New Rule: Trigger Warning! | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)

Trigger warnings are everywhere these days - and not only do they not work, they're making things worse.

[@HBarnill]

Maher and South Park are the only pieces of sanity we have left on TV.

[@maidenfan237]

facts are facts 😂

[@elgatofelix8917]

Your initials clearly stand for Fatuous Nincompoop

[@cilliansands6166]

Fucking Amen, HBarnill.

[@anthonyyoung6489]

That is true.

[@Hectic0101]

Lmao but damn if it aint facts

[@laalmondo4191]

During my second year of my forensic science degree my lecturer was showing real crime scenes of victims for case studies that the police and families of said victims had let universities use for studying, real gruesome stuff but it's expected of a forensic course. Anyway my lecturer said if you need a trigger warning already knowing full well what the course involves then you don't belong in the course because if you can't deal with just an image how are you going to deal with a real life case.

[@susieque176]

Good analogy

[@Xpress2hell]

That professor deserves tenure

[@pilotnamealreadytaken6035]

Said professor was quitely let go yesterday. They handed him a picture of his letter of resignation... before he had to write it...

[@entubatumahumasu4132]

not really a fitting analogy because the students chose what they study and that it involves cruelty. however, you dont choose to be confronted with violence in everyday situations.

[@SC-mf1gc]

@@entubatumahumasu4132 You choose it the moment you decide to leave your home. That's life.

[@kevinmichael8619]

I've worked in the theatre since the mid eighties, and there would always be a warning (,not "trigger warning") in the program for any use of strobes, fog/haze or any kind of pyrotechnics (including blanks or caps) The strobe has been covered by many here, but the reason for notifying about fog or haze is less about asthma than it is so that if the audience sees a haze in the air, or clouds of smoke/fog billowing from backstage, they know it's part of the show and not leap to the conclusion that the building is on fire. It only takes one idiot to panic and start a deadly stampede. There's a reason that it's illegal to yell "fire" in a crowded theatre.

[@scottgray2858]

It's NOT illegal to shout "fire" in a theater. It's rude and inconsiderate, but not illegal.

[@noex100]

@@scottgray2858 It could be illegal depending on the circumstances, such as whether the person was outright lying and the extent of the consequences thereof.

[@davidh.4944]

@@scottgray2858 Maybe not always in those exact words, but it is definitely illegal in most places to knowingly incite panic or rioting, or to just generally disturb the peace. Try this one on for size: _2022 Ohio Revised Code | Title 29_ _Crimes-Procedure Chapter 2917 | Offenses Against the Public Peace_ _Section 2917.31 | Inducing Panic._ _Effective: September 30, 2011_ _(A) No person shall cause the evacuation of any public place, or otherwise cause serious public inconvenience or alarm, by doing any of the following:_ _(1) Initiating or circulating a report or warning of an alleged or impending fire, explosion, crime, or other catastrophe, knowing that such report or warning is false;_ _(2) Threatening to commit any offense of violence;_ _(3) Committing any offense, with reckless disregard of the likelihood that its commission will cause serious public inconvenience or alarm._ _(B) Division (A)(1) of this section does not apply to any person conducting an authorized fire or emergency drill._ _(C)_ _(1) Whoever violates this section is guilty of inducing panic._ _(2) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(3), (4), (5), (6), (7), or (8) of this section, inducing panic is a misdemeanor of the first degree._ _(3) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(4), (5), (6), (7), or (8) of this section, if a violation of this section results in physical harm to any person, inducing panic is a felony of the fourth degree._ _(4) Except as otherwise provided in division (C)(5), (6), (7), or (8) of this section, if a violation of this section results in economic harm, the penalty shall be determined as follows:_ [followed by more clarification language] (edited to provide more context and better formatting, including level of crime)

[@user49917]

I read that one of the first moving pictures had a train moving right toward the camera causing a panic where people in the theater scrambled to run away. The film was titled L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat (The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station, 1895). However, the story is an urban legend.

[@firsttheycame0211]

Having just seen this piece I was reminded of a tv series in 1973 in the UK which I was allowed to watch. It was called The World at War. I was ten at the time and, as it started at 9pm, I thought it was great that I was allowed to stay up this late to watch it! The programme shows graphic footage from those six years and made me realise what an horrific time my parents had lived through, even worse for the ones who didn't survive. Seeing it didn't make me curl up in a ball and cry, it made me realise how lucky I was to be here at all and how grateful I should be to that generation for standing up to Hitler and his allies. I was a late arrival, my father was 41 when I came along. I think he wanted this to educate me into how quickly things can go tragically wrong. How long before someone tries to re-write this part of human history in case it is too upsetting I wonder

[@MikeBronson515]

“Even the Taliban are ok with eyes!” 😂😂😂

[@thechrismatos]

I legitimately was yelled at the other day for bringing up PTSD in a group conversation because it gave that person PTSD about discussing PTSD. I mean this has got to stop somewhere, there are people out there ACTUALLY hurting that we should be focusing on. Not using other peoples conditions to fortify your own self worth by labeling yourself a victim too. Ugh

[@dparky1627]

People need to stop defining themselves by their issues/problems. They should work to overcome them, not try to wear them like badges of honour. It’s like they want others to give them a free pass because of, “I’m (fill in the blank).” This stuff needs to stop.

[@millirabbit4331]

Your best solution in that situation is to ignore them and move on. Addressing it is too much work and almost always ends with you being the bad guy. People with a victim mentality tend to also have practice. Then, when they enter the conversation with something relevant, give them attention. Train their brain to understand saying relevant things is rewarded with attention.

[@bryanmachin3738]

I concur!

[@taniaelliott6625]

Amen.

[@thechrismatos]

@WHENDOESITEND? they were drinking 👌🏼 but they aren’t too different sober either.

[@dainarose8272]

Yes, EXACTLY! I'm a trauma survivor and dealing with it is the answer. I've never felt triggered by any piece of media or conversation in my life (some songs make me emotional if life has been rough because abuse feeds the trauma of abuse but I don't avoid them, I feel what I need to feel and sort through things. I weep and cry and hurt and recover and move forward).

[@emremokoko]

I think the more you sensitivize yourself to being a victim, the worse you will feel. It is better to psuh through it, instead of pulling back.

[@dainarose8272]

@@emremokoko that's what I'm saying!

