Those who accuse Bill Maher of drifting too far from his liberal roots must have been happy with the lineup for Friday’s Real-TimeHBO. They were clearly on the left-leaning side of the aisle, with John Waters as film director and author and Amy Klobuchar as Democratic Senator.
Except Maher was not afraid to veer from the unstated script and call out one of his guests on a difficult issue: Hunter Biden’s laptop and the apparent supression of that story in media..
Maher was quick to set the trap, giving his panelists enough rope to express their views on abortion, Joe Biden and January 6th.
Maher grew tired of it at one point, mocking Reiner and Klobuchar’s glee at former President Donald Trump’s Boxgate issues when they were brought up in “walls are closing in” fashion.
“You know how often I’ve heard that on MSNBC?” Maher said about Reiner’s assertions that Trump would be indicted. “We’ve got him now!”
A few beats later, Maher zoomed in for the kill when he brought up how the story of Hunter Biden’s laptop and its influence peddlilng evidence was effectively squashed.
Maher focused the conversation on the recent statement of Sam Harris, podcaster. Harris stated that a conspiracy was acceptable to silence the storyline before 2020. This served the greater good and helped defeat Trump.
Maher asked if it was okay if one side is so wicked to use such suppression.
Reiner was confused and tried to change it back to Jan. 6Th uprising. Maher wouldn’t let him escape. “They buried the Hunter Biden story.”
Reiner tried to get back at the truth by denigrating the assertion. “You know for a fact that’s what they did? I don’t know”
“That’s because you only watch MSNBC,”Maher returned.
Klobuchar tried Reiner to be covered by allowing “ I don’t know that they all said this,” adding, “You have to make sure you are treating people fairly.”She said that she was just letting the Justice Dept do its job. This avoided answering the original question.
John Waters was already promoting his new book earlier. Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance. Conversations ranged from street preferences along Santa Monica Boulevard to the future plans for the Waters exhibit at Motion Pictures Academy Museum.
Waters delighted in poking fun at himself, noting that his Hollywood Walk of Fame star was greeted by a friend with the note, “Closer to the gutter than ever!;
“I make fun of myself and the rules that I live in,”Waters claimed that he had avoided any cancellations in his controversial career. “I make fun of political correctness.”
Waters was once a Johnny Depp collaborator, but graciously refused to discuss that CASE except for one point. “I wish they would get back together and make everybody crazy.”
Maher’s New Rules editorial was a take on Straw Man arguments, complete with a real Straw Man brought out as a prop. Maher praised Silvana Fardos, the mother of Salman Rushdie’s stabber, saying she was an example of the courage we should all strive to attain.