Let me stipulate that I'm no fan of Bill Maher; he's a "smartass' without being particularly intelligent and is particularly fond of outrageous statements because, let's face it, it increases his audience among an increasingly uninformed American populace.
I’d like to discount Maher as just another airhead, blessed with a certain amount of wit, however misdirected it may be. It's far more corrosive than that.
The fact is, he is a perfect example of what is going wrong with America; in the Infotainment Age, he no longer seen a a comedian, but as a legitimate commentator and put on the same level as once were people like William F Buckley. Maher is one of a number of pustules on the backside if the American body politic, and they fester and infect us all.
Back in the day, Johnny Carson would have likely fired a writer that submitted that type of garbage; these days, the “edgier the better”.
We have celebrities postulate on subjects about which they know nothing, simply because they are celebrities. Should they have the right to free speech, just as the rest of us? Absolutely, but those who allow them their stage should have the temerity to challenge them, just as they would a WFB or a Rush Limbaugh. If you want to assume the mantle of commentator, or "journalist", accept the responsibilities that accompany it.
Certainly his reponse would be "I'm just a comedian", but the fact is that he is influencing politial opinion, so is he, therefore, much more? You can't have it both ways.
We are quickly becoming a dangerously uneducated nation. I read emails from applicants in my line of work and they either write in all uppercase, or all lowercase, their grammar is pathetic and often write in texting code, the begin emails like “hey, how r u i want to get more info on the job u have posted”
These are the people who are watching Maher, as though he were a 21st Century Oracle of Delphi, simply because he can make them laugh at other’s expense and make complicated and serious situations seem simple an humorous. Why watch boring news shows when we can watch Maher, who boils the whole world down into a humorous monologue?
This is the nation that we are fast becoming: one that simply cannot undertand or communicate, is addicted to Reality TV, video games, social websites, with little time for anything else.
It’s disturbing beyond belief. Yes, there are some bright young people out there who are well informed thinkers, but they are quickly becoming a minority. The majority, on the other hand, will have to be maintained, at taxpayer expense, because they will be useless at anything more productive that the most menial of tasks. This majority will be highly malleable, and how do you think they’ll vote?
This is my nightmare of America, and I see it taking form in the real world with each passing day.
