What do you expect from a guy who makes his living off of bigotry and racism?

Best show in a while!

That was good? I hate to see the bad ones.

Pretty much everything they said related to athletic competition made sense to me.

Of course, I'm one of those assholes who doesn't think they need to become an expert on an issue that effects a small percentage of people carved out of what is already less than 1% of the US population.

Watching now. Ugh, both these guys suck.

When I saw Shapiro was on I just skipped the panel and when straight to "New Rules". I have no desire to listen to him.

It’s like if a small penis had a voice.

It's not an issue that even deserves addressing- it's a wedge issue, and meaningless.

If I'm a born-female Olympic athlete who is getting my ass kicked by another female athlete who was born with a penis, then it is not meaningless to me.

NBC's wall-to-wall coverage of the Olympics is meaningless to me, but there it is, and people on TV talk about the Olympics incessantly.

For someone who does not seem to care about something that affects less than 1% of the population, you sure do seem to talk a lot about it.

I did not say I didn't care. You're welcome to scroll back up and read what I did say. And I am replying to Eric, who is directly addressing me.

Do you understand how conversations work and what the topic of this thread is?

Never would have commented on the subject if Maher had not discussed it on the show and it wasn't already brought up in the thread.

It's been rough! Just having sentient guests that aren't DC Dinosaurs is an improvement.

I like Malcom Nance a lot. I've seen him on many shows and he usually brings intelligence and reasoned analysis to the discussion. Here he let Shapiro get to him, and he went out of his way to try to insult him. It was beneath Nance to do that, he could have just as easily mopped the floor with Shapiro without the insults.

Apparently Nance simply hates Shapiro.

Nance was pretty childish, but in the end it worked. Shapiro could have left as the evening's winner, but he had to mention his bed made of money.
The issue of trans athlets just isn't one.

Exactly. "Your show sucks" is hardly the "takedown" all the left-leaning pundits are calling it.

Also shows why I don't watch Maher anymore (I only caught this on a re-airing because it was getting talked about)

I haven't scoured the internet looking, but I haven't seen anyone congratulate Nance for telling Shapiro that his show sucks or that his book is over-priced. I see people patting Nance on the back for correcting Shapiro's bullshit takes on CRT and fascism.

If we are (and rightly so) going to complain at all the time this show is almost unwatchable then we should also give credit where it is due. This week's 15 minute interview with Martin Short and Steve Martin was so much fun and totally delightful. If you bail after that you aren't missing much, but that interview is worth seeking out.

...and a whole editorial sticking up for Matt Damon!

Thought it was a great.

Bill missed an opportunity to call them “Martin & Short” instead of “Martin & Martin”

Yeah, I love Steve Martin and can’t really stand Martin Short, but that was great. Short was really fucking funny.

Ive been a fan of Maher since maybe 99, watched every episode of PI before it was canceled.

I love Bill, and he’s kind of like an uncle you disagree with sometimes. He pisses me off sometimes.

But he uniquely doesn’t give a fuck. Ever. And that’s a great thing.

Everybody trying to say he is kissing right wing ass now. He has always pushed the envelope.

now his monologue isn’t very good, but even as a big fan, I’ve thought his delivery of jokes and lines has always been subpar.

it’s like when some of us try to repeat Carlin or Rock great jokes. It’s funny when they say it but not when we say it.

I don’t think HBO will ever cancel Bill Maher’s show. He keeps them relevant

Never really strikes me as kissing the right's ass, he just doesn't really budge on his positions. But as others have said, the show has lost some of its energy, hopefully it can regain it.

Donna Brazile was having a good time that night.

That was one scary fucking New Rules segment!

And before you go 'uh, alarmist much?' remember that Bill predicted Trump would win in 2016, and then spent 4 years predicting that he wouldn't leave voluntarily if he lost, while every single guest and commentator laughed at him.