I Hate Bill Maher

Real Time is off this week, so I am, too! But I guess actually not really, because I still did some house keeping and played some voicemails at the start of this. Looking back on it, I definitely would not describe it as "focused and to the point" but what are you gonna do, y'know? And after that? Oh baby, it's a compilation of clips from I Especially Hate Bill Maher's "Bella Thorne Month" series of episodes. You get to hear from Stefan Heck & John Cullen, Lisa Curry, Emily Faye, and Allen Strickland Williams, whom I all had watch the Bella Thorne Club Random episode and then talk about it with me. Looking back on it I'm kind of like "What the hell was I thinking?" but I enjoyed it a lot. They didn't, so mission accomplished on my end, I guess. But in all seriousness, all of them are some of the funniest people I know, and they all noticed things I somehow had not in my previous fifteen viewings of this thing.00:00 - Intro/Voicemails24:20 - Stefan Heck and John Cullen32:35 - Lisa Curry40:03 - Emily Faye46:51 - Allen Strickland Williams Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will I ever starr getting these things out on time again? Who can say, plus I'm a father now: no one can ask anything of me ever again.Writer and podcaster Joe Kassabian joins the show to talk about a Real Time episode that's heavy on Iran war talk, so of course the guests are 1. A former CIA agent, 2. A CNN legal correspondent, and 3. The loudest, dumbest man in sports media. I drove my parents to the airport at 3am and recorded this upon arriving home at like 4:30, and two hours prior to driving my parents I was awoken by a drainage pipe cracking and water spraying into our bedroom. I honestly think my being able to keep my energy level up until the last five minutes of this episode is pretty impressive. Also, did you know the airports are a mess right now? I just hope they aren't bothering you too much!Buy Joe's Book "The Highlands Burn"Support I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is probably the most mixed up I've ever been with the order of the clips, but what are you gonna do. Anyway, Writer and comedian Jeremy Kaplowitz is my guest this week, and he gets to view the current show through the lens of someone who once watched Real Time because that was sort of what you did as a liberal in college 14 or so years ago! How was Real Time? Well, if you enjoy watching one panel member be systematically humiliated and ignored, mmmm this is the episode for you!Listen to QuoratorsSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest was jack of all trades Josh Boerman. There's so much garbage in this episode of Real Time that we talked about it for two hours and forty five minutes and I am currently thinking about all the shit we didn't get to, and yet somehow the whole show was insanely dull. What a mess, man, I can't believe this thing was on television. I don't even know what to say here.Check out all the stuff Josh does, including Worst of All Possible WorldsSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oopsie, I did a long one!Comedian/Film connoisseur Lucé Tomlin-Brenner joins the podcast this week, and wow wow wow if you're Bill Maher I bet you loved this fuckin' episode of Real Time. It's all about him, baby! We honestly don't talk about the war with Iran stuff because there just isn't a ton to say about it other than "what a fucking disaster (does Bill Maher disagree? Perhaps...) but we get really hung up on joke logic and also his interview technique. And I come up with the one good pun I make a year.Go see the next Video VisionsSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real Time is taking a little break this week, and since I am recovering from some family coming to visit I figured I would do the same by settling into the warm bath water of an old school Real Time episode. But how soothing is it REALLY? Answer: not so much. Andrew Sullivan is here! Also Ben Affleck, who will one day go on to become a Real Time legend. Plus, Bill Maher is lower energy than I remembered, and also treats a guest on the show about as badly as a talk show host could while not being in the same location as them.Support I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here are some clips from the first few Patreon episodes of 2026, including: The Psychology Zone feat Eoin Higgins (Andrew Sullivan on Club Random)Reverse Oppression Academy feat Chris James (Bert Kreischer on Club Random)This & That 2.0 (Junk Drawer Episode)Netflix Presents: A Ricky Gervais Comedy Special: Rich Cunt feat John HastingsTo hear full episodes, subscribe to the Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I HOPE YOU LIKE HEARING THE PHRASE "TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME"!!!! Anyway, Rax King joined me this week to reacquaint herself with Bill Maher after over a decade away from occasionally watching him. Does she think he's gotten better with time? I mean I'm not even going to pretend like she does; she's immediately struck by how diminished she is. But he's not the only thing