoke "too much" emotion. In my book, I thank God these comedians are around. I'm sure there are some females comedians I've left out of that boat, too.

I don't think it's a stretch to say Maher belongs in the genre of "issues/in your face/hipster/offender" at all.

:shrug:

Let you know what?

:shrug:

Like Maher did for a couple of decades.

I'm not a huge fan of Maher (though Religulous truly was funny stuff), and I'm no fan at all of Beck, but the comparison is tenuous at best. Beck has never performed comedy, he's never passed himself off as a comedian, and probably wouldn't even recognize comedy if it bit him on the ass. We can argue all day whether Maher is funny or not, but he IS a comedian. Beck isn't, as the poster I responded to tried to assert.

... I personally hope that Beck takes the cool aid on air in front of all his freaks. Now, THAT I'd stand up and laugh to!

:scared:

It's scary shit. Leads me to believe, though, that his entire deal is fake. All an act.

I hardly ever see him except in clips posted here so it's hard to say, but I can't rule it out.

He thinks he's a guru with a following, but he's posing as Jim Jones. Pass the cool aid.

Fail.

so you must be a sexist!!11!1


:sarcasm:

Ooohhh nooooo! :rofl:

He says things that he knows will be perceived as outrageous because he knows that's where the money is. He is outrageous literally for the sake of outrageousness. This is a calculated move by Maher to get attention. It's business, and he's an opportunist. It's the same thing done, on the other side and to a much greater scale, by Glenn Freaking Beck. Bill Maher and Beck are cut from the same cloth: they don't mean half the crap they say. They both understand that any attention, negative attention or positive attention, can make you money.

Maher is plenty smart enough to have realized before he used this joke how it would be seen. The fact that he used it indicates he wants people to be outraged. It gets him attention. Rather like a baby screaming; first, get the attention. Then, you can proceed with getting what you want.

This is Bill Maher saying something outrageous to draw attention to himself. This ain't comedy. This is pathos.

You've described Bill Hicks, Eddie Murphy, Richard Prior, Lenny Bruce (although, we didn't get to see Bruce's "success" in terms of taking it to cable, due)
when you describe-

"He is outrageous literally for the sake of outrageousness. This is a calculated move by Maher to get attention. It's business, and he's an opportunist."

And as far as Beck and Maher being cut from the same cloth, that's a load of crap. Beck is fucking idiot. Maher is up on his current events, and happens to be an asshole a lot of the time he's being a really good comedian.

See how the lines have blurred between politics and entertainment? That's what Beck and Maher and their ilk do; they reduce government to entertainment. For profit's sake.

Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor and especially the great Carlin never pretended to be more than they were, and never chose to involve themselves in punditry. There's the difference.

is in YOUR interpretation, Morbius.

That's the way it is, whether you'll looking at a Mapplethorpe exibition, or hearing comedy that ain't exactly your cup of tea.

Like Carlin. Yes, Carlin was often vulgar, but there is a difference between being vulgar and being an asshole.

That's my point.

Okay, here's a clean version - Don Rickles... who used to have fun making fun of other people. Is there some clear difference other than the fact that Rickles had a classier act that could be seen on prime time.

Listen to It's Bad For Ya, Life Is Worth Losing, Complaints and Grievances, or You Are All Diseased. Hell, Carlin would be the first to admit he was an asshole.

Now, your point is correct that one doesn't need to be an asshole to be funny, but Carlin is the wrong example. Try Brian Regan instead. He's hilarious and clean all at the same time. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOnBnkB4DpM

Fuck, NO.

Oye, I give up.

So, does this mean every comedian should model Brian Regan?

Is that said or even implied anywhere in my post? No, it isn't. What was said, is that Carlin was an asshole, and that he probably wasn't the best example of comedy that isn't performed by an asshole. I offered up Brian Regan as an example of what the poster was trying to get at. You took that, in such a simple minded fashion as to boggle my mind, to mean that I said ALL comedians should be like Brian Regan.

Oye, indeed. :eyes:

Like many opinions in this thread, it rambles a bit in order to make a point that's lost on the OP.

Double oye, :eyes: :eyes: Forkboy.

... you're as dumb as the rest of us on this subject.

At least I'm woman enough to admit it.

Comedy, as I've said, ain't pretty.

You're the one who copped the attitude to my post because you weren't able to grasp the simple point made therein.