[@skynebula11]

I personally believe that no one gets through life without a major trauma...sooner or later...unfortunately, some of the most horrific traumas are catapulted on the very young....we still have to learn to ...move on...or die...just as you have, I choose to...move on!

[@dainarose8272]

@@skynebula11 Unfortunately, a big part of it is a lot of families having the cycle of abuse, so they think it's normal when it's not.

[@indiumone]

Exactly..as a child sexual abuse survivor…turning away isn’t the answer..I use the music I produce and sing as an outlet..and I joke about my abuse if anything..living life blindfolded and looking at yourself as just a victim who can’t change without dealing with it is nonsense..I laugh at my smart tv sometimes even warning me about audio levels being to high asking me ‘’are you sure you want to listen at a higher volume which can be harmful,’’,,here I have to press yes/ok/leave me the f#%k alone…ha..actually the hurt I went through helped me grow and play better music…💪😂☝️🤗

[@rl5579]

I am a left leaning centrist. Bill Maher and his writers give me hope and remind me that there are mostly normal people out there who can handle being offended without making a social issue of it. The "My agenda better be your agenda too" crowd are the people that are making this world more difficult than it has to be.

[@bevkaufman7335]

My father grew up afraid of snakes and didn't want his kids to feel the same way. So, he would bring us a garter snake or black snake to let us hold it and feel how smooth the skin was and how beautiful the markings, and then we would let it go and watch it sliding away in the grass. He did it so well we never guessed how he really felt about them. You conquer fear by facing it.

[@jareddemarzo8196]

I'm scared of spiders, so I bought a tarantula. And I enjoy taking care of her and feeding her, and my arachnophobia has definitely lessened because of it.

[@papillonvu]

Now that’s a great dad there, and a real man!

[@jlev1028]

To be fair, fearing snakes is plausible when you're going out on a trail and one appears on your line of sight. You don't know if it's venomous or not, but you know it'll quickly lunge at your leg if you don't get the hell out of there.

[@evanburrows1697]

Pfft. Half-measures! He should have become SnakeMan! ;-)

[@rogerc23]

I was traumatized by my stepmom and it’s made me somehow afraid of maniacal psychotic menopausal bitches who think 10 year olds are trying to destroy their entire lives

[@gamepapa1211]

My sister died from cancer last year, yet I agree it is ridiculous to put a sign on my chest telling folks not to talk about cancer, death, or sisters around me. My trauma is mine alone, and it is obnoxious to push them to become yours.

[@TraderTimmy]

Sorry about your sister. If you were my friend, I’d certainly be sensitive to your sister’s passing when the topic of cancer came up. I wouldn’t avoid the topic, but I would be sensitive about it. Seems like right way to be.

[@bighands69]

I am afraid it is life and we all have experiences that can be traumatic. We have to learn to deal with it otherwise people will not be able to live.

[@marcosdarby]

No one carries a trigger warning on a shield. It happens in media usually. What’s wrong with your parents not wanting to watch a show that discusses cancer because it it’s close to home? A trigger warning is perfectly suitable for that. It may affect them some days more than others, a trigger warning gives them the option to bail out or not. Perfectly sensible thing and it doesn’t affect anyone else in the slightest. But bill maher’s brand is being a smug entitled old white man so of course he has to make it about him. You shouldn’t indulge him though.

[@JasonM69]

My condolences to you and your family

[@Ryooken]

I am sorry about your sister. However, everyone deals with pain in their own way. Some people can move beyond it without being triggered and some can't. We just have to be sensitive to the ones that can't, and praise the ones that can.

[@FergiesHuman]

For real, i never could understand this stuff. Several years ago I was diagnosed with PTSD when I was hospitalized. I started working through some early childhood stuff (e.g. being tied up and gagged). Started having intense panic attacks that led to a heart arrhythmia. Anyways, I regularly casually expose myself to anything that *could* be a trigger. It is SO true that “trigger warnings” are completely unhelpful for trauma. It only serves to make you identify even more with it and not prevent getting mentally stronger. Anyway, I am proud of where I’ve gotten and I also laugh at this because I understand how ridiculous it is. Trauma is real and requires particular type of help, but trigger warnings and bans of words, people, etc are not it.

[@rutlandcitybikes9729]

It is amazing to me how crazy fast the world is loosing the ability to live in reality.

[@bowlingstoned2113]

I'm in the bracket of the Millennial generation, and I've never felt more embarrassed. I take notes on what NOT to be daily from my contemporaries.

[@graoldenbuer6761]

And it's amazing to me that 80% of people on social media can no longer spell the word lose or losing correctly

[@rutlandcitybikes9729]

@@graoldenbuer6761 No longer... I always spell it wrong. So I guess I'm not part of the 80%..

[@williambrandondavis6897]

Thank Albert Hoffman, Aldous Huxley, The merry pranksters, Timothy Leary, Terrance Mckenna, Joe Rogan, etc. lmao

[@Slaphappy1975]

I'm a Thai guy who went to college in America 1992-1996 and lived there til '99. I loved every moment of it. When I hear shit like this it makes me really sad at the state of my adoptive home.

[@MeMe-lx2jw]

I'm part American and feel the same. When I say miss the US I mean I miss the US I lived in, before all this madness started. I'd probably get arrested now for calling a woman "she".

[@vvohvaelez9277]

people who rely on tw are by far the minority, dont generalise a generation

[@bighands69]

America is still the best country in the world to live in. Other places are not having conversations about how there is social engineering taking place via universities and media.

[@mdschultz1873]

Don’t worry, it’s not real. It’s right wing propaganda

[@putler965]

I was triggered by your comment. Now I have PTSD.

[@element720]

“We’ve already past the point of parody” 😂 honestly at this point the comedy writes itself

[@Shiva108]

well, to be fair, Monty Python knew this 50 years ago..

[@ucesfossil6188]

Three years ago, elementary students taking a field trip to a gay bar was parody. Then reality caught up to the joke.

[@SubZero-hs9xc]

Just for curiosity for someone who watch the show more Why Russel Brand is here?

[@sheilag2231]

But no one is laughing.

[@alnitaka]

Yes, especially when he says "trigger warning" causes a trigger warning. "is a trigger warning" is a trigger warning.

