Evangelicals, Facebook, Cultural Suicide | Overtime with Bill Maher (HBO)

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Bill and his guests - Ronan Farrow, Ross Douthat, Ian Bremmer, Ana Marie Cox and John Podhoretz - answer viewer questions after the show.
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[@irhonda31]

I’m a woman and I am with Bill Maher on the issue of Al Franken.

[@justgivemethetruth]

Al Franken got politically assassinated by all the Democrats who caved in to political correctness ... and the biggest shame was that Bernie Sanders was on that stupid list. The accusers of Franken never got to one thing in my opinion that he should have resigned for, and most of it was a farce. We lost one of the best Senators for women ... and for what ... to give Republicans another win so they will let the fake Democrats stay in office a while longer and continue the sham that we have two parties in America?

[@justgivemethetruth]

HC, shove your insults and go lie with a pig.

[@pamelab8123]

Rhonda Weber Same.

[@TheVivianable]

I feel that too. He made a stupid mistake, sexist one too. But he owned up to it. With him out of the picture, we lost one of the good guys.

[@TheVivianable]

Honorable Catsmeat hey, insult my looks too, please.

[@ApesAmongUs]

"Losing a job is no big deal" - Yup, that's a pretty good way to announce publicly that you cannot relate to the average person.

[@joxysurge9631]

this should be top comment

[@ancalyme]

Senators are not "the average person"

[@lacountess]

I’m a woman and I do think there should be a difference between a guy who molests his subordinates and a guy who takes a funny picture with them. Lumping them together minimizes the experience of the victim of molestation. I wished Bill had told her that.

[@drowsy_mouse8406]

Its really not a big deal. If ur broke ur probably not making much anyway unless you suck with money. Pretty easy to get another 15 buck an hour job.

[@thagodwecreate5179]

Fuck a job. I hope never to be in a position where some other person or company has that much power over my life. If i'm gonna put in work, i damn sure should benefit 100% of that work. Fuck. A. Job.

[@Sociologyprofessor1]

This lady’s pearl clutching is more than I can take without slapping someone 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@janbarrett4544]

Then you should be in jail.

[@tysons9222]

@@janbarrett4544careful snowflake it’s warm outside

[@nemboticska]

Bill is absolutely right on the Franken stuff. It's sad that not everyone sees it that way.

[@duncanwallace7760]

Decent education which teaches critical thought is the best defence against fake news.

[@psychopathgains2510]

Duncan Wallace yeah, something more often than not, conservatives don’t have. Republican base of course are highly uneducated for the most part and are extremely religious which has a strong correlation to stupidity.

[@duncanwallace7760]

Well that's a failure of all sides. Everyone should get a good education if the country is going to remain successful.

[@yevgenitiger]

"something more often than not, conservatives don’t have. Republican base of course are highly uneducated for the most part and are extremely religious which has a strong correlation to stupidity." Have any data to prove that allegation?

[@katesdad2855]

I know multiple people who are educated, intelligent and capable of critical thought. They also voted for Orange Julius. The easiest person to lie to is yourself. The fact that one is capable of critical thought does not mean that one will always do so.

[@duncanwallace7760]

I'd love to know their reasoning. I've heard 'anything better than Hilary', but that argument doesn't stack up at all. How did they think Trump, someone who is pretty obviously a liar and full of hot air, was going to fix anything?

[@Punshr]

She's dangerous. She's willing to destroy a person's life on the assumption of a possible impropriety rather than wait for actual evidence or due process.

[@eleSDSU]

Savis Mom Guilty of what, you need to be more specific.

[@marybethehlers3550]

Of course. She’s a feminist

[@dsadik666]

that's most women and men by proxy of the women (fear of speaking the truth that will offend whamen).

[@Luigi64real]

Savis Mom "I grab them by the pussy... I don't even wait" - Trump Hmm he's probably not guilty

[@eleSDSU]

Savis Mom of course, we have proof, witnesses and he himself has said it. You don't think so?

[@susanmathers2222]

The picture was bs. It was taken years earlier when Franken was a comedian. He wasn't touching her. Loosing him was a bad day for the Democrats and for women's issues.

[@sannahayes832]

That picture was a JOKE!! Frankin was not even touching her!! He was a comedian at the time! Frankin would not make that joke today. OMG Know the difference between then & now!!!

[@fuckfuck4420]

No he groped 7 women. He wasn’t fired because of a picture.

[@the_endgame]

Fuck Fuck allegedly.

[@JamieRobles1]

@@fuckfuck4420 One of 'the gropes' including him giving a side-hug to a lady and the other one was he didn't know where to put his hand at while photographing with a woman and his hand ended up on the meatier part of her hip. That's some far-reaching if I ever did hear it. Most of them ended up retracting their story because they all were dumb accusations.

[@LaFabrizia1983]

@@fuckfuck4420 he did not

[@grantmarcus5675]

I no longer open a car door for my date. I might touch her dress. When it comes to sex, I have videotape---not as any kind of trophy---but just in case she claims it wasn't mutual consent

[@ttrons2]

I agree with BIll on Al Frankin. You forced out a good politician with no investigation. This woman sees the world in black and white. I would hate to have her judge me on anything. The picture over the playboy model and x-hooter's employee who voted for Trump was a joke.

[@d.dedrick7991]

@ms wpwm Didn't SHE⁉️

[@TheBugmenot2009]

Her comment about this and about due process are consistent and highlight the importance of due process outside of the court room

[@Swnsasy]

Al Franken should have never been made to resign! The picture was a freaking joke! A dumb and stupid joke that happened 10yrs ago +! Even she said he shouldn't lose his job..