that's diminished: so is this fucking two person panel, as evidenced by the fact that this week the panel has, I cannot stress this enough, zero chemistry. But the highlight of the episode is his near histrionic response to Trump insulting him one time on the computer. Will we get his full response, or will we inexplicably have to wait two weeks? Well, you'll have to listen to find out (he says he'll do it in two weeks.)Also, if you hear distant laughing in the background my wife's friend Emma was over and she was probably laughing at something the baby was doing. It was NOT about the podcast, TRUST ME.Get Rax's new book, Sloppy or subscribe to her newsletterSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wow, this show sucks! This episode's coming to you late because guest Taylor Lorenz, who was previously booked to do the show next month, saw who the interview guest was and said "I hate this man and must talk about it" (paraphrasing.) And we did! She is the rare guest who truly has as little familiarity with Bill Maher as possible, and also late night just in general, so it was FASCINATING to watch someone discover it via the worst possible example of it. We talk about the interview for a while, the boring panel for not as long (though I still found one guest INFURIATING) and then we heard a deeply confusing final New Rule that will make you say "not homophobic enough" JUST KIDDING!If there are weird typos in this I wrote it on my phone while feeding a baby so gimme a freakin break!Subscribe to Taylor on YouTube and also to her newsletterSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UPDATE: I forgot to put in an audio clip towards the end of the episode, that's been corrected.The new season continues to trudge on, and this week writer Parker Molloy joins the show for a third straight week of Bill Maher conducted Epstein files talk! She's a great guest, but listen; some weeks writing this description is harder than others, because it's just like, yeah, this guy sucks ass and this show is bad. I think we do a pretty good job of making fun of it, but if you've listened to the show before, you know that. Are there any surprises or anything to tease? Here's the thing: this week, there is. The final minute of the final New Rule does such a shock one eighty quality-wise that we were both truly stunned by it. You'll be shock, I swear to God...I haven't mentioned the show's stings being the work of Empty Heaven in a while, but their going viral for wholesome wife guy shit reminded me that I should. Check them out here.Subscribe to and read The Present Age hereSupport I Hate Bill Maher on PatreonLeave a voicemail for the show at (323) 545-6727‬ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

God FUCKIN damn it, bro. I got nervous there would be an issue with Streamyard so I did a backup recording and it fucked the gain on my mic up so bad. It's making me insane, I gotta know better than to not check my levels, Jesus Christ. Anyway, games journalist and podcaster Maddy Myers was on the who this week, and she asked the question "Hey, why are you doing an entire season of new episodes?" I don't know, man. It's pretty funny how much worse he's gotten at his job, but hearing him do such a bad job talking about such important things is really tough to deal with. Also, a nemesis from the show's past returns and somehow becomes the voice of reason. Sucks ass, man.Go to mothership.blog! It's new! And Exciting!Support I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That's right, God of Emperor of Turn Mountain Will Weldon is back in the hosting chair (it's my wife's desk chair, which she will probably want back once she's back at work) to talk about the season 24 premiere of Real Time with Bill Maher. My guest this week? Writer, Comedian, and... pottist? Potterist? Pottery maker? Eliza Skinner. Eliza is immediately displeased with me for having her watch a modern episode, and then we are immediately confronted with the sub-punchlines of a monologue that mostly just feel like a guy saying stuff. But what of the actual political content of the show, you ask? Well, he sort of manages to be displeased with ICE, but his both sides obsession immediately takes over and, I'll admit it even just here in the episode discussion, I think the lack of acknowledgement of the bravery and patience and fortitude of the people of Minnesota fighting an illegal government paramilitary group sent to terrorize them is genuinely outrageous and offensive. God this guy's a fucking prick! Also, Eliza comes in hot with a new take on Bill Maher's sexuality.In all sincerity, thanks so much for the kind words from everyone about the birth of my child, who has already been cast in the freaking sequel to It's Alive, folks!!!!! Also, thank you to all the guest hosts for helping me out, they all did even better than I'd hoped and I would've gone insane without them.Primary Photo Credit for the episode art: Ben Hovland | MPR (Minnesota Public Radio)Go buy some pottery from ElizaSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Unable