[@HellSpawn86]

Going to university now. I cited research articles on how trigger warnings have a negative effect on students. My class-mates continued to push the narrative that universities should implement them. What's sad is that it hamstrings conversation for the people who don't want/need it. Plus it goes counter to other aspects of the research. We can't figure out all the aspects of life that will trigger someone. Maybe someone was drinking coffee in their car when they got in a car accident. The phrase car accident might not trigger them, but the smell of coffee. That person might also know how to navigate their sense where as university officials don't. If anything it comes off as an attempt to censor conversation.

[@ihatechaucer4413]

I always looked at trigger warnings the same way we look at “explicit” labels placed on music albums. Seeing them only makes on want to hear it even more.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

Balls to the wall is a term that came from old steam engines. There were metal balls that moved with engine speed. When the engine was at maximum speed, the metal balls would be all the way out. Balls out is also a term from the same thing. People just turned it into something else. So going balls out, or balls to the wall just means going full speed. That's it

[@akidodogstar5460]

You are correct sir.

[@modickens1272]

​@julian marx if it's to the walls of a vajajay it could also make sense.

[@ceciliaFX]

Thanks for this interesting info

[@darknight10000]

@julian marx Testes are round. That's why people call them "balls".

[@petesmitt]

@@modickens1272 that's balls deep..

[@billyhawkins721]

Glad someone with an audience is finally speaking out against this madness

[@plantfeeder6677]

I guarantee Russell Brand's audience is larger than Bill Mahers. At least lately Bill seems to have finally Awakened.

[@JoeyMcNelis]

@@plantfeeder6677 Bill's never been woke. He's always been a moderate. His issue is he's got TDS really bad.

[@bermchasin]

people have been speaking out against it for a long time.. .they were just conservatives so people (the media) ignored them

[@bluceree7312]

@@plantfeeder6677 Russell who?

[@Baalenciaga666]

@@bluceree7312shhh be quiet

[@50sVintage]

Brilliant. Keep up the outstanding work, Bill. You present an hour of reason every week; yours is the only show I have to watch.

[@plantfeeder6677]

Wow are you missing out on so many great people by keeping it to a guy who at his age is just now starting to Wake Up! The guy sitting next to him during this monologue, Russell Brand, is one you should start with. He's brilliant, fair, and liberal in the classic sense.

[@gwenkallammontgomery4885]

Me Too 😊

[@Terrato.Worzen]

Something I always recommend as a way to find a solution to a problem (and I don't do this as a joke) is asking oneself: What would Batman do? Thank you for confirming I've been right all these years, Bill.

[@ironmurs6903]

As a young boy, I was terrified of water and had a few near drowning incidents. Swimming parties triggered me. I barely learned to doggy paddle at 11yrs old. As an adult I got into triathlon to face my fears. There where many mid-ocean panic attacks…but now 20 yrs, 50+ races and 3 Ironman’s later, I can say with full confidence, yes exposure therapy can be an amazing tool. Wait for it…. Cannon-BALL!!! 🏊‍♀️

[@lostone9700]

Ok just dont be ironic and drown.

[@roxaskinghearts]

Im going to point something out for all these trigger warning morons to justify this kind of ignorants means the world is a safe enough place for sheeple like you to live without being subjugated under someone elses will like for your organs or for sex ie pbs children married aborad the only people id accept a trigger warning from is entertainment industries warning on strobes where people can actually find a nice place to get out to and have a family get together vs even accepting one of these karens on the property because you dont want to deal with it if you want to hide yourself from triggers only let other people dictate what you watch find a few trusted sources influincers duh

[@seanjones180]

Most of the trigger warnings he listed off are in place for people with disabilities and conditions.. Like autism /epilepsy /chronic lung disease... You think there's exercises to overcome these things doc?

[@ionutgeanta8741]

@@seanjones180 do you understand the idea of "irony"? he's not talking about people with disabilities, he's talking about full grown people, both physically and (alegedlly) mentally, that are behaving like people with disabilities, simply because they don't want to know about "bad stuff". life rarely gives you trigger warnings, and best way to deal with "bad stuff" is to face it, or at least learn to deal with it. these snowflakes don't want to do either

[@seanjones180]

@@ionutgeanta8741 he is literally criticising warnings before stage shows.. I don't think you understand the word irony...simulated gun shots, strobe lighting and haze.. All 3 of these things can be serious for people with health conditions.. You saying we shouldn't warn people or are YOU just being ironic too?

[@memeyers1962]

I am a survivor of several traumas over the course of my life. Not once when growing up were there every trigger warnings. I just went on with my life. I don’t think I would want to be warned, because as is indicated, it sets my tensions up in anticipation. It is far less traumatic if I don’t know what’s coming. That’s just my experience.

[@mac_tire_aonair]

Absolutely right! Good for you in your persistent resilience

[@ericbogar9665]

Warning: After 60 life goes quickly. Be prepared.

[@rkarins3825]

We all have traumas growing up - that's just life. We adapted, overcame and moved on.

[@maggielanez106]

My post was featured on this, the post is about a pornographic website that has women being disemboweled and beheaded and raped on it. If you don't think that is deserving of a warning, you may need therapy.

[@karllager2214]

Same

[@Danimal1577]

Possibly one of the best Maher rants ever. The cocaine bear at the end had me LOL'ing 😆

[@harrybalsak3508]

Usually the best humor comes from the truth. This was a classic example of just that...

[@joshuairwin3385]

Coworker at work got upset from a Jocko Willink poster my coworker had up on his wall because the red and black colors made her uncomfortable and we had to take them down. I would love to talk to a social psychologist and ask why the hell we give some much power to emotionally weak people.

[@dingfeldersmurfalot4560]

Herd mentality.

[@quietreason8679]

Social worker here, and in our field we sometimes work with the term "empowerment". The idea is to recognize that people can become powerless on both an individual and a collective level. At the collective level society has a range of structural problems that allow certain people or groups to become disadvantaged or even powerless. The process of empowerment can help those people through changing the problematic structures, which in your case could be an office police around posters in the work environment. Empowerment also works on an individual level though, where it's important to recognize that people often do have power that they're simply not aware of, or able to exercise in a meaningful way. An indiviual solution to the poster problem at your workplace could have been a constructive dialogue between you and your co-worker about what it was about the poster that was uncomfortable for her. Perhaps you'd end up agreeing with her that the poster was indeed problematic, or perhaps she'd find out that her reaction to it was unreasonable. More likely you'd both have found out that it had little to do with the poster, and perhaps more to do with the relationships and personalities involved.

