S20.E02: Ira Glasser; Fiona Hill; Matt Welch

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Guests: Ira Glasser, Fiona Hill, and Matt Welch

Original air date 2022.01.28

[tessaray]

I guess I haven't been keeping up as well as I should because Bill's NATO rant made no sense to me. Even after the USSR was gone, Russia wasn't exactly warm and fuzzy. 

Sometimes I leave my mask on in the car when my next stop is just a few minutes away. Nice to know it makes Bill crazy. 

[Mr. R0b0t]

Bill's slipping off the edge.  The Soviet Union may have been over in name, but there are no doubts the iron curtain is still around, albeit rustier than before. Is he even paying attention to the news?  Bill seems less interested in talking about policy politics and more interested in talking culture-war politics and that's why he feels like he's lurching rightward. Yes, crime is up in places, but why not talk about the root causes of it?  Why not discuss the Great Resignation happening right now and the push from the bottom up for worker rights? Bill's reverse-engineering his panels from shared places of grievance.  Has he always done that?

I'll keep watching for a while because I enjoy the unfiltered format even when they book guests who don't deserve the platform (Hi Bari!).  See y'all next week on Bill Maher's cavalcade of whiny b!tching.

Edited January 29, 2022 by Mr. R0b0t

[iMonrey]

Quote

Bill's reverse-engineering his panels from shared places of grievance.

And his interview guests too. Ira Glasser: another old white man who can commiserate with Bill about cancel culture. I mean, isn't it more nuanced than that? To what extent is the ACLU supposed to defend free speech rather than a right to a platform? I want to hear specifics about this rather than anecdotal musings about how he used to defend Nazis and now they don't, because that sounds like an idiotic grievance to me.

(To make matters worse, on Overtime Glasser and Maher were waxing poetic about how great things were back in the 40s. Good Lord, if ever there were a need for a person of color on that panel.)

I guess bitching about Covid restrictions is going to be Bill's new bugaboo and I'm already sick to death of it. So people imposing these restrictions are "the selfish ones," huh? Let's break that down. Yes, the vast majority of the hospitalized are unvaccinated. So the responsible people who get the vaccine and take the proper precautions are doing so to protect the unvaccinated so the hospitals aren't overrun with Covid patients and turning people away. Explain how that's selfish.

I get that Bill is sick of Covid. Everyone is sick of Covid.  But what exactly is he proposing when he says we should "get back to normal?" There are repercussions to just dropping all mandates and going about as though the pandemic is over. I guess his attitude is just "Oh well, that's too bad for the people negatively affected, they can just die." Nice. And Bill? When you admit to being a hero on Fox News, maybe that should tell you something.

I also want to know who is this audience that is cheering and clapping for this shit. I think they must have to show more than just proof of vaccination to get in the door.

[revbfc]

The canned laughter is really grating, and it’s more noticeable than usual.

 

Also, Matt Welch is not to be trusted.  He’s a Libertarian, so what he really believes is that HE has rights, but not the rest of us.  Libertarians hold the door for fascists “Out of principle.”

[tessaray]

 

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

To make matters worse, on Overtime Glasser and Maher were waxing poetic about how great things were back in the 40s. Good Lord, if ever there were a need for a person of color on that panel

I would add to that, someone under 50, please. I'm close to Bill's age but honestly, sometimes he seems much older with his geezer, get off my lawn mentality. It's embarrassing. 

Editing to add that I did enjoy Fiona Hill and even Ira Glasser somewhat but someone needs to push back at Bill's way of painting the younger generations as wusses and snowflakes. 

[aghst]

Bill seems to allude to getting criticized for last week's jag about covid restrictions.

Also says he's a darling on Fox News now.  But no he hasn't changed, it's the "left" which has, with dumb regulations.  Goes back to him trying to put in solar in his house or something.  Or brings up dumb examples like non-gender toy sections in large stores in CA.

Whatever.

What's more important, these little idiosyncratic regs in places like CA or the voter restrictions in the red states? They're also passing other crazy laws which are more significant than being inconvenienced in a toy store  (was going to link a specific example but don't want to cite something that wasn't discussed on the show).