[@subversivelysurreal3645]

Swnsasy _ : Agreed! But really, nobody KNOWS why Al Franken quit, but Al Franken !! Al Franken, Come Get Your Ass Back into Your Senate Seat !!

[@Flaccid_toast]

he resigned, he didn't lose his job. If you're considering this a joke then you better make the same argument for every person saying offensive things and then having it come out years later. I love free speech and fully support the 1st amendment. I just don't see the picture as a joke. There was no punchline. It was a picture of a man groping a woman. He was called by his own party as well to resign.

[@boomstickcritique902]

@@Flaccid_toast Well if the woman was into it an thought it was funny then it shouldnt be a problem.Its interesting how some view women as special snow flakes alot of women like to goof off to an will pose for those types of pitcures.

[@Flaccid_toast]

BoomStick Critique she was asleep, how was she posing for it, not to mention the other claims of forcing a kiss on her. I would have preferred she came out with it earlier, but at least there was actual physical evidence of groping

[@thorondor4012]

I agree, actually. I never cared for Franken, but he shouldn't have lost his job for that stunt. Maybe it's time for dems to stop being so extreme.

[@graceweissmann2823]

I'm with Bill about Al Franken. I am a survivor. Al Franken did not deserve what he got. I will not vote for anyone on a Primary ballot who pushed Al Franken out of the Senate. The democrats lost a strong voice not only aginst sexism, but against the corruption of the Trump administration.

[@pattismithurs9023]

Right! The Franken thing was shameful, and I was sorry he had to give up without a fight. I'm thinking he was pushed.

[@m.k.c.5212]

I am particularly upset that the photo proved he never touched the woman sleeping on the plane. But he did pat a few tushies and gave a couple of unwelcome kisses. But the GOP cheers on steaming POS like Moore & Gaetz & applauds T=Rump (serial rapist - alleged [by only 2 dozen women ] - and KNOWN wife beater) as the Savior of Family Values...oh, the irony (aka HYPOCRISY).

[@-cosmicrogue-]

_"For me the definition of dystopia is citizens getting their information about the world as determined by the worlds largest advertising company."_ Damn. That's true as hell. I left Facebook over a year ago. One of the most psychologically healthy decisions I ever made. Now it looks like it was a politically healthy decision as well.

[@ggmorgan7]

Cosmic Rogue, I totally agree with you. I also left the social media site for my own personal well-being, thus missing out on how the 2016 election played out on FB. Through word of mouth from friends who use the sight, I was frightened to hear about so much disinformation being spread on FB (can you say "pizzagate"), that rational people actually believed during the election cycle. Now the truth light has shone on FB and we actually have to confront it's impact on our democracy.

[@ristoniskala]

Well said!

[@amydopson2946]

Your comment is my me too! Left all social media 2 yrs ago.....and never been happier!!! 💖🏄‍♂️👏 I now spend that "lost" time volunteering for charities and political campaigns! Plus, my kids come with me...and we LEARN SO MUCH MORE about community and LIFE! #IRL

[@andymarshok269]

I have to ask where is that quote from?

[@danielg3924]

You're still on KZbin though... just saying

[@thomthom6268]

The more I see Ronan, the more I realize he actually thinks things thru. And wants to help others do likewise. He's saying we had to get thru the overreaction to Franken in order to finally start listening to survivors of the real perpetrators of harassment. What happened to Franken wasn't fair. But that has to be balanced against the cataclysmic unfairness that happened to Anita Hill. And to all of the survivors that Ann Marie & Ronan mentioned.

[@steveb4662]

Al Franken would have never survived in the toxic soup that is Washington today. I don't think he needed to resign, but maybe it was for the best. He could still run for President and win, I think. What he did was a joke -- it's not like he didn't know they were taking a picture of him.

[@justgivemethetruth]

Except for his dysfunctional family. The whole Woody Allen Mia Farrow Frank Sinatra mix. I don't like Ronan Farrow. I'll listen to him but he seems like an opportunist that only got this show because of who his parents are. To excuse what happened to Al Franken is like trying to excuse what happened to Anita Hill ... you have it backwards ... which by the way Joe Biden participated in.

[@eleSDSU]

justgivemethetruth for someone with that handle you sure don't care that much about truth. Maybe do some research about Ronan Farow's life and you will understand why he got ti the show.

[@1080lights]

justgivemethetruth Ronan Farrow isn’t building his brand off of continuing tabloid-like stories about his family life. He’s doing it by conducting great reporting and great work. He could’ve cashed in by playing up Woody Allen over and over again. But he chose not to. He chose to do something meaningful. In that context, I don’t give two shits about his past.

[@quicksite]

_Except for his dysfunctional family. ... I don't like Ronan Farrow_ Why tar him? Yeah, there's some craziness in his family, but he's proven to be an outstanding journalist. he's poised, well spoken, polite, and astute. Wrong to hate someone because of his genetics.

[@clairebru1]

I just wanna say I’m so glad that this show exists. There are real conversations and debates contrary to other show where everyone is just among people who think exactly the same to the point where it’s just brainwashing people who watch.

[@hudson2861]

Wendy Testaburger yea I would normally agree with you but this particular episode was these guys hocking their books. They spent more time talking over each other about their ridiculous books than they spent trying to engage in any meaningful dialogue. Farrow seemed on point and interesting. Bill seemed stoned. The female guest seemed affected and the “Catholics” seemed unfocused on anything but plugging their book. I liked what the “Jewish” guy was saying until he got caught up with the “books” and wasted more of our time without making his point. If he even had one other than selling his book.

