Posted in: HBO, Max, Opinion, streaming, TV, TV | Tagged: Bill Maher, HBO, Real Time, wga, writers' strike

Bill Maher to WGA "Union Folks": Glad You "Expedited the Paperwork"

Bill Maher thanked his "Real Time" team for getting him in front of a camera, but does he understand what the WGA did for that to happen?

With the WGA and AMPTP having reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year deal (with ratification voting set for next week) and the union having officially ended the writers' strike, late-night shows are the first to be able to get their writing teams together and get back on our screens. But for that to have happened, it took hours of negotiating, months of picketing, and thousands of writers stepping up to fight the good fight to make that happen. That's the reason why Bill Maher was able to bring back Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday night and not have to spend any more time on Twitter/X losing his collective s**t over Barbie.

In between giving Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a friendly platform to sell himself on (which he still couldn't do) and advising President Joe Biden to step down after gushing like a weird little fanboy over Donald Trump's mugshot, Maher found some time to both thank his writers & team for their hard work (getting him back in front of the camera that night, not an overall praise) and passive-aggressively dismissing the hard work of WGA Negotiating Committee. "First of all, I want to thank everybody who made this possible… to be back. You know, I'm talking about my brilliant staff, writers and non-writers, who scrambled the jets so we could be on in two days," Maher said. "And the union folks who expedited the paperwork so we could get back so quickly, so thank you."

Bill Maher Talks WGA Strikes on "Club Random"

With actor/comedian Jim Gaffigan checking in for Maher's Club Random podcast, Maher has some choice cuts to lob into the conversation – coming from a perspective so front-of-Snowpiercer that you would swear he was playing a character. "They're asking for a lot of things that are, like, kooky," Maher claimed – and at that moment? You know, when "kooky" came out of his mouth? I couldn't help but laugh because that was the response of someone who's been relying on his social circle for intel and not on what's actually been posted. But just in case any of you know Maher? Have him check out our previous post – and let him know that I would be more than happy to interview him about the list of "kooky" things he was able to pull together.

"What I find objectionable about the philosophy of the strike [is] it seems to be, they have really morphed a long way from the 2007 strike where they kind of believe that you're owed a living as a writer, and you're not," was another adorable hairball that Maher coughed up – and hopefully a red flag for his writers. Because what this dude is saying is that if you're a writer in 2023 then you should still expect to have to work three jobs – even if you write for a mega-popular series that goes on to reap millions upon millions for the streamers. The same dude who claims he's being "canceled" all of the time even as he continues stockpiling new contracts, comedy specials, and live gigs. In large part because of the hard work that the writers on Real Time put in – the same hard work that Maher benefits from adopting even as he adopts a "Let them eat cake!" attitude towards the very same writers he claims to "feel for"… "love"… and is "one of."

In fact, a little life lesson – free of charge? Anytime anyone starts out something by telling you how much they feel for you, love you, and are one of you? It's usually they can't, they don't, and they aren't. It also – nearly 99.98476% of the time – will be followed by a "But…" that wastes no time wiping away any fake "goodwill" that was attempted. "I feel for my writers. I love my writers. I'm one of my writers [Ed. Note: Uh-oh…]. But [Ed. Note: Didn't we just tell you…?] there's a big other side to it. And a lot of people are being hurt besides them — a lot of people who don't make as much money as them in this bipartisan world we have where you're just in one camp or the other, there's no in-between," Maher added. Holding the writers – and not the streaming services, studios & media companies who wasted millions upon millions over the past few years trying to be like Netflix and failing miserably – responsible for being out of work is everything you need to know about "McRebel" Bill Maher. Blames the oppressed – not the oppressor. I'm sure that position will serve him well during the next contract negotiation he has with HBO.

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