Real Time with Bill Maher #335 11/07/14 'Talking Nice"

Lisa Kudrow

by Catherine Giordano

Real Time with Bill Maher, episode #335, which aired on November 7, 2014, was the perfect antidote for post-election depression. It was one of the best for good conversation. Everyone was talking nicely. Here is the review and recap.

The monolog
In the monolog, Maher got right to the Democratic defeat in the mid-term election. He said, sarcastically, “Finally white men are getting a seat at the table.” How will Republicans govern now that they control both the House and the Senate? I’m not optimistic. Neither is Maher. He said, “The day after the election, they all talked nice; the next day, they were right back to where they were before.”

Maher said that all you had to do to win was have an “R” next to your name. Even Sam Brownback in Kansas, who destroyed the state’s economy and credit rating, got re-elected. Maher quipped, “The Republicans are the party of Reagan, but that shouldn’t mean when he had Alzheimers.  

He called Joni Ernst the new Michelle Bachman. I said it first. (See the Comments Section of my review of the October 31 show, Crazy, Scary, and Weird.) Ernst prides herself on being a hog castrator, so Maher said, “If you want to cut off the Democrats balls, good luck finding them.” This harks back to the New Rules segment from the October 31 show (Crazy, Scary, and Weird) where he urged Democrats to stand up for their principles. I’m so with Maher on this one. If you are going to go down, at least go down fighting for your principles. 

Here’s the kicker. People voted by huge majorities for raising the minimum wage, and for making recreational pot legal in those states where it was on the ballot and, at the same time, they voted for the people who blocked those measures. I can only assume they didn’t know that Democrats were with them on those issues because the Democrats were too busy trying to be “Republican Lite” instead of drawing a distinction between the two parties. Dumbasses! I’m not talking nice here because it makes me so mad. All the candidates who lost on Tuesday will have a job as a lobbyist by the end of the month; it is ordinary Americans who will have to pay for their mistakes.   

P.S.: A thought just came to me. If voters knew that the minimum wage was a Democratic principle, maybe they would have voted it down. They seem to have a blind hatred for anything Democratic.
  

The panel discusses the election

Senator Bernie Sanders

On the panel, Bernie Sanders, senator (I, VT) and author of Bernie Sanders’ 2010 Filibuster on Corporate Greed: An Historic Speech, was, as always, a joy, speaking with intelligence and passion. Robert Costa, a political reporter for the Washington Post brought facts and reason to the debate. And the third panelist, Kristen Soltis Anderson, co-founder of Echelon Insights, a Republican opinion research firm, columnist for The Daily Beast, and author of The New Vote contributed to the conversation without spewing out Republican talking points. 

Maher said the election was about the continued resentment towards the first black president. Costa said, “It was about people staying home.” Sanders added, “Ordinary people are hurting and they have given up on voting.” Anderson said it was about “people being really ticked off.” 
 

I say that people stayed home because the Democrats didn’t give them a reason to vote. Instead of talking about all the accomplishments of the Obama administration (listed in Crazy, Scary, and Weird), they treated Obama, according to Maher, “like “a teenager treats his mom. I don’t know her.”  
 

Also, as Maher pointed out, the Republicans didn’t give voters a reason not to vote for them because they never talked about their principles. They didn’t tell Americans that they are against everything that Americans really, really like—Social Security, Medicare, a higher minimum wage--and for everything that Americans really, really hate--tax breaks for the rich, personhood for fertilized human ova (in some cases, just the ova).  

Maher joked about one of the best things about the election. Scott Brown lost. In New Rules he said, “You have to appreciate the irony of Brown being the hunky pin-up who lost two elections to two women. Scott Brown is like Kris brown only with Scott, women beat him.” 

Poverty in America

CLICK HERE

In the interview, Linda Tirado, a relative newcomer to the public arena, was poised and spoke very well about poverty in America very well, using wry humor to good advantage. About a new ago, she was talking to her friends on gawker about the difficulties of living in poverty, working two or three jobs while raising kids, and it went viral. (It was picked up by the Huffington Post.)


She got out of poverty when she got a book deal to write about her experiences, Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America. Maher quipped that if Romney was asked about how to get out of poverty, he’d say, “Just get a book deal.” 
 

