Yes, but you're forgetting his contribution to feminist thought and theory with his starring role in Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death.

he was in that brilliant movie!? the avocado jungle was in so-cal, right? they got a hint as to what was going on when they found dogtags of a missings group of marines...

with traces of guacamole on them!

i absolutely loooved that movie... while in the midst of bronchitis-influenced over-medicated delirium when i was 12. i can remember like it was yesterday...

anyways, should it comes as a surprise that he's a jerk? i kept seeing him touted as a liberal front-man all over the place... saw his show a one time - found it boring and flippant... not a big deal... martin short was on it and he struck me as more annoying than i could have imagined.

then i saw some stand-up bit of his... and, gosh... bill maher is an ass... i mean, wow, he seems to be one of these secular white liberals who chooses his viewpoints based on how easy it is for him to look down on other people from them.

I’m not trying to be sexist here

looks like old boy's been doing it long enough he doesn't have to try anymore.

"I'm not trying to be sexist here, but. . . the first thing a woman does is cry."

I think Bush has given us such a low opinion on the office that we (America as a whole) want to depend on being better than the president. That's the only excuse I can think of for why trying different strategies in an argument would be a bad thing.

I saw this on another blog and couldn't watch the whole video. I absolutely loathe Bill Mahr. He's more of a libertarian than a liberal, I think.

"I'm not trying to be sexist here"

I don't think that word means what you think it means.

I'm not going to watch it yet or read the transcript because I have the show waiting for me on my DVR but I can't say it surprises it. I watch his show because it's the only thing close to liberal that we get here but I often find myself cringing not just at his "jokes" about women and marriage but the way he treats his female guests, particularly the ones he isn't friends with already.

But he's also an avowed member of PETA, so what do you expect.

This is too much-- I go on vacation for the weekend come back to the Miss bitch shirt, crazy-ass "women are stupid" WaPo article and then this shit.

Monday morning is too early for Christopher "women aren't funny" Hitchens and Bill "I'm not a sexist BUT..." Maher.

damn it all.

"I’m not trying to be sexist here..."
It must just come naturally, then.

Oh, what am I to do with all of this rage?

I will completely agree that Bill Maher IS being completely sexist in this video. I am an avid watcher of Real TIme with Bill Maher and I believe it's a great show and I agree with 90% of the things he says.

But while disagreeing with the overall tactic used here and his argument that Hillary is utilizing different personalities, it's hard to argue with the fact that her campaign has had many different tones to it. It's hard to tell if she's pissed at Obama or not. Not that it matters that much, mind you, but I'm just saying that there is enough of slight juxtaposition at times to make it a target for the media.

And by the way, Bill Maher isn't the only one to get on Hillary's case. I'm sure Leno, Letterman and Stewart have all had their cracks as well (not justifying, just saying.)

I greatly disagree with you Breathingfire.

I stopped listening/watching Bill Mahar ages ago.

Obama has had different tones/reactions also, but they have not been televised. Once again it shows the sexism in the media and Bill Mahar is behind the times since he doesn't see this.

I'm not sure if this is Bill Maher as much as it is Bill Maher's writers. I noticed that during the writers strike, jokes like this weren't being made. I liked the show much better during the strike, and I miss Blogga Please. Even though it was only on 3 or 4 times, I miss it and would take Blogga Please over New Rules any day.

But then again, if it comes from Bill Maher's mouth, it is Bill Maher. He would definitely change the script if he had a problem with it.

Yeah, I think this is Bill Maher. Unfortunately I think he still has problems with sexism, as is clearly shown here. Though the writers do help with his "Hillary cried again" monologue jokes, though. (and is it ageism when he makes fun of John McCain? Is there an ageinisting.com website somewhere?)

Blogga Please is a good segment.

Is she cold or a hysterical woman? Can we get some consistency here?

I think that the consistency is that she is a woman, and it really doesn't matter whether she's cold, or hysterical, or level-headed and kind-hearted. She's a woman, so to some, that means she'll never be good enough for president, no matter what she does or says. So she'll catch flak, and most of it won't make any sense.

The funny thing is, I don't even support Hillary. But it's certainly not because she's a woman.

Dear Lord - EMOTIONS. Heaven forfend that anyone should have them. Except anger. Bill Maher seems to be OK with anger. And smugness.

Hey Bill, how has having an angry, smug president worked out for us?

Hilary Clinton gets a little misty once, after weeks of campaigning--but crying is the first thing that women resort to? And what is this 'arguing' thing? She's not arguing with anyone. Your commentary makes no sense, Mr. Maher. Unless he's implying that women can't debate, but only argue irrationally.

Gah. I feel pity for all the nineteen year old girls he dates. A relationship with him must be a right headfuck.

I see him in 'D.C. Cab', which I watch occasionally because looking at Adam Baldwin is porn for me. In it, he looks like the guy that always ends up being told by girls that they just want to be friends. Which could explain a lot.

Alexandra: "She's a woman, so to some, that means she'll never be good enough for president, no matter what she does or says. So she'll catch flak, and most of it won't make any sense."

Good point. I've seen anti-feminists make contradictory statements like, "you're a frigid whore," which also don't make sense, except the fact they are both negative stereotypes for women.

Why is he even on the air? He isn't funny, and his commentary is nothing out of the ordinary. Knock knock jokes are funnier than he is. I am unsurprised at Maher's douchebaggery. Leave it to him to paint a person as crazy for having multiple moods during a tough campaign. I'd rather see some emotional range in a person than deal with the same self-satisfied prick everyday.

I’m not trying to be sexist here*, but I’m just saying that women try a lot of different tacks when they’re in arguments.

So do a lot of men, you moron. You know, what, I've always liked his show, but sometimes I just can't stand it. I can't stand him, his attitude, everything he says to and about women. It's not just Clinton, it's every woman who as the misfortune of gaining his attention.

It's extremely alienating and I wish entertainers would realise that women would like to be able to turn on the television once in a while without being insulted by people they'd much rather like.

*almost always precedes a sexist statement.

"... I wish entertainers would realise that women would like to be able to turn on the television once in a while without being insulted by people they'd much rather like."

They do know it...they just don't care.
Their main demographic base is the young male. How do you keep male viewers, denigrate females. Since many women will still watch despite this, why would they change. So they have both the male and female audience.

All the network has to do is just have someone go on a message board saying 'oh honey, I didn't mean it, honestly...'

Any sentence that starts with "I'm not (trying to be) sexist (racist, homophobic, etc.) but..." you know something completely false/idiotic/bigoted is going to be said.

Yeah Bill, because it's not like every single politician tries on various personas in order to make sure they're reaching potential voters. It's not like she's actually acting more like a slippery POLITICIAN. It all comes down to the ovaries. Shee-it.

...And a few minutes later he admits that he felt the last debate was like the SNL skits in that Russert and Williams are treating Clinton harsher than Obama.

Maher is a bag of contradictions: misogynistic yet supports Clinton; on the board of PeTA yet not vegetarian, etc. I watch his show because as someone else said, it's the closest thing to "liberal" news aka NOT Fox/CNN.

And by the way, Bill Maher isn't the only one to get on Hillary's case. I'm sure Leno, Letterman and Stewart have all had their cracks as well (not justifying, just saying.)

As a devoted Daily Show fan, yes Stewart has had his cracks at Hillary, but I've never seen him display this level of misogyny. You can make fun of Hillary Clinton without being a sexist a$$.

I think the difference is that Stewart normally attacks Hillary as an individual, and not as a symbol of all women.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about: http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=156940&title=democratic-pot-shots

He makes fun of her here (he makes fun of Barack too), even using some of the same footage as Maher- but he's not vile about it.

Jesus, not even his own audience seems to want a piece of this one. And on one of these shows, that's saying something.

how can he say he's not being sexist when the whole segment is based on unflattering gender analysis? and then after insulting all women everywhere, he tells women not to write him?

shushhhh, little women. don't talk back when us men drag you through the mud! that's just being a pain in the ass.

UGH.

who the hell was in that panel? any ladies, i wonder?

Assuming you buy what Maher is saying, it's pretty much a good argument for women being better at arguing. We're more creative and more determined to win. Why is this a problem?

I admit there are time where I disagree with Bill, but for the most part I love him. and he is does tend to be tongue and cheek.

he typically defends Hillary and it angers me that no one on this site posts about that.

Wow. What a smug, sexist, jerk. Ladies, after we're done with crying (since that's the first thing we do in any given situation) and girly whining, I think we should heed what Bill said. We shouldn't write to him; instead, we should go over Bill's overly inflated head and write to his producers.

of course there weren't any women on the panel...

If you say "I'm not sexist" enough times, it magically makes the sexism of your comments go away.

I watched this the other night and actually threw a shoe at my television.

he typically defends Hillary and it angers me that no one on this site posts about that.

Posted by: wolf_22

No he doesn't. He qualifies by saying, "I like Hillary, it's just" and then proceeds with the verbal diarrhea about what and emotionally manipulative harpy she is. How many times has he freaked out about her "crying?" OMGz her voice cracked almost perceptibly! EEK!!!

The montage doesn't make sense. It's just a bunch of random clips thrown together, none of which really have anything to do with how women "argue." Especially the first clip of Hillary "crying"...

First of all, that had nothing to do with arguing. She was talking about her campaign and choked up a little. Which brings me to my 2nd point... SHE WAS BARELY CRYING. Why do people still insist of exaggerating her actions? Notice how his mocking commentary over that clip doesn't even actually represent how she sounded.

My problem is that I actually like Bill Maher sometimes, but most of what he ever has to say about women is sexist. It's a shame.

Apparently all you have to do to not be sexist is say,

"I'm really not being sexist"

Webbess:
As a devoted Daily Show fan, yes Stewart has had his cracks at Hillary, but I've never seen him display this level of misogyny. You can make fun of Hillary Clinton without being a sexist a$$.

As someone who was an advid Daily Show lover, I can tell you this is simply not true. I used to love JS, but he is so completely biased toward Obama, that I cannot watch him anymore. He has made some incredibly sexist comments that have turned me off him. In one segment he was cheering how when Obama won a primary he "ripped off her head and shit down her neck." And in another segment he said that Hillary Clinton was where "boners go to die."

