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Topic:
Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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Gay-LenKenobi
Registered:
Sep '00
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 8:16am
Subject:
Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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Its a damn shame this show is going off the air. Even when I violently disagreed with Bill or the guests, atleast this show was willing to talk about it. And it made me as a viewer actually think about issues, not just swallow down what the news broadcasts had tried to spoon feed the public. They always had guests who represented opposng viewpoints, so all 5 of them weren't just nodding in agreement for a half hour. This was a open discussion free for all where everyone was on an even playing field and no issue was too sacred to talk about.
I may have not agreed with Bill's views, but in a democracy we have to acknowledge everyone's right to share their opinion and speak their mind. I wish there was a way to campaign to bring this show back.
Yahoo News - Dialogue with Bill Maher
THR: Before Sept. 17, had the network ever asked you to tone down your opinions?
Maher: Yes. There were four or five times. I don't want to go through the things I said because I don't want to dig up all the old graves. But yeah, there were times. They didn't say it directly, but they told my producers, and my producers said to me, "They really think that that was inappropriate." And I was like, "Well, I'm sorry, I don't mean to make anybody's job harder, but that's my belief, and I'm gonna have to say the things that I believe." That's sort of the show they bought, and I guess they thought I was kidding with that title when they bought the show. But I wasn't kidding.
THR: As the controversy broke, how did you feel? Were you depressed?
Maher: I wasn't depressed. I was angry that (critics) were twisting my words and taking advantage of tricks to get rid of me, and that it was working and that it did work. People should be angry about that. The thing that made me most angry was that I was probably the most pro-military commentator on television for all my years on the air, way before it was cool.
THR: What about White House press secretary Ari Fleischer, who when asked about your comments said that people needed to "watch what they say."
Maher: Right. And years from now, when they forget what I said, they'll remember that much more. It's coming from the White House, and it's one of the creepiest things that has ever come from a White House in a democracy.
THR: Do you see a parallel with the Smothers Brothers, who were canceled 30 years ago by CBS partly over their political humor?
Maher: Yeah, it's sort of similar. I think the interesting point about that and what I said is that timing, timing is really the key point when you're discussing free speech. It's not that the Smothers Brothers said something that everyone in America doesn't agree with today. What they said was, the Vietnam War is a waste, and we shouldn't be there. But it's funny: When you're ahead of your time with what you say, nobody really pats you on the back when they all catch up. It's not like they turn around and go, "Oh, you know what? You actually were right. Come back to work."
THR: After 9/11, pundits said irony was dead and Americans would start caring about world events. Turns out they were wrong. Why?
Maher: Because it's gonna take a lot more than knocking down the World Trade Center and bombing the Pentagon for Americans to change. And there's a truism that people get mad at me for saying, too, but it's absolutely true. I mean, my God, we're back to worrying about sharks and Gary Condit, for crissakes.
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Kiki-Gonn
Registered:
Feb '01
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 8:28am
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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Thank God that stupid show is being cancelled.
I tried many times but could not make it through more than a few minutes.
Who has the answers to all our political, religious and societal questions?
A stand up comedian and some WB sitcom stars of course!
'Oh, Bill made his point with a clever sound bite that he wrote last night... he must be right!!! <proceed to clap like trained animals>'
I'm not saying you were like that personally, that's just what I hated about the show.
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DarthPhelps
Registered:
Jan '02
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 8:32am
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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Many of Bill's views were actually Politically Correct (irony), and he and 3 of the 4 celebrity guests would gang up on the lone voice of reason.
I only watched the show if I wanted to make myself angry.
Bye, Bill.
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GasCabbie
Registered:
Jun '01
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 8:35am
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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It would have been more watchable if it were in debate format, instead of Jerry Springer format. 
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Gay-LenKenobi
Registered:
Sep '00
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 8:38am
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
- Date Edited:
6/28/02 8:43am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Gay-LenKenobi
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Yeah, him being so politically correct is what got the show canceled. 
And if you only bothered to watch 2mins of it, then you are too ignorant about what they actually talked about to have much of an opinion. And for the record, I never saw one WB actor on.
And atleast it made you feel something. How many tv programs do that? And why should only the ones you agree with get to stay on the air? One voice of reason? Thats your opinion. And it was his show, he could easily have had no opposing viewpoints on.
THR: You picked four guests for the last show: Arianna Huffington, Ann Coulter, Christopher "Kid" Reid and Michelle Phillips. Why them?
Maher: Because they're the people who became my best friends (on the show). Could we have booked four bigger names? Yeah, but that was never what the show was about. People in the press, especially, often missed the point of the show because they often criticized or looked down their nose at "Boy, they don't get the A-list celebrities." Well, not very often, but we got A-list people.