[@amant7963]

Yep just get one side of ideas , everyone is a lefty on the panel.. great diversity

[@dwolfcoach]

@@amant7963 What? Nope!

[@BMF0187]

@@amant7963 Que ? Wtf are you smoking ? Send some of dat skunk dank ass bud my way. If you even remember your own name still. 😉

[@831mrscardoso]

What happened to Al Franken was wrong. He was a comedian and someone who was also there came forward and said it was a joke that she was in on and wasn't sleeping. Comedy was this way back in the day. That girl was grabbing on a soldier on stage inappropriately so why didn't she get backlash for that? It works both ways...Us women don't get a pass.

[@Aeimos]

I'm glad that insufferable asshat got canned.

[@m.k.c.5212]

@@Aeimos = GRU troll bot. Mention a degraded Den and it posts the same BS e dry time. Mention Trump being a dreaming POS and it accuses you of TDS.

[@hellooutthere8956]

I completely agree. I hate hypocrisy more than anything.

[@AvangionQ]

Sexual abuse tends to be a serial offense. If it's just one accuser, I might not believe, but if there's five or ten, or 85 for Weinstein, 57 for Cosby, 19 for Trump, they can't be dismissed.

[@amant7963]

???? Clinton

[@bessieking3797]

Trump still became president, what that tells y'all about America.

[@lolasmom5816]

@@bessieking3797 bc his accusers ended up being full of it. Just bc a woman accuses doesn't mean she's telling the truth. Just bc more jump on the bandwagon doesn't mean they are either. We are living in the times of emotional currency and there's a lot to be gained by joining in and claiming to be a victim.

[@bessieking3797]

@@lolasmom5816 They impeached Bill Clinton for lying about a consensual relationship. Bill Cosby went to prison for something that happened 30 to 40 years ago. Trump caught on tape admits he assault women by grabbing them by PRIVATE PARTS. Trump was also sued for libel for saying he didn't rape a woman. She wanted him to admit he rape her because it was to late to file charges.

[@FarhanAmin1994]

@@lolasmom5816 hear hear

[@rustyshackleford4076]

That law has degrees for crimes and misdemeanors because not all crimes are the same, e.g. stealing a candy bar is not the same as stealing $100k from a Bank, both are wrong but the law doesn’t treat them the same. To equate Al Franken’s scandal to Weinstein alienates people who would otherwise agree with MeToo.

[@redlightmax]

+Claire Knight 100%, but Matt Damon made a similar point - "You know, there’s a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt and rape or child molestation, right?" - and he got crucified. This is where some elements of the left are shooting themselves in the foot.

[@Redmenace96]

This has always been the case with sexual offenses in this country. Nobody wants to put sexual acts on a spectrum and judge which ones are dangerous, which ones are a problem, and which ones are just part of human relations gone bad. Law enforcement, judges, and politicians would be crucified if they used mature, responsible, adult judgement. There are no longer any adults living in America.

[@Ghoulstille]

Bill as the voice of reason yet again.

[@b1bbscraz3y]

ehh barely

[@Voodoochil111111]

He's right about the dangers of generalizing offenses for sure.

[@ncurry1968]

Yet he was a pussy for not asking Farrow about his own father marrying his step-daughter. No respect for him for letting that shit slide.

[@shadelings]

What does that have to do with Ronan Farrow? Bill didn't ask that question because it wasn't necessary.

[@ncurry1968]

I disagree. He's on the show because he is being given credit for the #MeToo movement...a movement about sexual harassment/assault and predatory behavior by powerful men. Farrow's own father is the poster child for that person. It has EVERYTHING to do with Ronan. A) because it's his father and sister. B) because he wrote the article that started the whole ball rolling (and won a Pulitzer for it. That question was 100X more necessary than Maher's snide comment that questions who his father really is.

[@lovelyskull3483]

Still love Al Franken.

[@JamieRobles1]

He has a podcast now, and yeah I am shamelessly plugging it.

[@ErinDynamite]

Ronan Farrow

[@marcopolo9146]

Mini-Mia? Yuck!!

[@gaijinmovementt2340]

He's got the second most punchable face behind Martin Skereli

[@Dilkingt0nne]

Those blue eyes and swarthy looks....just like his father

[@Annie-xn6pc]

You can bet that homely little neurotic, Woody Allen, had no part in Ronan’s face (or personality)!

[@jhamptonjr]

Cox could NOT even keep her eyes open while lying about the Al Franken picture. Horrendous.

[@justgivemethetruth]

I found her pretty disgusting ... and it looks like she has silicon cheek implants. ugh

[@MitchellWiggs]

Anyone else think she alluded to having a personal experience with Mark Halperin?

[@RyanBaker007]

Yes, she made that very clear.

[@RyanBaker007]

John Tuya - I was thinking the same thing. She's obviously scarred and so it's understandable why she's so uncompromising. That doesn't make it right, it's just the reaction of someone who is traumatized. Unfortunate that many with the same perspective don't have her excuse.

[@graciec.9803]

Ryan Baker "Excuse?" Lol. Why does anyone need an excuse to take a hardline on sexual assault? It's so rampant that if you haven't had a sexual assault experience you *absolutely* know someone who has. You probably know a man or woman who has been held down or grabbed hard enough to bruise or verbally threatened from a car window because they wouldn't smile. You know someone who's been terrified for what will happen to them or had to live with what has. Is that not enough of an excuse? She takes a hardline when there's proof and promotes investigation. That's not radical.

