Yeah, like the Sopranos and Six Feet Under and loads of other really good stuff would´ve ever gotten done on the three national networks.
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Yeah, like the Sopranos and Six Feet Under and loads of other really good stuff would´ve ever gotten done on the three national networks.
I´m not being an ass. I´ve got no time for religion and I´m free to say it. I live in a severely religious country and I´m sick of it.
They have restrictions around language and other "questionable" content during prime time, to be fair. But the point stands. HBO is not yet mass market like NBC et al. They're getting there, though.
Well, I grew up in the eighties before HBO was cool. Call it historical bias.
So did I. I´m sure I´m quite older than you. But you should really try more HBO programming.
Yeah, I understand that, and as a result I take in to account that when people criticise religion that they do so in a context of centuries of religious oppression, and so it is entirely understandable if they go a bit far and reduce it to simplistic terms when talking about something that has indeed done a lot of damage.
Doesn't mean they aren't wrong in their simplification, and thus cringey, though.
You are, to be fair. DoTA made decent points that there are some good aspects to religion, you dismissed them in a black and white format that Maher would be proud of.
Where do you live? Thought you were a Brit!
The thing is, nobody has said he´s a genius, rather he´s done well on a cutting edge channel for a long time and has very big balls. That´s about it, at least from my side.
A Brit? Jesus. I live in Colombia.
To be fair, I´m not, stop with such a conservative attitude toward religion. I´ve been far more inundated with it than you my whole life and feel very entitled to my opinion. I´m extremely offended these people keep telling me I´m going to hell cause I don´t sheep in their beliefs. Talk about being asses!!!
It has no place in public discourse, imo. But if it gives peace, strength and makes some people kinder and gentler in life then so be it. All I ask is they keep it behind closed doors. Granted, Canada is fairly secular. I can't imagine what a feverntley Catholic country must be like. I had some guy the other week telling me how JC was the only true saviour...was all, like, glad that works for you but no thanks.
Like "Sanders is a Communist from the 70s." Now there´s some intellectual verve over groupthink sheep talk.
So you´re all right with all these people deeming that you´re going to hell cause you´re not part of their team think? Cheers! I find that as about offensive as one can get.
In fairness, I can very much understand the appeal of a 'black and white' approach, when you live somewhere where that is how it is (you don't believe so you're evil and going to hell).
I'm a Lutheran Christian all my life, and I have no problems watching Bill Maher. But I think DoTA and Doc are right. Sure, you don't have to believe in religion, but you don't have to dismiss millions who believe in them as idiots. I agree with Bill Maher in some points he makes because it becomes very difficult to make excuses all the time when you are confronting a problem, but it also grates you after a bit.
Grew up a very strict Lutheran as well.
Why should´t i dismiss them caustically. They´re certainly dismissing me as a sinner who´s on his way to hell.
Sure, people are allowed to be wrong. Besides, if hell is for real it's where all the cool people go anyway! In your situation, my response would be "judge not, lest ye be judged" and leave it at that.
Obviously I´m alright with religious people and deal with them civilly everyday, including my mom (good god!) and in fact am very nice, but it just gets up my nose when I´m asked to pay my respects and be nice to a religion that considers me a sinner and hellhound.
Be nice if more people remembered that bit.
So, this presidential election, eh?
Imagine a world where Christians and Muslims weren´t judging us unbelievers . . .
Imagine one where threads stayed on topic.
Sure you can, you just don't have to scream in their faces. Religious guys shouldn't be judging you too. cnuts.
John Lennon would've voted Bernie.
Is that a suitable link to get us back on track? No? feck it, I'll throw odds around again...
Clinton - 2/5
Trump - 5/2
IIRC, that's quite a bit larger a gap than you generally get. Not many punters fancy Donald's chances.
Is that a suitable link to get us back on track? No? feck it, I'll throw odds around again...
Clinton - 2/5
Trump - 5/2
IIRC, that's quite a bit larger a gap than you generally get. Not many punters fancy Donald's chances.
Good point, I'll drop it.
Why not? Usually the only reason they are religious is because they were indoctrinated and haven't developed the critical thinking ability to get away from it. I don't know what DOTA's experience is exactly, but it'd have to be pretty fecking incredible for me to be impressed.
They're all idiots, in the sense that they believe in something without evidence. I think that's fair enough.
I don't dispute the idiocy. I just dispute the idea that because something is born of idiocy it has to be bad. I agree believing in a god is silly but I also think that Jesus bloke said some cool things that have been influential in making me a kinder person than I otherwise would've been.
