Real Time with Bill Maher - Overtime - Episode #478: Chelsea Handler, Bari Weiss, Anthony Romero, Jim VandeHei | Real Time (HBO)

Episode Date: November 3, 2018

Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show. (Originally aired 11/02/18) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to an HBO podcast from the HBO Late Night series, Real Time with Bill Maher. I'm back on the Internet. Hi. Hi. Tell me about that. My producer was just,

I'm whispering in my ear that you would whispered into his ear about that 1934 picture in New York of the people rallying for the Nazis. It's a long-standing concern of the ACLU to defend the rights of people that even you hate. Right.

That freedom of speech is for everyone, indivisible, and for everyone. And so the very first... It should be, and it's very brave of you. It's the right thing to do. That's true courage. It's the right thing.

It's not popular. It's the principle. What I tell our folks is that if we don't stand up for the right of freedom of speech now, for folks that we hate, then it's going to be Black Lives Matter and the dreamers and the protesters who care about trans rights who could be shut down. But the very first big Nazi case for us was in the 1934, the picture you just showed in the show, where that was, that was courageous. I mean, the Skokie case is the best known one for.

of us. But that was easier, right? Because Skokie, the Nazis were a pathetic little group of individuals. They never even had the damn picket in Chicago. In Skokie, actually. But in 1934, the Nazis were on the Ascent. And they were

wanting to march down Broadway. And it's a lot like the current context where the rise of white supremacist is on the Ascent. That's to be real. And it's not, these are not just hallucinations by by folks of color and by religious minority groups. But I think it's essentially, it's really important for us to do.

Chelsea Handler, what do you think of the right-wing media using your actions to enrage their base? Are they doing that to you, girl? I guess so. I don't know. I mean, I don't... Do you read your social media? No, I don't read anything. No, I don't...

It's just too different. I don't know people who... I don't know why people who do... I can't ever imagine sitting there and going on somebody's page and being like, I hate you. I can never spend my time. doing that. So no, I don't care what any of those people say, I don't know how to block people

and when I do, I'm going to start. Right. Someone has to show me and when I learn, because I think everybody should put their bad energy out there, because that way it's recorded. You know what I mean? Eventually there will come a time where we will tamp down on this behavior, not through freedom of speech, but

through some other, you know, through some other legislation, because obviously this hateful rhetoric all the time and threatening people's lives, should it be legal? It doesn't have to be through legislation. It has to be through restoring social norms. Right. You need to be through restoring this word

that he has emptied of all meaning, which is civility. Civility matters. He's taken away all of the guardrails. That's why these bigots in their basement feel the confidence and the spine to come out and shoot people. But I have to say, to that point,

I've become such a kind or nicer person because of Donald Trump being elected and the hate... I'm nice to people I never noticed before because I'm like, oh my God, this is what happens if you don't pay attention to other people around you. Get out of your own lane and pay attention to the people around you.

So I'm nicer and kinder. I'm doing great. Right. Okay. For Barry and Jim, going forward, will there continue to be a place for an actual reporter like Shep Smith? Oh, yes, at Fox News. He did a good thing this week. He's done it before, too.

Yes. He's one of the few people, him, Brett Bayer, Chris Wallace. There's a few. Dana Perino. But especially him. He said about the caravan, it's not. not a danger. No one's coming to get you. Let's see how long he lasts there.

At Fox. I mean, it's Trump TV. It's at a time to boycott Fox. But he doesn't watch that one. I mean, isn't there something we can do? I mean, I don't want to like, I mean, don't we want to, we have to hold Rupert Murdoch accountable in some way. I mean, there's got to be a creative way to squeeze those advertisers

on that network. A lot of liberal guys. Or doesn't someone know Rupert Murdoch? And couldn't they? A lot of people know, you probably know Rupert Murdoch. I've met him. I wouldn't say I know him. But couldn't someone get to him and say, Fox has a board of directors. They should be, that are all immigrants.

That are all immigrants, by the way. One of them was born in this country on the Fox News board. I read that today. He had Dan on the board there. There are a lot of folks. Because that's what's different, is that he has state TV.

That's what we never had before, and that's what a dictator always had. Yes, and they're saying that they are bringing, the migrants in the caravan are bringing smallpox. Yes. Okay, a disease which has been eradicated. So, and people, you know, watch this incessantly. They're talking about the Soros-funded State Department on Lou Dobbs.

But I think even if they get it right once in a while, when they let Chris Wallace say the right thing in a certain slot, we have to put that in the context of the rest of the time, the 24 hours in which they're getting... I agree with you. So we give them a little dog prize. I know, but think about it for a second. Thank you for getting the news right this time.

I know, but come on. I'm glad that someone like Shep Smith and Chris Wallace are on there. Wallace are on there because the people that are watching it, I want them to get a little bit of sanity. Would it be better if they weren't on there at all? No, of course. I don't think so. But it doesn't fix the problem. It doesn't fix the larger problem.

Obviously, I agree. It's the same argument for all the people that are in the administration, keeping an eye on things, or staying the ship. It's like, well, okay, but you guys aren't really doing a good job of keeping it together either, you know? Okay, but you... I'm happy that Jim Mattis is there right now. I would feel a lot less safe, and I already feel unsafe if he wasn't there. Right. So, I mean, it's a lose-lose, but I think it's sort of on balance a little better.

What do you make of people like Lou Dobbs, who used to be normal? Lindsay Graham! Lindsay Graham is being blackmailed by the Russians. I mean, come on. Lindsay Graham did a complete 180. It's not the Russians and we're blackmail. Well, somebody has a video of something. No, the Times just reported it.

Come on, he's getting to be a rock star. Yeah, he's getting the adulation of this mob. Yes. Okay, and people are giving into that. I saw him in West Hollywood on Halloween. He's doing things. All right. Thank you, panel.

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