[@RyanBaker007]

Gracie C. I knew the word "excuse" was going to draw some vitriol and be sensitive, I perhaps could have used a less loaded word. That said, I still think that this so-called hardline is inaccurate, and that she's going overboard and labeling as sexual abuse when not appropriate. Sure, I've known plenty of people who have suffered and even been subject myself to all sorts of unfortunate situations and abuses, but someone taking a picture of themselves hovering over me and "pretending" to touch my privates is hardly something I would be upset by, nor would I call it sexual abuse and demand their resignation. In his case, the only thing I could call it is unprofessional, but at the time he was a comedian so it was actually a part of his profession...

[@leedsdrumacademy]

John Tuya Nazi? Really?...

[@tigerlily1034]

Bill is staring hard at Ronan thinking “Damn you do look like Frank Sinatra”😂

[@sabbracadabra8367]

Hahah there is a real resemblance!

[@Heathcoatman]

When I see Ronan all I see is his mom. He looks just like her.

[@TheArtemis07]

Ronan Farrow: as always, the smartest guy in the room.

[@MrPete-pe6uk]

except he isnt! #Bremmer

[@kimberlylawson7099]

Bill Maher can always locate the vein beneath the skin and I can’t think of anything I’ve disagreed with him about. But early on I felt the ME TOO movement was too extreme and would have to eventually snap back to a more rational place. I loved Al Frankenstein, one of the smartest guys in Congress, and felt his resignation was actually tragic.

[@paultremblay4836]

Bill Maher with Frank Sinatra junior, side by side,what a legend

[@emiliakaplan394]

Love Ronan and Bill Maher. I wish there were many more like them. So wise.

[@jenniferhouse1108]

I am the Me Too girl and Bill is totally right about Al. He did not need to go.

[@TheNadiabear]

A really interesting panel this week, although I disagree with Cox over Al Franken, the rest of the conversation was a ​really great debate.

[@stormwatcher59]

I really don't like that woman!

[@thorium222]

It is so relaxing seeing adults have a respectful discussion like this where disagreements don't lead to shouting and lying. Such a stark difference to the actual government in power. Sigh.

[@ayaan56]

I just finished watching Manhunt: Unabomer. It’s interesting to watch this discussion on technology after that. Of course the man was crazy, but his ideas about technology seem to be reflected by some people here.

[@dougd7205]

I would say losing a job may not be a big deal in certain industries - especially in the arts. However, there are many careers where losing your job means the end to your career and it can be impossible for them to recover.

[@greyareaRK1]

Ana Marie Cox defames the #metoo movement by not differentiating between serious crimes and Al Franken's laddish prank. I came away thinking she is more about self promotion than any cause.

[@lbch_youtube]

John Matthias she makes big news. When the Comey thing happened she said “white male” on NBC. If I said “black female” anything, what would happen? “We have lost to reason itself.” No we haven’t. They have.

[@tjk3430]

Of course she differentiates she’s not an idiot. It’s a shame we lost Franken but she has a right to feel how she feels.

[@thomasfoolery3358]

That's sad you think it's a prank

[@hellotheresunshine]

CWG90 cry me a river fuck face incel, men get decide if what happened to them is not appropriate and women do too. NOT SOME RANDOM TINY DICK THAT CANT TALK TO WOMEN POSTING ON KZbin.

[@jaelynn7575]

That's not what I got when she said to use timesup instead.

[@XR650L_GUY]

I hate it when everyone talks at once.

[@jamestidwell4989]

me too

[@shawnyt6368]

I was about to write a comment here, but you cut me off 🙈

[@richardkan8499]

Ronan Farrow is a beautiful bloke, visually and intellectually

[@jondishmonmusicandstuff2753]

OMG....Bill threw shade at Ronan when he said "and thanks to your father whoever he is." Yup and Ronan was stunned I could tell and just smiled. SMDH

[@NewMessage]

Holding the other guy's feet to a different fire than you hold your feet to is part of the definition of the word 'evangelical'.

[@Enzorgullochapin]

/// "Religion is socially acceptable psychosis" Living in Danger

[@72marshflower15]

New Message youll find that conservatism ruins all good names by taking host in good terms and abusing them to a point of expiration only to leave a dead carcass and move onto another term... i dont know if you're a bot, or a clever clap trap (compliment), but its clear "we've" both been in the arena for sometime. this leaves me curious as to your intent. are you here to exploit behavior algorithms of the population as a means to provide a vent, or are you actually interested in changing the status quo? just curious... keep in mind that no answer is still an answer...

[@brianh6773]

Kelly Clark, who is this imaginary friend god you speak of? No such thing here in reality.

[@poonamabbi7448]

There go the chrisins blaming everyone for their own crimes... BECAUSE JESUS DIED FOR THEIR SINS... NOT FOR THE SINSOF THE JEWS...

[@catalinasimmons6314]

Savis Mom. If there is a god He's a total prick. Have you watched babies and kids suffer and die? I think not.

[@Phnxkon]

Ah that was nice to hear Maher having reasonable stances. Tired of listening to idiots acting like an accusation should tear people down without evidence

[@newdamage5945]

That dude is in no way Woody Allen's son. Sinatra all the way.

[@dannyirish6526]

Haha I thought the same thing

[@cbailey2376]

Can he sing?

