He’s not a monster. He’s one of the good guys, I suppose. I have been “religulously” watching, listening, and reading him for decades. I started in 1993 with “Politically Incorrect,” and it’s safe to say I haven’t missed an episode of Real Time ever. Yes, and I read his recent book twice and loved it.

But that is not to deny that I have many bones to pick with Mr. Maher. AND I’m very certain that he cares about my opinion!

Bone One: Issues with “WOKE”

I am so tired of hearing him make fun of, air quote, and criticize the “WOKE.” Let’s look at what that dumb word even represents. according to AI,

The term “woke” has two distinct and often opposing meanings today: it can refer to being alert to social injustice or serve as a political pejorative. The interpretation depends heavily on who is using the word and in what context. 

Recently, I started making some t-shirts and mugs and other products on a site called “Redbubble,” and here is one that I made on an actual t-shirt:

Simply put, I think this word implies someone who awakened from prejudice and bigotry. What else is it? MAGA has tried to vilify it in every way, but really, we should aspire towards the goal of woke-ism. Mr. Pete Hagseth, Secretary of War and Lethality, has even said that the “laws of military engagement” in the U.S.A. are just a bunch of WOKE nonsense. I’m sure General Patton or Eisenhower would agree! If you (or WE) hate the word, then we should just change the fucking word. The principal is correct.

If I can recall, Mr. Maher himself became quite WOKE with regards to women and gay people. The reputation he had B.W (before woke) was that he was a womanizer and not at all sensitive to feminist ideas. He clearly is sensitive now, even without stating these things directly. However, I am miffed about the new seasons lack of female guests, with a few exceptions.

Bone 2: Giving too much space and cred to idiots.

It seemed to really get started back in the days of Ann Coulter, author of winning titles like How to Talk To A Liberal and The Church of Liberalism: Godless. Okay, I grant you…she was entertaining. And so was their clash. At least their was some serious clash back then. Now every time a conservative guest, or even a MAGA guest, is on, Bill does everything he can to avoid hurting their little feelings, and they have so many of them! Admittedly, he has hosted far more lefties and liberals though.

Bone 3: Normalizing Trump

He started to do this, seemingly. And he still does not go at him hard enough. He might be leaving that to Colbert and Kimmel, but it hurts so bad when Bill makes excuses for “how nice ” Trump can be, when he well-knows the sheer, manipulative phoniness of the twit- in-chief.

So for all Maher fans, or for any anti-Maher folks, I guess we will all have to keep watching since no one else has done what he’s been able to do. My hopes are that Maher’s Independent stances, many of which I wholeheartedly agree with, make some type of impact in the future of this country. Maybe, as my best friend proposes, he is playing “3-D Chess,” and that his motives are to unite, or to highlight all of the flawed logic indirectly, and keep the right wingers listening. In fact, if any of them will listen, it will be more likely when the marvelous and delightful Scott Jennings is on, rather than James Carville or Gavin Newsome.