I expect that her book will be just as popular as her previous writing.Tirado appears to be very intelligent and personable, and without her lucky break, she might never have been able to climb out of poverty. Poor people just can’t get a toe hold.  

Robert Costa said that Republicans celebrating their win will be a short celebration. Sanders said that Americans want a jobs program repairing the infrastructure. They want young people to be able to afford college.

Read more about the Linda Tirado interview here: Working Harder, Getting Poorer
 

Climate change

Congress will have to deal with climate change. Maher cited the U.N. report saying that carbon dioxide levels were up, the oceans were getting too acidic to support marine life, the sea levels are rising, and then added “the geniuses in America elect a bunch of climate deniers.” 

Maher quoted Senator Inhofe (R, OK) who said “God’s still up there. The arrogance of people to think that we, human beings, would be able to change what He is doing in the climate is to me outrageous.” Sanders said Inhofe really believes it, but some of the others know better. He is worried though because we are being governed by “the greedy, the cynical, and the truly stupid.”  

Sanders said that the debate within the scientific community of over. Maher mocked Republicans who try to avoid the issue by saying they are not a scientist. Maher said, “You are not a gynecologist either, but you still talk about women’s vaginas.” 

I think about the people who know better. I ask myself, “Don’t they have grandchildren? Don’t they care what kind of world their grandchildren will have to live in? Is there nothing more important to them than their greed?” 

Flip-A-District

Maher was forthright about Flip-A-District. “It went up in flames.” His consolation was, “It was always a long shot.” Then he found the humor in defeat. He did the mid-show comedy segment about other things that need flipping. 

• Flip Mississippi: It is the fattest state in the nation. Challenge them to lose a billion pounds. 
• Flip a Brother: Each congressperson gets their own very large black man to follow them around. 
• Flip a Bigot: Pat Robertson has to engage in receptive anal sex with Michael Sam. The only problem will be in getting Sam to agree to it.

Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish in
The Comeback

Lisa Kudrow

The mid-show guest was Lisa Kudrow, an actress, currently starring in Showtime’s Web Therapy and HBO’s The Comeback. She creates such wonderful characters.

Kudrow is excited about the second season of The Comeback which premiers on HBO on Sunday 11/9/14 at 10pm. It has been nine years since Season One ended. Kudrow joked, “I always knew we’d catch on during the second season.”
 

Maher complimented her on how well she captured the dysfunction and insecurity of her character. He said, “Show business sucks if you are not in the top 1%.” Kudrow said, “It is about how much dignity you would give up for success.”

Endless Governor

In the final New Rules segment, Maher had a lot of very nice things to say about Jerry Brown, the Democratic governor of California. He had a lot of very not-nice things to say about ageism.

Governor Brown is 76 years old, and Maher said his record qualifies him for president—he took the broken state of California and fixed it. He’s active—he runs three miles a day and does yoga, but too many people think he is too old to be president. (Maher quipped, “He’s so old, his sex taps are on Betamax.”

He said that age gives people wisdom. He showed a picture of a beautiful young woman. It was a picture of Ruth Bader Ginsberg (perhaps her highschool year book photo) at the age of 18. “We are beautiful when we are young and wise when we are old.”

Warren Buffet is 84 and he’s the one everyone wants financial advice from. Larry King is 80, and he’s still the best in the talk-show host business (on the web now instead of on TV where he was replaced by a younger less effective host.) The Rolling Stones are great and Beiber sucks.

Then Maher digressed to a rant about America’s current fascination with big asses on women. He said, “Millennials should be called ‘Generation Ass’.” I think he was making the point that America is still a teenager of a county.

Returning to the subject of the linkage of age and wisdom, Maher said, “Wisdom is not something you can just google. Governing is where we need wisdom.”

His final punch line was an ageism joke, but because I am a nice person, I’m going to omit it and let Maher go out on a high note.

Bill Maher's Guests for November 7, 2014

Linda Tirado: Author of Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America, a book about what it is like to live in poverty in America

 
Bernie Sanders: Senator (I, VT), author of Bernie Sanders’ 2010 Filibuster on Corporate Greed: An Historic Speech
 

Robert Costa: Political reporter for the Washington Post

 

Kristen Soltis Anderson: Co-founder of Echelon Insights, a Republican opinion research firm, columnist for The Daily Beast, author of The New Vote

 

Lisa Kudrow: Actress, currently starring in Showtime’s Web Therapy and HBO’s The Comeback

Lisa Kudrow Rules

Lisa Kudrow as Fiona Wallice



by Catherine Giordano

Lisa Kudrow is all over our TV screens. 