[@seanbrown9048]

Lol; even a picture of Jocko oozes toxic he-man macho masculinity to the weak and woke herd of perpetual victimhood.

[@Monochromicornicopia]

@@quietreason8679 But that shouldn't be necessary AT ALL. I shouldn't have to engage in a dialogue with a coworker just because they don't like my poster. They can go f themselves and their opinion of my poster

[@martinbennett8752]

So - if I was employed at your place and turned up in a cheerful red and black jumper/sweater/cardigan, would I have to take it off because it made her uncomfortable? If I happened to mention I was wearing red and black underwear would I have to remove that too as the mere thought of red and black together would upset her?

[@thomass.586]

Thank you Bill, please keep doing your thing - being a witty, funny, ironic, sometimes sarcastic beacon of reason in a world that goes crazier every day.

[@mkultra2456]

Meh. He's alright. His audience is really annoying. Listen to those dums dums laughing way too hard.

[@hansgoldbergisrael]

“beacon of reason”

[@mistermysteryman107]

Oh, please. He just smells the way the political winds are blowing, and he jumps on board the nearest sailboat.

[@CarterM54]

@@mistermysteryman107 If those winds are going to blow away the "progressive"' lunatics, crank up the fans.

[@crazyhorseiii1065]

It's easy to say the obvious things you've been paid to avoid or twist up when the evidence is being exposed all around you. All of that content has imploded on them and they are grasping at straws to breathe underwater so to speak. He was pretty good on his way up the ladder of his success. Then he became a major shill. Now he is doing what he got famous for. It can only last as long as his masters allow it. I'm glad he is B slapping them for a brief moment. I'll never have respect or trust in what he says unless he leaves them behind and exposes them. Oh wait he can't because of that non disclosure he signed. They own him. Go out on your own Bill you're rich enough you don't need your masters anymore.

[@HypatiaK]

In about 20 years of teaching undergraduate history I had one student seriously upset by course content. I showed video from concentration camps and she ran out, in tears. She waited outside & apologized to me(!) for the disruption. Her Grandparents were Holocaust survivors. But I retired in 2016. Evidently things have changed.

[@paulbarron9745]

We need sensible people on both sides to save us from the fringes.

[@nephalos666]

"Romeo and Juliet had been in your Netflix since 1562." Man that had me rolling!🤣🤣

[@rockytoptom]

That was great but how about the eye contact thing... "even the Taliban is okay with eyes" hahah

[@jesusjammmer]

Love how Bill Maher said Bruce Wayne afraid of bats so he became Batman. Great point!!

[@vvohvaelez9277]

so if someone is triggered by gore and violence, they should just become a butcher?

[@mitchschneider1927]

Bill, good to have you back in the real world. 👏

[@gwenkallammontgomery4885]

Love Bill , 💓 He still tells it like it is.!!!

[@NewMessage]

I wish he'd warned us this was coming up.

[@probablecausereasonabledou944]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Some people are just not going to get the irony in that statement! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@SN-sz7kw]

On one hand grace, compassion, & courtesy never go out of style. On the other there’s a useful expression - you can’t cover the world in leather. Put on a pair of shoes.

[@curiouscat3384]

I like that. Young women half dressed getting drunk in bars need to learn that.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

@@curiouscat3384 As the old saying went "If you don't want the attention don't look like you're advertising for it."

[@cioccolateriaveneziana]

Wow, this is a genius saying, I'll be using it.

[@Cheeseburger.Launch.Sequence]

@@curiouscat3384 Conservatives trying to erase people from existence need to learn that.

[@mnfreeman]

I would characterize the practice of trigger warnings as being part of the current dynamic of social /emotional codependence, as defined by the idea that it is healthy to expect, want, and even demand that others be responsible for regulating your own inner /emotional state. (There's a difference between being sensitive to and supportive of a person dealing with traumas, and enabling them to remain controlled by their emotional patterns and to avoid facing and being responsible for their own associations and definitions which they've assigned to particular words /behaviors /situations they encounter). A healthy self and society is free from all forms of emotional codependence.

[@commandercaptain4664]

Indeed, a trigger warning is just a sign denoting that self actualization and improvement are useless endeavors, and that it’s best to live in superstition and ignorance of reality.

[@carladehaas7866]

Well said!

[@Zzyzzyzzs]

It's idealistic to think we can be "free from all forms of emotional co-dependence". Whether we like it or not, we're social creatures (even if individuals among us are not sociable) and a need to interact and form social bonds means there will always be a need for a certain amount of emotional consideration. What you call "being sensitive to and supportive of people dealing with trauma" is still a form of co-dependence, just one that is defined by _mutual_ consideration rather than it being one way, which is what demanding to be coddled by everyone so you don't ever have to face difficulty is. The common-sense boundary lies somewhere between the two, and the fact is, as we evolve in what we accept of people and how we interact, that boundary will shift. It may feel inconvenient (adapting always is) but that boundary has always been shifting. Pre-code movies from the 30s were full of sex and violence; fast forward a bit and you couldn't even show a toilet on screen in the 50s; by the 70s the Texas Chainsaw Massacre was one of the highest grossing films of the year. Even as we complain about how verbal violence can trigger people, the most liberal mainstream newspaper in the UK, The Guardian, has been publishing obscenities uncensored in every-day news reports for over a decade. The watershed time for profanity on radio and TV used to be midnight; over the years it's shifted earlier and earlier, and now some stations don't censor at all. The point is that things like trigger warnings may seem annoying and make us grumble, but they are a necessary step in the progression of our society. Humanity has continuously demonstrated that only by pushing too far does it learn what the boundary is; then sensibility takes over and the rest of us pull it back a lot or a bit, depending on what the greater good is. Studies are showing they're counterproductive, and so the pendulum swings the other way. Hopefully not so far that we give into to those who think all everyone needs is to just harden the fuck up, because that's also inconsiderate in the opposing extreme, but far back enough that we're not dictated to by emotional selfishness and stagnation.

