HBO "Real Time with Bill Maher" #318 May 16, 2014 "Fed-Up"

by Catherine Giordano

Everybody is fed-up about something on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” episode 318, which aired on May 16, 2014.  I’ll spoon feed you the details in this reap and review of the show.

 

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The interview was with Robert Lustig: a pediatric endocrinologist, author of Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease and a featured expert in the new documentary, Fed-Up. He believes that Americans are killing themselves with poor diet choices.  He brings a lot of scary facts to the table.

• The maximum amount of sugar that is safe to eat is 6 to 9 teaspoons a day.  The average American is getting 22 teaspoons a day. Sugar went from a condiment to a diet staple.
• Sugar causes the same diseases as alcohol.
• Orange juice is not good for you. The only good part of the orange is the fiber.
• Obesity has gotten so bad that there is an epidemic of obese 6-month old children.  Even newborns are obese.

There are three big myths that Lustig wants to expose.

1. Obesity itself is not the problem No. one manifestation of the problem. Chronic Metabolic Disease is the problem. TOFI (Thin outside, fat inside) is the problem.
2. A calorie is a calorie. No, calories from sugar are worse than other calories.
3. It’s about personal responsibility. No, it’s about corporate responsibility.  Sugar laden foods are designed to be addictive.

He is not sugar-coating the dangers. I think I am going to see this documentary and read his book. I think most of America should too.

In the monologue Maher indicates that he is fed up (as we all are) with Don Sterling.  Bill said, “I think he still doesn’t know he is being taped.”   

Maher (and we) are also fed-up with hearing about the Michael Sams’ kiss. Maher said, “An inter-racial gay kiss. The NFL has never seen a kiss like that. Consensual.” 

Are we all a little fed-up with the climate change deniers? My understanding is that if it weren’t for global warming we would be having a mini-ice age right now. So, up to a point, global warming has been a good thing. But it is clear that it has gone too far. And it is clear that part of the warming is man-made and not just normal fluctuations in climate.   

When 97% of climate scientists agree, the argument is over and even Republicans have to get on board. Kellyanne Conway, a panelist on the show who is a Republican strategist and pollster,and president and CEO of “The Polling Group” said, “We have to have an all of the above strategy.”  

Exactly—a little wind, a little solar, a little conservation—it all adds up. Side benefit—fewer oil spills like the one we just had in LA that Maher said resulted in the need to “clean up 15 homeless former child actors.” 

Another panelist, Brian Schweitzer, former governor (D, MT), said that 26 states have already set renewable goals.  

Of course, part of the problem is that while the United States and European companies like Germany takes steps to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, other parts of the world are going in the opposite direction.  Ian Bremmer, the third panelist, is a political scientist, president and founder of the Eurasia Group, and author of Every Nation for Itself: Winners and Losers in a G-Zero World pointed out that “The Chinese want cars. The problem is that there is just too many of them.  China will bring us [from current levels of CO₂ in the atmosphere of 400 parts per million] to 500 or 600 parts per million.” 

The mid-show comedy segment was a spoof inspired by the purchase of Harlequin Books (romance novels) by Rupert Murdoch, owner of Fox News.  He said there would soon be a new romance novel “Love’s Fair and Balanced Desire.”

A little taste:

·      Under her icy exterior was a passion that burned like an unprotected embassy in  Lybia

·     His manhood strained growing ever larger, like the deficit under Obama

·     When he struggled with a condom,  She said, “don’t bother, my body has a way of shutting that whole thing down” 

See Bill Maher Rules for more, including the really smutty stuff.

 

The special guest was Kevin Nealon: actor and comedian, author of Yes, You’re Pregnant, But What About Me. Nealon said that his high school team as called “The Fighting Gentiles. Eggshell and vanilla were the team’s colors and they looked like Tic-Tacs in the team photo.”

Note: If you love Tic-Tacs, click this Tic-Tac link. However, Dr. Lustig would probably like me to remind you that there are 0.5 grams of sugar in each piece. If you eat 8 pieces, that is 4 grams which is equal to 1 teaspoon of sugar.

The conversation tuned to “American Spring.” This group is fed up with America, although they say they love the country. As Maher said, “Nothing says I love the country as everyone elected as got to go.”  Bill added, “This group formed five years ago. What else happened five years ago? Oh yeah, Obama got elected.” 

