With all the election coverage and presidential insanity sweeping the nation I feel it’s important to take a look at one of our more colorful political satirists and comedians. LA’s own godless liberal maven Bill Maher has one of the most successful and well-received political programs on television. HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher has no problem telling it like it is and certainly is not struggling to find an audience for their irreverent style of humor and in fact seems to have nudged out most of the other shows that had at one time been able to claim master of the political comedy universe.
I have been a loyal Maher followersince way back when he was doing straight TV on ABC with his show Politically Incorrect. Although he was kicked off mainstream TV for making some rather colorless comments about the 9/11 highjackers way too soon after it happened, in all honesty it was probably the best thing that ever happened to him. Withall his current success he must be laughing all the way to the ATM every couple of days. After watching all of last season and every episode as of yet this season, I’m left with a kind of blah feeling about Real Time. I’m just not sure the edge is quite where we think it is.
The problem I’ve been having with Bill lately is that he seems to be very self-congratulatory and tends to get a bit annoying after a while. I have to ask when did Bill Maher become a fucking political expert? That’s like saying Alex Trebek is the smartest guy in the world because he hosts Jeopardy. I understand he may be doing some reading in his spare time to try and keep up with the real political savvies but I doubt he knows nearly as much or is as influential as he thinks. His show is very watchable because people tend to go crazy while sitting at his table, they go for each other’s throats and while the mud and blood gets flung, Bill sits back like a half-assed moderator and tries to make sense of it all.
It begs the question “What is so real about Real Time?†I have been looking for a spark that is probably not going to ever come. Bill Maher and Real Time are only telling us what we want to hear, we say they are cool, then they reinforce that by acting that way, and we all eat it up. I guess it is easier then reading about issues or trying to make and establish a set of political ideas that are your own. You can just have Bill’s and keep on looking the other way while your rights and individuality get flushed down the drain. The only way to ignite sparks andreal change and discourse is to search it out on your own and to get active.
That is another issue that is very important, political activism appears like a tired old-fashioned way of getting into politics, but it can be very exciting and informative in a very short period of time. Getting even moderately involved in any movement can help you learn so much about the political process and how our nation works, or doesn’t. I am just tired of talk shows and celebrity politicians, the sad reality is that the President is more of a Pop Star than a leader. It appears like that is how America wants them to be. Young and popular and without any old and stuffy feeling agendas or style. Is that really who we are or are we convinced that is who we are?
The media tells us that no one is interested in seeing debates or politicians telling it like it is on TV, so we believe that and it becomes true. Not because it is but because people believe it. What we want we to see or what is accepted as important should be decided by the masses, not some jerks in a vacuum. I’m tired of everyone saying how dumb and politically retarded Americans are, I’ve heard every news outlet and every comedian prey on this easy target. I wonder if we really stopped being interested or if the media just got tired of trying to make it interesting and if politicians became so afraid of media backlash that they advised their candidates to use TV as a manipulative tool instead of as an outlet for getting the truth to as many people and voters as possible.
IF WE WANT CHANGE & INFO YOU HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT. You have to be willing to say that things are bad and that the coverage of these events is poor and uninformed and find new and adventurous ways of getting the word out. Reading this is a step in the right direction. See Ya
All Images copyrighted by HBO.com/real time and Wikipedia courtesy or Wikipedia
1 response so far ↓
1 Emberly Modine // Apr 8, 2008 at 11:58 pm
I totally feel you on the “what the fuck is up with Bill Maher’s self love fest” tip. The guy has always had brilliant shows, though I don’t always agree with him, and he has always been a bit too smug. Sometimes I want to step in dog shit and wipe my shoe all over his self satisfied mug.
smug mug.
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