Or he wants to whine about having to build a shed for his solar battery?

 

Bill and Welch got in deep about protecting the vulnerable, meaning old and fat in Bill's conception.  He cracked the covid code, fit and young people never get sick or die from covid!  Bill's been saying this shit for about a year now?  

 

Edited January 29, 2022 by aghst

[Hedgehog2022]

It's nice to know I'm not missing anything by not watching this show anymore...sounds like it's turned into gripe fest made up of old white guys with too much privilege and entitlement. And interestingly enough, sounds like his panels are largely made up of even more older white people with beefs about anyone under the age of 40. This show is dated and Bill is irrelevant.

[Cosmocrush]

On 1/29/2022 at 9:09 AM, iMonrey said:

So the responsible people who get the vaccine and take the proper precautions are doing so to protect the unvaccinated so the hospitals aren't overrun with Covid patients and turning people away. Explain how that's selfish.

Right?  I wonder what the doctors and nurses think about Bill's "Covid isn't a big deal anymore" stance?  In my state (Washington) hospitals, even in the urban areas are at capacity thanks to unvaccinated covid patients.  My father's CANCER surgery has been postponed over Covid.  But yes, those of us who are vaccinated and mask up are the selfish ones.   Fuck off Bill. 

Full disclosure:  I quit this show a while ago but somehow it showed up on my DVR last night.   I would have liked to hear Fiona speak (if those two men let her - this show has always had a habit of talking over women panelists - but alas I only made it ten minutes before deleting in disgust.  

21 hours ago, Hedgehog2022 said:

This show is dated and Bill is irrelevant

Completely. 

Edited January 30, 2022 by Cosmocrush
UNvaccinated is different from vaccinated.

[MsTree]

14 hours ago, aghst said:

Also says he's a darling on Fox News now.  But no he hasn't changed, it's the "left" which has, with dumb regulations.  Goes back to him trying to put in solar in his house or something.  Or brings up dumb examples like non-gender toy sections in large stores in CA.

Whatever.

How can we say 'whatever' when in his opinion, the party he identified with has changed? 

And what might be a dumb example for one person, is totally absurd for another. 

[aghst]

He also abandoned the Democrats and talked up Nader in 2000, if not vote for him.

Now with the regulations complaints, he’s echoing right wing attacks on places like CA.

if they’re so onerous, he could leave yet he doesn’t even though he’s been so personally inconvenienced.

because he’d rather rant about it repeatedly than actually make a change to remove this source of supposed aggravation for him.  

 

[sistermagpie]

8 hours ago, MsTree said:

How can we say 'whatever' when in his opinion, the party he identified with has changed? 

And what might be a dumb example for one person, is totally absurd for another. 

Right, it depends on how you define change. If you think liberalism means equality for groups that don't have them, it's not a change. If you think liberalism i where it was around 1980--rights for black people as it stood in 1980, some feminism, no wishing death on gay people but lots of previous attitudes still respected as truth and none of this new stuff about gender (and none of this Covid shit) then it's a change.

The conservative side really hasn't changed much, though, which is why everybody recognizes him becoming conservative, including conservatives. So he's in a bind--on one hand he clearly sees the authoritarian takeover in the works, but holds agitators for civil rights and labor rights responsible.

[UnknownK]

3 hours ago, aghst said:

He also abandoned the Democrats and talked up Nader in 2000, if not vote for him.

Now with the regulations complaints, he’s echoing right wing attacks on places like CA.

if they’re so onerous, he could leave yet he doesn’t even though he’s been so personally inconvenienced.

because he’d rather rant about it repeatedly than actually make a change to remove this source of supposed aggravation for him.  

 

We have a two party system and he votes for Democrats because that is the party he identifies with closest. That doesn't mean he won't vote for somebody closer to his ideals if they show up.

Some regulations are pretty stupid and are done to make a small amount of people feel good without solving a problem. Where exactly can he go without running into bigger issues that affect him more? It is better to bitch about what really bugs him on show and maybe somebody can change it.

