Real Time With Bill Maher

[Peven]

Maher still doesn't seem to have a real feel for what is going on and will cut off discussion at times right when some good points are being made. for a guy who runs a show like that he is a very poor listener, doesn't think quick on his feet to unexpected points brought up, and is much more comfortable when he can stick to the queue cards during a monologue

His usual tactic during this is to say his point again, ONLY MUCH LOUDER. Which is ironically the same as Bill O'Reilly.
Thankfully, he didn't do that this past episode.
I think he was just as dumbstruck as the rest of us as to how good Washington was on the show.

Dan Savage is my favorite "Real Time Correspondent" so it was good to see him on there again. The guy is just funny.
PJ O'Rourke needs to come back.

you're right, Savage was pretty good. i loved his take about only "straight" men getting caught trolling for blowjobs in public restrooms because openly ghey men can just go home and get one...

[Fievel]

you're right, Savage was pretty good. i loved his take about only "straight" men getting caught trolling for blowjobs in public restrooms because openly ghey men can just go home and get one...

....followed by the insinuation that he needed to talk to God and he replied something to the effect of "I don't know how getting on my knees is going to solve anything".

[Evil Hobbit]

Woesj, they cornered the republican dude, man o man, and Colette Garofalo was on a role, damn she's bitchy...

[Chairman Kaga]

Annoying panel this week.

[TheBaxter]

i think it's going to only get more annoying til after the election. i don't remember if i was watching this during the last election (or if it was even around then) but i hope once the election is over, they can find a wider range of stuff to talk about. til then, it's just gonna be a lot of arguing and yelling.

[Fievel]

Tonight's Panel:

-Musician and Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am.
-journalist Naomi Klein
-political blogger Andrew Sullivan
-economist Paul Krugman

Could be interesting. Krugman will have no shortage of things to talk about, and I always enjoy Sullivan on there.

[TheBaxter]

Tonight's Panel:

-Musician and Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am.
-journalist Naomi Klein
-political blogger Andrew Sullivan
-economist Paul Krugman

Could be interesting. Krugman will have no shortage of things to talk about, and I always enjoy Sullivan on there.

yeah, a good week to have an economist on.
agree that sullivan is always interesting. how can you be a Dumbledore republican bush-basher (the president, not the... well, he's Dumbledore, think about it) and not be interesting?
i'm sure they'll ask naomi klein about her off-the-air comments on palin being unqualified to be VP
i have a feeling will.i.am will be dead weight though.

[Fievel]

i have a feeling will.i.am will be dead weight though.

Oh I'm sure he'll regurgitate all the right Obama quotes/points.
I just hope Maher asks him if he's seen Fergie's penis.

[Chairman Kaga]

i have a feeling will.i.am will be dead weight though.

Oh I'm sure he'll regurgitate all the right Obama quotes/points.
I just hope Maher asks him if he's seen Fergie's penis.

Some how I am hoping he will be as crazy as Mos Def from last year.

[Fievel]

They don't make tin foil hats big enough for people like Mos Def.
He was fucking insane. Great guest, but.... wow.

[minstrel]

Mos Def? Tonight it was Will.i.am. And he hardly said anything. Obviously outmatched by the other panelists.

But I agree. I don't think I'd have Mos Def on the show any more.

[Fievel]

I like Bill Maher - a lot.

But having said that, I'm growing weary of his attacks on people for their religious beliefs (this coming from an agnostic). It hasn't happened much this season yet, but it did tonight. We get it Bill - anyone that believes in the invisible man is a fucking idiot. A lot of people agree with you, but it's not something you need to repeat every waking minute.

And gripe number two - you waste your New Rules rant on the Palin child's baby's daddy?!? Serously?!?!? Keep doing that and you'll likely piss someone off into voting for McCain despite how stupid it seems that someone would do it for that reason.

Weak episode, although Sullivan put on a show again. Neither good nor bad, but it was certainly a show.

will.i.am.
waste.of.space.

[Fievel]

Tonight's guests:
Actor Tim Daly
independent candidate for president Ralph Nader
commentator Lisa Schiffren

Plus via satellite, comedy superstar Chris Rock and reporter Ron Suskind.

I'm bummed.
Between Letterman and Larry King's show, Chris Rock has been on fire this week.
I was thinking/hoping he'd be a panelist.

[Fievel]

Another yawner.
Rock and Suskind were both good.

Nader should have joined forces with Mike Gravel in the "We're Old And Fucking Nuts, But We Actually Have A Couple Good Ideas Party".

Next week should be awesome - Alec Baldwin, Gary Shandling, and I don't remember who else.....