[@hortensemalfour6550]

@@Zzyzzyzzs I heartily enjoyed Bill's rant about trigger warnings, and I agree it's all gone way too far, but he goes too far as well. Thanks for taking the time to write this out: spared me the trouble. Your comment is the most thoughtful thus far. This pendulum business is going on with pretty much any issue you can name: addiction rates, criminality, the economy, whatever. You'd think we'd have figured this out by now. Maybe work at achieving some kind of equilibrium. But nooooo. Not us.

[@1nvertedReality]

The whole sticks and stones thing comes to mind. Been serving me well since 1973.

[@bangslamwham88]

Looks like George Carlin was on to something when he complained about soft language.

[@covid19alpha2variantturboc7]

And when he mocked germophobes (today's cov¡dian cultists)

[@teriliebmann3491]

George Carlin was so before his time. I love going back and watching his old stuff it's so relevant

[@bangslamwham88]

@@teriliebmann3491 I honestly don't understand why his comedy specials haven't been made available on HBO Max.

[@nerakar6562]

The legend himself

[@valhalla7408]

Carlin would have also eviscerated you anti-vaxxers because he hated the scientifically ignorant, so don’t think for a second that you or your ilk would have been spared George’s wrath

[@Beavis4pres]

People transact in power by claiming offended victim status. It's nothing new, but the volume and acceptability has exploded. Loved this, Bill!

[@grapeshot23]

Well put

[@negroniusblaximus7420]

the mantra of the left is the lower you are and morally baseless and weak you are the more power you should have

[@dianekuroda8513]

Trump is an obvious example...a nonstop crybaby.

[@gregpoltrock]

OMG THANK YOU! And your Batman analogy is spot on!

[@Odbarc]

As soon as people know what triggers you, that's the thing they'll gravitate towards. You want to keep them in the dark about what hurts you so they keep guessing and get it wrong every time except for maybe once. And they'll never know.

[@commandercaptain4664]

“Never give a b!tch a roadmap to your happiness.” - Justin Sylvester

[@PlaceStillMatters]

WARNING: The stage performers are projecting their voices. They aren’t yelling at you.

[@seanjones180]

Gunshots can be dangerous for those with heart conditions /haze can badly affect asthmatics and strobe lighting can induce epileptic seizures.. Kinda OK to warn those that might have health issues that the show has those effects no? Or are you against allergy warnings on food too?

[@gessie]

@@seanjones180 Maher may have mistakenly mentioned medical warnings but the comment you replied to didn't. Plus, you're clearly not of the warning crowd as you neglected to add "WARNING: This comment includes poor punctuation." Consider me triggered. *shakes violently*

[@panosbith4582]

Could all this insanity be coming from the fact that people in the US are suing each other all the time for money?

[@britneypennington8502]

I wish more TV personalities were like you!!! It's so refreshing to finally hear this on mainstream TV!

[@ccmzadv4879]

We have known this for decades, and it always amazed me that Universities let students (the people they are "educating") dictate these things. There is no such things as aversion therapy.

[@rustyoak8860]

this is because universities are now for profit businesses, they are not students, they are customers. And, as we've all been taught, the customer is always right.

[@ccmzadv4879]

@@rustyoak8860 100% People need to let go of the idea they had 30 years ago about Universities as bastions of public education. They are multi-billion multi-nation for-profit companies selling product.

[@Rallylabs]

Maher is really back in form lately. Good to see.

[@ManMeetsGamez]

Up to 2015: You have a problem? Deal with it or go to therapy. 2015-2023: Tell tiktok, the world, make everyone aware of your trauma and socially censor people who don't listen to your complaints.

[@Jangocat]

This has been a problem a LOT longer then 8 years, it was happening in the late 90's in corporate America and universities. It's just gotten worse to the point of absurdity the past several years.

[@maidofthemisty]

I believe something happened in 2015 that changed the course towards this dumpster fire.

[@steveportch1318]

Social media has helped speed this up.

[@themanwhoknewtoomuch6667]

Equivalent of put bubble wrapper around all thorns and sharp objects all across the world as I am sensitive to sharp objects.

[@ekgr212]

@@maidofthemisty ​i believe something hidden deep beneath the surface was finally exposed because of a certain individual coming onto the political scene. What Dave and Steve said (above ☝️) is true because i was getting a big dose of what Dave is talking about myself in college starting way back in 2007. I transferred from my dream college/grandfather’s alma mater after getting fed up with constant/relentless attempts at political indoctrination by a majority of my professors for 2.5 years, especially the PhDs. And I noticed social media has definitely made the whole issue exponentially/apparently worse, like Steve said. It’s been lurking around for a really long time, it’s just now seeing the light of day.

[@jakemoyles6610]

Crushing it... this episode was legendary.

[@johndfw8680]

Killing it lol

[@blackpranther]

I'd also imagine that just saying "trigger warning" trips all people who've been through ANY trauma as opposed to just those with the specific trauma they're worried about triggering...

[@theoseibold8666]

Trauma is real…but so is resilience. As someone with PTSD and Bi Polar, not everything can be safe and happy all the time. Every 4th of July and New Year’s is brutal but there’s only so much I can do. So I accept and manage this own my terms.

[@iwonder1216]

Excellent, this is the way.

[@charlesnelthorpe9252]

is it really the end of the world for example, to let a local community know about... I guess non-major event fireworks? ppl prob should expect fireworks on new years, july 4th, Canada day (here) , halloween... etc. but theres a minor league ball team a few blocks away and they do the odd night of boom-boom-pow here and there and let the surrounding area know NOT because people are going to lose their shit (though it might be an issue for some people too) but because it freaks the ever lovin shit out of ppls pets.. its just a nice thing to let ppl know about so they can prepare accordingly and not have their dog go mental at 11pm on a work day..

[@theoseibold8666]

@@charlesnelthorpe9252 Sure.

[@DBCOOPER888]

No one is saying we need to be safe and happy all the time. Have you never heard of a NSFW tag? This is no different.

[@millirabbit4331]

​@@DBCOOPER888 NSFW and trigger warnings are completely different things.