[aghst]

25 minutes ago, UnknownK said:

We have a two party system and he votes for Democrats because that is the party he identifies with closest. That doesn't mean he won't vote for somebody closer to his ideals if they show up.

Some regulations are pretty stupid and are done to make a small amount of people feel good without solving a problem. Where exactly can he go without running into bigger issues that affect him more? It is better to bitch about what really bugs him on show and maybe somebody can change it.

He can go to FL or next door AZ.

He seems to prefer the way they handled covid.

They would probably let him install solar without building the shed or make him comply with various city codes./

 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Also says he's a darling on Fox News now.  But no he hasn't changed, it's the "left" which has, with dumb regulations.  Goes back to him trying to put in solar in his house or something.  Or brings up dumb examples like non-gender toy sections in large stores in CA.

I kind of agreed with him about the M&M characters. I mean, if it's that big of a problem, just drop the whole campaign in favor of something new. That being said:

Quote

Now with the regulations complaints, he’s echoing right wing attacks on places like CA.

Exactly. I don't think Bill realizes to what extent he is carrying the water for right-wing punditry. His claim that the Democrats have "changed" is an echo of what right wing pundits are saying. But the Democratic party has always been far more diverse than the Republican party, which has grown increasingly homogenous. By holding up isolated incidents as examples of an entire party's attitude he's painting all liberals with a broad brush. Exactly the kind of propaganda you hear on right wing media. No, Bill, Democrats haven't changed. You are just feeding into what you hear on the right and see on social media. It's intellectually lazy of him to buy into this kind of propaganda and run with it, maybe just because he can make a joke out of it.

Quote

Where exactly can he go without running into bigger issues that affect him more? 

Florida.

[UnknownK]

Pot is illegal in FL isn't it?

There are nutjobs in both parties (some more then others) but the media covers them more than the centrists because it gets viewers.

[Hedgehog2022]

7 hours ago, aghst said:

He also abandoned the Democrats and talked up Nader in 2000, if not vote for him.

Now with the regulations complaints, he’s echoing right wing attacks on places like CA.

if they’re so onerous, he could leave yet he doesn’t even though he’s been so personally inconvenienced.

because he’d rather rant about it repeatedly than actually make a change to remove this source of supposed aggravation for him.  

 

He should move to Texas...like so many other Californians have.

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I kind of agreed with him about the M&M characters. I mean, if it's that big of a problem, just drop the whole campaign in favor of something new. That being said:

Exactly. I don't think Bill realizes to what extent he is carrying the water for right-wing punditry. His claim that the Democrats have "changed" is an echo of what right wing pundits are saying. But the Democratic party has always been far more diverse than the Republican party, which has grown increasingly homogenous. By holding up isolated incidents as examples of an entire party's attitude he's painting all liberals with a broad brush. Exactly the kind of propaganda you hear on right wing media. No, Bill, Democrats haven't changed. You are just feeding into what you hear on the right and see on social media. It's intellectually lazy of him to buy into this kind of propaganda and run with it, maybe just because he can make a joke out of it.

Florida.

Texas

[HC87]

I found Bill to be very testy this week....like others have said here, he's more and more becoming the grumpy old neighbor most everyone doesn't want to deal with anymore. 

To label some progressive ideas etc as so "out there" -- he is basically parroting right-wing talking points. While this could be the case in some instances, he makes no mention of the thoughts/ideas that are equally, if not moreso, out of step on the conservative side of the political aisle.

Terrible panel imo as well.....this show is really losing its touch imo...I could see it losing a big part of its audience moving forward. 

[MsTree]

I get what you're all saying, but statistically as people get older, they become more conservative in their thinking. This could be what's going on, and as we all know, he's not getting any younger.

Yes, he rants about things he doesn't agree with, but that's a huge part of his show. Without his opposing tangents, the show would just turn into The View. 🙄

[RealHousewife]

53 minutes ago, MsTree said:

I get what you're all saying, but statistically as people get older, they become more conservative in their thinking. This could be what's going on, and as we all know, he's not getting any younger.

Yes, he rants about things he doesn't agree with, but that's a huge part of his show. Without his opposing tangents, the show would just turn into The View. 🙄

I literally laughed out loud! 