[TheBaxter]

wow, maher made it through a whole show without slagging on religion. must be a new record.
i was surprised to see nader on the panel, i figured he'd be a satellite interview. does this mean now they'll have to have bob barr on too? equal time and all...

[mediawarrior]

Nader was very good. I don;t know why he doesn't do more activist type stuff instead of wsting his time running for President.

[TheBaxter]

i thought nader was pandering a bit. this week was tailor-made for him, with his whole anti-corporate agenda. i was disappointed though, because he seemed, especially at the beginning, like he was more interested in hustling for votes more than discussing the issue, as if he really thought he had any chance of winning. he also looks a bit like someone who's suffered a mild stroke.

[Fievel]

Tonight's Guests:
Actor Alec Baldwin
Reporter Christiane Amanpour
Comedian Garry Shandling
Journalist Bob Woodward.



FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC EPISODE!!!!!!!
Thoroughly entertaining.
Baldwin and Shandling were hilarious.
Hell... Amanpour was funny, too!!! I've respected her as a journalist since the Gulf War days (when I first noticed her) and to see her cut loose like this was awesome.

If you haven't seen it, watch the Overtime at hbo.com - LINK
It was just as good.

Shandling can derail Maher's show like no one else can, and in the best possible way.

[BuckyO'harre]

Saw the New Rules and Woodward interview on youtube.Hopefully the rest will be up tomorrow.
The Overtime segment is no longer showing, but it will be archived soon according to the site.




I hope I'll be able to afford cable soon.
It was a choice between TV and the internet...

Obviously nothing matters as much as the Zone ( or porn ).






Oh, and I just might start refering to Palin as "Govenor Avon lady".

[Retardo_Montalban]

Shandling and Baldwin's chemistry was amazing. Those two boys should get their own television program. I also wouldn't have pegged Alec Baldwin as a stutterer.

[Chris a.k.a StuntMike]

Shandling and Baldwin's chemistry was amazing. Those two boys should get their own television program. I also wouldn't have pegged Alec Baldwin as a stutterer.

No doubt. Baldwin cracks me up at the worst of times.

"WE SHOULD HAVE SOLD THE COUNTRY TEN YEARS AGO!"

[TheBaxter]

dana gould was really good, whenever he could get a word in that is. he had some really good comebacks, too bad the show was ruined by that wall st. journal guy who lives in some kind of fantasyland. he's been on the show before (probably because he's one of the few conservatives willing to go on maher's show), and he reminds me of this guy, except goofier.

[Fievel]

Yeah, that was a yawner of an episode.
Dana Gould was really good, though.

[RaulMonkey]

Did a [CENSORED]load of posts get gaffneyed from this thread? I could have sworn we were [CENSORED] about REAL TIME through the election. Unless that was in a generic TV thread, but I don't think [CENSORED]...

Is this by chance related in any way to the [CENSORED] ([CENSORED]) in this thread? These things are have surfaced all over the Zone like a [CENSORED]. Are they now causing whole pieces of threads to disappear along with [CENSORED]? Is there a necrotizing [CENSORED] spreading across our forum, or is the blight merely the result of some [CENSORED] fumbling by our [CENSORED] new Admin?

ADMIN EDIT: POST CENSORED TO REMOVE CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
-Moo

[Chairman Kaga]

There was definitely Real Time discussion in here during and immediately after the election.

[Fievel]

I thought a lot of the Maher-esque conversations went somewhere else.
I remember thinking about posting my thoughts on a particular Real Time episode but then remembered that hardly anyone ever posted in this thread.

[RaulMonkey]

Did a [CENSORED]load of posts get gaffneyed from this thread? I could have sworn we were [CENSORED] about REAL TIME through the election. Unless that was in a generic TV thread, but I don't think [CENSORED]...

Is this by chance related in any way to the [CENSORED] ([CENSORED]) in this thread? These things are have surfaced all over the Zone like a [CENSORED]. Are they now causing whole pieces of threads to disappear along with [CENSORED]? Is there a necrotizing [CENSORED] spreading across our forum, or is the blight merely the result of some [CENSORED] fumbling by our [CENSORED] new Admin?

ADMIN EDIT: POST CENSORED TO REMOVE CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
-Moo

'LASH, I've stumbled across something. Something bigger than us all....

BTW, those last two censored words were "innocent" and "lovely," respectively, so, y'know, I wasn't trying to start a big beef or anything.

[Lord Voldemoo]

Did a [CENSORED]load of posts get gaffneyed from this thread? I could have sworn we were [CENSORED] about REAL TIME through the election. Unless that was in a generic TV thread, but I don't think [CENSORED]...

