Despite his long history in cable television, Bill Mather is not a very likable political pundit among liberals. Some consider him a pessimist, annoying and whiny -- and of course, he is not very loved among conservatives either. However, the comedian, host and producer of Real Times with Bill Maher; has maintained his on-air cable television show for many years now. In addition, he is constantly on the road presenting his combination of stand-up comedy and political satire show in different cities, such as Las Vegas. He is also the executive producer of Vice, a series of investigative reporting news aired on HBO, and he has produced some documentaries, such as Religuilous.
Lately, the 61-year-old TV host has offered an alternative space for liberals to discuss politics, specially give the current political tension occurring nowadays. Maher brings guests from different sides of the ideology spectrum and offers opposing views to different topics. In a way, his show has become the platform to unveil political hypocrisy, allow bright minds to argue with each other topics they sometimes are censored to talk on other shows and say things as they should be said -- from the liberal perspective of course.
Here are ... reasons why every liberal should watch Maher's show:
1. If Maher could name his nemesis: it would be President Donald Trump.
It all started was when Trump launched the campaign requesting former President Obama to release his birth certificate and prove that he was in fact American. This upset Maher so much, to the point where he asked Trump to submit himself to a DNA test that would prove he was not the procreation of a human woman and an orange orangutan.
"Unless he comes up with proof, I am willing to offer $5 million dollars to Donald Trump," said Maher on an on-air interview for the Tonight Show.
This eventually lead to Trump releasing his birth certificate and dropping a $5 million lawsuit against Maher Yet, regardless of their rivalry, Maher spends a great deal of his air time throwing shade at the Trumps's administration and criticizing his decisions.
2. He wants cannabis to be legalized
Maher loves weed. In one of his shows (Feb 12, 2017), he lighted up a joint and concluded the show while smoking it. But he is not just a pothead, he has been actively fighting for the legalization of marijuana and he has defended the scientific reasons behind it. He has also called out the government's obsession with the incarceration of non-violent drug users.
3. Maher donated $1M to former President Obama's campaign
In 2012, Maher publicly supported Obama on his reelection campaign and gave away a $1M donation check to the former president's superPAC. Such an act created a buzz within the media and raised some questions, but at the end it showed how much the candidate believed in the Obama administration.
In addition, towards the ending of Obama's term, late 2016, Maher had shown disappointment for the former president because he had not accepted Maher's invitation to come on the show. Meanwhile, Obama had made appearances in several late-night shows, like The Daily Show, The Tonight Show and even with Conan O'Brien. Yet, at the end, Obama granted Maher an interview in the White House, which seemed to please the comedian.
4. He is an Atheist
Maher is a heavy critique of religion--all religions--he does not believe nor practice one, and he emphasizes the repression it imposes on society and governments (i.e. Arab countries and the Republican party). As mentioned before, he produced a documentary on the topic: Religulous. In contrast, he is a fan of Pope Francis ideals and leadership but he still mocks fate whenever he can."Religion, to me, is a bureaucracy between man and God that I don't need," Maher has said.
5. Strong on climate change
One of Maher's biggest disagreements with the Trump administration and the Republican party is their denial of global warming. Maher confessed on his show that he once cried after hearing the new Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced the administration's new policies on carbon regulation--which are almost none. Maher discusses climate change in a very scientific way and his guests usually are the greatest minds on the subject.
6. Maher's guests
Maher has invited a variety of experts to his show. His discussion panel is usually well composed of three of more guests and he tries to invite an opposing view every time. Congressmen, comedians, writers, journalists, scholars, you name it. His production team is simply the best at booking guests.
7. He asks the toughest questions
It is hard to guess why any republican would dare to come on his show. Honestly! They are always grilled by Maher's wittiness and cornered by his uncomfortable questions. Maher gave a platform to Milo Yiannopoulos and it was later said that it was his appearance on Real Times with Bill Maher that caused the end of his career. Ann Coulter was also invited and she left very upset having no positive feedback from her arguments.
Maher has broken news many times for interviewing important guests, Edward Snowden and Julian Assange are just some of them.
8. He supports immigration
9. No censorship
Being on cable television means no censorship. Cursing and other activities (like smoking pot on live television) are very constant on Maher's agenda.
10. He defended Hillary Clinton even though he disliked her
Maher never really gave full support to Clinton, however, he always encouraged people to support her instead of Trump. He came to criticize Bernie Bros very heavily for focusing on the negative side of Clinton and not on Trump. Until today, he still using the same I-told--you-so tone when referring to Clinton as president. He also compares Clinton's scandal, the emails, with all the current scandals the Trump administration has had. Also, he calls out republicans for being tough on Clinton and not Trump.In addition to all reasons, it is important to add that Maher is pro-choice and a loyal defender animal rights. His other show on HBO, named VICE, is a very well funded work of hardcore journalism worth watching and it is likely that he will make more headlines in the future.
