About 30 years ago I interviewed comedian Bill Maher for an alternative newsweekly in Charlotte, North Carolina. At the time, Maher was host of “Politically Correct,” a talk show on Comedy Central that combined comedy, politics, and an eclectic lineup of guests. The show could be both incisive and entertaining and didn’t take itself too seriously.
Maher was on a standup comedy tour that included a performance in Charlotte, so I interviewed him by phone ahead of his appearance. The main thing I remember about that interview was that Maher seemed in a testy mood. I wasn’t necessarily surprised, figuring anyone would be in a testy mood having to give interviews to every little dipshit newspaper in every town you hit.
In the article, I wrote about how Maher seemed to be a little, uh….edgy.
To my surprise, Maher actually read the article. This was during the Print Age, before the internet, so he must have grabbed a copy of the paper while he was in town. He later wrote me a letter – old school, sent via snail mail – complimenting me on the article and saying it’s one of the better ones he’d read about himself.
I tell you this only because Maher also added something in his letter to this effect: “Geez, I didn’t realize I came across as being in a bad mood.” I thought it was pretty decent of him to acknowledge something that didn’t show him in the best light without jumping down my throat.
I kept Maher’s letter for years and years but have no idea what happened to it. I think it got water damaged in the basement of a former home. A lot of stuff in that basement ended up getting thrown out – some to my regret, some to my pleasure. I wish I still had the Maher letter. I’m sure the article still survives in the print archives, somewhere.
Anyway…..
Thirty years later, Maher has become a major star and political voice who now hosts “Real Time With Bill Maher” on HBO. He’s written some books that sold well and been involved in a number of films. He’s an A-lister in his realm, no doubt about it.
But unlike 30 years ago, Maher definitely takes himself very seriously in 2025 – so much so that he often comes across as a smug know-it-all who sounds convinced of his own genius and sometimes seems more interested in taking potshots at easy targets than providing insightful commentary.
He also seems very invested in building his own brand (to borrow a 21st century phrase we’re all pretty sick of).
I’ll give you an example. Maher was an early and frequent critic of Donald Trump during Trump’s first term in office. As recently as a few months ago, during the 2024 presidential campaign, Maher continued to blast Trump.
But then Trump won – unbelievably. And suddenly Maher changed his tune.
Soon after the election, Maher mentioned that he didn’t have much more to say about Trump. Then, a few weeks ago, he agreed to meet Trump at the White House on the invitation of Kid Rock, the knucklehead rapper/singer dude who has become a major torchbearer of the MAGA movement.
That meeting took place earlier this week. And boy oh boy, has Maher suddenly gone from a fierce Trump critic to a begrudging Trump admirer. We won’t know exactly how Maher felt about the meeting until he addresses it on “Real Time.” But he already has been called out for some of the comments he made in recent interviews (check this YouTube podcast).
Here’s how the Huffington Post reported on the Maher-Trump meetup. I picked out a couple of grafs that are very revealing. You can read the full take here.
In a “Club Random” podcast interview with Chris Cuomo shared Sunday, Maher praised the president’s shrewdness.
“Trump is one of the most effective politicians, whatever you think of the policy and him as a person,” Maher said. “Just as a politician. Just understanding that always lean in to being more who you are. The people are not savvy about issues, but they smell a phony a mile away. And that kind of shit, nobody else does it…He has those moments that no other politician has. And the Democrats have to find that guy.”
[Maher] also noted Trump’s appeal “on a primal level” that blue state candidates have not been able to match.
“His message is, ‘I’m me, I’m strong and I’m daddy,’” he said. “People want a daddy.”
*****
There are a couple of things in the passage above that jump out at me. One is Maher’s comment that Trump connects with regular folks because they can “smell a phony a mile away” – which implies, I guess, that Trump is not a phony because he speaks his mind and talks in plain language or whatever.
Which, honestly, is the biggest crock of bullshit I have ever heard. Trump is not only a phony – he has practically turned phoniness into an art form. People act like he’s a regular guy because he insults and bullies his perceived enemies, blurts out whatever rattles around in his head, and rambles on incoherently about the dumbest shit under the sun.
But that doesn’t make him “real.” That only makes him aggrieved and petulant.
Like any con man, Trump has mastered the art of pretending to be something he’s not.
He pretends to be a man of the people, even though he would not spend two seconds with the “people” if given a choice. He was born rich, went to expensive private schools, went to an expensive Ivy League school (because his rich Daddy probably bought his way in), and has spent his entire adult life living in massive penthouses or on sprawling estates to put as much distance between himself and the “people” as possible.
Trump pretends to be tough guy. But whenever he finds himself in a tough spot, he takes the coward’s way out. In the 1960s he got a draft deferment for “bone spurs” rather than go fight in Vietnam. As a businessman he often opted for bankruptcy rather than pay people what they were owed. When he lost the 2020 presidential election he made up lies about it being stolen rather than admit defeat like a grown-ass man.
He lies about everything – his wealth, his business dealings, his assets, his sexual conquests, his vote totals, all of it. He is the quintessential phony whose main talent is convincing people he’s not a phony.
*****
The other Maher comment that caught my attention was this:
“[Trump’s] message is, ‘I’m me, I’m strong and I’m daddy,’” he said. “People want a daddy.”
Again, the sheer tonnage of bullshit in that passage is so massive it would cause an 8.5 earthquake if it crashed to the ground.
Trump is not strong. He’s weak and cowardly and thin-skinned and insecure and a baby from the top of his big stupid hair to the bottom of his stupid little feet.
And Trump is not “daddy.” Hell, he’s barely a daddy to his own kids. He screwed around on their mothers, got divorced twice, often treats his kids coldly, has said the creepiest things about one daughter and is reportedly distant with another.
But never mind all that. My main problem is this whole idea that “people want a daddy” in the White House.
No, people don’t. They don’t want a “daddy” in the White House. That’s such a douchebag bro thing to say. It basically implies that “daddy” is strong and “mommy” is weak and we want strong and oh, for fuck sake, I just want to punch Maher for even thinking such a thing, let alone saying it out loud.
You know who wants a “daddy” in the White House? Weak people, that’s who. Not strong people – weak people. People who are so insecure in their own lives that they need some loudmouth, fake-macho frat boy telling them how to live and what to do and believe.
You know who’s strong, who’s tough? All those single Moms out there raising their kids alone because Daddy wanted to go have some fun, and ditched the family as soon as he could.
Here’s a stat to chew on, according to data compiled by Statista:
- In 2023, there were about 15.09 million children living with a single mother in the United States, and about 3.05 million children living with a single father.
If my math is correct, there are roughly five times more single Moms raising kids alone than single Dads. It takes strength to raise kids alone. It also takes commitment, and patience, and guidance, and love, and compassion – and discipline, and toughness. There are a lot more Moms handling the job than Dads.
I’m lucky – I have a good Dad. So does my wife, and most of my friends and relatives. I also consider myself to be a good Dad.
But there are a whole lot of shitty Dads out there. There are shitty Moms, too – but I’d be willing to bet that the shitty Dads outnumber the shitty Moms by a fairly wide margin.
There is nothing inherently strong or tough about being a Dad, or a man, or a male. That’s a myth that keeps getting handed down from generation to generation – mostly by men, who still control most of the power, because they’re greedy, egotistical and insecure enough to crave it.
No, Bill, my old friend: We don’t want “Daddy” in the White House. We just want an adult in the White House. We don’t have one right now. We have a lying, corrupt crybaby.
But I hope you enjoyed your visit, and got some of that Daddy love you hold in such high esteem….
Image: The Hill
Vance Cariaga 