[@pricklycactusblossom6790]

I love the amusement on Brand's face.😂 Great words⚘️

[@cariwaldick4898]

I wrote fan fiction for years, and that's where I became aware of trigger warnings. Not wanting to traumatize any readers, I obliged. But what I thought might be triggering, isn't what actually triggered readers. I'd warn of nonconsensual sex, and they'd get triggered by their favorite character acting different than they believed they should! You can't possibly warn against everything that people find offensive, outrageous, frightening, or traumatic. And you're absolutely right, that it spoiled scenes, and gave away surprises. Rather than trigger warnings, we should learn coping strategies. I learned to close my eyes when something was hard to watch in a movie--like bug infestations, or blood and gore. I wasn't above hands over my ears, eyes squeezed shut, and humming. The best thing I learned, is that most of what might get a trigger warning, is typically FICTION! It's not real. No one's getting decapitated for real. The actress being assaulted, gets off the bed when they say "cut!" The only thing that might need a trigger warning, is the news. "These images are hard to watch. Parents might not want children in the room." In a lot of cases, we need to be triggered. It's how we know we're human. It's okay to get emotional. It's okay to cry.

[@Mysterioso46]

Don’t judge me but trigger warnings for books are like love letters authors write to me. Lol 😂

[@cariwaldick4898]

@@Mysterioso46 Hmmm.....several different ways I can take that. Straight forward, the author cares enough not to trigger you? Or maybe, trigger warning gives all the juicy details up front? Or does it give a friendly list of stuff you might want to avoid, like MPreg, (ugh!) so you can skip it entirely? Or is it like Spark's Notes, letting you skim and move along? I think it's silly to have warnings on books. It's not visual; it's cerebral; your mind needs to be complicit. You can always close the book, and the trigger magically disappears. If it's the words themselves that trigger someone, then they've got to be careful of everything they read, and words like "grape, truck, rope, cream, and PSAT" could be triggers. I tend to use the warning as a guide to bad writing.

[@Meitti]

Actually you can. Just have a disclaimer "This story is meant for R-18 audience and contains violence and sexual content". Problem solved. Anyone whining afterwards either failed to read the disclaimer or is too childish and sensitive to read your story. South Park has always had the disclaimer at the beginning of every single episode.

[@cariwaldick4898]

@@Meitti Most fan fiction sites won't host anything that can't be viewed by kids, even with a disclaimer. (Though TBH, they really host all kinds of smut; they just don't acknowledge they do.) What always seems weird to me, is they worry much more about lovemaking, than they do about violence. Words need a complicit mind. I could write the most torrid love scene, and so long as I didn't make it an anatomy lesson, a child probably wouldn't understand it. They (hopefully) haven't been exposed to such things in real life, and creative imagery only works if you have experience. So much restriction, censorship, and banning happens for the sake of the kids--but it's never the kids reporting these things. It's often not even parents. So many people believe children are fragile little sponges, that must be protected from life. True, you want to preserve innocence when you can, but not at the expense of trying to shut everything away, and insure nothing ever touches them. I look at fiction as a safe way to introduce tough realities, so they can set up their own boundaries, learn defense mechanisms, and grow a little tougher so the hard stuff doesn't crush them when it happens in real life. A story where the dog dies, can help them when Grandpa dies. All those right-wing extremists trying to ban books, are just insuring kids get knocked sideways the first time they see a two dad couple at their soccer game, or realize the waitress at their favorite restaurant used to be their waiter. And don't get me started on race issues.

[@teledoink]

Yeah! Let those stupid epileptics deal with their seizures from strobe lights in a movie, play, or crappy installation art exhibition. It’s THEIR seizure not anyone else’s. So selfish to make everyone else have to read a small sigh before entering!

[@thetheatrezoo3603]

This is hilarious. Today NPR gave a warning about sounds of artillery in a segment, but then they opened with chainsaw sounds which actually my me jump because I was expecting a vocal opening. It made me laugh because they didn't warn me about the chainsaw.🤣

[@russellnolan9212]

Forest Psychologist: You're a lumberjack and that's OK. YOU SLEEP all night and work all day!

[@prezidenttrump5171]

@Harvey Kent You mean those of you that are total losers, didn't know what to do with their lives and had mommy and daddy government take care of them. Just do what you're told and don't go AWOL! You're not an adult yet!

[@eduardoescobar1906]

Npr is horrible now, stopped listening for 2 years and accidentally dialed in last week and Jesus!

[@rsia08]

Once I heard them apologize for not warning listeners about an "intense" crescendo at the end of a piece of classical music. They were worried it may have "startled" us. This was in like 2017-18 on my car radio haha.

[@Mang-ej5ul]

NPR is one of the biggest offenders of reporting feelings over facts.

[@JonnyTainment]

Your triggers are YOUR responsibility. It isn't the world's obligation to tiptoe around you.

[@dparky1627]

Amen.

[@robo5013]

About five years ago I was told by a young college girl that it was everybody's responsibility to know what other people's trigger words are and to avoid using them in conversation. As a forty five year old adult I told her just let me find out what someone's trigger word is and it would become my new favorite word.

[@JonnyTainment]

@@robo5013 That's college students for you!

[@joewaters5828]

Yes-huh it is!!! Triggered!!

[@amale4202]

YOUR GOD DAM RITES HOSS THIS IS ANERICA

[@chrisbeloff6689]

You had me at "Religulous"

[@macumezahn]

thank you for slowly coming back to sanity, we need our true comedians and role models again.

[@rabit818]

Master’s bedroom is now called owner’s bedroom. So many rules.

[@ge2623]

I remember years ago they started blocking out the word "rape" in tv and movies.

[@KohalaLover]

Here in California, realtors use the word “primary” to describe the main bedroom.

[@maskedmarvyl4774]

I wish young people remembered Roy Rogers and Trigger. Because the horse would be a perfect icon for Trigger Warning.

[@HawaiiKnut]

I was bullied throughout primary and middle school. Even I'm baffled over what people apply trigger warnings for.

[@nomadic1979]

He mentioned a trigger warning that mentioned strobe lights. For Epileptics that are photosensitive this makes sense. Strobe lights trigger seizures and it's absolutely necessary to have a warning so that you can avoid flashing lights.

[@mathewbadcock]

So impressed that Russell Brand kept his mouth shut for nearly 7 minutes. I could see how hard that was for him.

[@Hithere-ek4qt]

Yes, Russell is a real arse.

[@heydeanie]

Lmaoooo

[@Wafaloo]

At least Maher couldn’t interrupt for once on his show

[@rob21]

That's because Maher was saying things he agrees with, and most people.