“American Spring” is in the news because they planned a big march in Washington to overthrow the government like “Arab Spring” did in some mid-east countries. They promised 10 million to 40 million people.  Forty people showed up—not 40 million, just 40.  Schweitzer said “I’m not saying all Republicans are racist, but the racists sure find a home in that tent.”

Benghazi.  I’m so fed up hearing about Benghazi that I am going to puke, hopefully all over Darrel Issa’s shoes.  Maher asked, “Where’s the crime.” He said listening to Republicans talk about Benghazi is “like trying to relate to someone who is tripping when you are not.”

The final bit in New Rules was titled “American Grandstand” wherein Maher took on Republicans on Benghazi. Maher said it was time for Republicans in Congress to “put-up or shut up” instead of just conducting the eight investigation into Benghazi. He urged them to impeach Obama because, citing Clinton’s 10 point gain in popularity during his impeachment, it is the only thing that will make Obama popular again.   

But what’s the crime?  Can you impeach a president for making you unhappy, for “dereliction of happiness,” for “giving you a case of the sads?”  

He ended by stating that Obama could use a little bit of impeachment mojo. He urged Republicans to make Obama an issue in the 2014 elections “so he can kick your ass for the third time.” 

Bill Maher kicks ass every week.  Can I have some more, please?

 

Guests for Episode 318, 05/16/14

Robert Lustig: a pediatric endocrinologist, author of Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity,and Disease and a featured expert in the new documentary, Fed-Up.

Ian Bremmer:  a political scientist, president and founder of the Eurasia Group, author of Every Nation for Itself: Winners and Losers in a G-Zero World

Kellyanne Conway: Republican strategist and pollster, president and CEO of “The Polling Group”

Brian Schweitzer: former governor (D, MT)

Kevin Nealon: actor and comedian, author of Yes, You’re Pregnant, But What About Me

No time to finish it today, check back in a day or two.

HBO Real Time with Bill Maher #262 “This Thing Called Facts”

“Real Time with Bill Maher” episode #262 aired on Friday October 12, 2012.  I’m naming this episode “This Thing Called Facts."  During the show Bill said, “We have this thing called facts.”  With guests like Ann Coulter and Darrell Issa, it’s hard to get a fact in edgewise. 

Bill’s opening monologue was a little weak this week.  He began by asking Republicans to stop the whining.  He said that you can tell Biden won the debate because of all the whining the Republicans are doing.  (I heard that line all day Friday by every commentator who is not on Fox, so the line was a little “stale” by the time Bill get around to it.)  However, Bill redeemed the cliché with a quip, “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to interrupt someone when he’s lying.” 

Have you noticed that there is no longer any hesitancy on either side of the political divide to call someone a liar? We used to use euphemisms (He doesn’t have that exactly right) or evasions (That’s for the American people to decide). I think it was Republican Congressman Joe Walsh from Illinois who broke the barrier when he yelled, “You lie!” right in the middle of the President’s State of the Union address. (According to the polls, Joe is not doing so well in his re-election bid—9 points behind his Democratic opponent, Tammy Duckworth. If he loses, I’ll consider that payback.) 

Ann Coulter was the guest for the interview, so we had very little facts and lots of lies. She said that anyone who voted for Obama is a racist. She thinks they voted for Obama because of guilt over their racism. She said that only non-racists like her could feel free to vote Republican. LOL. Pul-eeze, does she think anyone actually believes her?  I don’t think it matters to her. She makes her living by being way-over-the-top outrageous. 

She then topped herself with an even more outrageous statement.  President Obama is the most liberal president ever.  (As a liberal, I can only say, “If only.”)  Bill was incredulous.  Obama is a Rockefeller Republican, he said. He asked Ann if she thought Obama was more liberal than FDR.  Since Ann cares not a whit for facts and truth, she insisted that Obama was the most liberal president ever.

BTW, this is my “I-can’t-resist-being-catty" moment of the week. Coulter looks terrible. Most concentration camp survivors came out of the camps with more meat on their bones than she has. She has long blond hair hanging down nearly to her knees.(OK, I exaggerate.)  I think her hair weighs more that she does.  She wore a low-cut, tight-fitting mini-dress and kept tossing her hair. I guess she thinks she looks sexy. Actually, she is a rather homely woman, and her get-up just makes her look like she is trying to hard. (Also, her voice is so screechy and gating—I think she wins arguments by puncturing people’s eardrums.) 

