Bill Maher criticized the influence of provocative political voices on both the left and right, arguing that a culture built around generating outrage has increasingly replaced substantive political debate.
Maher said the phenomenon is commonly associated with being an “edgelord,” but he offered a considerably less flattering description of the behavior.
“They call it being an edgelord. Normal people call it being an asshole, and sadly, the fact that so many people can’t tell the difference is not even a new phenomenon,” Maher said.
Drawing on his former show “Politically Incorrect,” Maher distinguished what he considers genuine political irreverence from deliberately saying outrageous things simply to provoke a response.
“It means radical honesty. What it doesn’t mean is just saying the unsayable to get a reaction,” Maher said.
He recalled that the behavior became prevalent enough that his former program created a segment designed to distinguish provocative political commentary from statements that were merely foolish.
“But so many people started doing that back then, we actually had to have a contest called Politically Incorrect or Just Stupid. Today, I don’t think Politically Incorrect would even stand a chance. It’s all just stupid,” Maher said.
Maher criticized provocative rhetoric on the political right before turning his attention to progressive activists and a series of positions associated with the left.
“And on the left: just abolish anything that isn’t working perfectly: police, prisons, borders, shoplifting laws, the Senate, the Supreme Court, huh, globalize the intifada, tampons in the boys room,” Maher said.
Maher argued that such positions are not primarily originating with longtime Democratic politicians.
Instead, he blamed younger political staffers immersed in online progressive politics for pushing the party toward positions that can alienate ordinary voters.
“You know, someone is coming up with this crazy, and it’s not Dick Durbin, age 80. It’s the staffers, the perpetually online, fatwa-curious Social Justice Suicide Squad,” Maher said.
He then offered Democrats a warning about where he believes their political problems originate.
“Hey, memo to Democrats: The call is coming from inside the tent,” Maher said.
Maher used former President Joe Biden’s administration as an example.
He argued that Biden presented himself during the 2020 campaign as a candidate who would restore normalcy but presided over an administration heavily influenced by progressive priorities.
“Democrats never really reckoned with, why didn’t Joe Biden actually give us the return to normal he promised? Biden ran in 2020 as a single-issue candidate: eliminating malarkey,” Maher said.
He contrasted Biden’s personal political image with the policies and priorities pursued by members of his administration.
“He wasn’t obsessing about intersectional queer theory. When Joe heard the word trans, he thought Pontiac,” Maher said.
Maher specifically criticized the Biden administration’s focus on gender identity, attributing that emphasis to younger officials and staffers surrounding the former president.
“But his administration, that is the kids he was too feeble to fight with, they made gender identity the federal government’s day-one top concern,” Maher said.
He then pointed to former Vice President Kamala Harris and the issue of taxpayer-funded sex-change procedures for prisoners as an example of what he viewed as the political influence of those staffers.
“They’re the ones who told Kamala Harris that the answer to Do you support tax-funded sex changes for people in prison? was Fuck, yeah, instead of You’re fucking kidding,” Maher said.
Maher argued that the same political culture he condemns on the right has gained significant influence within Democratic politics.
“Those are the Democrats’ edgelords. And like the ones on the right, they’re low-key running the country now,” Maher said.
His criticism ultimately extended beyond the familiar argument that America’s political leadership simply needs a younger generation of elected officials.
Maher said replacing older politicians with younger ones would not necessarily address the underlying problem if the incoming generation embraces the same provocative political culture.
“So, yes, by all means, let’s elect some younger politicians. But maybe the problem isn’t just the old farts. Maybe it’s also the new little sh*ts.”
WATCH:
