Well, I can't speak for the others, but I find two reasons:

 

1) There was a thread started about it

 

2) If he was criticizing Jesus, hardly anyone on this board would be defending him, and this discussion would not go on. Since some decided to defend Maher's comments, this discussion has intensified.

 

Probably right...

 

I've just grown tired of people constantly being offended and calling for the offending party to be fired or punished.

 

At what point does it stop? People say he "crossed the line". Well, what is the line? What determines when it's crossed? Is there a certain amount of people who have to be offended before it's viewed as "crossing the line"? Or is their an authority who determines when something "crosses the line"? Is it acceptable to offend some people, but unacceptable to offend certain others?

I wouldn't call on HBO to fire Maher for what he said. I'll just never watch him and encourage others to do the same. The situation will eventually resolve itself.

Reports are that Maher will offer an apology on tonight's show ...

Reports are that Maher will offer an apology on tonight's show ...

 

Must be reading BGP.

Reports are that Maher will offer an apology on tonight's show ...

 

Should be interesting...

From what is being reported, the apology is primarily for the "Nazi" reference.

I would love to see some documentation of the dogs/mentally retarded comparison ... I learned a long time ago that just because a right-wing news site says it's so doesn't necessarily make it true.

 

I've seen much of the shows that the other incidents refer to, and I'll just say this ... in some cases, the claims made about Maher's claims are stretching the truth a bit, or simply a case of some people taking his attempts at humor a little too seriously.

Under the heading Talk show host.

 

The following is a transcript from the ABC Show "Politically Incorrect". I guess now we know why he's not on ABC any longer. The ABC network has since removed the transcript of Maher's remarks from its archives.

 

 

Bill: But I've often said that if I had -- I have two dogs -- if I had two retarded children, I'd be a hero. And yet the dogs, which are pretty much the same thing --

 

[ Laughter ]

 

What? They're sweet. They're loving. They're kind, but they don't mentally advance at all.

 

Cynthia: I'm going to throw my shoe at you for that one -- oh!

 

Bill: What? Dogs are like retarded children.

 

Jay: The show is living up to its name.

 

[ Scattered boos]

 

Sarah: Boo.

 

Cynthia: My 9-year-old nephew is retarded. I've never thought of him like a little dog.

 

Bill: Well, maybe you should.

 

[ Scattered boos ]

 

Sarah: But I don't think you ought to use the word retarded. I don't think that's right.

 

Bill: Don't use the word "retarded"? Well, what word should we use?

 

Sarah: Just a regular person.

 

Bill: But they're not a regular person.

 

Sarah: Well, they are regular people. They have a heart and a soul.

 

Cynthia: Limitations.

 

Bill: They have a heart and a soul and a brain that's retarded. That's a fact, people! Excuse me!

 

Sarah: No, because you can't say that. Do you know their brain is retarded -- this word retarded? They could just be lacking in the ability.

 

Bill: That's what we call retarded.

 

[ Laughter ]

 

I mean, people, are you all retarded? I mean --

 

[ Laughter ]

 

That's a fact.

 

Martin: I'm not gonna comment. You're a hideous, cold person.

 

 

Also, from the LA Times

Under the heading Talk show host.

 

The following is a transcript from the ABC Show "Politically Incorrect". I guess now we know why he's not on ABC any longer. The ABC network has since removed the transcript of Maher's remarks from its archives.

 

 

Bill: But I've often said that if I had -- I have two dogs -- if I had two retarded children, I'd be a hero. And yet the dogs, which are pretty much the same thing --

 

[ Laughter ]

 

What? They're sweet. They're loving. They're kind, but they don't mentally advance at all.

 

Cynthia: I'm going to throw my shoe at you for that one -- oh!

 

Bill: What? Dogs are like retarded children.

 

Jay: The show is living up to its name.

 

[ Scattered boos]

 

Sarah: Boo.

 

Cynthia: My 9-year-old nephew is retarded. I've never thought of him like a little dog.

 

Bill: Well, maybe you should.

 

[ Scattered boos ]

 

Sarah: But I don't think you ought to use the word retarded. I don't think that's right.

 

Bill: Don't use the word "retarded"? Well, what word should we use?

 

Sarah: Just a regular person.

 

Bill: But they're not a regular person.

 

Sarah: Well, they are regular people. They have a heart and a soul.

 

Cynthia: Limitations.

 

Bill: They have a heart and a soul and a brain that's retarded. That's a fact, people! Excuse me!

 

Sarah: No, because you can't say that. Do you know their brain is retarded -- this word retarded? They could just be lacking in the ability.

 

Bill: That's what we call retarded.

 

[ Laughter ]

 

I mean, people, are you all retarded? I mean --

 

[ Laughter ]

 

That's a fact.

 

Martin: I'm not gonna comment. You're a hideous, cold person.

 

 

Also, from the LA Times

Funny stuff. Great example of Maher's humor. I wonder why he does not have a larger audience?

Funny stuff. Great example of Maher's humor. I wonder why he does not have a larger audience?

Exactly! :thumb:

 

I can't imagine why anyone would consider watching this ignoramus.

Thanks for the link ... that is one thing Maher has said that I can't defend.

That's really magnanimous of you.

That's really magnanimous of you.

 

 

All Tell, westsider isn't a blind follower. I can assure you he's calls a spade a spade, and this is no concession on his part. He won't defend it because it's indefensible. Had he know of the remarks in advance of what was posted here, I can assure you, he'd have made no argument on Maher's behalf of such remarks.

I don't disagree that those remarks are indefensible but I also think some of the things that Maher has said about Catholics are pretty indefensible as well.

 

And before anyone starts thinking that I lash out against anything negative about Catholics and Catholicism I'm a fan of South Park and they have said some pretty outrageous things about the Church.

I don't disagree that those remarks are indefensible but I also think some of the things that Maher has said about Catholics are pretty indefensible as well.

 

And before anyone starts thinking that I lash out against anything negative about Catholics and Catholicism I'm a fan of South Park and they have said some pretty outrageous things about the Church.

So ... why South Park and not Maher? Both of those shows push the envelope on a regular basis. Or do Maher's political views tilt the scale?

 

And, for the record, I'm not a South park fan. I watched one episode at the behest of some friends, and it was enough to turn me off the entire series.

One more point to make about Maher's comments:

 

Maher's two biggest shows ("Politically Incorrect" and "Real Time") have different formats. Both feature serious discussions of issues but "Real Time" also has a segment called "New Rules" that is more comedy than anything else.

 

That segment is where the Catholic comments were made, which explains my position that some of those comments were more for comedic effect than anything else. That was more or less Maher's position when he issued his "apology" during this weekend's show.