Is this by chance related in any way to the [CENSORED] ([CENSORED]) in this thread? These things are have surfaced all over the Zone like a [CENSORED]. Are they now causing whole pieces of threads to disappear along with [CENSORED]? Is there a necrotizing [CENSORED] spreading across our forum, or is the blight merely the result of some [CENSORED] fumbling by our [CENSORED] new Admin?

ADMIN EDIT: POST CENSORED TO REMOVE CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
-Moo

'LASH, I've stumbled across something. Something bigger than us all....

BTW, those last two censored words were "innocent" and "lovely," respectively, so, y'know, I wasn't trying to start a big beef or anything.

Actually they were "ridiculous" and "impotent" GET HIM RIBBONS!!!!!!!

[RaulMonkey]

Whoa, wait. This all has something to do with RIBBONS??? Mon Dieu!

[BuckyO'harre]

So...
the rabbit hole is deeper than I thought.

At first it was just TheButcher strong arming everyone out of the news biz. Leaving him as the sole provider of information in our dark city called Zone. But since when does he have the brains or the dough for a job this size?
Somebody's backing him.
Somebody big.

Then Ribbons starts dropping breadcrumbs.
But there's always somebody one step behind him with a broom and a dustpan.
I can't figure why he's still breathin'.
Guys like that usually end up choking on their macaroni.

*There was a knock at my door.*

Yeah, I hear you.Come in already.

*A lady stepped in.She was soaked from head to toe, but still a lady. And the best thing to crawl into my office in a month.*

What can I do for you, doll face?

Oh mista Marlowe, ya gotta help me.I don't have anyone else to turn-ta.

Just take it easy, angel. Maybe we can help each other...


*I could tell this dame was trouble.
But what other kind is there?*

-To Be Continued-

[Fievel]

I missed the first half of last night's episode, but it looks like the 2-person panel is somewhat permanent?!?!?
That sucks!!!

Oh, and Sarah Silverman can spend a minimum of 10 minutes on that show every week as far as I'm concerned.

[Retardo_Montalban]

I missed the first half of last night's episode, but it looks like the 2-person panel is somewhat permanent?!?!?
That sucks!!!

Oh, and Sarah Silverman can spend a minimum of 10 minutes on that show every week as far as I'm concerned.

really? Because all I saw was a lot of Maher and SIlverman gushing at each other. That's fine at a cocktail party, but wasn't riveting television. Maher should have gotten Gilbert Godfried to comment on the Madoff scandal.

[Fievel]

I missed the first half of last night's episode, but it looks like the 2-person panel is somewhat permanent?!?!?
That sucks!!!

Oh, and Sarah Silverman can spend a minimum of 10 minutes on that show every week as far as I'm concerned.

really? Because all I saw was a lot of Maher and SIlverman gushing at each other. That's fine at a cocktail party, but wasn't riveting television. Maher should have gotten Gilbert Godfried to comment on the Madoff scandal.

If Sarah Silverman was sitting next to me, all I'd do is gush, too.

Gottfried would have been the "better Jew" on the matter. In fact, everything in the world always needs more Gilbert Gottfried.

[minstrel]

In fact, everything in the world always needs more Gilbert Gottfried.

Or less - even better!

Oh, boy, was Andrew Breitbart ever totally overmatched by Michael Eric Dyson on this week's episode! Dyson knocked him to the mat in the first round, sat on him, and just kept pounding his face into raw hamburger for the rest of the episode. In a civilized, verbal way, of course. Maher eventually ended the segment more as an act of mercy toward Breitbart than that the time was up. It wouldn't surprise me if Breitbart never appears on the show again.

[TheBaxter]

I missed the first half of last night's episode, but it looks like the 2-person panel is somewhat permanent?!?!?
That sucks!!!

it's all part of his plan to slowly whittle away the guest list until there are no guests, just 60 minutes of bill maher talking to himself.

[TheBaxter]

i'm a bit behind here, but i just got around to watching last week's episode.
and this new format? we hates it!
i really do think this is because bill maher wants to mouth off more himself, and wants one less person to compete with or to change the topic. problem is, the show is at its best when it flies off onto other topics, or when the guests are all talking to each other while bill just sits there and looks on. this new format, it's either a schizo interview show with bill and two guests, or like last one, where they just yell at each other and bill is the biased moderator.
on PI, there were 4 guests. then on this show, it went down to 3 guests. now it's down to 2. i really do think before long, it's just going to be bill maher, no guests, 45 minutes of " new rules" followed by a satellite interview so he can berate somebody who doesn't agree with him.

[Fievel]

This Week's Guests
Madeleine Albright, fmr. US Secretary of State
Keith Olbermann, political commentator
Kerry Washington, actor
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Andrew Ross Sorkin, The New York Times

Oh PLEEEEASE let Olbermann be a panelist!!!!!!!!!
And that list does seem like too many for just a 2-person panel.