[@georgevanderlaan5028]

Pretty disgusting how she actually delights in and is totally fine with the fact that in the court of public opinion there is no due process. Like we shouldn't expect more of ourselves and the public? We shouldn't set a higher standard for the public to hold their tongue and judgment until after a case is litigated?

[@pm71241]

Bill is right ... as ever.

[@cleanfreak2005]

Ronan Farrow shines !!/:)

[@SandyRiverBlue]

I love the sounding like they're disagreeing while agreeing the whole time

[@catwitdabigdog2076]

I'm with Bill. A comedian shouldn't have lost a senate seat for a non-invasive tasteless silly joke (joke making being his in his job description at the time) that he made years before holding office, particularly when the opposition isn't held to the same standards. The point to be made is that actual assaults are happening and the movement should focus on those

[@budbuddybuddest]

That's a bulletproof vest . Never once has the news media commented that is a bulletproof vest that the woman is wearing. That bulletproof vest is a couple of inches thick

[@catwitdabigdog2076]

@@budbuddybuddest ?

[@johnsmith92704]

I find so much of the panels rhetoric about women and “me too”, indistinguishable from the religious right of the 90s. Bill can sense the level of Puritanism rising which is why he (quite rightly) feels uncomfortable. Always be on guard when people are clamouring to showcase their virtuous plan for the future; a lot of trampling is about to take place.

[@johnsmith92704]

Of course, if you simplify things to that extent, then you'll conclude with something as basic as what you've just stated. I'm curious as to who exactly you're fighting against; a group of people who are 'fans' of sexual assault? Not likely (at least without a large amount of sophistry and defamation). Perhaps we could consider then, that one can simultaneously be against sexual assault and also be a fan of the principles of due process? I could accuse you of groping me right now and you'd be on the list of those accused. Everything we have in civilization that is worth keeping, rests on making distinctions. Conversely, everything worth fighting against will tend to espouse a low resolution view of the world that fails to make distinctions between and within groups and ideas. The clumsy and at times willfully dishonest way that the "me too" and "time's up" movements handle issues set a very dangerous cultural precedent. We should analyse the validity of the claims being made by the accusers (which is why your statement of women accusing Franken means almost nothing to me, without accompanied analysis), coming to conclusions a-postiori.

[@ccmetalhead]

Mit Sat I love the way you brought your ideas to the table. Do you have some suggestions for good literature or reading material for me so I can get a better grasp on the idea of distinguishing things?

[@tarafitzgerald3947]

"Perhaps we could consider then, that one can simultaneously be against sexual assault and also be a fan of the principles of due process? I could accuse you of groping me right now and you'd be on the list of those accused. " And there's the straw man. No one has lost their job or their reputation on ONLY a mere accusation. NOT. ONE. PERSON. If you can point to an individual who has been unjustly accused during the me too movement based on ONLY an accusation, please, enlighten me. All of these claims have been thoroughly investigated, corroborated and substantiated. Your insistence for "due process' in cases of sexual assault and harassment is a dog whistle. You know damn well outside of violent rape, it is incredibly difficult for a person to press charges against a predator. Especially in cases harassment. You insist on "due process' because it derails the conversation of the unjust social acceptance of sexual abuse and keeps people from openly discussing and shaming perpetrators.You essentially want women to keep their mouth shut and not rock the boat. By the way, your entire post reads like an overwrought college freshman just discovered John Locke and is now trying to apply his gross misunderstandings of philosophy to justify his pathetic fear of women. Well done, asshole.

[@flurbanmoran7797]

Preach it Dan T! As a survivor of egregious sexual assaults, Dan T has a lot of insight to offer.

[@johnsmith92704]

Tara Fitzgerald, your hostility and confrontational attitude is breathtaking, and ordinarily I would ignore that level of unpleasantness. I think I do need to change on that though, it's much better trying to understand what inspires such vitriol (especially against someone you don't know anything about). The speed at which many people switch to anger has always fascinated me, and I often think it's probably extremely unhealthy (mentally and physically). Lets begin with your accusation of me concocting a strawman. I hope this isn't the first time you've heard of the 'cases' of Aziz Ansari and Louis Ck? Contrary to your proposition that "all of these claims have been investigated, corroborated and substantiated", these instances have not involved anything illegal whatsoever. Creepy and indecent behavior perhaps, but the fact that these both became aspects of the "me too" movement only goes to illustrate my point about failing to make distinctions. As can be easily verified, a number of tabloids and social media narratives would lump these names in with cases like Harvey Weinstein's and Kevin Spacey. Furthermore, there are a VAST number of false rape cases that are very easily found over the internet. I was going to compile a list of them, but I've decided that you should do yourself the favor of looking them up yourself. The most credible estimates of false rape accusations put the number anywhere between 2-10% (most US analysis finds the number hovering around 5% though it is notoriously hard to quantify these things en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_accusation_of_rape#Journal_of_Forensic_Psychology_(2017)) If insistence for due process in the cases of rape and sexual assault is a "dog whistle", then I suppose insistence of it for murder is also a "dog whistle" for potential murderers to get behind? Come to think of it, following that logic, the mention of due process in every case is a secret call for sympathy towards the crime! Oh well how elegant, I suppose that allows you to dismiss the call for due process without assessing its merits, on the basis of your ability to read the minds of people who stand by it. If you're so good at reading between the lines that you know all I want is for women to "keep their mouth shut at not rock the boat", perhaps you should be using this stupendous ability for good. Come to think of it, I think you would be extremely useful in court, where your mind reading abilities would no doubt be of use in solving the most complex and tricky cases of all. I am slightly flattered that you chose to attack my prose and character, if only because it indicates how hard you find it to deconstruct my reasoning. It shouldn't particularly matter to this discussion, but it may interest you to know that I am a male victim of (quite brutal) rape and assault. I do think I understand the suffering of survivors of rape, and I've really tried my best to do everything I can for those who have been victims of such horror (without conceit, probably more than most). I think it's precisely because of this experience, that I truly do detest the idea that there are people who profiteer from the severity of this type of issue. It seriously hurts the credibility of those who have genuinely suffered, if they are diluted by any percentage of false narratives. It doesn't matter though, the idea is that it wouldn't matter what my past experience was at all, in terms of the validity of my points. I can assure you that I don't view this issue with the prejudice of a "pathetic fear of women", but I doubt this will have any effect on your bias against me. If you take nothing else, please at least consider that the way in which you approach differing viewpoints is extremely unhealthy for yourself. I can admit that there was a time where I used to be almost as hostile as you, and it wasn't good for me at all. There's so much to learn and so many avenues to explore, you'll end up hurting the people around you and yourself if you're this confrontational. I know I may sound patronizing and I apologize if this is the case, but I see this level of tension too often and it makes me sad. We're all just human beings trying to make sense of an impossibly complex world at the end of the day. We might as well try to enjoy the process :-)