Web Therapy

Season 4 of Web Therapy is delivering everything we have come to expect from this Showtime series. It is a stunning success--so quirky and funny with not one, but two or three guests stars, on each show.  Lisa Kudrow plays Fiona Wallice, a therapist with “no patience for patients.”  (A new episode premiers on Showtime, Wednesdays, 11pm) 



CLICK HERE

So far in Season Four we have had Billy Crystal as Fiona’s new step-father , Gwyneth Paltrow as a new age guru who begins as a patient but becomes a friend/benefactor,  and Jon Hamm as a client who is paid by elderly ladies for phone sex. I’m not going to outline the plots because the fun of the show is watching them unfold and transform and then vanish.  It’s like a magician’s sleight of hand—it moves so quickly.

If you would like to see some of my prior reviews, you can go to Web Therapy on Showtime for an overview and then you can do a search for “Web Therapy” on this web site to see reviews of individual episodes..



Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish

The Comeback

Now you can get a double dose of Lisa Kudrow. Starting on Sunday, November 9, The Comeback, is back. It’s ironic because the show was cancelled  nine years ago and now it is back. The premise is that Valerie Cherish, a fading sitcom actress is participating in a reality show hoping to make a comeback.  Valerie couldn’t be more different from Fiona.  Valerie is so insecure; Fiona is so brash. Kudrow plays Valerie as so fragile it is sometimes painful to watch because Valerie may shatter into a hundred pieces right before your eyes. (Anew episode premieres on HBO, Sundays, 10pm)



CLICK HERE

I don’t have any reviews of season I of The Comeback cecause it predates this blog by years.  But you can get up to speed on the Huffington Post.

Real Time with Bill Maher 
And this week we get a triple dose of Lisa Kudrow. She will be a guest on the November 7^th, 2014 edition of “Real Time with Bill Maher.” (HBO, Friday, 10pm.)




 

Real Time with Bill Maher #334 10/31/14 Crazy, Scary, and Weird

Crazy, Scary Weird Jokes

by Catherine Giordano

Things can get a little crazy, a little scary, and a little weird on Halloween. And also just before an election. And also on Friday nights on Real Time with Bill Maher. There was lots of crazy, scary and weird on episode 334 which arid on October 31, 2014.

Halloween Jokes

In the monolog, Bill Maher began with a few Halloween jokes.

• Everything is orange and black on Halloween, just like John Boehner at a funeral.
• If you see a guy running down the street with a bloody knife, you don’t know if it is a costume or ISIS.
• John McCain is looking like the crypt-keeper.
• Rick Perry has his clothes on backwards. Not because of Halloween—just because it’s Rick Perry. (CLICK HERE to see some more Rick-Perry-is-stupid jokes.)

Maher topped it off by saying this year he was going as a sexy Ebola nurse.

Ebola

Maher said ebola was scary, but we need to remember that ebola has killed fewer people in this country than OJ.

He mentioned that politics is so weird. Republicans want to put Kaci Hickox, the nurse who returned from treating ebola patients in Africa lives in Maine in isolation or house arrest despite the fact that she has no symptoms. (No one can get ebola unless they have contact with the bodily fluids of someone who has symptoms. The first symptom is a fever. She is taking her temperature twice daily and she does not have a fever.) “It’s weird,” Maher said “because Republicans never want the government involved and now they want the government involved.”  

Wesley Clark

Panelist Wesley Clark is retired general of the United States Army and the author of several books. His most recent book is Don’t Wait for the Next War: A Strategy for American Growth and Global Leadership. He said, “Republicans see a weakness. They are the party of fear. The Democrats are the party of fair.” Nicely put.

 I say, “Get a grip, America.

In the United States, none of the ebola patients have died except for the first one who did not receive prompt treatment. This suggests that with prompt treatment, ebola is not as deadly as we think.

