'Real Time with Bill Maher' Recap

Real Time with Bill Maher held a special edition of the political variety show that airs Friday nights on HBO. Instead of an opening monologue and panel, Maher interviewed comedian Chris Rock, Restauranteur Alice Waters and musician Billie Joe Armstrong individually. He did, however, throw in a quick New Rules segment in between guests – it wouldn’t be “Real Time” without it.
Maher’s first guest was Chris Rock, who had crashed an episode of the firebrand comedian’s hit show earlier in the month, as both comedians acknowledged right off the bat. Rock then went into detail on his new movie, Death at a Funeral, and another, yet to be released, film with his old SNL buddies, Adam Sandler and David Spade, called Grown Ups. Rock produced Death at a Funeral, which is a remake of the 2007 British comedy. However, Rock didn’t just remake it; he re-branded it, Rock style.
The two seasoned stand-ups reflected back on the generation of comedians they came up with respectively, and how they have kept their acts fresh over the years. Maher said that he can’t stand doing the same act twice, which is evidenced by the line of HBO stand-up specials he, as well as Rock, have done in just the last 10 years.
With Rock as his guest, it was a foregone conclusion that the socially fearless host would bring up the issue of race. Here, Maher did so in a significantly less abrupt manner than the time he asked Wanda Sykes, “So, you’re a black person…” He asked about Rock’s documentary, Bad Hair, which analyses the motivation behind African American women wearing weaves, wigs, extensions and straightening their hair to fit the “European standard.” Rock said, both in the movie and to Maher’s audience, that all women are beautiful and need to remember that when they feel like putting, and I quote, “Chemicals that could destroy this desk,” into their hair.
This entertaining 20-minute interview to start the show transitioned into a not-so entertaining one with restaurant promoter Alice Waters, who fed Maher’s natural foods cause, but left the viewers starving for anything worth their while.
Maher and Waters discussed the disgusting eating habits of most Americans, such as myself, and the vast wasteland of unnecessary chemicals in all mass-produced foods – if there was one common theme to this show, it was harmful chemicals; and I haven’t even gotten to Maher’s last guest.
Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong engaged Maher on, perhaps, his favorite subject. Food and race are intriguing, but, marijuana, it just takes the cake every time (get it, cause weed makes you hungry – oh Bill).
The heavily shadowed background on the “Real Time” set was ideal for Armstrong’s dark and disturbed image, as he made his way to the large triangular table, usually designated for panel discussion. When they weren’t talking about illegal substances, Johnson was telling Maher about the evolution of Green Day’s style from the “Dookie” days of pure garage punk, to their modern sound, which incorporates a variety of rock sounds. Maher commented that their music’s growth reflected their growth as people and that their old stuff was somewhat “whiny.” Try telling that to a hardcore rock fan Bill. I know I have and didn’t come out of it well.
Lastly, Maher asked about Armstrong’s frequent references to religious hypocrisy in his last two albums. After Johnson explained, stumbling on his words, Maher concluded the interview and the show by saying that he just wanted to get him to say that religion sucked, and now he had. The laughter soared as the credits rolled.