I enjoyed Bill most when his critiques were about serious political issues. I'd go into that but board rules. He was also funny without being whiny. I saw him live just 2-3 years ago, and he was still awesome. It makes me sad that I almost don't recognize him. 

Edited January 31, 2022 by RealHousewife

[Hanahope]

so Bill is upset that the majority of Dems don't speak up against the minority of Dems who are making regulations?  Really?  How about flipping that for the Gop, the minority of gop don't speak up for the majority of gop who are preventing people from voting or counting their votes?  

And you know why there are so many regulations?  almost always because someone sued a corporation and the corporation (or its insurance company) now put the warning/regulation on the product so it won't get sued again.  corporations have much more influence in our government than most people know.  they are the ones behind the vast majority of laws and regulations.  they want to make products that aren't all that safe, but then put a "warning" on them or say they are "regulated" so they can get out of paying lawsuits.

if you want to complain about regulations on solar panels, complain that its so complicated/expensive that most people can never do that.  that's a worthwhile complaint.

and clearly Bill hasn't watched much TV or gone to the movies in years if he had no idea who the M&M characters are.

 

[RealHousewife]

5 hours ago, Hanahope said:

and clearly Bill hasn't watched much TV or gone to the movies in years if he had no idea who the M&M characters are.

I watch my fair share of TV and until very recently was a regular movie goer, but I had no idea who the M&M characters were either. I fast forward/ignore commercials most of the time. 

[Eliot]

On 1/29/2022 at 9:09 AM, iMonrey said:

I get that Bill is sick of Covid. Everyone is sick of Covid.  But what exactly is he proposing when he says we should "get back to normal?" There are repercussions to just dropping all mandates and going about as though the pandemic is over. I guess his attitude is just "Oh well, that's too bad for the people negatively affected, they can just die." Nice. And Bill? When you admit to being a hero on Fox News, maybe that should tell you something.

He keeps saying that we should all “get back to normal” while just “protecting the vulnerable.” I remember when he latched onto this last year when he had some annoying Covid skeptic on his show and he has been beating the drum ever since.But he never actually explains what he means by “protect the vulnerable.” Is he going to somehow figure out a way to make Covid less contagious? Is he going to donate bone marrow or something to bolster the immune systems of the vulnerable? How is he going to protect the vulnerable from the unvaccinated who are clogging up ICUs and emergency rooms?

I have yet to hear a single specific idea out of him or any of his guests about what that actually looks like in real life.

[iMonrey]

Quote

And you know why there are so many regulations?  almost always because someone sued a corporation and the corporation (or its insurance company) now put the warning/regulation on the product so it won't get sued again.  corporations have much more influence in our government than most people know.  they are the ones behind the vast majority of laws and regulations.  they want to make products that aren't all that safe, but then put a "warning" on them or say they are "regulated" so they can get out of paying lawsuits.

He keeps bringing up how long it took to get his solar panels up and running and then uses that as a springboard to complain about Democrats. That's an enormous leap without connecting any dots. I assume he just thinks "Well, Democrats run this state so it's their fault." For all he knows, Republicans created all that red tape to discourage people from going solar! He has no idea, it's not like he's done the research. He just finds something to gripe about - usually a rich person problem - and manages to tie it to Democrats. He should really be on Fox News.

[monakane]

I did watch New Rules, but not the whole show.  The thing that puzzled me was why he objected to alarms in cars for kids who may be left behind.  I don't get why he objected to that.  A lot of parents are busy and stressed out and it can happen.  Even if the parent is a "crackhead" as Bill mentioned, does that mean the kid shouldn't be saved?

[Cosmocrush]

1 hour ago, monakane said:

I did watch New Rules, but not the whole show.  The thing that puzzled me was why he objected to alarms in cars for kids who may be left behind.  I don't get why he objected to that.  A lot of parents are busy and stressed out and it can happen.  Even if the parent is a "crackhead" as Bill mentioned, does that mean the kid shouldn't be saved?

Bill doesn't have kids (or spouse) but as usual he has opinions how everyone that does should live.