Bill Maher is blaming Hollywood — again — for the faltering Democratic Party, telling California’s new daily newspaper in an interview centered on the current political climate that it’s time for Tinseltown’s politically outspoken elite to “shut the fuck up.”
Maher, who celebrated his 70th birthday last week, has been a party-agnostic political comic and agitator for decades. He hosted HBO’s late-night, half-hour political talk show Politically Incorrect from 1993 to 2002 and the cable channel’s political panel show, Real Time with Bill Maher, from 2003. As a resident of Beverly Hills who frequently brings actors, filmmakers and other key industry players onto his show, the comic has a front-row seat to Hollywood’s happenings and says it’s time for celebrities to step back if they want Democrats to oust Republicans.
“Hollywood [is] sort of the epicenter of the woke left. I don’t think they’re doing the Democratic Party any favors,” he told new New York Post offshoot The California Post. “I think if Democrats want to win elections in the future, job one: Tell the celebrities to ‘Just shut the fuck up. You’re not helping. You don’t strike people in most of the country as sensible or in touch with reality.’”
In addition to inviting celebrities like Charlie Sheen, Whitney Cummings and Louis C.K. to his panel of guests on Real Time, Maher hosts his own video podcast, Club Random, where recent guests include Chris Pratt, Drew Barrymore, Sean Penn and Joel Edgerton. Speaking recently with Edgerton on the podcast, Maher predicted he would not win the Golden Globe for his 2025 HBO Max stand-up special, Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This?, which was up for the best performance in stand-up comedy on television award.
“Sweetheart, I’ve been nominated for 33 Emmys, and they would never give it to me,” Maher said. “That’s not a gag number. That’s a real number. It’s crazy. … It’s [because of] everything I said. I speak freely, and this woke town fucking hates that.”
Maher has one Emmy win, in 2014, for outstanding informational series or special for HBO’s Vice, the channel’s news magazine show in collaboration with the digital media brand; he was an executive producer on that show. He earned his first Golden Globe nomination this year and, as predicted, did not take home the award, which went to former Globes host Ricky Gervais — incidentally, another comic who rallies against the woke left.
In the interview with The California Post, Maher discussed the state of state and local politics, saying he hopes for a move toward the middle while lambasting the current state of play.
“California could stand for a lot more centrist policies,” he said. “It’s just not a good thing when one party completely controls anything. That’s certainly true of the Republicans also, who are drunk with power in Washington, overstepping their bounds and doing things that are now making them unpopular. I would love to see both sides marginalize their crazies.”
Maher also chimed in on L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, who has entered her fourth year in office and is getting mixed reviews, with approval ratings in the low 40s.
“Do I think she’s done a great job? No. But all cities are messy,” he said. Newsom, who has appeared on Real Time, could benefit from a lurch toward the middle, Maher told The California Post.
“As far as Newsom and the state, I have many issues with both, but I like Gavin, and I always will,” he said. “I think he’s a really great politician, and I’m always imploring him to move to the center. I think if a Democrat like Newsom moves more to the center, it’s good for the party and it’s good for the country.”
Real Time with Bill Maher was recently renewed for two additional seasons by HBO, keeping it on the cable channel and HBO Max through 2028.
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