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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#325526: Aug 30th 2020 at 6:51:04 PM

Isn't Maher the one who rails against cancel culture and political correctness?

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#325527: Aug 30th 2020 at 6:52:20 PM

Maher would argue, "I'm not a racist! The Muslims would be fine if they embraced secular materialist Western culture."

Ben Affleck called him out on it.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Aug 30th 2020 at 6:52:33 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#325528: Aug 30th 2020 at 6:55:44 PM

I don't think that is just Maher, or just in the US for that matter. That brand of caustic humour was very popular a few decades ago, but has fallen out of favour. You really can't make the jokes any more that you could in the nineties.

The problem all too often seems to be that these people are a product of their time, and have shaped their act around the mores of that time, but they haven't grown since, while the world has grown around them. What was once acceptable comedy now just makes them look like jerks at best, and bigots at worst. And they can't stand it. The reason that they call it political correctness is because it was political correctness back then, but now it has become the norm.

It's not just comedians, either. Just look at JK Rowling and her open discomfort with trans people.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#325529: Aug 30th 2020 at 6:55:47 PM

[up][up] Ben Affleck seems a random person to cite calling him on his B.S. Did Maher respond to it at all?

Edited by sgamer82 on Aug 30th 2020 at 6:56:23 AM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#325530: Aug 30th 2020 at 7:08:29 PM

It was notable for the fact Ben Affleck was a guest on his show and Bill Maher got more and more racist in his speech while Affleck got increasingly furious at it. It was hardly the first time he got called out on his racism but it was particularly famous because Maher clearly didn't expect Ben to get so pissed on live television.

They then had a number of debates on it with Bill Maher going on OTHER talkshows to say, "Radical Islam IS Islam" and Ben going, "It's a tiny subset of a giant religion."

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Aug 30th 2020 at 7:08:54 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#325531: Aug 30th 2020 at 8:23:53 PM

Maher's is...western materialist supremacist of sorts. I could say "Progressive Supremacist", arguably ("our culture is more progressive, and therefore, superior to other cultures!").

Basically, they're a militant atheist who also believes that modernization=westernization, and that therefore unless you're a western-style materialist like he is, you're a backwards savage.

The guy also is a germ theory denialist and anti-vaxxer of sorts, which makes his supposed clinging to 'materialist logic' pretty rich.

Leviticus 19:34
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#325532: Aug 30th 2020 at 8:29:21 PM

It probably does not help that many third world countries are leaning into the "modernization = westernisation" thing. But yeah, that is a pretty outdated attitude.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#325533: Aug 30th 2020 at 8:29:45 PM

The Hill: Pelosi, Biden slam Scalise for doctored video that altered activist's words

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D), the 2020 Democratic nominee, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called on House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) to take down a video that Twitter flagged earlier Sunday as containing "manipulated media."

The video contains a clip of an interview with Biden and activist Ady Barkan - who uses a computerized artificial voice due to his ALS - in which Barkan asks if Biden can "agree that we can redirect some of the funding" from law enforcement to mental health and social services, to which Biden agrees.

Scalise's altered clip uses a computerized voice similar to Barkan's to falsely add the words "for police" to his question.

Edit: Looks like Scalise has deleted the tweet.

Edited by nova92 on Aug 30th 2020 at 8:42:49 AM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#325534: Aug 30th 2020 at 8:42:51 PM

[up]Taking advantage of a man's ALS to doctor his speech?

Low blow, yet not an unexpected one from the GOP.

Disgusted, but not surprised
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#325535: Aug 30th 2020 at 8:50:34 PM

[up][up][up][up][up]That was a cool video and good on Ben Affleck. Shame about the like to dislike ratio which is enough to tell me that the comments are a cesspool.

Edited by LSBK on Aug 30th 2020 at 10:51:04 AM

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#325536: Aug 30th 2020 at 8:58:45 PM

[up][up][up]Holy shit that's dire. Fuck Scalise.

Re: Bill Maher. He's aggressively a Know-Nothing Know-It-All.

Edited by CrimsonZephyr on Aug 30th 2020 at 12:01:01 PM

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#325537: Aug 30th 2020 at 9:06:40 PM

It probably does not help that many third world countries are leaning into the "modernization = westernisation" thing. But yeah, that is a pretty outdated attitude.

It's also not remotely modern as it's the same bullshit the British Empire used to justify its takeover of the religious brown people they encountered.

"We're bringing civilization!"