to find a guest, fill-in host John Hastings flies solo and just rips one out for 51 straight minutes. He really brings out the specific resentments that only Canadians who lived in England for a while have, and then he combines that with the rage and shame that former Canadian young conservatives have. Then he has a go at the Kennedys. Honestly, I think the only person or people that come up who he doesn't have a grudge against is Willie Nelson. I listened to all of these at 1.5 speed before posting them and I think this one made me enter the Speed Force.Check out John's multitude is specials here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I continue to say "Hello baby" because I'm on paternity leave and babies need to be greeted, so writer and past guest Ella Dawson stepped in to cover my pathetic ass, and she brought fellow writer TJ Alexander with her! I could give a brief overview of the things they had to watch, but really I'll just warn people that PJ O'Rourke was on the panel and he's extremely fucking annoying.Check out TJ's newest book, A Lady for All Seasons, hereWell well well, it would seem Ella ALSO has a book Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PATERNITY LEAVE HAS BEGUN! Special guest host Vera Drew ("The People's Joker") welcomes Nate Faustyn and David Allen from the Loose Lips podcast to talk Real Time season 9, episode 6. Vera wanted this specific episode for a reason she reveals once they get to it, and it's very funny to me, but before they all get there they have to sit through an ass kissing interview with Matt Taibbi, some bizarre prop comedy, and a SPECTACULARLY failed riff. PLUS a great example of why the producers of this show eventually gave up on taping it live.I'm pretty sure this is the story Bill Maher references about the Muslim TV producer and then some follow up reporting from a a couple weeks laterListen to Loose Lips hereIf you haven't already, watch The People's Joker on Tubi on January 21stSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am breaking pat leave to bring you some Bill Maher news from the previous few weeks. This was the first part of an episode that also covered Bill Maher's interview on The Free Press' "Two Drinks with...". If you'd like to hear the rest of it (as well as the print interview that was published a few days before the video interview came out, which tricked me into subscribing to the Free Press (WHILE I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL WITH MY NEWBORN CHILD) so that I could read it, subscribe to the Patreon here... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I ended up exposing myself to a lot of harmful Maher content over the year 2025, here is some of the stuff that has poisoned my brain the most. See you in 2026.Support I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon00:00: Intro01:47: Creep Shit19:56: Failed Humor Attempts26:51: Baffling Moments36:52: Embarrassing Moments48:30: Guest Moments1:07:02: Petty Bitching Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Due to big time life stuff, I am unlocking this formerly Patreon exclusive episode which is about a piece of media that I think is kind of a foundational thing for I Hate Bill Maher: Bill Maher on "2 Angry Men", defending his dinner at the White House, and his subsequent monologue about it on the following episode of Real Time. He took the reaction to said monologue so poorly that he's still talking about it EVERY SINGLE WEEK, to this very day! However, this is him at his most freshly wounded, and thus he is truly unhinged in his response. That's right, this is the origin of "I should be a hero!" I don't even know if the actual podcast episode is that good outside of the clips, but the clips are genuinely really incredible. They're insane! "I should be a hero"!!! And he gets really fucking pissed when someone (barely) interrupts him. I'm getting myself worked up about it all over again just writing out this description!For real, I think it's worth watching the full video of the 2 Angry Men episodeSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon, where there is plenty of other sicko shit like this just waiting Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I know that some of the more perverse listeners of the podcast prefer an episode that's like a rip roarin' 180 minutes long or whatever, but I have to admit that a one hour and fifteen minute episode about a fairly innocuous 60 minute television show was like, really good for me at this particular moment. The real downside is that internet sick-o Stefan Heck (streamer/podcaster) really deserved worse than this, but he also seemed authentically traumatized by having to watch Bella Thorne on Club Random a few months ago, so maybe that would've been too much, I don't know. He did have to sit through a lot of whining from Bill Maher, Joe Scarborough, and some freak from the AEI, but then he also got to enjoy watching a lone conservative truly get the absolute hell beaten out of him, to such a degree that I created a new award to give to him. I'm such a giving