[@indranidasgupta8982]

😂😂😂

[@tsarfox3462]

One of the few trigger warnings I agree with is the theatre warning people about flashing strobes. And that's because it can cause some people to have a seizure. Besides that, I agree with Bill. Unless you confront and deal with your trauma, you're basically just letting it rule your life. Of course you might not be ready to do so at certain times but, eventually you're going to have to deal with it.

[@far2ez539]

Epilepsy warnings predate trigger warnings by at least a few decades. Gen Z didn't invent being considerate over others' health. They just love to capitalize on the attention obtained from claiming trauma.

[@ChrisIn2010]

The Guthrie has always done that iirc

[@SaniFakhouri]

Video games (rightfully) still do it too! Epilepsy's a real thing to watch out for in a minority of the population, but trigger warnings have really gone a bit overboard.

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

If someone has been raped or molested, you don't think it's a good idea to maybe give them a heads up beforehand?

[@martinbennett8752]

I rather think the point is that these days even the thought of dealing with trauma is traumatic and to be avoided at all costs. You never deal with it - you just insist that the rest of society adjust to your point of view.

[@hijodelaisla275]

Trigger warnings are not, as they pretend to be, a way to caution audience members. They are a way for the entities issuing the warnings to congratulate themselves for their sensitivity and to look "caring." It's so much easier to do that than to care.

[@paulavery5889]

This is such a George Carlin moment lol

[@jacqdanieles]

Spot on. It reminds me of Carlin's rant about "soft language" Bill's reference to "someone who's lived on a rig for the past ten years" is literally me -- I've lived abroad for 12 years. Every so often I'll come across references like "menstruating people" & "primary bedroom" & it'll take a few moments to process. I had no idea that "master bedroom" was banished from the lexicon.😁

[@BDON]

Bill is nailing it lately

[@friendme12345]

Yes... unfortunately his audience doesn't realize they are the cause of these silly social agendas...not saying you or me ...saying the laughing heads in his seats ..

[@BDON]

@@friendme12345 it’s sad that they don’t realise it

[@covid19alpha2variantturboc7]

@@BDON nailing it? Oh you mean nailing prepubescent boys like his relatives Ep$te¡n and Polan$k¡

[@DMONEY7720]

The Batman analogy killed it!

[@janncoons7445]

How about " hymen intact" to replace "virgin"?

[@robertorolfo]

Brandeis grad here. It wasn't nearly this bad when I attended, but I will make sure to mention this clip the next time they call me for a donation (in addition to the other nonsense that I already called to their attention when I stopped making donations).

[@corey2232]

Gotta love the 1 guy in the audience who found every joke to be the funniest thing he's ever heard 😂

[@tccandler]

@@harveykent1741 Confirmed

[@jordesign]

It's the same guy every week. He's a plant.

[@taniaelliott6625]

Well, Maher is fn great!

[@sloppynyuszi]

Where do you think the audience from Married with Children went?

[@Nick-wz1sg]

fucking lol, seriously though the audience hangs off every jokes - kinda annoying and overbearing

[@domenceuspriest]

What's really ironic is that "trigger warnings" originated for fanfiction on blogging sites in the late 90s/early 00's. And that was because a lot of fanfic did engage with difficult topics like sexual assault, domestic violence/abuse, BDSM, etc. It was a courtesy to readers so they could make informed decisions about which fic they wanted to read. It's a tool that worked for its context; the way they're being used now drifts pretty far afield from what they were intended for (optional content that you could choose whether to engage or not vs course material).

[@blah914]

true, but id like to call it less "trigger warning" and more "topic index". Sometimes i just want to read a romance story without rape and/abuse -- and without cheating. i dont have a lot of free time to read, so I want to enjoy it when i do.

[@lukeduke6693]

There are studies suggesting that large numbers of "triggered" and falsely traumatized millennials actually self-traumatized via extended exposure to internet pword. Its also statistically correlated to becoming obsessed with gender and developing gender dysphoria. It makes perfect sense that the lingo they both use comes from online bdsm. It would also help explain the vague statements they often make about their parents generation failing to protect them and living in a country of rape culture, etc. Everything kind of matches up. Their words go from gibberish to you realizing they got into some nasty, scarring material when they were 11.

[@jamessanders145]

It was more of an advisory for extreme nothing like this madness.

[@domenceuspriest]

@@blah914 Great point - those trigger warnings were usually in the same blurb area as other info about the fic (pairing, AU, etc). Reading fanfic is an optional fun activity, so it makes sense because as you say, we have limited time. Not only does it not make sense to use those for class material (which is basically required), but I think the bigger issue is that there isn't enough dialogue or support by the university and guidance for instructors to work with students to help them navigate difficult material. Just putting a "trigger warning" is the lazy neoliberal approach.

[@blah914]

@@domenceuspriest thats a good point. i also feel that in the light theyre putting it, it makes anything bad that happens in the story a reflection of the authors poor personal charachter, rather than an oportunity to examine human nature. i think thats why most ppl have moved from calling it "trigger warnings" to "category" and "tags". it prepares the reader for the presence of a topic, not the anticipation of trauma.

[@TBarForging]

Love the trick question Bill. Of course the answer is that they didn't survive childhood because that would mean they completed that stage.

[@hmac163]

😂

[@jonathancampbell586]

Life doesn't Always mean good things!

[@nickaddman]

I do understand warning people about Strobe Lights. Nothing ruins a party more than your epileptic friend seizing up.

[@Afterthoughtbtw]

The thing that has always got me is - speaking as someone with mental health issues that forced him out of university - that if you need a trigger warning at somewhere like a university, then you are not capable of studying there at that point in your life. Get some help. From actual professionals. The best case scenario for a trigger warning is like it is a tiny plaster stuck on to a wound ten times its size. It's not going to help you, and it is almost certain to do you grievous harm if you think it will.

[@msmaryna961]

Wise insight. Hope are you doing well.

[@sshms67]

You're right but if the university were to come out and say something like that, it could cost them millions

[@daniellarbi2279]

​@@sshms67 True. But isn't that the problem? The institutions that are supposed to be helping as are making decisions with the bottom line in mind, pretending they actually care about making people better.

[@B3Band]

As a person who had to read that, stop saying "as someone who..."

[@mkultra2456]

Whats wrong with your brain?

[@morenofranco9235]

I love you, Bill. Just KEEP GOING. Nail it every time.