[@carcillian]

That guys dad is clearly Frank Sinatra.

[@user-wo2vg8hc1v]

carcillian I was just about to say that. He does look like a young Frank Sinatra.🤔

[@SWLinPHX]

carcillian: I always insisted that he had to be Sinatra’s son too, because considering the circumstances and his uncanny resemblance how could he NOT be? But then I got to thinking: first of all he does look like Mia very much. Secondly, Ronan does not care for Woody Allen because of the molestation allegations and other things against his sister, and his mother’s feelings about Allen. Therefore, if Ronan really KNEW he wasn’t Woody’s son and WAS Sinatra’s, he would have no problem admitting it. So he must know that he is Woody’s son but enjoys people assuming he must be Frank’s. Mia probably enjoys it too, just to spite Allen.

[@SoaringTrumpet]

Actually, admitting that Sinatra was his father would put Mia in a very bad light, seeing as she cheated on Woody.

[@SWLinPHX]

SoaringTrumpet: Which is why she DIDN’T admit it. She simply suggested or planted the seed of curiosity in people’s minds to get back at Woody Allen. Both Ronan and she know who the father is and if it was definitely Frank Sinatra it would’ve been proven and announced because there’s nothing that Ronan would’ve liked more than to have that help his career and image, since he does not like his father Woody due to issues with his mother Mia. But since he knows he is Allen’s son he would rather the public speculate that he might be Sinatra’s. After all, that’s the second best thing.

[@fuckfuck4420]

No his father is woody Allen. Sinatra’s wife came forward to say Frank had a vasectomy a few years before Ronan was conceived.

[@claiminglight]

Thank goodness Maher stood up to her about Franken. Saved me a page long rant.

[@carolleepirro278]

The world's largest advertising company … Oh my god that is so brilliant we are so screwed

[@aaronvaughn4316]

He started talking before she did, so she talked over him

[@russelldeets425]

Powerful conversation.

[@leahoakwood9988]

As long as Ronan Farrow walks the Earth, I just don't think I can settle for less.

[@inthevault9603]

Military, too!!! Told my daughters to never join bc of the sexual assault issues!

[@pneiman1]

Yes!!! Bill, the sign off: 'Yea, well, global warming..' I was thinking that during the whole last argument and you dropped it and dropped the mic. You get me every time, my man.

[@EDEN3.6.9.]

Excellent show...excellent commentary on Roseanne.

[@jayoshann]

Yea some people do say “believe” all women. I’ve met many people on campus that will actually try to argue that NO women would lie about that sorta thing. I’m sure most don’t lie but some do.

[@robinjackson7882]

Jayo I dont. Some women do it for motives of their own. Money, revenge, or desire for attention. They do a disservice to the women who have suffered.

[@ggmorgan7]

Ronan Farrow, thank you! You are are a true feminist and ally. Thank you for helping women get their stories out.

[@davidwalker263]

Nice to see that at least Bill had read Steven Pinkers " Enlightenment Now". Pity the other light weight panelists couldn't contribute. The female who equated the Cosby/Weinstein, et al behaviour , to Al Franken's gaffe is absurd. Under this measure she would paint 99+% males into the same corner.

[@SoaringTrumpet]

99% of men behave like Al Franken, groping numerous women when he took pictures with them? Wow I just encountered the biggest man hater on youtube, what a low opinion you have of men.

[@thezebraherd8275]

People get their information from the world's largest advertising company but it's Google not Facebook

[@debrabaral4873]

. . . and it's rampant in the military.

[@shauna598]

This woman is out of her mind, good on Maher for speaking up to that.

[@FelixxAlrick]

Something I never expected to say was "The evangelical really was the most reasonable guest on there."

[@hollymorgan7420]

aww this was a fun one. they all seemed to get along and enjoy talking to each other. it's nice when the panel has chemistry

[@residentgomez]

the buy my book portion was getting insufferable.

[@eleSDSU]

residentgomez For your sake I hope Maher brings back his segment "Explaining jokes to idiots".

[@hollymorgan7420]

lol yeah they seemed a little too proud of that one

[@patriciawright8786]

As a Me-Too woman in 2021. I NEVER thought Al Franken should have left.