fucking person...Check out Go Off Kings, listen to Blocked PartySupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian Jono Zalay joins the podcast just in time to experience something I was absolutely dreading: the hurricane Katrina episodes. That's right, one of the great tragedies and disasters in American history has arrived. While it's maybe not the best thing for the podcast, it's definitely easier on my brain that at least for now Bill Maher is extremely angry about it, and for the right reasons reasons and at the right people, but that doesn't mean there wasn't some weird and/or annoying shit at work here, especially on just a basic hosting skill level.Listen to Jono's Album "Beat Life to Death" hereSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A terrifying vision of a horrible alternate reality.Support I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on I Hate Bill Maher returning guest Francesca Fiorentini and I watched a very specific episode of Real Time for a very specific reason... I might be overselling how special either of those things are.Watch both and future episodes of Francesca's show, The Bitchuation Room, hereSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an I Hate Bill Maher first, returning guest Caron Clancey (writer/director/ORGANIZER!!!) watches the latest episode of Real Time LIVE! AS IT AIRED (sort of, I paused it like seventy five times.) Bill Maher is weirdly dismissive of the whole Jeffrey Epstein thing, Scott Galloway believes in individual solutions to societal problems, and Josh Barro honestly bothers me a lot less than I thought he would.Donate to Solidarity and Snacks hereSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It pleases me to see my enemies in such a diminished state. Support I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jon Gabrus joins the show to talk about two appearances Bill Maher made at the Playboy Mansion.Subscribe to I Hate Bill Maher here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Man oh man this guy has completely lost the plot, I swear to GOD dude. Jane Harrison returns to watch the latest episode of Real Time, which I unfortunately felt compelled to talk about because Marjorie Taylor Greene was on it. However, in a truly bizarre twist of fate, she was nowhere near the most unhinged part of the show because we got to hear Bill Maher talk about his deep, deep belief in the existence of aliens, and there ended up being a lot of mechanical noise because we got so worked up that we ended up waving the mics around wildly.Support I Hate Bill Maher on PatreonFollow Jane on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and podcaster Jesse Hawken joins me this week to talk about being a decades long Bill Maher hater, and then Bill Maher on this episode of Real Time validates that belief system by doing an all time rude reverential interview with Cindy Sheehan. Plus! a real yelling man heavy panel with V, Dan Savage, and *groans* Mike Huckabee.Listen to Junk FilterSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comedian and podcaster Patrick Monahan is my guest this week and his first ever full episode of Real Time reminds him of just how casually cruel the 00's were, and we also witness a startlingly lazy and uninspired panel performance from a generationally important comedian.Listen to What a Time to be AliveSupport I Hate Bill Maher on PatreonLeave the show a voicemail at (323) 545-6727‬ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yeah yeah yeah, it's late, I don't know, I got a lot goin' on, GET OFF MY BACK!!!!Look man, myself and my friend comedian Emily Faye (returning guest, if you are a Patreon subscriber) watched another episode of this dumb ass show and it was sort of startlingly unremarkable. Gore Vidal was funny for reasons both intentionally and not, Al Franken got off a good joke at the end there, and Charles Barkley was good enough that we both wished he had been on the panel proper. God, why are there so many fucking jokes about Michael Jackson? Who was this woman on the panel? She's such a mysterious booking!!!Follow Emily on InstagramSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PATREON EPISODE UNLOCKED:Comedian/Big time comedy fan rejoins the podcast to watch his 2022 HBO special #Adulting. In-between our overall complaints, I highlight some specifically terrible jokes, in addition to one joke I actually liked, and Mike gives Bill Maher notes as if he were his stand-up teacher.EDITED 12/1/2024 Added the intro, which I forgot to do upon initial uploadDarren Knight eating shit at JfL because he's a fucking hack: https://www.vulture.com/2018/08/darren-knights-performance-at-jfl-is-a-cautionary-tale.html Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Journalist Mel Buer joins the show to bear witness to the glory of America's forever culture war! Mel was not especially familiar with Bill Maher coming into this but brother you better believe she'll be thinking about him for a LONG time after! A panel from Hell, Real Time bottom of the barrel bingo, and the obscenely