'Real Time with Bill Maher' Recap: Revenge of the Funny

An episode of HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get, as an esteemed fictional character with a mental disability once said.

While the guests on the March 5 episode completely dictated the discussion, and for the worse as I recall, the discussion on the March 12 episode was dictated by the news of the week; and let me say, thank God – oh, maybe I should thank someone else if I’m reviewing the religious Bill Maher’s hit one-hour talk show. How about… thank Bob?

As I was saying, before I so rudely interrupted my own train of thought, Maher’s uncensored, unfiltered show is always better when he drives the debate, instead of letting his guests, like Sean Penn and everyone else last week, advocate their own agendas on his, and our time.

This week, he started with a senator and ended with an author. Excuse me while I jump in the air and clap my heels together… Okay, I’m back. And the panel; the panel had a former governor, a seasoned journalist and an opinionated actor; and to top it all off, the actor was articulate, too.

What a difference one week makes. Now, with all of that said, I have said nothing about the show yet, so I really hope you’re still reading this. I promise that I’m getting to the point, starting… NOW!

While last week’s show was focused on banks and their lack of regulations, this week it was global warming, which always stirs up a vigorous, at times, contentious debate. The crux of the debate, surprisingly enough, was fixed on whether global warming is real or just a theory, as Amy Holmes and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, two Republicans, referred to it. Were certain reports on rising sea levels retracted due to inaccurate projections: yes; does that mean global warming is a hoax: HELL NO! Not to go on a Maher-esque rant, but the fact that a few statistics are slightly off and people are less concerned about the issue doesn’t mean you – and by you I mean idiot ideologues who believe the book of Revelations is happening now – can pretend that nothing is happening.

My chief complaint about last week’s show was the über-consensus building between the liberal host and all of his guests. This week, Maher had two conservatives to call stupid, uninformed and not with the times, all things he did, and mostly to Holmes – poor Amy. I felt some serious sympathy for Holmes after she refuted the economic incentives of green jobs and predicted that China wouldn’t get into the business of alternative energy, to which Maher replied, “Well, then you just don’t read.” Of course, the liberally inclined actor Hill Harper piled on, saying, “Amy, you’re smarter than that.”

This tells me two things: one, Maher needs an etiquette coach; and two, Harper’s just a big meanie.

While this issue, spawned by that week’s cover of “The Weekly Standard” depicting a nude Al Gore caricature covering his frozen jewels in the Polar ice caps with two polar bears in the background laughing at him, inspired the divisive nature in each party, Maher found common ground with the former New Mexico governor on an issue close to his heart, marijuana.

Gov. Johnson had appeared on Maher’s old show, “Politically Incorrect,” in the 1990s while still governor and advocated for the legalization of the “wacky tobaccy,” as Maher likes to call it. While very few, if any, politicians other than Johnson would do that, he said several times that he doesn’t use it, despite Maher’s coy poking – let’s face it, anything related to marijuana gets Maher a hard on.

John Heilemann, author of “Game Change,” which rested a top the New York Times best sellers list for seven straight weeks, joined the panel one half hour into the program to discuss the book that would overtake his, “No Apology” by Mitt Romney. He told a funny Romney story - oxymoronic I know – then made some other good points about Mormons and racism; John Edwards and crazy people, and lawyers and Dick Cheney standing trial for war crimes.

Maher’s New Rules segment had the standard one off jokes, followed by the longer-winded ones that built to his weekly conclusion, this week on education, to which he argued that parents are more at fault than teachers for their children’s failures, referencing President Obama’s support for one New Jersey school firing all of its teachers because of poor performance. Although it was neither his strongest nor funniest argument, his point that when there are no books or parents in the home, the television becomes the parent rang true.

It was a solid show that recovered from last week’s disaster with humor, wit and just enough debate and consensus. If I were Roger Ebert, I would give it two thumbs up. But, since I’m just me, I’ll say, totally wicked bra.