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Aug 30th 2020 at 9:08:10 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#325538: Aug 30th 2020 at 9:37:36 PM

Bill Maher is someone I do not like. I try to not listen to him.

Do not obey in advance.
slimcoder The Head of the Hydra Since: May, 2013
The Head of the Hydra
#325539: Aug 30th 2020 at 10:23:59 PM

I only know him from that one episode of Family Guy where he tore down a narcissistic Brian.

Though I have watched one video where he mocked the concept of fraternities like in Revenge of the Nerds.

"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."
AngrokVa indighost from america, unfortunately Since: Feb, 2012 Relationship Status: Saddled with unnecessary feelings
indighost
#325540: Aug 30th 2020 at 10:38:28 PM

I don't get too invested in politics, so I haven't really read much about Maher. Still, gleaning from what y'all have said, he sounds really bad.

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#325541: Aug 30th 2020 at 10:53:00 PM

"You really can't make the jokes any more that you could in the nineties."

Nineties, maher make that kind of jokes in the 2000-2010.

But other than that you are right, Maher like other god their jump because a change of culture, specially what people feel a sort of overdeference to religious authority and the sense the sense that ideas should not be sacred because it let them to be protect of all critic.

This was also in middle of war on terror and if islam deserve to be critize or not, which eventually was way to said "We a subset of western atheist can critize arab for being all muslism".

So yeah, it was very much a product of is time.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#325542: Aug 30th 2020 at 11:15:05 PM

"It's also not remotely modern as it's the same bullshit the British Empire used to justify its takeover of the religious brown people they encountered.

"We're bringing civilization!""

No, they were pretty up front about wanting to extract the wealth of India and Africa, first and foremost. It was in justifying why they should stay that the idea of exporting civilization came about. This was the argument of Rudyard Kipling, not Robert Clive, and it was a typically Victorian thing to worry about. I'd argue it worked a little too well, since Indian activists invoked Enlightenment philosophy originally imported by the English in arguing for independence and then in establishing a democracy. They didn't need to justify the takeover when it happened. The money was what mattered.

Edited by CrimsonZephyr on Aug 30th 2020 at 2:19:47 PM

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#325543: Aug 30th 2020 at 11:17:26 PM

[up]Ahhh british empire, the begining and the end of all problemstongue

Edited by unknowing on Aug 30th 2020 at 2:26:36 PM

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#325545: Aug 30th 2020 at 11:27:13 PM

[up]Right now the american right is glorifying russia, their formal mortal enemies for nearly half of a century.

Nothing make sense anymore

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#325546: Aug 30th 2020 at 11:29:42 PM

The Right glorifies Nazis, Russia, corporate greed, and Supply Side Jesus.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#325547: Aug 30th 2020 at 11:34:05 PM

[up][up] Fossil fuel industry-backed propaganda network PragerU actually put out a video about how the British Empire spread liberty around the globe and "left Ireland language" (also claiming the Irish didn't have a word for republic until the British came along).

You can imagine what Irish viewers thought of that last bit.

Oh yeah, the video also went for a double-whammy by defending Britain's massacres in India, pissing off Indians as well.

Not like the notion that the British Empire "was good" wouldn't already piss people off on its own.

Edited by DrunkenNordmann on Aug 30th 2020 at 8:41:09 PM

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
Khudzlin Since: Nov, 2013
#325548: Aug 30th 2020 at 11:34:17 PM

@unknowing The Brits weren't alone in spreading colonial bullshit.

Edited by Khudzlin on Aug 30th 2020 at 8:34:50 PM

devak They call me.... Prophet Since: Jul, 2019 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
They call me.... Prophet
#325549: Aug 31st 2020 at 12:38:21 AM

Ah yes comedians. "My jokes aren't funny anymore, let's blame the audience!"

singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#325550: Aug 31st 2020 at 1:02:45 AM

Rule Britannia! Oh wait, apparently we are not allowed to sing that anymore tongue.

For those blissfully unaware, the latest cultural war flare up in the UK was the decision by the BBC to not have Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory sung at the Last Night of the Proms. Mainly because it's hard to have an audience led sing-a-long without an audience. But instead it got taken up by the right wing newspapers as evidence of a "Woke" BBC and naturally blaming BLM. Boris Johnson, who had been completely silent over a two week crisis on exam results, waded into the debate saying we shouldn't be afraid of our history. Dogs started barking in the distance. I've put this in spoiler tags so as not to derail this topic.

Edited by singularityshot on Aug 31st 2020 at 1:03:51 AM


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