difficult struggle of trying to come to terms with the fact that a guy who sucks this bad at what he does has been rewarded for doing it for almost his entire life. PLUS I don't think I said Mel's name correctly even once.Subscribe to Mel's newsletter "Words About Work" hereSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I know, it's late, sorry I'm not perfect!!!The first 45 minutes the audio is kind of janky due to my assuming Streamyard wouldn't just suddenly change up my settings for no reason, but here is a very fun episode with writer and illustrator Mattie Lubchansky. As the result of having an extremely long commute early in her career, Mattie may be in the top five guests when it comes to how much Real Time they have ingested prior to being on the show, but that doesn't leave her any less aghast at what this episode has in store for her! There's a really... odd New Rule in this one.Get Mattie's book Simplicity here! Listen to No Gods, No Mayors! Also Listen to Temporal Culture War!Support I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Look man, if you were one of those people praising Bill Maher for pushing back on Ben Shapiro one single time, I have bad news for you: your ass got played.Watch one of John's 983 comedy specials hereSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Older men loved to introduce millennial women to Real Time with Bill Maher! Women don't dip! Rachel Fisher from the Hollywood Crime Scene podcast joins me to talk about gender TRUTHS and REALITIES! Actually, we primarily talk about Real Time season 3, episode 9. Bill Maher sets a personal record for women over 25 that he's openly attracted to in one episode (two), a panelist has a smug off with the show's host, and a Republican from Wyoming tells Bill Maher not to be so racist against people from the Middle East. Also, it's extremely depressing how recognizable so much of this episode is in comparison to the world around us right now.If you love gas powered leaf blowers, man, there is a TREAT for you at the end of this thing.Listen to Hollywood Crime SceneSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Classic episode of Real Time here, and by that I mean it was so boring my guest and I literally hard a hard time finding things to talk about, outside of the midshow comedy bit and the final two minutes of panel discussion. Who was that guest, you ask? Why, it was comedian Brandie Posey, and also thankfully we were given a brief reprieve from the episode by her eighteen year old dog waking up and doing that very throaty whine that chihuahua mixes do. In a new twist on an old classic, Brandie is put through a judgement free LIGHTNING ROUND, and then I sort of slowly turn into a pile of misery mush as I do everything in my power to not have a psychotic episode where I carve David Frum's name all over my body before self-immolating.Listen to Lady to Lady here.Support I Hate Bill Maher on PatreonCall and leave a voice mail at 323-545-6727‬00:00: Preshow2:26: Intro/News7:45: Questions12:25: Real Time Recap1:31:35: Psychic Damage/Plus/Final Questions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THIS IS A PREVIEW OF THE PATREON EXCLUSIVE EPISODE OF "I ESPECIALLY HATE BILL MAHER"We just ended up recording for too long for me to get this thing out with only like a six hour turnaround, so here is Woody Allen on Club Random, one day late, featuring actual Woody Allen fan (but not defender, don't worry) Andrea More. Obviously, given who the Club Random guest is, I simply must slap a content warning on here for talk of childhood sexual abuse; we also talked how strange it is that Bill Maher shows so little interest in, or ability to, talk about Woody Allen's work as a filmmaker considering what a huge fan he claims to be, the pathetic sympathy old men inherently pull out of you, and how one of these guys does a pretty good job (from a PR standpoint) of talking about being accused of sexual assault, while the other demonstrates pretty much the worst way to do it. It was a deeply strange conversation, one that I can't imagine Woody Allen's fans and true believers enjoyed very much, and neither one of us ends up particularly clear on why Bill Maher even wanted to have it.Support I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It may be two days late, but it was all worth it because this week on the podcast I am joined by David Roth (a co-founder of Defector Media, as well as a host of The Distraction) to talk about having always had Bill Maher just sort of around, in the periphery, kind of bothering you at a low level all the time. Then we get into Real Time season 3, episode 7, and both remember a time in culture that was, too say the least, quite bad. Bill Maher continues to beg for Republicans to give him this one, Arianna Huffington tries her best, Ian McShane has more charisma than facts, and New Rules get a little weird. Lots of brain poisoned internet references in this one.Please, read Defector, and listen to The DistractionSupport I Hate Bill Maher on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.