Bill Maher says he doesn’t have a problem with the “try it in a small town” feeling

The topics Bill Maher covers Real time Friday was nothing to laugh about – inflation, crime, the suppression of free speech, the war in Ukraine, anti-Semitism on campus.

One area of ​​particular concern was the issue of crime. Contributing guest Jane Ferguson, an award-winning special correspondent for PBS NewsHour The New Yorkerand author of the book Not an ordinary taskwas randomly attacked on a New York subway.

Your fellow panelist John Avlon, senior political analyst and anchor at CNN and former editor-in-chief of The everyday animalnoted how “we reduced crime in the mid-1990s. We seem to have forgotten many of these lessons.”

Maher then made a somewhat surprising admission, bringing up Jason Aldean’s song Try it in a small townan anthem challenging villains to try various anti-social activities and “see how far you can make it on the street.”

“I’m not mad about it,” Maher said of the song, adding, “I wish we could have it in the big cities,” with the caveat that “crime is just as high in red states.”

Maher previously had a one-on-one conversation with Greg Lukianoff, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and co-author of Cancel the American spirit.

Maher asked him about the rise in anti-Semitism on campus. While the host supported the right of groups to call for an intifada (“one of those vague terms,” ​​he said) and the chant “From the river to the sea,” he drew a line on the pledge of “any way possible” resources. Now I’m going to shit myself. So where do you draw the line here?”

His guest said things were slowly crossing the line into real threats. He said it was “embarrassing” to see university leaders unable to formulate an answer.

Maher also decried the suppression of free speech on campus. “It seems like we’ve all come to terms with it and repressed a thought,” he said. As for the people advocating more repression: “You owe us all the thoughts never spoken, all the jokes never told.”

In his New Rules editorial, Maher took on the grievances attacking charities such as MrBeast, the online philanthropist who has supported projects ranging from drinking fountains in Africa to rehabilitating orphanages.

“How did we end up in this strange place?” Maher is furious. “This positive difference in the world makes you a problem?”

He gave several other examples of people who tried to help disabled people and were criticized for it.

“Let me take this moment to put it on the record,” he said. “If I’m blind, deaf or paralyzed, don’t praise me – fix me!”

He asked: “When Adele lost weight, did she betray the unhealthy?”

The Awakened had their priorities twisted, he concluded. “The Woke believes its most important mission is to protect homeless people from stigma. I think the most important task is to protect them from rain.”