[@martharauf4067]

I watch Bill for a long time he's funny over the top , over the edge and over opinionated but he's a comedian and I love that about him 👍🏽👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🙏🏼

[@PresidentHillaryClinton]

Ana Marie Cox might be a perfectly nice individual in real life, but something about being on the show makes it seem like she's just been possessed. MUST. INTERRUPT. EVERY. POINT. WITH. NEUROTIC. NONSENSE.

[@rino09876]

Ronan Farrow is what Milo Yiannopoulous sees when he looks in the mirror. Ronan is also the caliber of journalist Milo thinks he is.

[@MrShaneVicious]

Avocadog the Great Milo isn't a journalist, and doesn't claim to be.

[@rino09876]

MrShaneVicious he might not be one but he does claim to.

[@homebrandrules]

Avocadog the Great I,ll make the assumption that ronan is gay,( I dont know much about him) and he is the product of a fatherless upbringing? more interesting analysis which reaffirms existing data. he is mia farrows son? nepotism can be such advantage in achieving big goals!

[@philwill0123]

Not really. Ronan Farrow is a child genius who got a degree aded

[@JustinLHopkins]

homebrandrules All the gay people I know lived in homes with both mother and father. There’s no connection, if that’s what you’re implying.

[@edwardbyars9438]

Hats off. The show has been great lately. Good panel. Good bits

[@Niklaren8112]

If Al Frankin had of taken the pic when he was a Senator then I could see him losing his job over it, but it was back when he was a damn comedian, he did it for a laugh

[@shmookins]

I need to buy more books.

[@veek.6463]

I'll gift you some. Am moving and don't want to take them with me. You can send me a check for postage or something. Let me know. Have history books and incredible eastern philosophy books

[@shmookins]

Thank you for your generous gesture. But seeing that I live half way across the globe (in a 3rd world country), shipping will be expensive and also a bother for you to pack. But you made my day just offering. :)

[@corylowe5557]

Buy my book.

[@dedewelupeweon3461]

Shadow Heart what are book?

[@JakeMissy-cr4oj]

Shadow Heart no, just ......need to READ more books.

[@thinkabout288]

damn Bill all i can say is THANK YOU

[@mattfarley4996]

Ronan is 🔥🔥

[@galaxystar8135]

hi Bill!! my family and l love your show!! keep up the good work!! hugs

[@JudithBisson]

You need more Canadians on your show Bill. We bring a different perspective to the world.

[@redlightmax]

+Judith Bisson He had Jordan Peterson on the show just last week.

[@JudithBisson]

I missed last week. I was studying for my exams. Haha

[@matts6139]

Judith Bisson He needs more good Canadians but not embarrassments like christya freeland

[@isaachaze1]

it would be fun to see elisha cuthbert and her perspectives on the world :)

[@ninakupchenko5744]

Ronan is so beautiful 😍

[@googleyeyed5814]

Nina Kupchenko He’s weirdly pale and has tiny, tiny hands and feet. He sort of creeps me out.

[@brunoshure]

Googley Eyed what if he is secretly the bastard son of Trump?

[@SeagullB]

Bruno Garcia is he a transgender GYM or just had a bad hair cut? it is tragic he obviously did not inherit the sense of humor

[@jackburton7483]

Those Sinatra genes really help.

[@jackburton7483]

Woody Allen is not his father. It's pretty obvious who is.

[@lemerdeposteur]

“You know what? I can’t get over the picture.” And they wonder why we don’t take them seriously.

[@janelliot5643]

7:12 what's ripping apart democracy faster than anything else? Agreed, Sir!

[@tamaramoscowitz1241]

Please do not have Ana Marie Cox on again. Her comments on Al Franken are appalling.

[@hollymorgan7420]

no one ever likes her! whenever shes on the show the comments our begging Bill to silence her. I feel like I'm the only one thinks she has interesting perspective.

[@tamaramoscowitz1241]

There's no accounting for taste.

[@hollymorgan7420]

Free speech, amirite Grandma?

[@timothyscanlon5156]

I get tired of her talking of her 12-step rants all over the place.

[@mariana8495]

No what's appalling is that all those men didn't let her talk about why Al Franken should be held to a higher standard. If you don't get why he NEEDED to leave the Senate, you're appalling

[@leifharmsen]

Education can save us from the likes of Facebook. Smart educated people who aren't using it to lie to and manipulate others are decidedly NOT on it. Be smart and be good. Shut your Facebook. It's not your profile on Facebook, it's Facebook's profile on you.

[@Willskull]

Amazing talk!

[@ginikast1441]

I miss this It's always informative and fun.

[@reaganlear6548]

4:50 yes 👍,people in public office should be held accountable for their actions, and to a higher degree.

[@bretttracy2104]

Al Franken- This wasn't a GOP trick AS MUCH AS it was a necessary downfall of the DNC's REGULATION OF FREE EXPRESSION that the right cashed in on. Comedians make jokes about sensitive topics, and being uncomfortable makes people laugh while also drawing them to ask about their own boundaries. That is a good thing.

[@tombombaddie]

“Due process” applies in situations other than criminal trials. It actually *can* apply to losing a job. It’s simply... whatever “process” is “due” before a system imposes consequences on a person.

[@monteberry599]

Probably one of the best episodes with these guest & panel

[@stephaniecuellar3192]

I'm with ya on the difference between stupid and criminal behaviours. While I've had my share of wolf whistles, or even being backed up against a wall by a jerk, I've not wanted to call these actions criminal.

