Posted in: HBO, Max, Opinion, TV, TV, YouTube | Tagged: Bill Maher, HBO, max, opinion, Real Time

Bill Maher Needs to Lead By Example with His #NoOpinion Plan

HBO's "Real Time" host Bill Maher thinks too many people have too many opinions about too many things. But he's talking about YOU... not him.

Oh, Bill Maher. Sometimes, you make it a little too easy. If you had a chance to check out the "Real Time" host's show on Friday night, then you know that the guy who moans about being "canceled" as often as Chicken Little bitches about the sky falling (yet he keeps getting those sweet checks signed by Warner Bros. Discovery's David Zaslav) wrapped up his show with a new set of "clouds" to yell at. And it's all of you (and me, I guess – but my words are so damn pretty that I'm sure he wasn't talking about me). During his final "New Rule," Maher began pushing his belief that "there's nothing wrong with not having an opinion on something. Especially if you don't know what the f**k you're talking about." Now, just to be clear? Not only do I think that Maher makes an excellent point, I don't believe he goes far enough. Here's why…

"If you're getting your facts from TikTok and Instagram and Facebook, I don't want to hear your hot take on asymmetrical warfare because there's a term for someone who gets their news from Facebook: Mom": See? Right here? Maher is being way too humble by keeping his name out of the conversation. Along with TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, he could've also easily added, "and any late-night cable talk show where the host confuses their opinions (and possibly forgets that they have a team of writers & researchers) with fact and begins acting like some half-baked 'prophet.'"

And since we're speaking about "terms," maybe it's time to have a conversation about what we call people who get their news from Maher. Or Dave Chappelle, who uses his stand-up routine as cover for spewing his gripes with a society that doesn't view him the same way it did back when "I'm Rick James, bitch!" was a thing. Or Joe Rogan, the fifth funniest cast member on NBC's NewsRadio, a decent stand-up comic & MMA mouthpiece who got elevated by Spotify and now gets treated as if he has two clues to rub together at any given time. If it helps, I've got a term that covers all the bases: Sad.

"You know, among the worst things that social media ever did was it made everyone feel they had to weigh in on every controversial issue or breaking news story, and that's my job.": While some might think that was a joke there at the end – but was it? Of course not, and this is where Maher's being humble yet again. Because when he says that social media made "everyone feel they had to weigh in on every controversial issue or breaking news story," he's also talking about himself. Why? When the show went dark because of the writers' strike (with Maher showing his "union pride" in the WGA time and time and time and time and time and time again), did Maher take the advice he was preaching on Friday night? Nope – and why? Apparently, the Margot Robbie & Ryan Gosling-starring Barbie was just a bridge too far for him. Seriously. It's not something that I would even try to make up. But sometimes, an old, white guy just needs to speak up and discuss issues that they can't relate to – I guess?

So when Maher says that he would like not to have an opinion on everything becoming a trend, we agree. But here's a challenge to Maher. Why don't you lead by example? I mean, you would be a perfect candidate. It's not like there haven't been some questionable things that made it out across "Real Time" airwaves – and even Maher himself was having issues with COVID facts during an interview trying to defend the questionable stuff coming out about the pandemic via his HBO late-night show. So that would make Maher the perfect candidate – but we have a feeling Bill Maher might take issue with that.

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