So far the family members or people who had close contact with the three ebola patients in this country have not become infected themselves. This suggests that ebola is not as catchy as we think.

Another panelist, Senator Angus King (I, ME) and author of Governor's Travels: How I Left Politics, Learned to Back Up a Bus, and Found America said, People have to get educated. When people first heard about AIDS they thought you could get it from a doorknob. The flue kills 20,000 people a year. Ebola has killed one.”

The Muslim Brouhaha

This is like a horror movie where the beast will not die no matter how many times you kill it. There was a stupid argument a few weeks ago on Bill’s show with Ben Affleck. (See my recap at Wake Up, America) Maher said that too many Muslims held beliefs that allow terrorists groups to thrive. For instance large majority of Muslims believe that the death penalty is appropriate for anyone who blaspheme or leaves the faith. He did not say that every Muslim is a terrorist.

Tonight he had to defend himself once again. Maher pointed out that Raza Aslan, a religious scholar and Muslim has agreed with Maher. A panelist, Rula Jebreal, a journalist, novelist,--her most recent book is Miral: A Novel-- and screenwriter launched a tirade. “She called Maher a racist.” Maher responded: “Muslims are not a race:” She said, “You wouldn’t dare say those kinds of things about blacks or Jews.” Maher responded: “Blacks and Jews do not belong to a religion that wants to kill Salman Rushdie for writing a book. (The Satanic Verses: A Novel) Maher added: "I resent that you are comparing me to an anti-Semite."

At one point, Jebreal said she was a secular Muslim. (Be careful, Rula, that could get you killed in some countries.)

Maher himself brought the subject up because he has been invited to speak at the December commencement ceremony at Berkeley College. It is the 50^th anniversary of The Free Speech Movement. Some are trying to get Maher disinvited because of this blown-out-of-proportion brouhaha. Jebreal is one of them

Angus King

Maher said he was not going to be speaking about Muslims in this speech. He will be giving the usual type of commencement speech—words of encouragement for the futures of the graduates. Clark and King defended Maher‘s right to free speech. Maher pointed out that people can disagree on an issue. He told Jebreal that even though she disagreed with him, he invited her on the show. Jebreal continued to scream in his face. Maher continued to respond politely and calmly.

Finally Maher said, “We have to move on.” He says that a few times every week. He has several topics he wants to discuss during the show so he has to cut off debate sometimes. Jebreal committed the unpardonable sin for a talk show guest. She would not stop ranting. Bill repeated that he had to move on. Jebreal kept right on ranting. It got to the point where I thought Maher was going to have to ask security to escort her off the set, but Maher was finally able to get her to stop ranting.

A new country called Reagan

The mid show comedy segment was about another call for secession by the people who love America so much that they want to leave her. Now that is crazy.

Doug McKinnon has outlined the plan in a little pamphlet called The Secessionist States of America. The Blueprint for Creating a Traditional Values Country. They want their new country to be called Reagan. Now that is weird. Maher gave us a few of his ideas about what this country would be like.

• Brunch is never served and dinner is at 3pm.
• A quiet place for heterosexuals who call their wives Mommy.
• If you lived here, you’d be homophobic by now.
• Come for the Pie. Demand an even bigger slice of the pie.
• It’s where the gardeners speak English.

Eva Longoria

Eva Longoria and Migrant Farmers

The mid-show guest was the actress and activist with the Latino Victory Project Eva Longoria. (She looked stunningly beautiful, by the way.) She was promoting a documentary called Food Chains.

 

Her most recent one is Eva's Kitchen: Cooking with Love for Family and Friends.) She compared the plight of the migrant workers to slavery. They get a penny a pound for picking tomatoes; they pick 4000 pounds a day and earn about $40 a day (if they get paid). There has been a campaign to have consumers pay an extra penny a pound in order to double the pay of the workers. Consumers are OK with this as are most fast-food restaurants, supermarkets, and even Wal-Mart. The two holdouts are Wendy’s and Publix. (Remember that whey you decided where to eat or shop.)  

Jebreal, evidently still smoldering about being shut down, interjected asked if the farmers who were mistreating the workers wee Americans. Longoria looked confused, but said that they were. Jubreal replied, “Not Muslims. Thank you.” This earned her a dirty book from Maher. She was so out of line that I couldn’t bear to watch her anymore. Fortunately, I was watching the show via my DVR. From then on, every time she spoke, I fast-forwarded.