Was brought up hearing 'love thy neighbour' 'judge not lest ye be judged' and the bit about the rich cnuts, the needle and the camel - and it stuck, to an extent.
Also, you're a mod! Stop encouraging me to take us back off topic and post us a nice clip of Trump saying something farcical.
My biggest problem with Maher is that the comedy bits really aren't that funny. He should just try and do a political show for the full hour.
Well most of us can get with that. I've always said that if all religion disappeared tomorrow then a lot of good stuff would be gone too. It does encourage people to organise and do nice things for others. I don't know how the same would happen without religion.
I don't mod much these days.
I find not all, but alot of his comedy bits are actually quite funny.
It also breaks up the flow of good discussions when he does that bit in the middle before the 4th guest comes on. Those are always the shittest bits too. He can keep the beginning and end monologues.
It'd be good if he could do the show on the road and try and avoid all the screeching LA libs that flood the audience every week.
You make some solid points, I was more referring to the "new rules" segment towards the end of the show.
Inspired by the Leicester city odds, I'm tempted to stick a tenner on a third party candidate like Gary Johnson for the general elections.
pretty much that. Additionally he is way too self-righteous and proud, which makes his mediocre comedy even worse. His strength is, that he is willing to argue with people, who have very different view points. Most hosts/journalists are way too nice in those situations and hold back, while he doesn´t back down.
The interview on Colbert´s new show was great (end of last year).
Yeah, if you´re into Maher for the comedy, you´re missing the point. Although there are some actual LOL moments. And it´s easy to see why people don´t like him. He is a bit dickish. In fact, I like his show more than I like him personally.
The interest of his show depends a lot on who he has on, and the chemistry or sometimes non chemistry of the panel is often good. You´re obviously not going to get any deep intellectualism, and I don´t think people are watching it for that. What I do like is, as someone mentioned, is that he doesn´t hold back on someone and will call them on their bullshit. He would´t just sit there and have some right winger call Sanders a communist without calling him rudely on their bullshit. That and his ability to stand up for some really controversially topics that almost no other prime time comedian/host will do. That and he does relish in taking the piss out of the right wing, and sometimes very comically and bluntly without holding back.
I´m sure he would be glad to tell everyone obnoxiously that he´s been right been all along . . . that Republicans have become such douchebags that they would actually elect an oversized douchebag fratboy type such as Trump to represent them.
Don´t think his audience is filled with So Cal libs either. Those are usually tourists who get tickets that are given away, just like the Daily show.
The interest of his show depends a lot on who he has on, and the chemistry or sometimes non chemistry of the panel is often good. You´re obviously not going to get any deep intellectualism, and I don´t think people are watching it for that. What I do like is, as someone mentioned, is that he doesn´t hold back on someone and will call them on their bullshit. He would´t just sit there and have some right winger call Sanders a communist without calling him rudely on their bullshit. That and his ability to stand up for some really controversially topics that almost no other prime time comedian/host will do. That and he does relish in taking the piss out of the right wing, and sometimes very comically and bluntly without holding back.
I´m sure he would be glad to tell everyone obnoxiously that he´s been right been all along . . . that Republicans have become such douchebags that they would actually elect an oversized douchebag fratboy type such as Trump to represent them.
Don´t think his audience is filled with So Cal libs either. Those are usually tourists who get tickets that are given away, just like the Daily show.
HBO is of course first and foremost about making money, so anyone can end up on HBO and for a long time if they draw enough audience to make them money. As we all know, you can even last a long time in the entertainment business without being that good.
You make it sound like any other channel with the "anyone" who makes money lasts. It isn´t.
Making money, obviously. Doh! But HBO has standards and it´s not just "anybody" who makes it. HBO has put on a lot of groundbreaking, brilliant series and documentaries. It´s original programming is quite good in comparison to anything else. And when they have a series that doesn´t work, normally due to aesthetics, it doesn´t last. Making money and aesthetics go hand in hand on HBO. This isn´t Kardashian et al type fair.
Making money, obviously. Doh! But HBO has standards and it´s not just "anybody" who makes it. HBO has put on a lot of groundbreaking, brilliant series and documentaries. It´s original programming is quite good in comparison to anything else. And when they have a series that doesn´t work, normally due to aesthetics, it doesn´t last. Making money and aesthetics go hand in hand on HBO. This isn´t Kardashian et al type fair.
It is like any other channel, they are owned by Time Warner a greedy corporation if ever there was one. Making money is the name of the game. They show some great stuff and they show some crap.