On Friday’s edition of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Maher used the N-word during an exchange with conservative U.S. Senator [score]Ben Sasse[/score] from Nebraska. And on Saturday, the fallout has begun with HBO issuing a statement condemning Maher’s usage of the “deeply offensive slur.”
“Bill Maher’s comment last night was completely inexcusable and tasteless,” HBO said in a statement. “We are removing his deeply offensive comment from any subsequent airings of the show,” his employer said:
NEW: HBO calls Bill Maher's use of racial slur on last night's show "completely inexcusable and tasteless": https://t.co/IQzurEUJqH pic.twitter.com/r320j9KP56
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) June 3, 2017
The conversation centered around Ben Sasse’s new book, The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance, and Maher was generally agreeing with the premise of the book and pointed out, as an example of immaturity, grownups in LA/Hollywood still dress up for Halloween.
“They don’t do that in Nebraska?” Maher asked.
“It’s frowned upon,” Sasse quipped. “Yeah, we don’t do that quite as much.”
“I gotta get to Nebraska more,” Maher joked.
“You’re welcome,” Sasse replied. “We’d love to have you work in the fields with us.”
“Work in the fields?” Maher asked. “Senator, I’m a house nigga.”
In addition to HBO, Maher received blowback from professional racial grievance industry profiteer Al Sharpton, who said his front group “wants to meet with HBO as soon as possible about the normalizing of the use of the N-word.” You can envision a check being written in that encounter. I smell a shakedown coming:
NAN wants to meet w/ HBO asap about the normalizing of the use of the N word. I know and love Bill Maher but this is unacceptable. I will
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) June 3, 2017
Black racialist Deray McKesson, who has led riots in various American cities, pounced, calling for the show to be taken off the air by HBO:
.@HBO, the only statement we want to read is when you write to let us know that his show has been cancelled. Thanks in advance. https://t.co/CkqXQPsaVg
— deray mckesson (@deray) June 3, 2017
Sen. Sasse, who uncomfortably squirmed at seemed to blush at the comment, also came under fire from McKesson and others who felt he should have walked off the stage or condemned the remark on Maher’s show. Upon reflection, Sasse stated on Saturday:
Am walking off a redeye from LAX.
3 reflections on @billmaher
1. I’m a 1st Amendment absolutist. Comedians get latitude to cross hard lines.— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) June 3, 2017
2. But free speech comes with a responsibility to speak up when folks use that word. Me just cringing last night wasn’t good enough.
(2of4?) https://t.co/e4Bw8s8tV2— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) June 3, 2017
3. Here’s what I wish I’d been quick enough to say in the moment: “Hold up, why would you think it’s OK to use that word?…
(3of4?) https://t.co/mQL6wMEd7W— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) June 3, 2017
(4of4)
"…The history of the n-word is an attack on universal human dignity. It’s therefore an attack on the American Creed. Don't use it.” https://t.co/kEZm5vPFHK— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) June 3, 2017
Perhaps Maher was just trying to get Kathy Griffin off the front page. Watch a clip of the exchange below:
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