To recap: Odin said one can be funny and not be an asshole. His example was George Carlin. I pointed out that Carlin is quite often an asshole, and he's even referred to himself that way more than once. Note that I never said that Carlin was a bad comedian (he's my favorite comedian of all time, in fact), just that he could be an asshole in his act. To give Odin a better example of a comedian who can be funny while not being an asshole I suggested Brain Regan. Your response to this most basic of posts...

"So, does this mean every comedian should model Brian Regan? Fuck, NO. Oye, I give up."

The point of my post, short as it was, still managed to fly over your head as if it were a quadratic equation being presented to Sarah Palin.

You then went on to say...

"Like many opinions in this thread, it rambles a bit in order to make a point that's lost on the OP."

Six sentences is not rambling, just too much for you to grasp, apparently. I'm assuming this many sentences is going to totally fuck you up. I also wasn't making a point to the OP, I was making it to Odin, and you felt compelled by the power of Carlin to jump in and bray.

At least I'm woman enough to admit it.

Had I done something dumb in our conversation I'd admit it too, but I haven't. You came in with an attitude and never looked back. The funny thing is, I actually agree with you on this thread, but in your haste to defend comedy you missed the point entirely. That's not on me, it's on you. I'm glad you're woman enough to admit it, but sad that you're not woman enough to see you fucked up alone. Don't try to pin your failure to grasp what was an exceedingly simple post on me.

You don't have to quote Steve Martin to me. I know comedy isn't pretty. Some of the comedians I like would make DU blanch. We could have had a great conversation about some of them, both of us laughing away at a shared pleasure. Maybe next time.

Have a good night, and a nice holiday tomorrow.

Someone who wastes the energy of 10 paragraphs with the intent of showing how stupid they are, only to say, "Have a good night and a nice holiday tomorrow."

Go fluff yourself up about something that doesn't end in a punch line, Forkboy.

I would have typed in crayon for you if it had been possible. :crazy:

And yes, a black man telling jokes about his own community is EXACTLY the same as pasty faced, white asshole Bill Maher doing it.

...at the joke. Nobody freaked out about it. Just some humor...no big deal.

Yes, it plays on stereotypes, but so does most comedy.

a news story about a black person who is calling racism on another issue.

I guess comedy sometimes is not pretty, but based on what I've read through this thread, there are some people who can't filter the message of comedy very well.

GOLF-he should be playing BASKETBALL only. He has also called him "Black Jesus." :eyes:

Can't recall but you're right, he has a history of this.

was probably alluding to the picture in the RW rag (I forget which one). But yeah, I didn't care for that one, either.

He was ranting about Obama playing basketball during the primaries. Maher was glad to see it...that Obama was bucking the trend.
THEN when Obama gets elected, he started playing golf. It was more about how Obama seeks to be bipartisan on EVERYTHING.
He was saying, 'Let Obama be the cool Obama we saw in the primaries'. It was NOT a black/white thing at all.

And I believe - though I'm not sure - that the 'black Jesus' thing was about people needing to realize Obama is not perfect.

Yes, he's a comedian but mostly he's a political commentator who uses comedy to get his point across. He was making a political statement using satire and hyperbole. YOu are not required to like it.

But don't mistake your lack of appreciation for any projected feeling of disgrace that you would like others to feel.

another stereotype I guess - any good progressive would rant and rave and tell BP whose their daddy!

He's a libertarian, which is to say a RWer who smokes pot and doesn't go to church.

It's comedy,its what they do...

Bill Maher is great, and he certainly does not believe race dictates behavior.

Oh, too late! HA!

What the fuck's THAT supposed to be, if not taking a look at "keeping it real"?

One of the greatest comedy sketches where they have real sports commentators with Chappel covering the event of which race will draft one of another race into theirs.

Fucking hilarious, but wait - let's make sure no one is offended.

:rofl:
:rofl:
:rofl:

has made similar jokes. But don't let any of that stop the outrage.

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Does any serious person follow Bill Maher as a leader of the Liberals? Too many straight lines there - no credit for "serious person" snarks or "leader of Liberal"/cats comparisons.

Comedians sometimes go over the top to make their point. In my opinion, his point is well taken; i.e., Obama needs to get a bit more angry with BP than he's been so far.

Maher isn't. He's a self-important fraud who went from making dick jokes to hosting a lame talk show to thinking of himself as a pundit.

He makes me laugh quite often. I don't think that makes me a bad person.

How many of you would still make excuses for this POS?

