Bill Maher wrapped up the latest episode of Real Time with another blistering monologue, this time zeroing in on Gen Z, woke politics, and what he sees as the liberal left’s overindulgence of youthful idealism.
On Friday night’s HBO broadcast, the comedian pivoted from his usual critiques of political correctness to more inflammatory territory, accusing some younger Americans of sympathizing with terrorism—while also tossing in a cultural reference to HBO’s own The White Lotus to keep things current.
“Talk to your children, and remind them you don’t really wanna live like your heroes in Hamas. All the shit you do all day, it was all made in America. Your smartphone, your Grubhub, your freedom to bitch about America, that’s all American stuff,” Maher said. He added, “Please! You couldn’t survive a week living in Intifada-ville. You’re like the girl from The White Lotus who was going to live in a Buddhist monastery and then lasted one night.”
The reference pointed to Sarah Catherine Hook’s character Piper Ratliff, a spiritually curious traveler who appears in Season 3 of the Mike White-created series.
Elsewhere in the same segment, Maher revisited familiar themes, taking aim at the rise of diversity in television ads and leveraging a statistic about LGBTQ home ownership to make one of his go-to comparisons. “Yes, in America, gays buy buildings. In other places, they get thrown off them,” he quipped.
Continuing his critique of progressive parenting and what he views as its political consequences, Maher declared: “Liberals are weak and woke, especially the white ones. And they indulge all sorts of nonsense from their kids, a problem that then continues on in the Democratic party.” He concluded with a call to action for left-leaning Americans: “Liberals need to push back on the dumb ideas that come from their children.”
Earlier in the show, Maher welcomed Gen Z activist and DNC vice chair David Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 Parkland school shooting, for a more measured exchange about youth in politics. Hogg advocated for generational change within the Democratic Party but cautioned against generalizations.
“It’s not just a matter of age, to be clear,” said Hogg. “As you know, Bill, there are young people who suck, just as much as there are old people who suck. It’s not that simple to just say if you’re above a certain age, you shouldn’t be there.”
During his “New Rule” segment, Maher focused on the perceived issues of the Democratic party, insisting that they need to “retake the flag!” He cited some polling numbers which show that “less than one in four Democrats under 30 say they’re proud to be an American.” The HBO host feels this lack of patriotism is hurting the party. You can watch that segment below.
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