Fingers crossed.

[Fievel]

Return of the 3-person panel!! Hooray!
Kerry Washington once again showing up more informed than 90% of the celebrities on there... hooray!!!!
Keith Olberman hardly saying a thing.... boooo! I think he smoked some of Bill's stash and couldn't handle it and that's why he was so quiet.

I wish Albright would have been on the panel. She was rather funny.

[minstrel]

I thought Olbermann was great! He was incisive and powerful in what he said. And I was glad there was no loudmouth right-wing fuckhead on the panel drowning him out. This was a damn good episode of Real Time, one that I will watch again when HBO reruns it (which they do 3054 times during the week.).

[Fievel]

I thought Olbermann was great! He was incisive and powerful in what he said.

...and he was very deliberate in what he said. All good points.
I guess I just expected a talking head to fight to hear their own voice.

[TheBaxter]

3-person panel... so much better!

[minstrel]

3-person panel... so much better!

Even though what usually happens is that two talk a lot and one hardly says anything ...

BTW, I noticed that world-class wingnut Moss Def will be on next time. Should be fun, kinda!

[Fievel]

Overtime had a couple of extra laughs this week.

[Maui]

BTW, I noticed that world-class wingnut Moss Def will be on next time. Should be fun, kinda!

Hah! Be prepared for overly emotional, roundabout replies that are off topic and never really answer Bill's questions (like last year). I'll be watching.

[Fievel]

Holy shit!!!!

JOE THE PLUMBER IS ON TONIGHT!!!!!

Fuck me!!!
This is NOT going to be pretty!!!!!!

Sam Donaldson, journalist and news anchor
David Frum, author
Reihan Salam, journalist
Carol Leifer, writer and comedian
Joe Wurzelbacher (aka Joe The Plumber)

[minstrel]

Amazingly, Joe the Plumber managed to make some sense. It seems that over the past several months, in which he has kept himself in the public eye, he has learned to confine his comments to a few simple issues so that he doesn't come across as a brain-dead bonehead. He didn't stray from his talking points and managed to escape with some dignity.

Weird.

But, of course, Bill soft-balled him.

[TheBaxter]

ugh. joe the plumber made sense? hardly. he's like a slightly more well-spoken sarah palin. he might be a bit better at forming whole sentences, but those sentences don't make any more sense. his whole simpleminded spiel could be reduced to "i'm not republican or democrat", "politicians are on the take", and "any economic or tax policy i don't like is socialism". sorry, but this fool doesn't belong on tv. he's just as uninformed and stupid as ever. he should change his name to Joe the Dumber. if maher wants conservatives on his show, there are many more who have some semblance of intelligence, like david frum even. they may not be any more right about things, but at least they are thinking beyond a 2nd grade level. now i'm pissed at bill maher for adding on to that idiot's undeserved 15 minutes of fame.

[TheBaxter]

this probably belongs in another thread, but i'm not sure if one exists... i saw religulous this past weekend. it was really good, provided you already agree with maher's POV on religion (which i do). if you don't, you probably wouldn't like it, at least not if you're really religious. he does spend some time on judaism, islam, and scientology, but christianity really gets the brunt of the attack. i also got the sense that some of the interviewees were getting the michael moore-charlton heston treatment, mostly just editing them to have befuddled reactions whenever bill scores a point against their beliefs. but i definitely got the sense the interviews were edited to present certain people in not the best light. i know he complained about not getting an oscar nom for best documentary, but it's really more of a mockumentary, not in the spinal tap sense, but in the sense that it's pretty much 2 hours of him mocking religion. there are some good points scattered among the mockery, but more is done to make fun of religion than to present a serious case against it. at least until the end, when he goes a bit overboard with it.

but i enjoyed it because making fun of religion is something i enjoy and do with great frequency. certainly not deserving of an oscar, but it's always good to see religion get bitchslapped, even if it's done more as a joke than as a serious examination.

back on thread topic... i didn't really care for the one-on-one interviews this week. my prediction is coming true: down from 3 panelists, to 2, and now one on one... in a couple weeks, we'll have a show that's just bill talking into the camera for an hour. really though, i don't mind one-on-one interviews, it's just not what i watch this show for.

[Fievel]

I actually liked the 1-on-1 interviews a lot. I thought Ron Howard came across as the world's biggest "everyday man" in it. No wonder he works with Hanks so much - they're both so damn likable!!!
Loved hearing Howard's stories and hearing him use vulgar language at times. Can't believe the guy is 55... and a grandpa!!!

But I'd only like to see this format every third of fourth episode.

[minstrel]

I like Ron Howard and Gore Vidal just fine, so I didn't mind last Friday's format. But I hope he doesn't continue this format for every show.