Bill Maher
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| − | '''Bill Maher''' is an outspoken comedian and political commentator, best known for his Comedy Central/ABC show ''Politically Incorrect'' and his HBO show ''Real Time with Bill Maher''. He is vocal on several topics to the point of absolute annoyance to many people (most of them being [[conservative]]s), most notably his [[atheism|atheistic]] views and harsh criticisms of [[religion]], and [[Christianity]] in particular. On the flip side, Maher has also gained some negative press in [[Rationalism|rationalist]] circles for his [[vaccine hysteria|anti-vaccination]] views, [[germ theory denialism | + | '''Bill Maher''' is an outspoken comedian and political commentator, best known for his Comedy Central/ABC show ''Politically Incorrect'' and his HBO show ''Real Time with Bill Maher''. He is vocal on several topics to the point of absolute annoyance to many people (most of them being [[conservative]]s), most notably his [[atheism|atheistic]] views and harsh criticisms of [[religion]], and [[Christianity]] in particular. On the flip side, Maher has also gained some negative press in [[Rationalism|rationalist]] circles for his [[vaccine hysteria|anti-vaccination]] views, [[germ theory denialism]]. |
==Views and positions== | ==Views and positions== | ||
Revision as of 09:20, 6 May 2011
| One of the |
| And a dirty dozen more |
Bill Maher is an outspoken comedian and political commentator, best known for his Comedy Central/ABC show Politically Incorrect and his HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher. He is vocal on several topics to the point of absolute annoyance to many people (most of them being conservatives), most notably his atheistic views and harsh criticisms of religion, and Christianity in particular. On the flip side, Maher has also gained some negative press in rationalist circles for his anti-vaccination views, germ theory denialism.
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Views and positions
Maher claims to be a staunch libertarian, [1] and takes several (thousand) shots at Republicans/conservatives for being irrational, hypocritical, and immoral. He's somewhat even-handed in his criticism and makes sure the Democrats/liberals get their due as well, citing their failure to be strong and decisive against the Republicans. In his opinion, there is no such thing as a left-wing extremist.
Social issues and politics
Maher is a fierce advocate of both gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana. He is rather ambiguous about gun control, but has stated that protection against people with personal arsenals is a government responsibility, as its primary objective is to protect the people. However, Maher's extensive use of marijuana and contempt for American drug policies makes him certain that drugs are not something that people should be protected from, as he believes that people put even worse legal substances into their bodies daily. He's a member of NORML, an organization dedicated to furthering this view.
Maher is an environmentalist and animal-lover, making many references to global warming on Real Time and serving as a member of PETA. He's also contemptuous of corporations, especially pharmaceutical and health-care industries, on the grounds that they make money by curing people of problems they create through the consumption of unhealthy foods. He has advocated the abolition of corporate welfare.
He has been strongly opposed to the Iraq War, seeing it as a failure and saying that America cannot control the sectarian violence now razing Iraq. At times, Maher implied that Iraq was better off under the rule of Saddam Hussein and that America's invasion has increased the threat of terrorism. On the other hand, he has humorously referred to himself as being "pro-death" due to his support of abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty.
Maher has gone on record as a germ theory denialist, claiming that Pasteur recanted germ theory on his deathbed.[2] Some of his views on this matter constitute criticism of vaccination, although it has been argued that he supports outright anti-vaccination.[3][4]
Political endorsements
- In 1996, Maher endorsed Bob Dole on the basis of Dole's status as a war hero and being an old-style Republican.
- In 2000, he ultimately supported Ralph Nader for president, having previously promised his vote to Libertarian Party candidate Harry Browne.
- In 2004, Maher was stalwart in his opinion that Bush should not be re-elected and that Kerry was the best candidate for president. Possibly knowing the mistake he and many had made in 2000, he went so far as to kneel down on his show Real Time and beg Nader publicly to drop out of the race (along with his guest at the time, Michael Moore).
- In 2008, he showed deep support for Barack Obama's campaign while also being highly critical of John McCain. But the greatest amount of Maher's bile was directed at Sarah Palin, who he called a "Category-5 moron", a "bimbo" and unfit to even be mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. He viewed her as the ultimate example of theocracy, religious extremism and blind faith. Maher was also very critical of Bristol Palin's pregnancy and engagement, calling it a loveless marriage and insinuating that Palin's Down Syndrome baby Trig was really Bristol's first child.
Religion
Maher's opinions on religion are probably what he is most famous for: he calls it a kind of neurological disorder that keeps people from thinking, a detriment to the world in general. He has spoken about his anti-religious views at almost every possible opportunity, making an entire movie devoted to this idea. Maher has taken many shots at religion for its hypocritical nature and its ability to allow people to do terrible things under the guise of morality. He is a vocal critic of the Religious Right, mocking them for their beliefs of the immorality of abortion and homosexuality.
At times, he has been specifically criticized for being anti-Catholic due to his repeated references to Pope Benedict XVI's being an ex-member of the Hitler Youth, the Catholic sex abuse scandals, and for drawing parallels between Catholicism and pedophilic cults.
Maher has produced a movie, Religulous, in which he questions and asks about various religious standpoints, including homosexuality, evangelists, and creationism. The film was directed by Larry Charles, the same man who directed Borat and is filmed in a similar style, using a free camera instead of scenes and pre-set camera angles.
Originally Maher claimed not to be an atheist, saying that he believed in a possible higher power, while at the same time denouncing organized religion. More recently, Maher has declared himself an atheist.[5]
Quotes
“”Religious people don't need to be ethical, because religion is mostly about salvation. It's about closing your eyes, very tightly, and believing in someone so much, without question, that when you die he will save your ass. Religion is about saving your ass. And that ain't ethical. There's a million reasons I could give you as to why a religious person is less moral than an ethicist, but here's just one. Religious people think that animals don't have a soul - we're so sure people do - so it's okay to torture and kill and do anything you want to animals because there's some bullshit in the Bible about how we have dominion over them and they don't have a soul. For that reason alone I dislike religion.
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“”Jesus is great — is there a better role model? No. It's religion, it's the people who get in between — the bureaucracy, you know. ... It's the way people abuse Jesus. Was there ever a greater victim of name dropping?
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“”If you have a few hundred followers, and you let some of them molest children, they call you a cult leader. If you have a billion, they call you Pope.
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“”Couldn't we just get together and agree on the few basic Commandments that are laws? Like 'I won't slaughter you, and don't take my shit.'
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“”Republicans are always saying we should privatize things like schools, prisons, social security -- hey, how about we privatize privacy! Because if the government forbids gay men from tying the knot, what is their alternative? They can't all marry Liza Minnelli.
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“”If you think Democrats are going to take away your Bible, you're an idiot. If you think they are going to take away your gun, you're an armed idiot. If you think they're going to take away your gun and give it to a Mexican to kill your God, you're Bill O'Reilly.
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“”How do we know Bush wasn't behind September 11th? Because it worked. AND, it involved: PLANNING.
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Footnotes
- ↑ although some people dispute this, calling him a liberal. [1]
- ↑ http://forums.randi.org/showpost.php?p=941704&postcount=23
- ↑ Larry King Live interview
- ↑ Pharyngula article
- ↑ "I'll Never Win an Emmy Because I'm an Atheist"