The clip you linked to was also critical of Hillary and taking shots at her, while showing Senator Obama in a favorable light. We must be watching different Daily Shows. Though I do think it is cool that Senator Clinton will be on the show tonight. I am sure he is going to rip on her in an unfavorable way. If Senator Obama ever gets on the Daily Show, it will be a love fest, count on it.

I agree with everyone about the awfulness of Maher's "jokes," but for some reason seeing Christopher Hitchens made my stomach churn.

I have heard such a flood of sexist remarks over the past few weeks, but I have to say, this takes the cake. I also liked when the Daily Show (virtually all-make writing staff) hauled out its one female actor/"correspondent" to rake Hillary over the coals over Hillary's complaint that the media hasn't treated her fairly. Yeah, let the woman carry water for the sexists.

RIDE ON THE DOUBLE TALK EXPRESS LEADS TO WAR

John McCain is clearly focused on one thing and one thing only - WAR. He lives for it, he loves it, he's obsessed by it, it is his entire identity. He is a Post Traumatic Stress hot-headed and unstable lunatic who cares nothing about the will of the American people. He is loyal to his backers and his backers make a killing off of war, war and more war. It just so happens those are all of John McCain's personal interests as well. He's no sell out. He is a man of passion. And if elected, he will deliver.

In his own words, "Friends, I want to give you some straight talk. Friends, there are going to be more wars. I'm sorry to tell you, but there are going to be more wars...". Wow. Interesting Foriegn Policy approach there, John.

After 2004 it became apparent to me what I had been trying to forget after the 2000 election, that much of America is just plain stupid. It would be foolish to under-estimate their stpuidity this time around. McCain, like Bush before him, can win. We cannot let that happen.

Unfortunately Hilary Clinton represents the exact same special interests that McCain does. They should run on the same ticket.

There is only one serious contender who is sane and that is Barack Obama. If you measure who the best candidate is by body count, consider that over 1.1 million people have died as the result of the Iraqi invasion. Consider also that Hilary and McCain pushed this forward every step of the way and remember that only Barack had the decency and good common sense to oppose this needless invasion from the very start, even when it was unpopular.

Someone who speaks in straight talk doesn't have to keep reminding you that it's straight talk. They just speak the truth. And that is why my vote is enthusiastically for Barack Obama this election season.

www.WeCanStopMcCain.org

"As someone who was an avid Daily Show lover, I can tell you this is simply not true. I used to love JS, but he is so completely biased toward Obama, that I cannot watch him anymore. "

Jennifer, that is EXACTLY how I feel. I had to also stop watching about a Jon over a month ago. He is just as bad as Bill Mahar...but with Jon I am so disappointed.

Yes, Hillary was on his show last night and it went pretty well, except for one comment Jon made which some of the audience almost booed him. The fun in the air went out at the moment. At least that's what it seemed to me.

You know, god forbid someone have a multifaceted personality. None of the men I know *ever* exhibit more than one mood.

And I just love how he relates the whole segment to "typical" arguments he's had with other women. Like Hilary is his caraaaazy PMSing girlfriend. This is exactly why we so desperately need women in high office.

"He has made some incredibly sexist comments that have turned me off him. In one segment he was cheering how when Obama won a primary he "ripped off her head and shit down her neck." And in another segment he said that Hillary Clinton was where "boners go to die.""

Jennifer, I too have always loved The Daily Show, and I have to say that I have never seen it as sexist. Even with the examples you give here, both were clearly satire, not sincere. If I recall correctly the first was making a joke about the media's habit of over-dramatizing debates and primaries. The second is actually satire about the media's sexism, which is why its such an overinflated statement that anyone can say "thats idiotic! Why would we judge a candidate in that way?" The idea is that people start to think the same things about comments like Bill Maher's. Maybe there are better examples and maybe he was sexist at some point, but I haven't seen it. Also, a strong bias against Hillary is not sexism. He generally mocks both Hillary AND sexism, which, as a feminist Obama supporter, only makes me like the show more.

"In one segment he was cheering how when Obama won a primary he "ripped off her head and shit down her neck."

Jennifer: this is just appalling. There is no way he would ever say that about Obama. I mean really, it is sick.

Justagrrrl: I stopped watching Jon Stewart because of his bias against Hillary. I do not believe he mocks sexism though.
He clearly panders to his main amd most important demographic - the young male.

1.) Actually, many Obama supporters hate the Daily Show now because he gave Hillary air time on the eve of 4 primaries. They saw the interview as an "infomercial".
See their comments here.

2.) The media is of great interest and source of material for Jon. He often mocks the media's overblown rhetoric by matching it with comically exaggerated overblown rhetoric. I'm with JustAGrrrl, in the understanding that those quotes you posted were satire. In fact, with the first one, he started it off saying “He drank her blood!�

I suppose we just have different interpretations of him. IMO there is nothing inherently sexist with supporting Barack Obama, or even having a bias for him. There is nothing inherently sexist about a comedian making fun of Hillary- as long as said comedian doesn