Monday, November 18, 1996
TELEVISION:
ABC will air Bill Maher’s controversial but successful cable
talk show By Lori Swingle
Daily Bruin Contributor
As America moves into the 21st century, social norms are
changing faster than ever. While the younger generations are on the
forefront of all this change, ready to create a world of political
correctness, however, some members of the older generations are
putting up a fight.
Bill Maher openly resists the pending extinction of sexist
comments and general male machismo, which is obvious from his talk
show, "Politically Incorrect." The show is a forum for guests to
admit their true feelings about hotly debated topics. This
controversial format has been a success in the cable ratings and
has boosted Maher to celebrity status.
Bill Maher is not your typical comedian  the class clown
who makes a living cracking jokes. When talking to Maher two things
become very clear: he doesn’t have a very high tolerance for things
he considers inane, and he is intimidating enough to get away with
it.
Maher got his start in stand-up comedy 17 years ago and has
become famous for his cynical and sarcastic outlook on American
culture and politics. During these years, Maher has learned how to
market his discriminating persona and finally came up with the
premise for "Politically Incorrect" after Johnnie Carson left late
night.
"All the guests would do is promote their movies," he says. "On
my show you get a mix of authors, politicians and actors actually
talking about issues."
Asking Maher about his show is a risky endeavor, however, and
the topic must be handled delicately. When asked to cite a
particular episode of "Politically Incorrect" that stood out for
its chemistry between guests, Maher becomes defensive.
"I can’t even remember what I had for lunch, much less a show I
liked," Maher says. "And even if I could, it would insult guests
from other shows if I singled out another episode and said it was
my favorite."
Maher’s passion for "Politically Incorrect" along with its
eclectic mix of guests and topics has led ABC to pick up the rights
to the show. The official switch from cable to public will take
place in January of 1997.
Although one might assume that some of the language, racy
comments and controversial issues would have to be toned down for
ABC, Maher emphatically denies that any changes will occur.
"If I would have had to change the entire format of my show to
make the switch," he says, "I never would have agreed to it. The
controversy is what makes the show so good. That’s why it
works."
Another recent change Maher has experienced with the show is the
move from New York to L.A.
"I didn’t like New York at all," he recalls. "It had been my
goal all along to move the show to L.A. because I have lived here
since 1983, and also because I feel Los Angeles is much more
representative of politics in America."
Critics and guests alike have disagreed with Maher, however.
Some feel that with the show in L.A., fewer politicians would be
able to give up the time to fly out and do the show, but Maher
doubts it.
"We have five people working all day long on booking the show,"
he says. "If I want Ralph Nader and Gary Busey to do my show on a
particular day, it might be an ordeal but you can bet that when the
day comes, they’ll both be sitting on the stage. That’s the bottom
line."
He returns to the stage as often as he can while keeping up with
the daily filming and writing for "Politically Incorrect." On Nov.
25, he will film his fourth HBO comedy special titled "The Golden
Goose."
"This will be my last show for a long time," he says. "I just
can’t put in any more time doing stand-up while shooting ‘PI’
Monday through Friday as well."
As Maher describes his formula for putting together a one-hour
show, it becomes clear why he is putting stand-up aside for the
time being.
"I’ve basically been gathering material for 17 years, trying
things out in clubs all over the country," he says. "’The Golden
Goose’ show is the fastest one I’ve ever put together, and it’s
taken a year. One year of work for one hour of comedy is tough, but
I did it and it’s gonna be good."
Though Maher credits his night club experiences for his current
success, he has seen a disappointing change in the audiences over
the past decade. In the era of talk shows and cable comedy
networks, people tend to stay at home instead of seeking live new
talents in the city.
"There has been an overall downsizing of L.A. clubs, and comedy
clubs in general," Maher observes. "There were just too many
comics, too many clubs and it was all just getting out of hand. The
’80s boom has led to a ’90s bust. Maybe it will go full circle
again in the future, but for now I’m going to stick with my
show."
The success of "Politically Incorrect" has even led Maher to
reconsider his acting career (in his earlier days, Maher dabbled in
guest spots on sitcoms and small film roles). Even though he would
have a much better chance of getting bigger roles now, he isn’t
even considering the possibility.
"I have such a demanding schedule, I couldn’t think of pursuing
acting right now," he says. "I basically have a five day a week
commitment, but maybe in the future I’ll try for that. I just can’t
envision that working now."
1997 will be a big year for Maher as his controversial show hits
the general public. It will be interesting to see which generations
will appreciate his cynical take on the P.C. movement  the
die-hard comedy fans have spoken, and now it’s time for the rest of
the country to decide.
So the question is, where does Bill Maher go to find comedy?
"I love to laugh, I appreciate anything that makes me smile," he
says. " But I personally would rather go out to a bar with friends
than to watch a sitcom, because as you get older you realize how
precious life is. You want to live it, not watch it  except
‘Politically Incorrect.’ Everyone should stay home and watch
that."
Bill Maher of "Politically Incorrect."