Bill Maher and guests channeled Salt-n-Pepa Friday night on HBO real time, because the theme of the evening was “Let’s talk about sex”. In particular, who is a woman, who has the right to determine a woman’s health and athletic requirements, and whether prosecuting Donald Trump for sex crimes is a smart move.
This week’s panel featured Democratic California Congresswoman Katie Porter and Piers Morgan, host of Piers Morgan Uncensored.
Maher addressed the hot button of Dylan Mulvaney, the transgender Bud Light and Nike influencer whose endorsement deals have become a polarizing topic in recent weeks. “Why the overreaction to it?” Maher asked. “Is there anything else about this story?” He added that many Americans are angry because they feel “an agenda has been forced upon them. Do they have a point?”
Maher commented: “There seems to be no room for debate on trans issues. You have to accept everything they say or you’re a fanatic.”
Morgan pointed out that Mulvaney went from gay man to non-binary man to woman, with his flamboyant personality causing friction along the way. More than his appearance drinking Bud Light, Morgan found that Nike’s ad featuring Mulvaney in a sports bra drew more ire. “Many women are offended by the way Dylan Mulvaney sells himself on TikTok.”
Morgan argued that Mulvaney was in fact mocking women, and the fact that he received more media attention at a time when swimmer Riley Gaines was asking questions about athletic competition heated things up. “It’s not that easy to say, ‘I’m a woman,'” Morgan said, “it’s more complicated.” He added, “A lot of women say, ‘What is actually happening to us in this process?
Porter said Mulvaney raises important issues “as the right fights these culture wars.” She claimed that a disproportionate amount of murder and violence is committed against transgender people. “You are being attacked,” she said. She later attributed Mulvaney’s backlash to “male insecurity”.
Morgan countered by asking where transgender rights “also undermine or destroy women’s right to equal rights.”
Porter acknowledged that “we need to be able to have a civil conversation about these things,” but said she disagreed with Riley Gaines’ complaints about transgender women fighting her. “I think it should be up to the sports organizations.”
Morgan proposed creating a new category for transgender athletes to allow them to compete.
Maher’s New Rules editorial reminded viewers that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it as he compared Donald Trump’s impeachment in New York to the late ’90s sex scandal involving President Bill Clinton.
Maher noted that any legalism regarding Clinton would be ignored by the average American, who was instead intrigued by details of the Monica Lewinsky affair. When it was all over, Clinton avoided impeachment in the Senate and still had a 73% approval rating.
“While I’m going to the circus[Trump]look, it seems worth asking the Democrats, “What about ‘sex scandals don’t work for presidents,’ don’t you get it?” Whatever the underlying legalism, it’s all about sex. Law is boring.”
Maher admitted he understood “how cathartic it was to see Donald Trump dragged out of his retirement home like the slumlord Goombah that he is.” But if real charges are brought about real issues, we have Stormy Daniels in our sights.”
Earlier in the show, Maher had a one-on-one with Ben McKenzie, actor and co-author of the upcoming book Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud.
McKenzie played on Maher’s bias against crypto, calling it “a Ponzi scheme.” The numbers in crypto are not real.” He added that NFTs are a “scam.”
Source: Deadline
Joseph Fearn is an entertainment and television aficionado who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a keen eye for what’s hot in the world of TV, Joseph keeps his readers informed about the latest trends and must-see shows.