The upcoming election

King, who is an Independent, said people have told him, "All my life I have wanted to vote-for-none-of-the- above and you are it." King said people don’t vote on issues—they vote on do they like you; do they trust you.

Is Ernst crazier than Michelle Malkin?

Maher talked about Joni Ernst. “She’s a nut. She wants to arrest federal officials who implement Obamacare. She says states can nullify laws. She says there is no climate change, and the minimum wage should be abolished. Maher concluded, “Democrats don’t have nuts like this.”
 



Kal Penn

Kal Penn is an actor, best known for the Harold and Kumar movies, who left the  successful TV series House, to work for the White House. Penn was on the show to promote his documentary Bhopal: APrayer for Rain. It is about the 1984 chemical disaster that killed 5000 Indians. But Maher soon had him talking politics. 

Penn pointed out that it is hard to predict “the youth vote.” You don’t know if they are a “likely voter” if it is their first time voting. Maher discussed the Flip-A-District campaign to get John Kline (R MN) unelected. Maher is appealing to the college student voter’s because of Kline’s record of raising rates on student loans. “All we need is 29,000 additional votes—half of a Bon Jovi concert.”  

He continued this theme with New Rules. “Voting is one thing that scares Republicans, which is way Republicans try to make it so hard. “ 

Maher went on to castigate Democrats who are distancing themselves from the president. “It is not a winning strategy. Just ask President Al Gore.”  

Maher then listed all of the accomplishments of the Obama administration. 

• 53 months of economic expansion
• A depression averted
• Deficit reduced by two thirds
• A health care law that is working and reducing costs
• Two women appointed to the Supreme Court
• The stock market at record highs.
• Bin Laden is dead.
• Unemployment is down from 10.2 to 5.9. (For Fox News viewers, that means it’s down.)
• Gas prices are down.

“Why is this a hard record to get behind,” he asked.

• “Beheading videos get more likes than Obama.”
• “You gave people health care, not herpes. Own it."
• “Don’t chase polls, Change them.”

He then criticized Clay Aiken, a singer and author (Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life), who is running for Congress in NC, for distancing himself from Obama. “You are a gay man in North Carolina. Instead of rallying liberals you are hoping to get the folks who watch Duck Dynasty to vote for you.” He said “Clay Aiken is having trouble getting the Clay Aiken vote.”

He concluded that Democrats who distance themselves from their president are like Clay Aiken—“Happy to come in second.” 
 

Don’t let crazy, scary and weird take over this country. Make sure you go out to vote and that you vote for Democrats.

 

Real Time with Bill Maher #333 10/24/14 "Prophets and Wingnuts"

by Catherine Giordano


Dr. Cornel West

Where were the prophets? Where were the Wingnuts? When a guest (Dr. Cornel West) has a book titled Black Prophetic Fire and another gust (John Avlon) has a book titled Wingnuts: Extremism in the Age of Obama I expect prophecy and wingnuttery.  It was nowhere to be found on Real Time with bill Maher episode 333 which aired on HBO on October 24, 2014. Maybe I was just tired, but I found the show dull.

Even Mary Matalin who usually personifies a cross between a biker chick and Thor hurling thunderbolts was just as sweet as could be. She looked like a staid middle class matron, a PTA member in wearing a softly tailored suit jacket and a pastel scarf.  Her voice and comments matched her look. Mary Matalin, a Republican political consultant and author of several books, has evidently been tamed by domestic life. Her newest book, co-authored with husband James Carville titled, Love & War: Twenty Years, Three Presidents, Two Daughters and One Louisiana Home, may explain the whole thing.

 
Bill Maher’s Monolog
Maher’s monolog opened with the biggest thing in the news—ebola. He remarked that that ebola was in New York now and if “ebola can make it there, it can make it anywhere.” Then he sang “Start spreading the plague.”  He told us he had to stop the song there or else it would cost big money.

Maher commented on the terrorist shooting in Canada by saying that the worst terrorism in Canada had previously been “Vanilla Isis.”

Maher also noted that there was another White House fence jumper—this one was fortunately sopped. Maher quipped that Obama said, “At least there is one person in America is not trying to run away from me.”