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QuiGonJinn14
Registered:
Aug '99
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 8:45am
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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I watched the show every now and then, but the one thing that bugged me was when the conversation became interesting, Bill Maher always said "We have to take a break." There were too many commercials for such a short show. That's my two cents.
QuiGonJinn14
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DarthPhelps
Registered:
Jan '02
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 8:50am
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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To set the record straight, I didn't say that the things he said that got him cancelled were politically correct; only that many of his views were.
Quantity of persons with opposing viewpoints were not usually balanced. This larger quantity often held the politically correct view, which is actually kind of funny since the title of the show belies that.
That was what I was trying to say. The overall concept of the show was fine. I just have a difference of opinion (yes, all views expressed here are our opinions) on how the show was executed.
Peace.
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I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Sometimes I wake up grumpy. Other times I let her sleep.
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Kiki-Gonn
Registered:
Feb '01
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 9:04am
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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Gay-Len,
don't post if you don't think people should be allowed to disagree with your view.
DP and I gave up on the show after watching it a little.
What, we should have watched at least a few full episodes in case we had to one day defend why we didn't like it 
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^^^^^^^^^ If I wasn't so tired, I would have said something really clever
"My greatest weakness? It is possible that I'm a little too awesome." Barack Obama
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Mace Windy
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jul '99
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 7:38pm
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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Well, for the record Gay-Len, I too loved that show, as it always gave me new and unique perspectives on current issues. Its a shame that the general population cannot appreciate this type of show. Its also a shame that Bill got fired for making opinionated comments that I never found offensive. (Actually, I believe that the show was canceled due to ABCs ratings problems, and they used Mahr's comments as the scapegoat.)
 Mace Windy,
gandolf the grey, meet mace windy the purple!
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Coolguy4522
Registered:
Dec '00
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 7:51pm
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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There were quite a few things I didn't like about the show. I didn't like the fact that most of the people on there were quite stupid. Celebrities are in general not the smartest people. The 'debate' usually consisted of everyone yelling at each other when there was a difference of opinion, or all the liberals ganging up on the conservative with the crowd just clapping all the while. I didn't agree with his opinions at all, but if that wasn't really the problem, it was the fact that he had largely UNIFORMED opinions.
I think the debates on PBS are much better than his show. I just wish I had C-Span.
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VadersLaMent
Registered:
Apr '02
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 7:55pm
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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I actually liked the show for the most part. Watching it depended on the guests much of the time. Bill I can live with (his stand up routine is hilarious!) One of his most recent guests was A.J. Benza. Talk about a complete idiot, he is a show ruiner.
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AmazingB
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jan '01
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 8:05pm
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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"I didn't like the fact that most of the people on there were quite stupid. Celebrities are in general not the smartest people."
I've never watched it all that much, but from the episodes I have seen, this was all too often the case. There's usually at least two celebrities, and frankly, I just don't care what they have to say, regardless of their opinions or my opinions of them.
"or all the liberals ganging up on the conservative with the crowd just clapping all the while."
I'm trying not to make a blanket statement here, but I'm going to fail, but anyway, here we go. Again, I've not seen many episodes, but all too often when I watch, the guests include two very well-spoken liberals, a moderately well-spoken centrist, and the dumbest conservative they can find. I once saw an episode that had Ralph Nader and Michael Moore on the liberal side, and some moron conservative Representative from Florida. It was absurd. It made for aggravating watching.
However, the cancellation of Politically Incorrect is paving the way for Jimmy Kimmel's new talk show, but that's best saved for another thread.
Amazing.
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Saint_of_Killers
Registered:
Feb '01
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 8:48pm
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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Wait, is the last ep tonight?! 
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TremontiFan23
Registered:
Mar '02
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 9:09pm
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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Good riddance.
We all know Bill O'Reilly is king, anyway.
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Icebreaker
Registered:
Aug '01
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 9:16pm
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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*All Hail Bill O'Reilly*
Bill Maher is just another ignorant person who tries to make us laugh at our government...and even tragidies. He provides no *intelligent* insight on anything his statements post-9/11 (about who was cowardly USA or Al-Qaeda) was about the most thoughtless and ignorant statement I had ever heard. I hope he goes and lives on a remote island with Rosie O'Donnel and his other liberal friends
~ICeBReaKeR
His abilities have made him...arrogant
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solojones
Registered:
Sep '00
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Date Posted:
6/28/02 9:16pm
Subject:
RE: Politically Incorrect's Last Episode
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Amen Tremonti. Amen.
-sj loves kevin spacey
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