I groaned when I saw that Darrell Issa was on the panel.  That man reminds me of a junkyard dog.  He always has his back up, his teeth bared, and a low growl rumbling within his throat. Issa wasted not a moment before launching his attack on Obama over the incident in Libya where a mob killed Ambassador Stevens and others.  Another panelist, the actor/director Ben Affleck, who is always an intelligent addition to the panel, pointed out that Issa was just casting around for something to blame on Obama.  He pointed out that bad things happen all the time. 

Every time anyone called Issa out on his “facts” and lies, he just moved on to another point. Finally, the hero of the night, Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana, jumped in. He silenced the panel when he said “I’m the only one here who has lived in Libya.”  He explained how chaotic allegiances are in Libya and how it was very unlikely that this incident could have been predicted and prevented. He concluded by saying, “It does no one any good to have a Salem witch hunt.” 

Schweitzer is a charming, amiable, and very likeable person. He is coming to the end of of his second term as governor. I’m so sorry to hear that. I hope he will remain in public service. Schweitzer, a Democrat, faced a Republican legislature. He had to use his veto power a lot. But here is what I especially love about him—his flair.  He had the name of the bill inscribed on a board, he had a branding iron with the word “veto” on it. Then he’d take his props out into the public square and brand the bills with his veto.  Now that is flair. 

Bill did a great bit for his mid-show comedy bit. He pointed out that Sarah Palin, realizing that she has no future in politics, is writing an exercise book. He proposed some titles for other famous politicos who might want to write an exercise book.

            “Raising Dumbbells”  -- Sarah Palin’s father

            “Keep Your Chin Up” -- Mitch McConnell

            “Lie your Ass Off” -- Mitt Romney

            “Five Minute Marathon” – Paul Ryan

            “Pumping the Help” -- Arnold Schwarzenegger

            “Buy Bigger Pants”-- Chris Christie

 

My second “I-can’t-resist-being-catty” moment of the week: Every time I see that man—Chris Christie-- on TV, I fall back into my chair flabbergasted.  We had a tree here in Florida, about 3,500 years old, named “The Senator.” (It recently burned down).  I think Christie’s girth is greater that the girth of that tree.

 

Coulter tried to explain away her now-famous remark, “If we don’t run Chris Christie, Romney will get the nomination and we’ll lose.”  Since she now goes around saying that Romney will win, she has to side-step the fact that she called him a loser. She joked, “I ran off with a biker, but now I’ve come home.” Get it! Coulter is making an analogy. She is the foolish housewife who had a fling with a sexy rebel, but now she’s mended her ways, and returned to her boring husband. Christie is the biker; Romney is the boring husband.  I buy Romney as the boring husband, but Christie as a biker!? Come on.  There isn’t a “hog” big enough for that man. (I warned you, I was going to be catty.)

  

Sheila Bair, a Republican former chairman of the FDIC, was the second featured guest.  Even though she is a Republican, she is not supporting Mitt Romney.  She said she was for John Huntsman.  Smart woman.  I said throughout the primaries that Huntsman was the only worthy candidate of the bunch.  (He never got above 1% in the primaries.  Republicans don’t like credible qualified candidates.) 

 

Bill got back to his point about facts in the “New Rules” segment.  He said that when someone gets it wrong, in a big and public way, when the facts come out, shouldn’t that someone have to at least apologize.

 

Donald Trump never took “the walk of shame” over his birther nonsense—in fact, he is still proclaiming this foolishness to anyone who will listen (e.g Fox News  hosts and viewers).

 

George W. Bush was wrong about WMD, but paid no penalty for getting it wrong, so very painfully wrong. (The pain being the blood and treasure this nation, and the world, paid in the Iraq War.) 

 

Reagan said that Medicare would destroy our freedom.  It is now one of the most successful and popular programs in the country.  (That is why I don’t, and you shouldn’t, listen to Republican cries of doom about ObamaCare.  It’s baseless.  In the Overtime segment, Ben Affleck predicted the program will be very popular once it is fully implemented.) 

 

Bill concluded “New Rules” by reminding us of what Biden said during the debates, “Use your common sense!”

  

Common sense requires a little thing called facts. Learn the facts. Then apply your common sense.

  

This picture of Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana came from http://wikimedia.org


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