Did you see the funny incident about Obama voting in Illinois on TV?  This very nice young black woman was allowed to stand in the next booth next to Obama. Her boyfriend walks by and says “Don’t touch my girlfriend.”  Maher quipped, “If you like the girl friend you have, you can keep the girl friend you have.” 

CLICK HERE



The interview with James Risen



The interview was with James Risen, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist at the New York Times, and author of a new book, Pay Any Price: Greed Power and Endless War. It appears that he is being threatened with prison because he has been a little too aggressive in whistle blowing.  It seems there are plenty of wingnuts in the CIA hatching hare-brained schemes and Risen is exposing them. Risen says everyone is so afraid of being called “soft on terror’ that counter terrorism projects have gotten out of hand—“There are no rules anymore.”

 

Terrorism

Maher said he was tired of the whole flap from an earlier show concerning the argument he and Sam Harris had with Ben Affleck had about Islam and terrorism. (See “Wake Up, America".) Fortunately, Maher did not lose his show over this like he did back in 2011 when he said the 9/11 hijackers were not cowards. (BTW, Maher was right. You can call them a lot of things, but people who will kill themselves for their belief are not cowards.)

CLICK HERE

 

Dr. Cornel West is a professor at Union Theological Seminary, philosopher, activist, socialist and author of several books about the black experience and race in America. (His most recent book is Black Prophetic Fire.)

West said, “Islam is not monolithic,” again making Affleck’s point that only a small minority of Mulsims are terrorists. This forced Maher to once again repeat his point which is that everyone is missing his points.  The large majority of Muslims share the views of the terrorists. For instance, they believe apostates deserve death. 




CLICK HERE

Mary Matalin, a Republican political consultant and author of a new book co-authored with her husband James Carville, Love and War: Twenty Years, Three Presidents, Two Daughters and One Louisiana Home made a good point. (I never thought I’d be saying that Matalin made a good point.) “It is not about religion. It is about power and politics.” 

Politics is the art of the possible.

CLICK HERE

Maher pointed out that Obama is suffering low ratings in the polls because people are disappointed that he has not lived up to the o of the people who elected him. Maher mentioned that “politics is the art of the possible meaning that a president can only do so much. When Maher referred to John Avlon, a journalist, political commentator, the editor in chief of The Daily Beast, and author of several books including his newest book is Wingnuts: Extremism in the Age of Obama, as a conservative Avlon argued that he was a centrist. Then he proved it by listing all the ways that the country is today than when Obama took office in 2008. Bravo. People have to stop complaining about what has not been done and look at how much has been done.

This was Matalin’s cue to revert to her true colors and start a tirade about ObamaCare.  Maher finally had to interrupt her because most of what she was saying was not true.  Matalin then tried another tack, saying that she personally was hurt., Maher pointed out that she was rich. He said “If ObamaCare helps 98% of Americans and huts only  2%, it is a good program.” Again, the art of the possible—nothing is perfect.

  

Harvard Divestiture

The mid-show guest was Chloe Maxmin, identified as a Harvard activist. Her issue was the Harvard Endowment fund and its investments in big oil companies. She argued that Harvard shoud be involved in education, not profit. Oil companies are polluting the plant and thus Harvard should divest itself of oil companies.  

Halloween Treats--comedy segment

The mid-show comedy segment was about Halloween.  Maher said that some people did not want to give candy out because candy is not good for kids. Here is part of Maher’s list about what some people are doing:

Kirk Cameron: Bible verses

Paula Dean:     Deep-fried sticks of butter

Donald Trump: Cotton candy the same color as his hair

Kansas wingnuts—New Rules

The final New Rules segment of the show began with a question: Was it easier to distract a cat with a laser pointer or the American voter?

Maher proved it was the American voter with a discussion of the race for governor in Kansas. The current Republican governor has bankrupted the state because he refuses to give up on the Zombie Lies of trickle down economics. The state has lost jobs, had its credit down-rated and drastically cut public services such as education.

Even Dorothy doesn't want to
go home to Kansas anymore.

