I think he's great. Not Martin Luther King great, but pretty terrific. Read this article from The Baffler, a journal out of MIT.
I know for many it's almost blasphemy, but it makes a real point. Bill Maher has courage as a comedian. When he hears what he thinks is bullshit he'll call it just that, he doesn't care who you are. Yeah, he's arrogant, but take it from me, a guy who produced and performed stand up for years back in the '90's and early '00's, comedians are arrogant, they have to be. It just goes with the territory. Maher's more honest about it, that's all.
On top of all that, he puts his money where his mouth is, literally. He gave a million bucks to the Obama campaign in 2012 because he thought his reelection was that important. He challenged his fellow Hollywood liberals to do the same. For the most part they didn't. He was never publicly thanked that I know of for this generous donation. And he never asked to be thanked.
Another thing I've always liked about him is that he'll give you your due when you score a point on him. He's done this numerous times throughout his career. He doesn't just yell louder like so many other interviewers do when someone makes a good point or responds with a clever comeback. The guy appreciates well articulated pluck.
I get why some people don't like him. He can be blunt as a hammer and I've often thought myself that finesse would have served him better in some situations. But that's what you get with someone who refuses to be false, refuses to equivocate and spent years in the rough and tumble of stand up comedy. A potty-mouth with an attitude. I'll take that over false modesty or calculated humility any day.
Read other answers by David Durham on Quora:
- What reservations do you have about libertarian principles?
- Are conservatives more American than liberals?
- Why are the two American coasts more liberal than the centre of America?
from Quora http://ift.tt/299hKas
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