[@fuckfuck4420]

Backed into a wall by a jerk!!!? What?!

[@ShawnVanden]

It's the "User" of the Technology, not necessarily the Technology which is fatally flawed. We must try to evolve as a species via character, integrity & emotional intelligence. Perhaps we shall "grow up" sometime soon, and save ourselves, from ourselves before it's too late.

[@HughJorgan1]

Great points. Especially the one on EI. We're clearly still evolving as a species. We'll look back at this point in our history and wonder "what we were thinking". Just like other points in our 200,000 year+ history where our self-awareness and/or newly discovered 'tools' (technology) dominated our focus.

[@notsayingimbetterthanyoubu3187]

see but the people who have no emotional intelligence or integrity believe too much, and the technology is extremely harmful to someone like that. And children who grow up with Facebook will be bombarded with absolute garbage info to the point they WON'T grow into intelligent people with integrity. So ya, the tech is a huge problem

[@HughJorgan1]

Yo Mamma...you're right. Kids need to start from a strong base (parenting, education, etc) or they're susceptible to over exposure to anything, be it technology or rapid societal changes. We can apply this same principle to past generations.

[@elenaeisenhardt3280]

Ronan Farrow was great! 👏🏻

[@aatt3209]

one of the best Maher's panels of authors

[@richardrosebealprestonjohn3144]

The worlds larging advertising business! True!

[@DancingHippoYillie]

That woman just wants to be heard, it was blatantly obvious. She didn't necessarily have an opinion, she just wanted to challenge whatever the men had to say. Very frustrating. She kept interrupting everyone just to spout off more political correctness

[@thunderpooch]

No kidding. Awkwardness is not rape. Cringe jokes are not rape. Fake groping is not sexual assault. And hands dropping below the waist is not worthy of #metoo. It should be dealt with in a 5 minute meeting saying, "Bad, don't do that again." END OF STORY If I was Franken I would go on a pretentious bitch slaying mission. He can either use his stand up comedy or live ammunition. I'll approve of either one.

[@kellygreen5430]

FoxiMoxi yes, even the special guest. I wanted to hear the experience he came on for.

[@fuckfuck4420]

Actually groping is sexual assault. Franken didn’t resign because of that picture but because he groped 7 women.

[@gracephoenix1244]

FoxiMoxi www.blazinreggaevibes.com/

[@susandermer6711]

Tweeden herself accepted his apology. She said that "People make mistakes and of course he knew he made a mistake," So perhaps Ana should get off her high horse. She doesnʻt speak for all women just because she is a woman.

[@NequeNon]

I love Ross Douthat, he's brilliant.

[@bessieking3797]

Al Franken didn't want to be subject to the ridicule. He's a wonderful comedian didn't have to go through that.

[@athews1976]

Is she even aware that Alan Franken DID NOT actually have his hands on that womans breast in that picture? It really does seem like she doesn't even know. Al's Job was literally comedy at the time of that picture and everything about what happened was related to that. It's truly is despicable that he loses his job for such frivolous bullshit, in his case.

[@RovingRoy]

Everyone's got a book..."Buy your book, buy my book." Give me a break. I'm not buying any of those clowns' freaking books.

[@p.s6742]

1:14 Now that's the Bill Maher I remember.Good to see that he hasn't change a bit.GOD BLESS HIM!!!

[@tatiannagibbs5202]

Thank you!

[@revolucionBigote]

I really supported, and continue to support Mr. Franken, he is a good person with somewhat of a shady past. However, I think what certain people fail to realize is if the GOP got word that Dems knew about his nefarious past, and didn't convict him, there would be a double standard. The GOP could then in a way use that as leverage to bolster their own political agenda above sexual harassment testimonies. So in a way, I am an apologist for the women in this case because sexual harassment goes above partisanism. Even if you agree with Bill Maher--and to be fair, I agree with almost everything he stands for--I would like you to see the connection that different political factions can take from an indecision to fire Mr. Franken, after all the women who testified over his misconduct, even if it was in the past.

[@Tempo_Gigante]

Democrats are so eager to eat their own, but scared sh!tless to say anything against Republicans. SAD!

[@deanchampion6777]

GOP know that Dems will eat their own in a fit of self-righteousness, and LOSE their objectivity and credibility -- and the GOP KNOWS that the GOP NEVER has to be either objective OR credible.

[@revolucionBigote]

1) I'm an Independent that leans left; not a Dem. 2) Using Trump speech makes you look stupid.

[@revolucionBigote]

No. Both of them did something wrong. Maybe at different character levels, by all means, Roy Moore was worse, but just because one is in your political sphere, doesn't exclude that what he did was wrong. The GOP establishment currently just doesn't really care what their politicians do. That is the point of my argument. In the long term, it will bite them in the rear end.

[@revolucionBigote]

Which claims?

[@lezzulee]

Great show, ..why do I want to comb and do the part in her hair, lol...

[@yootoob4516]

The BIG GAY ME wants to pull her hair back and spray the rest in place.

[@mariah-raevincent]

Thats all I could think!

[@shannon9849]

I came to the comment section just for this. I couldn't focus on anything else while she was talking. Sadly, it almost appears it was "styled" like this...

[@tututishtosh]

Can we please start a petition to bring Al Franken back to the Senate? Anyone here know how to do that? MoveOn.org is free to anyone to set it up.

[@cinemar]

Anne Marie Cox is maxxing out on her white guilt. Frank Sinatra Jr. makes some good points.