Polls showed him losing big to his Democratic opponent.  Then the Republicans came up with an old incident abut his opponent Paul Davis.  When Davis was a 26 year-old single man he once went to a strip club with a group of co-workers and had a lap dance. This has turned the race is for Brownback????!!!!. Davis is not moral enough to be governor???!!!!  Because as a young single man he went to a strip club???!!! Once???!!! 

Maher said that “Even Dorothy doesn’t want to go home to Kansas.”

See a video clip "Sam's Flubs" at Bill Maher: Meet Roy Zimmerman

Perhaps I was wrong in my first paragraph. There was some wingnuttery on the show after all.

 



CLICK HERE

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Real Time with Bill Maher #332 10/17/14 “Going Viral”

Maher joked abut a virus "going viral"

by Catherine Giordano



Bill Maher opened his show with an ebola joke in his monologue. “This is the first time something went viral that was an actual virus,” he said. Later in the show, ebola got a series discussion on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, episode 332, aired on October 17, 2014.

Ebola

Maher was passionately angry about the way the screw-ups in Texas that allowed the virus to spread. He was outraged that the nurses weren’t properly protected. Later I realized it was personal for him. His mother was a nurse.  

Everyone is panicking about ebola. Obama is being blamed. Why not? Doesn’t Obama get blamed for everything? Why isn’t Rick Perry being blamed? He is the governor of the state where the ebola cases occurred. If political leaders are being blamed, surely Perry should be the first one blamed.   

I don’t think that either Perry or Obama should be blamed. I blame the administration at the hospital where Eric Duncan, the initial patient ,was treated. First for turning him away untreated and secondly for having such poor containment measure that two nurses got sick. It is scandalous how badly they handled it. 

Representative Barbara Lee

Representative Barbara Lee, (D, CA), and author of Renegade for Peace and Justice: Congresswoman Barbara Lee Speaks for Me put the blame on Congress, specifically Republicans in Congress.  The United States does not have a Surgeon General, a medical profession who could have overseen the response to ebola in this country because Republicans have blocked his confirmation. Republicans have also cut funding for the CDC and other organizations which stopped or slowed their research for a cure and a vaccine. 

 Ebola is not something new—it has been around for over 20 years, but it is only now reached epidemic proportions in West Africa. Many politicians are calling for a travel ban—a proposal that makes people feel good but which will do nothing to help and probably make the situation worse.  It was good to see that the panel was smart enough to oppose the travel ban.
    

David Millband, chairman and CEO of International Rescue Committee, a global humanitarian aid, relief, and development nongovernmental organization, said, “If you want to guarantee an epidemic of one million in West Africa, do a travel ban.’

David Frum, senior editor at The Atlantic, political commentator, former George W. Bush speechwriter, and author of several books, the most recent being a novel, Patriots said “I’m not panicked. There is only a small risk versus the damage that would be done by a travel ban.”

Maher told everyone to calm down. Ebola is spread by direct contact with the body fluids (diarrhea, vomiting, blood) of the sick person. It is not like the flu which kills thousands every year in this country and is an air borne virus. It appears likely that none of the people who were living with Daniel Duncan have become sick. I doubt that any of the people who were on the plane with the nurse who has come down with ebola will become sick.  

One of the medical staff who treated Duncan is currently on a cruise. They have voluntarily placed themselves in isolation. Of course, it is a Carnival cruise, the same cruise line where epidemics of norovirus have occurred.  Maher quipped, “Will there be an outbreak [of ebola] on the ship? How will they know?”

 

Everyone needs to calm down. Obama has appointed a “czar” to oversee prevention measures. The best way to ensure that we do not have an outbreak in the United States is too treat the problem at the source in West Africa, to closely monitor anyone who has been in close physical contact with an ebola patient in this country, and for hospitals and doctors to take fever seriously and test for ebola.     

There are no direct flights from West Africa to the United States. Why the fixation on planes—what about any place where there are crowds—shopping malls, movie theaters, trains and buses? If you take this obsession with planes to its logical conclusion, the whole country will come to a standstill.  I respect Obama for standing firm and not doing something stupid because of political pressure. 

Off the Sidelines
by Kristen Gillibrand

Women’s Issues

The interview was with Senator Kristen Gillibrand, (D, NY), author of Off the Sidelines: Raise Your Voice, Change the World. She said that although we now have 20 women in the Senate, thet is a very low proportion compared to othr countries.  She said women bring “different issues and different outcomes.”