[@RaymondCore]

I always thought of trigger warning as a form of control. Universities like to say they graduate 'leaders' when mostly they graduate people who think leadership means telling other people what to do.

[@ryanellis2197]

Maher is spot on here. Fragilising people doesn't help with anxiety. It exacerbates it 1000000x

[@01MTodd]

Are you a mental health care provider? If not, no one cares what you think.

[@pantsarmstrong863]

This must be the result of a generation growing up with helicopter parents.

[@lynnfitzpatrick1932]

Being treated as fragile is humiliating.

[@starshake8998]

Strobe light warnings are for people with epilepsy and haze warnings are for people with asthma -- you know, real medical conditions. Another way of looking at these warnings is that they are a way to keep vulnerable people safe from harm without limiting or restricting artistic expression or content. It's actually a compromise which accommodates everyone while letting individual free-will be the deciding factor.

[@joannabanana3372]

Yes and these warnings for theater have been around for decades. I like to know if there is going to be gun shots in a play because it does help prepare for the loud noise.

[@bighands69]

Strobe warnings do not work. They are a nonsense idea that gets pushed by snowflake culture. It is like warning if nuts are in a processed food which is senseless because it cannot be guaranteed. A person that is allergic to nuts needs to have their own plan in place to deal with it and if their reaction is of a serious nature they can really only eat foods that they have prepared them self that they 100% know is safe.

[@hortensemalfour6550]

He coulda edited the bit a bit better.

[@HOLLAifYouFEARme]

Bill can ridiculously explain something in a way thats STILL less ridiculous than what he is explaining😂😂😂 GOLD

[@donspafford414]

3:49 “How did these people get to the AIRPORT, let alone CHILDHOOD…” Spot on…

[@nomad6737]

What people should realize is that once the real world hits the students after leaving university, no one cares about your sensitivity, world is difficult, and hard as it is if you get offend or triggered by everything you will be eaten alive

[@ge2623]

But they're going to change all that. We're all going to live in Lolipop World where theres NOTHING wrong or bad. 😁

[@mjkittredge]

colleges and society in general have gone off the rails trying to molly-coddle every young sensitive person. And if you're not on board with their trigger warning safe space nonsense they want to label you the bad guy and try to silence you

[@Skoora]

Not in corporate America. They’ll be just fine. Almost every corporation has DE&I offices and training. I work for a large corporation and we got it pretty steady the last year or so.

[@ChrisM-zm4li]

If only conservative Christians would realize that and stop being triggered by everything and indoctrinating our children.

[@closer20jc]

​@Chris M yeah cause it's the conservative Christians indoctrinating your kids lmfao 🤣 😂 😆

[@mikem7320]

Doesn't matter which side, we definitely take things way too far. Peoples skin is way too thin.

[@AlexandreGalinMtl]

Other parts of the world must be laughing at us.

[@osraneslipy]

Excellent as always😂

[@Jack_all]

In Art school the professor issued trigger warnings before showing the Statue of David. It was at that moment I realized my Fine art degree was a useless waste of time.

[@hubertcumberdale6404]

"How do these people get thru the airport let alone childhood?" Big props to modern civilization there Bill. Because the sweat blood and tears of our ancestors, built something so magnificent that people can't imagine life without it so much to the point they desire to burn it all to the ground and can't see the consequences. As if it all can just spring right back up again.

[@l.sophia2803]

Its stunning that more people cant see it yet, but they will before the end, unfortunately for us all much much too late..

[@hankschrader7050]

(Im asian) White men built everything and made the world so prosperous that woke women and blacks are using their own inventions and prosperity against them by demanding that they proclaim themselves as evil and proclaim that women and blacks are stunning and brave. They literally destroy meritocracy and then say that they are doing it to create "an even playing field"

[@mjkittredge]

who wants to burn what to the ground, exactly? Broad, sweeping, vague generalizations there

[@Marijuanifornia]

@@mjkittredge I want to burn it all to the ground because all of it actually will spring back up. Watch the 1942 USDA film, *Hemp for Victory.* Human civilization across planet Earth was developed by "Marihuana." Since "Marihuana" was outlawed after World War II, the world has become so polluted that there are microplastics in raindrops. But because everyone has been bought off and placated with excessive commercialism and consumerism, no one can learn from the past, so the world just keeps getting more and more polluted while *Hemp for Victory* remains mostly unknown, even as millions of Americans are voting in red and blue states alike to "legalize" Cannabis.

[@daddynanners3944]

@@mjkittredge ummm the left? Censoring everything whether it's books, movies, TV, statues of people. Are you blind or just purposely ignorant?

[@AdmiralBonetoPick]

If you're wondering why there always seems to be one or two people laughing ridiculously loudly, it's because shows filmed in front of a live studio audience actually hire people specially to do that, in order to set everyone else off laughing at the appropriate moment. My room-mate was hired for that precise job in the 1990s, because she had a very distinct loud laugh.

[@samanthathompson9812]

Yikes. A couple of guys were really earning their dough there.

[@stew-03]

@@samanthathompson9812A mans gotta make a buck. I dont blame them

[@harrygordon6401]

In Australia, in a student magazine, I saw a trigger warning for 'economic inequality'

[@MeMe-lx2jw]

I so hope this is a phase and young people will start growing up again.

[@abalsly]

Brilliant! Absolutely BRILLIANT! Thank you Mr. Maher.

[@jameshunt7972]

Bill you’re a genius. -A sane American 🇺🇸

[@gabrielvazquez1691]

Bill absolutely knocked it out of the ballpark with this one!

[@staben22]

"In case you've been groped by a thick fog" 🤣

[@gerhardbotha7336]

This generation’s kids are gonna be rough on them!

[@lowesonia8551]

Roaring with laughter. Thankyou Bill.

[@bytheway1031]

"It kinda gives away the ending" 🤣🤣🤣

[@13lood13ath]

I'm afraid of heights, but I've still flown in planes.

[@andrewjones2898]

Brilliant as always .

[@robertshade2490]

I cannot believe I am agreeing with you. Keep up the good work.

[@shekhard8626]

The idea that trauma is central to your identity and you should let it define you instead of dealing with it & dispatching off it and moving beyond. - very important words by Bill Maher

[@petergood5294]

Trigger warnings happen when people want to wallow in the moment and aren't willing to move on.