I didn’t think I would find a connection between the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and Bill Maher, the subject of this week’s cover story. After all, they couldn’t be more different: The Queen was supremely careful not to offend anyone with her words, while Maher fearlessly speaks his mind regardless of whom he might offend.
Then I read this line in a tribute to the Queen that spoke of the monarchy as “an institutional force for stability that partisan politics could never provide.”
A force for stability that partisan politics could never provide? Where do I get some of that?
Maher has emerged as a uniquely powerful voice in America precisely because he gives us what predictable, win-at-all-cost partisan politics can’t provide: an honest voice.
Maher would be a good start. The comedian-host has emerged as a uniquely powerful voice in America precisely because he gives us what predictable, win-at-all-cost partisan politics can’t provide: an honest voice.
Maher has developed this stunning habit of telling us what he really thinks, even if it upsets his legions of fans.
Maher will brutalize Trump with unrelenting force, but will push back against those who simply assume his 74 million voters are just as dangerous.
As a longtime icon of the left, he knows that defending Israel won’t win him any popularity points. But he has the courage to say things like:
“There’s just not another country in the world that would allow missiles to be rained down on them without fighting back. What I find so ironic is that after World War II everybody said, ‘I don’t understand the Jews. How could they have gone to their slaughter like that?’ Ok and then when they fight back: ‘I don’t understand the Jews. Why can’t they go to their slaughter?’”
Last week, he had the nerve to launch missiles at the widely beloved hit movie of the summer, “Top Gun: Maverick,” which he called “a two-hour propaganda ad for defense contractors, militaristic, jingoism, and bombing foreigners.”
On his “Real Time With Bill Maher” show on HBO, the host-comedian asked: “If you’re a film critic and you’ve been making your life’s mission to root out the insufficiently liberal in cinema, did you not notice that ‘Top Gun’ is a lot about making warmongering sexy? The weapons porn, the endless money shots of engines, burning jet fuel … The aircraft carriers dancing in the sun’s haze, all to the manly macho masculine sounds of … Kenny Loggins?”
As someone who recently saw the movie and loved it, I loved even more that someone challenged me with a fresh take I hadn’t considered.
Because so many of us have allowed partisan politics to consume us, we fight with ferocity for our side, just as Cruise fought for his side in “Top Gun.” When we fight so hard to win, the last thing we want to hear is anything that might challenge our narrative and, God forbid, introduce doubt.
Maher is a doubt merchant for partisans.
It’s odd to think of doubt as a “force for stability,” but by arousing our curiosity rather than our tribalism, doubt makes us more empathetic and civilized. The novelist E.L. Doctorow called doubt “the great civilizer on earth” because it civilizes and stabilizes human societies.
He probes each issue independently, going wherever the facts and common sense will take him. This keeps his audience guessing. How often can you say that about any commentator today — that they keep their audience guessing?
At a time when countless Americans are paralyzed either by blind partisanship or a fear of offending Twitter mobs, Maher isn’t afraid of either one. He probes each issue independently, going wherever the facts and common sense will take him. This keeps his audience guessing.
How often can you say that about any commentator today — that they keep their audience guessing? I can’t think of too many.
Queen Elizabeth provided “stability” by transcending partisan politics and staying above the fray. Maher provides stability by jumping into the fray, using his curiosity and common sense as balancing weapons that mitigate extremism.
In this week’s Journal cover story, our Community Editor Kylie Ora Lobell interviews Maher to explore his courageous voice and help us understand where it comes from.
My favorite part of the story is when Kylie asks Maher if has any ideas to make things better.
“My prescription has always been to stop talking politics all the time,” he responded.
I can’t think of a better starting point as we enter the High Holy Days, where we are called upon to look honestly at our mistakes and work to improve ourselves, than to “stop talking politics all the time.”
Just as the Queen transcended politics, and Maher has transcended political tribalism, they both represent the Jewish idea of transcending our basic instincts and aiming for something higher.
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