Okay, I have the same love/hate relationship with Bill Maher as I do with kos. I agree with them 75% of the time, disagree with them 15% of the time, and violently, white-knuckled-knotted-fists disagree with them 10% of the time. Also, neither man does or should give a flying fuck through a rolling doughnut what I think.
But recently Bill Maher displayed why even stand-up comedian solidarity won't allow me to back him in at least one case.
As a comic, I tend to believe that there is no subject you can't joke about. But there are times when you pull your punch, because no matter your principles or your commitment, sometimes it's just not funny. Not because of the subject matter or the way the joke is written, but because it's just plain mean/wrong/callous for no measurable gain and much measurable loss.
Recently, Maher had columnist/activist/all-around stud Dan Savage guesting via videoconference on his show. Savage has appeared on Real Time numerous times and is almost always the highlight of the show, but in the wake of Prop Eight, he was unusually subdued. I wonder why.
During the interview - in a complete misfire - Maher asked Savage how the average gay man was coping with the passage of Prop Hate. The average gay man. Or, as Bill put it, "Joe Fudgepack."
Really. Joe fucking Fudgepack. Seriously, he said this.
Listen, I am ruthless onstage. Especially with hecklers. I have sent bachelorette parties fleeing from the room with the future bride in tears because they wouldn't shut up. I kid my friends and they kid me back with words that - if the eavesdropper didn't know the nature of our relationship(s) - one might associate with imminent bloodshed.
But there have been times when - no matter how juicy and tempting the setup - I pulled back because I don't think kicking someone (or a group of someones) when they're down is funny no matter what the context.
I've had Maher's back for years when it comes to his jokes and his right to speak his mind, however much I might dislike the words coming out of his mouth. But sometimes, he's just plain stupid. In his seemingly personal quest to stay controversial, Maher occasionally drops some serious stinkers, and occasionally, there is no defending them.
This is one of those cases. Boo, Bill Maher, boo.
And while I'm at it, props to Savage, who handled it with his usual charming sarcasm and a heapin' helpin' of aplomb.
Update: I'm well aware of Maher's outspoken support for gay people all over the world, and I applaud him for it. I in now way intended to imply he isn't "one of us." Sorry for any confusion.
Update#2: Hey, I just wanted to thank all the gay people who read this and told me I'm wrong. I actually mean this with all sincerity. The many, "I'm gay and I thought it was funny" posts were a welcome lift; they taught me not to take the passage Prop Hate so hard. There's reason to hope, seemed to be the underlying theme. In a way, you've hijacked my original diary (a minor beef with something Bill Maher said) and turned it into something more important (to me): That I should get out of this funk and carry on fighting the bad guys. Not bad for a Friday night/early Saturday. Good work.
Also, for the record, Bill Maher is funny. I will keep watching his show and his comedy specials. That was never in question.
Again, thanks, all.