Never mind those with less critical thinking that get swept up in it.
Real Time With Bill Maher
- Thread starter Nobby style
- Start date
They're less likely to get swept up in it if they see these people in an enviroment where they're being pushed back against, rather on their own blog or youtube chanel.
It's not true though is it? There are still people that don't know how to use Google let alone find hate speech on it. They can easily tune in on mainstream media tho... People may not know how interested they are in it until they are exposed to it.
You're assuming they have access to their blog or YouTube channel (they may go and check them out after the fact though), you're also assuming they'll see an argument between 2 people from the same perspective as you when we should know by now that people always see these things through their own filter. You may see a hate figure get ridiculed and someone else will see it as someone being ganged up on, persecuted for saying something controversial but true. I think there's a line, and up until that line... Have at it. I just dont advocate blanket free speech in mainstream media, it's irresponsible. That's my opinion though...
Last edited:
I just think you underestimate the potential to influence those with less critical thought, that's where the disagreement lies. Otherwise I don't disagree with either of you...
Just to add, I also think you are seeing things through your own filters without trying to see how somebody else could possibly see it. Somebody with differing life experiences and values etc...
On that note....
Just to add, I also think you are seeing things through your own filters without trying to see how somebody else could possibly see it. Somebody with differing life experiences and values etc...
On that note....
@afrocentricity Who are these people who don't have access or skills to use google? Even if that's true, the problem is only going to increase once the last generation to not grow up computer savvy dies out.
But fair points, I'm not 100 % convinced what the best solution is. Maybe you're right, but I just don't think suppressing it and pretend it doesn't exist is the right way to go. Has that ever worked? These things will make it to surface one way or the other, I just think the better way is to get it out in the open and expose it. Some people will probably be taken in by it anyway, but that's just inevitable. The goal can't be do eradicate a certain mindset off the face of the earth, just prevent it from taking over.
But fair points, I'm not 100 % convinced what the best solution is. Maybe you're right, but I just don't think suppressing it and pretend it doesn't exist is the right way to go. Has that ever worked? These things will make it to surface one way or the other, I just think the better way is to get it out in the open and expose it. Some people will probably be taken in by it anyway, but that's just inevitable. The goal can't be do eradicate a certain mindset off the face of the earth, just prevent it from taking over.
There are loads of people without smart phones and no computer or computer skills over here in the UK let alone rural America for example. Put a PC in front of some of these people and they'd have an aneurysm trying to figure it out.
FWIW I'm not saying I'm right, it's just what I believe and from what I know and my experiences it makes sense to me.
FWIW I'm not saying I'm right, it's just what I believe and from what I know and my experiences it makes sense to me.
Last edited:
It's more that white people shouldn't use the word due to the history of the word regardless of intent.
You're oblivious to slavery and racism ? Wow.
Eh no that's not what I meant. I meant that I probably do not understand how black people feel in the US because I'm not black and neither do I live in the US so I fully understand that I might not be able to look at the N-word the same way they do.
Ice Cube's comments in the video I posted pretty much sum up a broadly held view in the African-American community in the U.S.
Say what you want about Maher. And he was well out of order. He did face up to it and got a dressing down from Ice Cube and Michael Eric Dyson.
Depends on who takes offense.
I didn't. He's a comedian. He told a joke that didn't hit. It happens.
Some people will take offense at that kind of stuff, as is their right. It's a highly charged word with many negative connotations, especially when said by non-black people. It's his job to take the criticism on the chin and keep it moving. If he said this during a comedy special, not a show on a network, I doubt he would feel the need to apologize. I'm annoyed he felt the need to apologize. But those are the times we live in.
The need to apologize came from the predictable social media backlash, which resulted in a situation where if he didn't apologize and have a show dedicated to discussing the matter, there's a decent chance he would've been suspended or even had his show cancelled.
Reza Aslan just had got fired and had his show on CNN abruptly cancelled after he called Trump a piece of shit on Twitter. Corporations are extremely sensitive to social media mobs who target their advertisers each time one of their on air talent does something controversial. Just look at O'Reilly and Hannity on Fox. One gone and another on the ropes.