When the Republican Party renounces its racist elements, I will give them more lenience on racial issues.

Translation: Barbour is a goober politician. Mahre is an LA hipster, so he gets a pass.

But he's not a member of a political party that overtly panders to racists.

Odd, since a solid majority of the people in this thread seem to be anti-Maher.

Politically Incorrect!

YOU are in complete control.
Simply turn the channel if you don't like him or his show.

I will continue to choose to watch Bill Maher.
I don't always agree with him,
but I generally enjoy his comedy,
and I usually enjoy his panels and guests.

ANYONE who is attacking Maher as being a "racist" based on that one piece of schtick is in serious need of a sense of humor.

Love Bill Maher and never miss a show or a comedy special. He stuck a pin into Obama, big deal. His job his to deflate politicians and their failings, not kiss their ass.

I'll just assume it was a bad joke and move on.

Bill Maher is no more or less racist than most other comedians.

Typical setup for a punchline "I thought when we elected a black president, we were going to get a black president"

segue to punchline "I want him in a meeting with the BP CEOs, you know, where he lifts up his shirt where you can see the gun in his pants."

Punchline. "we've got a motherfu**ing problem here?' Shoot somebody in the foot"

It was a joke.
If Bill is guilty of being anything it's being an Ass.

With that said, jokes like these don't totally offend. I think it depends, though, on the intent. If the intent is to harm or hurt the person, your point would have validity.

I don't think that was the case here. I think Maher was making a joke without total intent to harm Pres. Obama.

since he was laughing his ass off and shaking his head in agreement. It's satire!! Get a clue and lighten up.

To me, his delivery seems forced and I can always smell a quivering insecurity hiding just behind his arrogant persona. But I admit, it's a matter of perception.

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Bill Maher is a comedian, a very progressive liberal and supporter of Obama. This is exactly the kind of thing that John Stewart would say in one of his bits. Once again it is comedy people. Most black comedians poke fun at white stereotypes and it is very funny.

think he got elected?" Racist piece of twitshit.

http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x301590

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/17/bill-maher-steve-jobs-wou_n_578479.html

but just faced that I can't and his racist "jokes." They're just not funny.
KnR

I saw the joke the way it was played -- he was pointing out that Obama doesn't fall into these stereotypes. Jesus people it's a joke. He makes a lot of sexist jokes too but politically correct comedy sucks, lighten up and beware of Humorless Liberal Syndrome.

Intent matters in claims of offensive language. Maher's line was a clever way to play off a few of the angles surrounding the fact that Obama's a gutless, technocratic fool. Did you notice if Cornel West was laughing? I did. The comparison between the violent cowboy imagery slung at W and this line bears mention as well - surely you protested that, too. We wouldn't want a war criminal president's feeling to be hurt, would we?

If you claimed Maher is an elitist, you'd be right. Racist, no. The job of a comedian is not just to cross but to smash the boundaries of polite speech, hopefully to shed some light. That was one of the best Real Time shows in years.

I think some would be much less likely to be sooooo very, very offended if Bill was a regular cheerleader for the administration. Hell, if a similar joke was made about Powell or changed around to trash Ron Christie some of the most put out might be reposting the joke.

I'm not saying his comment wasn't driven with the notion and stereotype that black men are always packing a gun, but out of context in his schtick, he and just about any satirical comedian will piss somebody's sensibilities off.

Comedy, like politics, may be too messy and complicated for some people.

I fully await comments that read like stupid bumperstickers on the backs of rusted VW vans that haven't had a tune-up since Jerry died.

cause hes a disgrace to any one who considers themselves a liberal too!

:wow:

he is literally the only reason I subscribe to HBO. Some of you need to shed the PC and pick up a sense of humor..

I love Bill and reactions like this only make me love him more. I can't believe anyone here at DU of all places really thinks Maher is a racist. Thread looks like it was copied straight from Freeperville.

"Why so serious?" - Joker

...who can make this a case for liberal outrage, and I'll show you someone who can find a racist in an empty box. The "Super-Liberal" contest continues. Thanks.
quickesst

He makes jokes about women, white guys, gays, Jews, Muslims, rich people, Asians, you name it. The joke was more of a commentary about how tired he is of Obama being cool and "hands off" when he should be an ass kicker. Not tasteful, but we're talking about Bill Maher here!

can understand why that type of humor is offensive to some.

He's just a jerk!

they're courting disaster. I don't think he's racist, but he doesn't come off well here.