INTERVIEW: Controversial Comedian Bill Maher
For his decades-long career, comedian and commentator Bill Maher has skewered cherished customs and beliefs. Whether on his HBO show “Real Time with Bill Maher,” in his documentary film “Religulous,” or doing stand-up, he doesn’t shy away from controversy. Politics, drugs, faith — nothing is sacred. He’ll be performing in Birmingham this Sunday, but WBHM’s Dan Carsen caught up with him first. It’s a serious conversation, but it starts out on a light note, and ranges far and wide from there. The on-air five-minute version is above. An extended web-only 18-minute version is below.
Subject and time pegs for the extended interview are below:
0:23 — The theological question of whether the Devil is in charge of the Anti-Christ, or vice-versa.
1:04 — Is Bill Maher preaching to the (secular) choir?
1:45 — Most Democrats are believers, too.
2:15 — The question of safety from fundamentalist extremists.
3:02 — Carsen asks whether Maher can see the good religion can do.
3:51 — Maher objects to the question of whether he’s an atheist or an agnostic.
4:44 — “The Gospel of ‘I Don’t Know.'”
5:15 — “We used to believe in Zeus and Thor…”
5:28 — Carsen asks Maher why he’s so anti-religion.
5:49 — “9-11 was a faith-based initiative.”
7:03 — Carsen asks Maher about his role models.
8:02 — A decades-old quote from Maher on why he won’t run for office.
9:54 — Maher’s thoughts on future elections.
10:00 — Carsen asks about creative freedom at HBO.
10:50 — “9-11 changed everything, made people a little crazy.”
12:25 — Maher’s opinions on teaching religion in public schools as history or sociology.
14:15 — If Maher were king, he/we would address climate change and punish polluters with jail time.
15:05 — Carsen asks Maher if he smokes marijuana — which Maher believes should be legal — before shows.
16:53 — What to expect at Maher’s show at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex on Sunday.
RFK’s plan to phase out synthetic food dyes could face industry pushback
The health secretary announced a push to eliminate petroleum-based colorants from the food supply. But he'll need to get food companies on board.
As Tesla profits plunge 71%, Elon Musk says he’ll spend less time on DOGE
Elon Musk says he'll cut back his work with the federal government to one to two days per week. He said demand for Teslas is still strong, despite protests and plunging sales.
Judge blocks Trump administration plans to dismantle Voice of America
A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from dismantling Voice of America, the federally funded overseas news outlet.
Supreme Court leans toward parents who object to LGBTQ books in public schools
At the center of the case is the school system in Montgomery County, Md., the most religiously diverse county in the U.S., with 160,000 students of almost all faiths.
Inside Harvard’s lawsuit against the Trump administration
Harvard's lawsuit questions how freezing research funds will further the administration's goal of eliminating antisemitism on campus.
Hegseth is in hot water again over sharing attack plans. But this time it may be worse
Military lawyers question Pentagon head Pete Hegseth's defense that he didn't share anything revealing in Signal chat group with his wife and brother.