Maher did the right thing by getting pardoned by the likes of Cube and Dyson, which should bring him back into the fold.
Yeah I agree, I wouldn't be surprised if he was talked into bringing those guys on. A more strict network would have let him go regardless, I think.
Yep and the fact that HBO doesn't have advertisers like regular TV channels do, probably played a role in Maher getting the benefit of the doubt, as did the fact that the likes of Cube, Dyson, and others have come to his defense.
I don't much care for the Maher type talkshow hosts but I thought the comment in itself was funny. Its something you do when you are drunk with your friends but to utter it on public TV was stupid.
Not for most of us.
If you want to be that pedantic, then the reason behind it is linguistic & pragmatic.
The use of words or phrases by 'others' who aren't part of your group aren't seen as familial/warm/inviting depending on your relative status & proximity to the group in question, even if your intention behind saying it is pure.
Relative status as a circumstance for speech reigns even truer when it comes to words with a history of derogatory associations attached to it.
For example two gay males may jokingly say to one another "shut up fag", and not take offence. Now a heterosexual male does the same thing to a gay male, and they're more likely to take offence, or at least feel defensive. Not the best example off the top of my head but you get the idea.
Everybody will have different opinions on the appropriateness, some will feel that members that aren't part of the targeted group shouldn't use the word. Others will feel that nobody should use the word at all, some will allow for people to use the word if the intention behind it is not meant to be offensive.
But ultimately, not one person's individual opinion (not mine, not yours, not anybody else who may be reading this) has any authority over the other.
I'm not going to go into the specific semantics behind n*igger & why this particular word has such strong emotions attached to it, everybody has google.
Depends on what kind of friends you have. My mom is black and I have college friends from different races, when one of our black friends gives us shit, its common for one of my white friends to say "We should have picked our own cotton". No one cares and most find it funny.
This kind of thing becomes shock and awe only if you treat the race topic as complete taboo, which thankfully doesn't happen amongst my close friends.
It's a highly charged subject, but not just in the US. Witness the Evra incident, and others a few years back.
There's much sensitivity on one side (rightly so imo) and some latent guilt perhaps? coupled with a bit of faux outrage on the other, that whenever something like this happens there's an uproar over it.
Ah I was so close at getting a full house
.Harry Potter references ✓
.Polling ✓
.Complaining of being called a bigot after having said bigot things ✓
.Regressive Left ✓
.Random estimates of the number of muslim extremists ✓
.No mention of foreign policy ✓
.Horseshoe theory(The answer is alway in the centre)✓
.A farcical reading of the civil rights moment ✓
All I was missing was a Orwell reference.
In fairness, Maajid had to dumb down his schtick for Maher's audience. You can tell Maher is a massive fan.
Of course he is. Like you he needs someone to tell him it's fine to support the murder of Muslims by western states
Go away Mozza. I'm not interested in chatting today.
I'll leave you to your safe space
Good. And take your violins and victim hustling routine over to the Hamas thread where you may gain a bit of sympathy. I'll let @Fearless know you're on the way.
Pretty sure Maher made one during the panel discussion
Triggered
Just needed Asra Nomani to be on to complete the set 
Had a pretty good show last night, opening with Al Gore, a decent panel discussion, then Ralph Reed (ugh, the nonsense), and a solid New Rules finish with a "what if Obama had said" closing.
Ralph Reed. Brings back some many memories of the 90s.
The Hollow Courage of Bill Maher
https://jacobinmag.com/2017/09/bill-maher-real-time-trump-islamophobia
https://jacobinmag.com/2017/09/bill-maher-real-time-trump-islamophobia
I used to despise Maher but his recent work is very good. Particularly exposing the depravity and moral bankrupcy of religion, Trump etc.
Absolutely outstanding appearance from Ken fecking Bone of all people. How incredibly smart is this guy? Articulate and with a lovely manner too. Seems like a truly lovely and very genuine guy.
The City Mouse and the Country Mouse
Good show yesterday, enjoyed the new rules finale.
Maher had Jeffrey Lord on last night. Why does anyone give this nutjob a platform to spew nonsense?