She talked about feminism.  There is a viral meme that feminism means bra burning and men-hating.  It does not. It means equal pay for equal work, reproductive righs and opportunity for women.  

Maher talked about how appearance is always an issue for female politicians, whether she is attractive or unattractive.  Maher said, “Mitch McConnell looks like a muppet,” and no one cares.

 

ObamaCare

ObamaCare has now been in effect for a year and it is working.  You would thin that would put an end to ObamaCare-will-destroy the-country viral line.  Mahaer said Obamacare is containing costs–medical costs are being contained, insurance is more affordable and millions more people have it. Maher asked Frum who spoke against ObamaCare before its implementation if he will admit that he was wrong. Frum hemmed and hawed and finally said “cost control was being achieved by suppressing choice.”  People now have more choice than ever before.

Millband, who is British, said about “socialized medicine” in Great Britian,  “The Brits spend half as much as the U.S.”  Even Frum who is from Canada,could not fault the universal healthcare system in that country.

 

Lee pointed out some of the good things that Obamacare has done in addition to cost containment—for example, young people can stay on their parents plan until age 26, the elimination of people being refused insurance for pre-existing conditions. She told us that before ObamaCare being domestic abuse was a pre-existing condition. If a woman reported her spouse for domestic abuse, she could lose her insurance.  

Maher said that ObamaCare is making people healthy because it is removing some stress from their lives—the stress of being sick and being unable to afford care. Frum pointed out that ObamaCare gave him more stress--the stress of filling out the forms. I wanted to reach into the TV and slap him.  What a charmed life you lead, Mr Frum, your worse stress is filling out a form. People should die and suffer financial ruin so you don’t have to fill out a form.

So You Have Been Exonerated

The mid show comedy segment was about a woman who had been falsely convicted and spent 17 years in prison before being exonerated and freed.  She remarked abut how everything has changed. 

Maher suggested a pamphlet for newly released prisoners to tell them about the changes. Some of the changes Maher listed were:

• Your old video store now sells pot.
• You must take a picture of your food before eating it.
• If someone says you have a gigantic ass, it is now a compliment.
• Things that are bigger: TV sets, mortgages, Americans [Shows a picture of fat people].
• But, Donald Trump is still a jackass

Read more about this segment and see the video clip at Bill Maher Exonerated.

Joel Stein

The special guest was Joel Stein, journalist, humorist, and author of Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity. Maher called him a “very ballsy columinist.”

Maher comment on a phrase that has gone viral, “Happy wife, happy life.”  It is always about a man doing something his wife wants him to do to prevent discord at home.  The man is explaining that he is only doing this thing that the othr men are mocking him about to keep his wife happy. Stein said, “He is saying he is pussy whipped.”  Maher pointed out it is never about a wife being happy because she just got a promotion at her job.  

Stein said, “We shouldn’t be talking about feminism.” Lee, jumped right in, “You are right about that!”

New Rules

The final New Rules segment was “The Lemon Party” Maher said Democrats must learn how to talk to whitey. He said “Democrats are as popular as a Liberian travel agent.” Because they don’t understand “what white people want.” 

“Maher said “I am a strong powerful beautiful white man” and the proceeded to give tips to Democrats.  The tips included:

• Talk a lot about the importance of hard work.
• Tell blacks to pull their pants up.
• Talk a lot about dads and personal responsibility  
• Talk about how much you love small business. Every white man thinks that one day he is going to tell his boss that he is a #@%* and then go off to start his own business.
• Talk like John Wayne and about “kicking ass.”

Maher said "White dads watch the History channel and the only history on it is Hitler." They know all about Munich and Neville Chamberlin appeasing Hitler. They don’t want Neville Chamberlin they want Wilt Chamberlin who will dunk in your face.

For More on this and to see a video clip, see Bill Maher's Rules for the Lemon Party.

The stupid virus

Sometimes I think there are a whole lot of people in this country who are infected with the “stupid virus.”   Republicans for being against science and policies that actually help the people of this country and the rt of the country for thinking it doesn’t matter who is in office so why should they even bother to vote.

Man Made
by Joel Stein



Patriots
by David Frum